Remember seeing him on TV playing 'The American' on his Wal MK1 in about 84.... What a song, what a bassline, what a bass player. Not the same band when he'd gone.
Without Derek and Mick, the early Simple Minds would have never made it. Beautiful bass sounds. Derek was arguably the best bassist of that generation of musicians. Bravo Derek! 👌👏🏼👏🏼
His bass lives were visionary, Derek stepped out of the normal and pushed boundaries for the bass guitar, innovative, versatile, and great tones, thanks for the upload.
That's so funny - for me at first it was In Trance as Mission, then 70 Cities as Love Brings The Fall, and later I began to appreciate Sweat In Bullet. Then I found the 12" single for it. Just brilliant.
Derek Forbes and Michael Dempsey were without doubt the best bass players of the early 80's.. Albums like New Gold Dreams and Sulk (The Associates) both from 1982 have basslines that have stood the test of time! Just listen to both albums! Incredible!
Could watch and listen to Derek all day. Had the pleasure of meeting him twice, chatted for ages. My, what SM could be today with DF and MM and MG back. The current Steps setup loses me Im afraid.
I remember enjoying the hits when Simple Minds became more of stadium band, with John Giblin was on bass, but wasn't until I was older that I really explored their back catalogue and realised just how creative and arty their earlier stuff was. I'm also a bass player and was blown away by the OG rhythm section's idiosyncratic and angular grooves. They were a completely different band after Derek left, and I prefer their older stuff now.
Exactly my experience with the Minds. First album I got of theirs was Once Upon a Time & I loved it. The album after that was disappointing & I lost touch with them. It was several years later that I started digging further back into their older stuff & found I liked that way more than Once Upon a Time.
A huge lot of ‘old’ SMinds fans do either. 78-85 was their shining era, afterwards… it’s the Jim and Charly show. Not worth mentioning that egotrippin’ any further.
The demonstration here shows the old style versions of how Simple minds sounded. Derek Forbes put in most of the innovation and creativity working with Brian McGee on drums, while Jim Kerr working on the lyrics. It shows that the best our missing from a Simple minds. Only Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill left. Missing. Derek Forbes, Mick MacNeal, Brain McGee from when they first established. Derek popping the bass and Mick amazing synths. Gave Simple minds that dynamic sound. As why die hard fans miss them so much. The sound today from Simple minds is not the same. Something seems missing. And we all know what it is!!! There is Simple minds the name and EX Simple minds. 3 other members dearly missed but not forgotten. And why they will play regardless split up. As this still all their music and creativity. 5 guys creativity was amazing. A final one off tour. Or perhaps Jim and Charlie could do an end of show encore, introduction of early songs by inviting these 3 missing members to the stage for some final songs on a tour.
Follow him from first SM albums, HE IS A LEGEND.His bass lines are unique masterpieces . Undoubtly Derek IS the ONLY Simple Minds bassist and after him nothing but some good work by M. Foster. Listen to all his performances even incredible these with Propaganda. Please Dereck come back with Mick Macneil joining again Simple Minds for a GREAT CELEBRATION TOUR !!🙏
Would love to know exactly why the full SM reunion of 2008 didn't work out. I'm guessing Jim wanted total control with Charlie, and Derek, Mick & Brian couldn't accept that. If true, you will never see any kind of SM reunion again.
Yes when I asked Derek if he used the Fender Precision because one of his influences was JJ Burnel, he said you can't beat the sound and look of the FP and he isn't wrong!
@@gjpromo5640 Exactly ! The more impressive sounds on bass players I've seen live are Derek with his '79 sherry sunburst, Dave Tregunna ( Lords of the New Church) with his '76 cream P Bass with JB bridge pickup, Graham Mabe (Joe Jackson band ) with his white blackguard '78 PB, Francis Buchölz ( Scorpion ) with his '68 candy apple red P Bass, JJ Burnel (the Stranglers) with his black Yamaha, Mike Rutherford ( Genesis ) with his '80 candy apple Precision Special, Andy Mc Cluskey ( OMD ) with his '74 Jazz Bass and...Carmine Rojas ( David Bowie ) with his Kramer Pioneer Carrera...
