Spandau Ballet, thompson twins, Tears for fears, duran duran, Mr Mister, New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Crowded House, UB40, Bronski Beat, Alphaville, Til Tuesday.....there were so many great sounding bands in the 80s that played this style of music besides the simple Minds....
Such a great song from a very talented band. It gives me goosebumps, especially when that piano break starts and it builds up. For me, it's a toss-up between this and Don't You Forget About Me for my favorite Simple Minds song.
A loving shout out to the elegant and powerful vocalist Robin Clarke ...an alum of Bowie's backups ("Young Americans"). I love her work in this and the album. 💐🎶📀
Love "Alive and Kicking"! You may have heard all or snippets of their biggest hit "Don't You Forget About Me" from the soundtrack to the 1985 movie "The Breakfast Club."
I've been a fan of "The Minds" since the 1970s with "New Gold Dream." I finally had the privilege to see them live in my hometown in 2018 with their "Walk Between Worlds" tour. I was not disappointed. It was a joy to see them. That Jim and Charlie are still going strong, and with the additions of the current line up, just a sublime experience. They're on tour now with their "Direction of the Heart" tour and I"m hoping they get back this way again. I'll gladly spend the money on them.
This is actually freaking phenomenal lol. My favorite Simple Minds song. Sooo glad you enjoyed it. It is soo lush and beautiful. Gives me chills every time. Such a feel good song. 👌🏼👌🏼 Don’t You Forget About Me is their biggest song but it doesn’t hit the way this one does. This song packs such a special punch. Great reaction, thank you.
❤Such a great band and they have made so many iconic 80s hits. You may know them from the John Hughs film The Breakfast Club soundtrack Don't You Forget About Me. Jim Kerr has such a full beautiful tone.
That straight faced drummer you mentioned was considered at the time one of the best drummers in the world. His ability to make those drums stand out and be so memorable was second to none! This song, for the lack of a better term, was simply EPIC! The composition, the musicianship, the production, the sound quality, the editing. Everything about it! I actually named my first band in the late 80s after them. We called ourselves Emptee Minds. That says it all I guess!😅
You’ll enjoy going down the Simple Minds rabbit hole - I’ve been a fan since 1979 & saw them live numerous times here in Australia in the 80’s - brilliant live!
Time to watch the movie "The Breakfast Club" and then react to Simple Minds song "Don't you forget about me", which was the theme song for that 80s classic movie. ❤
I will never get over wht great music we had coming from the 60s/70s/80s/part of 90s. It's a noticeable losss when listening to most music from the last 20+ yrs. We were so lucky!
So glad you liked this, Simple Minds was a band I used to buy anything of theirs I ran across. Other songs to definitely check out: New Gold Dream, Don't You Forget About Me, Up On the Catwalk, Waterfront, Book of Brilliant Thins, Speed Your Love To Me, Sweat in Bullet. Great band live as well!
60’s-80’s were the best. 90’s the tide started to turn. By the turn of the century it all turned to uncreative, untalented, repetitive crap for the most part.
Made my day ! Thank you so much for bringing this little pocket of memory back , I can picture a summer day in the car with the windows down singing all the way. Please look at "Don't you forget about me "
Glad you enjoyed your introduction to Simple Minds :-) This is the tip of the iceberg. To really appreciate them, though, you need to explore them as an albums band, as opposed to their singles (notwithstanding that their singles were generally brilliant as well.).
Thanks Salvo! Simple Minds is my Favorite 80's Band :-D NO ONE sings like Jim Kerr - Please react to early Simple Minds song SOMEWHERE IN SUMMERTIME you will not regret!
Those piano breaks are pure heaven. And the sunset at the end of the video makes me so nostalgic because there were so many 80’s videos that ended with a sunset.
This album was a masterpiece top to bottom. All the things she said, I wish you were here are incredible. Another gorgeous, dreamy song by them is Someone, somewhere in summertime.
The one song they’re most known for, “(Don’t You) Forget About Me” was written by someone else, and they didn’t want to record it since it wasn’t “theirs.” It was recorded fairly quickly and mostly ignored by the band, but the movie “The Breakfast Club” (for which it was written) brought it to life.
"Wait a second. This is actually really good." Best reaction in a while... I love this song and the breakdown bridge with the keyboard and then the heavy drums hitting is just incredible. (I actually had it as my ringtone for years.)
another gem from the 80's. people love to make fun of the 80's, but some amazing things, like this, can be found there. this was released when i was in high school. it inspired the title of, and my cover of it was going to be the title track of, a film i wrote a rough draft for at the time. it was going to be a jukebox musical using the music of the time that i loved. it was a homage to the teen dramedies of the time.
i am pretty sure you would have heard the other hit "Don't you forget about me" Theme song from the movie "The Breakfast Club" :) Alive & Kicking was awesome back then and is still awesome, 40 years on. with a touch of U2 sounds..a great reminder of my teen years... lol...
Man i thoroughly enjoyed watching you dig this 80”s tune. I was 14 yo when this song hit in 1984 it still obviously transcends through the generations. 80’s best music decade ever!!!
You react the same way I do on first listen to songs. When the music is great you know it immediately then the vocals come in and it's in total a perfect song. Truly a treat!
This was fun; no one reacts to this tune, but it's such a banger! I don't know why this song reminded me of another, but I think you should check out The Hooters' "And We Danced". Another certified 80s pop song that most people forget about but shouldn't because it's awesome.❤
LOVE LOVE LOVE this track and the video as well. I personally think it’s a stronger song than “Don’t You Forget About Me”. Also, they wrote this song as opposed to “Don’t You Forget About Me” which they did not write. They didn’t even want to record “Don’t You Forget About Me”. Simple Minds lead singer Jim Kerr’s then wife Chrissie Hynde loved the demo of the song and was going to record it, but, because it would also require her to do a video for the song due to the film tie in, she had to back out because she was pregnant with her and Kerr’s child at the time. Simple Minds had been the first choice of the film’s director to record the song, but, they turned it down (6 times in fact). It was offered to Bryan Ferry and Billy Idol who both turned it down before Chrissie Hynde was in negotiation to record it but had to back out. She encouraged Kerr to record it with his band Simple Minds and eventually they agreed and the rest is history as it became the biggest hit of their career. “Alive And Kicking” is a full on Simple Minds song to the core with the sweeping vocals, booming big sounding instrumentation and passionate vocals from Kerr and the amazing soulful vocals of American singer Robin Clark 🙌🏼
Great wall of sound, amazing hooks, plenty of detailed touches they are definitely worth a much deeper dive. Saw them back in 1979 when they were pretty raw but by the end of the eighties they were a well oiled stadium machine pumping out anthemic choruses like shelling peas.
I think the thing I love most about you young uns reacting to our music is you bring back the memories these songs once invoked. I haven’t thought about Simple Minds in years! Thank you! Have you done anything by Thompson Twins?
