This kind of stuff really (genuinely) breaks my heart. What a band this could have been if they'd just made peace and kept this absolute genius in the band. As Mick has said himself, touring aside, they've had immense opportunity to at least write together. Charlie has made a decent fist of writing all the music since 1991, but this guy is an absolute musical God (like Charlie) and so much more could have been achieved. What's for you won't pass you by as they say up here, but seriously.? In a live concert sense, they've never replaced Mick, what a thrill it was seeing him live (go back on RU-vid and take. a look) -there is a distinct difference between nostalgia and class; Mick was and always will be sheer class.
Beautiful talent. Heart and soul of Simple Minds with Derek. I still listen to all thd old stuff and the classics. East at Easter on Live in the City of Light still makes me cry occasionally. Mick, Derek and the band captured the soul of Glasgow in the music. They captured my soul too. Forever.
Please, please, please try and get mick to do this on his own channel telling us Simple Minds fans how the songs came about and possibly having guest on like his side kick a Derek Forbes or Charlie Burchill 👍🏻😀
I thought Mick voluntarily left as he had burned out, story goes Jim and Charlie wanted to get right back in the studio and recapture what may have been lost since SFY was a very Scottish and political album that lost some folks and Mick was just spent. Touring OUAT went for upwards of 3 years with SFY on the heels so that would have been almost a decade of solid recording and touring. That's what Mick had said at the time but I wasn't there of course. Only statement about Derek's departure I could really find was Derek saying he regretted going to a party instead of a recording session, prompting the sack call from Bruce.
Mick left on his own I thought. Derek didn’t help himself but was a young, they/Jim made a big mistake firing him. Brought him back in 96 but magic was gone. Surprised Mick never went back.
