Sparkle in the Rain

30 Years ago this week saw Simple Minds top the UK album charts and various other countries around the world with the classic anthems on Sparkle in the Rain. This was the bands sixth studio album and one that catapulted them into one of the must see bands at the time.

Around this time they were regularly playing to large crowds of 50,000 and many likened them to another rock band with similar music and beliefs namely U2. Many seen the two bands as in competition but they were great friends on and away from the music and both appealed to the general public.

Initially, the band promoted the song Waterfront at the Phoenix Festival in Dublin where U2 where the main headline and the song received terrific response from the crowd with it's thumping bass line and drumming.

With that success the band went to work on this album and sought the help of Steve Lillywhite who had also produced for U2 and Big Country. The album was worked on in Wales and then relocated to London to finish the album and was seen as a move away from the New Wave synthetic sound of previous albums to a more rock sound with emphasis on bass and guitar to appeal to a more rock based fan.

The album was released in February 1984 and shot straight to number one in the UK album charts and 3 singles were released with Waterfront peaking at number 13 with Speed your love to me at 20 and Up on the catwalk at 27.


The tracks on the album:- 1. "Up on the Catwalk" 2. "Book of Brilliant Things" 3. "Speed Your Love to Me" 4. "Waterfront" 5. "East at Easter" 6. "Street Hassle" 7. "White Hot Day" 8. "'C' Moon Cry Like a Baby" 9. "The Kick Inside of Me" 10. "Shake Off the Ghosts"

The album was released on Virgin records in the UK and A&M records in the USA. To date the album has nearly sold two million copies and a great testament to a fantastic album.