Imagine standing at the precipice of global stardom, having just conquered the charts with a song you initially dismissed as a “throwaway”. This was Simple Minds in 1985, fresh off the monumental success of “Don’t You (Forget About Me).” The world was watching, and the pressure was immense: could they, the Scottish band who had journeyed from post-punk experimentalism to stadium-rock grandeur, deliver an original anthem that would prove their staying power? Their answer arrived with a resounding roar: “Alive & Kicking”.
This wasn’t just another single; it was a defiant declaration. Jim Kerr, the band’s enigmatic frontman, later confessed the internal struggle – the “slight stigma of being the outsider” that came with their biggest hit. “Alive & Kicking” was their chance to validate their own songwriting prowess on a global stage, to equal or even surpass what an “outsider” song had achieved.
The genesis of this anthem began, as it often did for Simple Minds, with Charlie Burchill’s musical ideas, sparking Jim Kerr’s lyrical imagination. An early demo, aptly titled “Jams #1,” already held the song’s complete structural framework. But it was the arrival of producers Jimmy Iovine and Bob Clearmountain that truly honed “Alive & Kicking” into the polished, stadium-ready powerhouse it became. Iovine, in particular, was a guiding force, pushing Kerr for more energetic vocal performances and helping to articulate the “great joy” and “overwhelming feeling” they wanted to convey.
“What you gonna do when things go wrong? / What you gonna do when it all cracks up?”
Picture this: Jim Kerr, walking through Manhattan at 5 AM, headphones on, listening to the final mix of “Alive & Kicking” on a Sony Walkman. A profound sense of confidence washed over him. “This is really going to work,” he thought. This private moment of conviction speaks volumes about the band’s belief in their own material, a quiet defiance against the external pressures. And then there’s the delightful anecdote of Charlie Burchill dismissing Kerr’s initial lyrical suggestion for the chorus, warning it sounded “horny” and like “some soul band in Scarborough,” a comment that could ruin a “million seller”. This glimpse into their collaborative tension reveals the creative dialogue that shaped the song.
Lyrically, “Alive & Kicking” taps into universal themes of resilience and unwavering commitment. Phrases like “What you gonna do when things go wrong? / What you gonna do when it all cracks up? / Who’s gonna save you?” lead to the resolute declaration: “Alive and Kicking / Stay until your love is, until your love is, Alive”. It’s a testament to the enduring power of love and spirit, wrapped in a grand and powerful musical arrangement. The distinctive backing vocals of Robin Clark, a strategic addition by Iovine, brought a “choir-like beauty” that further elevated the song’s sonic grandeur.
“Alive & Kicking” wasn’t just a studio triumph; it was a global phenomenon. It soared to number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and topped the charts in Italy. In their native UK, it peaked at number 7. And for those of us in Sweden, it spent six weeks on Trackslistan in 1985, peaking at an impressive number 6, and even made the year-end list at number 58.
The music video, filmed amidst the majestic Catskill Mountains in upstate New York, perfectly mirrored the song’s anthemic quality. It was the MTV era, and as Jim Kerr himself noted, it was no longer “good enough to have a song”; visual presentation was paramount. And who can forget John Giblin, the new bass player, “earning his stripes” by standing precariously close to the edge of a cliff – a genuine feat before the days of widespread CGI. This commitment to authenticity, even with a hint of genuine risk, adds to the video’s enduring lore.
Forty years on, “Alive & Kicking” remains a staple in Simple Minds‘ live performances, a powerful reminder of a momentous year in music history. It’s featured in commercials, covered by diverse artists, and continues to inspire new generations. It embodies Simple Minds‘ remarkable journey from their experimental post-punk roots to global stadium-fillers, a journey characterized by unwavering artistic integrity and a relentless pursuit of musical vitality. Indeed, Simple Minds are still very much “Alive & Kicking”.
My copy: 7″, 45 RPM, Europe, 1985, Virgin
Trackslistan (Swedish radio chart): 6 weeks, peaked at #6, #58 on year-end list 1985
