Celebration (Simple Minds album)

Celebration is a compilation album by Simple Minds, released in 1982. The compilation features tracks from the band's first three albums released during their tenure on the Arista Records label, prior to their move to Virgin Records in 1981. One of the tracks, "Kaleidoscope", was exclusive to this CD and LP until it appeared on the X5 box set in 2012.[4][5][6]

Celebration
Compilation album by
Released5 February 1982
Recorded1979–1980
GenreRock
LabelArista
ProducerJohn Leckie
Simple Minds chronology
Themes for Great Cities 79/81
(1981)
Celebration
(1982)
New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)
(1982)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Martin C. Strong(7/10)[2]
NME(mixed)[3]

Originally released by Arista Records in February 1982, the album was reissued by Virgin Records later that year after Virgin had acquired the rights to Simple Minds back catalouge. Virgin released it on CD in 1989, mistakenly including the track "Kant-Kino" which was not listed on the sleeve. A 2001 CD release by the dutch Disky label featured additional artwork.[5]

The back of the cover feature a photograph of the band taken at Glasgow Botanic Gardens in 1980.[5]

To promote the album, Arista reissued the single "I Travel" which failed to reach the charts. The album itself spent six weeks on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number 45 in March 1982.[7]

Track listing

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All lyrics are written by Jim Kerr; all music is composed by Simple Minds, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleMusicLength
1."Life in a Day" (first single, from Life in a Day, 1979)Charlie Burchill, Kerr4:09
2."Chelsea Girl" (second single, from Life in a Day)Burchill, Kerr4:32
3."Premonition" (from Real to Real Cacophony, 1979) 5:27
4."Factory" (from Real to Real Cacophony) 4:13
5."Calling Your Name" (from Real to Real Cacophony) 5:06
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."I Travel" (fourth single, from Empires and Dance, 1980)4:00
2."Changeling" (third single, from Real to Real Cacophony)4:10
3."Celebrate" (fifth single, from Empires and Dance)5:01
4."Thirty Frames a Second" (from Empires and Dance)5:03
5."Kaleidoscope" ("I Travel" B-side, a Real to Real Cacophony outtake)4:15
1989 CD edition
No.TitleMusicLength
1."Life in a Day"Burchill, Kerr4:06
2."Chelsea Girl"Burchill, Kerr4:34
3."Premonition" 5:30
4."Factory" 4:15
5."Calling Your Name" 5:07
6."I Travel" 4:02
7."Changeling" 4:13
8."Celebrate" 5:11
9."Thirty Frames a Second/Kant-Kino[a]" 6:55
10."Kaleidoscope" 4:17

Notes

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  1. ^ "Kant-Kino" not credited, appears as a pressing error on the CD issued in 1989.

Personnel

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Simple Minds
Technical
  • John Leckie – producer
  • Thomi Wroblewski – sleeve design, photo illustration

Critical reception

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In NME, writer Paul Morley reviewed the album in the form of a letter adressed to Jim Kerr. Morley described the compilation as "a pretty desperate looking" release, "put together with only a very tiny fraction of thought." "Still, the second side helps go some way to underlining why Simple Minds have made such an impression on my life."[8]

Chart positions

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Chart (1982) Peak
position
France SNEP Compilation Albums Chart[9] 162
UK Albums Chart[7] 45

References

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  1. ^ Kellman, Andy. "Simple Minds: Celebration > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  2. ^ The Essential Rock Discography - Volume 1: 970. 2006. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ Morley, Paul (6 February 1982). "Letters Of Lust And Lather". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  4. ^ "Compilation Albums: Celebration". Simple Minds official website. April 1979. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "Celebration: information". Dream Giver Redux. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  6. ^ "X5 Boxset – 2012". Simple Minds official website. 20 February 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Official Charts > Simple Minds". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  8. ^ Morley, Paul (6 February 1982). "Letters of Lust and Lather: Celebration". nme.
  9. ^ "lescharts.com - Discographie Simple Minds". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
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