The Retroscope: 18 May

18 May 1985: Scottish outfit, Simple Minds, reached the summit of the US singles chart with “Don’t You Forget About Me” under the most unlikely of circumstances. The song was written by Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff and was featured in the 1985 American teen drama film The Breakfast Club. Forsey approached Cy Cumin from The Fixx, Bryan Ferry and Billy Idol to record the song but all three declined. Idol would, however, later perform a cover of it on his 2001 greatest hits compilation. Simple Minds initially refused as well but then agreed under the encouragement of the label A & M. Despite the phenomenal US success, the song only reached the #7 postion in the UK yet it stayed on the charts from 1985-1987, one of the longest time spans for any single in its history. However, the band continued to dismiss the song and was not included in their subsequent album “Once Upon A Time” and only appeared on the 1992 best of Glittering Prize 81/92. John Leland of Spin magazine described the song as “a romantic and melancholy dance track, therefore cuts ice both in the living room and on the dance floor”. Personally, it is just further evidence of the calibre of immense talent that emerged from the eighties – the decade that ultimately contributed to our ultra modern society! http://www.bubblews.com/news/527926-the-retroscope-18-may