Once Upon a Time (Simple Minds album)

Once Upon a Time is the seventh studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released on 21 October 1985 by record label Virgin (A&M in the US), Once Upon a Time topped the UK charts, and peaked at No. 10 on the US charts, spending five consecutive weeks in the Top 10 of Billboard and 16 weeks in the Top 20.^{[citation needed]}

Once Upon a Time
Studio album by Simple Minds
Released	21 October 1985
Studio	The Town House, London
Genre	Arena rock[1]
Length	40:12
Label	Virgin A&M (US)
Producer	Jimmy Iovine Bob Clearmountain
Simple Minds chronology
Sparkle in the Rain (1984) Once Upon a Time (1985) Live in the City of Light (1987)
Simple Minds studio albums chronology
Sparkle in the Rain (1984) Once Upon a Time (1985) Street Fighting Years (1989)
Singles from Once Upon a Time
"Alive and Kicking" Released: 30 September 1985 "Sanctify Yourself" Released: January 1986 "All the Things She Said" Released: March 1986 "Ghost Dancing" Released: November 1986
Alternative cover
Alternative cover
Alternative cover
UK picture disc cover

Background

The album paired the group with music producer Jimmy Iovine. He had worked with artists featuring an aggressive guitar-based sound, including singer-songwriters Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Nicks, and he brought that approach to the band. Iovine particularly pushed frontman Jim Kerr, aiming for more energetic vocals.^[2]

Although already successful in their native U.K. and various countries in Europe and Oceania, Simple Minds had also recently become popular in the U.S., mainly due to the Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff-penned "Don't You (Forget About Me)". That track appeared on The Breakfast Club soundtrack and had become a No. 1 hit there. However, the band deliberately left the track off the album due to their reluctance to record it. Still, the bombastic pop rock sound proved influential in the construction of much of Once Upon a Time, particularly the arena-friendly single "Alive and Kicking". Once Upon a Time also shared many influences with their previous studio album, Sparkle in the Rain, which explored a similar songwriting style.

This was the first album without founding member, bassist Derek Forbes, who left the band after recording "Don't You (Forget About Me)". He would later rejoin the band in 1998 for the album, Neapolis.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Classic Rock	[3]
Mojo	[4]
Q	[5]
Record Collector	[6]
Record Mirror	4/5[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[8]
Smash Hits	7/10[9]
Uncut	6/10[10]
The Village Voice	B−[11]

Music critic MacKenzie Wilson has retrospectively praised the album for AllMusic, stating that it provided listeners with a "raw energy and solid composition not entirely captured on previous albums." He also particularly lauded singles "Alive and Kicking" and "Sanctify Yourself."^[2]

Armond White at Spin said, "Every cut is neat and punchy pomp in the name of Bono. Kerr works up a cheerleader rock star's mechanical pep, displaying good-time intentions in the same dumb, obvious way. The album sucks up love, politics, and religion into a swirling vacuum of show-off musicianship."^[12]

Singles

Four singles were taken from the album: "Alive and Kicking" was released as a foretaste of the album in September, reaching no.7 in the UK and no.3 in the US. "Sanctify Yourself" in January 1986, reaching no.10 in the UK and no.14 in the US. "All the Things She Said" in March 1986, (UK no. 9, US no. 28), and "Ghost Dancing" in November 1986 (UK No. 13). All the proceeds of the latter two singles were donated to Amnesty International.^[13] "Oh Jungleland" had been planned to be released as the second single, but Virgin changed their mind and "Sanctify Yourself" was chosen instead. A 7" edit, an instrumental version and an extended 12" remix of "Oh Jungleland" were prepared and the latter two tracks subsequently appeared on the "Ghost Dancing" single releases.^[14]

Releases

Once Upon a Time was available with two covers upon its original LP release. The alternate cover uses the back image for the front and vice versa. It also moves the Simple Minds logo to the right of the cover. The two cover images fit together when placed side by side or above each other, and the release of the album in British record shops saw the two covers placed in a grid, alternating like the two colours on a chessboard. The album cover was standardised for the original CD release and this version has since been used for the various reissues of the album. A collectable picture disc LP was also produced. Housed in a luxury gatefold die-cut sleeve, the record featured the mottled gold effect of the sleeve. A unique lyrics sheet was also packaged in the gatefold. A magnetic jigsaw puzzle was also produced by Virgin Records to promote the album.

The album has been re-released in remastered form on several occasions, most recently in 2015. Virgin Records reissued the album as a remastered edition in 2002 (cardboard vinyl replica edition) and early 2003 (jewel-case). It was released on SACD in 2003. In 2005, Virgin released another reissue of the album: a DVD-Audio version (actually, the disc bears a DVD-Audio/Video logo), which is notable for being a completely remixed album. All the tracks were remixed in 5.1 surround sound, and additionally, a downmixed 2.0 stereo version was created for compatibility with non-surround DVD-Audio set-ups. The tracks on the remixed album differ in length in comparison to the original version. In most cases, they are longer than in the original mix. All the tracks on the remixed album contain material that has frequencies above the CD-Audio cut-off frequency, reaching beyond 30 kHz (a tribute to the original analogue multi-track tapes, and to the producers). In 2012, the original 8-track album was included in the box set 5 Album Set, which also included four other Simple Minds albums: Sons and Fascination, New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84), Sparkle in the Rain and Street Fighting Years. On 4 December 2015, multiple formats of the album were re-issued as Deluxe and Super Deluxe editions, including a Deluxe double CD digipack and a Super Deluxe 5 CD / 1 DVD boxset.^{[citation needed]}

Track listing

Side A

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Once Upon a Time"	5:45
2.	"All the Things She Said"	4:15
3.	"Ghost Dancing"	4:45
4.	"Alive and Kicking"	5:26

All tracks are written by Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill, and Mick MacNeil,^[15] except where noted. (Note: the band used to credit all their songs to simply "Simple Minds", which at the time also included drummer Mel Gaynor and bass player John Giblin. However, both the ASCAP song database and the credits on Spotify list Kerr, Burchill and MacNeil as the sole writers)

Side B

No.	Title	Length
5.	"Oh Jungleland"	5:14
6.	"I Wish You Were Here"	4:42
7.	"Sanctify Yourself"	4:57
8.	"Come a Long Way"	5:07

Deluxe Edition Disc 1: The Original Album

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Once Upon a Time"	5:45
2.	"All the Things She Said"	4:15
3.	"Ghost Dancing"	4:45
4.	"Alive and Kicking"	5:26
5.	"Oh Jungleland"	5:14
6.	"I Wish You Were Here"	4:42
7.	"Sanctify Yourself"	4:57
8.	"Come a Long Way"	5:07

Deluxe Edition Disc 2: B-Sides and Rarities

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Don't You (Forget About Me)"	Keith Forsey, Steve Schiff	4:23
2.	"A Brass Band in Africa"	Charlie Burchill, Derek Forbes, Jim Kerr, Mel Gaynor, Michael MacNeil	5:11
3.	"Don't You (Forget About Me)" (Extended)	Keith Forsey, Steve Schiff	6:36
4.	"A Brass Band in African Chimes"	Charlie Burchill, Derek Forbes, Jim Kerr, Mel Gaynor, Michael MacNeil	9:23
5.	"Alive and Kicking" (Edit)		4:49
6.	"Alive and Kicking" (Instrumental)		6:11
7.	"Up on the Catwalk" (Live)	Charlie Burchill, Derek Forbes, Jim Kerr, Mel Gaynor, Michael MacNeil	5:54
8.	"Alive and Kicking" (7" Remix, previously unreleased)		4:48
9.	"Alive and Kicking" (12" Remix, previously unreleased)		6:22
10.	"Alive and Kicking" (Kevorkian 12" Remix, previously unreleased)		6:38
11.	"Sanctify Yourself" (Edit)		3:54
12.	"Sanctify Yourself" (Instrumental)		3:59
13.	"Sanctify Yourself" (Alternative Edit, previously unreleased)		4:00

Deluxe Edition Disc 3: B-Sides and Rarities

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Street Hassle" (Live)	Lou Reed	7:29
2.	"Love Song" (Live)	Brian McGee, Charlie Burchill, Derek Forbes, Jim Kerr, Michael MacNeil	5:43
3.	"Sanctify Yourself" (Extended)		7:13
4.	"Sanctify Yourself" (Dub)		6:14
5.	"All the Things She Said" (Edit)		4:00
6.	"Promised You a Miracle" (US Remix)	Charlie Burchill, Derek Forbes, Jim Kerr, Michael MacNeil	6:04
7.	"All the Things She Said" (Extended)		5:12
8.	"Don't You (Forget About Me)" (Live)	Keith Forsey, Steve Schiff	9:05
9.	"Ghost Dancing" (Special Extended 12" Remix)		7:20
10.	"Ghost Dancing" (Instrumental)		4:52
11.	"Oh Jungleland" (Special Extended 12" Remix)		7:23
12.	"Oh Jungleland" (Instrumental)		6:05

Deluxe Edition Disc 4: Live in the City of Light (Live from Le Zenith, Paris ‘86)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Ghost Dancing"		7:22
2.	"Big Sleep"	Charlie Burchill, Derek Forbes, Jim Kerr, Michael MacNeil	4:27
3.	"Waterfront"	Charlie Burchill, Derek Forbes, Jim Kerr, Mel Gaynor, Michael MacNeil	5:21
4.	"Promised You a Miracle"	Charlie Burchill, Derek Forbes, Jim Kerr, Michael MacNeil	4:38
5.	"Someone Somewhere in Summertime"	Charlie Burchill, Derek Forbes, Jim Kerr, Michael MacNeil	5:59
6.	"Oh Jungleland"		6:35
7.	"Alive and Kicking"		6:25

Deluxe Edition Disc 5: Live in the City of Light (Live from Le Zenith, Paris ‘86)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Don't You (Forget About Me)"	Keith Forsey, Steve Schiff	6:37
2.	"Once Upon a Time"		6:06
3.	"Book of Brilliant Things"	Charlie Burchill, Derek Forbes, Jim Kerr, Mel Gaynor, Michael MacNeil	4:53
4.	"East at Easter"	Charlie Burchill, Derek Forbes, Jim Kerr, Mel Gaynor, Michael MacNeil	4:20
5.	"Sanctify Yourself"		7:06
6.	"Love Song / Sun City / Dance to the Music"	Brian McGee, Charlie Burchill, Derek Forbes, Jim Kerr, Michael MacNeil, Steve Van Zandt, Sylvester Stewart	7:02
7.	"New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84)"	Charlie Burchill, Derek Forbes, Jim Kerr, Michael MacNeil	5:29

Deluxe Edition Disc 6 (DVD): 5.1 Mix and Promo Videos

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Once Upon a Time" (5.1 Mix)		6:20
2.	"All the Things She Said" (5.1 Mix)		4:23
3.	"Ghost Dancing" (5.1 Mix)		4:47
4.	"Alive and Kicking" (5.1 Mix)		5:14
5.	"Oh Jungleland" (5.1 Mix)		5:26
6.	"I Wish You Were Here" (5.1 Mix)		4:48
7.	"Sanctify Yourself" (5.1 Mix)		5:01
8.	"Come a Long Away" (5.1 Mix)		5:24
9.	"Don't You (Forget About Me)" (Promo Video)	Keith Forsey, Steve Schiff	4:20
10.	"Alive and Kicking" (Promo Video)		5:26
11.	"Sanctify Yourself" (Promo Video)		4:00
12.	"All the Things She Said" (Promo Video)		4:16
13.	"Ghost Dancing" (Promo Video)		4:50

Note

• The 'deluxe edition' of Once Upon a Time consists of disc 1 (The Original Album) and disc 2 (B-Sides and Rarities).
• The 'super deluxe edition' of Once Upon a Time consists of all 6 discs.

Personnel

Adapted from the album's liner notes.^[16]

Simple Minds

• Jim Kerr – vocals
• Charlie Burchill – guitars
• Michael MacNeil – piano, synthesizers
• Mel Gaynor – drums, backing vocals
• John Giblin – bass

Additional personnel

• Robin Clark – additional vocals
• Michael Been – background vocals
• The Simms Brothers – background vocals
• Carlos Alomar – background vocals
• Sue Hadjopoulos – percussion on "All the Things She Said"

Technical

• Jimmy Iovine – producer
• Bob Clearmountain – producer
• Moira Marquis – engineer
• Mark McKenna – engineer
• Martin White – assistant engineer
• Bob Ludwig – mastering
• Mick Haggerty – artwork
• Anton Corbijn – photography

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1985–2015) Peak position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[17] 7 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[18] 199 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[19] 113 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[20] 3 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[21] 1 European Albums (Eurotipsheet)[22] 4 Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)[23] 22 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[24] 5 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[25] 3 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[26] 6 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[27] 4 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[28] 7 UK Albums (OCC)[29] 1 US Billboard 200[30] 10

Year-end charts Chart (1985) Position Canada Albums (RPM) 26 UK Albums (OCC) 36 Chart (1986) Position Canada Albums (RPM) 31 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[31] 17 European Albums (Music & Media)[32] 8 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[33] 54 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[34] 33 UK Albums (OCC) 21 US Billboard 200 24

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	"Alive and Kicking"	UK Singles Chart	7
		US Billboard Hot 100	3
		US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	2
1986	"Sanctify Yourself"	UK Singles Chart	10
		US Billboard Hot 100	14
		US Mainstream Rock Tracks	3
	"All the Things She Said"	UK Singles Chart	9
		US Billboard Hot 100	28
		US Mainstream Rock Tracks	9
	"Ghost Dancing"	UK Singles Chart	13

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Belgium (BEA)[35]	Platinum	75,000[35]
Canada (Music Canada)[36]	2× Platinum	200,000^
France (SNEP)[37]	Gold	100,000*
Germany (BVMI)[38]	2× Gold	500,000
Greece (IFPI Greece)[39]	Gold	50,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[40]	Platinum	100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[41]	Platinum	15,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[42]	Platinum	50,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[43]	Gold	50,000^
Sweden (GLF)[44]	Gold	50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[45]	3× Platinum	900,000^
United States (RIAA)[46]	Gold	500,000^
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Breihan, Tom (2 October 2020). "The Number Ones: Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)". Stereogum. Retrieved 31 July 2023. ...Simple Minds recorded the 1985 album Once Upon A Time and went for grand, expansive arena-rock.
2. Wilson, MacKenzie. "Once Upon a Time – Simple Minds". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
3. Lester, Paul (27 November 2015). "Simple Minds: Once Upon A Time". Classic Rock. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
4. Male, Andrew (January 2016). "Simple Minds: Once Upon a Time". Mojo. No. 266. p. 104.
5. Price, Simon (December 2015). "Simple Minds: The Vinyl Collection 79–84 / Once Upon a Time". Q. No. 353. p. 118.
6. Elliott, Mark (January 2016). "Once Upon A Time | Simple Minds". Record Collector. No. 449. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
7. O'Toole, Lesley (26 October 1985). "Simple Minds: Once Upon a Time". Record Mirror. p. 14.
8. Coleman, Mark (1992). "Simple Minds". In DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly (eds.). The Rolling Stone Album Guide (3rd ed.). Random House. pp. 638–639. ISBN 0-679-73729-4.
9. Cranna, Ian (23 October – 5 November 1985). "Simple Minds: Once Upon a Time". Smash Hits. Vol. 7, no. 21. p. 31B.
10. Thomson, Graeme (January 2016). "Simple Minds: Once Upon a Time – Deluxe". Uncut. No. 224. p. 92.
11. Christgau, Robert (1 April 1986). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
12. Armond White (January 1986). "Spins". Spin. No. 9. p. 28.
13. Timeline Dream Giver Redux
14. Sanctify Yourself Dream Giver Redux
15. ASCAP database search.
16. "Studio Albums: Once Upon a Time". Simple Minds official website. 21 October 1985. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
17. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
18. "Ultratop.be – Simple Minds – Once Upon a Time" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
19. "Ultratop.be – Simple Minds – Once Upon a Time" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
20. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0610". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
21. "Dutchcharts.nl – Simple Minds – Once Upon a Time" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
22. "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 2, no. 50. 16 December 1985. p. 15. OCLC 29800226. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2022 – via World Radio History.
23. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
24. "Offiziellecharts.de – Simple Minds – Once Upon a Time" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
25. "Charts.nz – Simple Minds – Once Upon a Time". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
26. "Norwegiancharts.com – Simple Minds – Once Upon a Time". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
27. "Swedishcharts.com – Simple Minds – Once Upon a Time". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
28. "Swisscharts.com – Simple Minds – Once Upon a Time". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
29. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
30. "Simple Minds Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
31. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
32. "European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 51/52. 27 December 1986. p. 35. OCLC 29800226. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2022 – via World Radio History.
33. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
34. "Top Selling Albums of 1986 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
35. "European Gold & Platinum Awards 1986" (PDF). Music & Media. 27 December 1986. p. 33. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
36. "Canadian album certifications – Simple Minds – Once Upon a Time". Music Canada. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
37. "Les Certifications depuis 1973: Albums". Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 26 May 2019. (select "Simple Minds" from drop-down list)
38. "Gold-/Platin-Datebank (Simple Minds; 'Once Upon A Time')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
39. "Gold & Platinum Awards 1987" (PDF). Music & Media. 26 December 1987. p. 44. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
40. "Dutch album certifications – Simple Minds – Once Upon a Time" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 26 May 2019. Enter Once Upon a Time in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1986 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
41. "New Zealand album certifications – Simple Minds – Once Upon a Time". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
42. "Norwegian Once Upon A time platinum disc, presented to Schoolhouse Management". 30 July 2023.
43. Sólo Éxitos 1959–2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979–1990 (in Spanish). Iberautor Promociones Culturales. 2005. ISBN 8480486392.
44. "Swedish Once Upon A Time Gold disc presented to Schoolhouse Management". 31 July 2023.
45. "British album certifications – Simple Minds – Once Upon a Time". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
46. "American album certifications – Simple Minds – Once Upon a Time". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 26 May 2019.

External links

• Once Upon a Time at Discogs (list of releases)