Alive and Kicking (song)

This article is about the Simple Minds song. For other songs with the same title, see Alive and Kicking (disambiguation).

"Alive and Kicking" is a song released by the Scottish rock band Simple Minds as the lead single from their seventh album, Once Upon a Time. The song reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number four in Canada; it peaked within the top five of several European countries including Italy, where the song reached number one.

"Alive & Kicking"
Single by Simple Minds
from the album Once Upon a Time
B-side	"Up on the Catwalk (Live Version)"
Released	30 September 1985 (1985-09-30)[1]
Recorded	1985
Genre	Pop rock, new wave
Length	4:47 (single version) 4:33 (radio version) 5:26 (album and video version)
Label	A&M, Virgin
Songwriter(s)	Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill, Mick MacNeil
Producer(s)	Bob Clearmountain, Jimmy Iovine
Simple Minds singles chronology
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985) "Alive & Kicking" (1985) "Sanctify Yourself" (1986)
Music video
"Alive and Kicking" on YouTube
Audio sample
file help

Chart performance

Following on from the success of previous non-album single, "Don't You (Forget About Me)", "Alive and Kicking" was released as a single, reaching number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Top Rock Tracks chart (now called the Mainstream Rock chart). The song also reached number 4 in Canada. In Europe, the song topped the charts in Italy for one week, reached number 2 in Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands, and peaked at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. In 1992, when re-released as a double A-side with "Love Song" to promote the band's compilation album Glittering Prize 81/92, it managed to reach a new peak of number 6. Elsewhere, "Alive and Kicking" reached number 5 in New Zealand, number 16 in South Africa, and just missed the top 20 in Australia, peaking at number 21.

Music video

The music video for "Alive and Kicking" was filmed near the town of Hunter, at North–South Lake in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. A portion of the video was filmed on the overlook at the site of the old Catskill Mountain House (previously demolished). It was directed by Zbigniew Rybczyński, who directed the video for "All the Things She Said", the third single from the same album.^[2]

Track listings

7-inch single

1. "Alive and Kicking" (Single Version) (4:47)
2. "Alive and Kicking" (Instrumental Version) (6:01)

12-inch single

1. "Alive and Kicking" (5:26)
2. "Alive and Kicking" (Instrumental Version) (6:01)

Second 12-inch single

• Ltd Edition Reflective Gold Sleeve

1. "Alive and Kicking" (5:26)
2. "Alive and Kicking" (Instrumental Version) (6:01)
3. "Up on the Catwalk" (Live) (5:37)

Personnel

• Produced by Jimmy Iovine and Bob Clearmountain
• Engineered by Moira Marquis and Mark McKenna
• Engineering assisted by Martin White
• Words and music by Simple Minds (Kerr, Burchill, MacNeil)
• "Up on the Catwalk" recorded live at Barrowlands, Glasgow, 5 January 1985
• Backing vocals by Robin Clark

Charts

Weekly charts "Alive and Kicking" Chart (1985–1986) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[3] 21 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[4] 2 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[5] 4 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[6] 2 France (SNEP)[7] 33 Italy (Musica e dischi)[8] 1 Ireland (IRMA)[9] 2 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[10] 2 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] 2 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 5 Norway (VG-lista)[13] 5 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[14] 16 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[15] 11 UK Singles (OCC)[16] 7 US Billboard Hot 100[17] 3 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[18] 2 West Germany (GfK)[19] 17 "Love Song" / "Alive and Kicking" Chart (1992) Peak position Ireland (IRMA)[20] 27 UK Singles (OCC)[21] 6

Year-end charts Chart (1985) Position Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[22] 20 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[23] 43 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[24] 22 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[25] 19 Chart (1986) Position US Billboard Hot 100[26] 17

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[27]	Platinum	60,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[28]	Gold	50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[29]	Gold	400,000‡
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Appearances in media

In 1992, "Alive & Kicking" provided the soundtrack for a famous promo, entitled "A whole new ball game" for BSkyB's launch of the FA Premier League.^[30][31]

East Side Beat version

"Alive and Kicking"
Single by East Side Beat
from the album East Side Beat
Released	7 December 1992 (1992-12-07)[32]
Length	4:05
Label	FFRR
Songwriter(s)	Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill, Mick MacNeil
Producer(s)	Phil Kelsey
East Side Beat singles chronology
"I Didn't Know" (1992) "Alive and Kicking" (1992) "You're My Everything" (1993)

In 1992, Italian dance music group East Side Beat covered "Alive and Kicking". There are five remixes in total. Two versions are found on the 7-inch single and an additional three are on the CD single.

Charts

Chart (1992–1993)	Peak position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[33]	19
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[34]	20
UK Singles (OCC)[35]	26

References

1. "New Singles". Music Week. 28 September 1985. p. 12.
2. "videos alive and kicking". simpleminds.org. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
3. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
4. "Simple Minds – Alive & Kicking" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
5. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0608." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
6. "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 2, no. 45. 11 November 1985. p. 7. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
7. "Simple Minds – Alive & Kicking" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
8. "Top 3 in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 2, no. 47. 25 November 1985. p. 8. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
9. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Alive and Kicking". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
10. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 47, 1985" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
11. "Simple Minds – Alive & Kicking" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
12. "Simple Minds – Alive & Kicking". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
13. "Simple Minds – Alive & Kicking". VG-lista. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
14. "SA Charts 1965 - 1989 A-B". Retrieved 17 January 2018.
15. "Simple Minds – Alive & Kicking". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
16. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
17. "Simple Minds Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
18. "Simple Minds Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
19. "Offiziellecharts.de – Simple Minds – Alive & Kicking" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
20. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Love Song / Alive and Kicking". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
21. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
22. "Jaaroverzichten 1985". Ultratop. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
23. "RPM's Top 100 Singles of 1985". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
24. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1985". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
25. "JAAROVERZICHTEN - Single 1985" (in Dutch). Retrieved 13 May 2018.
26. "1986 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 52. 27 December 1986. p. Y-21.
27. "Brazilian single certifications – Simple Minds – Alive and Kicking" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
28. "Canadian single certifications – Simple Minds – Alive and Kicking". Music Canada. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
29. "British single certifications – Simple Minds – Alive and Kicking". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
30. "Alive and kicking: The Premier League at 25". sportsjournalists.co.uk. 10 August 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
31. Plunkett, John (5 February 2009). "A look back at the best Sky ads from the past 20 years". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 26 October 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
32. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 5 December 1992. p. 25.
33. "East Side Beat – Alive & Kicking" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
34. "East Side Beat – Alive & Kicking" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
35. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 October 2022.