VIDEO Review: Simple Minds' "Chelsea Girl" Is Simply An Artisic,'Impressive' M
The Scottish band Simple Minds may be considered as a two-hit wonder due to the commercial success of "Don't You (Forget About Me)," from the 1985 film soundtrack The Breakfast Club, and "Alive and Kicking," which was also recorded the same year.
However, Publicity Agents think the band was much more influential in terms of music art and perhaps on the cutting edge of punk rock's stardom. Simply Minds videos during the 1980s were immensely impressive and could hold your attention if a viewer was not interested in the music.
One of Simply Minds' unrated videos, "Chelsea Girl," released in 1979, defines what the music video revolution was all about and clearly ushered in a movement that helped eradicate disco. Chelsea Girl was part of a 10-song selection of the band's "Life In A Day" album.
Written by Simple Minds' vocalist John Kerr and guitarist Charles Burchill, Chelsea Girl failed to chart in the United Kingdom, though it was a fan-favorite during live concerts. Here in the United States, Chelsea Girl was a popular on college radio stations and received a lot help from the MTV years after.
Oh yes, the video. Sans the music, with it's definitive piano chords, the video for Chelsea Girl is an artistic classic and methodically symmetric. Kerr, Burchill, bassist Derek Forbes, percussionist Brian McGee, and keyboardist Michael MacNeil are painfully perfect for this musical direction.
On the backdrop of an all-white background and in other frames in black, Simple Minds actually possessed limited movement and unflinching facial expressions to make this video deliver a potent, yet serious sing-along tale. A times isolated, the minimal movement from the band allowed constant motions from the musical instruments.
An animated image of a woman is the only fast-moving object the video has to offer. Split frames, sometimes as many as six on the screen, appear to be the driving force of the Chelsea Girl video. The colors blended in with the special effects proved to be an instant winner and may have caused the Simple Minds' record company Arista to empty its pockets to foot the bill.
CHELSEA GIRL
And now the sound of time is getting fast It's getting late Don't know if I can take much more The way you talk I often wondered If I heard the words somewhere Someplace before I got so nervous when I called And found that lately You had gone and changed your name But I've got something on my mind I want you here I want you now You better explain
Is it true you're running round Now is it true they're calling you The Chelsea Girl Is it true you're running round Now is it true they're calling you The Chelsea Girl
Your best friend never calls you up But you don't mind 'Cause lately things are all the same Ain't it strange how people always seem To know your face But just don't know your name Well I don't care there's no one there That even turn around and say get out of this place Last night I saw a shooting star When morning comes She hides away A real disgrace
Is it true you're running round Now is it true they're calling you The Chelsea Girl Is it true you're running round Now is it true they're calling you The Chelsea Girl
Written by James Kerr, Charles Burchill • Copyright © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc
SOURCE: Google Music Play and www.simpleminds.org
