Tag: Steve Schiff

Simple Minds – Don’t You (Forget About Me) (Europe 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1985

NEW 2021 Transfer!
NEW Meticulous Restoration!

Originally posted May 18, 2015

In the original post for this song in 2015, I used the U.S. 12″ which is pressed at 45 RPM however I always liked the European artwork a bit better, plus this is a cleaner sounding record to my ears. With all of the equipment upgrades that have been made since 2015, I think this is a superior transfer. I hope you like it.

“Don’t You (Forget About Me)” is a song performed by Scottish rock band Simple Minds. It was written and composed by producer Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff, a guitarist and songwriter from the Nina Hagen Band. The song plays during the opening (Schiff and Forsey’s demo) and closing (Simple Minds’ recording) credits of the John Hughes film The Breakfast Club.

Forsey asked Cy Curnin from The Fixx, Bryan Ferry, and Billy Idol to record the song, but all three declined; Idol later performed a cover of it on his 2001 compilation album Greatest Hits. Schiff then suggested Forsey ask Simple Minds who, after refusing as well, agreed under the encouragement of their label, A&M. According to one account, the band “rearranged and recorded ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ in three hours in a north London studio and promptly forgot about it.”

Continuing the rock direction recently taken on Sparkle in the Rain but also glancing back at their melodic synthpop past, it caught the band at their commercial peak and, propelled by the success of The Breakfast Club, became a number-one hit in the U.S. and around the world. It is the band’s only number-one hit on the U.S. Top Rock Tracks chart, staying atop for three weeks. While only reaching number seven in the UK, it stayed on the charts from 1985 to 1987, one of the longest time spans for any single in the history of the chart.

The song did not appear on the band’s subsequent album Once Upon a Time but appeared on the 1992 best-of Glittering Prize 81/92. It has since been a fixture of the band’s live sets – with an extended audience participation section during its inclusion on the 2015 tour to promote the band’s Big Music album.

Two versions were created for the release. A short version of 4:23 appeared on the single and the original motion picture soundtrack album of The Breakfast Club. A longer version of 6:32 was released on a 12″ single. This version contains longer breakdowns and drum fills, a second appearance of the bridge, and a longer ending.

John Leland from Spin wrote that “‘Don’t You Forget About Me,’ a romantic and melancholy dance track, therefore cuts ice both in the living room and on the dance floor.”

Molly Ringwald who starred in The Breakfast Club recorded her own version of the song on her 2013 album Except Sometimes.

SIDE A:
Don’t You (Forget About Me) (Long Version) 6:33
Lyrics By [Words], Music By – Keith ForseySteve Chiff*
Producer – Keith Forsey

SIDE B:
A Brass Band In African Chimes 9:21
Producer – Steve Lillywhite
Written-By – Simple Minds

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1985 Don’t You (Forget About Me) U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #1
1985 Don’t You (Forget About Me) U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks #1
1985 Don’t You (Forget About Me) U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary #36
1985 Don’t You (Forget About Me) U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Pay #9

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Virgin ‎– 601 766, Virgin ‎– 601 766-213
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: Europe
Released: Apr 1985
Genre: Pop, Rock
Style: New wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Pressed By – Sonopress

NOTES:
From the original motion picture soundtrack “The Breakfast Club”

Made in West Germany

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon 2M Black
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp:
Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
DAC:
Alpha Design Labs GT40a USB DAC
Record Cleaning
: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans
: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi


Password: burningtheground

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