Bassist Tony Butler — who joined Big Country prior to the recording of its 1982 debut single ‘Harvest Home’ — announced this past weekend that he’s leaving the recently reunited band, writing in a message to fans that ‘after 32 years of incredible highs and a very tragic low, I feel that now is the time to look to new horizons.’
Thirty years ago today, Simple Minds released their fifth studio album, ‘New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84),’ considered by many to be the band’s commercial turning point after it hit No. 3 on the U.K. charts on the back of singles such as “Promised You a Miracle,” “Glittering Prize” and “Someone, Somewhere in Summertime.”
Welcome to the Week in Rock, where we round up all of the headlines posted on this site over the past week. This edition includes items about the Sex Pistols, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Simple Minds, Morrissey, The House of Love, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Cure, The Fixx, Icehouse, Ministry and more.
Simple Minds today unveiled plans for a nine-date summer tour of Australia and New Zealand at the end of this year that also will feature ’80s-era contemporaries Devo and The Church sharing the bill and will hit a mixture of indoor venues and wineries taking part in the popular A Day on the Green concert series.
Dick Clark, who died Wednesday at age 82, and ‘American Bandstand’ played an important role in the ’80s, too, helping bring the burgeoning New Wave and college rock scenes to mainstream America at a time when the still-nascent MTV wasn’t universally available on American cable networks.
This week’s new releases include a new Simple Minds box set that compiles each of the band’s first five albums, plus Dinosaur Jr’s new live DVD ‘In the Hands of Fans,’ a new studio record from Sinead O’Connor, and the second album from Isidore, featuring The Chruch’s Steve Kilbey.
Our round-up of this week’s Slicing Up Eyeballs headlines includes news about The Jesus and Mary Chain, Squeeze, Elvis Costello, Kraftwerk, Simple Minds, Colourbox, Morrissey, Lloyd Cole and Paul Weller — plus the first new Public Image Ltd. song in 20 years.
Q&A: Daniel Ash on Love and Rockets’ reunion, his new band — and figuring out how to play “So Alive” 
Q&A: Chris Frantz talks Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club and new book ‘Remain in Love’ 
Q&A: Steve Wynn on The Dream Syndicate’s first new album in nearly 30 years 
Q&A: Bauhaus’ David J on his ‘accidental’ concept album ‘Not Long For This World’ 
Q&A: Peter Murphy on ‘Ninth,’ Bauhaus’ break-up, reuniting Dalis Car 
Q&A: Joey Santiago on Pixies’ ‘Doolittle’ tour, possible ‘Surfer Rosa’ shows, new album talk 
Q&A: Prefab Sprout’s Paddy McAloon on new album, changing the world with music 
Q&A: Peter Hook talks ‘Unknown Pleasures’ tour, re-recording Joy Division 