About
The long-awaited memoir from Simple Minds' founding members and lifelong collaborators, Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill, now available in North America!
A candid, moving, and kinetic story of self-realization through the power of music, Our Secrets Are the Same is the remarkable joint memoir by Simple Minds' founding members, Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill. It not only reveals the inner workings of one of the most innovative and successful British bands of the past half-century, but the deeply personal tale of an extraordinary friendship that powered teenage dreams into visionary action.
Their connection is grounded in shared experiences and a set of values and codes so deeply ingrained they don't need to be spoken. For Our Secrets Are the Same is not just the story of two rock stars, but of two sons, brothers, partners, and parents who have never forgotten where they come from.
Fascinating and funny, evocative and inspiring, this unforgettable memoir captures a unique journey through life and music, and a friendship like no other.
A candid, moving, and kinetic story of self-realization through music, this is the remarkable joint memoir by Simple Minds' founders Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill, revealing the inner workings of one of Britain's most innovative bands and the deeply personal tale of an extraordinary friendship that powered teenage dreams into visionary action.
Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill met when they were eight years old in Glasgow. Simple Minds originated from the punk band Johnny & The Self-Abusers, formed in early 1977. They released "Don't You (Forget About Me)" in 1985, their first big hit. Jim and Charlie are lifelong friends, now living close together in Sicily.
Graeme Thomson is the author of several acclaimed music books, including Under the Ivy: The Life & Music of Kate Bush, Small Hours: The Long Night of John Martyn, and Themes for Great Cities: A New History of Simple Minds. Graeme is pop columnist for The Spectator and writes on music, literature, and popular culture for a number of publications, including The Guardian, Radio Times, and Uncut. He lives with his family in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Sales and Market Bullets
• THE 2024 GLOBAL TOUR: This tour was their largest run across the USA and Canada in four decades, with shows in Ridgefield, Washington; Seattle, Washington; Concord, California; Inglewood, California; Palm Springs, California; Chula Vista, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Austin, Texas; Woodlands, Texas; Irving, Texas; Rogers, Arkansas; St. Louis, Missouri; Atlanta, Georgia; Columbia, Maryland; Holmdel, New Jersey; Wantagh, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Mansfield, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Clarkston, Michigan; Noblesville, Indiana; Montreal, Quebec; and Toronto, Ontario. They also played in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
• DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME: The 1985 film The Breakfast Club gave Simple Minds their breakthrough hit in the U.S., when the song "Don't You (Forget About Me)" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
• WILD SUCCESS: Simple Minds have sold more than 60 million albums worldwide and were the most commercially successful Scottish band of the 1980s.
A candid, moving, and kinetic story of self-realization through the power of music, Our Secrets Are the Same is the remarkable joint memoir by Simple Minds' founding members, Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill. It not only reveals the inner workings of one of the most innovative and successful British bands of the past half-century, but the deeply personal tale of an extraordinary friendship that powered teenage dreams into visionary action.
Their connection is grounded in shared experiences and a set of values and codes so deeply ingrained they don't need to be spoken. For Our Secrets Are the Same is not just the story of two rock stars, but of two sons, brothers, partners, and parents who have never forgotten where they come from.
Fascinating and funny, evocative and inspiring, this unforgettable memoir captures a unique journey through life and music, and a friendship like no other.
A candid, moving, and kinetic story of self-realization through music, this is the remarkable joint memoir by Simple Minds' founders Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill, revealing the inner workings of one of Britain's most innovative bands and the deeply personal tale of an extraordinary friendship that powered teenage dreams into visionary action.
Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill met when they were eight years old in Glasgow. Simple Minds originated from the punk band Johnny & The Self-Abusers, formed in early 1977. They released "Don't You (Forget About Me)" in 1985, their first big hit. Jim and Charlie are lifelong friends, now living close together in Sicily.
Graeme Thomson is the author of several acclaimed music books, including Under the Ivy: The Life & Music of Kate Bush, Small Hours: The Long Night of John Martyn, and Themes for Great Cities: A New History of Simple Minds. Graeme is pop columnist for The Spectator and writes on music, literature, and popular culture for a number of publications, including The Guardian, Radio Times, and Uncut. He lives with his family in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Sales and Market Bullets
• THE 2024 GLOBAL TOUR: This tour was their largest run across the USA and Canada in four decades, with shows in Ridgefield, Washington; Seattle, Washington; Concord, California; Inglewood, California; Palm Springs, California; Chula Vista, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Austin, Texas; Woodlands, Texas; Irving, Texas; Rogers, Arkansas; St. Louis, Missouri; Atlanta, Georgia; Columbia, Maryland; Holmdel, New Jersey; Wantagh, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Mansfield, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Clarkston, Michigan; Noblesville, Indiana; Montreal, Quebec; and Toronto, Ontario. They also played in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
• DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME: The 1985 film The Breakfast Club gave Simple Minds their breakthrough hit in the U.S., when the song "Don't You (Forget About Me)" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
• WILD SUCCESS: Simple Minds have sold more than 60 million albums worldwide and were the most commercially successful Scottish band of the 1980s.