Real Life

Real Life is the ninth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in April 1991 by record label Virgin Records worldwide apart from the US, where it was released by A&M. Background and Recording This was the first album without founding member keyboardist Mick MacNeil as he left the band to spend time with his family. Peter John-Vettese played keyboards on the album. The rest of the band included lead singer Jim Kerr, guitarist Charlie Burchill who also took up keyboards, and drummer Mel Gaynor. Bass was played by Malcolm Foster. Stephen Lipson, who had co-produced Street Fighting Years produced the album and also played some bass parts. For the title track, the chord sequence was built up around a drum loop called the Bonham Loop Idea or Loop Idea - inspired by the rhythmic backing of When The Levee Breaks by Led Zeppelin. It was one of the later demos, first appearing in March 1990. The opening intro was one of the last flourishes added to the album. (The edited version of the song, which appears on the single, was how early versions of the album opened). "See The Lights" was first composed in November-December 1989. It was formally recorded (on the 11th December 1989) and committed to a compilation tape of potential ideas. Unlike most of the ideas floating around at the time, the song had its final title and some working lyrics.