Vinyl Records Collectors Guide

SIMPLE MINDS The Amsterdam EP

Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Germany hit single "Don't You (Forget About Me)", from the soundtrack of the John Hughes movie The Breakfast Club, #3 US hit single "Alive and Kicking" and #1 UK hit single Belfast Child. The band has sold more than 40 million albums since 1979.

The core of the band is the two remaining founder members - Jim Kerr (vocals, songwriting) and Charlie Burchill (guitars, keyboards, other instruments, songwriting) - and drummer Mel Gaynor (who first joined the band in 1982). The other current band members are Andy Gillespie (keyboards) and Ged Grimes (bass guitar). Significant former members include bass guitarist Derek Forbes and keyboard player Michael MacNeil (the latter credited as a significant band composer during the band's rise in the 1980s).

SIMPLY RED It's Only Love

Simply Red were a British soul band that sold more than 50 million albums over a 25-year career. Their style drew influences from blue-eyed soul, new romantic, rock, reggae and jazz. Since its early days the main driving force behind the band was singer Mick Hucknall, who by the time the band broke up in 2010 was the only original member left.

SIMPLY RED - A New Flame

"A New Flame" is the third album released by Simply Red in 1989. It peaked at #22 on the Billboard 200, mostly on the success of the #1 single "If You Don't Know Me by Now". It also contained one of their less successful single releases, "You've Got It", which only reached #46 in the UK.

The Specials - More Specials

"More Specials" was the band's second, after Specials, and expanded the group's 2 tone sound to include lounge music and other influences. It includes collaborations with The Go-Go's, Rhoda Dakar from The Bodysnatchers and Lee Jay Thompson from Madness.

Specials - S/T Self-Titled

Specials is the debut album by British ska revival band, The Specials.

Released in 1979 on Jerry Dammers' 2Tone label, the album is seen by some as the defining moment in the UK ska scene. Produced by Elvis Costello, the album captures the disaffection and anger felt by the youth of the UK's "concrete jungle" - a phrase borrowed from Bob Marley's 1972 album Catch A Fire but equally apposite used here to describe the grim, violent inner cities of 1970s Britain.

Spyro Gyra - Morning Dance .

Morning Dance is the second album by Spyro Gyra. The album showed a cartoon picture of a rain forest filled with animals such as snakes and insects. It also showed a head of a little boy looking at them. Morning Dance is probably the most signature album to date, mostly by the variety of musical instruments.
 

SSS Sigue Sigue Sputnik - Love Missile / Hack Attack

"Sigue Sigue Sputnik" are a British new wave band led by former Generation X bassist Tony James. The band achieved moderate fame in 1986, when they achieved 3 UK top 40 hits including the song "Love Missile F1-11"

Starship - No Protection .

No Protection is the second album by Starship. The album featured the #1 hit "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now", and the Top 10 hit "It's Not Over ('Til It's Over)". . In addition, this was the final Starship album to feature Grace Slick on vocals; she rejoined Jefferson Airplane for their reunion two years later.

STEELY DAN - Aja

The album AJA is considered quite ambitious and sophisticated, and features several leading session musicians. The eight-minute-long title track features complex jazz-based changes and a solo by renowned saxophonist Wayne Shorter, as well as dextrous drumming by Steve Gadd - most notably at the end of the tune

Sweet - Give us a Wink / Wank .

"Give Us a Wink" is the album released in 1976 by the British Glam-rock band Sweet. It was their first album to be fully written and fully produced by the band themselves

Sweet - Strung Up 2LP

The album "Strung Up" by The Sweet contains of one Live LP (Recorded Rainbow Theatre, London 12 December 1973) and one Studio LP