Don't You (Forget About Me)
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| "Don't You (Forget About Me)" | ||||||||||||||
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| Single by Simple Minds | ||||||||||||||
| from the album The Breakfast Club Soundtrack | ||||||||||||||
| B-side | "A Brass Band In African Chimes" | |||||||||||||
| Released | 20 February 1985 (US) 8 April 1985 (UK) |
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| Format | 12", 7" | |||||||||||||
| Recorded | 1984 | |||||||||||||
| Genre | New Wave, synthpop | |||||||||||||
| Length | 4:19 | |||||||||||||
| Label | A&M | |||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff | |||||||||||||
| Simple Minds singles chronology | ||||||||||||||
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"Don't You (Forget About Me)" is a 1985 song performed by the band Simple Minds. The song is best known for being played during the opening and closing credits of the John Hughes film The Breakfast Club. It was written by producer Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff (guitarist and songwriter from the Nina Hagen band).
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Recording history [edit]
Forsey asked Cy Curnin from The Fixx, Bryan Ferry and Billy Idol to record the song, but all three declined; Idol would later perform a cover of it on his 2001 greatest hits compilation. Schiff then suggested Forsey ask Idol's fellow Britons, New Wave band Simple Minds, who initially refused as well, but then 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."[1]
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.[2] 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 1985–1987, one of the longest time spans for any single in the history of the chart.
Despite its success, the band continued to dismiss the song, the most obvious slight being its absence from their subsequent album Once Upon a Time. It eventually appeared on the 1992 best-of Glittering Prize 81/92.
Two versions were created for release; the edited version of 4:23 appeared on the 45 RPM single and the original motion picture soundtrack album of The Breakfast Club. However, the full and uncut version was released on a 12" single, which topped out at a total time length of 6:32. Most radio formats in the U.S. only programmed the 4:23 version, making it a rarity to hear the full version on radio. The compilation label UTV Records (a Universal Company) included the full version on its 2001 Pure 80's Hits Various Artists release. This version contains longer breakdowns and drum fills, a second appearance of the bridge, and a longer outro than the popular edited version.
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."[3]
At a live Q&A session after the "Breakfast Club" was screened at The Paris Theatre in NYC, 9/20/10 actor Judd Nelson speaks about the song and explains that the lead singer Jim Kerr "… had to be beaten to do that song" "It was their biggest success, but he was very unhappy. He felt he was forced to do it."
American rapper and singer, Nicki Minaj sampled it on her album, Pink Friday for her song Blazin' featuring Kanye West.
The cast of the American sitcom Victorious covered the song, for the Victorious season 3 premiere episode "The Breakfast Bunch," a parody of the film The Breakfast Club. It is featured on Victorious 2.0, the show's second soundtrack.
Chart performance [edit]
| Country (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Singles Chart | 1[4] |
| UK Singles Chart | 7 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| US Billboard Top Rock Tracks | 1 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 3 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 3 |
| German Singles Chart | 4 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 6 |
| Belgium Singles Chart | 2 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 2 |
Music video [edit]
The music video, directed by Daniel Kleinman, takes place on a dancing floor in a dark room with a chandelier, a rocking horse and television sets, displaying scenes from The Breakfast Club. Jim Kerr, the band's lead singer, dances in many scenes.
Cover versions [edit]
As previously mentioned, Billy Idol, who was offered to record the song before Simple Minds did, covered the song for his Greatest Hits album. The song was covered by alternative metal band Life of Agony on their 1995 album Ugly.[5] Punk rock band Sprung Monkey covered the song for the 2001 film Not Another Teen Movie. The song is played in the closing credits, though it is not on the official film soundtrack release. Alternative rock band Smash Mouth covered the song for their 2012 album Magic.[6] New Found Glory covered the song on their album From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II. The song was covered on Nickelodeon TV series Victorious when the cast spoofed the film in the Series 3 episode The Breakfast Bunch. The cover, sung by Victoria Justice and the Victorious Cast, featured on the second Victorious soundtrack Victorious 2.0. Part of the song was also featured in the 2012 movie Pitch Perfect, performed by Anna Kendrick in the film and on the film's soundtrack as well. In 2013, the song was covered by short-lived comedy series Wedding Band at the end of the show. The 88 covered the song, which was used at the end of the pilot episode of American NBC comedy Community.
In 2013, Molly Ringwald, one of the stars of The Breakfast Club, released a jazz version (dedicated to the memory of the film's director, John Hughes) on her album, Except Sometimes.[7]
See also [edit]
- List of Dutch Top 40 number-one singles of 1985
- List of RPM number-one singles of 1985
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1985 (U.S.)
- List of number-one mainstream rock hits (United States)
References [edit]
- ^ "A History of Simple Minds". The Official Glasgow Barrowland & Barras Market Site. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
- ^ "[[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]]". Billboard. 18 May 1985. Retrieved 15 September 2011. Wikilink embedded in URL title (help)
- ^ Leland, John (June 1985). "Singles". Spin 1 (2): 37. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
- ^ "De Nederlandse Top 40, week 22, 1985". Retrieved 2008-03-01.
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/ugly-mw0000178349
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/magic-mw0002411280
- ^ Zap2it.com, April 10, 2013; accessed April 10, 2013
External links [edit]
| Preceded by "Crazy for You" by Madonna |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single May 18, 1985 |
Succeeded by "Everything She Wants" by Wham! |
| Preceded by "Forever Man" by Eric Clapton |
Billboard Top Rock Tracks number-one single April 20-May 4, 1985 |
Succeeded by "Trapped" by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band |
| Preceded by "Crazy for You" by Madonna |
Canadian RPM number-one single June 1, 1985 |
Succeeded by "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears |
| Preceded by "We Are the World" by USA for Africa |
Dutch Top 40 number-one single June 1, 1985 - June 15 |
Succeeded by "Dancing in the Dark" by Bruce Springsteen |
| Preceded by "Leave Right Now" by Will Young |
American Idol Farewell Song Season 10 (2011) |
Succeeded by "Please Remember Me" by Scotty McCreery |
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