New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84)

Untitled

New Gold Dream is the fifth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds. The album was released in 1982 and was a turning point for the band as they gained critical and commercial success in the UK and Europe. It made #3 in the UK Albums Chart.

The record generated a handful of singles; "Promised You a Miracle" (released in April 1982), "Glittering Prize" (August 1982) and "Someone Somewhere (In Summertime)" (November 1982). The title track saw a limited release in Italy, when the band visited the country during their tour in March 1983. In addition, the jazz keyboardist Herbie Hancock performed a synthesizer solo on the track "Hunter and the Hunted."

Virgin Records reissued the album as a remastered edition in 2002 (cardboard vinyl replica edition) and early 2003 (jewel-case). On the 2002/2003 edition, the gaps between the tracks on the album are slightly shorter. Virgin also reissued the album on SACD in 2003.

2005 DVD-Audio version

In 2005 Virgin released a DVD-Audio version, which is largely remixed. All the tracks except "Colours Fly and Catherine Wheel" and "Promised You a Miracle" (whose multitrack tapes had apparently been lost) were remixed in 5.1 surround sound, and additionally, a downmixed 2.0 stereo version was created for compatibility with non-surround DVD-Audio set-ups.

The listener has a choice of playing the album from the following audio streams:

• DVD-A 5.1 surround - essentially, a discrete six-channel 24-bit linear PCM stream sampled at 96 kHz (this stream may not compatible with DVD-Video equipment),
• DTS 5.1 surround - a 24-bit DTS stream sampled at 96 kHz (this stream may not be compatible with some DVD-Video equipment),
• PCM 2.0 stereo - a linear PCM stereo stream (presumably included for compliance with the DVD-Video format).

Interestingly, although the sleeve describes the 2.0 stereo stream as being a 48 kHz 16-bit PCM (which would make the disc compatible with mandatory audio requirements for DVD-Video discs), the stream itself turns out to be a 96 kHz 24-bit PCM, thus making the disc unplayable on all the DVD-Video equipment that cannot play 96 kHz 24-bit DTS (some older players would only accept a 48 kHz format) or is not DVD-Audio compliant (for the 96 kHz 24-bit PCM streams). Some DVD-Video players will only play the 2.0 stereo stream, but with distorted sound, and at wrong speed (if taking the 96/24 stream to be 48/16).

The remixed version of the album was mixed and produced by Roland Prent in 96/24 PCM. Apparently, the original producer (Peter Walsh) had nothing to do with this version. Still, he receives the producers credit on the disc label itself.

The tracks on the remixed album differ in length in comparison to the original version. In some cases they are substantially longer than in the original mix.

The stereo mix on the new version is noticeably different from the original one, not just in terms of length. Different takes of particular tracks may have been used for their new mixes. The bass sound seems different, as if played through some effect. Regrettably, the new stereo mix, despite being presented in a 24-bit format, which technically gives greater dynamic range than the CD-Audio, appears less dynamic than the old mix issued on the 2002/2003 remastered CD. Aggressive level compression seems to have been applied (especially to the drum tracks), greatly diminishing the pleasure of listening to the new mix. The above criticism is less apparent in the surround mix, where the overall loudness is distributed over more channels.

The two tracks left non-remixed ("Colours Fly and Catherine Wheel" and "Promised You A Miracle") play in their original 2.0 stereo mixes in all the available streams. Oddly, they seem to have been upsampled from the 2002/2003 CD edition, since they contain no signal beyond 22 kHz (the cutoff frequency for CD-Audio), even though a 96 kHz PCM would allow for frequencies up to 48 kHz. All the other tracks on the remixed album do contain material that has frequencies above the CD-Audio cut-off frequency, reaching beyond 30 kHz (a tribute to the original analogue multitrack tapes, and to the producer).

To make up for the 2005 edition containing two non-remixed tracks, a bonus track was added. The track "In Every Heaven", playable in all the streams on the disc, is a variant of "Soundtrack for Every Heaven", a track which comes from the flipside of the 12-inch single "Someone, Somewhere (In Summertime)". The new version adds vocals to the former instrumental, and so far has only been released on this 2005 DVD-Audio. This track is added on to the end of the album on the reissue.

Track listing

LP: Virgin / V 2230 (UK)

1. "Someone Somewhere in Summertime" – 4:36
2. "Colours Fly and Catherine Wheel" – 3:49
3. "Promised You a Miracle" – 4:28
4. "Big Sleep" – 5:00
5. "Somebody Up There Likes You" – 5:02
6. "New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)" – 5:39
7. "Glittering Prize" – 4:33
8. "Hunter and the Hunted" – 5:55
9. "King Is White and in the Crowd" – 7:00

• Also released on MC (TCV 2230) and CD (CDV 2230)
• released in 2003 as 2.0 channel SACD (SACDV 2230)

DVDA: Virgin / DVDAV 2230 (UK)

1. "Someone, Somewhere in Summertime" – 5:22
2. "Colours Fly and Catherine Wheel" – 3:49
3. "Promised You a Miracle" – 4:28
4. "Big Sleep" – 5:27
5. "Somebody Up There Likes You" – 5:45
6. "New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)" – 6:08
7. "Glittering Prize" – 4:39
8. "Hunter and the Hunted" – 6:09
9. "King Is White and in the Crowd" – 7:32
10. "In Every Heaven" 4:50

• remixed in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM 2.0 stereo (except for tracks 2, and 3). Notice the difference in running times between this and the original edition.

Personnel

The band

• Jim Kerr - lead vocals
• Charlie Burchill - guitars and effects
• Michael MacNeil - keyboards and effects
• Derek Forbes - bass guitar

Additional musicians

• Mike Ogletree - drums on "Colours Fly and Catherine Wheel", "Somebody Up There Likes You", and "New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)"
• Mel Gaynor - drums on "Someone Somewhere in Summertime", "Big Sleep", "New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)", "Glittering Prize", "Hunter and the Hunted", and "The King is White and in the Crowd"
• Kenny Hyslop - drums on "Promised You A Miracle"
• Sharon Campbell - girl's voice on "Colours Fly and Catherine Wheel" and "Glittering Prize"
• Herbie Hancock - guest on "Hunter and the Hunted"

Trivia

• The album was recorded using three drummers, none of them a full-time member of the band, although drummer Mike Ogletree did appear on the insert of the original LP, and does appear on the back cover of the 2002/2003 CD and SACD, and the 2005 DVD-A editions.
• "Promised You A Miracle" is the only Simple Minds studio track recorded with Kenny Hyslop on drums (not counting radio and TV sessions).
• Mel Gaynor was only a guest musician at the time of the recording, but became the full-time drummer for Simple Minds after the tour promoting the album.
• This was the first Simple Minds album not to have the same line-up as its predecessor. Drummer Brian McGee had left after recording the preceding Sons And Fascination/Sister Feelings Call set.
• For the probable origin of the name "Catherine Wheel" see under David Byrne or Twyla Tharp: "In 1981, Byrne partnered with choreographer Twyla Tharp, scoring 'The Catherine Wheel,' a ballet prominently featuring unusual rhythms and lyrics. Productions of "The Catherine Wheel" appeared on Broadway that same year." Although interesting, this is wrong. The Byrne/Tharpe catherine wheel refers to the medieval torture instrument of the same name. The Simple Minds track refers to a type of firework (see the catherine wheel disambiguation page for more).
• The opening synth riff of "New Gold Dream" was sampled in the 1993 dance music hit "Open Your Mind" by Usura. In the same year, Utah Saints released a cover version of the song on their self-titled debut album.
• "In Every Heaven" is the song "Soundtrack For Every Heaven" with lyrics. This is its first appearance on a "public" record. The song was recorded during the David "Kid" Jensen sessions back in 1981, then the band decided to record it in a studio.It was first supposed to appear on album, then on the single (as a b - side), and finally it got dropped off. It didn't also get on the Silver Box collection, as it was previously planned.Instrumental version (previously mentioned "Soundtrack For Every Heaven") is a b - side of twelve inch "Someone Somewhere in Summertime" single.
• "Hunter and the Hunted" was used in the final episode of series two of "''Ashes To Ashes''".

External links

• Simple Minds official website