Jim’s Diary

I cannot work out for the life of me why anyone takes Glasvegas seriously. I heard the full album last week and it's unintentionally hilarious. They would be a good comedy band if they had an ounce of self-awareness.' So writes one blogger on the Guardian...

The Welsh Monsoons continue and the countryside is no less beautiful for that, but the drum and bass are done and Mel and Ed are leaving the compound. We will miss them for their music of course, but just as much for the banter. They certainly...

We open the studio doors that lead straight into the courtyard and it rains and it rains and it rains. A very British summer, but nothing could rain on our parade as the music pours out from indoors. And with every tune we approach I find...

I left London at 7am aiming to beat the traffic and head out to the giant green fields that would signify we were on our way west to Bath, Bristol and finally Monmouth.   It was the 5th of August and I was almost as excited as...

From some parts of the earth last week it was possible to witness a solar eclipse and wonderful that must have been for all who saw it. I did not witness the eclipse that I refer to, however it is far too difficult for me to...

As I have previously said, I prefer not to listen to much music during the period when we are actively creating our own. The reason being that listening to the finished and often already successful works of others somehow manages to make me far to...

Rockfield in Monmouthshire is where the sound of Simple Minds grew somewhat organically over a period of three years from mid '79 onwards.   We recorded two albums in both studios (Real to Real Cacophony/Empires and Dance) but in addition we also used the nearby 'Old Mill...

Scotland like most countries has it's share of national treasures and given the opportunity most Scots delight in spouting all about them to anyone that is even remotely interested. I guess as a Scotsman I am at times no different from many others and that...

Even though we are technically on a holiday break over these weeks, it seems that the creative momentum continues as I exchange ideas daily from Sicily with keyboardist Andy Gillespie - on a new song idea with the working title 'Shaman'.   We really are flowing with ideas...

As expected it came and went in a flash, Mandela's birthday bash that is, and we really did enjoy our small involvement. As ever with the charming glint in his eyes, the man was nevertheless looking a little tired when we came face to face,...

If anyone can upstage South Africa's living legend, Nelson Mandela, it's the Children of Agape. Against the pain of losing their parents to Aids, these 15 children sing and dance with a raw, pulsating energy. This week they will join the party in London to celebrate...

We have been nicely rushed in these last days as we try to hone in on the last writing period prior to departing for London and the Mandela event and then soon after the recording sessions for the new album which will finally begin in...