Scottish rock legends Simple Minds are turning the page — literally.
Simple Minds frontman Jim Kerr and guitarist Charlie Burchill appeared on ITV’s Lorraine this week to celebrate the release of their first-ever book, Our Secrets Are The Same (Hachette), offering a candid look back at more than four decades of friendship, music, and global stardom.
Co-written with music journalist Graham Thomson, the memoir charts their journey from childhood friends in Glasgow to international rock icons.
It’s a deep dive into the highs of chart-topping success, the pressures of fame, and the challenges of sustaining creativity over decades.
Simple Minds’ impact is undeniable. From the stadium-filling anthem Don’t You (Forget About Me) to the soaring pop-rock of Alive and Kicking, and the atmospheric brilliance of New Gold Dream, their songs have inspired generations and remain touchstones of ’80s and ’90s music. Their ability to fuse sweeping synths with rock energy has kept them both timeless and influential.
Reflecting on the book, Kerr called it a milestone: “We are used to having records out and getting excited on the day of release. But today is the day of release for our first book.”
Burchill admitted the process was unusual for two musicians used to expressing themselves through lyrics.
“We had Graham Thomson, who made us sound eloquent and got stuff out of us that we would never have got to without him,” he said.
Our Secrets Are The Same offers fans a rare glimpse behind the curtain, showing Kerr and Burchill not just as rock icons, but as lifelong friends navigating the highs and lows of fame together – all while producing some of the most enduring music of the past 40 years.
