"Up on the Catwalk" was the third

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

to be released from ''

Sparkle in the Rain ''Sparkle in the Rain'' is the sixth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released on 6 February 1984 by record label Virgin in the UK and A&M in the US. A breakthrough commercial success for the band, the record peaked at number 1 ...

'', the sixth

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

Simple Minds Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977. They have released a string of hit singles, becoming best known internationally for "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), which topped the '' Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United St ...

. It was released in March 1984 and climbed to number 27 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. It stayed in the charts for five weeks, which was longer than the band's previous single, "

Speed Your Love to Me "Speed Your Love to Me" is a song by Simple Minds, which was released as the second single from the album ''Sparkle in the Rain'' on 9 January 1984. It quickly reached number 20 in the UK Singles Chart, and remained in the charts for 4 weeks. The ...

". Unlike the album's previous two singles, " Waterfront" and "

", "Up on the Catwalk" was not included in the band's 1992 compilation album ''

Glittering Prize 81/92 ''Glittering Prize 81/92'' is a compilation album by Simple Minds, released in 1992. It spans the period from ''Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call'' (the first album recorded by Simple Minds for Virgin Records) to ''Real Life Real l ...

''. However, reviewer MacKenzie Wilson of

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

considered this single to be the strongest song on ''

'', complimenting its lyrics and 'glossy' verse which "thrives on celebrity and the falling grace that coincides that". The band's lead singer

Jim Kerr James Kerr (born 9 July 1959) is a Scottish singer and the lead singer of the rock band Simple Minds, becoming best known internationally for "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), which topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States. O ...

has retrospectively called "Up on the Catwalk" an example of

"at their spikiest and most dramatic".

Style

The song begins with an exclamation of "one, two, one, two, three, four" while the drummer,

Mel Gaynor Mel George Gaynor (born 29 May 1959) is a British drummer, best known as the longtime drummer for the rock band Simple Minds. Biography Gaynor was born to a Jamaican father and an Afro-Brazilian mother. He began drumming at age 11 and had ...

, bangs his drumsticks together, followed by "crashing drums" and keyboards by

Mick MacNeil Norman Michael MacNeil is a Scottish songwriter and keyboardist born 20 July 1958 on the Isle of Barra, Scotland. He is best known as a former member of the group Simple Minds. MacNeil joined the band in 1978 and left in 1990. He released the ...

. As the song progresses it achieves the rock-oriented, "enormous sound" of the two preceding singles, thanks to extensive "reverb and echo" attributed to each instrument in the production. The keyboards play a more prominent and "thunderous" role in "Up On The Catwalk" than in "

Speed Your Love To Me "Speed Your Love to Me" is a song by Simple Minds, which was released as the second single from the album ''Sparkle in the Rain'' on 9 January 1984. It quickly reached number 20 in the UK Singles Chart, and remained in the charts for 4 weeks. The ...

", particularly in the chorus after the refrain "I will be there".

Music video

The promotional video for "Up On The Catwalk" begins with photo montages of parts of various people's faces forming, before switching to a studio performance of the band on a catwalk in the centre of the room. This is surrounded by a peripheral catwalk on which several figures move across during the video. During the performance

in dense make-up sings and dances in the middle while photo montages once again come and go during the chorus refrain "I will be there". The combination of seemingly random photo compositions, and glamorous models alternating with superhero figures on the second catwalk, while Kerr rapidly sings names of well-known persons and places, create an overall "surreal" and "disturbing" video according to Dream Giver Redux.

Track listing

7" single

* Virgin VS 661 1. "Up on the Catwalk" (edit) - 4:04 2. "A Brass Band in Africa" - 5:10

12" single

* Virgin VS 661-12 1. "Up on the Catwalk" (Extended Mix) - 7:34 2. "A Brass Band in African Chimes" - 9:22

References

{{Simple Minds 1984 singles Simple Minds songs Song recordings produced by Steve Lillywhite 1984 songs Virgin Records singles Songs written by Derek Forbes Songs written by Jim Kerr Songs written by Charlie Burchill Songs written by Mick MacNeil