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France 24

Olivia SALAZAR-WINSPEAR

Simple Minds' Jim Kerr on finding a creative outlet during lockdown

Jim Kerr Simple Minds Nelson Mandela Sicily Taormina

ENCORE! © FRANCE 24

Their pop-synth sound became emblematic of the 1980s. Scottish band Simple Minds topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic with hits like "Don't You Forget About Me" and "Alive and Kicking", selling more than 60 million albums and filling stadiums around the world. Founding member Jim Kerr tells us about making their new album "Direction of the Heart" at a time of intense concentration in his home of Taormina, Sicily. We also take a look back at the band's activism against apartheid, which led to an amusing encounter with Nelson Mandela.

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