Editing Simple Minds (section)

===Mainstream success and political activism (1984–1987)===
[[File:Mandela voting in 1994.jpg|thumb|right|190px|Simple Minds wrote the song "[[Mandela Day (song)|Mandela Day]]" as a homage to South African President [[Nelson Mandela]]]] 

''[[Sparkle in the Rain]]'' was released in February 1984.<ref name="Larkin"/> It entered the UK albums chart at number one.<ref name="oc" /> It was preceded by the single "[[Speed Your Love to Me]]" which reached No.20 on the singles chart.<ref name="oc" /> A third single from the album, "[[Up on the Catwalk]]", was subsequently released and also reached the Top 30 in the UK.<ref name="oc" /> ''Sparkle in the Rain'' hit the top 20 in several other countries (including Canada, where it reached No.&nbsp;13).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.6325a&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=kjerdnvbvl3a8p4jfufutrc7u6 |title=Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |access-date=1 September 2011}}</ref> The band spent much of 1984 touring the world, including Australia, Europe, North America and Japan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.simpleminds.org/sm/tours/t1983-1/index.htm |title=Sparkle in the Rain Tour |publisher=Dream Giver Redux}}</ref> In 1984, Jim Kerr married [[Chrissie Hynde]] of the [[Pretenders (band)|Pretenders]] (who renamed herself Christine Kerr).<ref name="Larkin"/> Simple Minds headlined a North American tour supported by [[China Crisis]] during the Canadian leg and supported the Pretenders in the US while Hynde was pregnant with Kerr's daughter. The marriage lasted until 1990.

Despite the band's new-found popularity in the UK, Europe, Canada and Australia, Simple Minds remained essentially unknown in the US. The band's UK releases on Arista were not picked up by Arista USA who had 'right of first refusal' for their releases. The 1985 film ''[[The Breakfast Club]]'' broke Simple Minds into the US market, when the band achieved their only No.&nbsp;1 U.S. pop hit in April 1985 with the film's opening track, "[[Don't You (Forget About Me)]]",<ref name="Larkin"/> a song written by [[Keith Forsey]] and Steve Schiff;<ref name="Larkin"/> which had previously been offered to [[Billy Idol]] and [[Bryan Ferry]] before Simple Minds agreed to record it. The song soon became a chart-topper in many other countries around the world.

At around this point, the camaraderie that had fuelled Simple Minds began to unravel, and over the next ten years the band's line-up underwent frequent changes. Jim Kerr subsequently recalled "We were knackered. We were desensitized. The band started to fracture. We were lads who had grown up together, we were meant to grow together, politically, spiritually and artistically. But we were getting tired with each other. There was an element of the chore creeping in. We were coasting and this whole other thing was a challenge."<ref>Interview with Jim Kerr in ''Scottish Sunday Times'', 23 September 2001</ref> The first casualty was bassist Derek Forbes, who was beginning to squabble with Kerr. Forbes began failing to turn up for rehearsals, and was dismissed. Forbes remained in touch with the band (and was soon reunited with another former Simple Minds bandmate, drummer Brian McGee, in [[Propaganda (band)|Propaganda]]).

To replace Forbes, Simple Minds hired former [[Brand X]] bass player [[John Giblin]], who owned the band's rehearsal space and was a session musician who had worked with [[Peter Gabriel]] and [[Kate Bush]]. Giblin made his debut with Simple Minds at [[Live Aid]] in [[Philadelphia]], where the band performed "Don't You (Forget About Me)", a new track called "[[Ghost Dancing (Simple Minds song)|Ghost Dancing]]" and "Promised You a Miracle".<ref>{{Cite web|date=13 July 1985|title=Simple Minds Play Live Aid - 1985|url=https://www.simpleminds.com/1985/07/13/simple-minds-play-live-aid-1985/|access-date=2 December 2020|website=SIMPLEMINDS.COM|language=en-GB}}</ref>

During 1985, Simple Minds were in the studio with former [[Tom Petty]]/[[Stevie Nicks]] producer [[Jimmy Iovine]]. In November, ''[[Once Upon a Time (Simple Minds album)|Once Upon a Time]]'' was released;<ref name="Larkin"/> former [[Chic (band)|Chic]] singer [[Robin Clark]], who performed call-and-response vocals with Kerr throughout the album (effectively becoming a second lead singer), and was heavily featured in Simple Minds music videos of the time. The record reached No.&nbsp;1 in the UK and No.&nbsp;10 in the US, despite the fact that their major-league breakthrough single "Don't You (Forget About Me)" was not included.<ref name="Larkin"/> ''Once Upon a Time'' went on to generate four worldwide hit singles: "Alive and Kicking", "Sanctify Yourself", "Ghost Dancing" and "All the Things She Said",<ref name="Larkin"/> the last of which featured a music video directed by [[Zbigniew Rybczyński]] that used techniques developed in music videos for bands such as [[Pet Shop Boys]] and [[Art of Noise]]. The band also toured, with both Robin Clark and percussionist Sue Hadjopoulos added to the live line-up.

Because of Simple Minds' powerful stage presence and lyrics that were now beginning to adopt [[Christian symbolism]], the band was criticised by some in the music press as a lesser version of [[U2]], despite the fact that both bands were now heading in different musical directions.<ref name="Larkin"/> The two groups were well-acquainted with one another, and [[Bono]] joined Simple Minds on-stage at the [[Barrowlands]] in Glasgow in 1985 for a live version of "New Gold Dream". Bono also appeared on stage at Simple Minds Croke Park concert and sang "Sun City" during the "Love Song" medley. Derek Forbes also appeared on stage at the Croke Park concert and performed on several songs during the encore. To document their worldwide ''Once Upon a Time Tour'', Simple Minds released the double-live set ''[[Live in the City of Light]]'' in May 1987,<ref name="Larkin"/> which was recorded primarily over two nights in Paris in August 1986.