Empires and Dance

Empires and Dance was recorded in Wales on the Rolling Stones mobile.[3]

While more successful than its non-charting predecessor (Real to Real Cacophony), Empires and Dance charted relatively poorly, peaking at only number 41 in the UK Albums Chart.[4] According to AllMusic, this was primarily because the record company Arista only released a small number of copies at a time before each batch sold out. This had the effect of limited availability for fans.[2]

The opening track "I Travel" was released as a single in 1980, but failed to chart. "Celebrate" was chosen as the second single due to popularity amongst fans. However, it was only released after Simple Minds had left the label. As a result, the single sold very poorly, and the picture sleeve 7" is amongst the hardest of the band's singles to find.

Following the release of this album, Simple Minds transferred to Virgin Records, where they met with much greater commercial success. Arista tried to capitalize on this success by re-releasing "I Travel" as a single in 1982, along with a compilation "Celebration". In 1983, Virgin re-released "I Travel" on 12", to coincide with the acquisition of the band's Arista catalogue. Both times, it still failed to chart.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
NME	very favourable[5]
Head Heritage	favourable[6]
Pitchfork	8.1/10[7]
Smash Hits	9/10[8]
Martin C. Strong	8/10[9]
Trouser Press	generally favourable[10]

Empires and Dance has been well-received critically.

NME called it as "a weird, agitating record".[5] AllMusic described the album as a "post-punk dance classic".[2]

The album cover's faux Cyrillic typeface was emulated for the cover of Manic Street Preachers' third album The Holy Bible. (While the former album reversed all Rs and Ns to resemble Cyrillic letters, the latter album, in contrast, reversed only the Rs.) Twenty years later, Empires and Dance would be cited as a key influence on Futurology, the Manics' twelfth album. It remains one of singer and guitarist James Dean Bradfield's favourite records.[11] He said of Empires and Dance in a 1995 Melody Maker article on his favourite albums:

"I've always liked records with are completely misinformed and displaced. They were aware that they were Scottish, and trying to shun it. [...] Anyway, that's why they tried to become really European, this dark, unemotive, industrial band, but in demographic/geographic terms they were really confused, and that can produce brilliant records. I don't think the British look towards Europe in the rose-tinted way Americans do. We see it in Basil Fawlty-ish terms. I remember reading Jim Kerr going on about the Baader-Meinhof gang, and the Red Brigade, and trying to make sense of all these conflicting ideologies. On musical terms it really does make sense. The best bands manifest their lyrics into their music, and it really fucks me off when people don't realise that."[12]

Imagery in Patrik Sampler's novel The Ocean Container[13] was inspired by "Thirty Frames a Second".

All lyrics are written by Jim Kerr; all music is composed by Simple Minds.

• Charlie Burchill – guitar, saxophone
• Derek Forbes – bass guitar, fretless bass guitar
• Jim Kerr – vocals
• Mick MacNeil – keyboards
• Brian McGee – drums

Technical

• John Leckie – producer, engineer
• Simon Heyworth – mastering
• Hugh Jones – engineer
• Coward – photography
• Ruetz – photography

• Empires and Dance at Discogs (list of releases)