From Unknown to Live Aid in 3 years! Mel Gaynor's Simple Minds rise!

Mel Gaynor joined Simple Minds when they were on the cusp of greatness, and within 3 years went from the fringes to multiple platinum albums, number 1 hits and playing in front of a billion people at Live Aid!
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0:00 Joining Simple Minds
2:37 Don't You Forget About Me
4:10 Live Aid
6:10 1985 & Cracking America
7:55 Working with Jim Kerr

[@predictorleague8780]

That drum fill in Dont you forget about me is iconic 👍

[@eddiecarter9831]

One of the best performances from Live Aid.

[@guitarnationtv]

Mel is a Superstar drummer and now vocalist, songwriter and producer too!

[@MJo-ng4lj]

❤🎉👍🙏👌

[@johnjordan3768]

Mel is one of the best drummer's ever👌

[@rebels42wynn83]

BEYOND INCREDIBLY AWESOME AFTER ALL OF THESE BEAUTIFUL YEARS🥰🥰🥰

[@TheGavers]

New gold dream....what an album

[@motley123rock]

This guys drum sound was fantastic in all those classic tunes.

[@stevosguitars]

Yeah I agree. I had no idea who the drummer was but his sound always had that snap and flow.

[@stevosguitars]

Who hasn't air-drummed to the breakdown in Don't You Forget About Me?!?

[@motley123rock]

@@stevosguitars absolutely 👍 😁

[@DrTomoculus]

Crazy. I just had a property inspection on Friday (23rd), and the inspector knows Mel!!! He saw my collection of instruments and we got to talking as we're both Bass players primarily. He started talking about Mel and Simple Minds, and I said wait, you know him? He said yeah, through a marriage of a sister or something I forget. Crazy.

[@vwstormchaser7985]

My 3 favourite Mel moments 1. The 1982 live version of Hunter & the Hunted in Newcastle, 2. the drum intro to the extended version of Don’t You 3. The outro drum solo to Belfast Child at Milton Keynes Bowl 1991 Real Life tour.

[@th7297]

A Drummer who really shaped the sound of all their Albums on which he played. It is so obvious and it is rare. I have always missed him on their following records. Saw him live when he threw Drumsticks into Hamburg Volkspark Stadions frontrow in 1990 😎😎👍🏻

[@Markeebee100]

Don't You's iconic drumming already mentioned but for me the outro on Come A Long Way is incredible. What a drummer! Thanks Mel, you're a true legend.

[@challengerjetdriver]

Thanks for sharing the experiences!! Great to see Mel!!!

[@VRPRocks]

Glad you enjoyed the interview 👍🤘

[@celtictony]

Great interview.

[@batphink2655]

I love Mel's drumming he is amazing and much better live than on album even his sound is phenomenal. He seems a cool guy to but his rise was helped by the fact he's a Mason a fact that always helps musicians. Great interview!

[@merivou]

You're right, the whole music industry sideshow is governed by them so if you have contact with them you're definitely in a privileged position. Great drummer though.

[@Maitatron]

Music and Free-Masonry seems to go hands in hands since a very long time since Mozart and Beethoven were also Masons.

[@baldybouncers]

@@batphink2655 Funny. Being a mason didn't help Derek Forbes. Not sure your theory holds water.

[@ibellchristian9773]

The best drummer I have seen live 💯🥁

[@freakybeaky1]

Think it’s Mel on the clips of Samson (Bruce Dickinson on vocals) from Reading Festival ‘81. Riding with the Angels in part 4 - belter. They had some sticks men- Clive Burr, Thunderstick, Mel and Pete Jupp that I knew of.

[@massimilianoizzi9324]

Great times with Mel only him

[@baldybouncers]

Great man, brilliant talent and modest too. I can't watch today's SM without Mel and Mick. Why did you leave Mel?

[@terrencereardon6374]

RIP John Giblin

[@The.Last.Guitar.Hero.]

Mel was a brilliant drummer. Shame he left

[@guyincognito1560]

Agreed. I thought they had really regained something special with that 5x5 lineup that went on to record Big Music. Was really looking forward to what they'd do next but everything took an "unanticipated" direction with the Accoustic stuff then programmed drums for Walk Between Worlds. Cherrise is an amazing drummer but the wallop is definitely missing. Mel talked about how "sticking together" was something that wasn't in Simple Minds wheelhouse, I guess he had a point.

[@user-wf4sy1wb5t]

Best drummer in the world

[@robertnobody]

No mention of why Mel left in 2018 or why he isn't currently in the band.

[@michaele5173]

It would have been cool to hear Billy Idol sing Don't You

[@zanderzoot]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGaqp6WpiNGAlacsi=_qPviI_UhkafgBnY

[@paulhudson1931]

He did a version of it.

[@tonymontana-uw1bq]

Why is Mel no longer in Simple Minds??

[@pameladiamond9603]

That's the million dollar question. I miss him. No disrespect to Cherisse but she just doesn't have Mel's power.

[@tonymontana-uw1bq]

@@pameladiamond9603 Hi mate, yes Cherise is great but Mel Gaynor is a big part of SM soundscapes. JK got touchy and blocked a few of us on FB, when pressed on this issue! 😔

[@shaun64vet]

His relationship with Jim and Charlie has been up and down over the decades. And he never got the parity of a full member I don't think.

[@vittorioguglielmino1423]

I simple minds hanno perso tantissimo con l'uscita dal gruppo di mel. Dopo tanti anni nn ho capito il motivo di questa divisione: volontà di mel di andarsene oppure è stato Jim Kerr a mandarlo via. Mah!

[@pameladiamond9603]

Why doesn't he ask the blooming question we all want the answer to. Mel why did you leave Simple Minds?

[@shaun64vet]

Mel's relationship with Jim and Charlie has been a bit up and down over the years. I don't think he ever got that full parity as a member of the band that he was looking for and deserved i.e the way JK has chopped and changed the line up since the late 80s.

[@baldybouncers]

Somebody should tell the story behind Derek, Mick and Mel's departure. The Jim and Charlie thing is just not close to the full line up. No disrespect to anyone! I'm sure Jim and Charlie would be the first to admit that they went through a rough patch after Mick left. He is sorely missed (Mel too).

[@user-du1yk7uk9v]

Their last album is as good as their past masterpieces (once Upon a Time is their best) and the current world tour is getting rave reviews ...unfortunately Mel is not with them.

[@michaet4941]

cherise is a complete embarrassment on the current tour not even worthy to play the tunes .,,,,, Mel is irreplaceable , inspired me to be a drummer , never got close to MG but always trying.

[@pameladiamond9603]

That's a bit harsh. She's a great drummer but nobody could fill Mel's shoes.

[@terrencereardon6374]

@@pameladiamond9603Gail Ann Dorsey was not a great replacement in Bowie’s band replacing Carmine Rojas who is a legend. Reeves Gabrels is a crappy noise guitarist and replacing Peter Frampton was not a good choice either in Bowie’s band. Mel is a one of a kind drummer and his feel and power was unmatched.