As I write, the collective minds of most of the world’s news organisations are nervously eyeing their holiday bookings and remaining within travelling distance of an airport as they wait to go into full-on tribute mode as Nelson Mandela edges closely towards the end of his life. When he does finally pass away, we will naturally be swamped with pre-prepared tributes and obituaries and a totally necessary row about the people who want to give more prominence to his past life as a murdering terrorist than the right-on crowd are strictly comfortable with. It is the way things are done these days.

Naturally enough these tributes will be soundtracked by a part of the rich legacy of musical work that his political and personal struggles generated in their wake, a soundtrack which will inevitably feature the song ‘Free Nelson Mandela’ as penned in 1984 by Jerry Dammers for the Special AKA. This does however mean I’ve got visions of Jim Kerr stomping around in a palatial mansion somewhere muttering about the unfairness of it all. For his band recorded their own Mandela song, one which technically performed better in the charts than any other but which is by and large forgotten today.

It was more or less entirely down to the the involvement of Simple Minds that Tony Hollingsworth’s famous 1988 Nelson Mandela 60th Birthday concert at Wembley Stadium was able to take place in the first place, the band being the requisite “big name” who thus persuaded other acts to fully commit to the bill and to provide the selling point for the worldwide television coverage which followed, along with unbelievably lame write-in competitions in the Daily Mirror.

Many of the events of that day in June have rightly passed into musical legend and when the full story of the events in music of that year come to be written, the Nelson Mandela concert needs a chapter all to itself. However amongst all the tales of Stevie Wonder’s backstage strops, the true reason behind Whitney Houston’s banner-free stage and the catapulting of Tracy Chapman to stardom lies buried the centrepiece of the set of the ‘Minds.

There was talk at one stage that Hollingsworth was to require every act performing on the day to write a new song connected with the event, but I suspect that slightly impractical suggestion was little more than a wild rumour, especially given the endless political machinations required to get many of the more politically reluctant performers to appear in the first place. What is a fact though is the Simple Minds song ‘Mandela Day’ would serve as the event’s own semi-official anthem and a recording which received repeated plays during the concert coverage and subsequently. To avoid accusations of cashing in, however, the track went formally unreleased for some time afterwards.

In fact the public’s first chance to hand over money for the song came early the following year when ahead of the album ‘Street Fighting Years’ it was released on single, tucked away in fact on the b-side of the epic ‘Belfast Child’ which arrived in stores in January 1989.

You will note that this is one of those odd singles whose chart credit differs almost entirely from the way it is branded on the sleeve. Check any of the record books, and indeed the full database on the Official Charts Company’s own site and you will see they are unequivocal as to what the single was called:

Yet Virgin records and the band themselves begged to differ, as you will note from the sleeve, branding the release the ‘Ballad Of The Streets EP’ and suggesting that this is a double release, with both ‘Belfast Child’ and ‘Mandela Day’ regarded as having equal weight. Part of the issue I suspect was down to the semantics of what qualified as an EP – an Extended Play single after all is supposed to contain more than the standard a- and b-sides. For the 12-inch and CD single releases this wasn’t an issue as the record had a third track – their cover of Peter Gabriel’s similarly South African themed ‘Biko’ – added to the running order. Part of the problem was the sheer length of Simple Minds compositions at that time. With ‘Belfast Child’ running to 6:39 and ‘Mandela Day’ clocking in at a similarly epic 5:42 it actually wasn’t physically possible for for ‘Biko’ to be included on the 7-inch single (especially as it too ran to over seven and a half minutes) and so the lead format of the “EP” technically only had two tracks on it and so was therefore just a “single” and was listed as such on the charts.

You will note that by the time Simple Minds released their fourth single of the year, they no longer had this issue:

So in a sense you can understand why Jim Kerr might be slightly frustrated. Their Nelson Mandela celebration anthem (one whose lyrics of “yeah, yeah, yeah Mandela’s free” mean it has dated less and remains slightly more relevant than the more notorious Special AKA single) was a full part of their one and only Number One hit single, but is largely written off by the record books as a b-side rather than an equal partner with the lead track on the record.

When Nelson Mandela finally does pass away, you will inevitably hear the strains of “Freeeeee Nelson Mandeeellaaa” resonate from a pre-produced tribute package on a radio or television station near you. Yet a core part of the snowballing of the political and social pressure for his release from prison was another, different, more celebratory song. One which you might hardly hear at all.

James Masterton.

http://www.masterton.co.uk/

miss mildred
July 7, 2013 at 08:28

I have recently read the older Theroux’s book about his nostalgic journey
down Africa from Egypt to S.Africa using ‘public transport’. Making life very
hard for himself in some places. It was a real eye opener for me. Some of us
are on a big guilt trip about about what European colonisation has done to
Africa. We were so full of ourselves. We ignored tribal boundaries and
reordered rich cultures in our own image. Much as we are trying to do with
‘democracy’ now. When the Romans colonised us for 400 years, we reverted after
the Romans withdrew to deal with the Barbarians at THEIR gates. Later Britain
had other visitors who sacked and burned, raped and pillaged etc. It is
intriguing to ponder what Africa would be like if the Europeans had never
tried to take over there. Still very wonderfully,colourfully, culturally
traditional as it still is in some places or, just like us….who knows? As for
Mandela…..surely let him go peacefully. Squabbling over the spoils of being a
relative of a revered leader while he still lives, is hardly dignified. What
may happen when he passes is a process we will have to stand and watch
helplessly, if it all goes sadly wrong. If humans prefere mayhem to calm,
peace and goodwill….then so be it. Our own situations are fragile too. We must
be aware chaos is only a short step away for us too.

charlotte July 6, 2013 at 23:53

I’ve spoken to so many people over the years who have differing opinions on
Mandela. The white European S/Africans mainly despise him and say that the
country is ruined because of him and the ANC. He is called a terrorist and
murderer, but those who celebrate the life of Mandela would call him a freedom
fighter, a true liberator of millions. Mandela undoubtedly caused the deaths
of many because he did advocate violence when he felt that peaceful means to
end apartheid failed, and this caused the deaths of other black Africans as
well as Europeans not just from opposing political party’s, but also
innocents. It is important, I think to realise though that the apartheid
movement was wicked and intolerable. Because the white European nation had, as
they believed brought ‘civilisation’ to the continent of South Africa, they
truly believed that they had the right to run the country and to hold the
indigenous African nation in serfdom. Mandela was treated terribly in prison;
for 18 yeas in Robben Island and later being moved to 2 other prisons. He
suffered TB as a result and it’s difficult to imagine that he has survived for
so long after such deprivation.
It is difficult to imagine a white nation
of dictators who categorised people by the colour of their skin; white, black
or brown, and that such categorisation deemed how worthy one was.
South
Africa has a lot of problems and much still needs to be accomplished but at
least apartheid is in the past and I hope this beautiful country can move
toward prosperity and unity in the years to come.

Cascadian July 7, 2013 at 06:45

Given how things have turned out in most de-colonized African countries,
perhaps the thesis that the white European brought civilization to Africa is
not a “belief” but fact. Zimbabwe is a good example, Congo another, South
Africa too but the list is extensive. Africa by any measurement is
demonstrably worse off (even where they have great mineral or petroleum
wealth), wherever Europeans handed power to the local population.
Serfdom
is a problematic word, being in worthwhile employment at low wages is the
lot of many people including whites, if you have no skills and poor
motivation you tend to occupy a poor-paying job. That has nothing to do with
discrimination or racial bias.
Mandela undoubtedly was the recipient of a
lot of world economic aid, which enriched his family and aides tremendously,
life for the average South African has improved little. If you have a strong
stomach visit here to learn a little about ANC http://www.thetruthaboutsouthafrica.com/p/white-genocide-in-south-africa.html
We
seem to have forgotten that sometimes being ruled by less than savoury
regimes is preferable to radical change-I give you Egypt, Iran under the
shah, even Libya under Khaddafi again there is a long list.

binao July 7, 2013 at 07:27

It’s worth remembering that even under apartheid, Blacks weren’t trying
to leave RSA, they were trying to get in, for the opportunities it
offered.
I certainly don’t endorse ‘serfdom’, but culturally there are
huge difficulties in trying to squeeze Africa into the mould of Western
European ideals, even in an apparently modern state as RSA.

charlotte
July 7, 2013 at 19:25

‘Perhaps the thesis that the white European brought civilization to
Africa is not a “belief” but a fact.’
Only a fact in that the Europeans
brought their own version civilisation to Africa.
‘Wherever European’s
handed power t the local population.’
The Europeans took Africa away
from a whole nation not just the locals and that does have to do with
discrimination and racial bias. The point is that the present problems
stem from the appalling treatment handed out to the indigenous African
when the white European settled in Africa.

Moor Larkin July 7, 2013 at 21:42

“The point is that the present problems stem from the appalling
treatment handed out to the indigenous African when the white European
settled in Africa.”

Eire was just as “colonised” as any African country when it was
British Ireland, but their independent 20th century history was very
different to what seemed to develop in Africa; and India’s development,
whist imperfect, has been very different to that in Africa too. I do
wonder if when “we” left there was such a “guilt-trip” going on, that
the people left behind were just cut off from a British culture, and the
natives forced to find their own again – which seems so often to have
turned out to be based on tribal lines and they seem to hate one another
even more than they hated us.

charlotte
July 7, 2013 at 22:57

I don’t believe that a comparison can be made between countries.
The 2 you mention are vastly different in so many ways to Africa and
even from each other. I do believe however that the tribal system is
very sophisticated in Africa and it doesn’t take much for trouble to
brew and kick off. Perhaps it’s just down to survival and when things
are really bad another’s life just isn’t that important as one’s
own.

Cascadian
July 8, 2013 at 02:43

Ahh…you don’t believe, I see. Facts don’t enter into the
conversation.

The tribal system is NOT very sophisticated, as proven in the
Congo, Sudan, Zimbabwe and others, most tribes have a very antiquated
idea how women, gays and even albinos should be treated. Remember, a
recent ANC leader believed AIDS could be cured by having sex with
eight-year-olds, do you “believe” this is a better society?

Moor Larkin July 8, 2013 at 10:05

@ I don’t believe that a comparison can be made between countries.
@

I would certainly agree that I would not see any comparison between
Britain and France, but I suspect that as an Englishman I could get
along fine with a Frenchman in the same bar. So in that sense, I would
agree with you, but if you are saying that Irish people are innately
different to Hottentots then I would feel you are on very dodgy
ground.

I suspect the real problem with Africa is that the countries are
unreal. I read that some of them are as big or bigger than
Europe……………… and we know how well we Europeans have always got along
together………..

Cascadian
July 8, 2013 at 02:49

What appalling treatment? Give some examples.

The present problems do NOT stem from appalling treatment by
Europeans, most of the problems stem from indigent savagery that the
white colonists tried to abate.

binao
July 8, 2013 at 18:08

re Moor Larkin ‘…as big or bigger than Europe…’.
Not helped by
the usual map projections which understate the size of southern Africa
in particular.
These are large countries overlaid with European
style industry and cities with all the amenities and attractions, but
beneath that lies a different world.
I haven’t forgotten a works
council meeting where Black staff operating modern technology wanted
‘traditional’ medicine to be made available as well as Western.
I
can’t see BUPA dealing with evil spirits.

cascadian
July 8, 2013 at 18:43

reply Binao 8 July 18:08
I haven’t forgotten a works council
meeting where Black staff operating modern technology wanted
‘traditional’ medicine to be made available as well as Westen……….
Well, let us not be too surprised, that request would have been
supported by prince charles and many other woolly-headed “experts” who
believe whatever nonsense is presented to them. The self-flaggelating
white liberals and communist sympathizers love to denigrate anything
old white guys achieved, including introducing civilization to those
unacquainted with it.

binao July 6, 2013 at 23:07

Had a visit from an old friend from RSA about a week ago. Her description
of the casually corrupt behaviour of the police and much else would suggest
that this beautiful country is destined for a very nasty future. It was never
going to be easy and Africa isn’t Europe, a point not understood by our
handwringing classes. Be interesting to see what the big companies do to
protect their golden eggs.
Mandela may have been a convenient symbol, but
my guess is that De Klerk did most to achieve the new settlement. Even before
De Klerk’s time, the modern ILO based employment legislation brought in as a
result of the Wiehan Commission in the early ’80s played a major part in the
crumbling of apartheid.
All well before Mandela’s release.
Just a view,
but I was there.

carol42 July 6, 2013 at 20:50

I think when Mandela dies South Africa will, sadly, go the way of
Zimbabwee. Whatever else he helped manage a relatively peaceful transition
from Apertheid, don’t know if it has done any poor people much good, just
created a new ‘Black’ elite.

Elena ‘andcart
July 6, 2013 at 11:46

I would feel a lot more inclined to celebrate the life of Nelson Mandela if
South Africa didn’t have many more murdering terrorists now than it did when
he was a murdering terrorist. Although I’m not sure if he actually murdered
anyone. I thought the problem then was that he refused to condemn them, which
he appears to have gone on refusing to do. Not least Dear Winnie who single
handedly murdered a few of her own.

alan scott
July 7, 2013 at 18:42

Spot on. But we shall never hear/see the whole truth in this matter –
just reflections in the spinning glasses of “objective” commentators.

Moor
Larkin July 6, 2013 at 11:00

Having located both tracks on the ubiquitous web, I can say that they both
passed me by completely. No bells ringing. I vividly recall listening to live
radio coverage, would it have been on Radio Five Live back then? No idea –
anyhow it was live, and we seemed to be waiting for the first “sighting” of
Nelson Mandela, leaving the prison, which seemed an odd concept to me even at
the time. I couldn’t understand why there was so much fuss, and why the
coverage was so fervid – the commentators were really excited whereas I only
vaguely knew who the bloke even was. I remain confused how it was that he had
become such an icon back then. What he did afterwards perhaps demonstrates
that he will, and deserves to go down in history as a great leader, of the
stature of Gorbachev in Russia perhaps, but I can’t help feeling it was more
good luck than good judgement, because around the same time the same forces of
change in southern Africa were giving us Robert Mugabe……….

Cascadian July 6, 2013 at 17:46

Great leader-really? He (and his criminal party) have led a once
prosperous country into devastation. He followed the exact same path as
Rhodesia, the economy has been devastated, the blacks are demonstrably
poorer. His achievement of exiling and murdering the white intelligentsia
that built the country does not define greatness.

His legacy is on a par with a pantheon of failed socialist “leaders” that
have devastated Africa since de-colonialization. Next up a tribal genocide,
guaranteed.

Simple Minds-says it all, and Brits fall for this crap every time.

Moor Larkin July 6, 2013 at 17:57

@cascadian
Well, what I had in mind was that Mandela “managed” a
colossal social change without colossal bloodshed, just as Gorbachev did.
Neither of them were “in power” for very long so far as I recall. I’m not
sure how Apartheid could have ended any better, or Soviet Communism..

alan scott
July 7, 2013 at 18:39

Cascadian:
few will welcome your common-sense and comparisons. But I
do. Congratulations, Sir.

JuliaM July 6,
2013 at 10:27

Fascinating!

right_writes
July 6, 2013 at 10:18

Never mind the tunes James…

What about all the streets and buildings in those lefty controlled
neighbourhoods across the nation that are named after this bloke?

And his legacy… “His” people are still living in oppressive shanty towns 30
years later, and they can’t even get jobs as servants to “whitey” either.

Meanwhile the real people of “his” kind are steadily building political
empires for themselves and storing every single Krugerrand that they can filch
in their numbered Swiss accounts.

rabbitaway
July 6, 2013 at 10:42

@Right -W – Did anyone really expect the worse off to be better off, just
because a few of the used to be worse off, got out of jail and into ‘power’
? I think not !

c777 July 6, 2013 at 09:58

Mandela is the glue that binds the factions together.

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19930706&slug=1709778

The glues gone.

Chris
Barratt July 6, 2013 at 09:43

Simple Minds are more or less forgotten in the grand scheme of things –
people forget the pioneering ‘new wave Roxy’ synthpop of the early 80s and the
later Street Fighting Years album. Forever in the shadow of Saint Bono and
classed as a mere footnote in 80′s music now due to being forever ‘uncool’.
Mind you, at least they got around to releasing the punchy ‘Sweat In Bullet’
single on CD this year at last.

This is another example of your 21st Century revisionism – whilst tainting
all else (literally speaking in many cases), brands are ‘picked out’ and,
without context, presented to the ‘Yout’ Of Today’ as profitable brands. Even
as long ago as 1999 I was having to explain to younger folk that people didn’t
actually go about their daily business in the 80s in full ‘new romantic’ make
up and shoulder-pads – now history has rewritten the decade as being
chock-full of horrible American movies and their ghastly generic soundtracks,
just as the late 60′s are all peace’n’love’n’retro-rape