Our Secrets are the Same: The Enduring Friendship at the Heart of Simple Minds

Exploring key songs, places, years, and events in the Simple Minds story and told in the distinct voices of both men, Our Secrets Are the Same explores a bond that has encompassed stratospheric highs and humbling lows, marriages and divorces, fatherhood, fickle fame, tricky inter-band dynamics, and the occasional explosive bust-up.

The long-awaited memoir from Simple Minds’ founding members and lifelong collaborators, Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill, now available in North America!

A candid, moving, and kinetic story of self-realization through the power of music, Our Secrets Are the Same is the remarkable joint memoir by Simple Minds’ founding members, Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill. It not only reveals the inner workings of one of the most innovative and successful British bands of the past half-century, but the deeply personal tale of an extraordinary friendship that powered teenage dreams into visionary action.

Their connection is grounded in shared experiences and a set of values and codes so deeply ingrained they don’t need to be spoken. For Our Secrets Are the Same is not just the story of two rock stars, but of two sons, brothers, partners, and parents who have never forgotten where they come from.

Fascinating and funny, evocative and inspiring, this unforgettable memoir captures a unique journey through life and music, and a friendship like no other.

Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill met when they were eight years old in Glasgow. Simple Minds originated from the punk band Johnny & The Self-Abusers, formed in early 1977. They released “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” in 1985, their first big hit. Jim and Charlie are lifelong friends, now living close together in Sicily.

Graeme Thomson is the author of several acclaimed music books, including Under the Ivy: The Life & Music of Kate Bush, Small Hours: The Long Night of John Martyn, and Themes for Great Cities: A New History of Simple Minds. Graeme is pop columnist for The Spectator and writes on music, literature, and popular culture for a number of publications, including The Guardian, Radio Times, and Uncut. He lives with his family in Edinburgh, Scotland.