Mandela Day (song)

"Mandela Day"
Song by Simple Minds
from the album Street Fighting Years
A-side"Belfast Child"
Released6 February 1989
GenreAlternative rock, Irish folk, World music
Length5:42
LabelA&M
SongwritersJim Kerr, Charlie Burchill, Mick MacNeil
Simple Minds singles chronology
"Don't You (Forget About Me)"
(1988)		 "Mandela Day"
(1989)		 "This Is Your Land"
(1989)

"Mandela Day" is a song by Scottish rock band Simple Minds.[1] It was included on the Ballad of the Streets EP which reached No.1 on the British charts in February 1989 and features on their eighth studio album Street Fighting Years (1989).[2][3] The single highlights the songs "Mandela Day", "Belfast Child", originally its A-side on the full-length version, and "Biko".

"Mandela Day" was written for the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute (also known as Mandela Day),[4] a concert held at Wembley Stadium, London, on 11 June 1988, as an expression of solidarity with the then-imprisoned Nelson Mandela, and was played live on that day (alongside "Sun City" with Little Steven and "Biko" with Peter Gabriel).

The official music video for the song was directed by Andy Morahan.[5]

Track listings

7" vinyl

  • UK, Germany: Virgin / SMX 3
  • France: Virgin / 90496
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Belfast Child"Traditional music, lyrics by Simple Minds6:39
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
2."Mandela Day"Simple Minds5:42

12" vinyl

  • UK: Virgin / SMXT 3
  • UK: Virgin / SMX BS (limited edition box set, including 4 black-and-white photographs from the music video)
  • France: Virgin / 80432
  • Germany: Virgin / 611 998
  • Yugoslavia: Jugoton /MXSVIRG 18016
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Belfast Child"Traditional music, lyrics by Simple Minds6:39
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
2."Mandela Day"Simple Minds5:42
3."Biko"Peter Gabriel7:31

CD

  • UK: Virgin / SMXCD3 (3")
  • UK: Virgin / SMXCDT3 (5")
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Belfast Child"Traditional music, lyrics by Simple Minds6:39
2."Mandela Day"Simple Minds5:42
3."Biko"Peter Gabriel7:31

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1989) Peak
position
Italy Airplay (Music & Media)[6] 12

References

  1. ↑ Kerr, Jim (13 September 2007). "Looking Back on Mandela Day". SimpleMinds.com.
  2. ↑ Sexton, Paul (8 May 2024). "'Street Fighting Years': 'Something New And Alive' From Simple Minds". uDiscoverMusic.
  3. ↑ Sexton, Paul (25 February 2025). "'Ballad Of The Streets': Simple Minds' Ten-Year Trip To No.1". uDiscoverMusic.
  4. ↑ Mandela Day – AllMusic
  5. ↑ "Simple Minds - 'Mandela Day'". MVDBase.com (video). ASG. 1998–2017. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  6. ↑ "Playlist Report: RAI - Italy" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 14. 8 April 1989. p. 5.

See also



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