Simple Minds: "The Surprising Origin of Simple Minds' Name" Article (1978)

Simple Minds’ "The Surprising Origin of Simple Minds' Name", inspired by David Bowie’s The Jean Genie lyric, an article.

Simple Minds’ "The Surprising Origin of Simple Minds' Name", inspired by David Bowie’s The Jean Genie lyric.

“The Jean Genie” is a song by David Bowie, released as a single in November 1972 and included on his 1973 album Aladdin Sane. Written by Bowie and produced by Ken Scott, it was inspired by a riff from The Yardbirds’ cover of “I’m a Man” and lyrically influenced by Bowie’s friend Iggy Pop, with references to Pop’s raw, rebellious persona and the beatnik vibe of New York City’s underground scene. The title is a playful pun on the French writer Jean Genet, whose provocative works like Our Lady of the Flowers resonated with Bowie’s fascination with outsider culture. The lyric “He’s so simple-minded, he can’t drive his module” from the song directly inspired the name of the Scottish band Simple Minds, as confirmed by frontman Jim Kerr in interviews. Recorded at RCA Studios in New York, the track features Mick Ronson’s iconic guitar work and a driving glam-rock groove, blending gritty blues with Bowie’s theatrical flair.

The single reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming one of Bowie’s biggest hits at the time, and its raw energy made it a staple of his live performances during the Ziggy Stardust era. It was accompanied by a Mick Rock-directed promotional film, one of the earliest music videos, featuring Bowie and Cyrinda Foxe, which captured the song’s sleazy, urban vibe. “The Jean Genie” not only influenced Simple Minds but also cemented Bowie’s reputation as a glam-rock innovator, bridging punk’s edge with pop accessibility. Its cultural impact extended to covers by artists like The Sisters of Mercy and its use in various films and TV shows, underscoring its lasting legacy.

Simple Minds formed in Glasgow in 1977, the Scottish rock band became the most commercially successful Scottish band of the 1980s.

Simple Minds originated from the short-lived punk band Johnny & The Self-Abusers, established in early 1977 on Glasgow's South Side. Like many early punk bands, the members adopted stage names; Jim Kerr became "Pripton Weird" and Charlie Burchill was "Charlie Argue."

Kerr and Burchill, who had been friends since they were eight years old, joined Johnny & The Self-Abusers and later recruited two school friends, Brian McGee on drums and Tony Donald on bass. The quartet had previously played together in the school band Biba-Rom!

Abandoning their stage names and punk image, the remaining members regrouped as Simple Minds, a name inspired by a lyric from David Bowie's song "The Jean Genie."

"So simple-minded, he can't drive his module

He bites on the neon and sleeps in a capsule

Loves to be loved, loves to be loved"