Graeme Thomson

a pile of Ring The Hills

My cat Jim with Ring The Hill

The back cover of Ring The Hill

The front cover of Ring The Hill

All I have left of the 1000s of books I bought from my ex-publisher's warehouse are about 200 copies of Ring The Hill. I'd *love* to get them to good homes this week.

If you're in the UK & you'd like one, for the price of your choice (any price!), pls email me your address at hello@tom-cox.com.

The cover of Simple Minds' 1982 album 'New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)'.

Day 44: Simple Minds - New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84) (1982)

Described by @graemethomson.bsky.social in his book 'Themes For Great Cities' as "a spiral of pure serotonin", with Jim Kerr quoted as saying it "felt like the passing, the rumbling of time."

song.link/y/vo_iotqFTLQ

#ALL50RTS

I do tend to love a shambolic, spontaneously combustible live show with a ton of heart.

In related news, I saw the Lemonheads last night.

Our Secrets Are The Same is the new memoir by Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill, telling not just the story of two rock stars, but of lifelong friends who never forgot where they came from—fulfilling a teenage dream to form a world-class live band and take their music around the globe.

Ha!

This piece neglects to acknowledge the playful/mischievous aspect of a writer choosing to remain anonymous; also that it can be, in its own way, a very astute means of gaining attention.

The dude abides

It’s the penultimate part of my #VanMorrison80 countdown tonight (Mon 18/08) from 8pm. It’s numbers 40 to 21 tonight all chosen once again by you. 20 to number 1 will follow next Monday, the week before his 80th birthday on the 31st. Spread the word friends!

I do tend to love a shambolic, spontaneously combustible live show with a ton of heart.

In related news, I saw the Lemonheads last night.

An orange bookmark with a cartoon black and white likeness of Philip Lynott on the bottom half, created for the Spanish edition of Cowboy Song, my 2016 Lynott biography.

Possibly my favourite of all the promotional artefacts associated with any of my books. A very cool bookmark created by @espop.es for the Spanish edition of Cowboy Song.

Hootenanny by The Replacements on red vinyl

Let It Be by The Replacements on blue vinyl

Other Red and Blue albums may also be available.

It is

🙏

An orange bookmark with a cartoon black and white likeness of Philip Lynott on the bottom half, created for the Spanish edition of Cowboy Song, my 2016 Lynott biography.

Possibly my favourite of all the promotional artefacts associated with any of my books. A very cool bookmark created by @espop.es for the Spanish edition of Cowboy Song.

Hootenanny by The Replacements on red vinyl

Let It Be by The Replacements on blue vinyl

Other Red and Blue albums may also be available.

'Breakdown' was used as the exit music to a fringe show I saw last week, and I was once again left bereft that some years ago I became uncoupled from my original vinyl copy of Morning Dove White. A glorious record, and a constant soundtrack to my very messy '93/94s.

Ah

'Breakdown' was used as the exit music to a fringe show I saw last week, and I was once again left bereft that some years ago I became uncoupled from my original vinyl copy of Morning Dove White. A glorious record, and a constant soundtrack to my very messy '93/94s.

An extract from a review of Behind the Locked Door in Classic Rock magazine: There are hundreds of books about The Beatles. Do we need another? When it’s this colourful and so lovingly crafted, the answer is a resounding ‘Yes’.” 8/10

George Harrison: Behind The Locked Door by Graeme Thomson

“Traces in fine detail the complicated nuances of Harrison’s life … There are hundreds of books about The Beatles. Do we need another? When it’s this colourful and so lovingly crafted, the answer is a resounding ‘Yes’.” A rave review of Behind The Locked Door in the new @classicrockmag.bsky.social
🙏

An extract from a review of Behind the Locked Door in Classic Rock magazine: There are hundreds of books about The Beatles. Do we need another? When it’s this colourful and so lovingly crafted, the answer is a resounding ‘Yes’.” 8/10

George Harrison: Behind The Locked Door by Graeme Thomson

“Traces in fine detail the complicated nuances of Harrison’s life … There are hundreds of books about The Beatles. Do we need another? When it’s this colourful and so lovingly crafted, the answer is a resounding ‘Yes’.” A rave review of Behind The Locked Door in the new @classicrockmag.bsky.social
🙏

Love this song (although I do want to yell "Utah Saints! U-u-u Utah Saints! over it because I loved them too). @graemethomson.bsky.social's book on Simple Minds is an excellent read even if like me you're only into some of their stuff.

'A superbly written gem'
A nice review of the remastered edition of Behind The Locked Door
eternal-terror.com/2025/08/12/g...

reminder I'm playing a show this Saturday with M. John Henry at Gargleblast Studios, Hamilton. studio is right next to Hamilton West station, accessible easily from Glasgow. doors 7pm and we'll be done by half ten for trains home

'A superbly written gem'
A nice review of the remastered edition of Behind The Locked Door
eternal-terror.com/2025/08/12/g...

Taken from 'Our Secrets Are The Same', the new memoir by Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill.

Available to pre-order now in hardback and e-book: www.simpleminds.com/our-secrets-...

#OurSecretsAreTheSame

Farewell Bobby Whitlock, whose quote about recording My Sweet Lord with George Harrison is one of my faves in Behind The Locked Door: "With those names he sang at the end, I said [to George], ‘Who the hell are all these guys?’ He said, ‘They’re all Gods.’ I said, ‘*Way* too many Gods, George…’”

Farewell Bobby Whitlock, whose quote about recording My Sweet Lord with George Harrison is one of my faves in Behind The Locked Door: "With those names he sang at the end, I said [to George], ‘Who the hell are all these guys?’ He said, ‘They’re all Gods.’ I said, ‘*Way* too many Gods, George…’”

😁

Milo, a black cat, stares haughtily at a shelf of my books

As we know, every cat is a critic. A palpably unimpressed Milo peruses the backlist.