Bronski Beat
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Bronski Beat was a popular British synth pop trio of the 1980s. At their height, the band consisted of distinctive singer Jimmy Somerville (b. June 22, 1961), backed by Steve Bronski (b. Feb 7, 1960) and Larry Steinbachek (b. May 6, 1960), both of whom played keyboards and percussion. Their music is characterized by Somerville's soulful counter-tenor voice and catchy synthesizer accompaniment.
Bronski Beat formed in 1983 when Somerville, Steinbachek and Bronski shared a 3 bedroomed flat, Lancaster House, in Brixton, south west London. Apparently the band's name was "God Forbid" before Bronski Beat was suggested by Steve, as a pun on the group name of Roxy Music and the main character from the Günter Grass novel, The Tin Drum.
Bronski Beat signed a recording contract with London Records in 1984 after only doing 9 live gigs. Their debut single was in 1984 and peaked at Number 3 in the UK- the striking tale of a boy who was cast away by his family and neighbours for being gay. Called "Smalltown Boy", was accompanied by a memorable promotional video of Somerville leaving home, eagerly trying to make friends at a swimming pool then being attacked by a homophobic gang and being returned to his family by the police. (The police officer was played by Colin Bell, the then managing director of London Records).
The song quickly established the trio as an outlet for gay issues – all three members are gay – and the follow-up single "Why?" pursued the same energetic and electronic formula musically, while the lyrics focused more centrally and darkly on anti-gay prejudice. Top 10 in the UK.
At the end of 1984, the trio released an album which was provocatively titled The Age of Consent. The inner sleeve listed the varying ages of consent for consensual male homosexual activity in different nations around the world. At the time, the age of consent for gay men in the UK was 21.
A third single was released from it, again causing controversy. "It Ain't Necessarily So", the George and Ira Gershwin classic (from Porgy and Bess) which questions the authenticity of Biblical tales, reached the UK Top 20.
In 1985, the trio joined up with Marc Almond to record a version of the Donna Summer classic "I Feel Love". The full version was actually a medley, also incorporating snippets of "Love to Love You Baby" and "Johnny Remember Me". It reached Number 3 in the UK charts, equalling the feats of "Smalltown Boy", and was memorably described by one critic as "the gayest record ever made".
Shortly before the remix album Hundreds and Thousands was released, Somerville quit the band, stating he wanted a career which was "more political".
Bronski Beat recruited John Foster as lead singer. A very catchy single called "Hit That Perfect Beat" equalled the two previous biggest hits by reaching #3 in the UK charts, followed by "C'mon C'mon" which also charted. The album "Truthdare Doubledare" was released in 1986.
John Foster was replaced in 1988 by the 22-year-old Jonathan Hellyer, and had a hit with the song "Cha Cha Heels" with American actress and singer Eartha Kitt in 1989. In 1995 the album entitled Rainbow Nation was released.
In June of 2006, a Supermode remix of the 1984 hit "Smalltown Boy" with lyrics from the single "Why" was released.
Contents |
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- The Age of Consent, 1984
- Hundreds and Thousands, 1985
- Truthdare Doubledare, 1986
- Rainbow Nation, 1995
[edit] Compilations
- The Singles Collection 1984 / 1990 (incl. Jimmy Somerville, Bronski Beat & The Communards), 1990
- The Very Best Of Jimmy Somerville, Bronski Beat & The Communards, 2002
[edit] Singles
- "Smalltown Boy", June, 1984, UK #3
- "Why?", September, 1984, UK #5
- "It Ain't Necessarily So", December, 1984, UK #16
- "I Feel Love" (medley with Marc Almond), April, 1985, UK #3
- "Hit That Perfect Beat", December, 1985, UK #3
- "C'mon C'mon", March, 1986, UK #20
- "Cha Cha Heels" (with Eartha Kitt), 1989, UK #32
- "I'm Gonna Run Away From You", 1990
- "One More Chance" 1990
- "What More Can I Say", 1990
- "Why 94" 1994
- "Smalltown Boy 94", 1994
- "Kicking Up The Rain" 1995
- "Hit That Perfect Beat/I Love The Nightlife" 1995
[edit] Trivia
In 2006 a version of "Smalltown Boy" was released by Supermode and entitled "Tell Me Why".
