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Bronski Beat

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Jimmy Somerville, Steve Bronski and Larry Steinbachek formed Bronski Beat in 1983. Their first single "Smalltown" was their most memorable and reached number three in the UK charts and number one in the US.

The electro-pop dance band's music centred on singer Jimmy Sommerville whose unique voice allowed him to comfortably perform falsetto.

Bronski beat enjoyed modest success performing at an opening gig for Tina Turner and covering the Donner Summer classic "I Feel Love" with Marc Almond but it wasn't long before Sommerville left Bronski Beat to form the Communards with Richard Coles.

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Do You Remember Bronski Beat?

Do You Remember Bronski Beat?

  • Anonymous user
    on
    They were masters at doing superb videos- each one managed to tell a story rather than just being lots of close-up shots of the band. The one for 'Small Town Boy' was really poignant- the song is about young lad who is forced to leave his home in a provincial working class town because he's gay, and has suffered a lot of persecution for being so. His only hope is to try and make a new life for himself in the big city. Jimmy plays the boy, saying Goodbye to his mum on their doorstep- his Dad comes down the hall and gives him a £20 note to see him on his way. Jimmy tries to shake his Dad's hand, but the guy just turns away and goes back inside- it's obvious that he's only given his son the money because he wants to get rid of him, rather than as a goodwill gesture. There was also the video for their cover version of 'It Ain't Necessarily So' (from the musical Porgy & Bess). Jimmy and the rest of the band play a group of lads in a Borstal institution at Christmas time- Jimmy and another fellow dare each other into having a mince pie-eating contest during the Christmas Eve chapel service, trying to avoid the eyes of the warders as they do so. It ends disastrously when the other lad is sick- poor old Jimmy ends up in solitary confinement polishing boots, and is brought a snack by one of the guards which is - yep, a mince pie!!
  • Anonymous user
    on
    Love their song 'Small Town Boy'.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    Jimmy Somerville - what a voice! I recall him doing "Don't Leave Me This Way" with a dungaree-wearing female singer - she sung the deep bits (very well, I hasten to add!)

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