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Post by wayne2467 on Dec 9, 2021 15:02:39 GMT
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Post by jjmolloy on Dec 9, 2021 17:33:42 GMT
Bravely brought gay issues to more prominence at a time when it was neither popular nor profitable to do so. RIP
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Post by chrisclark1977 on Dec 9, 2021 19:49:30 GMT
He did that 1986 hit "Small Town Boy" with Bronski Beat
RIP Steve
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Post by brinylonshirt on Dec 9, 2021 21:02:15 GMT
Though the success for the band was brief, ‘Smalltown Boy’ is one of the songs of the decade. Their version of George Gershwin’s ‘It Ain't Necessarily So’ is superb. The other musician in the band Larry Steinbachek died a few years ago. RIP.
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Post by jno on Dec 10, 2021 4:20:24 GMT
This is sad. Jimmy Sommerville's whole career is pretty much defined by the 'Smalltown Boy' video and arguably by 'Don't Leave Me This Way' and the disco cover version of 'Never Can Say Goodbye' he did in The Communards. Bronski Beat were a real early 80s band for me and always preferred their raw production to disco covers. They were more electronic experimenting with great sounds of the time.
It Ain't Necessarily So is superb ... I have the 7" here. How often do bands go from electronic keyboard wizardry to raw clarinet in an 80s pop song. Love it.
Quite frankly I couldn't care less about the gay angle and never even thought about that in the 80s when they released their songs, I just enjoyed the music.
I had Bronski Beat's 'The Age of Consent' on tape, it's a great album with lots of good tunes on. In 1985, 'Hit That Perfect Beat' was also a great tune post Sommerville's departure.
RIP Steve, thanks for all the great tunes
Here's a great live clip, and they really are live ...
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Post by Portland Road on Dec 11, 2021 7:57:10 GMT
Yes, Jimmy Somerville was the frontperson for Bronski Beat, much like Terry Hall was for The Specials, though Jerry Dammers was the driving force.
I salute Steve Bronski for launching the band, and Jimmy Somerville making something of it and subsequent projects - Jimmy was a bright spot in a fairly average period of music c.1984-89.
R.I.P. Steve Bronski.
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Post by daz on Dec 11, 2021 20:12:02 GMT
A very important band for the progression of gay rights and their album Age of Consent is a cracking album and which I got a deluxe reissued version of last Xmas and need to give it another play. We have to remember as well it wasn't easy to come out as gay back in the 80s and those three guys from Bronski Beat would have taken some amount of stick for their beliefs back then, especially in Scotland, where both Steve and Jimmy came from, as it was not legal up here until 1980, a full 13 years after England and Wales and I can assure you even then gay people up here were treated quite badly and would say only the past 20 years, possibly a bit longer, that it has become more acceptable.
Smalltown Boy is right up near the top of best songs from the 80s and possibly the top for getting people to accept the right for people to chose how they live their lives without the threat of violence hanging over them.
RIP Steve
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Post by brinylonshirt on Dec 13, 2021 9:33:34 GMT
their album Age of Consent is a cracking album ‘Junk’ is a great pulsating electro synth track with lyrics that resonate for modern living even now 37 years later He can't take the street no more Street too full full of junk Thinks he'll hide in his room Room too full full of junk He turns to his TV, TV full full of junk Processed zombies pushing junk Junk food junk clothes Dressed in junk from head to toe Eat what you're given Eat what you get Eat what you're given Eat what you get Eat what you're given Eat what you get Eat what you're given And be thankful what you get He screams for more Hits the night life once again Night life full full of junk Junk is all he'll ever know Junk music junk dance Too many junkheads on the floor |
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Post by ltd on Dec 13, 2021 17:53:43 GMT
I'm not a big fan of '80s disco, but quite like Hit That Perfect Beat. Bronski and Co did well to come back after Jimmy Sommerville called it a day.
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Post by chopper on Dec 13, 2021 19:54:53 GMT
Sad news - RIP. A very influential artist and band, when they first hit the charts in 1984.
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Post by jjmolloy on Dec 13, 2021 21:22:08 GMT
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Post by thewoodster on Jan 23, 2022 21:49:49 GMT
Rip Steve.
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