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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZSOMERVILLE, Jimmy(b 22 June '61, Glasgow) Vocalist with remarkable tenor voice. Bronski Beat pop group formed London '84 with Jerry Steinbachek (b 6 May '60) and Steve Bronski (b 7 Feb. '60), keyboards and percussion. Built up strong following on gay circuit, signed to London (on their own Forbidden Fruit label) and to everyone's surprise became pop stars. Debut single 'Smalltown Boy' dealt overtly with gay problems, yet effortlessly took in gay/straight market; next hit 'Why' typical of their sound with synth and drum machine, Somerville's castrato-style vocal; version of Gershwin classic 'It Ain't Necessarily So' third hit. Debut LP Age Of Consent '84 incl. hit singles; inner sleeve listed homosexual age of consent in various European countries; US label refused to print it. Donna Summer's hit 'I Feel Love' became fourth hit, ironic in view of her hostility to gays: sung as duet with Marc Almond and combined with Summer's 'Love To Love You Baby' and the '61 John Leyton hit 'Johnny Remember Me' tacked on, it made top five UK '85; Hundreds And Thousands '85 was hastily compiled alternate mixes from debut. Some critics found Somerville's voice irritating; he announced that he was quitting, blaming 'pressures of being a pop star', worked with new group called the Committee, then Body Politic, then Communards, with classically-trained sometime Bronski sidekick Richard Coles (b 23 June '62, Northampton), multi- instrumentalist (mainly keyboards). First singles flopped, lots of benefit work with female chorus followed by eponymous debut album '86 incl. hit singles 'You Are My World', 'Don't Leave Me This Way' (no. 1 UK), followed by Red '87. The alternation of soaring ballads and disco energy made many friends; meanwhile Bronski, Steinbachek and John Jon (Foster, from Newcastle band Bust) carried on with their original group name in less political direction: Truthdare, Doubledare '86 incl. hits 'C'mon, C'mon', 'Hit That Perfect Beat'. Somerville's debut solo album was Read My Lips '90, top 30 UK and top 200 USA; he relocated to San Francisco and continued donating energy to benefits, incl. track 'From This Moment On' for Cole Porter album Red Hot And Blue '90 (for AIDS education), mostly so comically bad that the spinning noise was poor Porter in his grave. The Singles Collection 1984--1990 issued '91. |