Music facts, music trivia, interesting stories and much more. Introducing the "Did You Know" page about British synthpop trio, Bronski Beat.
Enjoy!
Bronski Beat is a British synthpop trio which achieved success during the 1980s, especially with their 1984 chart hit "Smalltown Boy", from their debut album The Age of Consent, which was also the band's only US Billboard Hot 100 single.
The song "Smalltown Boy" is actually a semi-autobiographical story of band member and lead singer at the time, Jimmy Somerville. "Smalltown Boy" covers the oppression of homosexuals in provincial Scotland in the early 1980s. The song was also the band's debut on the British chart.
All members of Bronski Beat were openly gay and their songs reflected this, as the songs contained political commentary on gay-related issues. The initial line-up of the band which was in-charge of recording most of the band's hits consisted of Jimmy Somerville (vocals), Steve Bronski (keyboards, percussion) and Larry Steinbachek (keyboards, percussion).
In 1985, Jimmy Somerville left the band and was replaced by John Foster, releasing more hits in the UK and Europe through 1986. These days, Steve Bronski is the only remaining member from the original lineup, and he currently leads a revived touring version of Bronski Beat.
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