As Bronski Beat’s landmark album Age of Consent marks its 40th anniversary a new edition of the record will bring together all the remixes, demos and live recordings of the tracks.
The band formed in 1983 and featured alongside Somerville, Larry Steinbachek and Steve Bronski. They scored a huge hit with their debut single Smalltown Boy.
Their album Age of Consent highlighted on its cover the different ages gay men were allowed to have sex in different countries, and engraved into the vinyl was the number for London’s Gay and Lesbian Switchboard helpline.
The artwork for their records also prominently featured the pink triangle, a symbol of gay rights that has its origins in the holocaust.
The album came out in October 1984 and included the additional hit Why? plus the band found success with their covers of It Ain’t Necessarily So and I Feel Love – which saw them team up with Marc Almond.
To mark the albums four decades a new five disc edition will give fans the original album plus Hundreds and Thousands a remix version of the album that came out in the 80s with added tracks.
There will also be a disc filled with the extended versions of the songs and another with radio sessions, previous unreleased demos and studio outtakes.
There will also be a DVD disco with restored versions of the band’s videos plus appearances from Top of the Pops, and the original television ads for the album. Yes kids – albums used to get promotional campaigns on television.
The Age of Consent stood out in 1984 as a very overt record about LGBTIQA+ issues. The lead single Smalltown Boy told the story of a young man forced to leave his home due to homophobic bullying.
Second single Why? was dedicated to the memory of playwright Drew Griffiths, a victim of a homophobic murder in 1984. The songs lyrics also addressed homophobia.
For their third single It Ain’t Necessarily So the band collaborated with gay choir The Pink Singers and they also appeared on the band’s medley of I Feel Love and Johnny Remember Me.
Australian musical theatre legend Caroline O’Connor even appears on the record, she provides the tap dance sounds in the song Heatwave.
Ahead of the album’s new version a new remix of Smalltown Boy has also been released. The track has been remixed many times, but this its been reworked by Planningtorock.
“I first saw Smalltown Boy on telly back in 1984 when I was twelve. I remember it having a big impact on me even then. Just loved how it told the story so directly like a mini documentary but as a music clip sharing a gay experience that was sad to watch but at the same time so empowering.
“Those early years as a queer trans kid were so lonely for me and Bronski Beat made me feel less alone showing me how music can help you translate a painful experience into something liberating.” Planningtorock said. Their statement is incorporated into the new mix.
Fans can order the new collection now.
