Jimmy Somerville’s post Bronski Beat band The Communards only ever released two albums. Last year their debut record marked its 35th anniversary, now 1987’s follow-up Red has been re-released as well.

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The band always nailed hi-NRG covers of disco classics. On their second album Never Can Say Goodbye is featured. The song was originally performed by the Jackson 5 but turned into a disco meltdown by Gloria Gaynor.

A new remix by the Two Bears updated the tune for the 21st century, plus they’ve included a rare Spanish version of the tune, and the original extended version of the song remixed by Shep Pettibone – who would go on to create Vogue for Madonna.

To mark the re-release of the album the band had shared a video for b-side cover Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart. The song was made popular by queer icon Judy Garland. The video is made of behind-the-scenes footage and outtakes from the band’s video for Never Can Say Goodbye. 

Another cover included in the collection is When the Boy in Your Heart is The Boy in Your Arms – a song that was originally recorded by Cliff Richard in 1961 – although for Cliff the tune was titled When the Girl in Your Arms is The Girl in Your Heart.   

The album also features For a Friend a song written for Mark Ashton, whose life and death were later featured in the British film Pride. 

The album was a huge success in the band’s homeland of the United Kingdom, where it rose to number 4 on the charts. Here in Australia though it only got to number 97.

After releasing two albums The Communards disbanded. Their backing singers Caroline Buckley and Sally Herbert went on to form Banderas. Jimmy Sommerville continued on with a solo career, and Richard Coles became a writer, radio presenter and a vicar.

The re-release version of the album includes unreleased tracks, classic and new remixes, live versions, demo version and a whole lot more.

OIP Staff

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