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Smalltown Boy

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This article is about the Bronski Beat song. For the Dustin Lynch song, see Small Town Boy (song). For other uses, see Small Town Boy (disambiguation).

"Smalltown Boy" is the debut single by the British synth-pop band Bronski Beat, released in May 1984 by London Recordings. It was included on their debut album, The Age of Consent (1984). The lyrics describe a young man who is forced to leave home. "Smalltown Boy" is a gay anthem and is associated with the rise of British gay culture in the 1980s. The music video was directed by Bernard Rose and filmed in East London. In 2022, Rolling Stone named it the 163rd-greatest dance song.

"Smalltown Boy"
Single by Bronski Beat
from the album The Age of Consent
B-side
  • "Memories"
  • "Infatuation" (12")
Released25 May 1984 (UK)[1]
StudioThe Garden (London)
Genre
Length
  • 5:02 (album version)
  • 3:58 (single version)
  • 9:00 (12" version)
LabelLondon
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Mike Thorne
Bronski Beat singles chronology
"Smalltown Boy"
(1984) 		"Why?"
(1984)
Music video
"Smalltown Boy" on YouTube

Composition

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"Smalltown Boy" features "ominous" discordant notes, an "electro-pop pulse", and falsetto vocals.[7] According to the Bronski Beat member Larry Steinbachek, it emerged from an attempt to cover the 1977 Sex Pistols song "Pretty Vacant" using an octave pattern sequenced on a Roland MC-202 synthesiser.[8]

The lyrics describe a young man who is bullied and decides to leave home.[7] In the Financial Times, David Gould wrote that it combines the hi-NRG tempo of 1980s gay clubs with "plaintive" lyrics.[7] Ian Wade, the author of 1984: The Year Pop Went Queer, interpreted the line "the love that you need will never be found at home" as a rebuke to the "family values" culture that demonised homosexuality at the time.[9] The vocalist, Jimmy Somerville, said he was embarrassed by the song for many years, as he felt his lyrics were inferior.[10]

 
Somerville performing in Warsaw in 2006

Music video

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The music video for "Smalltown Boy" was directed by Bernard Rose, who had directed the video for "Relax", by another openly gay band, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, the previous year.[11] Rose said Bronski Beat felt "Relax" was too mainstream and upbeat, and wanted to convey a more serious message.[11] The Independent described the "Smalltown Boy" video as "stark" and "grounded".[12] The original concept was to base the video on a cottaging scene, but this was vetoed by the London Recordings executive Colin Bell.[9] The video was filmed at a leisure centre in East London.[9]

In the video, Somerville is the victim of a homophobic attack and is rejected by his parents. He leaves home and takes a train to London, joined by the other members of Bronski Beat.[12] At a swimming pool, he stares longingly at a man in swimwear.[9]

Rose said the video depicted a common experience for gay people and that Bronski Beat wanted to draw attention to homophobia.[11] Wade likened it to the films of Mike Leigh and Ken Loach.[9] Bell said it created opportunities for later videos with gay themes by artists such as Pet Shop Boys and George Michael.[9]

Reception

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Bell was unafraid to market "Smalltown Boy" as a gay record, and said "that was the point".[9] According to Bell, the first time it was played in a gay club, Heaven, in London, the "response was extraordinary" and the audience slowed down to listen.[9] Reviewing the single on release, Spin said it "fashioned a young man's bitter memories of being driven away from home, alienated from his family, and persecuted by his friends, into a sweetly moving pop song".[13]

"Smalltown Boy" reached number three on the UK singles chart[14] and number one in the Netherlands and Belgium.[15][16] It reached the top 10 in Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland and West Germany. It reached number 48 in the US pop chart and was a number-one US dance hit.[17] After the success, Bronski Beat released their debut album, The Age of Consent.[7]

Legacy

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"Smalltown Boy" is associated with the rise of British gay culture in the 1980s, alongside hits by the closeted George Michael and the openly gay Frankie Goes to Hollywood.[9] Writing in the Observer for its 40th anniversary, Paul Flynn wrote: "'Smalltown Boy' documents in empathetic, kitchen-sink detail the feelings of rejecting one archaic value system and moving to the big gay city to find your own... [It has] resisted fossilisation."[9] He concluded that it "can still make reasonable claims to being the British national anthem of gay", and counted it among the work of other major figures in British gay history, such as Oscar Wilde, Joe Orton, Derek Jarman and Peter Tatchell.[9]

Reviewing the Age of Consent reissue for Pitchfork in 2017, Laura Snapes wrote that "'Smalltown Boy' remains a perfect song. It is nimble and crushing, forlorn and relieved, frail yet determined."[18] In 2022, Rolling Stone named it the 163rd-greatest dance song,[19] and Time Out ranked it number 12 in its list of the "50 Best Gay Songs to Celebrate Pride All Year Long in 2022", writing that it "takes the pain of rejection and makes it danceable".[20] In 2023, Rolling Stone named "Smalltown Boy" the 38th most inspirational LGBTQ song.[21] In 2024, Wade said it was still popular with young people: "There are still some kids who are terrified in their own homes. For the teenager wondering whether they'll get fucked or stabbed by the person they chose to look at across the classroom, 'Smalltown Boy' still means something."[9] Bell said "Smalltown Boy" was the record he was proudest of signing.[9]

A remix by Stephen Hague was released on 24 December 1990.[22] For the song's 30th anniversary in 2014, Somerville released a new version, "Smalltown Boy Reprise".[23] A series of remixes were issued for the 40th anniversary in 2024, and the song became popular on the social media service TikTok.[9] It remains part of British gay culture, and posters with its lyrics were posted across London for the 2024 Pride event.[9]

Track listing

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Personnel

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Credits sourced from Electronic Soundmaker and Sound on Sound.[8][24]

Charts

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Weekly charts

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Sales and certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[59] Gold 50,000^
France — 300,000[52]
Italy (FIMI)[60] Gold 25,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[61] Platinum 600,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Sampling and interpolations

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "New Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 19 May 1984. p. 14. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  2. ^ Vivinetto, Gina (9 March 2015). "Pop Icon Jimmy Somerville: A Career Overview". The Advocate. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  3. ^ MarkWilson (18 May 2011). "Emilie Simon Releases "Smalltown Boy"". AltSounds. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  4. ^ Walters, Barry (20 June 2000). "His beat goes on". The Advocate. p. 115. ISSN 0001-8996. As Bronski Beat's falsetto leader, Somerville made gay politics a hot pop topic with such hi-NRG dance floor staples as "Why?" and "Smalltown Boy"
  5. ^ a b Adam Block (9 December 1986). "A Clarion Call from England's Communards: Syl's New "Attraction"" (PDF). The Advocate. Retrieved 23 December 2022. The trio had met as friends and performed as a hoot, but their first single, "Smalltown Boy" (an autobiographical tale of a gay youth fleeing homophobia for the tolerance of the big city), became a Hi-NRG disco fave on both sides of the Atlantic.
  6. ^ "Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat". BBC. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d Gould, David (30 September 2019). "Smalltown Boy — Bronski Beat's 1984 hit was a heartfelt cry for liberation". Financial Times. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  8. ^ a b Reed, Tony (December 1984). "Consenting Adults". Electronic Soundmaker (Dec 1984): 26–27.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Flynn, Paul (30 June 2024). "Why Bronski Beat's anthem of gay culture resonates 40 years on". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  10. ^ Deevoy, Adrian (17 July 2014). "Jimmy Somerville: 'Jesus Christ! Alan Shearer – what a little sex bomb!'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  11. ^ a b c Parker, Lyndsay (26 June 2019). "How '80s LGBTQ band Bronski Beat's haunting 'Smalltown Boy' made a difference: 'It was very bold'". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  12. ^ a b Perry, Kevin EG (16 December 2021). "The story of Bronski Beat's Smalltown Boy". The Independent. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  13. ^ James Truman (May 1985). "Spins". Spin. No. 1. p. 33.
  14. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  15. ^ a b "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 34, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  17. ^ a b c d "Bronski Beat – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  18. ^ Snapes, Laura (26 November 2017). "Bronski Beat: The Age of Consent". Pitchfork. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  19. ^ Dolan, Jon; Lopez, Julyssa; Matos, Michaelangelo; Shaffer, Claire (22 July 2022). "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  20. ^ Kryza, Andy (21 January 2022). "The 50 best gay songs to celebrate Pride all year long". Time Out. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  21. ^ Kaplan, Ilana (28 June 2023). "The 50 Most Inspirational LGBTQ Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  22. ^ Smith, Robin (15 December 1990). "This Week - The Next Seven Days in View: Releases". Record Mirror. p. 28. ISSN 0144-5804.
  23. ^ "Watch Jimmy Somerville Re Record Small Town Boy". Slicing Up Eyeballs. 22 June 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  24. ^ Jenkins, Mark (February 1986). "Perfect Beat". Sound on Sound (Feb 1986): 40–45.
  25. ^ "Top 3 in Europe" (PDF).
  26. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 46. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  27. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9533." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  28. ^ "Europarade" (PDF).
  29. ^ "Eurochart" (PDF).
  30. ^ "Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  31. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Smalltown Boy". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  32. ^ a b "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Bronski Beat".
  33. ^ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (24 November 1984). "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. – via Google Books. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  34. ^ "Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  35. ^ "Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  36. ^ "Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  37. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MARCH 16, 1985". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012.
  38. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  39. ^ "Music & Media: Europe's Music Radio Newsweekly. Volume 8. Issue 8" (PDF). Music & Media. BPI Communications. 23 February 1991. worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved 9 June 2023. (see section 'European Hot 100 Singles', p. 31)
  40. ^ "Jimmy Somerville with Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy (1991 Remix)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  41. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Small Town Boy". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  42. ^ "Jimmy Somerville with Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy (1991 Remix)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  43. ^ "National Airplay" (PDF).
  44. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  45. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  46. ^ "irishcharts.com - Discography Bronski Beat". www.irish-charts.com.
  47. ^ "irishcharts.com - Discography Jimmy Somerville". www.irish-charts.com.
  48. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  49. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1984". Kent Music Report. 31 December 1984. Retrieved 8 January 2022 – via Imgur.
  50. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1984" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  51. ^ "Europarade '84" (PDF).
  52. ^ a b "TOP – 1984". Top-france.fr (in French). Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  53. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  54. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1984" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  55. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1984" (in German). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  56. ^ "Top 100 Singles". Music Week. London, England: Morgan-Grampian plc: 37. 26 January 1985.
  57. ^ "Jahrescharts – 1984". Offiziellecharts.de (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015.
  58. ^ "RPM's Top 100 Singles of 1985". RPM. Vol. 43, no. 16. Library and Archives Canada. 28 December 1985. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  59. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy". Music Canada.
  60. ^ "Italian single certifications – Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Select "2019" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Smalltown Boy" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  61. ^ "British single certifications – Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  62. ^ "Kate Ryan delivers a new take on 'Smalltown Boy'". OutInPerth. 26 July 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  63. ^ Adams, Cameron (13 May 2015). "Brandon Flowers says new solo album The Desired Effect is eighties pop rock". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  64. ^ "Oomph! – Des Wahnsinns fette Beute : Review". Burn Your Ears Webzine (in German). 2 June 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  65. ^ Corner, Lewis (1 May 2015). "Brandon Flowers samples '80s hit on new song". Digital Spy. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
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