Smalltown Boy

"Smalltown Boy"
Single by Bronski Beat
from the album The Age of Consent
B-side
  • "Memories"
  • "Infatuation" (12")
Released 1984 (UK)
Format
Recorded The Garden Studio, London, 1984
Genre
Length 5:02 (album version)
3:58 (single version)
9:00 (12" version)
Label London Records
Songwriter(s) Steve Bronski, Jimmy Somerville, Larry Steinbachek
Producer(s) Mike Thorne
Bronski Beat singles chronology
"Smalltown Boy"
(1984)		 "Why?"
(1984)

"Smalltown Boy"
(1984)		 "Why?"
(1984)

"Smalltown Boy" is a song by the British synth-pop group Bronski Beat. It was released in 1984 and appeared on the band's debut album The Age of Consent, released in December 1984.

The song is a popular gay anthem and was a big commercial success, reaching number 3 in the band's native UK. It was also a number one hit in the Netherlands and Belgium, and hit the top 10 in Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy and Switzerland. The track reached number 48 in the US pop chart and was a number one US dance hit.

The song was released again in December 2013 after featuring in a Christmas advertising campaign for Boots UK. Smalltown Boy was also re-recorded by Jimmy Somerville and released as Smalltown Boy Reprise (2014) for the 30th anniversary of its initial release.[4]

Song meaning

The song addresses key issues in 1980s LGBT culture. It addresses family rejection for being homosexual and homophobia in British society. It also deals with loneliness and bullying through societal and familial rejection.

Music video

An official music video was shot and released later in 1984. The narrative video features band member Jimmy Somerville as the boy who has experienced the issues described in the lyrics. Seen on a train, he is contemplating his childhood through flashbacks and the events that have caused him to leave his parents' home.

At a swimming pool, his friends (played by band members Larry Steinbachek and Steve Bronski) dare him to approach a boy that he is attracted to, for which he is later attacked in an alley by a homophobic gang led by the young man he had approached at the swimming pool. A police officer brings him back to his home. It is implied that the boy's parents learn of his homosexuality for the first time through this incident and are shocked, but only the father seems unsupportive. The boy is then shown hugging his mother goodbye and catching a train to London, on which he is reunited with his friends.

Track listings and formats

  • 7" single BITE 1
  1. "Smalltown Boy" – 3:58
  2. "Memories" – 2:55
  • 7" single 820 091-7
  1. "Smalltown Boy" – 3:58
  2. "Memories" – 3:00
  • 12" single BITEX 1 / 820 996-1 / 9-29 017 / LDSPX 215
  1. "Smalltown Boy" – 9:00
  2. "Infatuation/Memories" – 7:38
  • 12" single MCA-23521
  1. "Smalltown Boy" – 9:00
  2. "Infatuation/Memories" – 7:42

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Borrowed riff

  • In 1993, German band Real McCoy sampled the riff from Smalltown Boy in their song "Automatic lover".[37]
  • In 2006 Swedish DJs Steve Angello and Axwell under the alias Supermode produced "Tell Me Why" using samples from the song.[38]
  • In 2012, German industrial metal band Oomph! paid homage to "Smalltown Boy" in their song "Kleinstadtboy".[39]
  • In 2015, Brandon Flowers sampled the riff from "Smalltown Boy" in his song "I Can Change"[40]

Cornerstone version

In 2013, Austrian AOR band Cornerstone covered "Smalltown Boy" as a charity single for the "Room to Breathe" campaign to support cystic fibrosis research at Nottingham City Hospital. Their version reached number 50 in the Austria Top 75 on 20 December 2013.[41]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Vivinetto, Gina (9 March 2015). "Pop Icon Jimmy Somerville: A Career Overview". The Advocate. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  2. ↑ MarkWilson (18 May 2011). "Emilie Simon Releases "Smalltown Boy"". AltSounds. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  3. ↑ Walters, Barry (20 June 2000). "His beat goes on". The Advocate. Here Publishing. 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"
  4. ↑ "Watch Jimmy Somerville Re Record Small Town Boy". Slicing Up Eyeballs. 22 June 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  5. ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Chart Positions Pre 1989 Part 4". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  6. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  7. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9533." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  8. ↑ "European Top 50 Singles – compiled by Europarade". Archived from the original on 4 July 2014. .
  9. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  10. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  11. 1 2 "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Smalltown Boy". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  12. ↑ "HitParadeItalia – Top10 del 10 Novembre 1984" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Creative Commons. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  13. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  14. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  15. ↑ "Charts.nz – Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  16. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  17. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  18. 1 2 3 "Bronski Beat – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  19. ↑ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MARCH 16, 1985". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012.
  20. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Jimmy Somerville with Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy (1991 Remix)". GfK Entertainment Charts.
  21. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Jimmy Somerville with Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy (1991 Remix)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  22. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  23. ↑ "Indice per Interprete: B" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Creative Commons. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  24. ↑ "Bronski Beat: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  25. ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  26. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1984" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  27. ↑ "TOP – 1984" (in French). Top-france.fr. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  28. ↑ "Jahrescharts – 1984". Offiziellecharts.de (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015.
  29. ↑ "I singoli più venduti del 1984" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Creative Commons. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  30. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  31. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1984" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  32. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1984" (in German). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  33. ↑ "RPM's Top 100 Singles of 1985". RPM. Vol. 43 no. 16. Library and Archives Canada. 28 December 1985. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  34. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy". Music Canada.
  35. ↑ "Les Meilleures Ventes Tout Temps de 45 T. / Singles". InfoDisc (in French). Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  36. ↑ "British single certifications – Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Smalltown Boy in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  37. ↑ "Kate Ryan delivers a new take on 'Smalltown Boy'". OutInPerth. 26 July 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  38. ↑ 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.
  39. ↑ "Oomph! - Des Wahnsinns fette Beute : Review". Burn Your Ears Webzine (in German). 2 June 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  40. ↑ Corner, Lewis (1 May 2015). "Brandon Flowers samples '80s hit on new song". Digital Spy. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  41. ↑ "Cornerstone – Smalltown Boy" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
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