Editing Bronski Beat

{{Short description|British synthpop band}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| name             = Bronski Beat
| image            = Bronski Beat (1985 MCA publicity photo).jpg
| caption          = [[Steve Bronski]], [[Jimmy Somerville]], and [[Larry Steinbachek]], 1985
| image_size       = 220
| alias            = 
| origin           = [[Brixton]], England
| instrument       = 
| genre            = {{hlist|[[Synth-pop]]<ref>{{cite book|first1= Marc |last1= Andrews |first2= Claire |last2= Isaac |first3= David |last3= Nichols |year= 2011 |title= Pop Life: Inside Smash Hits Australia 1984 – 2007 |publisher= Affirm Press |isbn= 978-0-98713-267-3 |page= 39}}</ref>|[[hi-NRG]]<ref>{{cite magazine|first= Bill |last= Graham |title= Critics Roundup 1984 |magazine= [[Hot Press]] |date= 14 December 1984 |access-date= 28 January 2017 |url= http://www.hotpress.com/news/Critics-Roundup-1984/834811.html}}</ref>|[[disco]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/50-songs-that-define-the-last-50-years-of-lgbtq-pride/?page=3|first=Alfred|last=Soto|title=50 Songs That Define the Last 50 Years of LGBTQ+ Pride|work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=2018-06-18|access-date=2020-07-28}}</ref>|[[dance-pop]]<ref>{{cite book|author=Here Publishing|title=Out|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PWIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA117|date=November 1999|publisher=Here Publishing|page=117}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|website=[[Stereogum]]|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2170321/bronski-beats-steve-bronski-dead-at-61/news/|title=Bronski Beat's Steve Bronski Dead At 61|last=Breihan|first=Tom|date=9 December 2021}}</ref>|}}
| occupation       = 
| years_active     = 1983–1995, 2016–2018
| label            = [[London Records]]
| associated_acts  = {{Plainlist}}
*[[The Communards]]
*[[Jimmy Somerville]]
{{Endplainlist}}
| website          = 
| current_members  = 
| past_members     = {{Plainlist}}
* [[Steve Bronski]]
* [[Jimmy Somerville]]
* [[Larry Steinbachek]]
* Stephen Granville
* John Foster
* [[Jonathan Hellyer]]
* [[Richard Coles]]
* Ian Donaldson
{{Endplainlist}}
}}
<!-- British grammar typically treats collective nouns as plurals -->
'''Bronski Beat''' were a British [[synth-pop]] band formed in 1983 in London, England. The initial lineup, which recorded the majority of their hits, consisted of Scottish musicians [[Jimmy Somerville]] (vocals) and [[Steve Bronski]] (keyboards, percussion) and English musician [[Larry Steinbachek]] (keyboards, percussion). Simon Davolls contributed backing vocals to many songs. Throughout the band's career, Bronski was the only member to appear in every lineup. 

Bronski Beat achieved success in the mid-1980s, particularly with the 1984 single "[[Smalltown Boy]]", from their debut album, ''[[The Age of Consent (album)|The Age of Consent]]''. "Smalltown Boy" was their only US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] single. All members of the band were [[Coming out|openly gay]] and their songs reflected this, often containing political commentary on gay issues. Somerville left Bronski Beat in 1985 and went on to have success as lead singer of [[the Communards]] and as a solo artist. He was replaced by vocalist John Foster, with whom the band continued to have hits in the UK and Europe through 1986. Foster left Bronski Beat after their second album, and the band were joined by [[Jonathan Hellyer]] before dissolving in 1995.

Steve Bronski revived the band in 2016, recording new material with 1990s member Ian Donaldson. Steinbachek died later that year;<ref name="steinbachek-death"/> Bronski died in 2021.<ref name="bronski21"/> As of 2025, Somerville is the last surviving member of the band's original lineup and one of six surviving members of the band. 

==History==

===1983–1985: early years and ''The Age of Consent''===
{{see also|The Age of Consent (album)}}
Bronski Beat formed in 1983 when Jimmy Somerville, Steve Bronski (both from [[Glasgow]])<ref name="bronski21">[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/dec/09/steve-bronski-co-founder-of-bronski-beat-has-died Steve Bronski: co-founder of Bronski Beat dies aged 61], Laura Snapes, The Guardian, 9 December 2021</ref> and Larry Steinbachek (from [[Southend-on-Sea|Southend]], [[Essex]])<ref name="steinbachek-death"/> shared a three-bedroom flat at Lancaster House in [[Brixton]], London. Steinbachek had heard Somerville singing during the making of ''[[Framed Youth: The Revenge of the Teenage Perverts]]'' and suggested they make some music. They first performed publicly at an arts festival, ''September in the Pink''. The trio were unhappy with the inoffensive nature of contemporary gay performers and sought to be more outspoken and political.<ref name="Spinmay85">{{cite journal|last=Hoskyns|first=Barney|date=May 1985|title=What is Bronski Beat?|journal=Spin|page=41|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ugCQfxwym0C&pg=PA41}}</ref><!-- cites para -->

Bronski Beat signed a [[recording contract]] with [[London Records]] in 1984 after doing only nine live [[concert|gigs]]. The band's debut single, "[[Smalltown Boy]]", about a gay teenager leaving his family and fleeing his home town, was a hit, peaking at No 3 in the [[UK Singles Chart]], and topping charts in Belgium and the Netherlands.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book
| first= David
| last= Roberts
| year= 2006
| title= British Hit Singles & Albums
| edition= 19th

| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
| location= London
| isbn= 1-904994-10-5
| page= 79}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://top30-2.radio2.be/#/song-info/1150 |title= Smalltown Boy - BRONSKI BEAT |work= VRT |publisher= Top30-2.radio2.be |language= nl |access-date= 22 July 2013 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120409063716/http://top30-2.radio2.be/#/song-info/1150 |archive-date= 9 April 2012 |df= dmy-all }} {{lang|nl|Hoogste notering in de top 30}} : 1</ref><ref>"[http://www.top40.nl/zoeken?search=Bronski+Beat+-+Smalltown+Boy Nederlandse Top 40 – Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy search results]" (in Dutch) [[Dutch Top 40]]. Retrieved 20 December 2013.</ref><ref>"[http://www.dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Bronski+Beat&titel=Smalltown+Boy&cat=s Dutchcharts.nl – Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy]" (in Dutch). [[Single Top 100|Mega Single Top 100]]. Retrieved 20 December 2013.</ref> The single was accompanied by a promotional [[music video|video]] directed by [[Bernard Rose (director)|Bernard Rose]], showing Somerville trying to befriend an attractive diver at a swimming pool, then being attacked by the diver's homophobic associates, being returned to his family by the police and having to leave home. (The police officer was played by Colin Bell, then the marketing manager of [[London Records]].) "Smalltown Boy" reached 48 in the U.S. [[record chart|chart]] and peaked at 8 in Australia.<ref name="auchart">{{Cite book|title=[[Kent Music Report|Australian Chart Book 1970–1992]] |last=Kent |first=David |author-link=David Kent (historian) |publisher=Australian Chart Book |location=[[St Ives, New South Wales|St Ives, NSW]] |year=1993 |isbn=0-646-11917-6}}</ref>

The follow-up single, "[[Why? (Bronski Beat song)|Why?]]", adopted a [[hi-NRG]] sound and was more lyrically focused on anti-gay [[prejudice]]. It also achieved [[Top 40|Top 10]] status in the UK, reaching 6,<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> and was another Top 10 hit for the band in Australia, Switzerland, Germany, France and the Netherlands.

At the end of 1984, the trio released an album titled ''[[The Age of Consent (album)|The Age of Consent]]''. The inner sleeve listed the varying [[age of consent|ages of consent]] for consensual gay sex in different nations around the world. At the time, the age of consent for sexual acts between men in the UK was 21 compared with 16 for heterosexual acts, with several other countries having more liberal laws on gay sex. The album peaked at 4 in the [[UK Albums Chart]],<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> 36 in the U.S., and 12 in Australia.

Around the same time, the band headlined "Pits and Perverts", a concert at the [[Electric Ballroom]] in London to raise funds for the [[Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners]] campaign.<ref>{{cite book|last=Robinson|first=Lucy|author-link=Lucy Robinson (historian)|title=Gay men and the left in post-war Britain: how the personal got political|publisher=[[Manchester University Press]]|year=2007|isbn=978-0-7190-7434-9}}</ref> This event is featured in the film ''[[Pride (2014 film)|Pride]]''.

The third single, released before Christmas 1984, was a revival of "[[It Ain't Necessarily So]]", the [[George Gershwin|George]] and [[Ira Gershwin]] classic (from ''[[Porgy and Bess]]''). The song questions the accuracy of biblical tales. It also reached the UK Top 20.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/>

In 1985, the trio joined up with [[Marc Almond]] to record a version of [[Donna Summer]]'s "[[I Feel Love]]". The full version was actually a [[Medley (music)|medley]] that also incorporated snippets of Summer's "[[Love to Love You Baby (song)|Love to Love You Baby]]" and [[John Leyton]]'s "[[Johnny Remember Me]]". It was a big success, reaching 3 in the UK and equalling the chart achievement of "Smalltown Boy".<ref name="charts">{{cite web|url= http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/21709/bronski-beat/ |title= OfficialCharts.com |website= [[OfficialCharts.com]] |access-date= 10 January 2016}}</ref> Although the original had been one of Marc Almond's all-time favourite songs, he had never read the lyrics and thus incorrectly sang "What’ll it be, what’ll it be, you and me" instead of "Falling free, falling free, falling free" on the finished record.

The band and their producer Mike Thorne had gone back into the studio in early 1985 to record a new single, "Run from Love", and PolyGram (London Records' parent company at that time) had pressed a number of promo singles and 12" versions of the song and sent them to radio and record stores in the UK. However, the single was shelved as tensions in the band, both personal and political, resulted in Somerville leaving Bronski Beat in the summer of that year.

"Run from Love" was subsequently released in [[remix]] form on the Bronski Beat album ''[[Hundreds & Thousands (album)|Hundreds & Thousands]]'', a collection of mostly remixes (LP) and [[A-side and B-side|B-sides]] (as bonus tracks on the CD version) as well as the hit "I Feel Love". Somerville went on to form [[the Communards]] with [[Richard Coles]] while the remaining members of Bronski Beat searched for a new vocalist.

===1985–1995: Somerville's departure, John Foster and Jonathan Hellyer eras===
Bronski Beat recruited John Foster as Somerville's replacement (Foster is credited as "Jon Jon"). A single, "[[Hit That Perfect Beat]]", was released in November 1985, reaching 3 in the UK.<ref name="charts" /> It repeated this success on the Australian chart<ref name="auchart"/> and was also featured in the film ''[[Letter to Brezhnev]]''. A second single, "C'mon C'mon", also charted in the UK Top 20 and an album, ''[[Truthdare Doubledare]]'', released in May 1986, peaked at 18. The film ''[[Parting Glances]]'' (1986) included Bronski Beat songs "Love and Money", "Smalltown Boy" and "Why?" During this period, the band teamed up with producer Mark Cunningham on the first-ever [[BBC]] [[Children In Need]] single, a cover of David Bowie's "[[Heroes (David Bowie song)|Heroes]]", released in 1986 under the name of The County Line.

Foster left the band in 1987. Following Foster's departure, Bronski Beat began work on their next album, ''Out and About''. The tracks were recorded at Berry Street studios in London with engineer Brian Pugsley. Some of the song titles were "The Final Spin" and "Peace and Love". The latter track featured [[Strawberry Switchblade]] vocalist [[Rose McDowall]] and appeared on several internet sites in 2006. One of the other songs from the project called "European Boy" was recorded in 1987 by disco group Splash. The lead singer of Splash was former [[Tight Fit]] singer Steve Grant. Steinbachek and Bronski toured extensively with the new material with positive reviews, however the project was abandoned as the group was dropped by London Records. Also in 1987, Bronski Beat and Somerville performed at a reunion concert for "International AIDS Day", supported by [[New Order (band)|New Order]], at the [[Brixton Academy]], London.

In 1989, [[Jonathan Hellyer]] became lead singer, and the band extensively toured the U.S. and Europe with back-up vocalist Annie Conway. They achieved one minor hit with the song "[[Cha Cha Heels]]", a one-off collaboration sung by American actress and singer [[Eartha Kitt]], which peaked at 32 in the UK.<ref name="charts" /> The song was originally written for movie and recording star [[Divine (actor)|Divine]], who was unable to record the song before his death in 1988. 1990–91 saw Bronski Beat release three further singles on the Zomba record label, "I'm Gonna Run Away", "One More Chance" and "What More Can I Say". The singles were produced by [[Mike Thorne]].

Foster and Bronski Beat teamed up again in 1994, and released a [[techno]] "Tell Me Why '94" and an [[acoustic music|acoustic]] "Smalltown Boy '94" on the German [[record label]], [[ZYX Music]]. The album ''Rainbow Nation'' was released the following year with Hellyer returning as lead vocalist, as Foster had dropped out of the project and Ian Donaldson was brought on board to do keyboards and programming. After a few years of touring, Bronski Beat then dissolved, with [[Steve Bronski]] going on to become a producer for other artists and Ian Donaldson becoming a successful DJ (Sordid Soundz). Larry Steinbachek became the musical director for [[Michael Laub]]'s theatre company, 'Remote Control Productions'.

===2007–2016: Bronski solo activities and resurrection of Bronski Beat===
[[File:Jimmy Somerville Here and Now Tour 2011 301 v2.jpg|thumb|Somerville performing in 2011, on the Here and Now Tour.]]
{{more citations needed|section|date=January 2019}}

In 2007, Steve Bronski remixed the song "Stranger to None" by the UK [[alternative rock]] band, [[All Living Fear]]. Four different mixes were made, with one appearing on their retrospective album, ''Fifteen Years After''. Bronski also remixed the track "Flowers in the Morning" by Northern Irish [[electronic music|electronic]] band Electrobronze in 2007, changing the style of the song from [[Classical music|classical]] to [[Hi-NRG]] disco.

In 2015, Steve Bronski teamed up as a one-off with Jessica James (aka Barbara Bush) and said that she reminded him of Divine, because of her look and Eartha Kitt-like sound. The one-off project was to cover the track he made in 1989.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

In 2016, Steve Bronski again teamed up with Ian Donaldson, with the aim of bringing Bronski Beat back, enlisting a new singer, Stephen Granville. In 2017, the new Bronski Beat released a reworked version of "Age of Consent" entitled "Age of Reason". ''Out & About'', the unreleased Bronski Beat album from 1987, was released digitally via Steve Bronski's website. The album features the original tracks plus remixes by Bronski.

===2017–present: deaths of Steinbachek and Bronski===
On 12 January 2017, it was revealed that Steinbachek had died the previous month after a short battle with cancer, with his family and friends at his bedside. He was 56.<ref name="steinbachek-death">{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38597071 | title=Bronski Beat keyboardist Larry Steinbachek dies at 56 | work=[[BBC News]] | date=12 January 2017 | access-date=12 January 2017 }}</ref> Bronski died on 7 December 2021, at the age of 61, in a Central London flat fire.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-12-09 |title=Bronski Beat founder Steve Bronski dies at 61 |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-59592187 |access-date=2023-04-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/dec/13/tributes-left-for-steve-bronski-outside-his-soho-flat|title=Steve Bronski carer says musician died in Soho flat fire|website=The Guardian|last=Weaver|first=Matthew|date=13 December 2021|access-date=13 December 2021}}</ref>

==Members==
=== Founding members ===

* [[Steve Bronski]] – keyboards, synthesizers, programming, percussion, acoustic guitar, vocals <small>(1983–1995, 2016–2018; died 2021)</small>
* [[Jimmy Somerville]] – vocals, tambourine <small>(1983–1985, 1987)</small>
* [[Larry Steinbachek]] – keyboards, synthesizers, percussion <small>(1983–1995; died 2016)</small>

=== Other members ===

* [[Richard Coles]] – saxophone, clarinet <small>(1983–1984, 1985)</small>
* John Foster – vocals <small>(1985–1987, 1994–1995)</small>
* [[Jonathan Hellyer]] – vocals <small>(1989–1994, 1995)</small>
* Ian Donaldson – keyboards, synthesizers, programming <small>(1994–1995, 2016–2018)</small>
* Stephen Granville – vocals <small>(2016–2018)</small>

==Awards and nominations==

{| class=wikitable
|-
! Year !! Awards !! Work !! Category !! Result !! Ref.
|-
| rowspan=6|1984
| [[NME Awards]]
| rowspan=3|Themselves 
| rowspan=2|Best New Act 
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=5|[[Smash Hits Poll Winners Party]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Group
| {{nom}}
|-
| ''[[The Age of Consent (album)|The Age of Consent]]''
| Best LP
| {{nom}}
|-
| "[[Why? (Bronski Beat song)|Why?]]"
| rowspan=2|Best Single
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=2|"[[Smalltown Boy]]"
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1985
| rowspan="2" | [[1985 Brit Awards|Brit Awards]]
| [[Brit Award for British Single of the Year|Best British Single]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| Themselves
| [[Brit Award for British Group|Best British Group]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=2|[[Billboard Music Awards]]
| "[[Smalltown Boy]]"
| [[Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Song|Top Dance Play Single]]
| {{nom}}
| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uyQEAAAAMBAJ&q=smalltown+boy&pg=PT101 |title=Top Dance Club Play Singles/Albums |publisher=Billboard |date=December 28, 1985 |access-date=August 11, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan=2|1986
| Themselves
| [[Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Artist|Top Dance Club Play Artist]]
| {{nom}}
| <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tiQEAAAAMBAJ&q=1986+year+in+music+billboard&pg=PA51|title = Billboard|date = 27 December 1986}}</ref>
|-
|[[Ivor Novello Awards]]
| "[[Hit That Perfect Beat]]"
| The Best Film Theme or Song 
| {{nom}}
|-
| 2017
| Gay Music Chart Awards
| "[[Smalltown Boy]]" <small>([[Arnaud Rebotini]] Remix)</small>
| Best Original Soundtrack
| {{nom}}
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gaymusicchart.blogspot.com/2018/04/gay-music-chart-awards-2017-nominations.html|title=Gay Music Chart: Gay Music Chart Awards 2017 : the nominations|website=Gaymusicchart.blogspot.com|date=23 April 2018}}</ref>
{{end}}

==Discography==
{{Main|Bronski Beat discography}}
;Studio albums
*1984: ''[[The Age of Consent (album)|The Age of Consent]]'' 
*1986: ''[[Truthdare Doubledare]]''
*1987:  ''Out & About''
*1995: ''Rainbow Nation''
*2017: ''The Age of Reason''

==See also==
* [[Jimmy Somerville discography]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Discogs artist}}
* {{IMDb name|3403107}}
* {{IMDb name|nm2260368|Larry Steinbachek}}

{{Bronski Beat}}
{{Jimmy Somerville}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bronski Beat]]
[[Category:English synth-pop groups]]
[[Category:British hi-NRG groups]]
[[Category:English disco groups]]
[[Category:English musical trios]]
[[Category:Dance-pop groups]]
[[Category:English electronic music groups]]
[[Category:LGBTQ-themed musical groups]]
[[Category:London Records artists]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1983]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1995]]
[[Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2016]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2018]]
[[Category:Musical groups from the London Borough of Lambeth]]
[[Category:1983 establishments in England]]
[[Category:1995 disestablishments in England]]
[[Category:2018 disestablishments in England]]