Smalltown Boy Explained

Smalltown Boy
Cover:Small Town Boy (Bronski Beat) single coverart.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Bronski Beat
Album:The Age of Consent
B-Side:
  • "Memories"
  • "Infatuation" (12")
Released:25 May 1984 (UK)[1]
Studio:The Garden (London)
Genre:
Length:
  • 5:02 (album version)
  • 3:58 (single version)
  • 9:00 (12" version)
Label:London
Producer:Mike Thorne
Next Title:Why?
Next Year:1984

"Smalltown Boy" is the debut single by the British synth-pop band Bronski Beat, released in May 1984. It was included on their debut album, The Age of Consent. The lyrics describe a young gay 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. In 2022, Rolling Stone named it the 163rd-greatest dance song.

Composition

"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.

The lyrics describe a young gay man who is bullied and decides to leave home. In the Financial Times, David Gould wrote that it combines the hi-NRG tempo of 1980s gay clubs with "plaintive" lyrics. 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.[8] The vocalist, Jimmy Somerville, said he was embarrassed by the song for many years, as he felt his lyrics were inferior.[9]

Music video

The music video was directed by Bernard Rose, who had directed the video for "Relax", by another openly gay band, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, the previous year.[10] Rose said Bronski Beat felt "Relax" was too mainstream and upbeat, and wanted to convey a more serious message. The Independent described the "Smalltown Boy" video as "stark" and "grounded".[11] The original concept was to base the video on a cottaging scene, but this was vetoed by the London Recordings executive Colin Bell. The video was filmed at a leisure centre in east London.

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. At a swimming pool, he stares longingly at a man in swimwear.

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

Reception

Bell was unafraid to market "Smalltown Boy" as a gay record, and said "that was the point". 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. 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".[12]

"Smalltown Boy" reached number three on the UK singles chart and number one in the Netherlands and Belgium. 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. After the success, Bronski Beat released their debut album, The Age of Consent.

Legacy

"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. 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." 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.

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."[13] In 2022, Rolling Stone named it the 163rd-greatest dance song,[14] 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".[15] In 2024, Wade said the song 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." Bell said "Smalltown Boy" was the record he was proudest of signing.

A remix by Stephen Hague was released on 24 December 1990.[16] For the song's 30th anniversary in 2014, Somerville released a new version, "Smalltown Boy Reprise".[17] A series of remixes were issued for the 40th anniversary in 2024, and the song became popular on the social media service TikTok. It remains part of British gay culture, and posters with its lyrics were posted across London for the 2024 Pride event.

Track listing

  1. "Smalltown Boy" – 3:58
  2. "Memories" – 2:55
  1. "Smalltown Boy" – 3:58
  2. "Memories" – 3:00
  1. "Smalltown Boy" – 9:00
  2. "Infatuation/Memories" – 7:38
  1. "Smalltown Boy" – 9:00
  2. "Infatuation/Memories" – 7:42

Personnel

Credits sourced from Electronic Soundmaker and Sound on Sound.[18] [19]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1984–1985)Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[20] 2
Australia (Kent Music Report)[21] 8
Europe (Europarade Top 40)[22] 3
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[23] 15
Italy (Musica e dischi)[24] 1
Italy (Discografia Internazionale)[25] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[26] 48
US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard)1
US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)4
US Cash Box Top 100[27] 32
Chart (1991)Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[28] 83
Spain Airplay[29] 19
'94 Remix (with John Foster's vocal)!Chart (1994)!Peak
position
Italy (Musica e dischi)22
"Smalltown Boy (Reprise)"!Chart (2014)!Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[31] 51

Year-end charts

Chart (1984)Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[32] 59
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[33] 12
Europe (Europarade Top 40)[34] 27
France[35] 41
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[36] 15
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[37] 21
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[38] 13
UK Singles (OCC)[39] 43
West Germany (Official German Charts)[40] 11

Sales and certifications

Sampling and interpolations

See also

Notes and References

  1. 19 May 1984. New Singles. Music Week. 14. 16 June 2022.
  2. Gina . Vivinetto . Pop Icon Jimmy Somerville: A Career Overview . . 9 March 2015 . 9 May 2015 .
  3. MarkWilson . Emilie Simon Releases "Smalltown Boy" . . 18 May 2011 . 10 May 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110830144704/http://hangout.altsounds.com/news/129612-emilie-simon-releases-smalltown-boy.html . 30 August 2011.
  4. Barry . Walters . His beat goes on . . 20 June 2000 . 115 . 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. Web site: A Clarion Call from England's Communards: Syl's New "Attraction". The Advocate. Adam Block. 9 December 1986. 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. News: Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat . . 23 December 2022.
  7. Web site: Gould . David . 30 September 2019 . Smalltown Boy — Bronski Beat's 1984 hit was a heartfelt cry for liberation . 2024-04-01 . . en-gb.
  8. News: Flynn . Paul . 2024-06-30 . Why Bronski Beat's anthem of gay culture resonates 40 years on . 2024-07-16 . . en-GB . 0029-7712.
  9. News: Deevoy . Adrian . 2014-07-17 . Jimmy Somerville: 'Jesus Christ! Alan Shearer – what a little sex bomb!' . 2024-04-01 . . en-GB . 0261-3077.
  10. Web site: Parker . Lyndsay . 2019-06-26 . How '80s LGBTQ band Bronski Beat's haunting 'Smalltown Boy' made a difference: 'It was very bold' . 2024-04-01 . . en-US.
  11. Web site: Perry . Kevin EG . 2021-12-16 . The story of Bronski Beat's Smalltown Boy . 2024-03-31 . . en.
  12. . [{{Google books|id=9ugCQfxwym0C|page=33|plainurl=yes}} Spins]. James Truman . May 1985. 1. 33.
  13. Web site: Snapes . Laura . 26 November 2017 . Bronski Beat: The Age of Consent . 2024-04-01 . . en-US.
  14. Dolan . Jon . Lopez . Julyssa . Matos . Michaelangelo . Shaffer . Claire . 22 July 2022 . 200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time . . 30 October 2022.
  15. Kryza . Andy . 21 January 2022 . The 50 best gay songs to celebrate Pride all year long . 21 February 2022 . Time Out.
  16. Smith . Robin . 15 December 1990 . This Week - The Next Seven Days in View: Releases . . 28 . 0144-5804.
  17. Web site: 22 June 2014 . Watch Jimmy Somerville Re Record Small Town Boy . 6 June 2015 . Slicing Up Eyeballs.
  18. Consenting Adults . Electronic Soundmaker . December 1984 . Dec 1984 . 26–27 . Reed . Tony .
  19. Jenkins . Mark . February 1986 . Perfect Beat . . Feb 1986 . 40–45.
  20. Web site: Top 3 in Europe.
  21. Book: Kent, David . David Kent (historian)

    . David Kent (historian) . 1993 . Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . Illustrated . Australian Chart Book . . 46 . 0-646-11917-6.

  22. Web site: Europarade.
  23. Web site: Eurochart.
  24. Web site: Classifiche. Musica e dischi. it. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Bronski Beat".
  25. Web site: Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Inc. 24 November 1984. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. Google Books.
  26. Web site: Bronski Beat – Awards . . 22 July 2013 .
  27. CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MARCH 16, 1985 . . 1 October 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121001104825/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19850316.html.
  28. Web site: Music & Media: Europe's Music Radio Newsweekly. Volume 8. Issue 8.. 23 February 1991. Music & Media. worldradiohistory.com. BPI Communications. 9 June 2023. (see section 'European Hot 100 Singles', p. 31)
  29. Web site: National Airplay.
  30. Web site: irishcharts.com - Discography Bronski Beat. www.irish-charts.com.
  31. Web site: irishcharts.com - Discography Jimmy Somerville. www.irish-charts.com.
  32. Web site: National Top 100 Singles for 1984 . . . 548 . 31 December 1984 . 8 January 2022 .
  33. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1984 . Ultratop. Hung Medien . 4 July 2014 . nl.
  34. Web site: Europarade '84.
  35. Web site: TOP – 1984 . Top-france.fr . 4 July 2014 . fr.
  36. Web site: Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984 . . 4 July 2014 . nl.
  37. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Single 1984 . Single Top 100. Hung Medien . 4 July 2014 . nl.
  38. Web site: Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1984 . Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien . 4 July 2014 . de.
  39. Top 100 Singles . . Morgan-Grampian plc . London, England . 37 . 26 January 1985.
  40. Web site: Jahrescharts – 1984 . Offiziellecharts.de . GfK Entertainment Charts . 9 May 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150509002426/https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/single-jahr/for-date-1996 . de.
  41. RPM's Top 100 Singles of 1985 . 43 . 16 . 28 December 1985 . 26 May 2018 . . .
  42. News: Kate Ryan delivers a new take on 'Smalltown Boy' . . 26 July 2015 . 7 August 2018 .
  43. News: Cameron . Adams . Brandon Flowers says new solo album The Desired Effect is eighties pop rock . . 13 May 2015 . 1 September 2016 .
  44. Oomph! – Des Wahnsinns fette Beute : Review . Burn Your Ears Webzine . 2 June 2012 . 21 April 2018 . de.
  45. Web site: Lewis . Corner . Brandon Flowers samples '80s hit on new song . . 1 May 2015 . 29 August 2018 .