The Communards

The Communards
The Communards
Origin United Kingdom
Genres Pop
Years active 1985–1988
Associated acts Bronski Beat, Banderas
Past members
Jimmy Somerville
Richard Coles

The Communards were a British pop duo active from 1985 to 1988. They are most famous for their cover of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' song, "Don't Leave Me This Way" as well as "Never Can Say Goodbye".

Contents

History

The Communards formed in 1985 after singer Jimmy Somerville left his earlier band Bronski Beat to team up with classically-trained musician Richard Coles. Though mainly a pianist, Coles played a number of instruments and had been seen previously performing the clarinet solos on the Bronski Beat hit "It Ain't Necessarily So". They were joined by bass player Dave Renwick who had also played with Bronski Beat. Somerville was well-known for his falsetto singing style, and that he was openly gay during a period of increasing socio-political debate and conflict in the UK regarding homosexuality.

The band had their first UK Top 30 hit in 1985 with the piano-based #30 single "You Are My World". The following year they had their biggest hit with an energetic cover version of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes' soul classic "Don't Leave Me This Way" (in a version inspired by Thelma Houston's cover) which spent four weeks at number one and became the UK's biggest selling single of 1986. It also made the US Top 40. It featured Sarah Jane Morris as co-vocalist, taking advantage of the contrast between Morris' deep and rounded contralto and Somerville's soaring falsetto. Morris performed both backing and co-lead vocals on many of the Communards' other recordings, and appeared in group photos as an unofficial third member.

Later that year The Communards had another UK Top 10 hit with the single "So Cold the Night," which reached number 8. In 1987, they released an album titled Red, which was partly produced by Stephen Hague. Red featured a cover version of the Jackson 5's hit "Never Can Say Goodbye" (in a version inspired by Gloria Gaynor's cover), which the Communards took to Number 4. Their last released single was "There's More to Love" in 1988, which reached Number 20 and was, consequently, their final Top 20 hit.

They split in 1988 and Somerville began a solo career. Coles followed his Christian leanings and, after periods as a journalist for the Times Literary Supplement and Catholic Herald, he was ordained in the Church of England, spending time as the curate of St Botolph's (The Stump) in Boston, Lincolnshire. He is now the assistant priest at St Paul's Knightsbridge and Chaplain to the Royal College of Music.

Discography

Studio albums

Year Album UK US
1985 Communards 7 90
1987 Red 4 93

Live album

Year Album UK US
1986 Live In Italy (Picture Disc LP) - -
1988 Storm Paris (3x12" single set) - -

Compilations

Year Album UK US
1993 Heaven - -
2001 The Very Best of Jimmy Somerville, Bronski Beat and The Communards - -
2009 For a Friend: The Best of Bronski Beat, The Communards & Jimmy Somerville - -

Singles

Year Song UK
Singles
US Hot
100
US
Dance
NLD SWI AUT FRA GER Album
1985 "You Are My World" 30 - - - - - 16 - Communards
1986 "Disenchanted" 29 - - 47 - - - -
"Disenchanted (Remix)" - - - - - - - -
"Don't Leave Me This Way"
(Communards with Sarah Jane Morris)
1 (4) 40 - 1 (8) 2 19 6 5
"Don't Leave Me This Way" (Gotham City Mix)
(Communards with Sarah Jane Morris)
- - 1 - - - - 14
"So Cold the Night" 8 - 25 8 10 13 17 14
"So Cold the Night" (Remix) + Multimix - - - - - - - -
1987 "You Are My World '87" (Remix) 21 - - 23 - - - 59
"Tomorrow" 23 - 2 31 23 - 32 25 Red
"Never Can Say Goodbye" 4 51 2 3 12 - - 6
"Never Can Say Goodbye" (Remix) - - - - - - - -
1988 "For a Friend"/"Megamix" 28 - - - - - - 35
"There's More to Love" 20 - - - - - - 34

Video

Year Title Details Format
1986 The Video Singles Compilation of music videos from 1985–1986 VHS
2006 Live At Full House Rock Show Live TV concert from Hannover, Germany (10/2/87) DVD

See also


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • The Communards — Datos generales Origen Reino Unido Información  …   Wikipedia Español

  • The Communards — Жанры синти поп Годы 1985 1988 Страна …   Википедия

  • The Communards — waren eine britische Popband, die 1985 gegründet wurde, bestehend aus Jimmy Somerville und Richard Coles. Nach seinem Ausstieg bei Bronski Beat hatte Somerville mit den Communards Hits mit den Remakes der 1970er Jahre Disco Titel Don’t Leave Me… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • The Communards — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Communards (homonymie). The Communards est un groupe musical new wave des années 1980, dont était membre le chanteur écossais Jimmy Somerville. Le groupe s est formé en 1985 et dissous en 1988. Après son départ… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Communards (album) — Communards Studio album by Communards Released July 12, 1985 …   Wikipedia

  • Communards' Wall — at the Père Lachaise cemetery The Communards’ Wall (Mur des Fédérés) at the Père Lachaise cemetery is where, on May 28, 1871, one hundred forty seven fédérés, combatants of the Paris Commune, were shot and thrown in an open trench at the foot of… …   Wikipedia

  • Communards — The Communards waren eine britische Popband, die 1985 gegründet wurde, bestehend aus Jimmy Somerville und Richard Coles. Nach seinem Ausstieg bei Bronski Beat hatte Somerville mit den Communards Hits mit den Remakes der 1970er Jahre Disco Titel… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • The Power of Love (Jennifer Rush song) — The Power of Love Single by Jennifer Rush from the album Jennifer Rush …   Wikipedia

  • The Woodentops — Жанры альтернативный рок инди рок Годы c 1983 по 1992 …   Википедия

  • The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex —   …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”