Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day - The Communards




Richard Coles and Jimmy Somerville started to make music in 1984, when Jimmy left his very successful gig with The Bronski Beat. Coles, a classically trained pianist, offered a new and different sound to Somerville's former band. On their eponymous debut, they offered a version of a classic made famous by Billie Holiday, Lover Man in the 1940s. It offered up an interesting mix of Coles' trained musicianship, Somerville's inherent vocal gifts, and the vocal gifts of Sarah Jane Morris, who plumbed the bottom of her range to offer quite the sweet duet.



They also offered there own take on a pop love song on the second album, Red, when they released There's More To Love (Than Boy Meets Girl) in 1988. Unfortunately, this was as the band was coming to an end, and Jimmy and Richard went their separate ways. Before that, however, they did have this video.



Someville went on to have a successful solo career, which if I followed closely. In fact, I just purchased his latest EP, Bright Thing. Coles went on to work in the media, as both a journalist and narrator, including the voice work for the Style Council's film, JerUSalem. By the early 90s, he returned to school, earned a degree in Theology, and eventually became an ordained priest in the Church of England in 2005. But for a couple of years in the 80s, they ruled the charts and the dance floors with songs like Don't Leave Me This Way and Never Can Say Goodbye.

6 comments:

  1. The Communards - great band. My fave from them is Tomorrow - that classic line - "You broke me in pieces, you cherished each blow;
    The harder you hit me, the stronger I grow".

    Love them!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Happy Valentine's Day to YOU, dear Howard.

    XOXOXOXO

    ReplyDelete
  3. Howie - Happy Valentine's Day my friend!

    ReplyDelete
  4. SteveA, A very Happy Valentine's Day to you, my friend. I love them, and remember marking the calendar when the latest music would be arriving at the import store in the West Village, so I could get it!

    David, and a very Happy Valentine's Day to you as well. Hope to see you soon.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bob, how can anyone not love Jimmy? I mean, really....

    ReplyDelete

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