Jimmy Somerville, the one-time front-man with Bronski Beat and The Communards releases Homage, a collection of 12 original disco tracks, in tribute to the genre that inspired his first musical creations.
The diminutive Scot broke into mainstream success in the early 1980s as singer with Bronski Beat and their global chart smash Smalltown Boy.
“A homage to disco is something I always wanted to do," the singer says. “I never really thought I could pull it off but I did, and it’s a really brilliant album to be perfectly honest - all influences, all the music I’ve listened to are in there.
"When I listen to it, it makes me think of being 15, sitting on the bed, taking the vinyl out of the sleeve, putting it on the record player, then just sitting and reading all of the sleeve notes whilst losing myself in the music…”
Working with the record’s producer John Winfield, Jimmy was inspired to turn the songs into disco stylings.
“We took all the songs and structured them into disco; when we started doing that I realised they were all closet disco songs and they all came to life… it was really exciting.”
Curiously, Homage is released through Cherry Red records which also releases Marc Almond’s new album, The Velvet Trail, on March 9. Jimmy and Marc famously duetted together on their version of Donna Summer's late seventies disco classic I Feel Love.
Watch the original video for Smalltown Boy and Marc Almond and Jimmy Somerville reprising their spirited version of I Feel Love at London Pride in 2003.
