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Very Best of Jimmy Somerville... [Australian Import] | ![Very Best of Jimmy Somerville... [Australian Import]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DV6H7A9SL._SL500_.jpg)
| Artist: Jimmy Somerville
Label: WSM
Category: Music
List Price: £18.99
Buy New: £15.99
You Save: £3.00 (16%)
New (9) Used (2) from £8.90
Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 327648
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
EAN: 9325583016899
ASIN: B000078JJS
Release Date: March 6, 2006
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served.
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| Tracks:
| • | Smalltown Boy - Bronski Beat | | • | Don't Leave Me This Way - The Communards | | • | Ain't Necessarily So - Bronski Beat | | • | Never Can Say Goodbye - The Communards | | • | You Are My World | | • | There's More to Love (Than Boy Meets Girl) | | • | Why? - Bronski Beat | | • | You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) - Jimmy Somerville | | • | Read My Lips (Enough Is Enough) - Jimmy Somerville | | • | Hurt So Good - Jimmy Somerville | | • | Comment Te Dire Adieu - June Miles-Kingston, Jimmy Somerville | | • | To Love Somebody - Jimmy Somerville | | • | For a Friend - The Communards | | • | I Feel Love/Johnny Remember Me - Bronski Beat | | • | So Cold the Night - The Communards | | • | Tomorrow - The Communards | | • | Disenchanted - The Communards |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
When little Jimmy quit Glasgow for the alleged bright lights of London back in the early 1980s, little did he or the rest of the country know the huge impact he would have on British life. His debut work with Bronski Beat ("Smalltown Boy" and "Why") accomplished the previously unthinkable: mixing overtly gay lyrics with catchy melodies, while at the same time becoming substantive Top Ten hits. Quitting the band at their peak (following their smash re-working of "I Feel Love" with Marc Almond), Somerville hooked up with Richard Coles to form The Communards. Although success wasn't immediate for the new pairing, Somerville and Coles achieved their first UK No. 1 in 1986 with their cover of another disco classic "Don't Leave Me This Way". The Communards rise also coincided with HIV/Aids entering popular consciousness, resulting in a unique mix of socialism, disco and torch songs ("For a Friend", "You Are My World" and "So Cold the Night"). By the end of the 80s Jimmy had decided to go it alone and his solo work continued the musical styles he had previously helped establish ("Comment Te Dire Adieu", "Read My Lips (Enough is Enough)" and "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"). As is demonstrated by this collection, the cover versions may have provided Somerville with his biggest hits, but the original material is still truly unique and powerful. An accessible, popular musical account of 80s lifestyle politics, and the radical potential music has for social and cultural change. --John Galilee
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| Customer Reviews:
Brilliant pop May 20, 2006
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
This is the best album I've heard in ages! Being a collection spanning Jimy Somemrville's career, it is a real mixture of old favourites and some less well known tracks. To be played loudly at all times and singing along is a must.
One of Britain's best eighties pop singers March 15, 2005
26 out of 35 found this review helpful
The eighties are not my favorite decade when it comes to pop music. Nevertheless, some great pop music was recorded during those years, some of it by Jimmy Somerville, who was lead singer of Bronski Beat and, later, the Communards. Both of those groups are represented here but there are also some of Jimmy's solo songs, too. Jimmy's distinctive falsetto voice could not be mistaken for any other. It is worth pointing out that Jimmy was gay and this is reflected in the lyrics of many of the original songs. I'm not sure how well Jimmy's music did in America but he was, for a while, an important singer on the British scene.
Bronski Beat had six UK hits but only the first four are included here. Hit that perfect beat (a top three hit) and Come on come on, both recorded after Jimmy left the group, are missing (presumably because this is a compilation of Jimmy's music). Two of the others also made the top three, these being Small town boy and an unlikely medley (with Marc Almond) of I feel love (Donna Summer) and Johnny remember me (John Leyton). Why made it to number six while It ain't necessarily so made the top twenty.
The Communards had a UK number one hit with Don't leave me this way, a cover of a song that had been a hit in the seventies for two different singers - Thelma Houston and Harold Melvin. Harold's version charted higher in the UK but Thelma's version went to number one in America. I enjoy all three versions but the Communards' version features not only Jimmy's excellent lead singing but also excellent vocal support by Sarah Jane Morris, a singer otherwise unknown to me.
The Communards had one other UK top five hit - another cover, this time Never can say goodbye, originally a hit for Gloria Gaynor - and one other UK top ten hit, the original song, So cold the night. Their other UK hits were You are my world, Disenchanted, Tomorrow, For a friend and There's more to love.
Jimmy had five UK hits without either group, the biggest of which was You make me feel mighty real, a top three hit. A cover of To love somebody (Bee Gees) made the UK top ten. Comment te Dire adieu (featuring June Miles Kingston) made the UK top twenty. Read my lips was a minor UK hit.
While I think that it would have been good to include the post-Jimmy Bronski Beat hits, their omission is understandable. All the essentials among Jimmy's own recordings are here, making this an excellent collection of music by one of the best British pop singers of the eighties.
Forgotten Treasure January 25, 2005
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
I'd forgotten just how good some of this stuff is! Whilst you can argue some of the stuff is a bit samey, some tracks really do stand out as classics for me - Smalltown Boy, Don't Leave Me, Never Can Say Goodbye, You Are My World and Aint Necessarily So. I think that the guy's voice is unique and listening to this CD really brought back some good memories.
Don't deny yourself this CD a minute longer! October 28, 2004
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
God, I love this CD! This music was always in the background of my childhood, and I have vivid memories of Jimmy's numerous hits right through the 80's and early 90's. I don't know why I waited whole *months* after this compilation came out to buy it! I listen to it as I walk into work, and it's the best antidote to grey, dismal days and pouring rain: I just walk along encased in my very own private disco! Just get it: you know you need it.
Brilliant! September 13, 2001
28 out of 30 found this review helpful
This album is excellent. It is a slightly updated version of the Singles Collection which is my favourite cd. So many recognisable tunes. Songs that I don't think have dated. A good one for the car to sing along to. A good one for the gym to get exercising to. From the Bronski Beat days thru' the Communards, then as a solo artist, an excellent collection - for so many people this will be their introduction to this music ...and they get all the best songs on one cd!
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