Jimmy Somerville

Jimmy Somerville (born 22 June 1961) is a Scottish pop singer, born and raised in Glasgow. He had considerable success in the 1980s with the pop groups Bronski Beat and The Communards, and has also had a successful solo career.

Jimmy Somerville's new album, "Suddenly Last Summer" was released in May 2009 as a digital download only.

Career

In 1983, Somerville co-founded the synth pop group Bronski Beat, which proceeded to have a number of hits in the British charts. Their biggest hit was "Smalltown Boy" which reached #3 in the charts. Somerville played the song's titular character in the music video who leaves his hostile 'straight' hometown for the friendlier city.

Somerville left Bronski Beat in 1985, and formed The Communards with classically trained pianist Richard Coles. They had a number of hits, including a cover version of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes's "Don't Leave Me This Way", which spent four weeks at #1 in the UK charts, and became the biggest-selling single of 1986 in that country. He also sang backing vocals on Fine Young Cannibals' version of "Suspicious Minds", which was a UK Top 10 hit.

The Communards split in 1988, and Somerville launched his solo career. He had several solo hits between 1989 and 1991, also singing on the second Band Aid project at the end of 1989. After releasing his 1989 album Read My Lips, which included a hit cover of Sylvester's disco classic "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" as well as a cover of The Bee Gees' hit song "To Love Somebody" a year later, Somerville left the limelight and was absent from recording for a number of years.

Somerville returned in 1995 with the album Dare to Love, which included "Heartbeat", a #1 hit on the U.S. dance chart. Another album, entitled Manage The Damage, was released in 1999, and its companion remix album Root Beer came out a year later. His dance-oriented fourth solo album, Home Again, was released in 2005.

May 2009 saw the release of Somerville's much anticipated new album. Entitled "Suddenly Last Summer", the album contains acoustic interpretations of songs Somerville chose to record that he found on his iPod. The album is only available via digital download.

Somerville has also led an acting career, appearing in Sally Potter's 1992 film of Virginia Woolf's Orlando, in Isaac Julien's 1998 Looking for Langston, and in an episode of the cult science fiction television series Lexx ("Girltown").

Discography

Bronski Beat
"Smalltown Boy", London Records 1984, single
"Why?", London Records 1984, single
"It Ain't Necessarily So", London Records 1984, single
The Age of Consent, Forbidden Fruit/London 1984, LP/CD
I Feel Love/Love To Love You Baby/Johnny Remember Me, London Records/Metronome 1985, single
Hundreds And Thousands, Forbidden Fruit/London 1985, LP/CD
EP Sampler, Old Gold Records Ltd. 1993, LP
The Essentials, Rhino Records 2002, CD

The Communards
"You Are My World", London Records 1985, single
"Disenchanted", London Records 1986, single
"Don't Leave Me This Way", London Records 1986, single
"So Cold The Night", London Records 1986, single
Communards, London Records 1986, LP/CD
Live In Italy, London Records 1986, LP
You Are My World '87, London Records 1987, single
Tomorrow, London Records 1987, single
"Never Can Say Goodbye", London Records 1987, single
For A Friend, London Records 1987, single
Red, London Records 1987, LP/CD
There's More To Love, London Records 1988, single
Storm Paris, London Records 1988, 3x12" set
Heaven, London Records 1993, CD

Solo
Read My Lips, London Records 1989, LP/CD
Comment Te Dire Adieu (with June Miles-Kingston), FFRR London Records 1989, single
"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)", FFRR London Records 1989, single
Read My Lips (Enough Is Enough), FFRR London Records 1989, single
The Singles Collection, London Records 1990, LP/CD
Run From Love, FFRR London Records 1991, single
"To Love Somebody", FFRR London Records 1991, single
Smalltown Boy '91, FFRR London Records 1991, single
Dare To Love, London Records 1995, LP/CD
By Your Side, FFRR London Records 1995, single
Hurt So Good, FFRR London Records 1995, double single
"Heartbeat", FFRR London Records 1995, podw?jny single
Safe In These Arms, FFRR London Records 1997, single
Master Series, FFRR London Records 1996, Compilation CD
Manage The Damage, Gut Records 1999, CD
Dark Sky, GUT Records 1999, single
Something To Live For, GUT Records 1999, single
Lay Down, GUT Records 1999, double single
Root Beer, Instinct Records 2000, CD
Why? 2000, Almighty 2000, single
Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You, Almighty/Atoll Musi 2001, single
The Very Best Of Jimmy Somerville, Bronski Beat and The Communards, Waner Brothers/London Records 2001, CD
Home Again (2004), BMG International 2004, CD
It's So Good, BMG International 2004, double single
Come On, Hablando/BMG International 2004, single
Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Hablando/BMG International 2005, single
Suddenly Last Summer (2009), Digital Download - iTunes 2009

List of Jimmy Somerville songs

This is a list of all Jimmy Somerville songs, including the song title, writer(s), and the album/single on which they first appeared. Solo, group, and duet vocals are included, but songs featuring Jimmy on backing vocals only are not.

with Bronski Beat
Name
Writer (s)
Album
Single
Cadillac Car
Somerville/Steinbachek/Bronski
Why?
Close To The Edge
Somerville/Steinbachek/Bronski
Why?
Hard Rain
Somerville/Steinbachek/Bronski
Hundreds & Thousands
Heatwave
Somerville/Steinbachek/Bronski
The Age Of Consent
I Feel Love (w/Marc Almond)
Moroder/Belotte/Summer/Goddard
I Feel Love
I Feel Love/Johnny Remember Me
Moroder/Belotte/Summer/Goddard
The Age Of Consent
Infatuation/Memories
Somerville/Steinbachek/Bronski
Smalltown Boy
It Ain't Necessarily So
Gershwin/Gershwin/Heyward
The Age Of Consent
Junk
Somerville/Steinbachek/Bronski
The Age Of Consent
Love And Money
Somerville/Steinbachek/Bronski
The Age Of Consent
Memories
Somerville/Steinbachek/Bronski
Smalltown Boy
Need A Man Blues
Somerville/Steinbachek/Bronski
The Age Of Consent
No More War
Somerville/Steinbachek/Bronski
The Age Of Consent
Puit D'Amour
Somerville
I Feel Love
Red Dance
Somerville/Steinbachek/Bronski
It Ain't Necessarily So
Run From Love
Somerville/Steinbachek/Bronski
Hundreds & Thousands
Screaming
Somerville/Steinbachek/Bronski
The Age Of Consent
Signs (And Wonders)
Steinbachek
I Feel Love
Smalltown Boy
Somerville/Steinbachek/Bronski
The Age Of Consent
The Potatoe Fields
Bronski
I Feel Love
Why?
Somerville/Steinbachek/Bronski
The Age Of Consent

with Communards
Name
Writer (s)
Album
Single
Annie
Somerville/Coles
Disenchanted
Breadline Britain
Somerville/Coles
Communards
C Minor
Somerville/Coles
Red
Czardas
Monty
You Are My World
Disenchanted
Somerville/Coles
Communards
Don't Leave Me This Way (w/Sarah Jane Morris)
Gamble/Huff/Gilbert
Communards
Don't Slip Away
Somerville/Coles
Communards
For A Friend
Somerville/Coles
Red
Forbidden Love
Somerville/Coles
Communards
Heavens Above
Somerville/Coles
Communards
Hold On Tight
Somerville/Coles
Red
I Do It All For Love
Somerville
Heaven
If I Could Tell You
Somerville/Auden
Red
I Just Want To Let You Know
Somerville/Coles
Tomorrow
Johnny Verso
Somerville/Coles
Disenchanted
Judgement Day
Somerville/Coles
You Are My World
La Dolarosa
Somerville/Coles
Communards
Loverman (w/Sarah Jane Morris)
Davis/Ramirez/Sherman
Communards
Lovers And Friends
Coles
Red
Matter Of Opinion
Somerville/Coles
Red
Never Can Say Goodbye
Davis
Red
Never No More
Ross/Block/Hecht
So Cold The Night
Reprise
Somerville/Coles
Communards
Romanze For Violin, Piano, And Hedgehog
Coles
Tomorrow
Sanctified
Somerville/Coles
Don't Leave Me This Way
Scat
Somerville
Tomorrow
Sentimental Journey
Green/Brown/Homer
You Are My World
77 The Great Escape
Somerville/Coles
Never Can Say Goodbye
So Cold The Night
Somerville/Coles
Communards
Spanish Rap
Somerville/Coles
There's More To Love
There's More To Love Than Boy Meets Girl
Somerville/Coles
Red
Tomorrow
Somerville/Coles
Red
Victims
Somerville/Coles
Red
When The Boy In Your Heart Is The Boy In Your Arms
Bennett
There's More To Love
When The Walls Come Tumbling Down
Somerville/Coles
So Cold The Night
You Are My World
Somerville/Coles
Communards
You Are My World '87
Somerville/Coles
You Are My World
Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart
Hanley
There's More To Love

Jimmy Somerville
Name
Writer (s)
Album
Single
Adieu! (Madame Tata Mix)
Gold/Gainsbourg/Somerville
Read My Lips
A Dream Gone Wrong
Butcher/Somerville
Dare To Love
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Ashford/Simpson
Home Again
Alright
Butcher/Somerville
Dare To Love
Amnesia
Somerville/Gauder
Home Again
And You Never Thought That This Could Happen To You
Somerville
Read My Lips
Because Of Him
Butcher/Somerville
Dare To Love
Been So Long
Rowbottom/Somerville/Stannard
Hurt So Good
Blame
Herbert/Somerville
Dark Sky
Burn
Somerville/Winfield/Osborne/Buckley
Home Again
But Not Tonight
Gore
Home Again
By Your Side
Rowe/Somerville/Stannard
Dare To Love
Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You
Crewe/Gaudio
Queer As Folk 2 (Soundtrack)
Come Lately
Butcher/Somerville
Dare To Love
Come On
Plate/Sommer/Somerville/Greeve
Home Again
Coming
Potter/Somerville/Motion
Orlando (Soundtrack)
Comment Te Dire Adieu (w/June Miles Kingston)
Gold/Gainsbourg
Read My Lips
Control
Somerville
Read My Lips
Could It Be Love
Somerville/Gauder/Sale
Home Again
Cry
Butcher/Somerville
Dare To Love
Dare To Love
Butcher/Somerville
Dare To Love
Dark Sky
Somerville/Herbert
Manage The Damage
Desire
Somerville/Butcher
Run From Love
Don't Know What To Do (Without You)
Somerville
Read My Lips
Eve
Somerville/Herbert
Manage The Damage
From This Moment On
Porter
Red Hot + Blue (Various Artists)
Gimme Shelter (w/Voice of the Beehive)
Jagger/Richards
Gimme Shelter (w/Voice of the Beehive)
Girl Falling Down
Somerville/Herbert
Manage The Damage
Heartbeat
Rowe/Stannard/Watkins/Somerville
Dare To Love
Heaven Here On Earth (With Your Love)
Somerville
Read My Lips
Here I Am
Somerville/Herbert
Manage The Damage
Home Again
Somerville/Picotto/Remondini
Home Again
Hurts So Good
Mitchell
Dare To Love
I Believe
Somerville/Herbert/Monaghan
Lay Down
I Believe In Love (w/Arthur Baker)
Angelo/Baker/Somerville
Merge (Arthur Baker)
It's So Good
Mac/Somerville
Home Again
It Still Hurts
Plate/Sommer/Somerville/Greeve
Home Again
I Was Born This Way (w/Craig C.)
Jones/Spierer
Another Gay Movie (Soundtrack)
I Will Always Be Around
Somerville/Herbert/Gauder/Saje
Home Again
Lay Down
Somerville/Herbert
Manage The Damage
Lovething
Butcher/Somerville
Dare To Love
Love You Forever
Butcher/Somerville
Hurt So Good
Moving On
Somerville/Herbert
Lay Down
My Heart Is In Your Hands
Somerville
Read My Lips
My Life
Somerville/Herbert
Manage The Damage
Nothing Said, Nothing Done
Butcher/Somerville
By Your Side
Not So God Almighty
Somerville
Mighty Real
One Fine Day (w/Carmel)
Osapanin
Set Me Free (Carmel)
Perfect Day
Somerville
Read My Lips
Rain
Somerville
Read My Lips
Read My Lips (Enough Is Enough)
Somerville
Read My Lips
Rolling
Somerville/Herbert
Manage The Damage
Run From Love (w/Claudia Brucken)
Somerville/Steinbachek/Bronski
The Singles Collection 1984/1990
Safe In These Arms
Butcher/Somerville
Dare To Love
Selfish Days
Somerville/Mar
Home Again
Sing It To Your Heart
?
Home Again
So Long Babe
Hazelwood
Postcards From America (Soundtrack)
Someday Soon
Somerville/Herbert
Manage The Damage
Someday We'll Be Together
Beavers/Bristol/Fugua
Dare To Love
Something To Live For
Somerville/Herbert/Monaghan
Manage The Damage
Star (w/Weather Girls)
?
Star
Stay
Somerville/Merlin
Home Again
Stone
Somerville/Herbert
Manage The Damage
Stranger
Somerville
Read My Lips
Tear Fool
Butcher/Somerville
Dark Sky
Tell The World
Somerville
Comment Te Dire Adieu
The Last Infanta (w/Uno)
Clermontet
Uno (Uno)
The Number One Song In Heaven (w/Sparks)
Moroder
Plagiarism (Sparks)
This Must Be Love
Somerville/Herbert
Manage The Damage
To Love Somebody
Gibb/Gibb
The Singles Collection 1984/1990
Too Much Of A Good Thing
Hague/Shear/Somerville
Dare To Love
Under A Lover's Sky
Somerville/Uhrmacher/Fornaro
Home Again
Up And Away
Butcher/Somerville
Heartbeat
What's Your Game?
Somerville/Winfield/Osborne/Buckley
Home Again
You & Me (w/Blue Ray)
Moyet/Somerville/Cole/Bronski/Clarke
You And Me (w/Blue Ray)
You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)
Warrick/James
Read My Lips

Career

Discography

List of Jimmy Somerville songs

See also