(Photo via London Records) London Records will mark the 40th anniversary of the iconic Bronski Beat debut album, “The Age of Consent”, with a series of deluxe reissues available on October 18, 2024. Fans can pre-order these reissues at bronskibeat.tmstor.es.

In conjunction with the reissue, London Records has released a new remix of “Smalltown Boy”’” by Planningtorock. This artist, known for queering sound and visual art, has previously collaborated with Lady Gaga, Robyn, and Christine and The Queens. The remix can be listened to below.

Jimmy Somerville, reflecting on the album, said, “When there is something we do in our life that can have such an impact on other peoples’ lives, and to be told this by others, it’s humbling. ‘The Age of Consent’ is, and always will be, such a special part of my life.”

Planningtorock shared their thoughts on the remix as well: “I first saw ‘Smalltown Boy’ on telly back in 1984 when I was twelve. I remember it having a big impact on me even then. Just loved how it told the story so directly like a mini documentary but as a music clip sharing a gay experience that was sad to watch but at the same time so empowering. Those early years as a queer trans kid were so lonely for me and Bronski Beat made me feel less alone showing me how music can help you translate a painful experience into something liberating.”

Released in 1984, “The Age of Consent” was a pioneering album addressing LGBTQ+ rights and struggles. The album remains relevant today, reflecting ongoing issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community. Its original release included a listing of ages of consent worldwide, symbolizing both the progress made and the challenges still ahead.

The 40th-anniversary reissue will be available in various formats, including a 5-Disc Deluxe Edition (4CD+DVD), a 2CD set with new reworks, a 2LP set, a yellow 1LP edition, and a Super Deluxe Edition exclusive Blu-Ray. The deluxe edition features essays, remixes, rarities, and restored promo videos.

Tracklisting for the 4CD+DVD Deluxe Edition

Disc One: The Age of Consent – The Album Plus

1. Why?
2. It Ain’t Necessarily So
3. Screaming
4. No More War
5. Love and Money
6. Smalltown Boy
7. Heatwave
8. Junk
9. Need a Man Blues
10. I Feel Love / Johnny Remember Me
11. Smalltown Boy (DJ 7” Edit) – Bonus track
12. Why? (Remix) – Bonus track
13. It Ain’t Necessarily So (7” Version) – Bonus track
14. I Feel Love (7” Version) with Marc Almond – Bonus track
15. Run from Love (Radio Version) – Bonus track
16. Hard Rain (NME 7” Version) – Bonus track

Disc Two: Hundreds & Thousands – The Remix Plus

1. Heatwave (Harvey Goldberg Remix)
2. Why (Harvey Goldberg Remix)
3. Run from Love (Dominic Maita Remix)
4. Hard Rain (Harvey Goldberg Remix)
5. Smalltown Boy (Harvey Goldberg Remix)
6. Junk (Harvey Goldberg Remix)
7. Love and Money (Hundreds & Thousands Remix) – Bonus track
8. Infatuation / Memories – Bonus track
9. Close to the Edge – Bonus track
10. I Feel Love (Cake Mix) with Marc Almond – Bonus track
11. Cadillac Car (Extended) – Bonus track

Disc Three: Consent Extended – The 12 Inches Plus

1. Smalltown Boy (12” Version)
2. Why? (12” Version)
3. It Ain’t Necessarily So (12” Version)
4. I Feel Love (12” Version) with Marc Almond
5. Run from Love (US Club Remix ‘85) – Bonus track
6. Smalltown Boy (US Club Remix ‘84) – Bonus track
7. Red Dance
8. The Potato Fields
9. Puit D’Amour
10. Signs (And Wonders)
11. I Feel Love (Fruit Mix)

Disc Four: Ignore at Your Peril – The Rarities Plus

1. Smalltown Boy (Capital Radio Session, May ‘84) – Bonus track
2. Heatwave (Capital Radio Session, May ‘84) – Bonus track
3. Hard Rain (Capital Radio Session, May ‘84) – Bonus track
4. Why? (Early Version, March ‘84) – Bonus track
5. Crazy Maraquitta (Studio Session) – Bonus track
6. It Ain’t Necessarily So (Early Version) – Bonus track
7. Upside Down (Studio Session) – Bonus track
8. Screaming (Early Version, March ‘84) – Bonus track
9. The Power of the Gold (Studio Session) – Bonus track
10. Love and Money (Early Version) – Bonus track
11. First Church (Feel Love) (Studio Session) – Bonus track
12. Junk (Early Version 2) – Bonus track
13. Walking (Studio Session) – Bonus track
14. No More War (Early Version) – Bonus track
15. Go (You & Me) (Studio Session) – Bonus track
16. Close to the Edge (Early Alternate Extended Mix) – Bonus track
17. Heatwave (Early Version) – Bonus track
18. The Other Side of the Tracks (Studio Session) – Bonus track
19. Smalltown Boy (Early Version, March ‘84) – Bonus track

Disc Five: The First Chapter – The Videos Plus [DVD]

1. Official Music Videos
   • Smalltown Boy (Restored Promo)
   • Why? (Restored Promo)
   • It Ain’t Necessarily So (Restored Promo)
   • I Feel Love (Restored Promo) with Marc Almond
2. Top of the Pops Performances
   • Smalltown Boy (BBC ‘Top of the Pops’, June ‘84)
   • Why? (BBC ‘Top of the Pops’, September ‘84)
   • It Ain’t Necessarily So (BBC ‘Top of the Pops’, December ‘84)
   • I Feel Love (BBC ‘Top of the Pops’, April ‘85) with Marc Almond
3. Original TV Adverts
   • The Age of Consent – TV Advert #1 (December ‘84) – Bonus track
   • The Age of Consent – TV Advert #2 (January ‘85) – Bonus track

About Bronski Beat

Formed in 1983 in London, Bronski Beat was an influential British synthpop trio known for their groundbreaking music and outspoken advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. The original lineup included Steve Bronski (keyboards, percussion), Larry Steinbachek (keyboards, percussion), and Jimmy Somerville (vocals).

Their debut single, “Smalltown Boy”, released in 1984, became an instant hit. The song’s poignant narrative about a young gay man facing homophobia and isolation resonated deeply with listeners. It climbed the charts, reaching number three in the UK. Later in 1984, Bronski Beat released their debut album, “The Age of Consent”. The inner sleeve listed the ages of consent for homosexual acts worldwide. The album produced other hits like “Why?” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So”.

In 1985, lead vocalist Jimmy Somerville left Bronski Beat to form The Communards with Richard Coles. Despite his departure, Bronski Beat continued, recruiting John Foster (also known as Jon Jon) as their new lead singer. The band released the album “Truthdare Doubledare” in 1986, which included the hit single “Hit That Perfect Beat”.

Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, Bronski Beat underwent several lineup changes, with the late Steve Bronski remaining the constant member. They continued to release music, though with less commercial success than their early years. In the 2010s, Steve Bronski reformed the band with new members and continued to perform and release new music.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Indochine, a prominent name in the music industry for over 40 years, is coming to the UK marking their first appearance in the country in a decade. The French act will perform at London’s Roundhouse on Sunday, June 11.

Tickets are available right here.

Formed in 1981, Indochine has withstood the test of time, demonstrating that their music remains as relevant and well-received today as it was over four decades ago. Over the years, the band has undergone several lineup changes, with the current members being Nicola Sirkis (vocals and guitar), Olivier Gérard (guitar), Boris Jardel (guitar), Marc Eliard (bass), and Ludwig Dahlberg (drums).

Their last album was their 13th studio album, simply titled “13”. It was released in September 2017, debuting at number one on the French charts, and includes hits like “La vie est belle”, “Kimono dans l’ambulance”, and “Song for a Dream”. Following the release of “13,” the band embarked on the “13 Tour,” which included a series of stadium shows in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, they celebrated their 40th anniversary with the release of “Singles Collection (2001-2021)”, a compilation featuring their most popular tracks from the past two decades, as well as new songs.

Also released was the Indochine feat. Christine And The Queens track “3Sex”, a 2021 reprise of the 1985 classic as you can see below.

The singles collection was followed by the Central Tour organized to celebrate Indochine’s 40th anniversary. Initially scheduled to begin on Saturday, May 29, 2021, at Matmut Atlantique Stadium in Bordeaux, the tour was postponed due to the ongoing health crisis and eventually kicked off on Saturday, May 21, 2022, at Stade de France in Paris.

The Central Tour set attendance records across various disciplines (concerts and sports) and in total a whopping 417,799 people attended the six concerts on the tour.

On January 13, 2023, “Central Tour, Le Film” was released as a triple CD digipack, triple DVD digipack, Blu-ray, and collector’s edition book. This live recording took place at Groupama Stadium in Lyon on June 25, 2022. In celebration of this release, the live version of “Nos Célébrations” was made available on YouTube.

By January 20, 2023, “Central Tour, Le Film” had sold 36,664 copies (audio and video combined), earning the top spot on the French Top Albums chart.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo credit Colin Solal Cardo) Christine and the Queens has released a new EP, “Joseph”, featuring two new songs performed during her appearance at Global Citizen Live last weekend. The songs are cover versions of George Michael’s “Freedom” and “Comme l’oiseau” by Michel Fugain & Le Big Bazar.

Alongside the covers, Christine also performed new arrangements of “Tilted”, “People, I’ve been sad” and “Doesn’t matter” in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris for Global Citizen Live. The full performance is now available to watch below. All proceeds from the digital EP release will go directly to Global Citizen.

Global Citizen Live took place on September 25 with events in Lagos, Paris, New York City and more, in total across six continents. Global Citizen, also known as Global Poverty Project, is an international education and advocacy organization working to catalyze the movement to end extreme poverty. The organization was founded by Hugh Evans, Simon Moss and Wei Soo, and aims to increase the number and effectiveness of people taking action to support the cause.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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