The Age of Consent
Encyclopedia
The Age of Consent is a synthpop
album by Bronski Beat
(Jimmy Somerville
, Larry Steinbachek and Steve Bronski), released at the end of 1984 (see 1984 in music
) on London Records
.
and New York City
. The first single, "Smalltown Boy
", was recorded at The Garden studio (owned by former Ultravox
singer John Foxx
) and mixed at Maison Rouge studio, both of them based in London. It was released in June 1984, peaked at number 3 in the UK singles pop charts and is a poetically poignant, soul searching composition addressing homophobia
, loneliness and family misunderstanding. It is accompanied by a video of Jimmy Somerville with fellow band member friends Larry Steinbachek and Steve Bronski who, while cruising
at a public swimming pool and changing room, are attacked and beaten up
by a gang of homophobes. Somerville is returned to his family by the police; he leaves home alone and has a reunion with friends Steinbachek and Bronski, travelling to a new life on a train.
The band had the telephone number of the London Gay Switchboard (telephone support and information for gays and lesbians in central London) etched into the inner groove of the 12" vinyl version.
Additional congas were played by John Folarin. Sleeve cover art was by Gill Whisson.
The follow-up single "Why?
" (recorded at RPM Studios, NYC and mixed at Townhouse Studio, London) pursued a more energetic musical formula, while the lyrics focussed more centrally and darkly on anti-gay prejudice. The song opened with and featured a questioning vocal by Somerville and the shattering of breaking glass, emulating the character Oskar in Günther Grass's The Tin Drum
. In the novel and film, Oskar screams at an extremely high pitch when he is in danger of not getting his own way, shattering any glass objects in the vicinity. The single made the top 5 in the UK.
The promotional video opens with Steinbachek and Bronski buying artificial bombs and a small statue of Michelangelo
's David
in a mad supermarket. At the checkout, because they are openly gay, the assistant telephones the management to enquire whether they can pay for the items. They are refused. Meanwhile, Jimmy is singing behind a counter of sausages and salamis and, seeing the dilemma in progress, starts complaining to the checkout girl. All three are arrested by "the thought police" and made to appear for trial before a puppet court and senile judge (Jimmy's father in "Smalltown Boy") The band members are sent to a workhouse. From the workhouse Jimmy rises up into the air and confronts "God". The workers revolt, and strip the thought police of authority and clothing. The band members are placed on pedestals, before "God" transforms all three of them into statues of salt for their alleged sins.
Ironically, the thought-police actors who arrest the trio are the swimmer / homophobic gang-leader from the "Smalltown Boy" video and "Martin", a friend of the band whose situation in a gay relationship with a younger man actually inspired the lyrical content of the song. The video extras were mostly friends of the band; they went on strike during the video shoot, due to the excess labour endured by them in the production.
The "Smalltown Boy" and "Why?" videos were directed by Bernard Rose, who also directed the videos for Frankie Goes to Hollywood
's "Relax" and "Two Tribes".
The song is dedicated to the memory of playwright Drew Griffiths, victim of a homophobic murder in 1984.
The sleeve cover art was by Robert McAuley.
The third single "It Ain't Necessarily So", the George
and Ira Gershwin
/ DuBose Heyward
song (from the opera Porgy and Bess
) in which the authenticity of Biblical tales is questioned, reached the UK Top 20. The track featured Arno Hecht from The Uptown Horns on solo clarinet and the openly gay male choir from London, The Pink Singers. It was recorded at The Garden studio, London and Skyline Studios, NYC
The promotional video featured Jimmy and Larry as inmates in a borstal
with Jimmy and "Martin" (the "thought police" actor from "Why?") having a Christmas pie-eating competition
which takes place during the Christmas religious service, which Jimmy, of course, wins. Steve plays a closeted prison warden who has a keen eye for one of the other prisoners.
The cover sleeve art was a parody of The Wizard Of Oz
with Dorothy having the head of the devil.
A further single was released - a medley of "I Feel Love / Johnny Remember Me / Love To Love You Baby" that was a re-recording of the same track on the album. It featured former "Soft Cell" singer Marc Almond sharing vocals with Jimmy Sommerville, and reached the UK top 5. The choir was "The Pink Singers"; cellos were played by Beverly Lauridsen, Jesse Levy and Mark Shuman.
Sleeve cover art was by Gill Whisson.
The song "Heatwave" features the tap dancing rhythms of Caroline O'Connor.
The album ranked #12 in CMJ's "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1985" [CMJ (1/5/04, p. 16)].
The inner sleeve of the album contains the different international ages of consent
for males to engage in gay sex, but this was removed from the United States release of the album by MCA Records
after sales and radio play were reportedly lower than anticipated because of this little known information.
, Larry Steinbachek and Steve Bronski except where noted.
CD release additional tracks:
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
album by Bronski Beat
Bronski Beat
Bronski Beat were a popular British synthpop trio who achieved success in the mid 1980s, particularly with the 1984 chart hit "Smalltown Boy". All members of the group were openly homosexual and their songs reflected this, often containing political commentary on gay-related issues...
(Jimmy Somerville
Jimmy Somerville
James William Somerville is a Scottish pop singer and songwriter. He had considerable success in the 1980s with the pop groups Bronski Beat and The Communards, and has also had a successful solo career. He is known in particular for his falsetto singing voice...
, Larry Steinbachek and Steve Bronski), released at the end of 1984 (see 1984 in music
1984 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1984.-Janury-March:*January 21 – "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood reaches number one in the UK singles chart, despite being banned by the BBC; it spends a total of forty-two weeks in the Top 40.*January 27 – Michael Jackson's...
) on London Records
London Records
London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
.
Overview
The album was produced by Mike Thorne; the recording sessions took place in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The first single, "Smalltown Boy
Smalltown Boy
"Smalltown Boy" is the debut single of the British synthpop group Bronski Beat, released in June 1984. It would also appear on the band's debut album The Age of Consent, released in December 1984....
", was recorded at The Garden studio (owned by former Ultravox
Ultravox
Ultravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
singer John Foxx
John Foxx
John Foxx is an English singer, artist, photographer and teacher. He was the original lead singer of the band Ultravox before being replaced by Midge Ure, when he left to embark on a solo career in 1979...
) and mixed at Maison Rouge studio, both of them based in London. It was released in June 1984, peaked at number 3 in the UK singles pop charts and is a poetically poignant, soul searching composition addressing homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
, loneliness and family misunderstanding. It is accompanied by a video of Jimmy Somerville with fellow band member friends Larry Steinbachek and Steve Bronski who, while cruising
Cruising for sex
Cruising for sex, or cruising is the act of walking or driving about a locality in search of a sex partner, usually of the anonymous, casual, one-time variety...
at a public swimming pool and changing room, are attacked and beaten up
Gay bashing
Gay bashing and gay bullying is verbal or physical abuse against a person who is perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender . Such abuse is used also to bully heterosexual persons and persons of non-specific or unknown sexual orientation.A "bashing" may be a specific incident, and one...
by a gang of homophobes. Somerville is returned to his family by the police; he leaves home alone and has a reunion with friends Steinbachek and Bronski, travelling to a new life on a train.
The band had the telephone number of the London Gay Switchboard (telephone support and information for gays and lesbians in central London) etched into the inner groove of the 12" vinyl version.
Additional congas were played by John Folarin. Sleeve cover art was by Gill Whisson.
The follow-up single "Why?
Why? (Bronski Beat song)
"Why?" is a single from the British synthpop trio Bronski Beat and appeared on their 1984 album The Age of Consent.The song, recorded at RPM Studios, NYC and mixed at Townhouse Studio, London, pursued an energetic musical formula, while the lyrics focused more centrally on anti-gay prejudice...
" (recorded at RPM Studios, NYC and mixed at Townhouse Studio, London) pursued a more energetic musical formula, while the lyrics focussed more centrally and darkly on anti-gay prejudice. The song opened with and featured a questioning vocal by Somerville and the shattering of breaking glass, emulating the character Oskar in Günther Grass's The Tin Drum
The Tin Drum
The Tin Drum is a 1959 novel by Günter Grass. The novel is the first book of Grass's .- Plot summary :The story revolves around the life of Oskar Matzerath, as narrated by himself when confined in a mental hospital during the years 1952-1954...
. In the novel and film, Oskar screams at an extremely high pitch when he is in danger of not getting his own way, shattering any glass objects in the vicinity. The single made the top 5 in the UK.
The promotional video opens with Steinbachek and Bronski buying artificial bombs and a small statue of Michelangelo
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
's David
David (Michelangelo)
David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture created between 1501 and 1504, by the Italian artist Michelangelo. It is a marble statue of a standing male nude. The statue represents the Biblical hero David, a favoured subject in the art of Florence...
in a mad supermarket. At the checkout, because they are openly gay, the assistant telephones the management to enquire whether they can pay for the items. They are refused. Meanwhile, Jimmy is singing behind a counter of sausages and salamis and, seeing the dilemma in progress, starts complaining to the checkout girl. All three are arrested by "the thought police" and made to appear for trial before a puppet court and senile judge (Jimmy's father in "Smalltown Boy") The band members are sent to a workhouse. From the workhouse Jimmy rises up into the air and confronts "God". The workers revolt, and strip the thought police of authority and clothing. The band members are placed on pedestals, before "God" transforms all three of them into statues of salt for their alleged sins.
Ironically, the thought-police actors who arrest the trio are the swimmer / homophobic gang-leader from the "Smalltown Boy" video and "Martin", a friend of the band whose situation in a gay relationship with a younger man actually inspired the lyrical content of the song. The video extras were mostly friends of the band; they went on strike during the video shoot, due to the excess labour endured by them in the production.
The "Smalltown Boy" and "Why?" videos were directed by Bernard Rose, who also directed the videos for Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were a British dance-pop band popular in the mid-1980s. The group was fronted by Holly Johnson , with Paul Rutherford , Peter Gill , Mark O'Toole , and Brian Nash .The group's debut single "Relax" was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts and...
's "Relax" and "Two Tribes".
The song is dedicated to the memory of playwright Drew Griffiths, victim of a homophobic murder in 1984.
The sleeve cover art was by Robert McAuley.
The third single "It Ain't Necessarily So", the George
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
and Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
/ DuBose Heyward
DuBose Heyward
Edwin DuBose Heyward was a white American author best known for his 1925 novel Porgy. This novel was the basis for the play by the same name and, in turn, the opera Porgy and Bess with music by George Gershwin.-Life and career:Heyward was born in 1885 in Charleston, South Carolina and was a...
song (from the opera Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess is an opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward. It was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward...
) in which the authenticity of Biblical tales is questioned, reached the UK Top 20. The track featured Arno Hecht from The Uptown Horns on solo clarinet and the openly gay male choir from London, The Pink Singers. It was recorded at The Garden studio, London and Skyline Studios, NYC
The promotional video featured Jimmy and Larry as inmates in a borstal
Borstal
A borstal was a type of youth prison in the United Kingdom, run by the Prison Service and intended to reform seriously delinquent young people. The word is sometimes used loosely to apply to other kinds of youth institution or reformatory, such as Approved Schools and Detention Centres. The court...
with Jimmy and "Martin" (the "thought police" actor from "Why?") having a Christmas pie-eating competition
Competitive eating
Competitive eating, or speed eating, is a sport in which participants compete against each other to consume large quantities of food in a short time period. Contests are typically less than 15 minutes in length, with the person consuming the most food being declared the winner...
which takes place during the Christmas religious service, which Jimmy, of course, wins. Steve plays a closeted prison warden who has a keen eye for one of the other prisoners.
The cover sleeve art was a parody of The Wizard Of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
with Dorothy having the head of the devil.
A further single was released - a medley of "I Feel Love / Johnny Remember Me / Love To Love You Baby" that was a re-recording of the same track on the album. It featured former "Soft Cell" singer Marc Almond sharing vocals with Jimmy Sommerville, and reached the UK top 5. The choir was "The Pink Singers"; cellos were played by Beverly Lauridsen, Jesse Levy and Mark Shuman.
Sleeve cover art was by Gill Whisson.
The song "Heatwave" features the tap dancing rhythms of Caroline O'Connor.
The album ranked #12 in CMJ's "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1985" [CMJ (1/5/04, p. 16)].
The inner sleeve of the album contains the different international ages of consent
Age of consent
While the phrase age of consent typically does not appear in legal statutes, when used in relation to sexual activity, the age of consent is the minimum age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. The European Union calls it the legal age for sexual...
for males to engage in gay sex, but this was removed from the United States release of the album by MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
after sales and radio play were reportedly lower than anticipated because of this little known information.
Track listing
All songs written by Jimmy SomervilleJimmy Somerville
James William Somerville is a Scottish pop singer and songwriter. He had considerable success in the 1980s with the pop groups Bronski Beat and The Communards, and has also had a successful solo career. He is known in particular for his falsetto singing voice...
, Larry Steinbachek and Steve Bronski except where noted.
- "Why?Why? (Bronski Beat song)"Why?" is a single from the British synthpop trio Bronski Beat and appeared on their 1984 album The Age of Consent.The song, recorded at RPM Studios, NYC and mixed at Townhouse Studio, London, pursued an energetic musical formula, while the lyrics focused more centrally on anti-gay prejudice...
" – 4:04 - "It Ain't Necessarily SoIt Ain't Necessarily So"It Ain't Necessarily So" is a popular song with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The song comes from the Gershwins' opera Porgy and Bess where it is sung by the character Sportin' Life, a drug dealer, who expresses his doubt about several statements in the Bible.The role of...
" (George GershwinGeorge GershwinGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
/Ira GershwinIra GershwinIra Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
/DuBose HeywardDuBose HeywardEdwin DuBose Heyward was a white American author best known for his 1925 novel Porgy. This novel was the basis for the play by the same name and, in turn, the opera Porgy and Bess with music by George Gershwin.-Life and career:Heyward was born in 1885 in Charleston, South Carolina and was a...
/Dorothy HeywardDorothy HeywardDorothy Heyward Dorothy Heyward Dorothy Heyward (née Kuhns, (June 6, 1890 – November 19, 1961) was an American playwright.Born in Wooster, Ohio, she was married to the author DuBose Heyward, and adapted several of his scripts for the stage, including Porgy.-External links:...
) – 4:43 - "Screaming" – 4:15
- "No More War" – 3:55
- "Love and Money" – 5:07
- "Smalltown BoySmalltown Boy"Smalltown Boy" is the debut single of the British synthpop group Bronski Beat, released in June 1984. It would also appear on the band's debut album The Age of Consent, released in December 1984....
" – 5:02 - "Heatwave" – 2:40
- "Junk" – 4:17
- "Need-a-Man Blues" – 4:20
- "I Feel LoveI Feel Love"I Feel Love" is a song by Donna Summer, taken from her 1977 concept album I Remember Yesterday.The song constituted the "future" segment of the album, which represented a stylistic progress through time...
"/"Johnny Remember MeJohnny Remember Me"Johnny Remember Me" is a song which became a 1961 UK #1 hit single for John Leyton, backed by The Outlaws. It was producer Joe Meek's first #1 production. Recounting the haunting - real or imagined - of a young man by his dead lover, the song is one of the most noted of the 'death ditties' that...
" (Pete Bellotte/Giorgio Moroder/Donna SummerDonna SummerLaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
/Geoff GoddardGeoff GoddardGeoff Goddard was an English songwriter. Working for Joe Meek in the early 1960s, he wrote songs for Heinz, Mike Berry, Gerry Temple, The Tornados, Kenny Hollywood, The Outlaws, Freddie Starr, Screaming Lord Sutch, Gunilla Thorne, The Ramblers, Carter-Lewis and the Southerners and John...
) – 5:59
CD release additional tracks:
- "Smalltown BoySmalltown Boy"Smalltown Boy" is the debut single of the British synthpop group Bronski Beat, released in June 1984. It would also appear on the band's debut album The Age of Consent, released in December 1984....
" (Full 12" version) – 9:04 - Why?Why? (Bronski Beat song)"Why?" is a single from the British synthpop trio Bronski Beat and appeared on their 1984 album The Age of Consent.The song, recorded at RPM Studios, NYC and mixed at Townhouse Studio, London, pursued an energetic musical formula, while the lyrics focused more centrally on anti-gay prejudice...
" (Full 12" version) – 7:46
Singles
- "Smalltown BoySmalltown Boy"Smalltown Boy" is the debut single of the British synthpop group Bronski Beat, released in June 1984. It would also appear on the band's debut album The Age of Consent, released in December 1984....
", June 1984, UK #3, US #48 - "Why?Why? (Bronski Beat song)"Why?" is a single from the British synthpop trio Bronski Beat and appeared on their 1984 album The Age of Consent.The song, recorded at RPM Studios, NYC and mixed at Townhouse Studio, London, pursued an energetic musical formula, while the lyrics focused more centrally on anti-gay prejudice...
", September 1984, UK #6 - "It Ain't Necessarily SoIt Ain't Necessarily So"It Ain't Necessarily So" is a popular song with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The song comes from the Gershwins' opera Porgy and Bess where it is sung by the character Sportin' Life, a drug dealer, who expresses his doubt about several statements in the Bible.The role of...
", December 1984, UK #16
Personnel and credits
- Music - Bronski Beat
- Vocals & words - Jimmy Somerville
- Keyboards and percussion - Steve Bronski and Larry Steinbachek
- Cellos - Beverly Lauridsen, Jesse Levy, Mark Shuman
- Choir - The Pink Singers
- Congas - John Folarin
- Horns - Uptown Horns (Cris Cioe (alto sax & solo, "Love And Money"), Arno Hecht (tenor sax and clarinet solo, "It Ain't Necessarily So"), Hollywood Paul (trumpet) and Bob Funk (trombone))
- Tap Dance - Caroline O'Connor
- Recording engineers: Peter Griffiths (London), Carl Beatty (NYC) & Dominick Maita (NYC)
- Mixing engineers - Harvey Goldberg and Julian Mendelsohn ("Why?")
- Recorded at The Garden (London), Skyline (NYC) & RPM (NYC)
- Mixed at Maison Rouge, The Town House and Right Track Recording
- Mastered by Jack Skinner (Sterling Sound, NYC) & Aaron Chackraverty (The Master Room, London)
- Producer - Mike Thorne