Bronski Beat 1984 hit "Smalltown Boy" turned a deeply personal narrative into a global sensation. The song, with its iconic keyboard intro and Jimmy Somerville’s evocative tenor, became a lasting anthem for the LGBTQI+ community and a beacon of hope for marginalized groups worldwide.
Forty years later, “Smalltown Boy’s” legacy of inspiration and activism continues through London-based DJ and producer ABSOLUTE. (Ant McGinley). Known for his recent remixes for Kylie Minogue (“Padam Padam”) and Fever Ray (“Shiver”), McGinley shares, “When I got asked to rework ‘Smalltown Boy,’ I was literally just screaming. Working on it was an emotional experience; I was welling up, which is so rare for me. It showed how special this track truly is.”
To commemorate this significant milestone, London Records plans to re-issue “Smalltown Boy” in various physical formats. These include a numbered, colored 7-inch, a transparent CD single, a music box edition, and a new range of “Smalltown Boy” T-shirts, all available on July 26. Fans can pre-order through the Official Bronski Beat store: https://bronskibeat.tmstor.es/.
Enhancing the original with arpeggiated synths and 808s, ABSOLUTE.’s rework builds towards an emotional, euphoric climax, underscoring its uniqueness. McGinley envisions playing the track as a closing number at Drumsheds for False Idols, or DJing at Panorama Bar at dawn, creating moments of pure, euphoric joy.
Jimmy Somerville reflects on the rework, saying, “ABSOLUTE. has kept the song’s essence intact. The bass is amazing. I was transported back to our early days of writing, realizing I no longer needed to vocally imitate a sequence!”
London Records‘ re-issue celebrates not just a song, but an enduring message of hope and empowerment.
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