After Dinner Speakers: Bronski Beat, Penny Hughes, Bird & Fortune

Synthesized popsters with a flare for public legal counsel, Bronski Beat is perhaps best remembered for the 1984 album Age of Consent - not because of its poignant lyrics or traffic-stopping vocals, but rather because of the record's inner sleeve, which listed the legal age of consent for committing homosexual acts in various European countries. Needless to say, frontman Jimmy Somerville's open homosexuality figured prominently in Bronski Beat's short, yet influential lifetime. Shortly after forming in 1984, the London trio released the debut single "Smalltown Boy," which defined the band's passions with its sensitive lyrics about a young gay man's feelings of alienation. Bronski Beat's biting follow-up single, "Why?" twisted the knife further into England's Moral Majority with classic synth-pop appeal and made it to the "Top of the Pops" in the U.K. anyway. Flanked by artists such as Boy George and Annie Lennox, Bronski Beat was a staple of the early '80s gender bender era. What set this gay-pride group apart from the others was Glasgow-born Somerville's remarkable vocal capabilities. A soaring tenor and exploding falsetto, he was able to reach the upper echelons of the scale and soothe audiences with his emotional and autobiographical lyrics. In May 1985, Somerville left the group to form the outspoken, left-wing Communards, which kicked off their career with a cover of Thelma Houston's "Don't Leave Me This Way." Two years later, Somerville ducked out again and opted for an unremarkable solo career. Meanwhile, Bronski Beat recruited the unknown and uninspiring singer John Jon from a Newcastle band called Bust. The Jon-lead Bronski Beat released a remix album and a fresh one in 1986 - both of which proved to be chart disappointments - before giving up the ship.