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The Age of Consent is the debut album by synth-pop band Bronski Beat (Steve Bronski, Larry Steinbachek and Jimmy Somerville), released on London Records in October 1984. This was the only album released by the band to feature Somerville, who departed the band in 1985.
Released October 1984 Genre
Synth-pop
disco
Length 44:22 Label London Producer Mike Thorne
Singles from The Age of Consent
"Smalltown Boy"
Released: June 1984
"Why?"
Released: 26 September 1984
"It Ain't Necessarily So"
Released: 5 December 1984
"I Feel Love (Medley)"
Released: April 1985
By 1984, many European countries had reduced the age of consent for homosexual acts to 16, but it remained at 21 in the United Kingdom, having only been partially decriminalised in 1967. Homosexuality was not ‘legalised’ in Scotland, where Somerville was born, until 1981. The wording of the legislation to decriminalise also included wording that placed restrictions such as making illegal the use of a hotel room for sex.[7][8] Homosexuality was further stigmatised beyond the restrictions placed on homosexual individuals, and homophobia was a danger to gay individuals.[7]
Against this background, Bronski, Steinbachek, and Somerville met in Brixton in 1983, and soon formed Bronski Beat.[7] They signed a recording contract with London Records in 1984 after doing only nine live gigs.[citation needed]
The album was produced by Mike Thorne; the recording sessions took place in London 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.[citation needed]
The song "Heatwave" features the tap-dancing rhythms of Caroline O'Connor.[citation needed]
The inner sleeve of the album has a table listing the minimum age for lawful homosexual relationships between men in each country in Europe, accompanied by the telephone number of a service giving gay legal advice. It was removed from the United States release of the album by MCA Records on the basis of "past sensitivities of several record store chains".
Smalltown Boy
The band's debut single was released in June 1984, peaking at number 3 in the UK singles chart in June, and reaching number one in Belgium, Italy, and the Netherlands. It is a poetically poignant, soul searching composition addressing homophobia, loneliness and family misunderstanding. It has been described as perfectly encapsulating "the experience of being young and gay in the '80s".
It was 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.
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