Communards
Studio album by
the Communards
Released12 July 1986
Studio
Genre
LabelLondon
ProducerMike Thorne
The Communards chronology
Communards
(1986)		 Red
(1987)
Singles from Communards
  1. "You Are My World"
    Released: September 1985
  2. "Disenchanted"
    Released: May 1986
  3. "Don't Leave Me This Way"
    Released: August 1986
  4. "So Cold the Night"
    Released: November 1986
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[2]

Communards is the debut studio album by British synth-pop duo the Communards, released on 12 July 1986 by London Records. The album was produced by Mike Thorne, who had previously produced lead singer Jimmy Somerville's earlier band, Bronski Beat. Although the singles released ahead of the album were only moderately successful, the first single to be lifted from it after release, "Don't Leave Me This Way", topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks and became the best-selling single in the UK that year. During the single's four-week run at number one, the album itself peaked at number seven, going on to spend a total of 45 weeks in the UK Albums Chart.

Musically, the album contains tracks that largely fall into one of two styles, either Hi-NRG (all of the singles lifted from the album were in this style) or piano ballads showcasing the talents of Richard Coles, a classically trained pianist. The standard "Lover Man" is arranged as a straight jazz number, albeit with the unusual twist of being performed as a duet.

The front sleeve features a stark graphic design consisting of the group's name and logo against a black background. A photo of the duo appears on the back, while the inner sleeve features small photos of Coles, Somerville and Sarah Jane Morris, alongside the album credits and full lyrics for all the songs.

Two songs had dedications in the sleevenotes: "Don't Leave Me This Way" was dedicated to the GLC, and "Reprise" to Margaret Hilda Thatcher.[3]

Track listing

All tracks by Jimmy Somerville and Richard Coles, except where noted.

Original 1986 LP release

  1. "Don't Leave Me This Way" (Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, Cary Gilbert) – 4:50
  2. "La Dolarosa" – 2:43
  3. "Disenchanted" – 4:13
  4. "Reprise" – 5:22
  5. "So Cold the Night" – 5:45
  6. "You Are My World" – 4:30
  7. "Lover Man" (Jimmy Davis, Roger Ramirez, Jimmy Sherman) – 3:52
  8. "Don't Slip Away" – 2:58
  9. "Heavens Above" – 3:58
  10. "Forbidden Love" – 5:02

Original 1986 CD release

  1. "Don't Leave Me This Way" – 6:26
  2. "La Dolarosa" – 2:43
  3. "Disenchanted" – 6:12
  4. "Reprise" – 5:22
  5. "So Cold the Night" – 6:48
  6. "You Are My World" – 8:01
  7. "Lover Man" – 3:52
  8. "Don't Slip Away" – 2:58
  9. "Heavens Above" – 3:58
  10. "Forbidden Love" – 5:02
  11. "Breadline Britain" – 2:31
  12. "Disenchanted (Dance)" – 8:46

1997 CD reissue

  1. "Don't Leave Me This Way" – 4:50
  2. "La Dolarosa" – 2:43
  3. "Disenchanted" – 4:13
  4. "Reprise" – 5:22
  5. "So Cold the Night" – 5:45
  6. "You Are My World" – 4:30
  7. "Lover Man" – 3:52
  8. "Don't Slip Away" – 2:58
  9. "Heavens Above" – 3:58
  10. "Forbidden Love" – 5:02
  11. "Breadline Britain" – 2:31
  12. "Don't Leave Me This Way (Mega Mixes)" – 22:55

The 1997 remastered version of the album replaces "Disenchanted (Dance)" with "Don't Leave Me This Way (Mega Mixes)", a 22:55 version of the song which also incorporates the Communards song "Sanctified". This track was originally issued in 1986 as "The Gotham City Mix", when it was split across two sides of a 12-inch single.

2012 CD reissue

Disc one

  1. "Don't Leave Me This Way" – 4:52
  2. "La Dolarosa" – 2:43
  3. "Disenchanted" – 4:13
  4. "Reprise" – 5:23
  5. "So Cold the Night" – 5:46
  6. "You Are My World" – 4:30
  7. "Lover Man" – 3:52
  8. "Don't Slip Away" – 2:58
  9. "Heavens Above" – 3:59
  10. "Forbidden Love" – 5:02
  11. "Breadline Britain" – 2:31
  12. "Disenchanted (Dance)" – 8:44
  13. "Judgement Day" – 5:14
  14. "Don't Leave Me This Way (Son of Gotham City Mix, part 1)" – 11:42
  15. "When The Walls Come Tumbling Down (live)" – 6:34

Disc two

  1. "You Are My World ('87 single version)" – 4:16
  2. "Don't Leave Me This Way (Son of Gotham City Mix, part 3)" – 10:23
  3. "So Cold the Night (remixed club version)" – 8:24
  4. "Heavens Above (10" version)" – 3:30
  5. "Johnny Verso" – 3:46
  6. "Sentimental Journey" (Les Brown/Ben Homer/Bud Green) – 3:36
  7. "The Message" (Connie Giannaris/Jimmy Somerville) – 7:26
  8. "Disenchanted (instrumental)" – 8:41
  9. "So Cold the Night (instrumental)" – 9:10
  10. "Never No More" (Alan Block/Don Hecht/Rita Ross) – 2:59
  11. "Sanctified" – 2:36
  12. "When the Walls Come Tumbling Down" – 4:23
  13. "The Multimix" – 7:50
  14. "Annie" – 1:43

35th Anniversary Edition (2021)

Disc one

  1. "Don't Leave Me This Way" – 6:27
  2. "La Dolarosa" – 2:43
  3. "Disenchanted" – 6:14
  4. "Reprise" – 5:22
  5. "So Cold the Night" – 6:48
  6. "You Are My World" – 8:01
  7. "Lover Man" – 3:52
  8. "Don't Slip Away" – 2:58
  9. "Heavens Above" – 3:59
  10. "Forbidden Love" – 5:04
  11. "Don't Leave Me This Way (Son of Gotham City Mix, part 2)" – 11:38
  12. "Disenchanted (Dance)" – 8:44
  13. "Sentimental Journey" – 3:33
  14. "When the Walls Come Tumbling Down" – 4:20

Disc two

  1. "So Cold the Night (Janice Long 23rd October 1985)" – 3:46
  2. "Don't Slip Away (Janice Long 23rd October 1985)" – 2:33
  3. "America (Janice Long 23rd October 1985)" – 4:16
  4. "Forbidden Love (Janice Long 23rd October 1985)" – 2:49
  5. "La Dolarosa (Janice Long 23rd October 1985)" – 2:36
  6. "You Are My World (Extended 12" Version)" – 9:52
  7. "Don't Leave Me This Way ("Ruff" Mix)" – 8:27
  8. "Heavens Above ("Ruff" Mix) – 3:19
  9. "Summertime (Demo)" – 3:17
  10. "Lover Man (Alternative Version)" – 4:04
  11. "Forbidden Love (Alternative Version)" – 5:01
  12. "Breadline Britain" – 2:32
  13. "Never No More" – 3:01
  14. "So Cold the Night (Remix)" – 8:22
  15. "Judgement Day" – 5:14
  16. "Don't Leave Me This Way (7th Heaven Club Mix)" – 8:25

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Communards
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
France (SNEP)[22] Gold 100,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[23] 2× Platinum 200,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[24] Platinum 300,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. 1 2 Additional recording

References

  1. ↑ Kellman, Andy. "Communards – The Communards". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  2. ↑ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 157.
  3. ↑ Communards, Communards. Edsel 2012 Deluxe Edition liner notes, p. 9
  4. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 71. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  5. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Communards – Communards" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  6. ↑ "European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 9. 7 March 1987. p. 21. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  7. ↑ "Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste". InfoDisc (in French). Retrieved 8 February 2022. Select "COMMUNARDS" from the drop-down menu and click "OK".
  8. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Communards – Communards" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts.
  9. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Set "Album" for option "Tipo", then write the name of a wanted album in the "Titolo" field and search for the artist.
  10. ↑ "Charts.nz – Communards – Communards". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  11. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Communards – Communards". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  12. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Communards – Communards". Hung Medien.
  13. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  14. ↑ "The Communards Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  15. ↑ "Communards". Official Charts Company. OCC. Retrieved 29 June 2023. #63
  16. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  17. ↑ "European Hot 100 Albums – Hot 100 of the Year 1986" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 51/52. 27 December 1986. p. 35. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  18. ↑ "Top 100 Albums (January to December 1986)" (PDF). Music Week. 24 January 1987. p. 25. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  19. ↑ "European Charts of the Year 1987 – Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 51/52. 26 December 1987. p. 35. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  20. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1987" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  21. ↑ "Gallup Year End Charts 1987 – Albums" (PDF). Record Mirror. 23 January 1988. p. 37. ISSN 0144-5804 – via World Radio History.
  22. ↑ "French album certifications – Communards – Communards" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 8 February 2022. Select COMMUNARDS and click OK. 
  23. ↑ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 922. ISBN 84-8048-639-2. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  24. ↑ "British album certifications – Communards – Communards". British Phonographic Industry. 23 January 1987. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
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