Double vinyl pressing includes previously unissued remixes
On December 5, 2025, London Records releases a remastered edition of Jimmy Somerville’s 1995 solo album Dare To Love. This thirtieth-anniversary package appears on double vinyl for the first time, alongside double CD and digital formats. The expanded tracklist incorporates previously unavailable B-sides and rarities, including production work and remixes from Todd Terry, The Beatmasters, and Sly & Robbie.
Artist: Jimmy Somerville
Release Date: 2025-12-05
Genres: Pop, Synth Pop
Label: London Records
Description: London Records reissues Jimmy Somerville's Dare To Love on Dec 5. The 30th-anniversary set features restored artwork and unreleased remixes.
The reissue utilizes a sleeve design originally rejected during the initial 1995 campaign. The image superimposes a male silhouette over Somerville‘s torso. Somerville states that the label initially viewed the composition as “homo erotic” and “too gay,” resulting in a compromise for the original pressing. The 2025 edition restores the intended visual concept.
First released in June 1995, Dare To Love followed Somerville‘s output with The Communards and his debut solo effort. Stephen Hague oversaw production on a collection shifting between house instrumentation, reggae-influenced dub, and standard pop structures. Commercial performance included the singles “Hurt So Good” and “Heartbeat.” The latter reached the UK Top 30 and secured a number one position on the US Dance Singles chart.
The recording period coincided with two specific events in Somerville‘s private life: a new relationship with a partner named Robert and the illness of his close friend Hugo. Hugo, suffering from AIDS-related complications, had declined AZT treatment. Somerville cites these simultaneous experiences of beginning a relationship while witnessing a friend’s terminal decline as the central influence on the album’s subject matter.
Jimmy Somerville began his recording career in 1983 as the vocalist for the synth-pop trio Bronski Beat. Their debut single, “Smalltown Boy,” reached number three in the UK charts. Following one album, The Age of Consent, he formed The Communards with classically trained musician Richard Coles in 1985. The duo achieved the best-selling single of 1986 in the UK with a cover of “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” Somerville launched his solo career in 1989 with the album Read My Lips, scoring a hit with a cover of Sylvester‘s “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real).” Known for his countertenor vocal range, he has continued to record and perform independently following the conclusion of his major label contracts in the late 1990s.
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