For a Friend: The Best Of

For a Friend: The Best Of
Greatest hits album by
Jimmy Somerville featuring Bronski Beat & The Communards
ReleasedJune 2009
LabelMusic Club Deluxe

For a Friend: The Best Of is a 34-track, double disc greatest hits compilation and career retrospective by Jimmy Somerville, featuring his work as a solo artist, as well as with Bronski Beat and The Communards.

The compilation was released in 2009, and spans twenty five years of Somerville's career. It begins with Bronski Beat's 1984 hit "Smalltown Boy", and concludes with tracks from Somerville's 2009 album Suddenly Last Summer, which features stripped down covers of songs Somerville considered formative. It includes ten UK top twenty hits including "Smalltown Boy" (Bronski Beat: UK #3, 1984), "Don't Leave Me This Way" (The Communards: UK #1, 1986), and "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" (Jimmy Somerville: UK #5, 1989).

Track listing

Disc 1

Title Performer Writers Original Artist
1. "Smalltown Boy" Bronski Beat Steve Bronski, Larry Steinbachek, Jimmy Somerville
2. "Why?" Bronski Beat Bronski, Steinbachek, Somerville
3. "It Ain't Necessarily So" Bronski Beat George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Dorothy Heyward, DuBose Heyward From Porgy and Bess
4. "I Feel Love/Johnny Remember Me (Medley)" Bronski Beat Geoff Goddard, Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte, Donna Summer
5. "Screaming" Bronski Beat Bronski, Steinbachek, Somerville
6. "Run from Love" (Remix version from Hundreds & Thousands) Bronski Beat Bronski, Steinbachek, Somerville
7. "Hard Rain" (Remix version from Hundreds & Thousands) Bronski Beat Bronski, Steinbachek, Somerville
8. "Don't Leave Me This Way" The Communards Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, Cary Gilbert
9. "La Dolorosa" The Communards Richard Coles, Somerville
10. "Disenchanted" The Communards Coles, Somerville
11. "So Cold the Night" The Communards Coles, Somerville
12. "You Are My World" The Communards Coles, Somerville
13. "Forbidden Love" The Communards Coles, Somerville
14. "Breadline Britain" The Communards Coles, Somerville
15. "Tomorrow" The Communards Coles, Somerville
16. "There's More to Love (Than Boy Meets Girl)" The Communards Coles, Somerville

Disc 2

Title Performer Writers Original Artist
1. "Victims" The Communards Coles, Somerville
2. "For a Friend" The Communards Coles, Somerville
3. "Never Can Say Goodbye" The Communards Clifton Davis
4. "Comment te dire adieu?" Jimmy Somerville Serge Gainsbourg, Arnold Goland, Jack Gold Françoise Hardy
5. "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" Jimmy Somerville James Wirrick, Sylvester James Sylvester (Sylvester James)
6. "Read My Lips (Enough Is Enough)" Jimmy Somerville Somerville
7. "Heartbeat" Jimmy Somerville Matt Rowe, Somerville, Richard Stannard
8. "By Your Side" Jimmy Somerville Rowe, Somerville, Stannard
9. "Safe" (Todd Terry Short Session) Jimmy Somerville Gary Butcher, Somerville
10. "To Love Somebody" Jimmy Somerville Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb Bee Gees
11. "Lay Down" Jimmy Somerville Gainsbourg, Sally Herbert, Somerville Samples Serge Gainsbourg's "Contact"
12. "Dark Sky" Jimmy Somerville Herbert, Somerville
13. "Something To Live For" (Sounds of Life Mix) Jimmy Somerville Herbert, Ed Monaghan, Somerville
14. "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" Jimmy Somerville Bob Crewe, Bob Gaudio Frankie Valli
15. "Come On" Jimmy Somerville Sunniva Greeve, Peter Plate, Somerville, Ulf Leo Sommer
16. "Could It Be Love?" Jimmy Somerville Felix Gauder, Milan Sajé, Somerville
17. "Sweet Unknown" Jimmy Somerville Alison Shaw, Jim Shaw Cranes
18. "People Are Strange" Jimmy Somerville John Paul Densmore, Robbie Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison The Doors

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2012) Peak
position
UK Independent Albums Chart (OCC)[1] 14
UK Albums Chart (OCC)[2] 160

References

  1. ^ UK - Independent Albums Chart - For a Friend - The Best Of'
  2. ^ "Chart Log UK (2012) – Jimmy Somerville". Zobbel. Dipl.-Bibl.(FH) Tobias Zywietz. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. FOR A FRIEND – THE BEST OF ... (Music Club Deluxe/MCI)" #160