Smalltown Boy

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andyd1010
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Smalltown Boy

Post by andyd1010 »

I was just watching Euphoria, and I was thinking, "this beat sounds familiar." And then, "Oh, this is an awesome cover of Smalltown Boy." I Shazamed it to figure out who it was, and it said it was the original. I tried three times; same result. Then I went to my library and played the 3-minute 10-second ska version I had always thought was the original. No results on Shazam. Now I have no idea whose version that was or when it's from! And it's bugging me. I like the ska version, but the original is fantastic, and since I listened to all of the top 10,000 ranked on this site years ago, it's extremely rare for me to come across an old classic I've never heard, so that was really cool.
DaveC
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Re: Smalltown Boy

Post by DaveC »

There is a ska version on Spotify by The Sunshiners. They are from Vanuatu. I actually saw a local band perform in Port Vila some years ago, maybe the same band.
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andyd1010
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Re: Smalltown Boy

Post by andyd1010 »

SoundHound tells me it's by a German artist called Lax' Alex Con-Trax, from a 1998 album called SKAnatomy! Still can't find a version I can listen to anywhere online, but this seems to be the right one, from listening to some of their other songs and from the time on discogs being listed as 3:10. It's quite a bit faster than The Sunshiners version or the original. No idea how I ended up with this version in my library haha
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Rob
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Re: Smalltown Boy

Post by Rob »

Funny you bring this one up, because currently I hear this song everywhere, almost as if it is a new hit (for the record, I've known the Bronski Beat version all my life). I haven't even seen Euphoria, but stores, movies, even one recent poll here keep bringing this song up. I'm not sure if it is a coincidence or if this song has had something of a revival.

Never heard a ska version though.
Wisnu Tirta Aji
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Re: Smalltown Boy

Post by Wisnu Tirta Aji »

FUN FACTS: The song, "Smalltown Boy" by Bronski Beat, gained a little renewed popularity after used as a background song of a car cleaner ad. How bizzare are you?
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