For a friend - Communards

Jimmy Somerville left his band Bronski Beat in 1985 and teamed up with classically trained musician Richard Coles. They will probably always be remembered for their versions of 'Don't leave me this way' and 'Never can say goodbye', but 'For a friend' remains, to me, their most beautiful song. They wrote the song for a close friend of theirs, whose life was taken by AIDS. And as the B-side track 'Victims' stated: 'No-one to blame there's only victims'. A good statement in a country where gays were continually blamed for the spreading of the disease at the time. Released in 1988, it reached number 28 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 628

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1988

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'For a friend' / 'Victims (live)'

Download: here