Jimmy Somerville’s Dare To Love: An anniversary re-release that reinstates the original ‘too gay’ artwork
To celebrate its 30th anniversary, London Records have reissued the singer’s second studio album on glorious double vinyl for the first time
Freshly remastered and released alongside a double CD and digital edition, this is the first time Somerville’s 1995 effort has been available with its original intended artwork – a detail that transforms this birthday edition into a moment of cultural reckoning.
Originally released in June 1995, Dare To Love arrived at a crossroads in Somerville’s career. Fresh from the success of Bronski Beat and The Communards, and following the sleek pop of Read My Lips, the album leaned deeper into house, reggae, and dance music. Produced by Stephen Hague and longtime collaborators, it balanced bass-heavy club tracks with slower, dub-inflected cuts and tender ballads.
Singles such as ‘Heartbeat’ and ‘Hurt So Good’, a top 20 hit in the UK, kept Somerville on radio and dance floors alike, while songs like ‘Safe in These Arms’ revealed a more vulnerable, introspective voice.
“I always had to compromise with London Records over something and this was one I deeply regretted”
This special 30th anniversary edition deepens that story. The new sleeve finally restores the original concept: a silhouette of a male figure across Somerville’s torso, absent from the 1995 release after label concerns that it was “too gay.” Through today’s lens, the image feels far from ‘controversial’. Instead, it reads as a powerful stance of queer visibility.
On the reissue, Jimmy comments: “I always had to compromise with London Records over something and this was one I deeply regretted. The irony is that London Records thought this photo was too gay but I now chuckle to myself as I can see their point of view – it’s homoerotic and not nice non-controversial gay… which I have never been!”
Alongside the remastered album, the expanded tracklisting gathers previously unreleased B-sides, rarities and remixes from the likes of Todd Terry, The Beatmasters and Sly & Robbie. On the vinyl edition in particular, the sequencing benefits from extra breathing room, allowing emotional moments to land with greater weight.
Dare To Love sounds as confident and alive as ever. Three decades on, with its intended artwork in its’ rightful place, Somerville’s second solo effort finally feels complete.
Dare To Love’s 30th anniversary edition is available now from London Records.