"Glasgow is a city, but it's one with a small-town mentality." — Jimmy Somerville

I had good parents. My mother had morals and standards and she brought us up to be good kids - some of the families around were just laws unto themselves, it was really tribal.

The first record I ever danced to in a grown-up disco was Donna Summer's 'A Love Trilogy'. I danced for the full 15 minutes and I thought to myself, 'This is it, this is what it's all about.'

I had good parents. My mother had morals and standards and she brought us up to be good kids - some of the families around were just laws unto themselves, it was really tribal.

I've never liked bosses telling me what to do.

I went to squat with a bunch of friends - creative, intelligent, political people. We got involved in a community project funded by the Arts Council and we made this video. I sang a poem and somebody, I think it was Richard Coles, who was later my partner in the Communards, said I had a very strange sound and I should use it.

When disco came around the first time, there was this real core of progressive thinking and a positive lyrical content - about freedom, the possibilities of love, change and expression.

Actually, it doesn't matter to the papers why you left Glasgow. They never look at the roots of the problems you had, and you simply end up being painted as un-nationalistic.

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Glasgow is a city, but it's one with a small-town mentality.