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Holly Johnson Atomic City on German TV

Holly Johnson - Atomic City and Interview

Paul Rutherford in Two Tribes Video

Two Tribes

Frankie Goes To Hollywood Watching The Wildlife - 80s Music Video

Watching The Wildlife

 
FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD

Frankie Goes To Hollywood were one of the biggest-selling 80's acts and in 1984 they were huge! Their first single Relax was famously banned by BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Reid for its explicit lyrics, with "Relax, don't do it when you wanna go to it" referring to not bothering to use a condom during sex - pretty tame by today's standards!

The video was also banned as it was also deemed to be too sexually explicit. Of course, the single then shot to No.1 for five weeks and it remains in the top ten best-selling UK singles chart, having sold around 2 million copies. It also re-entered the UK charts and reached No.2 whilst the second single, Two Tribes, was at still hogging the limelight at No.1.

The "Frankie Say Relax" T-shirt became as big as the single. Several other T-shirts were also released, including "Frankie Say War - Hide Yourself!", though these weren't quite as successful.

The second Frankie single, Two Tribes, stayed at No.1 for nine weeks and there were countless different 12 inch versions and remixes released by ZTT. Two Tribes is also in the top 30 of all-time best-selling UK singles chart.

After two singles that caused much controversy, quite unexpectedly, Frankie released a ballad The Power Of Love, which also spent a week at No.1, but was knocked off the top spot by Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?".

In 1985, Welcome To The Pleasuredome was the final single to be released from the album of the same name and was the first Frankie song not to top the charts, peaking at #2 in the UK.

After the release of the Welcome To The Pleasuredome single, Frankie Goes To Hollywood escaped from the tax men by retreating to a remote castle, apparantly! This is where they started to pen their second album Liverpool. Unfortunately, pop is a fickle business to be in and their return in the late summer of 1986 with the new single Rage Hard wasn't welcomed with open arms by the media or the public.

However, Rage Hard still reached No.4 in the UK charts, and the Liverpool album managed to reach a respectable No.5.  Far from a flop, but it was the start of the "slippery slope" for Frankie, and the next single Warriors Of The Wasteland only reached No.19 in the UK. However, many thought this was a pretty decent single, and should have been released before Rage Hard, as only die hard fans were now buying their music.

A final single Watching The Wildlife briefly visited the Top 30, but Frankie then disbanded - very sad.

Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax (1984)

Here is the video of Relax that wasn't banned which simply features the band, rather than all of the controversial sexy stuff! Also check out the video of Holly Johnson at my 80s Remix Blog performing Relax live at the 80s Rewind Festival in 2011.


Relax 2009 - Chicane Remix

Featuring Holly Johnson


Two Tribes Demo

This was an intermediate demo which you may never have heard before. It features elements from both the first demo and final single version - a really interesting listen!

Watch the original ZTT video


The Power Of Love by

Frankie Goes To Hollywood (1984)

This was the band's third single release from the Welcome to the Pleasuredome album and was also Frankie's third No.1 in a row. It only topped the charts for one week in December 1984, as the Band Aid single "Do They Know It's Christmas" claimed the top spot the following week just in time for Christmas!

Watch a stunning live performance of The Power Of Love at my 80s Remix blog.


Welcome To The Pleasuredome

This was Frankie Goes To Hollywood's fourth single release and reached No.2 in 1985.


Frankie Say War! Live on The Tube

War was originally a soul song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for the Mowtown label in 1969. It featured on Frankie's Welcome to the Pleasuredome album.


Frankie Goes To Hollywood Performing Rage Hard on Top of the Pops in 1986

This was Frankie's fifth chart hit which reached No.4 in 1986. It was the first single to be lifted from the Liverpool album. In this performance the band appear to have just robbed a bank! Keep your eyes open at 1:05 when the cameraman runs into lead singer, Holly Johnson and he sticks his middle finger up to him!


Warriors of the Wasteland

The sixth Frankie single was released on 11 Nov 1986 and reached No.19 in the UK. The single version had more of an electro-rock sound than the original album version as it had been totally re-worked using a computer sequencer with samples of the band playing their instruments.


 

Paul Rutherford - Oh World (1989)

This is the official video for Paul Rutherford's (Frankie's backing singer and dancer) solo single which was released in 1989 and was taken from the album of the same name.



HOLLY JOHNSON

Holly Johnson is most famous for being the lead singer of one of the most controversial and biggest-selling eighties bands - Frankie Goes To Hollywood.

In 1989, Holly released his first solo single "Love Train", a catchy dance/pop tune that reached no.4 in the UK charts. The follow-up single "Americanos" (which was even more catchy!) also reached no.4. It should have reached No.1 in my opinion!

         

Following the success of these two singles, the album "Blast!" (MCA) was quickly released and this shot straight to no.1.  Two more singles were also released from the album "Atomic City" (this was a brilliant track produced by Dan Hartman) and "Heaven's Here".

An imaginatively titled remix album "Hollelujah" was released in 1990 and featured a Frankie Knuckles remix of "Love Train", plus remixes of "Americanos", "Atomic City", "Perfume" and "Heaven's Here", plus the title track "Hollelujah".

Holly released a second album on the MCA label "Dream's That Money Can't Buy" in 1991. Unfortunately, due to MCA cutting their promotional budget, and a lack of airplay for the first single "Where Has Love Gone", the album failed to hit the top 40. Another two singles were also released from the album, "Across The Universe" and "The People Want To Dance".

Holly Johnson also released an album in 1999 called "Soulstream".

CLICK HERE TO VISIT HOLLY JOHNSON'S WEB SITE

Frankie on Saturday Superstore!

Non-official Frankie Myspace profile

Holly also became well-known for his hats!

         

Discography

Albums (CD)
  • Blast (1989) MCA (DMCG 6042)
  • Hollelujah - The Remix Album (1990) MCA (DMCL 1902)
  • Dreams That Money Can't Buy (1991) MCA (MCAD 10278)
  • Soulstream (1999) Pleasuredome (PLDCD001)

Singles (CD)

  • Love Train (1989) MCA (DMCAT 1306)
  • Americanos (1989) MCA (DMCAT 1323)
  • Atomic City (1989) MCA (DMCAT 1342)
  • Heaven's Here (1989) MCA (DMCAT 1365)
  • Where Has Love Gone (1990) MCA (DMCAT 1460)
  • Across The Universe (1991) MCA (MCSTD 1513)
  • The People Want To Dance (1991) MCA (MCSTD 1563)
  • Legendary Children (1994) Club Tools (CLU 6045-5)
  • Disco Heaven (1999) Pleasuredome (PLDCD1004) CD1 & CD2
  • The Power Of Love 1999 Pleasuredome (PLDCD1005) CD1 & CD2

Holly Johnson - Love Train (1989)

Love Train was Holly's first solo single after Frankie disbanded, and reached No.4 in the UK Charts in 1989. Featuring a guitar solo by Queen guitarist Brian May, this was taken from his debut solo album Blast.

 

Holly Johnson - Americanos (1989)

This even catchier second single from the Blast album stayed in the UK charts for 11 weeks and just like Love Train, also peaked at No.4. It ws No.1 in Austria and No.2 in Germany. 

Also listen to the Justin Strauss Extended Mix at my 80s Remix blog.


Holly Johnson Performing 

Americanos in 2010

 

 

 

Frankie Goes To Hollywood leaving the Hammersmith Apollo in London, 1985. Photo by Jane McCormick Smith 


 

 

 



 

 

 
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