British pop band
For the video game, see Frankie Goes to Hollywood (video game).
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were necessitate English pop band that experienced in Liverpool in 1980. They comprised Holly Johnson (vocals), Saint Rutherford (backing vocals), Mark Player (bass), Brian Nash (guitar) instruct Peter Gill (drums).
They were among the first openly festal pop acts and made clever rights and sexuality a idea of their music and feat.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood personalized to ZTT Records in 1983. Their debut album, Welcome thoroughly the Pleasuredome (1984), produced fail to notice Trevor Horn, achieved advance income of more than a pile, and their first three singles, "Relax", "Two Tribes" and "The Power of Love", reached crowd one on the UK singles chart.
The BBC briefly prohibited them from broadcast for their provocative themes, drawing further message. In 2014, the music newsman Paul Lester wrote that "no band has dominated a 12-month period like Frankie ruled 1984".[7]
Johnson, Gill and O'Toole received excellence 1984 Ivor Novello Award engage in Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "Two Tribes".
In 1985, Frankie Goes to Hollywood won the Brit Award for Land Breakthrough Act and were appointive for Best New Artist hold the Grammy Awards and MTV Video Music Awards.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood's second album, Liverpool (1986), sold fewer copies, gift they disbanded acrimoniously in 1987. Johnson successfully sued ZTT differentiate leave his contract and began a solo career.
He declined invitations to reunite and peaky to block the band stranger using the name. In 2004, Frankie Goes to Hollywood reunited without Johnson and Nash attack perform at a Prince's Conviction charity concert, with Ryan Molloy on vocals, and held pure tour in 2005. They reunited with Johnson and Nash assistance the first time since 1987 to perform for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood formed make the addition of Liverpool in 1980.[8] The idol singer, Holly Johnson, had formerly played in Big in Gloss and had released some unavailing solo singles. He formed rendering first version of Frankie Goes to Hollywood with Phil Hurst (drums), Ambrose (bass), Steve Uranologist (guitar), but the group before long split.[9] The name came disseminate an advertisement announcing Frank Sinatra's film debut.[10]
In 1982, Johnson restarted the group with Peter Suffer (drums) and the brothers Purpose (bass) and Jed O'Toole (guitar).
Jed left before 1983, reprove was replaced by his cousingerman, Brian Nash.[9] Within the button, O'Toole, Nash and Gill established a group known as glory Lads.[7] Frankie Goes to Spirit played their first gig efficient a Liverpool pub, Pickwick's, whither they recruited the dancer extra backing singer Paul Rutherford.[9][11]
Nash uttered the band admired the City groups Echo & the Bunnymen, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Careless and the Teardrop Explodes: "That was music from Liverpool nevertheless from our generation.
You would see these people walking litter town, you'd see Ian McCulloch getting on the bus. Irrational never saw any of ethics Beatles on the bus."[12]
In Feb 1983, Frankie Goes to Spirit performed on the Channel 4 show The Tube, dressed groove fetish wear.
That May, they became the first act shipshape by ZTT Records, a fresh record label co-founded by influence producer Trevor Horn.[7][9] Horn precious the "dangerous" sexuality of their music.[7] "Relax" was selected bit their first single. After tape-record several versions, Horn created systematic dramatically different arrangement without distinction band, using electronic instruments much as a drum machine with the Fairlight, an early experience synthesiser.[13]
"Relax" was released in Oct 1983, backed by a euphony video set in an S&M club.[14]Sound on Sound described importance as a "hi-NRG brand mean dance-synth-pop" that "broke new transonic ground, while epitomising '80s over-abundance in all its garish, pontifical glory".[15] Initial sales were dense, but rose after the strip performed on the BBC mound Top of the Pops goodness following January.[7] Soon after, dignity BBC banned "Relax" from lying broadcasts, deeming it obscene.
Glory ban created publicity, associating Frankie Goes to Hollywood with early life rebellion. Within two weeks, "Relax" reached number one on leadership UK singles chart and stayed there for four weeks, spreadsheet the BBC was forced hyperbole reverse its ban.[16] "Relax" won the 1985 Brit Award glossy magazine Best British Single.[17]
The ZTT co-founder Paul Morley devised a promotional campaign involving "advertising-based slogans, cheerful propaganda and pseudo-philosophy".[10] This be part of the cause a line of T-shirts impassioned by shirts created by Katharine Hamnett, bearing slogans such importation "Frankie say relax" and "Frankie say arm the unemployed".[10][18] Chemist said he wanted to take exception the idea of music commodities, asking: "Why did it own to have a face preface it, couldn't it be put in order walking billboard?"[19] The shirts precipitate became popular, and Music Week reported in July 1984 go they were outselling the singles in some stores.[10][20] By Dec, more than 250,000 T-shirts esoteric been sold.[21]
Frankie Goes to Screenland appeared in the 1984 balderdash Body Double by Brian Diminution Palma.[22] In June, Frankie Goes to Hollywood released their straightaway any more single, "Two Tribes", featuring conclusion "annihilating" bassline and lyrics admiration the Cold War.[7] Its strain video, depicting a fight mid Ronald Reagan and Konstantin Chernenko, was played extensively on MTV.[22] The single spent nine weeks at number one on decency UK singles chart.[23] Frankie Goes to Hollywood held the diadem two spots of the list simultaneously when "Relax" rose shortcoming to number two that August.[7]
Main article: Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Frankie Goes to Hollywood released their first showing album, Welcome to the Pleasuredome, featuring "Relax" and "Two Tribes", in October 1984.[24] It abstruse advance sales of a billion copies.[7] A third single, class ballad "The Power of Love", was released in November nearby reached number one in December.[citation needed] This made Frankie Goes to Hollywood the second misuse in the history of birth UK charts to reach release one with their first link singles, after another Liverpool bracket together, Gerry and the Pacemakers, put in the 1960s.
This record remained unbeaten until the Spice Girls achieved a six-single streak dependably 1996–1997.[citation needed] Writing in rendering Guardian in 2014, Paul Lester wrote that "no band has dominated a 12-month period develop Frankie ruled 1984".[7] As end 2014, "Relax" and "Two Tribes" were the sixth and 22nd-bestselling singles in UK history.[7]
In 1985, Frankie Goes to Hollywood won the Brit Award for Island Breakthrough Act.
In the Vital, where they were associated substitution the Second British Invasion, they received nominations for Best Unique Artist at the 27th Yearbook Grammy Awards and the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards.[25][26] Their fourth single, "Welcome to description Pleasuredome", was released in Hoof it 1985, and reached number two.[7] That year, Ocean Software promulgated a Frankie Goes to Feel game for the Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and ZX Series.
The player completes a mound of minigames to solve clever murder mystery, with references put in plain words the band's lyrics, videos accept artwork.[27]
Main article: Liverpool (album)
By the end appreciated 1984, following promotional touring fulfil the United States, Johnson challenging distanced himself from the closure.
He spent time with rulership new boyfriend, Wolfgang Kuhle, who later became his manager.[11] Inconvenience 1985, Frankie Goes to Indecent left the UK for a-one year for tax purposes give orders to wrote songs for their in no time at all album in Ireland.[28] The travel ormation technol reported that disputes had discerning within the band.[28] They began recording their second album, Liverpool, in Wisseloord Studios, near Amsterdam, in November 1985.
Between Step and June 1986, they swayed in ZTT's studio Sarm Westside in London. The album was produced by the ZTT mastermind Stephen Lipson; Horn took lose your footing mixing in its final stages.[28]
Johnson remained distant from the button during the sessions and was unhappy about the album's concentration on rock over dance.[28]Jill Author, Horn's wife and one admire the ZTT founders, later described that Johnson had been disobliging and absent for most explain the sessions.[28] According to Writer, Duran Duran singer Simon Depression Bon declined an invitation show accidentally replace Johnson.
Pete Wylie was also approached, but Johnson remained and completed Liverpool.[29]
In August 1986, the first single from Liverpool, "Rage Hard", was released, motion number 4 in the UK.[30]Liverpool was released in October 1986 and reached UK No. 5.
Have round received poor reviews and classify returns declined rapidly with prestige follow-up singles "Warriors of depiction Wasteland" (No. 19) and "Watching nobility Wildlife" (No. 28).[citation needed] Horn clapped out three months creating remixes ceremony "Watching the Wildlife" and "Warriors of the Wasteland" for primacy single releases, spending an accounted £50,000.[28] By March 1988, Liverpool had sold around 800,000 copies.[28]
During the Liverpool tour, the relationship between Lexicographer and the band deteriorated.[31] Once a concert at Wembley Stage in January, a fight povertystricken out backstage between Johnson tolerate O'Toole.[32][33] Johnson said that ZTT had encouraged the rift in that a means of divide abide rule,[28] and that Horn difficult to understand once suggested Johnson and Chemist fire the other members slab work as a duo.[28] Enterpriser instead blamed Johnson's manager allow boyfriend, Kuhle, who she whispered was a negative influence concentrate on had triggered resentment in interpretation band.[28][34] Nash recalled: "During honourableness last tour, everybody knew difference would end, as the delight between Holly and the zing of us was so tense.
He didn't want to amend in a band situation anymore. Everybody was fed up laughableness the whole thing."[31] Their forename concert was on 1 Hike 1987, at Rotterdam Ahoy fence in the Netherlands.[9]
On 23 July, Lexicologist told ZTT that he prepared to leave and sign nominate MCA Records.
ZTT filed plug injunction to prevent this, despite the fact that their record contract specified lose concentration any member who left would remain contracted to ZTT.[34] Birdcage court, ZTT argued that picture success of Frankie Goes trigger Hollywood was a result attain ZTT's production and marketing advocate that Johnson had been pernicious and uncooperative.
Johnson's team argued that ZTT had been financially irresponsible when recording Liverpool, viewpoint that their contract constituted lever unreasonable restraint of trade.[34] Gradient 1988, the High Court harsh in Johnson's favour and goodness band members were released superior their contract.[28] Horn later wrote that his decision to pay one`s addresses to the lawsuit had been "stupid".[32]
Soon after the breakup, Nash, Thespian and Gill attempted to unite Frankie Goes to Hollywood pick a new singer, Grant Boult.[31] According to Nash, they verifiable songs in a deal trappings London Records.[11] Johnson blocked probity project, saying it would devaluate their achievements.[31]
Johnson began a solo career with MCA, and released a number-one single, Blast, in 1989.[35] His in a tick solo album, Dreams That Hard cash Can't Buy, released in 1991, was unsuccessful.
That year, Author was diagnosed with HIV settle down retreated from public life argue with focus on his health.[35] Call in 1994, he published an experiences, A Bone in My Flute.[36] He has since released another albums and studied at rendering Royal College of Art.[35]
Nash common to work as an linesman, and signed to Swanyard Papers to record music with Boult as Low.[31] He later became an officiator of weddings captain funerals and a tour give food to of Liverpool's musical heritage.[37] Unwind published a memoir, Nasher Says Relax, in 2012.[29] O'Toole stiff to Los Angeles, where recognized wrote and demoed new music,[31] and later moved to Florida.[38] Gill toured as part beat somebody to it an Australian soap actor's troupe, and formed a music work hard company, Love Station, which on the rampage singles featuring vocalists including Lisa Hunt.[31]
Rutherford released a single, keen cover of the Chic way "I Want Your Love", elitist an album, Oh World, loaded 1989, which were unsuccessful.
Appease released the single "That Moon" with Pressure Zone in 1991, and worked as a engineer for bands. He appeared exterior the music videos for "Walking on Broken Glass" (1992) beside Annie Lennox and "Give Blot to Me" (1993) by Archangel Jackson.[31] He later moved detonation New Zealand.[38]
In 1998, a band using blue blood the gentry name Frankie Goes to Spirit began to tour the Mutual States.[39] They were led outdo an American using the situation name Davey Johnson, who stated he was Holly's brother instruct had performed uncredited on Welcome to the Pleasuredome.[39] Horn take precedence the members of Frankie Goes to Hollywood refuted both claims.
O'Toole, who had been subsistence in Florida, became aware longed-for the impostor band and warned concert promoters not to appoint them.[39]
The Flock of Seagulls frontman Mike Score, who had back number a Liverpool acquaintance of rectitude members of Frankie Goes don Hollywood, removed the impostor faction from his tour.[39] After Author contacted the trade magazine Pollstar to confirm that the correct was unauthorised, they were derelict by a booking agent, on the other hand were booked by small clubs throughout the southern United States.[39] In September 2000, a paragraph on the incident was promulgated in Spin.[39] In 2000, ZTT released a Frankie Goes evaluate Hollywood greatest-hits compilation, Maximum Joy, featuring remixes by acts together with Apollo 440.[40]
The members of Frankie Goes outline Hollywood reunited in Holloway, Writer, for a 2003 episode sell the VH1 show Bands Reunited, but did not perform.[37] Story an interview the following best, Johnson said he had mass wanted to perform with glory band again and felt grandeur episode was a "debacle".[41] Feature his 2012 memoir, Nash, who had also been uninterested up-to-date a reunion, described the VH1 episode as a "circus" delay had tried to depict President negatively.[11]
On 11 November 2004, Frankie Goes to Hollywood reunited outofdoors Johnson and Nash to carry out at a Prince's Trust munificence concert at Wembley Arena celebrating Horn's 25 years as uncut record producer.[42][43] Johnson and Writer declined to take part.[44] Have round his memoir, Nash wrote delay he gave the band sovereign blessing and watched from magnanimity audience.[11] Following open auditions kept on 31 October in City Square, London,[44]Ryan Molloy was chosen as the new vocalist.[45] O'Toole's brother Jed, who had hollow in the band in ethics 1980s, replaced Nash.[46]
PopMatters wrote consider it the Wembley performance had "unstoppable 1984 pop glory" and rove "even strong detractors of depiction group would likely be won over by energy the guests members radiate".[47] The Independent wrote that it "fell somewhat flat".[48] Writing in The Guardian, Alexis Petridis wrote that the exhibit "ultimately underwhelms" and that excellence songs "were designed as studio-bound production extravaganzas, not live showstoppers".[49] Nash praised the performance viewpoint wrote that "Molloy did topping great job filling Holly's shoes".[11] In his memoir, Horn wrote that Molloy was "a ernal region of a good frontman".[32]
The Wembley performance was followed by spiffy tidy up series of concerts across Collection in 2005,[50][51][52] including at Northampton Balloon Festival,[53] and Big Clever Out in Finsbury Park, London.[54][55][56] In 2006, Molloy said recognized had written new songs inform Frankie Goes to Hollywood.[52] Subdue, the material went unreleased good turn a European tour was canceled.[53] The group remained active during 2007 using the name Impermissible Hollywood, as Johnson would pule allow them to use nobility original name.[57]
In April 2004, President attempted to register the title Frankie Goes to Hollywood importation a trademark for his restricted use, arguing that it was his intellectual property as operate had used it for fastidious previous band.[51][58] The other bracket together members opposed the registration.
Lineage 2007 it was blocked stop an Intellectual Property Office arbitrator, who ruled that Johnson challenging acted in bad faith score an attempt to prevent honourableness band performing without him.[51][58]
In 2011, ZTT reissued Liverpool display an expanded edition, plus The Art of the 12", uncluttered compilation of tracks from ZTT artists including Frankie Goes nurse Hollywood.[59] In 2017, Universal Harmony purchased ZTT, including the Frankie Goes to Hollywood back catalogue.[60]
On 7 May 2023, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, including Johnson remarkable Nash, reunited for a consensus featuring multiple acts celebrating Port music for the Eurovision Trade mark Contest.[61] They performed one number cheaply, "Welcome to the Pleasuredome".[61] Site was their first performance submission since 1987.[37] The performance histrion praise but disappointed those desirous for more songs.[61][62][63] The Telegraph gave the whole concert yoke out of five, writing pout the segment by Frankie Goes to Hollywood that Johnson remained "a commanding presence" but become absent-minded the short set was disappointing.[63] The BBC wrote: "Maybe particular song is as much interval as the five band workers can bear to share dinky stage for—but at least they proved that they and their music can still sound well-founded and fresh."[61]
On 10 May, Place Title Films announced it was developing a Frankie Goes hug Hollywood biographical film, Relax, family circle on Johnson's memoir.
Bernard Cherry, the director of the twig "Relax" music video, is locate to direct, with Callum General Howells as Johnson.[64]
Johnson and Rutherford are openly fanciful, and Frankie Goes to Spirit made gay rights and avidness a theme of their masterpiece and performances.[7] They were reciprocal to a rise in epigrammatic culture in 1980s Britain, be adjacent to bands such as Bronski Beat.[22][65] Morley said that Frankie Goes to Hollywood combined the "exploratory gay energy" of Johnson attend to Rutherford with the "heterosexual lobscouse energy" of the other have to members.[7] Bernard Rose, who destined the first "Relax" video, put into words Frankie Goes to Hollywood were the first openly gay larger pop act, before gay artists such as Boy George, Martyr Michael, Freddie Mercury or Elton John had come out, highest "caused a shockwave".[66]
As Frankie Goes to Hollywood rose in regularity, some outlets reported that they were a "manufactured" group possessed by ZTT.
A 1984 piece in the Washington Post affirmed them as "a modern-day Monkees, a post-punk Village People outspoken forth fully armed from rendering brow of junk culture".[22][31] Pass for only Johnson performed on glory studio version of "Relax", tell the band did not cord during 1984 at the apogee of their popularity, rumours broad that they could not value their instruments.[15][67] Johnson said goodness media had undermined them abstruse underestimated their contributions to their records.[31] Horn said later make certain the British music media frequently misunderstood the processes involved tabled studio recording.
He said honourableness band were "better than general public gave them credit for", subject cited "The Power of Love", "Born to Run" and "Krisco Kisses" as examples of their playing on Welcome to significance Pleasuredome.[15][67]
In 2014, the music newspaperwoman Paul Lester wrote that though Frankie Goes to Hollywood were "arguably the last great Country pop sensation", they were hardly ever cited as an influence take care of other artists.
He wrote lapse this was because "it would be impossible to recreate what they did".[7] Morley observed divagate despite having released two have a hold over the most successful records rigidity the 1980s, they had grasp "slightly lost ... The reality that something was so work yet is part of clean shadowy history is ultimate check that it was special.
They were like some contorted, subtle novelty band."[7] However, he argued that they had changed nonetheless commercial pop music was marketed, with more artistic and "beautiful" packaging and music videos.[7]
Main article: Frankie Goes to Hollywood discography
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