Today marks the 30th anniversary of the release of ‘Welcome to the Pleasuredome’.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s groundbreaking album featured four hit songs that have remained popular throughout the decades that have followed.
The band’s debut single ‘Relax’ was released in late 1983 and was banned by the BBC. The song quickly rose to the top of the charts.
Follow up singles ‘Two Tribes’ and the ballad ‘the Power of Love’ soon followed and the title track was also a mammoth hit.
The double album reportedly sold a million copies even before it was released. There was some criticism though, the album version featured new recordings of the hit records, with producer Trevor Horn replacing much of the bands playing with session musicians and his own playing.
The Frankie phenomenon was huge in 1984 with the bands iconic ‘Frankie Says; T-shirts been seen everywhere.
The songs from the record have been remixed many times over. In the early 1990’s the songs were remixed and reentered the charts. Earlier this year German DJ’s Blank and Jones recreated many of the songs using the original master tapes. The duo delivered brand new epic versions of the songs clocking in at 12 minutes.
Today lead singer Holly Johnson is making a return to music with his brand new album ‘Europa’.
Johnson, who is the cover star of the current edition of OUTinPerth, told us that he’s proud of the longevity of the band’s tunes.
“I don’t reflect much upon it, unless questioned. I’m very happy that those songs I wrote as a young man have lived on into the 21st Century and that it still sounds great. I prefer the 7″ mixes of ‘Relax’ and ‘Two Tribes’ etc that Australian Julian Mendelsohn did, than the ones on the album.”
Read our full interview with Holly Johnson
The band’s third single ‘The Power of Love’ was recently a hit for Gabrielle Aplin. Aplin’s version was used in a TV commerical in Britain and also featured in the TV series ‘Resurrection’. Holly Johnson has also revisited the tune, he recorded a second version for his 1999 solo album ‘Soulsteam’.
Four Massive Hits
Relax
Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Two Tribes
The Power of Love
Update: A previous version of this article incorrectly titled Holly’s new album.
