Prohibition is good for business. When it was first
released, in October 1983, Frankie Goes to Hollywood's debut single just about
troubled the top 40. Enter irate Radio 1 DJ Mike Read who, objecting to its
saucy artwork and lyrics refused to play the track during the chart rundown.
The BBC then banned the song from radio and TV (the original video was all
decadent nightclub scenes and allusions to "water sports"). “Relax”
duly climbed to No 1, staying there for five weeks.
This Liverpool five-piece scored one of the most
controversial Number 1s of all time, on their way to becoming only the second
act to top the chart with their first three singles. Based in Liverpool,
Frankie Goes to Hollywood formed in 1980. Comprising of ex-Big in Japan
bassist, vocalist Holly Johnson, second vocalist Paul Rutherford, guitarist
Nasher Nash, bassist Mark O'Toole, and drummer Peter Gill. Originally, the
group was called Hollycaust, but they changed their name to Frankie Goes to
Hollywood (taken from an old headline about Frank Sinatra's acting career) by
the end of the year. When they appeared on the British television program The
Tube with a rough version of the video for "Relax" the appearance
attracted attention from several record labels as well as record producer
Trevor Horn. Horn contacted the band and signed them to his label, ZTT.
Frankie's first single, the Horn-produced "Relax"/"Ferry Cross
the Mersey," was released in October 1983. A driving dance number,
"Relax" featured sexually suggestive lyrics that would soon lead to
great controversy.
Around the time of the release of "Relax,"
Frankie's promotional director, Paul Morley, a former music journalist,
orchestrated a massive, intricate marketing campaign that soon paid off in
spades. Morley designed T-shirts that read "Relax" and "Frankie
Says...," which eventually appeared across the country. The group began
playing up their stylish, campy homosexual imagery, especially in the first
video for "Relax." The video was banned by British TV and a new
version was shot. Similarly, Radio 1 banned the single and the rest of the BBC
radio and television networks quickly banned the record as well. Consequently,
"Relax" shot to number one in January of 1984 and soon sold over a
million copies. Frankie's second single, the political "Two Tribes,"
was released in June of 1984. The single, which was also produced by Trevor
Horn, entered the charts at number one; it went gold in seven days. "Two
Tribes" stayed at number one for nine weeks and eventually sold over a
million copies. While “Two Tribes” was on the top of the charts,
"Relax" went back up the charts, peaking at number two.