Frankie Goes to Hollywood were an English pop band that formed in Liverpool in 1980. They comprise Holly Johnson, Paul Rutherford, Mark OToole, Brian Nash and Peter Gill. Frankie Goes to Hollywood signed to ZTT Records in 1983.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were an English pop band that formed in Liverpool in 1980. They comprise Holly Johnson (vocals), Paul Rutherford (backing vocals), Mark OToole (bass), Brian Nash (guitar) and Peter Gill (drums). They were among the first openly gay pop acts and made gay rights and sexuality a theme of their music and performances.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood signed to ZTT Records in 1983. Their debut album, Welcome to the Pleasuredome (1984), produced by Trevor Horn, achieved advance sales of more than a million, and their first three singles, "Relax", "Two Tribes" and "The Power of Love", reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. Their provocative themes led them to be briefly banned by the BBC, drawing further publicity. In 2014, the music journalist Paul Lester wrote that "no band has dominated a 12-month period like Frankie ruled 1984".[6]
Johnson, Gill and OToole received the 1984 Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "Two Tribes". In 1985, Frankie Goes to Hollywood won the Brit Award for British Breakthrough Act and were nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards and MTV Video Music Awards.
Frankie Goes to Hollywoods second album, Liverpool (1986), sold fewer copies, and they disbanded acrimoniously in 1987. Johnson successfully sued ZTT to leave his contract and began a solo career. He declined invitations to reunite and tried to block the band from using the name. In 2004, Frankie Goes to Hollywood reunited without Johnson and Nash to perform at a Princes Trust charity concert, with Ryan Molloy on vocals, and held a tour in 2005. The band reunited with Johnson and Nash for the first time since 1987 to perform for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.
History
1980–1982: formation
Frankie Goes to Hollywood formed in Liverpool in 1980.[7] The lead singer, Holly Johnson, had previously played in Big in Japan and had released some unsuccessful solo singles. He formed the first version of Frankie Goes to Hollywood with local musicians Phil Hurst (drums), Ambrose (bass), Steve Lovell (guitar), but the group soon split.[8] The bands name comes from an advertisement announcing the first film by Frank Sinatra.[9]
In 1982, Johnson restarted the group with Peter Gill (drums) and the brothers Mark (bass) and Jed OToole (guitar). Jed left before 1983, replaced by his cousin, Brian Nash.[8] Within the band, OToole, Nash and Gill constituted a group known as the Lads.[6] Frankie Goes to Hollywood played their first gig at a Liverpool pub, Pickwicks, where they recruited the dancer and backing singer Paul Rutherford.[8][10]
Nash said the band admired the Liverpool groups Echo & the Bunnymen, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and the Teardrop Explodes: "That was music from Liverpool but from our generation. You would see these people walking around town, youd see Ian McCulloch getting on the bus. I never saw any of the Beatles on the bus."[11]
1983–1984: "Relax", "Two Tribes" and success
Trevor Horn, pictured in 1984 wearing a Frankie Goes to Hollywood shirt, signed the band to ZTT and produced their first album.
In February 1983, Frankie Goes to Hollywood performed on the Channel 4 show The Tube, dressed in fetish wear. That May, they became the first act signed by ZTT Records, a new record label co-founded by the producer Trevor Horn.[6][8] Horn admired the "dangerous" sexuality of their music.[6] "Relax" was selected as their first single. After recording several versions, Horn created a dramatically different arrangement without the band, using electronic instruments such as a drum machine and the Fairlight, an early sampling synthesiser.[12]
"Relax" was released in October 1983, backed by a music video set in an S&M club.[13] Sound on Sound described it as a "hi-NRG brand of dance-synth-pop" that "broke new sonic ground, while epitomising 80s excess in all its garish, overblown glory".[14] Initial sales were slow, but rose after the band appeared on the BBC series Top of the Pops the following January.[6] Soon after, the BBC banned "Relax" from its radio and television broadcasts, deeming it obscene. The ban created publicity, associating Frankie Goes to Hollywood with youth rebellion. Within two weeks, "Relax" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and stayed there for four weeks, and the BBC was forced to reverse its ban.[15] "Relax" won the 1985 Brit Award for Best British Single.[16]
One of the ZTT co-founders, Paul Morley, devised a promotional campaign involving "advertising-based slogans, playful propaganda and pseudo-philosophy".[17] This included a line of T-shirts inspired by shirts created by Katharine Hamnett, bearing slogans such as "Frankie say relax" and "Frankie say arm the unemployed".[9][18] Morley said he wanted to challenge the idea of music merchandise, asking: "Why did it have to have a face on it, couldnt it be a walking billboard?"[19] The shirts quickly became popular, and Music Week reported in July 1984 that they were outselling the singles in some stores.[9][20] By the end of the year, more than 250,000 T-shirts had been sold.[21]
Frankie Goes to Hollywood appeared in the 1984 thriller Body Double by Brian De Palma.[17] In June, Frankie Goes to Hollywood released their second single, "Two Tribes", featuring an "annihilating" bassline and lyrics about the Cold War.[6] Its music video, depicting a fight between Ronald Reagan and Konstantin Chernenko, was played extensively on MTV.[17] The single spent nine weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart.[22] That August, "Relax" climbed the chart to number two, marking the first time the top two positions had been held by a single act since the Beatles in January 1968.[6]
1984–1985: Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Main article: Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Frankie Goes to Hollywood released their debut album, Welcome to the Pleasuredome, featuring "Relax" and "Two Tribes", in October 1984.[23] It had advance sales of a million copies.[6] A third single, the ballad "The Power of Love", was released in November and reached number one in December.[citation needed] The group became the second in the history of the UK charts to reach number one with their first three singles, after another Liverpool band, Gerry and the Pacemakers, in the 1960s. This record remained unbeaten until the Spice Girls achieved a six-single streak in 1996–1997.[citation needed] Writing in the Guardian in 2014, Paul Lester wrote that "no band has dominated a 12-month period like Frankie ruled 1984".[6] As of 2014, "Relax" and "Two Tribes" were the sixth and 22nd-bestselling singles in UK history.[6]
By the end of the 1984, during sell-out shows in Los Angeles and promotional touring in the United States, Johnson had distanced himself from the band, spending time with his new boyfriend, Wolfgang Kuhle.[10] In 1985, Frankie Goes to Hollywood won the Brit Award for British Breakthrough Act. In the US, where they were associated with the Second British Invasion, they received nominations for Best New Artist at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards and the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards.[24][25] Their fourth single, "Welcome to the Pleasuredome", was released in March 1985, and reached number two.[6]
Ocean Software published a Frankie Goes to Hollywood game for the Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum in 1985. The player completes a series of minigames to solve a murder mystery, featuring references to the bands lyrics, videos and artwork.[26]
1985–1986: Liverpool and decline
Main article: Liverpool (album)
In 1985, Frankie Goes to Hollywood left the UK for a year for tax purposes and wrote songs for their second album in Ireland.[27] The media reported that disputes had formed within the band.[27] They began recording their second album, Liverpool, in Wisseloord Studios, near Amsterdam, in November 1985. Between March and June 1986, they worked in ZTTs studio Sarm West in London. The album was produced by the ZTT engineer Stephen Lipson; Horn took over mixing in its final stages.[27]
Johnson was distant from the band during the sessions and was unhappy about the albums focus on rock over dance.[27] Jill Sinclair, Horns wife and one of the ZTT founders, later alleged that Johnson had been uncooperative and absent for most of the sessions.[27] According to Nash, the Duran Duran singer Simon Le Bon declined an invitation to replace Johnson. Pete Wylie was also approached, but Johnson remained with the band and completed Liverpool.[28]
In August 1986, the first single from Liverpool, "Rage Hard", was released, reaching number 4 in the UK.[citation needed] Liverpool was released in October 1986 and reached UK No. 5. It received poor reviews and chart returns declined rapidly with the follow-up singles "Warriors of the Wasteland" (No. 19) and "Watching the Wildlife" (No. 28).[citation needed] Horn spent three months creating remixes of "Watching the Wildlife" and "Warriors of the Wasteland" for the single releases, spending an estimated £50,000.[27] By March 1988, Liverpool had sold around 800,000 copies.[27]
1987–1988: disbandment and lawsuit
During the Liverpool tour, the relationship between Johnson and the rest of the band deteriorated.[29] Before a concert at Wembley Arena on 12-13 January, a fight broke out backstage between Johnson and OToole.[30][31] Johnson said that ZTT had encouraged the rift as a means of divide and rule,[27] and said that Horn had once suggested Johnson and Rutherford fire the other members and work as a duo.[27] Sinclair instead blamed Johnsons manager and boyfriend, Kuhle, whom she said was a negative influence and had triggered resentment in the band when Johnson brought him on tour.[27][32] Nash recalled: "During the last tour, everybody knew it would end, as the relationship between Holly and the rest of us was so strained. He didnt want to be in a band situation anymore. Everybody was fed up with the whole thing."[29] Their last live concert was on 1 March at Rotterdam Ahoy.[8]
On 23 July 1987, Johnson told ZTT that he planned to leave and sign to MCA Records. ZTT filed an injunction to prevent this, as their record contract specified that any member who left the band would remain contracted to ZTT.[32] In court, ZTT argued that the success of Frankie Goes to Hollywood was a result of ZTTs production and marketing and that Johnson had been disruptive and uncooperative. Johnsons team argued that ZTT had been financially irresponsible when recording Liverpool, and that their contract constituted an unreasonable restraint of trade.[32] In 1988, the High Court found in Johnsons favour and the band members were released from their contract.[27] Horn later wrote that his decision to pursue the lawsuit had been "stupid".[30]
Soon after the breakup, Nash, OToole and Gill attempted to re-form Frankie Goes to Hollywood with the singer Grant Boult.[29] According to Nash, they recorded songs in a deal with London Records.[10] Johnson blocked the project, saying it would devalue their achievements.[29]
1989–present: solo projects
Holly Johnson performing solo in 2014
Johnson began a solo career with MCA, and released a number-one album, Blast, in 1989.[33] His second solo album, Dreams That Money Cant Buy, released in 1991, was unsuccessful. That year, Johnson was diagnosed with HIV and retreated from public life to focus on his health.[33] In 1994, he published an autobiography, A Bone in My Flute.[34] He has since released further albums and studied at the Royal College of Art.[33]
Nash returned to work as an electrician, and signed to Swanyard Records to record music with Boult as Low.[29] He later became an officiator of weddings and funerals and a tour guide of Liverpools musical heritage.[35] He published a memoir, Nasher Says Relax, in 2012.[28] OToole moved to Los Angeles, where he wrote and demoed new music,[29] and later moved to Florida.[36] Gill toured as part of an Australian soap actors band, and formed a music production company, Love Station, which released singles featuring vocalists including Lisa Hunt.[29]
Rutherford released a single, a cover of the Chic track "I Want Your Love", and an album, Oh World, in 1989, which were unsuccessful. He released another single, "That Moon", as Paul Rutherford with Pressure Zone in 1991, and worked as a stylist for bands. He appeared in the music videos for "Walking on Broken Glass" (1992) by Annie Lennox and "Give In to Me" (1993) by Michael Jackson.[29] He later moved to New Zealand.[36]
1998–2000: American impostor band
In 1998, a band using the name Frankie Goes to Hollywood began to tour the United States.[37] The band was led by an American using the stage name Davey Johnson, who claimed he was Holly Johnsons brother and had performed as an uncredited session musician on Welcome to the Pleasuredome.[37] The members of Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Horn refuted both claims. OToole, who had been living in Florida, became aware of the band and warned concert promoters not to hire them.[37]
The Flock of Seagulls frontman Mike Score, who had been a Liverpool acquaintance of the members of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, removed the fraudulent band from his tour.[37] After Johnson contacted the trade magazine Pollstar to confirm that the act was unauthorised, they were dropped by a booking agent, but were booked by small clubs throughout the southern United States.[37] They continued to perform until at least September 2000, when a feature on the episode was published in Spin.[37] In 2000, ZTT released a Frankie Goes to Hollywood greatest-hits compilation, Maximum Joy, featuring remixes by acts including Apollo 440.[38]
2003–2007: reunion, performances with Ryan Molloy and trademark dispute
The band members reunited in Holloway, London, for a 2003 episode of the VH1 show Bands Reunited, but did not perform.[39] In an interview the following year for Uncut, Johnson said he had not wanted to perform with the band again and felt the episode was a "debacle".[40] In his 2012 memoir, Nash, who had also been uninterested in a reunion, described the VH1 episode as a "circus" that had tried to depict Johnson negatively.[10]
On 11 November 2004, Frankie Goes to Hollywood reunited without Johnson and Nash to perform at a Princes Trust charity concert at Wembley Arena celebrating Horns 25 years as a record producer.[41][42] Johnson and Nash declined to take part.[43] In his memoir, Nash wrote that he gave the band his blessing and attended the event.[10] Following open auditions held on 31 October in Leicester Square, London,[43] Ryan Molloy was selected as the new vocalist.[44] OTooles brother Jed, who had played in the band in the 1980s, replaced Nash.[45]
PopMatters wrote that the Wembley performance had "unstoppable 1984 pop glory" and "even strong detractors of the group would likely be won over by energy the band members radiate".[46] The Independent wrote that it "fell somewhat flat".[47] Writing in The Guardian, Alexis Petridis wrote that the show "ultimately underwhelms" and that the songs "were designed as studio-bound production extravaganzas, not live showstoppers".[48] Nash praised the performance and wrote that "Molloy did a great job filling Hollys shoes".[10] In his memoir, Horn wrote that Molloy "was a hell of a good frontman".[30]
The Wembley performance was followed by a series of concerts across Europe in 2005,[49][50][51] including at Northampton Balloon Festival,[52] and Big Gay Out in Finsbury Park, London.[53][54][55] In 2006, Molloy said he had written new songs for Frankie Goes to Hollywood.[51] However, the material went unreleased and a European tour was canceled.[52] The group remained active until 2007 using the name Forbidden Hollywood, as Johnson would not allow them to use the original name.[56]
In April 2004, Johnson attempted to register the name Frankie Goes to Hollywood as a trademark for his exclusive use, arguing that it was his intellectual property as he had used it for a previous band.[50][57] The other original four band members opposed the registration, and in 2007 it was blocked by a Intellectual Property Office trademark judge, who ruled that Johnson had acted in bad faith in an attempt to prevent the band performing without him.[50][57]
2011–2023: reissues, reunion with Johnson and biopic
In 2011, ZTT reissued Liverpool in an expanded edition, plus The Art of the 12", a compilation of tracks from ZTT artists including Frankie Goes to Hollywood.[58] Universal Music acquired the Frankie Goes to Hollywood back catalogue when it purchased ZTT in 2017.[59]
On 7 May 2023, the original members, including Johnson and Nash, reunited for a concert featuring multiple acts celebrating Liverpool music for the Eurovision Song Contest.[60] They performed one song, "Welcome to the Pleasuredome".[60] It was their first performance together since 1987.[35] The performance drew praise but disappointed those hoping for more songs.[60][61][62] The Telegraph gave it three out of five, writing that Johnson remained "a commanding presence" but that the short set was disappointing.[62] The BBC wrote: "Maybe one song is as much time as the five band members can bear to share a stage for—but at least they proved that they and their music can still sound compelling and fresh."[60]
On 10 May, Working Title Films announced it was developing a Frankie Goes to Hollywood biographical film, Relax, based on Johnsons memoir. It will be written and directed by Bernard Rose, the director of the first "Relax" music video, with Callum Scott Howells as Johnson.[63]
Style and legacy
Johnson and Rutherford are openly gay, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood made gay rights and sexuality a theme of their music and performances.[6] They were connected to a rise in gay culture in the 1980s British mainstream, alongside bands such as Bronski Beat.[17] In 2014, Morley reflected that Frankie Goes to Hollywood had combined the "exploratory gay energy" of Johnson and Rutherford with the "heterosexual scouse energy" of the other band members.[6] Bernard Rose, who directed the "Relax" video, said Frankie Goes to Hollywood were the first major openly gay pop act, before acts such as Boy George, George Michael, Freddie Mercury or Elton John had come out, which "caused a shockwave".[64]
As Frankie Goes to Hollywood rose in popularity, some outlets reported that they were a "manufactured" group controlled by ZTT. A 1984 article in the Washington Post described them as "a modern-day Monkees, a post-punk Village People sprung forth fully armed from the brow of junk culture".[17][29] As only Johnson performed on the studio version of "Relax", and the band did not tour during 1984 at the height of their popularity, rumours spread that they could not play their instruments.[14][65] Johnson said the media had undermined them and underestimated their contributions to their records.[29] Horn said later that the British music media often misunderstood the processes involved in studio recording. He said the band were "better than people gave them credit for", and cited "The Power of Love", "Born to Run" and "Krisco Kisses" as examples of their playing on Welcome to the Pleasuredome.[14][65]
In 2014, the music journalist Paul Lester wrote that although Frankie Goes to Hollywood were "arguably the last great British pop sensation", they were rarely cited as an influence on other artists. He wrote that this was because "it would be impossible to recreate what they did".[6] Morley observed that despite having released two of most successful records of the 1980s, they had become "slightly lost ... The fact that something was so successful yet is part of a shadowy history is ultimate proof that it was special. They were like some contorted, profound novelty band."[6] However, he argued that they had changed how commercial pop music was marketed, with more artistic and "beautiful" packaging and music videos.[6]
Personnel
Holly Johnson – vocals (1980–1987, 2023)
Paul Rutherford – vocals, keyboards, tambourine (1982–1987, 2004–2007, 2023)
Mark OToole – bass, vocals (1981–1987, 2004–2007, 2023)
Brian Nash – guitars, vocals (1982–1987, 2023)
Peter Gill – drums (1981–1987, 2004–2007, 2023)
Past members
Jed OToole – guitars, vocals (1981–1982, 2004–2007)
Ryan Molloy – vocals (2004–2007)
Awards and nominations
YearAwardsWorkCategoryResult
1984Ivor Novello Awards"Two Tribes"Best Song Musically And LyricallyWon
NME AwardsPromo VideoWon
Welcome to the PleasuredomeBest Dressed SleeveWon
"Relax"Best SingleWon
1985Ivor Novello AwardsBest Contemporary SongNominated
Brit AwardsBest British SingleWon
ThemselvesBest British NewcomerWon
Best British GroupNominated
Welcome to the PleasuredomeBest British AlbumNominated
"Two Tribes"Best British SingleNominated
MTV Video Music AwardsBest New ArtistNominated
Best Concept VideoNominated
Pollstar Concert Industry AwardsThemselvesWhich Artist is Most Likely to Successfully Headline Arenas for the First time in 1985?Nominated
1986TourSmall Hall/Club Tour of the YearNominated
2010Q Awards"Relax"Classic SongWon
Discography
Main article: Frankie Goes to Hollywood discography
Welcome to the Pleasuredome (1984)
Liverpool (1986)
Concert tours
English Tour (1983)
North American-English "Welcome To The Pleasuredome" Tour (1984)
British-European-North American-Japanese Tour (1985)
British-European "Liverpool" Tour (1987)
European-British "Reunion" Tour (2005)
William Holly Johnson[1] (born 9 February 1960) is an English artist, musician, and writer, best known as the lead vocalist of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, who achieved huge commercial success in the mid-1980s. Prior to that, in the late 1970s he was a bassist for the band Big in Japan. In 1989, Johnsons debut solo album, Blast, reached number one in the UK albums chart. Two singles from the album – "Love Train" and "Americanos" – reached the top 5 of the UK Singles Chart. In the 1990s, he also embarked on writing, painting, and printmaking careers.[2]
Biography
Johnson was born on 9 February 1960 in Liverpool, England, to Eric and Pat (née McGlouchlin) Johnson. His paternal grandfather Patrick was Irish and his maternal grandfather Patrick McGlouchlin was of 3/4 Indian descent.[3] Johnson was the third of four children and was nicknamed Billy as a child. He started his education in Liverpool at St Marys Church of England primary school and at age eleven went to the Liverpool Collegiate School in Everton. At fourteen, Johnson took on the name Holly, inspired by actress Holly Woodlawn, a friend of Andy Warhol.[4][5]
During his second year at the Liverpool Collegiate, Johnson and his friend were teased and nicknamed "Jolly Johnson" and "Honey Heath". The two shared an interest in Marc Bolan and David Bowie. While he attended Liverpool Collegiate, Johnson was actively involved in that citys punk rock/new wave scene of the late 1970s. Johnson played bass with the local band Big in Japan[6] and also released two solo singles on the Erics label. Both "Yankee Rose" and "Hobo Joe" failed to chart, however. Johnson met his partner, Wolfgang Kuhle, in the early 1980s.
Kuhle, Johnsons personal manager, became a successful art dealer and collected paintings by Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell. In 1982, Johnson joined Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and he later found fame as the lead singer and lyricist of the band. In 1987, tension grew between Johnson and the rest of his group. He also had an argument with his record company and won a case in court against them on restraint of trade. He left Frankie Goes to Hollywood and the other members of the band were eventually let go by the label after the court case ZTT and Perfect Songs v Holly Johnson.[7]
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Main article: Frankie Goes to Hollywood
After gaining some measure of local celebrity from being a member of Big In Japan, Johnson became involved with a group of younger musicians who together would become the nucleus of Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Johnson himself named the new band[8] after seeing the headline of an article about Frank Sinatra. This new band quickly gained a reputation for their stage show which had strong sadomasochistic overtones. It was during this period that guitarist Brian Nash and backing vocalist Paul Rutherford completed the bands established lineup.[citation needed]
Commercial success and fame
After the bands reputation grew large enough to attract record company interest, they were eventually signed to a new record company, ZTT.[9] Johnson became exposed to the general public via the phenomenal success of their debut single "Relax", which was a huge, and controversial, hit in 1984. The bands first three singles - "Relax" (1983), "Two Tribes" (1984), and "The Power of Love" (1984) all reached #1 of the UK Singles Chart; their fourth single, "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" (1985) reached #2. Frankies debut album Welcome to the Pleasuredome, released in October 1984, sold around a quarter of a million copies in its first week, peaked at #1 on the UK Albums Chart, and was a top-10 seller internationally.
After such success during 1984, when the band spent nearly four months at the top of the singles chart, Johnson was firmly established as a household name. By autumn 1986, his star had faded considerably. Frankie Goes to Hollywood had not released any material since early 1985 and were absent from that years Live Aid event. In addition, Johnson did not perform on the successful charity single "Do They Know Its Christmas?" by Band Aid in December 1984.
Recorded in March-July 1986, Frankie Goes to Hollywoods second album, Liverpool, was released the following October. Liverpool peaked at #5 in the UK Albums Chart and spawned three singles: "Rage Hard" (1986), "Warriors of the Wasteland" (1986), and "Watching the Wildlife" (1987). "Rage Hard" was a top 5 hit in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #4, but "Warriors of the Wasteland" and "Watching the Wildlife" peaked at #19 and #28 respectively, suggesting Frankies popularity was waning. Furthermore, the band was wracked by infighting; by 1987, Johnsons relationship with the rest of the band had broken down irretrievably, not helped by his decision to gain legal rights to exclusive use of the bands name, without consultation with other members.[8] The UK Intellectual Property Office ruled against Johnson, however. During a reunion on the TV show Bands Reunited many years later, when the five members of Frankie Goes to Hollywood were invited to play together using equipment that had been set up for them, he (and guitarist Brian Nash) declined to take part, but he did not rule out the possibility in the future. In his own words; "If it happens, we do it properly. We have a reputation. Im not a wedding singer!"[10]
Solo career and later projects
Johnson performing at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow in 2023.
Johnson left Frankie Goes to Hollywood in 1987 because of disagreements regarding their musical direction. He became the subject of an injunction from the groups record company, ZTT Records, and its sister publishing company, Perfect Songs, which cited a breach of his prior recording and publishing contracts, thus barring him from pursuing a solo career with any other new label.[11] He embarked on a two-year legal battle with ZTT, the case being settled in Johnsons favour on 10 February 1988, the judge ruling that the original contracts had constituted an unreasonable restraint of trade, remarking that "Mr. Johnson could be 70 years old and still be bound to this contract".[11]
ZTT unsuccessfully appealed against the judges decision, the Appeal Court concluding on 26 July 1989 that the original recording and publishing contracts were "not a fair bargain".[12] The result represented a landmark legal outcome, contemporary press reports stating that the result "set a legal precedent which rocked the music business", adding that ZTT had by this time released most of its artists from their original contracts.[11]
Johnsons relationship with ZTT owners Trevor Horn and Jill Sinclair broke down irretrievably due to the court case: "They, [Horn and Sinclair] have never really forgiven me for winning my freedom in the law courts", the singer said in 2001, adding that the worst part of being in FGTH was "the contract we signed with ZTT."[11]
In 1989, Johnson finally made his first solo debut with the album Blast, for MCA Records, which was a major success and reached UK #1. Singles "Love Train", "Americanos" and "Atomic City" met with warm reception, the former two both charting in the UKs top 5. Johnson took part in a charity project for the Hillsborough disaster fund and recorded a popular single "Ferry Cross the Mersey" with Paul McCartney, the Christians and others. The single reached number 1 in the UK and Ireland.[13]
After the 1990 remix album Hollelujah, Johnson released his second solo album in 1991. Dreams That Money Cant Buy was a commercial failure and did not chart in the UK, while the singles "Where Has Love Gone?" and "Across the Universe" performed very poorly on UK singles chart. In November 1991, Johnson learned that he was HIV positive.[14] This triggered a temporary withdrawal from the music business and public life in general, with one of his last TV performances around the time being at the Diamond Record Awards, Antwerp, where he performed "Americanos" and "Where Has Love Gone?".[15] His HIV status was made public during an interview with The Times in April 1993.[11]
In March 1994, Johnsons critically acclaimed autobiography A Bone in My Flute was published, in which he discusses his struggle with, and acceptance of, his homosexuality.[16][17][18] The same year, he recorded a new single, "Legendary Children (All of Them Queer)", whose lyrics referred to famous LGBT people throughout history. During 1994, he performed live at Londons Gay Pride show, where he performed "Relax", "Legendary Children" and "The Power of Love".[19] The same month Johnson featured on and co-wrote the single "Love and Hate" by Ryuichi Sakamoto for his album Sweet Revenge.
In April 1998, he performed "The Power of Love" live at the Easter Gay Happening in Krefeld, Germany at Club Königsburg.[20]
Since the mid-1990s, Johnson has worked primarily as a painter. His works have been exhibited at the Tate Liverpool and the Royal Academy. He has contributed to Modern Painters and the Paul Smith-sponsored Carlos magazine. He made a musical comeback in 1999, with a self-released album called Soulstream, preceded by the 1998 promo only single "Hallelujah!". The video for the first available single "Disco Heaven" featured a cameo performance from Boy George. However, the album passed fairly unnoticed and didnt chart. The only charting single from Soulstream was a new version of "The Power of Love". For the release of Soulstream, Johnson appeared on the Jools Holland Show performing "The Power of Love" and performed the song again in 2004 for ZDF Love Songs.[21]
In August 2009, Johnson presented an hour-long show "In the Beginning" on BBC Radio 2 about the Beatles, whilst he also appeared in the new video for Frankie Goes to Hollywoods "Relax" as the DJ. Since then, he has performed The Power of Love twice in Germany, also performing the song at the opening of Life Ball 2011 in Vienna. In an interview at the Q Awards, Johnson announced plans for an album of new material. In 2010, Johnson performed "Americanos" on German TV,[22] and "Relax" on French TV. During February 2011, Johnson joined Jools Holland and his band for a version of the Animals "The House of the Rising Sun" song, a track that Johnson covered on his Soulstream album. In August 2011, he performed a full set live at the Rewind Festival, using a mix of Frankie Goes to Hollywood songs together with some of his solo hits "Americanos", "Heavens Here" and "Love Train".
On 5 December 2013, Johnson performed at Save The Children's Christmas Tree Sessions at London's Union Chapel. He closed the evening with ‘The Power Of Love' accompanied by Gaz Coombes on guitar.
In May 2014, Johnson announced his first UK solo tour, named "Dancing with No Fear". The seven-date tour was preceded by a new solo album, released on 15 September.[23] The album, titled Europa, was preceded by a lead single, "Follow Your Heart".[24]
The second single from Europa, "In And Out Of Love", was released on 4 September 2014 with a special pop promo directed by Chris Shepherd.[21] In October 2014 Europa entered the UK Album Chart at # 63, becoming Johnsons first album to chart in the UK since his debut Blast.[25] In December 2014, Johnson released a live album, only available as merchandise during the tour and his website titled Unleashed From the Pleasuredome.[26]
In late 2015, Johnson co-wrote a song with Gary Barlow for the film Eddie The Eagle. The song "Ascension" was released in March 2016 as the focus track for the album Fly (songs inspired by the film Eddie The Eagle) and appears on the end credits for the film.[27]
In 2018, Johnson guest starred throughout the final episode of the British TV series Benidorm.[28]
In 2021, he appeared in the British TV series Never Mind the Buzzcocks and performed “The Power of Love”.
In 2022, he hosted Pride Not Prejudice on Greatest Hits Radio.
In May 2023, Johnson and the other members of Frankie Goes to Hollywood reunited for a one-off performance at the opening night of Eurovision, in their hometown of Liverpool. They performed a single song, "Welcome to the Pleasuredome", from their inaugural album.[29]
In May 2023 Working Title Films announced production of Relax, a musical biopic about Frankie Goes to Hollywood, based upon Holly Johnsons autobiography A Bone in My Flute (1994), and starring Callum Scott Howells as Johnson.[30] The film is to be written and directed by Bernard Rose, who directed the original music videos for the bands songs "Relax" (1983) and "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" (1985).
Personal life
Johnson has been referred to as a "monumental LGBTQ+ icon".[31] In 1991, Johnson was diagnosed with HIV[32][14] and wrote an autobiography, A Bone In My Flute; he did not expect to live much longer.[14] Johnson remained creative working as a painter and printmaker and writing songs until 1994 when he returned to performing music occasionally.[33] One of Johnsons paintings appears as the cover to the Kirsty MacColl single "Angel".
Discography
See also: Big in Japan (band) § Discography, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood discography
Studio albums
YearTitlePeak chart positionsCertifications
UK
[34]AUS
[35]AUT
[36]GER
[37]ITA
[38]NLD
[39]NOR
[40]NZL
[41]SWE
[42]SWI
[43]
1989Blast197125102710111110
BPI: Platinum[44]
BVMI: Gold[45]
1991Dreams That Money Cant Buy——————————
1999Soulstream——————————
2014Europa63—————————
Live albums
YearTitle
2014Unleashed From the Pleasuredome
Singles
YearTitlePeak chart positionsAlbum
UK
[34][46]AUS
[35][47]AUT
[36]CAN
[48]GER
[37]IRE
[49]ITA
[50]NLD
[39]NOR
[40]NZL
[41]SWE
[42]SWI
[43]US
[51]
1979"Yankee Rose"—————————————single only
1980"Hobo Joe"—————————————
1989"Love Train"4351756452112102014865Blast
"Americanos"4771—2610861074—
"Atomic City"18—19—1692940—20—10—
"Heavens Here"62———5822———————
1990"Where Has Love Gone?"73147———————————Dreams That Money Cant Buy
1991"Across the Universe"99————————————
"The People Want to Dance"—————————————
1994"Legendary Children"85————————————single only
1998"Hallelujah!"—————————————Soulstream
1999"Disco Heaven"85————————————
"The Power of Love"56————————————
2014"Follow Your Heart"—————————————Europa
"In and Out of Love"—————————————
2015"Heavens Eyes"—————————————
"Dancing With No Fear"—————————————
2016"Ascension"—————————————Eddie the Eagle (soundtrack)
Guest appearances
YearTitlePeak chart positionsAlbum
UK
AUS
[35]AUT
[36]GER
[37]IRE
[49]ITA
[50]NLD
[39]NOR
[40]SWI
[43]
1989"Ferry Cross the Mersey"
(with The Christians, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden and Stock Aitken Waterman)1[52]4515511521411Non-album single
1994"Love & Hate"
(with Ryūichi Sakamoto)97————————Sweet Revenge
2012"He Aint Heavy, Hes My Brother"
(as part of The Justice Collective)1———4————Non-album single
Paul Rutherford (born 8 December 1959) is an English singer, musician and dancer. He is best known as the dancer, keyboardist, and backing vocalist of the synth-pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood.[1]
Early life
Rutherford was born on 8 December 1959 in Liverpool, but moved to the Cantril Farm district as a child during the 1960s. He attended St Dominics Roman Catholic school in Huyton along with his twin sister.[citation needed]
Career
Rutherford emerged from the 1970s punk scene on Merseyside, finding initial fame with St. Helens band The Spitfire Boys. The Spitfire Boys released a single "British Refugees/Mein Kampf".
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Rutherford, then member of Hambi and the Dance, joined Frankie Goes to Hollywood in 1982 after met them performing at "Pickwicks, a pub in the centre of Liverpool".[2] He sang backing vocals to Johnson and also danced,[3] and provided some keyboard parts to the bands recordings. The band ended five years later, and Rutherford attempted a solo career which was short-lived.[4]
After Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Rutherfords 1988 "Get Real", a collaboration with ABC, reached No. 47 in the UK and remained in the charts for four weeks.[5]
Rutherford released a single, a cover of the Chic track "I Want Your Love", and an album, Oh World, in 1989, which were unsuccessful.[6] He released another single, "That Moon", as Paul Rutherford with Pressure Zone in 1991, and worked as a stylist for bands. He appeared in the music videos for "Walking on Broken Glass" (1992) by Annie Lennox and "Give In to Me" (1993) by Michael Jackson.[6]
In late 2010, he released the album The Cowboy Years under the name "Paul Rutherford/Butt Cowboys".[citation needed]
Personal life
Rutherford and his civil union partner Perry live in New Zealand.[7]
Discography
Solo albums
Oh World (1989)
The Cowboy Years (2010)
Extended plays
That Moon with the Pressure Zone (1989)
Singles
"Get Real" (1988, UK charts #47)
"I Want Your Love" (1989, UK charts #82)
"Oh World" (1989, UK charts #61)
ZTT Records is a British record label founded in 1983 by the record producer Trevor Horn, the businesswoman Jill Sinclair and the NME journalist Paul Morley.[1] They released music by acts including Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Grace Jones, the Art of Noise and Seal.
In December 2017, Universal Music Group (UMG) acquired ZTT Records, along with Stiff Records.[2] The ZTT and Stiff back catalogues were licensed to BMG Rights Management under Union Square Music until 2022, when Universal relaunched the label.
History
ZTT is an initialism of Filippo Tommaso Marinettis sound poem Zang Tumb Tumb, which described "zang tumb tumb" as the sound of a machine gun.[3] It is believed that they likely got the idea for the name via John McGeoch, who produced the Swedish pop-funk band Zzzang Tumbs eponymous 1983 album around the same time as the label was founded.[4]
The majority of the creative team[clarification needed] at ZTT had first assembled when Horn produced the album The Lexicon of Love for the British pop band ABC. A precursor to ZTT was the short-lived Perfect Recordings label, spun off from the newly founded Perfect Songs publishing subsidiary of Trevor Horn and Jill Sinclairs company. Perfect Recordings only released the Buggles Adventures in Modern Recording, along with the singles derived from it.
In 1983, Horn, Sinclair and Morley founded ZTT Records.[1][5] Sinclair was ZTTs managing director, while Paul Morley concentrated on marketing.[3] In the same year, Sinclair and Horn acquired Basing Street Studios from Island Records in exchange for distributing the ZTT label.[6]
ZTTs first signing was Frankie Goes to Hollywood (FGTH),[1] whose hits "Relax" and "Two Tribes" were among the best-selling singles of the decade.[7] It was the labels second single, Relax, that became the labels first number one in January 1984.[7] Relax stayed in the UK Singles Chart for a full year, and ZTT was well and truly established. During the 1980s, Grace Jones and Art of Noise[1] were other ZTT acts to chart.[7] ZTT Records also helped define the structure and formats of the UK pop music scene; as part of their marketing efforts to prolong the life of a single release, ZTT issued multiple 12" remixes which charted at positions in their own right as a separate 12" single.[1] ZTT Records also licensed or produced t-shirts with graphic messages related to its artists singles (eg. Frankie Say Arm the Unemployed),[8] which themselves became 1980s icons.[1] ZTT were unafraid to invert the business of pop and turn it into entertainment.[1]
In 1984, the Horn-Sinclair family businesses were reorganised as SPZ Group, which then consisted of Sarm West Studios, Perfect Songs, and ZTT Records.[9] From the beginning, the majority of ZTT releases were published by Perfect Songs, and recorded at Sarm West Studios. The latter part of the decade was eclipsed by a bitter legal battle between ZTT and Holly Johnson, who fought his way out of the strict, long recording agreement.[7] Similarly, other ZTT artists, such as Art of Noise and Propaganda, were disenchanted and left the label. Propagandas case was settled out of court; Johnson won his outright.[7]
By the late 1980s, ZTT began to focus on the emerging dance music scene. Manchester trance group 808 State[1] would reach the top 10 with Pacific State, and three other singles and one album during the early 1990s.[7] Seal[1] was the next major ZTT act to emerge in the 1990s, and the label also achieved hits with MC Tunes and Shades of Rhythm.[3]
ZTT Records have produced forty-five Top 40 hits in the United Kingdom, fifteen of which were Top 10 hits.[1]
In May 2022, UMG released the new album by Propaganda vocalists Claudia Brücken and Susanne Freytag on the reactivated ZTT Label. Credited to xPropaganda, the album was recorded with producer Stephen Lipson, titled The Heart Is Strange and received a generally positive reception. [10][11] [12]
Music videos and cover art
ZTT Records in London (1986)
ZTT Records pioneered music video and cover art as forms of high art in their own right. Paul Morley commissioned videos from then-unknown directors, who would go on to become acclaimed in their field, such as Anton Corbijn, Godley & Creme, Zbigniew Rybczyński and Andy Morahan.
Morley also commissioned early ZTT sleeve design and photography to pioneers of the medium such as Malcolm Garrett, Anton Corbijn, Mark Farrow and Jean-Paul Goude.
The labels work in the visual field was profiled by Tony Enoch in Design Week, who positioned ZTT as "from a time when a record label meant something – a happening, a sense of belonging. Labels defined peoples youth. Think Apple, Virgin, Beggars Banquet, ZTT, and Stiff: small, independent British labels appearing to be able to do anything they wanted, reinventing the rules."[13]
In 2008, journalist Ian Peel curated a first exhibition of ZTT sleeve art for galleries in London and Tokyo,[14] and in 2013, he curated the visual archives of ZTT and Sarm West Studios before the studios were demolished. In 2009, Peel compiled a DVD of the labels most acclaimed videos, entitled The Television is Watching You, which received a British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) 15 Certificate.[15]
Notable acts on the ZTT label
1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
ACT
Art of Noise[1]
David Bedford
Das Psycho Rangers
808 State[1]
Frankie Goes to Hollywood[1]
Glenn Gregory & Claudia Brücken
Grace Jones
Stanley Myers
Nasty Rox Inc.
Roy Orbison
Anne Pigalle
Andrew Poppy
Propaganda
Hans Zimmer
Adamskis Thing
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force†
All Saints (as All Saints 1.9.7.5.)
Dove
The Frames[1]
Glam Metal Detectives
The Heights of Abraham
Hoodlum priest
The Image of a Group
Klymaxx
Shane MacGowan
Kirsty MacColl
MC Tunes
Seal[1]
Sexus
Shades of Rhythm
Sun Electric
Tara
Tom Jones
Wendy & Lisa
David Jordan
Raging Speedhorn
Lisa Stansfield
A Theory
The Buggles
Femme
The Producers
Olivia Safe
Propaganda[16]
† as one-time UK distributor for Tommy Boy Records
Action Series
As part of ZTT internal cataloguing of releases, they maintained two series; the Action Series, and the Incidental Series. The Action Series was issued mainly to singles and albums by a majority of the labels artists. However to confuse matters, the series also contains a booklet and a concert.
The Action series paused in 1988,[17] and was restarted by record label manager Ian Peel in 2012.
Cat.
No.ArtistSong
AS1Frankie Goes to HollywoodRelax
AS2PropagandaDr. Mabuse
AS3Frankie Goes to HollywoodTwo Tribes/War
AS4Frankie Goes to HollywoodWelcome to the Pleasuredome (album)
AS5Frankie Goes to HollywoodThe Power of Love
AS6Frankie Goes to HollywoodAnd Suddenly There Came A Bang! (booklet)
AS7Frankie Goes to HollywoodWelcome to the Pleasuredome (single)
AS8PropagandaDuel
AS9Roy OrbisonWild Hearts
AS10VariousThe Value Of Entertainment (concert)
AS11Art of NoiseWhos Afraid of the Art of Noise?
AS12Propagandap:Machinery
AS13PropagandaA Secret Wish
AS14VariousThe Shape of the Universe, Original Soundtrack
AS15Glenn Gregory & Claudia BruckenWhen Your Heart Runs Out of Time
AS16Grace JonesSlave to the Rhythm (A Biography)
AS17Andrew PoppyThe Beating of Wings
AS18VariousZang Tuum Tumb Sampled
AS19Anne PigalleEverything Could Be So Perfect...
AS20PropagandaWishful Thinking
AS21Propagandap:Machinery (Reactivated)
AS22Frankie Goes to HollywoodRage Hard
AS23Frankie Goes to HollywoodLiverpool
AS24Das Psycho RangersStarve God Theres Choice
AS25Frankie Goes to HollywoodWarriors of the Wasteland
AS26Frankie Goes to HollywoodWatching the Wildlife
AS27Andrew PoppyAlphabed (A Mystery Dance)
AS28ACTSnobbery and Decay
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were a British band who released two studio albums and seven singles before disbanding in 1987. Since then, almost all of their tracks have been rereleased on compact disc, including various compilation albums and CD singles. In recent years, their record company has also released original material that was not released during the bands heyday.
In 1983, they released their debut single, "Relax", which was highly controversial, due to its sexually explicit lyrics and highly suggestive music video. The video, which was shot in a gay nightclub, was banned by the BBC and MTV. After an extremely slow climb, including one week where the song actually went down the chart, Relax eventually topped the UK Singles Chart for five weeks, and it still stands today as one of the best-selling UK singles ever. It also gained success in the United States, where it peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The bands debut album, Welcome to the Pleasuredome, was released in October 1984 and reached the top of the UK Albums Chart. Three more singles were released from the album: "Two Tribes", "The Power of Love" and "Welcome to the Pleasuredome". "Two Tribes" and "The Power of Love" both reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, while "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" peaked at number 2.
Frankie Goes to Hollywoods second and final studio album, Liverpool, was released in 1986. It failed to achieve the same success as its predecessor, with only one of its three singles reaching the top 10 of the UK chart. The album peaked at number 5 on the UK Albums Chart, and was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry, whereas Welcome to the Pleasuredome was certified triple platinum.
To coincide with the release of Bang!... The Greatest Hits of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, the tracks "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" (1993) and "Two Tribes" (1994) were re-released in the UK as singles in remixed form. The tracks "Relax" (1994) and "The Power of Love" (1993) were also re-released, but this time in their original form (the CD singles both featured at least one of the original 1984 12 inch remixes).
To coincide with the release of Maximum Joy in 2000, new remixes of "The Power of Love", "Two Tribes", and "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" all entered the UK charts.
In 1986, P4F (Propaganda for Frankie) released "P. Machinery Medley with Relax", a medley of "Relax" with Propagandas "p:Machinery".[1]
Albums
Studio albums
TitleDetailsPeak chart positionsCertifications
(sales threshold)
UK
[2]AUS
[3]AUT
[4]CAN
[5]FRA
[6]GER
[7]JPN
[8]NL
[9]NOR
[10]NZ
[11]SWE
[12]SWI
[13]US
[14]
Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Release date: 29 October 1984
Label: ZTT, Island
Formats: CD, LP, cassette
173974302817533
CAN: Platinum[15]
GER: Platinum[16]
UK: 3× Platinum[17]
US: Gold[18]
Liverpool
Release date: 20 October 1986
Label: ZTT
Formats: CD, LP, cassette
5727729531581213788
GER: Gold[16]
UK: Gold[17]
Compilation albums
TitleDetailsPeak chart positionsCertifications
(sales threshold)
UK
[2]AUS
[3]AUT
[4]FRA
[6]GER
[7]JPN
[8]NL
[9]NZ
[11]SWE
[12]SWI
[13]
Bang!
Release date: 10 July 1985
Label: ZTT/Island Records
Formats: CD, LP, cassette
Japan-only release
—————21————
Bang!... The Greatest Hits of Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Release date: 18 October 1993
Label: ZTT/Island Records
Formats: CD, cassette
4515158—20382111
GER: Gold[16]
UK: Gold[17]
Reload! Frankie: The Whole 12 Inches
Release date: May 1994
label: ZTT Records
Formats: CD, cassette
——————————
Maximum Joy
Release date: 25 October 2000
Label: ZTT Records
Formats: CD, cassette
54—————————
The Club Mixes 2000
Release date: 14 November 2000
Label: Repertoire Records
Formats: CD, cassette
——————————
Twelve Inches
Release date: 16 August 2001
Label: ZTT Records
Formats: CD, cassette
—
PUBLICITÉ FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD ENTIÈREMENT SIGNÉE BIENVENUE AU soldes PLEASUREDOME RARE
