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Frankie goes to Hollywood


A little something about Frankie Goes to Hollywood
In the mid 1970s, London fashion designer and bondage wear entrepreneur Malcolm McLaren put together a band. While he flirted with the idea of singing for the band, he opted instead to keep a safe distance and call the shots as manager. McLaren dubbed them the Sex Pistols, and unleashed them on an unsuspecting audience. While they weren't very good musicians, they looked and acted outrageous enough to get the immediate attention of the press and the record buying audience. Chart success followed in no time, and by the time their single "God Save The Queen" hit number 1 in the UK charts it had already been banned by British radio. While early '80s pop was light years away from mid '70s punk, the brief rise to fame of at least one '80s pop phenomenon followed much the same path as that of the Sex Pistols. In this case the silent partner was one Trevor Horn, late of Yes and the Buggles, who had already enjoyed some success as a producer crafting the music of new romantics ABC. Horn discovered Frankie Goes to Hollywood in 1983 and, recognizing the commerical appeal of the two over-the-top, openly gay front men Paul Rutherford and Holly Johnson, immediately offered his services as producer. The initial result was "Relax," which was banned by Britain's Radio One in January of 1984. In fact the song had made in on the air, but was pulled in dramatic style when a Radio One DJ, realizing the content of the lyrics, turned the song it off in the middle of the song. This move, and the ensuing media attention that the outspoken band received, propelled the song to the top spot in the UK singles charts by the end of the month. Equal attention in the States followed soon after. "Relax" wasn't much a song - a funky techno beat, a one note bass line, some sound effects, and the same few lyrics repeated over and over. The key to the song's attraction was Horn's accomplished production talents, which had already ben put to the test with ABC and the Buggles. Horn lent the song a level of pop sophistication which few synth-bands had been able to achieve, and which made the band seem respectable.

Lyrics featured below: "Relax", "Two Tribes", "The Power of Love".

Relax

Relax don't do it
When you want to go to it
Relax don't do it
When you want to come
Relax don't do it
When you want to come
When you want to come

Relax don't do it
When you want to go to it
Relax don't do it
When you want to come
Relax don't do it
When you want to suck to it
Relax don't do it
When you want to come
Come-oh oh oh

But shoot it in the right direction
Make making it your intention-ooh yeah
Live those dreams
Scheme those schemes
Got to hit me
Hit me
Hit me with those laser beams

I'm coming
I'm coming-yeah

Relax don't do it
When you want to go to it
Relax don't do it
When you want to come

Relax don't do it
When you want to suck to it
Relax don't do it (love)
When you want to come
When you want to come
When you want to come
Come-huh

Get it up
The scene of love
Oh feel it

Relax Relax Relax
Higher higher Relax

Two Tribes

When two tribes go to war
A point is all you can score
When two tribes go to war
A point is all you can score

Cowboy No. 1
A born-again poor man's son
On the air America
I modeled shirts by Van Heusen-yeah

You know

CHORUS

Working on the black gas

Switch off your shield
Switch off and feel
I'm working on loving-yeah
Giving you back the good times
Ship it out-out
I'm working for the black gas

CHORUS

We got two tribes
We got the bomb
We got the bomb-yeah
Sock it to me biscuits-now

Are we living in a land
Where sex and horror are the new Gods?
Yeah

When two tribes go to war
A point is all you can score...

The Power of Love

I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door

Feels like fire
I'm so in love with you
Dreams are like angels
They keep bad at bay-bad at bay
Love is the light
Scaring darkness away-yeah

I'm so in love
Burns the soul
Make love your goal

The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
Flame on burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Burns the soul
Make love your goal

I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door
When the chips are down I'll be around
With my undying, death-defying
Love for you

Envy will hurt itself
Let yourself be beautiful
Sparkling love, flowers
And pearls and pretty girls
Love is like an energy
Rushin' rushin' inside of me

The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
Flame on burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Burns the soul
Make love your goal

This time we go sublime
Lovers entwine-divine divine
Love is danger, love is pleasure
Love is pure-the only treasure

I'm so in love with you
Burns the soul
Make love your goal

The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
The power of love
A force from above
A sky-scraping dove

Flame on burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Burns the soul
Make love your goal

I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door