Holly Johnson (FGTH)

[Library Jon]

Any Frankie Goes To Hollywood fans here? I was a huge fan of those 2 albums (Welcome To The Pleasure Dome & Liverpool), back in the 80s. It was just announced a few weeks ago that Holly Johnson is releasing his first new studio album in 15 years. The street date is September 29. There is a deluxe version with 2 bonus tracks and a second disc of remixes. It looks like the cheapest place to buy this new album is on Holly Johnson's official website. It is does come in vinyl and there is a 12 inch single for the first song available called "Follow Your Heart." He is selling autographed prints, too. A fall UK tour has been announced as well. Any thoughts?



Library Jon

[Dana5140]

Well, me. I always liked the band and thought they were sort of a kind of prog lite in their pop music.

Love this over-the-top clip.

[Rufus]

I was a fan! I have those albums & countless CD's that have the 12" remixes. Great Trevor Horn production & I know Steve Howe did session work, read somewhere that he played the bass on Two Tribes?

[Rufus]

The title song was co-written with Vangelis & Phil Manzenera guests on it, so on that basis alone I'll buy it!

[Sunlight Caller]

I know Steve Howe did session work, read somewhere that he played the bass on Two Tribes?

I think he just played acoustic on the title track. Wouldn't be surprised if Trevor Horn played some of those bass parts though.

I still love the first album, it is of it's time, but to my ears doesn't sound too dated because the production simply sparkles with vitality and joie de vive.

[ChrisXymphonia]

I was a fan! I have those albums & countless CD's that have the 12" remixes. Great Trevor Horn production & I know Steve Howe did session work, read somewhere that he played the bass on Two Tribes?

Thing is with Trevor's productions at the time pretty much anything could happen when it came to who played what. For instance: percussionist Luis Jardim plays the bass on Slave To The Rhythm on the studio track. Here is the performance from Trevor Horn's Prince's Trust gig where they performed it and watch the whole way through to hear Trevor Horn telling that exact story:

[klothos]

Welcome To The Pleasure Dome was an outstanding album, granted, it was a lil overblown: I think I would have liked it better had it been one album. I listened to it a lot back in da day but probably havent in two decades so I need to schedule a revisit..........Liverpool was a decent followup but not as good as the first IMHO

[bob_32_116]

I liked the band's singles, but I was a bit disappointed when I discovered how many of their album tracks weren't originals.

This was also the era when everyone seemed to suffer from "remix fever"; every single seemed to generate half a dozen alternate takes and extended remixes. I can't say how many different versions I heard of Two Tribes.

[GuitarGeek]

THey had some good songs. I liked the version of Two Tribes with the intro where Richard Nixon does his Max Headroom impression..."N-n-n-no Mr. Krushnev".

I also liked their performance at the Montreux Rose Festival when their second album came out. I forget which song they were doing (Warriors Of The Wasteland?), where they smashed all their gear onstage. While still somehow managing to continue playing the song. (And yes I know they were lip synching...everyone did at the Montreux Rose Fest...it was pretty obvious sometimes)

The funny thing about Frankie Goes To Hollywood was they were an actual band, but when they made that first album with Trevor producing, Holly Johnson was apparently the only band member who Horn allowed to perform on the record. Then like 15 years later, there was briefly a band comprised of some of the studio musicians touring Stateside with the FGTH name, using the justification that "We were the guys who played on the record, so we have as much right to call ourselves Frankie as the guys in the video did).

I remember when they did the Bands Reunited thing with Frankie, they managed to track everyone down (including the other singer, who apparently lives in a remote part of New Zealand now...the producers allegedly had to call a pub in the nearest town, and the pub had to dispatch a messenger to the band member's home to tell him he had gotten a phone call). Anyway, they couldn't get Holly Johnson to agree to perform with the others (though I think that's since change,d they did some touring a couple years ago with him), but they did a show I guess a demo video they did before they were signed, of them doing I guess the original arrangement of Relax which had a very different arrangement from the one we know.

And they were also in the movie Body Double, a great Brian DePalma picture where an actor witnesses a murder, and eventually finds himself participating in...I guess a porno film, but the scene is effectively a video for Relax (I even remember it being shown on Night Flight as such)...anyway, the actor gets involved in the world of porno as he tries to peace out exactly what the frell happened during the first third or so of the movie.

Oh yeah, and I remember a funny story Mark Goodman told on a retrospective anniversary MTV thing, where he talked about interviewing a couple of the other guys from FGTH, not Holly, I think it was the drummer and one of the other guys, and how every time he asked a question, the two band members would just giggle. They show the clip, and he actually gets pissed off at them and is like "Look, if you're not going to take this seriously, that's fine, you're the ones who are going to look like asses on national TV" or whatever. He said it's literally the only time he's ever stopped an interview because someone was being obnoxious or whatever.

[FrippWire]

I was a huge fan. I bought the albums as well as all the 12" singles w/remixes. I was into all things Trevor Horn and FGTH fell right in line with that. I saw them perform live in Detroit. It was a great show. They even had a drag show as the opening act.

[Rufus]

I think he just played acoustic on the title track. Wouldn't be surprised if Trevor Horn played some of those bass parts though.

I still love the first album, it is of it's time, but to my ears doesn't sound too dated because the production simply sparkles with vitality and joie de vive.

Do you know which songs Trevor Rabin played on? My guess would be Two Tribes as it sounds like his tone?

[Casey]

Wow! Just 2 days ago I started listening to "Welcome..." on the way home from work & while walking the dog. Great music to fire up your spirits. I have my original vinyl... somewhere... in... the... attic...

[iguana]

here. “liverpool” was and is still an excellent album. never deny your yoof! plus, trevor horn got his YES-mates to play on their records, most prominently steve howe on “welcome to the pleasuredome” (dobro on the title track) and a lot of supporting cast that was on “90125” (langan, jeczalik et al.).

good to read that holly is active again. he is, therefore, alive and well, having reportedly caught the HiV virus some years ago. good health to one of the most identifyable voices of the 80s!

[Library Jon]

I have seen online that Paul Rutherford has at least one solo album. What is to be said about that?


Library Jon

[JKL2000]

Has that guy who only danced for Frankie done any solo work?

[Halmyre]

I have seen online that Paul Rutherford has at least one solo album. What is to be said about that?


Library Jon

I heard he's forming a new supergroup with Bez, Stacia and Chas Smash.

[gpeccary]

Here as well. ALWAYS dug them. I think Liverpool is an amazing album, sadly overshadowed by The Pleasure Dome. I have Hollys' album Blast on cassette actually, loved it. I haven't heard this new work yet, but glad he's back on the scene.

[Library Jon]

I am sorry that it took so long to post anything about the new Holly Johnson solo CD called "Europa" which I actually received in the mail, a few weeks ago, but here I come! I did buy the deluxe version which came with two bonus tracks and a remix CD. I have to say that the album sounds typical of all of Holly's solo material. It really leans toward dance music. There is nothing on it like "Two Tribes" or "Warriors Of The Wasteland." It is a pleasant sounding release, though. Lately, I have been giving FGTH solo off shoot releases a chance. I bought Paul Rutherford's solo albums online for cheap. Somehow I thought that I would not like them at all, but they actually turned out to be better that I expected. The "Oh World" album was co-written with Martin Frey (Singer- ABC) and I thought that really helped. It really is not that bad an album. I recently ordered online a copy of FGTH compilation called "Frankie Said" because I realized that I did not have all of the single edit versions of all of the big hits. So, unless someone can name something else that I might not be aware of, I guess that I have it all with them. I know that there is an endless list of 12 inch singles out there, so maybe someone can give me further advice.



Library Jon

[Rufus]

Also bought his latest album & agree that it's a pleasent listen but nothing more IMO. He appeared on Jools Holland's show last week & they did a duet. Would love to see his current tour on which he plays FGTH 's debut album in full. Hopefully it'll be filmed for DVD? As for the FGTH compilations, I just can't keep up!!!

[Library Jon]

I see that Holly Johnson is doing a fall UK tour as of late. Have any of the overseas PE-ers been able to actually attend these special performances? I really hope for some kind of US tour eventually. I would even be willing to travel across the east coast to attend one the those potential shows.


Library Jon

[Library Jon]

Holly Johnson has released a brand new 2 disc live recording titled "Unleashed In The Pleasure Dome." It was recorded at a London show during fall 2014. Excellent. The live album is a nice mix of FGTH and solo material. Sound quality: 10/10. Performance quality: 10/10. Details at Holly Johnson's official website. Warning: it is a little expensive. But if you are big fan, I say go for it!! I have no regrets.


Library Jon

[Rufus]

^^^^Will defo buy this. Was hoping for a DVD as well though!

[Dan Roth]

Interesting new interviews with Holly Johnson and Trevor Horn about the signing of FGTH to ZTT and the recording of Relax:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...-mix-gay-clubs

Johnson on signing with ZTT:
"Beggars Banquet offered us each £40 a week for the next year, but we signed to ZTT. This proved to be a very expensive choice. We all had to sign on the dole because ZTT were tight with money, unless they were spending it on our behalf in their own studios. Their only asset was Trevor Horn at his peak, which was a big carrot waved in front of our donkey."

and a couple interesting quotes from Horn:

"The band we signed weren’t quite the band who had appeared on the original demo, though we didn’t know that at the time. The original guitarist was the bass player Mark O’Toole’s brother, Jed, but he had to leave and get a day job. Brian Nash came in, but had only just learned how to play. By the time we finished Welcome to the Pleasuredome, he was good. But that’s why I hired [Ian Dury’s backing band] the Blockheads – I needed to try the track with some other musicians, to see if there was anything else we could do with it."

"I was in New York working with Foreigner when I realised how risque Relax was. Paul (Morley) sent over the video on VHS cassette. The guys from Foreigner, who didn’t like me much anyway, wanted to see it. They thought it was disgusting."

[Dana5140]

This is good stuff!

[moecurlythanu]

^ Steve Howe absolutely steals the show!