There's actually no one named Frankie in the band. Holly Johnson was the singer. The name was taken for an advertisement for Frank Sinatra's first film. I'm not trying to be a wise-ass, just trying to inform! I'm a trivia nerd. :)
Try. Future so bright I gotta wear shades by Timbuk 3. and. Tuff enuff by The Fabulous Thunderbirds. And Jay & Amber I hope you two know what this songs about you know relax don't do it when you wanna cum
Dam, I remeber when this came out. Being in the clubs, moving through crowds. Feeling the heat and going on to the dance floors. Dam I miss those times.
Fun Fact - This song was banned in the UK in 1984 by the BBC for its suggestive lyrics. It reached number 1 on the UK Top 40 on 28 January 1984, and sold 2 million copies after spending 37 weeks in the charts (35 of those 37 weeks it wasn’t played on the radio due to the ban). Any child of the 70’s remembers having a Frankie says Relax t-shirt. As you can imagine it is still a firm favourite in all the gay clubs, even to this day and this song is guaranteed together everyone up and dancing!
It's still a firm favourite in clubs, end of. Everyone in the UK was into this at the time - and still are! (I was in my early 20s when this was first on the scene so I danced more than a few times to it!) Also since you're a Brit in Britain talking about a British song (am guessing from your comments and the way you spelt favourite), we don't say 'fun fact' here! If it's a fact, no need to announce it like they do in the US! 😉 You are right about the t-shirts.
This debut song by Liverpools Frankie, was banned by the BBC, catapulting it to Number 1 in the charts, the album that was due became the biggest selling pre-release in Britain. So welcome to Frankie and welcome 'To the Pleasure Dome'
I was 12 then and I remember it being discussed at school, but I had no idea what the song was about. I knew it was about something very rude but the lyrics didn't give me any clues 😂 I love the way Radio 1 banned it to protect young minds but meanwhile a good few djs were what young people needed protection from! Anyway it's a phenomenal song ❤
@@mikepaulus4766 FOUR versions of the video. original, Original that's edited, live performance with the flashlight, and staged performance with lasers.
Frankie says... t shirts are as iconic as almost any ever made. I bought the album for my nephew, but even though the 70s was my time, I was a fan of this song, and songs like this are recognisable as evergreens even at the time.
+seamus.... Well, what about "baby you can light my fire" (The Doors") and "I give you every inch of my love" (Led Zeppelin) and "Komm zieh dich aus, ich möchte dich nackt sehn" = "Common take off your cloths because I want to see you naked" (Georg Danzer) ? 😛
This song was massive in the clubs here in Australia during the 80s. The drums and bass make this one of the best dance songs ever . Holly Johnson has a remarkable voice
Two tribes is a better song and video plus if you go down the rabbit hole their are multiple different 12" versions it was the first time (or one of the first times) that multiple versions of the same song was used to sell more copies of what was seen by the charts as the same song (today artists use different colours for the art work or deluxe editions)
Absolutely!! Relax hit number 1 in the UK for some time despite being banned by the major radio station of the time, and then fell down to #35 in the charts. They then released Two Tribes which again got to #1, and Relax then rose up the charts again to occupy #2 slot, so Frankie Goes to Hollywood occupied #1 and #2 positions in the charts, one of only a few groups to have done so. For Two Tribes check out the Annihilation Mix... th-cam.com/video/XHFPuH5iEww/w-d-xo.html "Tag the bodies for identification purposes"
@@SERGEANTROCKSHEADBANGERSBALL J. generally focuses mostly on the musical content while Amber has a heavier focus on lyrics - that's all. It doesn't mean that anyone's inept. Just a different focus.
First time you hear this, it's easy to get lost in the sauce. The music is just so good you just jam to it. I think it took me a few listens until I started to pay attention to lyrics.
Jay is simply a shallow listener. He's been doing this for ages and he has never been able to critique properly. Seems to me that he hears well but doesn't listen much.
@@patrickdowdle5121 In fact more, but obviously not all countries had their own charts in the 80s. It should be noted that Frankie was not only Relax, "Two Tribes" was also absolutely massive all over the world.
There were a couple from the second album "Liverpool" like rage hard and warriors of the wasteland that are worth a listen. I'm a 51 year old Brit so it brings back memories
You listened to the short radio version. This band has a sense of humor about ... their provocative themes. Their debut album, "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" (1984), achieved advance sales of more than a million, and their first three singles ("Relax", "Two Tribes" and "The Power of Love") all reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. The entire album is good.
I was just getting into music as a kid in little old sleepy England when this tune came on the radio...And it blew my F*****G mind! It was like NOTHING i'd ever heard before! It was so much in the future. And even today, it stands up to the test of time, I'm talking nearly 40 years ago! I Iove it, I love it, I love it! What a quality tune!
I'm in junior high at the weekly school dance. My friends and I are as new wave as it gets in our small town. WE are wearing 'Frankie Says' sweatshirts that we bought when one of our parents drove us to Boston! We request this song every Friday night at the school dance. It's a catholic school. The nuns don't 'get' the songs meaning. Until three months in. When Sister Cecile inadvertently sees the video. They ban the song from the school dance. However, they are fine with The Clash. Which you know is kind of cool.
there are two version videos she must have seen the original video from the uk th-cam.com/video/Yem_iEHiyJ0/w-d-xo.html the shock on her face would have been priceless i bet she watch the whole video
💯💯agreed!! Ive done security work at some big clubs in London for 80's nights and when this classic banger comes on the roof literally gets torn of the night club lol Just an explosion of life throughout the entire club! So i cant even imagine what the clubs were like back in the actual 80's when this chart topper came on - bet it was absolute fire 🔥🔥
I’ve gotta say…..I’m actually shocked it took this long! This song was HUGE HUGE in the 80s. In 1987-88, I was studying abroad in Seville, Spain. I remember about 3 of us guys and 3 girls went to a club on a weeknight. We started dancing when the girls noticed they were the only females in there while we were dancing to “Frankie”. It so happened to be gay night at that club in Spain. But we were still very welcomed inside! Great times! 😄😃
@ezpzeee mostly catholic? Spain was the third country in the world to legalise same sex marriages, some 9 years after this song was released, and you are surprised there are gay clubs?
@@Xiroi87 Personally, I wasn’t surprised that a club in Spain would have a gay night. However, we were in a foreign country. And since we were still getting acclimated to Spain, we wouldn’t have known what to expect. I also encountered several cross dressers in my nine months in Sevilla too. So even 36 years ago, Seville, Spain seemed to be a very open-minded city which is what I like.
@@charliegeorge9393 Yes, and it was one of the most popular dance song’s throughout the 80s from 1983 onward. “Relax” was still being played a lot in Spain’s dance clubs for the entire 9 months I was in Spain. “Relax” was actually RE-released as a single in the UK in 1993…..and it hit the Top 5 AGAIN in the UK in 1993. It even hit No. 1 in the UK in early 1984.
Produced by Trevor Horn, leader of the Buggles (Video Killed the Radio Star). He has also produced ABC (Look of Love), Yes (Owner of a Lonely Heart), Seal (Crazy, Kiss From a Rose and others), Pet Shop Boys and countless other acts.
Don't forget that Trevor and Geoff Downes (his partner in The Buggles) were also MEMBERS of Yes for one album - Drama. Jon Anderson (vocals) and Rick Wakeman (keyboards) had left Yes, and Trevor and Geoff had mentioned to Yes bassist Chris Squire a couple songs they had, and Chris asked them to fill in for Jon and Rick. Tempus Fugit and Machine Messiah are a couple of great songs from that album.
And the music was recorded by Trevor’s then another act: Art Of Noise. Trevor wasn’t satisfied with the real band sound, so he decided to use another musicians…
You are right this was an 80’s club banger…. I was there. Everybody went (even more) crazy at the line “hit me with your lazer beam”…… which is exactly what the DJs with some lazers in their kit did!
I was 16 in 1982, simply the best decade in my opinion. No internet no mobile phones. The social scene was amazing and life was a whole lot simpler. Plus the music was incredible. Imagine this banging out in the 80's.
We used to go to the teen club and the dance floor would be PACKED when this song played. So much fun to dance to. We would all get still and kneel down low to the ground when it got quiet in the song and then all jump up at the same time when it comes back up. Most of us had no idea what the song was about. But we loved the FRANKIE SAY RELAX tshirts and the song.
I love this song! There's NO WAY you can be still for it! If you're not up dancing to it, you're in your seat be-bopping to it!! You check out their songs Two Tribes and The Power of Love! Frankie Goes to Hollywood were amazing in their day!!
As a teenager in the early 80s, the teenage NuWave clubs were where it was at. You heard songs like RELAX and so many others, from so many other Great Bands you would want too listen too. Socializing, dancing, it was the ultimate teenage experience.
Frankie were absolutely huge, here in the UK, back in the mid 80's, when after this first mega hit, they followed it up with 'Two Tribes' which for me is even better. Memories of it being used as the theme for a American Football highlights show back then. The perfect marriage of tune and show/sport.
I've heard the isolated tracks for this one. The "baw-baw-baw" is actually multiple instruments. Major part synth sound - Trevor Horn was an enthusiastic early user of the Fairlight sampling synthesiser, which could turn any sound into a playable instrument - but there's actually a guitar mirroring it at the same time to add extra dimensions to it. Indeed, what I love about that sound is that, if you listen, it's slightly different every time they play it. There's a random variance - how the multiple instruments work together, differences in the filter effects - that means it's never exactly the same sound twice. The amount of "grit" on the sound is allowed to vary and wander. This song and Blue Monday are what set the "boots and cats" rhythm for all dance music thereafter. Those two songs just knocked it out of the park - blew people's minds, with these unheard of electronic effects - that the early '90s rave culture emerged from it all (until Nirvana re-wrote the script with grunge and then being "unplugged" was the trend, in opposition to everything trying to copy Blue Monday and Relax - funny thing is, unlike most electronic copycats, both Blue Monday and Relax do both have live-played guitar on them).
The long version is absolutely the best version. Not the shortened up for radio version. The long musical intro is next level. You listening to the wrong version.
The radio edit is outstanding, at just the right length to make you want more, not less, but I haven't ;listened to the LP version. I'll check it out....
@@thundernels Listen to the RSR reaction. They imagined it playing at the club. The radio version was not playing at the club. Not the famous clubs anyway. In a New York Disco, the long version (New York Mix) was THE version. At the Playboy mansion, the long version (12 inch) was THE version. For the "club feel", the New York Mix captured it best.
@@InvestBetter. The version on the Welcome To The Pleasuredome album isn't as good as this 7" single mix (IMO). They remixed it for the album and gave it a "(Come Fighting)" subtitle. It's not quite as frantic as this version. I really like the 12" "New York Mix" (aka "US Mix") but I agree with you that the 7" version is the best.
Sold millions in the UK. One of the biggest selling singles of all time. Try Two Tribes and Welcome To The Pleasure Dome next. Jay will love the bass lines.
I WAS A STUDENT IN THE UK IN '84 AND THIS SONG WAS MASSIVE! WAS #1 FOR MOST OF THE YEAR AND IN CONSTANT PLAY IN THE CLUBS/ON RADIO. IT WAS BANNED BY THE BBC(GOV'T RADIO) DUE TO THE LYRICS BUT WAS PLAYED EVERY WHERE ELSE. A CLUB BANGER THAT PACKED THE DANCE FLOOR FOR SURE!
Amber and Jordan you may like to hear Right Said Fred (I'm Too Sexy) 1991. Get ready for Jordan to sing it all the time like us guys did. Keep up with the good work 😎👍
Are we sure this is SELF-love? All those lads in the club in the video (and Holly Johnson's public sexuality) made me think it was an experienced, er, hand telling a nervous first-timer to relax and (as Bruce Springsteen sang about something COMPLETELY different) "we'll get to that place where we really want to go", together. Or perhaps I simply have a dirty mind.
I was surprised how original and funky this song was when it came out in the early 80s. Love the synthesizers and drum programming. Very prevalent in music during that decade. To this day in 2024, someone somewhere is cranking up their volume knob on the stereo to this incredible song!
@@mattbird7162 When I first heard Relax, I was too young to understand that it was a rallying anthem for the gay movement coming out of England. I just thought it was an amazing song. Still do.
@@mattbird7162 I won’t disclose where I stand on homosexual behavior however, some dig their music and some don’t. Freedom of choice is a beautiful thing.
When he said that, I laughed out loud! Here's the comment I left. "Steely Dan? WTF? What the actual French Toast are you talking about, Jay? There is ZERO Steely Dan in this song, homie. You missed this song's meaning so much, while you're still waiting for the pitch the ball's already in the catcher's mit! (No pun intended) And then you said, "I can only picture what the club was like back in the 80's when this song was playing." No Jay, it's not a club you would go into. So eyeah, there's that!"
Oh man this takes me back. I saw them in 1984 doing a promotional gig at Camden Palace. Trevor horn was the producer that created the sound. You need to watch the video to get a feel for what the stage show was like. I wish i could go back to those days as a student living in central London.
This song was soooo awesome back in 1985...my senior year of high school, graduation trip to Panama City Beach, I had a "Frankie Say Relax" t-shirt...and it's been almost 40 years and this is one of those songs that can take me back in a flash. It'll never get too old or outdated. Great times and great memories! Glad you enjoyed the tune!
I was thoroughly addicted to MTV when this song came out. I remember Martha Quinn politely saying that there is an X-rated version of the song that they couldn't show on MTV.
@@michaelproulx5795 Just rewatched it. There are a couple of scenes where a female nipple comes into view and one scene of a simulated golden shower. Also, MTV, back then, catered to teens (13-19) and a gay bar is no place for a teen. My college GF took me into a gay bar to see my response and she said I clung to her "for dear life" and she was amused by that.
X-rated is a big strong. But the BBC refused to play the song on the radio due it it's overt sexual content. I think the record company decided to respond by making a video that would instantly be banned from TV air play. It worked, telling teenagers that something is banned as too sexual will 100% make them go buy it.
I'm a UK oldie, I was there at the time, and YOU CANNOT BEGIN to imagine how big this song was at the time... nightclubs would play it 4 or 5 times a night, everyone was wearing FRANKIE SAYS t-shirts, absolute madness... The song itself is a combination of many different versions recorded by super-producer Trevor Horn, including one not even including the band! (The big "whooosssshhh" at the end is the [heavily manipulated] sound of the band jumping into a swimming pool at the end of the pop video!)
I had zero business dancing to this as a child in the 00s I don’t know what my parents were thinking letting me listen to this BUT in the same breath ITS SUCH A VIBE! 😂
@@ChrisW-17 The surprise I had when I eventually got to the age when I could kinda understand things that they (my parents) mentioned to me that they had this song banned everywhere on radio the first thing out of my mouth “Why?” 😂
Kind of shocking that this got any airplay in the '80s, considering it was released just at the moment the industry was being pressured to put warning labels on records
I was fortunate to have seen Frankie Goes to Hollywood perform in Milan, Italy, circa 1987. They were fabulous. Every song made your body want to move. They were the opening act for The Eurythmics. Unfortunately the Italian audience preferred sitting whereas my friends and I danced.
The scene is on a porn movie set, it is even less titillating than the "banned" video. It is a great scene, but compared to the rest of the movie it is a day at the office.
In the video Holly Johnson the singer is shown with a golden handkerchief in his back pocket, which has the hidden meaning of he enjoys showers of the golden variety.
glad yall did the audio...😎 the video is definitely -- PG -- rated :) Great song, always got the club floor packed, and our lightboard guy.. always went nutz with a lightshow
They created a very toned down video when MTV wouldn’t play the original. It’s just the guys dancing around with laser beams. Not as “creative” as the original!
@MikePhillips-pl6ov The one with the lasers? That's my favourite version. The uncensored video is too much for me - especially the guy with the banana 😱 It also shows off Mark and Paul's awesome bass playing and dancing skills (respectively). The comment made me laugh, but I was glad they didn't react to the uncensored video!
Naughty, naughty song. This was one that you had to make sure your parents didn't catch you listening to or watching the video on MTV, VH1, or Night Tracks. The lyrics are crystal clear, there's no mistaking what he's saying/talking about. Classic 80s, definitely naughty 🤭
I was a nanny in London when this came out. It was everything and everywhere. There was a t-shirt with R E L A X in huge letters that everyone was wearing. Misty water-colored memories...
Welcome to the Pleasuredome! ‘… the animals are winding me uuuuuuuup!’ Just a magnificent …superb track! Brilliant album! Stick it on in your car …. and driiiiiive!
This is one of the most quintessential 80's songs. And yes, Frankie is talking about what you think he is.
IF they watched the official music video, they would have had that confirmed as well...
I loved the look on Amber's face when she got an inkling of the subject matter.
There's actually no one named Frankie in the band. Holly Johnson was the singer. The name was taken for an advertisement for Frank Sinatra's first film. I'm not trying to be a wise-ass, just trying to inform! I'm a trivia nerd. :)
Try. Future so bright I gotta wear shades by Timbuk 3. and. Tuff enuff by The Fabulous Thunderbirds. And Jay & Amber I hope you two know what this songs about you know relax don't do it when you wanna cum
@shyman99 they did say that they'd heard the chorus in Zoolander.
"I don't know what the song is about. I don't even wanna know what the song is about" = I know what the song is about.
😂 Right
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Yes, if they saw the official music video that was initially banned it the UK they would have a pretty good idea what it's about.
@@alamc200😂😂😂😂
Dam, I remeber when this came out. Being in the clubs, moving through crowds. Feeling the heat and going on to the dance floors. Dam I miss those times.
Fun Fact - This song was banned in the UK in 1984 by the BBC for its suggestive lyrics. It reached number 1 on the UK Top 40 on 28 January 1984, and sold 2 million copies after spending 37 weeks in the charts (35 of those 37 weeks it wasn’t played on the radio due to the ban). Any child of the 70’s remembers having a Frankie says Relax t-shirt.
As you can imagine it is still a firm favourite in all the gay clubs, even to this day and this song is guaranteed together everyone up and dancing!
This song was loved even in straight clubs then - & it appears this "newer" generation can appreciate the music of it still too.
It's still a firm favourite in clubs, end of. Everyone in the UK was into this at the time - and still are! (I was in my early 20s when this was first on the scene so I danced more than a few times to it!)
Also since you're a Brit in Britain talking about a British song (am guessing from your comments and the way you spelt favourite), we don't say 'fun fact' here! If it's a fact, no need to announce it like they do in the US! 😉
You are right about the t-shirts.
This debut song by Liverpools Frankie, was banned by the BBC, catapulting it to Number 1 in the charts, the album that was due became the biggest selling pre-release in Britain.
So welcome to Frankie and welcome 'To the Pleasure Dome'
It's number 1 in the charts, but we can't play it - LOL
Small nitpick here, the shirts actually read "Frankie say relax" (as if Frankie is related to Confucious).
This track got banned from the radio in 1984 because of it's obscene lyrics and went straight to number 1 for 5 weeks 😂
There dress code didn't help😂
I never found the lyrics offensive it's too bad that many adults at the time did.
We kids and teens loved it.
That "splash" synth sound tells you all
@@Music-Is-Real-Love It was the prim and proper BBC that banned it everybody loved it
I was 12 then and I remember it being discussed at school, but I had no idea what the song was about. I knew it was about something very rude but the lyrics didn't give me any clues 😂 I love the way Radio 1 banned it to protect young minds but meanwhile a good few djs were what young people needed protection from!
Anyway it's a phenomenal song
❤
Watch the official video and you'll soon see what the song is about.
Exactly! + the official video is awesome. ❤
There's two videos. The first one was banned, the second one Holly is walking around with a flashlight 🔦 The first one shows what the song is about.
No need for video to know what it's about. Just use your imagination.
😆😁😝
@@mikepaulus4766 FOUR versions of the video.
original, Original that's edited, live performance with the flashlight, and staged performance with lasers.
This sparked the famous 80s "Frankie Says Relax" t-shirts that were everywhere.
I was in London in 1984 and yup, saw them everywhere. Don’t remember them here in the US though.
@@heidichristensen7919The same was true when I was stationed in West Germany at that time.
In police academy
Frankie says... t shirts are as iconic as almost any ever made.
I bought the album for my nephew, but even though the 70s was my time, I was a fan of this song, and songs like this are recognisable as evergreens even at the time.
@@heidichristensen7919they were here. I had one.
"Relax? Is he..."
Yes. Yes he is.
If there's ever been a song that's definitely about that, it's this one.
+seamus.... Well, what about "baby you can light my fire" (The Doors") and "I give you every inch of my love" (Led Zeppelin) and "Komm zieh dich aus, ich möchte dich nackt sehn" = "Common take off your cloths because I want to see you naked" (Georg Danzer) ? 😛
HOLLY JOHNSON SINGING THE POWER OF LOVE will blow you away. One of the great 80's vocalists
I love the Rob Searle remix of TPoL
ah man , frankies power of love , i love it so much i remember the video like a bible theme , goose bumps each time i hear it , love his voice
My fav reminds me of Christmas
Still my fav xmas song of all time ,great video too !
My fav 😊
This is one of those songs that will ALWAYS get me on the dance floor.
This song gets grandma dancing at weddings 👰
its literally a dance floor magnet
This song was massive in the clubs here in Australia during the 80s. The drums and bass make this one of the best dance songs ever . Holly Johnson has a remarkable voice
I had a white one in the US
This tune was unlike anything we’d ever heard before when it came out!
Thank the lord you didn't watch the unedited version of this video..
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Amen! It's an abomination!
😂
Would of been funny though.
🤣
Frankie says : React to Two Tribes. BANGER!
Two tribes is a better song and video plus if you go down the rabbit hole their are multiple different 12" versions it was the first time (or one of the first times) that multiple versions of the same song was used to sell more copies of what was seen by the charts as the same song (today artists use different colours for the art work or deluxe editions)
Absolutely!! Relax hit number 1 in the UK for some time despite being banned by the major radio station of the time, and then fell down to #35 in the charts. They then released Two Tribes which again got to #1, and Relax then rose up the charts again to occupy #2 slot, so Frankie Goes to Hollywood occupied #1 and #2 positions in the charts, one of only a few groups to have done so.
For Two Tribes check out the Annihilation Mix... th-cam.com/video/XHFPuH5iEww/w-d-xo.html "Tag the bodies for identification purposes"
YES!
Relax was the HIT, and EVERYBODY (from that time) knows this song. What FEWER people know is that ALBUM is a masterpiece!!
Yeah, Two Tribes is amazing! Love the continual bass line.
Definitely need the video for that one
Frankie Goes To Hollywood are from Liverpool, home of the Beatles. Holly's mum lives at the top of our road and she is lovely.
The looks on both of your faces when you hear good music - simply adorable. Thanks for hours of entertainment!
I’m surprised you did this song. Yes, it’s dirty, dirty, dirty . And an awesome 80’s classic. “Two Tribes” is another really great Frankie song
The video is an o r g y without the s e x!
😆😆😆
Certainly nothing compared to the garbage today.
GREAT, NAUGHTY SONG from the 80s!! Was GREAT in a night club: SUPER LOUD!!! Thanks for the reactions, You-Two!! :) HUGS!
I think Amber got the message but was too embarrassed to say but Jay had no idea 😂😂
That's because homie is musically inept.
@@SERGEANTROCKSHEADBANGERSBALL J. generally focuses mostly on the musical content while Amber has a heavier focus on lyrics - that's all. It doesn't mean that anyone's inept. Just a different focus.
First time you hear this, it's easy to get lost in the sauce. The music is just so good you just jam to it. I think it took me a few listens until I started to pay attention to lyrics.
Jay is simply a shallow listener. He's been doing this for ages and he has never been able to critique properly. Seems to me that he hears well but doesn't listen much.
ummm yeah.i'm amazed at times of the things he "doesn't get"
All power to the genius of Trevor Horn and his superb production.
MASSIVE HIT in the '80's. Can't be understated.
Yes it went top 10 in 23 countries and to number 1 in 10 of those
@@patrickdowdle5121 In fact more, but obviously not all countries had their own charts in the 80s. It should be noted that Frankie was not only Relax, "Two Tribes" was also absolutely massive all over the world.
Yep, Amber, that's what its about!
Amber always gets it. Jay, not so much !!!!!
"Two Tribes" is another classic song by them
There were a couple from the second album "Liverpool" like rage hard and warriors of the wasteland that are worth a listen. I'm a 51 year old Brit so it brings back memories
"The Power of Love" is another great song by these guys.
Its always on every playlist i have. Its just beautiful, i love Holly's voice. Oh... and it has to be loud LOL
The entire double LP Welcome to the Pleasuredome is an aural explosion and experience - Frankie Say Welcome!!!
Brilliant album, not a bad song on there, and the instrumental in the middle of it, to prove they could play there instruments was really good
This song was part of the sound track to Body Double. The entire song is played during one scene, not just the chorus.
I was waiting to see if anyone else would mention that. Not a great movie but I’ve always loved it. I might even have to watch it tonight.
You listened to the short radio version. This band has a sense of humor about ... their provocative themes. Their debut album, "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" (1984), achieved advance sales of more than a million, and their first three singles ("Relax", "Two Tribes" and "The Power of Love") all reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. The entire album is good.
This song was HUGE around 1985!! Everyone had those "Frankie says" shirts!
Frankie say.
Oh man! Yes, get lost in the beat. 😂
The song was banned by the BBC in England. The video is pretty wild.
The video being "pretty wild" is a major understatement.😎
Which in doing so, sent it to no.1
@@MikePhillips-pl6ovI think it was actually already No 1 when it was banned which made the BBC decision even more bizarre at the time.
Britain.
That same worthless marxist biased organisation [which I refuse to pay the tv tax for] would love it today!
I was just getting into music as a kid in little old sleepy England when this tune came on the radio...And it blew my F*****G mind! It was like NOTHING i'd ever heard before! It was so much in the future. And even today, it stands up to the test of time, I'm talking nearly 40 years ago! I Iove it, I love it, I love it! What a quality tune!
I'm in junior high at the weekly school dance. My friends and I are as new wave as it gets in our small town. WE are wearing 'Frankie Says' sweatshirts that we bought when one of our parents drove us to Boston! We request this song every Friday night at the school dance. It's a catholic school. The nuns don't 'get' the songs meaning. Until three months in. When Sister Cecile inadvertently sees the video. They ban the song from the school dance. However, they are fine with The Clash. Which you know is kind of cool.
there are two version videos she must have seen the original video from the uk th-cam.com/video/Yem_iEHiyJ0/w-d-xo.html the shock on her face would have been priceless i bet she watch the whole video
Oh, I'm sure it was the u.k. version lol And I'm sure she watched all of it, too.
@@harlowrioux5790and not so inadvertently
OMG, this song was SUCH a banger in the clubs back in the 80s! EVERYONE was on the dance floor. And I bet they still would be today!
💯💯agreed!! Ive done security work at some big clubs in London for 80's nights and when this classic banger comes on the roof literally gets torn of the night club lol Just an explosion of life throughout the entire club!
So i cant even imagine what the clubs were like back in the actual 80's when this chart topper came on - bet it was absolute fire 🔥🔥
I’ve gotta say…..I’m actually shocked it took this long! This song was HUGE HUGE in the 80s. In 1987-88, I was studying abroad in Seville, Spain. I remember about 3 of us guys and 3 girls went to a club on a weeknight. We started dancing when the girls noticed they were the only females in there while we were dancing to “Frankie”. It so happened to be gay night at that club in Spain. But we were still very welcomed inside! Great times! 😄😃
Yeah, so Funny... Spain is STILL mostly catholic. But, clubs are clubs anywhere!
@ezpzeee mostly catholic? Spain was the third country in the world to legalise same sex marriages, some 9 years after this song was released, and you are surprised there are gay clubs?
@@Xiroi87 Personally, I wasn’t surprised that a club in Spain would have a gay night. However, we were in a foreign country. And since we were still getting acclimated to Spain, we wouldn’t have known what to expect. I also encountered several cross dressers in my nine months in Sevilla too. So even 36 years ago, Seville, Spain seemed to be a very open-minded city which is what I like.
first released in late 1983
@@charliegeorge9393 Yes, and it was one of the most popular dance song’s throughout the 80s from 1983 onward. “Relax” was still being played a lot in Spain’s dance clubs for the entire 9 months I was in Spain. “Relax” was actually RE-released as a single in the UK in 1993…..and it hit the Top 5 AGAIN in the UK in 1993. It even hit No. 1 in the UK in early 1984.
Produced by Trevor Horn, leader of the Buggles (Video Killed the Radio Star). He has also produced ABC (Look of Love), Yes (Owner of a Lonely Heart), Seal (Crazy, Kiss From a Rose and others), Pet Shop Boys and countless other acts.
ABC! Pet Shop Boys!
Trevor horn band did the music for this song...aka the art of noise
Don't forget that Trevor and Geoff Downes (his partner in The Buggles) were also MEMBERS of Yes for one album - Drama. Jon Anderson (vocals) and Rick Wakeman (keyboards) had left Yes, and Trevor and Geoff had mentioned to Yes bassist Chris Squire a couple songs they had, and Chris asked them to fill in for Jon and Rick.
Tempus Fugit and Machine Messiah are a couple of great songs from that album.
And the music was recorded by Trevor’s then another act: Art Of Noise. Trevor wasn’t satisfied with the real band sound, so he decided to use another musicians…
There was a very good concert done for the prince's trust which is a tribute to the work of trevor horn.
101k views in 10 days. EVERYONE loves this song.
You are right this was an 80’s club banger…. I was there. Everybody went (even more) crazy at the line “hit me with your lazer beam”…… which is exactly what the DJs with some lazers in their kit did!
I was 16 in 1982, simply the best decade in my opinion. No internet no mobile phones. The social scene was amazing and life was a whole lot simpler. Plus the music was incredible. Imagine this banging out in the 80's.
Agreed , I was 18 so legal drinking age UK. Fun times.
I was 15 in 82, such a great decade and the music is still BY FAR my favourite.
We used to go to the teen club and the dance floor would be PACKED when this song played. So much fun to dance to. We would all get still and kneel down low to the ground when it got quiet in the song and then all jump up at the same time when it comes back up. Most of us had no idea what the song was about. But we loved the FRANKIE SAY RELAX tshirts and the song.
agree with you @@utha2665 ‘82 is a genius year for music 🙌🏼🌟🙌🏼 tho RELAX was released end of 1983 and became a hit and global #1 from January 1984 💥
Cool fact: the Frankie in the band name was Frank Sinatra. It was taken from a newspaper headline that said Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
The original British video is crazy .... I'd have died if you'd watched it
I love this song! There's NO WAY you can be still for it! If you're not up dancing to it, you're in your seat be-bopping to it!! You check out their songs Two Tribes and The Power of Love! Frankie Goes to Hollywood were amazing in their day!!
Legendary group ...Trasgressivo unico suono inconfondibili ☝️☝️☝️☝️💪💯
As a teenager in the early 80s, the teenage NuWave clubs were where it was at.
You heard songs like RELAX and so many others, from so many other Great Bands you would want too listen too.
Socializing, dancing, it was the ultimate teenage experience.
This was such a big thing when I was in high school in the 80's. Students wearing T-shirts that said "Frankie Say Relax."
This is a dirty pick for you two!
It’s honestly tame in comparison to stuff I’ve heard lol
@@magneto7930
That's just like your opinion dude.
Equally unexpected too!
@@magneto7930 It’s awesome! And so is the band “Garbage” awesome too! 😅
I’d also like their reaction to George Michael’s song, “I Want Your Sex.”
Frankie were absolutely huge, here in the UK, back in the mid 80's, when after this first mega hit, they followed it up with 'Two Tribes' which for me is even better. Memories of it being used as the theme for a American Football highlights show back then. The perfect marriage of tune and show/sport.
I've heard the isolated tracks for this one.
The "baw-baw-baw" is actually multiple instruments. Major part synth sound - Trevor Horn was an enthusiastic early user of the Fairlight sampling synthesiser, which could turn any sound into a playable instrument - but there's actually a guitar mirroring it at the same time to add extra dimensions to it.
Indeed, what I love about that sound is that, if you listen, it's slightly different every time they play it. There's a random variance - how the multiple instruments work together, differences in the filter effects - that means it's never exactly the same sound twice. The amount of "grit" on the sound is allowed to vary and wander.
This song and Blue Monday are what set the "boots and cats" rhythm for all dance music thereafter. Those two songs just knocked it out of the park - blew people's minds, with these unheard of electronic effects - that the early '90s rave culture emerged from it all (until Nirvana re-wrote the script with grunge and then being "unplugged" was the trend, in opposition to everything trying to copy Blue Monday and Relax - funny thing is, unlike most electronic copycats, both Blue Monday and Relax do both have live-played guitar on them).
That Strat cuts right through!
The long version is absolutely the best version. Not the shortened up for radio version. The long musical intro is next level. You listening to the wrong version.
They got what they needed out of it
The New York mix
The radio edit is outstanding, at just the right length to make you want more, not less, but I haven't ;listened to the LP version.
I'll check it out....
@@thundernels Listen to the RSR reaction. They imagined it playing at the club. The radio version was not playing at the club. Not the famous clubs anyway. In a New York Disco, the long version (New York Mix) was THE version. At the Playboy mansion, the long version (12 inch) was THE version. For the "club feel", the New York Mix captured it best.
@@InvestBetter. The version on the Welcome To The Pleasuredome album isn't as good as this 7" single mix (IMO). They remixed it for the album and gave it a "(Come Fighting)" subtitle. It's not quite as frantic as this version. I really like the 12" "New York Mix" (aka "US Mix") but I agree with you that the 7" version is the best.
Sold millions in the UK. One of the biggest selling singles of all time. Try Two Tribes and Welcome To The Pleasure Dome next. Jay will love the bass lines.
I WAS A STUDENT IN THE UK IN '84 AND THIS SONG WAS MASSIVE! WAS #1 FOR MOST OF THE YEAR AND IN CONSTANT PLAY IN THE CLUBS/ON RADIO. IT WAS BANNED BY THE BBC(GOV'T RADIO) DUE TO THE LYRICS BUT WAS PLAYED EVERY WHERE ELSE. A CLUB BANGER THAT PACKED THE DANCE FLOOR FOR SURE!
This song may have been banned from the radio but it was played at every high school dance i went to in the 80s! This is a jam!
This song was banned in Britain on radio & TV, which of course aided in its huge success. Love it!!
Mike Smith (dickhead) got it banned on Radio 1 UK, guaranteed it was a massive success 😀
@@malkum61 Mike Read.
You can't forget Welcome to the pleasure dome by them.
That whole album is fire!
Yesss! I used to own a copy of it on vinyl.
My favorite live version is th-cam.com/video/RbwNrG4MTlE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=KXuINXJ_d-HEcBTc
Amber and Jordan you may like to hear Right Said Fred (I'm Too Sexy) 1991. Get ready for Jordan to sing it all the time like us guys did. Keep up with the good work 😎👍
No way I'm disco dancing.
Yes! I loved Right Said Fred!!! I wish he did more... Did he do more???
I'm too sexy for this song.
@@ezpzeeeDon't talk just kiss. Not a he, a band with Fred and Richard Fairbrass.
@@lyramidsummer5508 thanx! I will check that out!!
one of the best engineered albums of the 80's... just incredible on headphones
Trevor Horn is UNDEFEATED
It's exactly what you think it's about, and yes, we were on the floor when it came on.
power of love..such an amazing song.
Yet another song in the grand 80's tradition like She-Bop, Turning Japanese, and Dancing with Myself.
Heh!
And don't forget I Touch Myself by The Divinyls and Into the Groove by Madonna
@@Skywalker567 And "Whip It!"
Blister in the Sun
Are we sure this is SELF-love? All those lads in the club in the video (and Holly Johnson's public sexuality) made me think it was an experienced, er, hand telling a nervous first-timer to relax and (as Bruce Springsteen sang about something COMPLETELY different) "we'll get to that place where we really want to go", together.
Or perhaps I simply have a dirty mind.
Ohhh, the 80s childhood experience. You could not escape this song on radio when it came out, nor did you want to, ha.
This song was originally on the 80's movie Body Double, which is a really cool movie worth checking out as well.
Nothing like 80s music.... it's timeless
It's apparent now that it was the peak. We are on the downslope now.
I was surprised how original and funky this song was when it came out in the early 80s. Love the synthesizers and drum programming. Very prevalent in music during that decade. To this day in 2024, someone somewhere is cranking up their volume knob on the stereo to this incredible song!
Thats not the only knob they’re cranking…
@@mattbird7162 Hilarious! And you’re right about that.
@@mattbird7162 When I first heard Relax, I was too young to understand that it was a rallying anthem for the gay movement coming out of England. I just thought it was an amazing song. Still do.
@@mattbird7162 I won’t disclose where I stand on homosexual behavior however, some dig their music and some don’t. Freedom of choice is a beautiful thing.
This song was EVERYWHERE in the mid-80's. It lives on today in 80's themed events & gay clubs. And yes, I had a "Frankie Says RELAX" t-shirt.
A Banger, haha, thats one way to put it.
head , banger for sure lol
When he said that, I laughed out loud! Here's the comment I left. "Steely Dan? WTF? What the actual French Toast are you talking about, Jay? There is ZERO Steely Dan in this song, homie. You missed this song's meaning so much, while you're still waiting for the pitch the ball's already in the catcher's mit! (No pun intended) And then you said, "I can only picture what the club was like back in the 80's when this song was playing." No Jay, it's not a club you would go into. So eyeah, there's that!"
@@SERGEANTROCKSHEADBANGERSBALL This was played in ALL the clubs!!
The lyrics are simple but it says a Mouthful.
@@SERGEANTROCKSHEADBANGERSBALL lmfao.
"Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick", "Reasons To Be Cheerful (Pt 3)" - Ian Dury and the Blockheads
YES!!
@@Problembeingthe session guys for recording “Relax “ were Ian Dury’s band, The Blockheads!
The great punk poet himself wonderful suggestions loved and still love Ian Dury
@@neilbertuk1 I used to absolutely love these guys as a kid.
@@angelacunningham he was a total legend.
Oh man this takes me back. I saw them in 1984 doing a promotional gig at Camden Palace. Trevor horn was the producer that created the sound. You need to watch the video to get a feel for what the stage show was like. I wish i could go back to those days as a student living in central London.
This song was soooo awesome back in 1985...my senior year of high school, graduation trip to Panama City Beach, I had a "Frankie Say Relax" t-shirt...and it's been almost 40 years and this is one of those songs that can take me back in a flash. It'll never get too old or outdated. Great times and great memories! Glad you enjoyed the tune!
I was thoroughly addicted to MTV when this song came out. I remember Martha Quinn politely saying that there is an X-rated version of the song that they couldn't show on MTV.
Yeah they created the PG video with the lasers and smoke for American television.
not really x-rated .just takes place in a leather bar is all lol
@@michaelproulx5795 Just rewatched it. There are a couple of scenes where a female nipple comes into view and one scene of a simulated golden shower. Also, MTV, back then, catered to teens (13-19) and a gay bar is no place for a teen. My college GF took me into a gay bar to see my response and she said I clung to her "for dear life" and she was amused by that.
naw , it was just to queer for the times. only girls in thongs shaking it down was acceptable
X-rated is a big strong. But the BBC refused to play the song on the radio due it it's overt sexual content. I think the record company decided to respond by making a video that would instantly be banned from TV air play. It worked, telling teenagers that something is banned as too sexual will 100% make them go buy it.
Y’all had some quality chair dancing going on! I love that you sat back and enjoyed the music. 😊
Probably the best 80's song ever.
This song always got me dancing! We all had the shirt, "Frankie says. Relax!" Oh, the 80s were so much fun! 💜💕
Heroes of the 80's. So many songs from them were beyond the time.
This song is exactly what you think it's about.
Yeah, this was a HUGE club hit, always packed the floor!
When CDs first came out, this was the very first CD I ever purchased. Next Frankie songs to check are 'Two Tribes' and 'Welcome To The Pleasuredome'
I'm a UK oldie, I was there at the time, and YOU CANNOT BEGIN to imagine how big this song was at the time... nightclubs would play it 4 or 5 times a night, everyone was wearing FRANKIE SAYS t-shirts, absolute madness...
The song itself is a combination of many different versions recorded by super-producer Trevor Horn, including one not even including the band! (The big "whooosssshhh" at the end is the [heavily manipulated] sound of the band jumping into a swimming pool at the end of the pop video!)
Relax. When you want to come…🙃
This song PACKED the dance floor! Great song!
This is 40 years old!!
Bite your tongue. 😂
Incredible isn't it that 40 years just flew by!
Way to make me feel OLD lol
Everything from the 80s is 40 some years old. ❤ Love the 80s!
@@shyman99 That's a metaphor for spunk, isn't it 🤣
I had zero business dancing to this as a child in the 00s I don’t know what my parents were thinking letting me listen to this BUT in the same breath ITS SUCH A VIBE! 😂
I was hovering around 10 when this came out. And yeah, not a clue what it was about, but loved bopping along to the song.
@@ChrisW-17
The surprise I had when I eventually got to the age when I could kinda understand things that they (my parents) mentioned to me that they had this song banned everywhere on radio the first thing out of my mouth “Why?” 😂
Well as a teen in the 8o’s I didn’t really think about the lyrics too much because the song is such fire. Really fun dance music.
Kind of shocking that this got any airplay in the '80s, considering it was released just at the moment the industry was being pressured to put warning labels on records
My mom bought me a Frankie Say Relax t-shirt 😂
The Power of Love - beautiful!
Power of Love. Beautiful song.
I was fortunate to have seen Frankie Goes to Hollywood perform in Milan, Italy, circa 1987. They were fabulous. Every song made your body want to move. They were the opening act for The Eurythmics. Unfortunately the Italian audience preferred sitting whereas my friends and I danced.
They had hands down the most genius marketing campaign for a debut band.
I use to jam out to this song without even knowing the words and meaning. So catchy but too cool if your mom is a big church goer.
As a teenager in the 80’s I understood the lyrics , but I found the actual music way more interesting - such a banger song to dance to. Pun intended.
@@steveb7429 It's hard to (there I just did it - again), say ANYTHING about this song without there being some sort of pun.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood - “Welcome to the Pleasuredome” is the title song on the album Relax came from. It’s another must listen song
Power of Love is their ballad and it is absolutely magnificent
Frankie goes to Hollywood- The power of Love. Definitely worth a listen. Classic
This song was also very prominently featured in the movie Body Double. The band actually appears in the movie in a particularly titillating scene.
That movie was crazy!
Great movie.
The scene is on a porn movie set, it is even less titillating than the "banned" video. It is a great scene, but compared to the rest of the movie it is a day at the office.
Bodyb double music vidio was insane with the actual band in the movie
Great movie
Yes "Relax" IS a banger (in more ways than one)
😂!
😅
Indeed!
Also , Culture Club, Church of the poisoned mind
The "production" on this song is super-mega-hyper-nuclear next-level.
In the video Holly Johnson the singer is shown with a golden handkerchief in his back pocket, which has the hidden meaning of he enjoys showers of the golden variety.
glad yall did the audio...😎 the video is definitely -- PG -- rated :) Great song, always got the club floor packed, and our lightboard guy.. always went nutz with a lightshow
They created a very toned down video when MTV wouldn’t play the original. It’s just the guys dancing around with laser beams. Not as “creative” as the original!
Why aren’t you watching the video? It is equally energizing
Your comment did make me laugh. Can you imagine their faces watching the video 😂
@@brendaedwards6741yes, but the clean video is good too
This is a PG rated show and I don't think especially the unedited video is appropriate here.
@MikePhillips-pl6ov The one with the lasers? That's my favourite version. The uncensored video is too much for me - especially the guy with the banana 😱 It also shows off Mark and Paul's awesome bass playing and dancing skills (respectively). The comment made me laugh, but I was glad they didn't react to the uncensored video!
The music really doesn't need a video, unlike trash music.
Naughty, naughty song. This was one that you had to make sure your parents didn't catch you listening to or watching the video on MTV, VH1, or Night Tracks. The lyrics are crystal clear, there's no mistaking what he's saying/talking about. Classic 80s, definitely naughty 🤭
Nowhere near as naughty as ….Ian Dury and the Blockheads - Wake Up and Make Love To Me…..lmao
@@eggy1962 Never heard of them, so I looked up the song ..... OH MY! Super naughty 🤭
When my Mom found out what it was about, she threw out my record immediately lol
@@CreepyComfortCrime Right? 😂 And this is tame compared to song lyrics today
You couldn't walk on the streets of Los Angeles in 1984 without seeing the t-shirts everywhere.
The power of love made me fell in love for this band
The band name came from an old ad announcing the film debut of Frank Sinatra.
I was a nanny in London when this came out. It was everything and everywhere. There was a t-shirt with R E L A X in huge letters that everyone was wearing. Misty water-colored memories...
Def listened to Two Tribes.
What you “think” this is about is exactly what it’s about. Staple of the club scene in the 80s.
Words could not explain how huge this song was in the 80s on both sides of the pond.
Welcome to the Pleasuredome! ‘… the animals are winding me uuuuuuuup!’ Just a magnificent …superb track!
Brilliant album! Stick it on in your car …. and driiiiiive!