Tune of the Week: Frankie Say What?

Frankie Goes To Hollywood was a Liverpool based pop band that continues to bewilder. After creating a buzz with two BBC sessions they signed to Trevor Horn’s fledgling label Zang Tumb Tuum. Horn threw everything (and the kitchen sink) into their initial productions. Their first single, and biggest hit, was the synth-pop monster “Relax”. Powered by Horn’s electronic rig of drum machine, synthesizer and sequencer one could wonder how a five member band could really have been that intimately involved in its creation. Ditto for their second single, “Two Tribes”. When it came time to make a full length album, Horn and the lads made a requisite bold move: make a double LP. For a group that seemed to be a flash in the pan, the production of “Welcome to the Pleasuredome” is remarkable. The entire first side is a suite of sound pieces that culiminates in the title track. Horn makes use of every resource available to him at this point, including members of the prog-rock group Yes. The way the music surges and retreats is simply masterful. While they did not last much past their initial fame, FGTH’s legacy as having made some of the best 80s music from the UK lives on. Frankie say LISTEN.