MUSIC
JUKEBOX
Joseph Ryan-Hicks reaches peak pleasure with Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Welcome to the Pleasuredome
“R
elax, don’t do it
/
When
you
want
to
sock
it
to
it…”
Chances are you’ve heard at least one of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s three number one singles — ‘Relax’, ‘Two Tribes’ and ‘The Power of Love’. The latter tied the group with fellow Liverpudlians Gerry and the Pacemakers as the second act in UK chart history to reach the top spot with their first three singles. They were later dethroned by the Spice Girls.
The album that followed, Welcome to the Pleasuredome, also hit number one in late 1984. The ambitious debut dealt with love, sex and war and is by no means a breezy listen; 16 songs in length, it drew criticism upon release for its lack of original material — Bruce Springsteen and The Temptations were among the artists covered. But where it truly shone was in its singles.