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Frankie Goes To Hollywood to reunite for Eurovision Song Contest

Nul points is all that you can score…

By Paul Sinclair

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38

Liverpool band and 1984 chart-hoggers Frankie Goes To Hollywood will do something that most of their fans presumed would never happen, and that is get back together and perform on stage.

The five original members – Holly Johnson (vocals), Paul Rutherford (backing vocals), Mark O’Toole (bass), Brian ‘Nasher’ Nash (guitar), and Peter ‘Ped’ Gill (drums) – will reunite for their first performance in front of an audience since their last gig in Bordeaux, way back in late February 1987, some 36 years ago.

The occasion is the Eurovision Song Contest which is being held in Liverpool this year. Frankie will perform at the National Lottery’s ‘Big Eurovision Welcome’ outside St George’s Hall in Liverpool on 7 May (the contest itself will take place Saturday 13 May). The show is designed to “celebrate Liverpool’s incredible musicality” and will feature performances from other bands with a connection to the city including Atomic Kitten, The Real Thing and The Lightning Seeds.

Frankie’s first three singles (‘Relax’, ‘Two Tribes’ and ‘The Power of Love’) famously went to number one in the UK in 1984 but their fourth single ‘Welcome to the Pleasure Dome’ was kept off the top spot in April 1985 by Phil Collins and Phil Bailey’s ‘Easy Lover’. The band had one further top ten single in the UK, in September 1986 and six months later the band were all but over.

In late 2017, Universal Music bought ZTT and they are currently working on Frankie archival projects. So far we’ve had reissues of both studio albums, the Bang greatest hits, a 3CD Essential compilation and a Record Store Day 12-inch single.

Whether this surprise Eurovision event proves to be a one-off or the start of a new era for the band, remains to be seen.

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38 thoughts on “Frankie Goes To Hollywood to reunite for Eurovision Song Contest”

  3. (Spoiler Alert)

    Just looked at the YouTube footage – highlights of the Eurovision party will be on BBC on 8 May including FGTH. As predicted, Holly and Paul were singing live – in fine voice too – pretty sure The Lads were miming to a backing track but possibly live BVs (they all had in-ear monitors and someone had gone to the trouble of mic-ing up Ped’s drumkit and putting backline on stage so maybe there is some live playing – can’t tell) . They looked great, seemed to be enjoying themselves and there was a lovely moment caught on the YT where Nasher gives Paul a big soppy kiss. Visually not particularly spectacular, quite low key – the YT footage shows them pacing around on stage talking to the crew. They didn’t get my memo about doing a Superbowl style Medley of the hits so just one solitary tune played (Pleasuredome) and off they went – very much a fleeting TV Spot rather than a big comeback. Is that it?

  5. SPOILER ALRT !! I think there are many factors in as to why the time right for Frankie to Return to The Pleasuredome. Some are not so obvious but most are: not getting any younger, ZTT no longer own the back catalogue (Now UMC do), and of course it will happen in Liverpool where it all started for Frankie. Like other Frankie fans, it is an occasion I never thought I would see but it is one I can definitely not miss so against my usual gig going preferences, I will be there. Incidentally (spoiler alert forthcoming) I am reliably informed that the song Frankie will perform will be Welcome to The Pleasuredome and likely open the concert. Hopefully they will also end it with Relax or maybe the power of Love – who knows – but it’s happening – It’s really happening! Will it be just the start or is it to go out with a bang?…but for now Frankie Say…It’s not The End – Just Yet!

  7. Love the fact that they show up again, after years of tension between them. Besides, I don’t expect much in case they produce new music, but I’m happy with what they aka Trevor Horn have released in thepast. For me their Kickstarter financed Box Set is still one of the richest and well packed box sets in my collection, and of course their Opus Magnum.

  8. I’m amazed they’re going to share a stage again although I’m not expecting too much from this. If anything it seems a bit low key way for such an unexpected comeback – It’s a Televised launch party which for some (no doubt convoluted reason) is tied in with Lottery draw, the audience tickets are free (with a Lottery ticket) which suggests it’s very much a TV show not really a gig. Its on BBC but not sure if it’ll go out over the Eurovision network? I’d expect a heavily choreographed and tightly produced event like something you’d get to open big sporting tournaments – I would imagine Frankie will do a 10 minute medley of hits, maybe with live vocals from Holly & Paul but I expect the lads will just mime along – it doesn’t matter really as long as they put on a big spectacle and pull all the stops out it might be fun!

  13. This is great news. After reading Trevor Horn’s autobiography (and watching the VHI tv programme at the time) – I never thought that this would happen. Relax – do do it!

  15. I’m so surprised and excited. Thinking about it deeper, perhaps two barriers are gone now which had probably made it difficult previously: 1) ZTT is no longer owned by Trevor Horn so band members still bitter about payments don’t have to worry about giving him further money 2) Universal owns ZTT and probably has big pockets or can get big money for the band which is something ZTT probably couldn’t/didn’t want to do back in the day.

  16. There is a wonderful 20 minute clip on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbCEF4sYSiY where the band are playing at the Prince’s Trust for Trevor Horn. They had Ryan Molloy on Vocals. The whole thing sounded immense, however there were other elements on stage with them and I am guessing they had a *LOT* of help to sound so good. Either way, it sounds brilliant, whether Holly can still do the Job at 63 will remain to be seen as Molloy was only 32 at the time of the Prince’s Trust gig.

      2. Just watched some clips from last night’s show. Wow, you were right Holly sounded great. Can’t wait to see the whole thing properly presented and not just some guy’s phone. Impressed.

  18. ‘…other bands with a connection to the city including Atomic Kitten, The Real Thing and The Lightning Seeds’ – but what about Beatles band ?! ;)

      3. As one Liverpool songwriting genius said:

        “Be careful what you dream of
        it may come up and surprise you”

        https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-65299144

        …..The final interval of the night will see six past Eurovision acts take to the stage to put their own spin on a number of classic hits by Liverpool’s most famous bands.
        Local favourite Sonia will take to the stage 30 years after her performance of Better The Devil You Know saw her claim the runner-up spot and she will be joined by Netta and Freyr, along with Italy’s Mahmood, Sweden’s Cornelia Jakobs and the Netherlands’ Duncan Laurence.

  19. This is just the perfect start to the 40th anniversary of relax and of course next year when it will be 40 years since frankie and ztt ruled supreme.Now is the perfect time with liverpool in focus at eurovision.Hopefully a tour will follow and some boxsets of there back catologue, perhaps a sde of wttp on bluray !!

  20. WOW. Just Wow. They don’t even get close to ABBA but the reunion is almost as shocking (to me at least). On Band Reunited of VH1 in 2004, Holly Johnson didn’t want to do it. He almost seemed afraid because one or more of the bandmembers had threatened to beat him up (if I remember correctly?). Johnson and the other bandmembers had two separate dressing rooms I believe he said on Bands Reunited. That was 2004, this is 2023, almost 20 years later so a lot of water has gone under the bridge. I’m excited and hope this will be a sign of more things to come. Since Universal is now involved, they may have prompted the band to get back together, for one reason only, as we all know, money, for both Universal and FGTH. Nothing wrong with that by the way. They have a right to earn money just like we all do.

    1. I sincerely hope that if they do any new material it is a better comeback than ABBA. I can’t say that I’ve listened to Voyage more than once and keep going back to The Visitors. Jimmy Page said it best when he was asked about a Zep reunion that he didn’t want to be the best Zep cover band.
      Let’s pray that if they do re-record, Mr Lipson is at the helm as what he did for X-Propaganda was sublime.

  21. I am genuinely excited for this but equally terrified! I want this to be brilliant but fear that it might spoil the memory of such a great, but brief, act.

    Given that Holly has regularly gigged most of their material in recent years, there should be no excuse for poor arrangements. But it will be great to see the five of them reunited on stage and, who knows, maybe a spark to something new further down the line? Stephen Lipson has already resurrected the fortunes of one former ZTT act in recent years. No reason why he couldn’t do it again ;-)

  22. I wonder if this is a live concert or a bunch of mimed for TV performances. Either way… Huge news that they are working together. Not sure if they have any control over what gets released in future but it can’t hurt that they are in touch.

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