ONE HIT WONDERLAND: "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Juan Garcia

Do Eric B & Rakim next…

Carlton Ellis Dean

GOOD VIDEO AND GOOD SONG!

Mercy

For a song without any profanities this is pretty graphic and explicit. You might not catch it the first time but when you hear it more than once (particularly when you hear the backing vocals at the end). I am surprised this got into the top 10 in the USA at all.

Racoko

Same thing happened to me lol

Scott McIntyre

Kelley Runyon

I was fortunate to spend a number of years growing up in the UK in the 80s. I can remember dancing to Relax at discos when I was about 13 and knowing that it was about sex...in some way...but not really having a clue. And yes, Two Tribes absolutely rules.

MikeVG

I'm surprised you mentioned Duran Duran in the video and didn't bring up how The Wild Boys was probably one of the most blatant Frankie ripoffs, like it's almost too on the nose.

Ed Thee Goose

I think you found a spin off to Trainwreckers, the One Album Wonder. I can think of a few artists that would qualify

RedBedroomRecords

yeah anyone who says that Rock Me Tonite killed Billy Squier's career is lying their ass off as the existence of this video proves that the public is quite willing to overlook at sort of thing.

RedBedroomRecords

yes they were really a OHW in the states.

RedBedroomRecords

yeah Blur deserve to be covered on here at some point.

RedBedroomRecords

I know who Erasure are thanks to Jim Sterling using Chains of Love in some Jimquisition videos.

Citizen Calmar

Were Frankie really a one-hit wonder here in the States? Because I genuinely remember "Two Tribes". I guess I assumed it did better on the charts than it actually did.

ClaMaRo

I was anticipating a Zoolander clip and was not disappointed.

Nigel G

By coincidence, I saw the leather bar video for "Relax" for the first time this week. It's one of the gayest things I've ever seen, and I say that with the utmost respect and approval. I can't believe they got it on TV at all.

GregD

I utterly forgot about 2 Tribes till now! Thanks for that. Also, one of the title cards is missing? The 'The Hit' card just has black screen.

Steve Harper

I was a British teen when this was released, and I only understood what you were being advised to relax about ten minutes into this video. Also, I was surprised that they were an OHW in the US since so many people on the internet know the "War, what is it good for (Absolutely nothing)" bit from Two Tribes. It was five minutes after watching this video that I found out that wasn't from Two Tribes. It's possible I didn't pay very much attention to pop music in my youth.

JasSpy

Todd, I really want you to notice this, and I mean this very seriously. I think it's a HUGE missed opportunity that the Imagine Dragons song you use in the video is Believer, and NOT DEMONS. And also a missed opportunity to not make a joke about Demons. Like, right next to Relax, Demons is the OTHER FAMOUS C*M SONG. "No matter what we breed, we still are made of greed. This is my kingdom C*M, this is my kingdom C*M". I mean... yes, it's UNINTENTIONALLY a c*m song, but that's why Demons has recently become a meme that's made it a famous c*m song. Dan Reynolds accidentally made that part of the song so funny.

Judgesaturn507

I would NOT think of them as a one-hit wonder. I guess I'm just too poisoned by reading UK critics. Frankie walked so Lil Nas X could run.

Peter Kirk

As a Brit it Absolutely made me angry when I saw the title. Well done you got me

Jack Dover

Todd I love your work, but as a Brit it has spun my head to see Frankie listed as a one hit wonder!

Matt Cramp

I like the themed title cards! Also I think the ship has _sailed_ on covering acts who were titans in their own country that got only a small taste of American success. You’ve covered Midnight Oil on this show, for pity’s sake.

Don McHoull

In Canada, Two Tribes was actually a slightly bigger hit than Relax. Generally it seems like Canadian taste in popular music is roughly in line with the U.S., but British acts tend to do a bit better here (though not as well as they do in Australia and New Zealand, usually)

Dave Ruff

I was 13-14 when this song came (ha!) out. Most of us (again, 13-14) were very clueless about what this song was about. I mean, surely... they're not saying... no, it's just fun to groove to, don't think about it too much. Also, I don't think I've ever seen the original video. Also, also, Two Tribes was absolutely big, at least in NY radio. Not Relax big, but pretty damn big. I don't remember hearing anything else by Frankie..., so I always considered them a 2 hit wonder.

Laura Quin

I highly recommend Kill II This’ cover of “Two Tribes” from the late ‘90’s.

Laura Quin

As a small child in the U.K. I had no idea why the song was controversial, just that it was.

Sadie S

omg new title cards! the end of an era!

SPBurke

At 5:00 I feel like it should show "The Big Hit" title card, but there's just black space.

Kristopher Bluth

I lived in Utah and Idaho at various points in the '80s and '90s and there were a ton of clean-cut Mormon kids who were totally into blatantly homoerotic artists like Erasure, Morrissey, and Pet Shop Boys. I fully believe that "Relax" went over more than a few heads.

Joe Moyer

As other have said, missing “the big hit” title card.

John Wick

I think you missed "THE SONG" card. Double check.

Brandon Hay

Very nice to surprise to see the return to 80s British New Wave, with one of the gayest entries in that genre too, at least outside Tainted Love by Soft Cell. Tainted Love vs Relax would make a great song vs song episode too.

Graham Smith

Nik Kershaw also has the added bonus of the weird Cascada semi cover in the 2000s

Madison Dalrymple

YESSSSSS one of my all time favorite OHWs finally gets the treatment, we eating good tonight

Connor Rankin

I’m gonna assume Soft Cell isn’t entirely off the table (but maybe they are)

Jacqueline Sailer

Looking at Frankie's career, they're pretty similar to another mid-'80s new waver, Nik Kershaw: 1. Enormous in the UK in 1984 and ONLY 1984, save for some residual success in '85. 2. The second single was a satire of the Cold War nuclear standoff (in Kershaw's case, "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"). 3. One-hit wonder in the US for the first single, despite having at least a couple more tracks overseas audiences may recognize (for Kershaw, "The Riddle" and the aforementioned "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me").

Cordelia Of The Seas

The Power of Love has definitely had a long tail - it’s used as the emotional climax of All Of Us Strangers

bail harp

FUCK yea the queers are EATIN today you left out the "big hit" title card. another banger as always

Alina

It is! I find it too jarring, though, I hope Todd goes back to the old style.

Kylie McInnes

I'm not even English and I'm shocked they made the cut for this series!

Sean C.

I remember being very confused by "Body Double" suddenly turning into a music video when I watched it.

bootaro kujo

Woohoo for a new todd video !!!

Hiatt Werling

I think you're missing the "The Big Hit" title card at the 5:00 mark.

Beau Dure

I feel duty-bound to point out that the Frankie performance with Ryan Molloy replacing Holly Johnson at the Trevor Horn tribute concert was fantastic, and Relax was the weakest of the three songs they did.

Alina

Jumping in on this early - haven't finished, but there's a blank black screen just after the 5-minute mark that I'm pretty sure is supposed to be the "The Big Hit" title card.

David Claiborne

Black-on-white title cards? Wow, that is a huge change.