from digital spy

 

Frankie Goes To Hollywood given Q Award

Monday, October 26 2009, 12:42 GMT

 

By Alex Fletcher, Senior Entertainment Reporter

 

 

Rex Features

Frankie Goes To Hollywood will be given the 'Classic Song' award for their hit 'Relax' at today's Q Awards.

 

The '80s pop icons will be honoured at the London ceremony for the track, which gave them a number one in 1984. It was the first of a trio of chart toppers for the group, who went on to score hits with 'Two Tribes' and 'The Power Of Love'.

 

'Relax' was banned from most radio stations on its original release due to its sexually provocative lyrics.

 

"Determining what constitutes a classic song is a tricky beast, but staying power and instant recognition aren't bad yardsticks," said Q editor Paul Rees. "Frankie Goes To Hollywood's 'Relax' more than ticks both boxes - more than a quarter of a century later it is undimmed and unforgettable.

 

"That it also defined its era is equally inarguable. As such, Q is delighted to give it the recognition it deserves."

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do you agree that 'relax' should get classic record status?

Too bloody right.

Although I don't know who deserves the gong more, FGTH or Trevor Horn.

Too bloody right.

Although I don't know who deserves the gong more, FGTH or Trevor Horn.

both perhaps... Trevor Horn was to Frankie in 1984 what Martin Rushent was to the Human League in 1981 - he took the raw talent and honed it into a successful sound.

 

I always preferred The Power of Love (one of the finest love songs ever written IMO) and Two Tribes - but there's not many other songs from the 80s I can think of that is as iconic as Relax. Long overdue.

i agree russ, 'relax' is one of the most iconic if not the most iconic tracks of the 80's.

Well deserved I say, but it's very unfair how they're thought of as a one hit wonder now, even if it they do trot out The Power Of Love most Christmasses...

It's the case with a lot of 80s acts - The Human League had a million hits, but when do they ever play something that isn't Don't You Want Me? Ditto Soft Cell with Tainted Love, Eurythmics with Sweet Dreams, Wham with Wake Me Up Before You Go Go...sometimes you'll get an act like Culture Club, who get Do You Really Want To Hurt Me and Karma Chameleon played pretty regularly, but even then there's a load of equally big hits that you just never hear anymore.

 

Well deserved for Frankie Goes To Hollywood though, Two Tribes is one of my favourite songs of the decade. And I know it's sacrelige but I really liked the 2000 remix of The Power of Love as well...

It's the case with a lot of 80s acts - The Human League had a million hits, but when do they ever play something that isn't Don't You Want Me? Ditto Soft Cell with Tainted Love, Eurythmics with Sweet Dreams, Wham with Wake Me Up Before You Go Go...sometimes you'll get an act like Culture Club, who get Do You Really Want To Hurt Me and Karma Chameleon played pretty regularly, but even then there's a load of equally big hits that you just never hear anymore.

 

Well deserved for Frankie Goes To Hollywood though, Two Tribes is one of my favourite songs of the decade. And I know it's sacrelige but I really liked the 2000 remix of The Power of Love as well...

 

...indeed, and most often their best known hits are often the worst tracks these artists did, ... but NOT in the case of frankie, 'relax' was a brilliant, iconic even, pop single.

To be fair FGTH had three completely iconic singles in Relax, Two Tribes and The Power of Love.

Two Tribes is always wheeled out whenever there is some sort of fight situation especially in business programmes it seems.

 

And I still love the album version of Welcome to the Pleasure Dome.

 

Relax (New York Mix) = utter brilliance.

To be fair FGTH had three completely iconic singles in Relax, Two Tribes and The Power of Love.

 

true, but 'relax' was the first and id argue the best known... t shirts n all..

It was No 1 TWICE I believe... It was an absolutely iconic single, pretty much one of THE defining songs of the 1980s... And it really scared the cr@p out of everyone, the "moral majority" got in a right old lather about it.... :rolleyes:

 

Two reasons to love it... A Top Tune, and it really p!ssed off the right people.... VERY "Punk Rock" in spirit....

It was No 1 TWICE I believe... It was an absolutely iconic single, pretty much one of THE defining songs of the 1980s... And it really scared the cr@p out of everyone, the "moral majority" got in a right old lather about it.... :rolleyes:

 

Two reasons to love it... A Top Tune, and it really p!ssed off the right people.... VERY "Punk Rock" in spirit....

It was number one once (for five weeks) then climbed back up to number two several months later when Two Tribes went to number one.

It's the case with a lot of 80s acts - The Human League had a million hits, but when do they ever play something that isn't Don't You Want Me? Ditto Soft Cell with Tainted Love, Eurythmics with Sweet Dreams, Wham with Wake Me Up Before You Go Go...sometimes you'll get an act like Culture Club, who get Do You Really Want To Hurt Me and Karma Chameleon played pretty regularly, but even then there's a load of equally big hits that you just never hear anymore.

 

very true... out of that list, it's Soft Cell I feel most sorry for... they had oodles of simply brilliant singles (Soul Inside, Torch, Say Hello Wave Goodbye, What!, Numbers, Bedsitter to name just a couple) yet it's the tired old Tainted Love everyone seems to remember them by - Marc Almond talks at length of this in his (rather brilliant) autobiography, fittingly titled 'Tainted Life' - even the ' da-bomp-bomp' intro brings him out in hives - he loathes that single, and, given the stellar quality of all the following Soft Cell singles, it's not hard to see why....

 

Human League, too, had far, far better tracks on Dare than DYWM, nevermind throughout their career.... but there's no getting away from the pure pop brilliance of DYWM... the intro alone is just...wow.

Well deserved I say, but it's very unfair how they're thought of as a one hit wonder now, even if it they do trot out The Power Of Love most Christmasses...

Who thought that? :wacko:

 

from www.polyhex.com

 

Frankie Goes To Hollywood

26/11/1983 Relax 1 67-55-54-55-46-46-35-6-2-{1}-1-1-1-1-2-3-6-16-21-23-21-29-29-31-26-24-21-17-

16-11-5-3-2-2-3-3-3-6-7-12-20-22-29-41-47-50-66-71-68R(17)-58-64-74->52

 

16/06/1984 Two Tribes 1 {1}-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-3-5-9-13-17-29-34-42-54-63-65-73R(2)->21

 

01/12/1984 The Power Of Love 1 3-{1}-3-5-6-7-10-20-35-45-64-64R(2)->12

 

30/03/1985 Welcome To The Pleasuredome 2 5-{2}-2-5-12-24-39-56-69-72-72->11

 

06/09/1986 Rage Hard 4 6-{4}-7-16-36-53-74->7

 

22/11/1986 Warriors (Of The Wasteland) 19 24-{19}-19-32-42-53-52-60->8

 

07/03/1987 Watching The Wildlife 28 37-33-{28}-33-47-72->6

 

plus numerous re-releases of the above.

 

edit: to stop scrolling off screen.

Edited November 11, 200915 yr by Ricky

Who thought that? :wacko:

 

from www.polyhex.com

 

Frankie Goes To Hollywood

26/11/1983 Relax 1 67-55-54-55-46-46-35-6-2-{1}-1-1-1-1-2-3-6-16-21-23-21-29-29-31-26-24-21-17-

16-11-5-3-2-2-3-3-3-6-7-12-20-22-29-41-47-50-66-71-68R(17)-58-64-74->52

 

16/06/1984 Two Tribes 1 {1}-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-3-5-9-13-17-29-34-42-54-63-65-73R(2)->21

 

01/12/1984 The Power Of Love 1 3-{1}-3-5-6-7-10-20-35-45-64-64R(2)->12

 

30/03/1985 Welcome To The Pleasuredome 2 5-{2}-2-5-12-24-39-56-69-72-72->11

 

06/09/1986 Rage Hard 4 6-{4}-7-16-36-53-74->7

 

22/11/1986 Warriors (Of The Wasteland) 19 24-{19}-19-32-42-53-52-60->8

 

07/03/1987 Watching The Wildlife 28 37-33-{28}-33-47-72->6

 

plus numerous re-releases of the above.

 

edit: to stop scrolling off screen.

 

i think he meant that some people, especially younger ones, think that.

i think he meant that some people, especially younger ones, think that.

There can't be many bands almost entirely known for one hit who had another song at number one for nine weeks.

There can't be many bands almost entirely known for one hit who had another song at number one for nine weeks.

 

... maybe, but if it was before you were born and only one record is played then it is pretty understandable.

... maybe, but if it was before you were born and only one record is played then it is pretty understandable.

If only I was that young :drama:

If only I was that young :drama:

 

tell me about it... my daughter was conceived when frankie was in the charts... shes now a solicitor in an adult world.. time... bah...

when you look at the list of their singles, it definitely is a shame they're only really remembered for Relax - oft-overlooked are the pretty excellent 'Liverpool' album releases - especially the sublime 'Watching The Wildlife'.... :mellow: