Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Frankie Goes to Hollywood

1 songs 4 albums

In 2009, The Sunday Times called Frankie Goes To Hollywood “the biggest British pop group since the Beatles and the most controversial since the Sex Pistols”.

Formed in late 1981 by Holly Johnson, Peter Gill, Mark O'Toole and Gerard O'Toole (soon replaced by Brian Nash, though he’d later fill in as 2nd guitar on tour), FGTH chose their name based on a painting by Guy Peelaert about Frank Sinatra that Johnson had seen on a wall in a rehearsal room. One of the band’s first live gigs was opening for future fifth band mate Paul Rutherford’s band Hambi And The Dance.

After establishing a hometown following, Arista Records requested recordings of “Relax” and “Two Tribes”, but chose to go no further with them. Two later demos of “Love’s Got A Gun” (later “Wish The Lads Were Here”) and “Junk Funk” were rejected by Phonogram Records.