FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD

If you lived through the eighties, there’s no possible way you could have escaped without knowing of Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Heck, take any random “new wave” compilation, and I’d say there’s an eighty percent chance it has “Relax” on it.

For the few folks who aren’t familiar. . . “Relax” was the band’s first single. It was steadily rising up the UK charts, when the BBC banned it for containing sexually explicit lyrics. It immediately shot to #1, and stayed there for five weeks.

The follow up. . . A political ditty with a video featuring Reagan and Chernenko look-alikes in a wrestling match.

Their debut album, a sprawling two disc set, with covers of Edwin Starr and Bruce Springsteen, and an epic title track that lasted nearly one whole side.

Basically, everything about the band was big.

Here, (with help from a new file host) are some songs that weren’t on their two albums:

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Frankie Goes To Hollywood - “Ferry Cross the Mersey” (Gerry & the Pacemakers cover) A small piece of this was on the debut album, but this full length version is from the “Relax” single.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - “Disneyland” A Peel session from 1982. Never officially released.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - “SuffRAGEtte City” (David Bowie cover) They definitely had good taste in cover songs. This one’s from the “Rage Hard” single, thus the re-spelling of the title.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - “(Don’t Lose What’s Left) Of Your Little Mind” Also from the “Rage Hard” single. A bit like what it would have been like if Frankie had guested on Sesame Street.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - “Roadhouse Blues” (The Doors cover) OK, maybe not the greatest taste in covers. At the risk of offending everyone I give you a cover of the most over-rated band in history.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - “Get It On” (T. Rex cover) And right back to the good covers. From the “Welcome To the Pleasuredome” single.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - “The World Is My Oyster” Another song that was included on the debut, but only in a small piece. This full version was released on “The Power Of Love” single.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood - “Junk Funk” Peel session from 1983. A demo of this one exists, but a finished version was never issued.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - “The Waves” Their last b-side. Not the best of them, but at least it’s not another Doors cover (ouch). From the "Watching the Wildlife" single.

Frankie Goes To Hollywood discography:

Welcome To the Pleasuredome, 1984 (buy)
Liverpool, 1986 (buy import) an underrated album.

As I mentioned, I'm trying out a different host. Let me know if there are any snags. All of my older files should be available again in the next day or so.

Apologies to any Doors fans that may have been offended in the course of this post.

PADDY CASEY

Paddy Casey is one of those singer/songwriter types from Ireland. Like so many of the acts I’ve mentioned throughout the life of this blog, he’s far better known over there than he his where I live.

Paddy signed to Columbia in the late nineties. He put out his first album, Amen (So Be It) in 1999. The album has some fantastic songs on it, but has (in my opinion) a bit of an odd production value to it. Some of the backing tracks have a low-budget drum machine feel to them, which at times distracts from the songs.

Not that I want to give the impression that I don’t like the album, I do, but if you’re just starting to listen to him, I’d recommend picking up his second album, Living, instead. The songwriting is just as strong, and the production matches a bit better.

But, then again, this is all just my opinion. Don’t take my word for it. Not everybody feels the same. Honestly, even though the production bugs me a bit on the first album, the songs are so damn good I still listen to it constantly.

Alright. Before I end up damning with faint praise, here’s a bunch of b-sides and things:

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Paddy Casey - “Cold As Ice” B-side of “Whatever Gets You True” single.
Paddy Casey - The Power of Love” (Frankie Goes to Hollywood cover) B-side of “Bend Down Low”.
Paddy Casey - “Once Was a Boy” (radio session) Recorded for On The Verge radio, before he was signed. This song has never been officially released.
Paddy Casey with the Dublin Gospel Choir - “Grandma’s Hands / No Diggity” (Bill Withers / BLACKstreet covers) From Even Better Than the Real Thing, Vol.2 compilation.
Paddy Casey - “Shine” Issued on the “Whatever Gets You True” single.
Paddy Casey - “The Lucky One” (demo) Released on “The Lucky One” single. Album version is on Living.
The Dublin Gospel Choir with Paddy Casey - “Saints and Sinners” From Even Better Than the Real Thing, Vol.2 compilation. The original version of this song is on Living.

Paddy Casey discography:

Amen (So Be It), 1999
Living, 2003
Addicted to Company, Part One, 2007 (buy)

If you live in the States, pick up his first two at a used store. The only thing Amazon has besides his latest is a $30 import of the first album.