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Welcome to the Pleasuredome

 
Album Review: Welcome to the Pleasuredome
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Welcome to the Pleasuredome

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Review

Strip away all the hype, controversy, and attendant craziness surrounding Frankie -- most of which never reached American shores, though the equally bombastic "Relax" and "Two Tribes" both charted well -- and Welcome to the Pleasuredome holds up as an outrageously over-the-top, bizarre, but fun release. Less well known but worthwhile cuts include by-definition-camp "Krisco Kisses" and "The Only Star in Heaven," while U.K. smash "The Power of Love" is a gloriously insincere but still great hyper-ballad with strings from Anne Dudley. In truth, the album's more a testament to Trevor Horn's production skills than anything else. To help out, he roped in a slew of Ian Dury's backing musicians to provide the music, along with a guest appearance from his fellow Yes veteran Steve Howe on acoustic guitar that probably had prog rock fanatics collapsing in apoplexy. The end result was catchy, consciously modern -- almost to a fault -- arena-level synth rock of the early '80s that holds up just fine today, as much an endlessly listenable product of its times as the Chinn/Chapman string of glam rock hits from the early '70s. Certainly the endless series of pronouncements from a Ronald Reagan impersonator throughout automatically date the album while lending it a giddy extra layer of appeal. Even the series of covers on the album at once make no sense and plenty of it all at once. While Edwin Starr's "War" didn't need redoing, Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" becomes a ridiculously over-the-top explosion that even outrocks the Boss. As the only member of the band actually doing anything the whole time (Paul Rutherford pipes up on backing vocals here and there), Holly Johnson needs to make a mark and does so with appropriately leering passion. He didn't quite turn out to be the new Freddie Mercury, but he makes a much better claim than most, combining a punk sneer with an ear for hyper-dramatic yelps. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
The World Is My Oyster Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood (1:57)
Welcome to the Pleasuredome Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood (13:38)
Relax (Lyrics) Holly Johnson, Peter Gill, Mark O'Toole Frankie Goes to Hollywood (3:56)
War Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield Frankie Goes to Hollywood (6:12)
Two Tribes Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood (3:23)
(Tag) Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood (:35)
Fury (Lyrics) Gerry Marsden Frankie Goes to Hollywood (1:49)
Born to Run Bruce Springsteen Frankie Goes to Hollywood (3:56)
San Jose Burt Bacharach, Hal David Frankie Goes to Hollywood (3:09)
Wish the Lads Were Here Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood (2:48)
The Ballad of 32 Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood (4:47)
Krisco Kisses (Lyrics) Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood (2:57)
Black Night White Light (Lyrics) Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood (4:05)
The Only Star in Heaven Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood (4:16)
The Power of Love Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood (5:28)
Bang Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood (1:08)

Credits

Frankie Goes to Hollywood (Main Performer), Steve Howe (Guitar (Acoustic)), Steve Howe (Guitar), Eric Watson (Photography), Holly Johnson (Vocals), Holly Johnson (Voices), Anne Dudley (Strings), Anne Dudley (Keyboards), Anne Dudley (String Arrangements), Pete Ashworth (Photography), Peter Gill (Drums), Trevor Horn (Producer), Luis Jardim (Percussion), Johnathon J. Jeczalik (Keyboards), Johnathon J. Jeczalik (Software), Steve Lipson (Guitar), Steve Lipson (Engineer), Steve Lipson (Production Assistant), Steve Lipson (Assistant Producer), Brian Nash (Guitar), Mark O'Toole (Bass), Mark O'Toole (Vocals), Andy Richards (Keyboards), Stuart Bruce (Engineer), Louis Jardim (Percussion), Anton Corbijn (Photography), Andrew Richards (Keyboards), Andrew Richards (Pots), A.J. Barratt (Photography), Steve Romney (Photography), Paul Rutherford (Vocals), Lawrence Cole (Paintings), Chris Welch (Liner Notes), Ian Cooper (Mastering)
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Wikipedia: Welcome to the Pleasuredome
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Studio album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Released October 29, 1984 (1984-10-29)
Recorded 1983-1984
Genre Pop/Rock
Length 64:04
Label ZTT/Island (distributed by Warner Bros.)
Producer Trevor Horn
Professional reviews
Frankie Goes to Hollywood chronology

Welcome to the Pleasuredome
(1984)		 Bang! (Japan-only LP)
(1985)
Alternate Cover
The original CD cover, which was taken from one of the vinyl's dust jackets.

Welcome to the Pleasuredome was the debut album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, first released in the UK in October 1984 by ZTT/Island Records. Originally issued as a vinyl double album, it was assured of a UK chart entry at number one due to reported advance sales of over one million.

Whilst commercially successful, the album also drew criticism for containing new versions of the group's (already much-remixed) hit singles from the same year ("Relax" and "Two Tribes", plus B-side "War"), as well as a surfeit of cover versions in lieu of much new original material.

However, the album's evergreen ballad "The Power of Love" would subsequently provide the group with their third consecutive UK number one single.

Contents

Track listing

LP: ZTT / ZTTIQ 1 (United Kingdom)

All songs written by Peter Gill/Holly Johnson/Brian Nash/Mark O'Toole, unless otherwise noted.

Side 1 ("F")

  1. "Well..." (Gill/Johnson/Nash/O'Toole/Andy Richards) – 0:55
  2. "The World Is My Oyster" – 1:02
  3. "Snatch of Fury (Stay)" (Gerry Marsden) – 0:36
  4. "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" – 12:58

Side 2 ("G")

  1. "Relax (Come Fighting)" (Gill/Johnson/O'Toole) – 3:56
  2. "War (...and Hide)" (Barrett Strong/Norman Whitfield) – 6:12
  3. "Two Tribes (For the Victims of Ravishment)" (Gill/Johnson/O'Toole) – 3:23
  4. "(Tag)" – 0:35

Side 3 ("T")

  1. "Fury (Go)" (Marsden) – 1:49
  2. "Born to Run" (Bruce Springsteen) – 3:56
  3. "San Jose (The Way)" (Bacharach/David) – 3:09
  4. "Wish (The Lads Were Here)" (Gill/Johnson/O'Toole) – 2:48
  5. "The Ballad of 32" – 4:47

Side 4 ("H")

  1. "Krisco Kisses" – 2:57
  2. "Black Night White Light" – 4:05
  3. "The Only Star in Heaven" – 4:16
  4. "The Power of Love" – 5:28
  5. "Bang" – 1:08
  • "(Tag)" was an unlisted orchestral extract from Two Tribes and featured an impersonation of HRH Prince Charles (by Chris Barrie) ruminating about orgasms.
  • "Fury (Go)" was a short version of Ferry Cross the Mersey, the Gerry & The Pacemakers' track that backed Frankie's first 12-inch single, Relax. A very brief extract of the vocals from this featured on side one as "Snatch of Fury (Stay)"
  • The LP was also issued as a double picture disc in transparent PVC sleeve, cat no: NEAT 1, and cassette, cat no: ZCIQ1.

CD: ZTT / CID 101 (United Kingdom)

The original CD version had the following altered tracklist. Subsequent CD reissues reverted to the vinyl LP's track listing and cover art.

  1. "The World Is My Oyster" – 1:57 (incorporates "Well...")
  2. "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" – 13:38 (incorporates "Snatch of Fury (Stay)")
  3. "Relax (Come Fighting)" – 3:56
  4. "War (...and Hide)" – 6:12
  5. "Two Tribes (For the Victims of Ravishment) including The Last Voice" – 10:22 ("Two Tribes" version is actually "Annihilation")
  6. "Born to Run" – 4:13
  7. "Happy Hi!" – 4:12
  8. "Wish (The Lads Were Here) including The Ballad of 32" – 7:35
  9. "Krisco Kisses" – 2:57
  10. "Black Night White Light" – 4:05
  11. "The Only Star in Heaven" – 4:16
  12. "The Power of Love" – 5:28
  13. "Bang" – 1:08

Credits

Production

  • Produced By Trevor Horn
  • Engineers: Stuart Bruce, Steve Lipson
  • Mastering: Ian Cooper

External links

Preceded by
Give My Regards to Broad Street
by Paul McCartney		 UK number one album
November 10, 1984 – November 16, 1984		 Succeeded by
Make It Big by Wham!
v • d • e
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Holly Johnson · Brian Nash · Mark O'Toole · Paul Rutherford · Peter Gill
Studio albums
Welcome to the Pleasuredome · Liverpool
Compilations
Singles
Videos
From a Wasteland to an Artificial Paradise · Shoot! The Greatest Hits of Frankie Goes to Hollywood · Hard On
Associated Articles

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Welcome to the Pleasuredome".  Read more

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