Question 1

Did Frankie Goes to Hollywood write their own songs?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and always as a group. Nineteen of the 24 album tracks are credited to Peter Gill, Holly Johnson, Brian Nash and Mark O'Toole together. Four are covers, of the Temptations, Bruce Springsteen, Gerry and the Pacemakers and Burt Bacharach, and the short opening piece is credited to the band with Andy Richards.

Question 2

Who wrote "Relax"?

Accepted Answer

All four of them, with the same shared credit as almost everything else. It reached number 10 on the Hot 100 and number one in Britain.

Question 3

Who wrote "Two Tribes"?

Accepted Answer

The band credit names all four. The 1984 Ivor Novello for Best Song Musically and Lyrically went to Holly Johnson, Peter Gill and Mark O'Toole.

Question 4

How many albums did they make?

Accepted Answer

Two. Welcome to the Pleasuredome in 1984 and Liverpool in 1986. The remix sets and hits collections sit outside this catalogue.

Question 5

Did any one of them write alone?

Accepted Answer

Not on either album. There is no solo writing credit anywhere in the catalogue.

Question 6

Which songs are covers?

Accepted Answer

Four, all on the debut: "War" by Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield, "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen, "Ferry Cross the Mersey" by Gerry Marsden and "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

Question 7

How did they do in America?

Accepted Answer

"Relax" reached number 10 on the Hot 100, "Two Tribes" 43 and "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" 48. Nothing from the second album charted there.

Question 8

Why was the BBC involved?

Accepted Answer

The band were briefly banned from broadcast over the content of their songs and performances, which pushed them further up the chart.

Question 9

Did they win anything?

Accepted Answer

An Ivor Novello for "Two Tribes" in 1984 and the Brit Award for British Breakthrough Act in 1985. They were nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys.

Question 10

What happened to the band?

Accepted Answer

They broke up in 1987, a year after Liverpool, with brief reunions in 2004 to 2007 and again in 2023.