Video: Frankie does go to Shepherd’s Bush
Following the lead of Radio 1 controller Derek Chinnery, BBC TV’s Top Of The Pops have entered the Frankie controversy by refusing to feature the No.1 hit ‘Relax’ on last week’s show.
The Beeb shouldered ranks, claiming that “the lyrics are sexually explicit and not suitable for family viewing” —
All this doesn’t alter the fact that ‘Relax’ had already been featured on Top Of The Pops three weeks previously, without complaint. And Radio 1 played the single at least eighty times before the ban!
Now Frankie become the first No.1 hitmakers since The Sex Pistols to be banned by TOTP.
We spoke to a bemused but happy Holly at the offices of ZTT.
“I’m in a daze, can you understand? Oh, it’s gorgeous! The ban is quite strange, because without the supposed sex act described on the record Top Of The Popswouldn’t have an audience.
“TOTP producer Michael Hurll seemed to like it first time round. Now he won’t, or can’t, have us on. It’s rather sad.”
Before the furore, Frankie had taken out an insurance policy of sorts by remaking the ‘Relax’ video, substituting the mildly titillating Roman orgy scenario of the first version with something more wholesome and bland. Well, Holly?
“We didn’t want to re-do it, although there are some gorgeous lasers in the new video.
“Really though it is a mediocre bog standard rock promo. It proves the point that when you’re given a creative hand you make something better than when you’re repressed.”
The new video was shot in a warehouse with no plot to speak of. The original video is still being shown by the Irish TV station RTE in their equivalent of Saturday Superstore —
We left Holly “in a dreadful mess. Ooh, I’ve just spilt coffee everywhere”.
A sneak glance at ZTT’s sales sheets revealed that ‘Relax’ is about to go Gold, with sales of 500,000. 1984 has only just begun. Sit tight.