Frankie goes to great lengths
FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOO are still busy working on their debut album, which ZTT plan to release in October —
In addition to their chart-busting achievements, the group have now shattered all records in terms of the number of different versions of their two singles which have been made available. Here’s the rundown:
RELAX: Originally released in 7", 12" sex mix (containing the extra track ‘Ferry Across The Mersey’) and 7" picture disc. The extended 12" actually sounded nothing like the 7", thereby sparking numerous complaints from unwitting buyers —
Since its return to the Top Five, a 12" picture disc has been issued, and has a 24-minute cassette containing various versions. Also available are two import 12" singles —
TWO TRIBES: Originally released in 7", 12" annihilation mix (with the extra track ‘War’) and 7" picture disc, the latter being a different mix from the standard 7". Three weeks later came a remixed 12" with a different sleeve and catalogue number, called “carnage mix”. Then followed a 12" picture disc, on which a remixed ‘War’ (known as the “hidden mix”) became the A-side, with the ‘Two Tribes’ carnage mix as the flip —
There is also a cassette containing 20 minutes of various versions, plus ‘War’. And the newly released “Hibakusha mix” also features the “hidden mix” of ‘War’.
This means there has now been a total of 13 official British releases of these two singles (not counting imports and white labels), and ZTT also issued three different versions of their other single, ‘Dr. Mabuse’ by Propaganda.
Composer Gerry Marsden (of Gerry & The Pacemakers) is reported so far to have earned £22,000 in royalties from FGTH’s version of ‘Ferry Across The Mersey’.