ZANG TUMMM TUMB ARTICLES “the first draft of history”

Tony Pope (Frankie Goes To Hollywood)

BEGINNINGS

Garry Blackburn, a friend of mine, asked me to help him manage a band called Buzz. I said I didnt think Id be any good because I hated the business and the people in it. Eventually, I said Id give it six months. That was five years ago. I met Frankie round about the time of ‘Relax and they asked me to manage them.

BIGGEST COUP

Three number one singles and a number one album. Having the second biggest single of 1984 after ‘Do They Know Its Christmas?. Also, getting the band to play live and convincing people that they were very good and could play. There was a lot of pressure not to do it in case the bubble burst.

MISCELLANEOUS

Financial considerations arent my main driving force. If I didnt like Frankies music, or them as people, I wouldnt manage them even if it would make me a multimillionaire. Frankie is my life, theyre in my blood.

The manager is always the bad guy though; you need to be very thick-skinned. Its a thankless task and you have to do your own back-slapping.

I feel no ego whatsoever and people sometimes say thats my downfall. In any case, Ive never ever felt any yearning to be up on stage. Im basically just a cog in the mechanism and I dont know many egotistical cogs.

Im Frankies personal manager as well as their business manager. I dont know whether other managers would fill in their bass players American Express application form.