Welcome to the Pleasuredome

Welcome to the Pleasuredome is the debut studio album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, first released by ZTT and Island Records on 29 October 1984.[12] 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.[12] The album was also a top ten seller internationally in countries such as Switzerland, Sweden, and New Zealand.

Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Illustration by Lo Cole[1]
Studio album by
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Released29 October 1984 (1984-10-29) (vinyl, cassette)
30 September 1985 (1985-09-30) (CD)[2]
RecordedJuly 1983–1984
StudioManor Studios, Oxford and Sarm Studios, London
Genre
Length64:00
Label
ProducerTrevor Horn
Frankie Goes to Hollywood chronology
Welcome to the Pleasuredome
(1984)		 Bang! (Japan-only LP)
(1985)
Alternative cover
The original CD cover, which was taken from one of the gramophone record's dust jackets.
Cover photography by Peter Ashworth[3]
Singles from Welcome to the Pleasuredome
  1. "Relax"
    Released: 24 October 1983
  2. "Two Tribes"
    Released: 28 May 1984
  3. "The Power of Love"
    Released: 19 November 1984
  4. "Welcome to the Pleasuredome"
    Released: 18 March 1985
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[5]
Mojo[6]
Record Collector[7]
Rolling Stone[8]
Smash Hits7/10[9]
Uncut[10]
The Village VoiceC[11]

While commercially successful, the album also drew criticism for containing new versions of all of the songs from 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. It was later revealed that Trevor Horn's production dominated the record so thoroughly that the band's own instrumental performances were often replaced by session musicians or Horn himself. Frankie's second album, Liverpool, actively featured the full band.

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

To celebrate the album's 30th anniversary, in October 2014, ZTT through Union Square Music released a limited edition (2,000 copies only) box set entitled Inside the Pleasuredome, available exclusively from the website pledgemusic.com. The box set contains rarities on 10" vinyl, as well as a book, a DVD, a cassette (featuring 13 mixes of "Relax" and its B-side "One September Monday") as well as a new 2014 remastered version of Welcome to the Pleasuredome on 180g vinyl.

Track listing

Original LP

All songs written and composed by Peter Gill, Holly Johnson, Brian Nash and Mark O'Toole except where noted.[13][14]

Side 1: "F – Pray Frankie Pray"
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The World Is My Oyster (Including Well, Snatch of Fury)"Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Andy Richards1:57
2."Welcome to the Pleasuredome" 13:40
Side 2: "G – Say Frankie Say"
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
3."Relax (Come Fighting)" 3:56
4."War (...and Hide)"Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield6:12
5."Two Tribes (For the Victims of Ravishment)" 3:23
6."(Tag)" (unlisted track) 0:35
Side 3: "T – Stay Frankie Stay"
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Ferry (Go)"Gerry Marsden1:49
8."Born to Run"Bruce Springsteen3:56
9."San Jose (The Way)"Burt Bacharach, Hal David3:09
10."Wish (The Lads Were Here)" 2:48
11."The Ballad of 32" 4:47
Side 4: "H – Play Frankie Play"
No.TitleLength
12."Krisco Kisses"2:57
13."Black Night White Light"4:05
14."The Only Star in Heaven"4:16
15."The Power of Love"5:28
16."...Bang"1:08
Total length:64:00
  • The entire first side was indexed as one track on vinyl, much like the 12" singles from this album.
  • "War (and Hide)" features a long introduction with a percussion track and an impersonation of Ronald Reagan (also by Chris Barrie) in a long soliloquy about war and love.
  • "(Tag)" was an unlisted orchestral extract from "Two Tribes" and featured an impersonation of Prince Charles (by Chris Barrie) ruminating about orgasms.
  • "Ferry (Go)" was a short version of "Ferry Cross the Mersey", the Gerry and the Pacemakers track that backed Frankie's first 12-inch single, "Relax". A very brief extract of the vocals from this appears at the start of "Welcome to the Pleasuredome", although most CD releases before 2005 (including compilations) removed it while keeping the song's length unaltered.
  • The LP was also issued as a double picture disc in transparent PVC sleeve, cat no: NEAT 1. Some, though not all copies of this release suffer from deterioration of the clear vinyl in the form of "Browning" which gives the records a bronze hue over time. However, the sound quality is not affected. The album was also released on cassette, cat no: ZCIQ1. Stocks of the cassette shells were subsequently used for the 1985 release of the cassette single "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" (CTIS 107) with a sticker carrying the correct information covering over the pre printed album shells.
  • A digitally remastered version was issued in 2000 including the bonus B-side tracks "One September Monday" (4:50) and "One February Friday" (4:58).

Original CD version

The original CD version had an altered track list, offering several tracks in different versions (most notably "Two Tribes"), and omitting the cover version of "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" and replacing it with the track "Happy Hi!".

  1. "The World Is My Oyster/Snatch Of Fury" – 1:57
  2. "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" – 13:38
  3. "Relax (Come Fighting)" – 3:56
  4. "War (...and Hide)" – 6:12
  5. "Two Tribes (For the Victims of Ravishment) - 9:07 (Version is actually "Annihilation")
  6. "The Last Voice" - 1:14
  7. "Born to Run" – 4:06
  8. "Happy Hi!" – 4:12
  9. "Wish (The Lads Were Here)" – 2:48
  10. "The Ballad of 32" - 4:47
  11. "Krisco Kisses" – 2:57
  12. "Black Night White Light" – 4:05
  13. "The Only Star in Heaven" – 4:16
  14. "The Power of Love" – 5:28
  15. "Bang" – 1:08
  • Some releases track "Two Tribes/The Last Voice" and "Wish (The Lads Were Here)/The Ballad of 32" as single tracks, running 10:22 and 7:35 respectively.

25th Anniversary deluxe edition

In 2010, a deluxe edition of Welcome to the Pleasuredome was released, featuring a second disc containing rare and previously unreleased material. The first CD contains the LP version of the original album. The contents of the second CD are as follows:[15]

  1. "Relax (Greatest Bits)" – 16:59
  2. "One September Monday" – 04:49
  3. "The Power of Love" (12 inch version) – 09:30
  4. "Disneyland" – 03:07
  5. "Two Tribes (Between Rulers And Ruling)" – 04:10
  6. "War (Between Hiding And Hidden)" – 04:00
  7. "Welcome To The Pleasuredome (Cut Rough)" – 05:40
  8. "One February Friday" – 05:00
  9. "The Ballad of 32" (mix 2) – 11:03
  10. "Who Then Devised the Torment?" – 00:16
  11. "Relax" (Greek Disco mix) – 06:18
  12. "Watusi Love Juicy" – 04:03
  13. "The Last Voice" – 01:14

2016 vinyl reissue

The album was reissued by Union Square Music under the Salvo label on limited edition white vinyl and was exclusively available from larger branches of Sainsbury's. The original gatefold format has been retained, as has (it appears) the original artwork, quotes and track listing.

Personnel

Additional personnel

Production

  • Produced by Trevor Horn
  • Engineers – Stuart Bruce, Steve Lipson
  • Mastering – Ian Cooper

Technical

Charts

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[41] Gold 25,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[42] Platinum 100,000^
Germany (BVMI)[43] Platinum 500,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[44] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[45] Platinum 15,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[46] Gold 25,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[47] 3× Platinum 900,000^
United States (RIAA)[48] Gold 500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. ZTT: Welcome to the Pleasuredome cover credits
  2. "Zang Tuum Tumb Discography". Zang Tuum Tumb And? All! That. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  3. Liverpool Echo: Peter Ashworth interview: Frankie Goes to Hollywood
  4. Raggett, Ned. "Welcome to the Pleasuredome – Frankie Goes to Hollywood". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  5. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  6. "Frankie Goes to Hollywood: Welcome to the Pleasuredome". Mojo (199): 111. June 2010.
  7. Staunton, Terry (May 2010). "Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Welcome To The Pleasuredome". Record Collector (375). Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  8. Fricke, David (17 January 1985). "Frankie Goes to Hollywood: Welcome to the Pleasuredome". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  9. Ellen, Mark (8–21 November 1984). "Frankie Goes to Hollywood: Welcome to the Pleasure Dome (Zang Tuum Tumb)". Smash Hits: 23.
  10. "Frankie Goes to Hollywood: Welcome to the Pleasuredome". Uncut (156): 86. May 2010.
  11. Christgau, Robert (25 December 1984). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  12. Thrills, Adrian (13 October 1984). "Frankie Say: Beat It!". NME. London, England: IPC Media: 2.
  13. "Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Welcome To The Pleasuredome (Vinyl, LP) at Discogs (track lengths)". Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  14. "Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Welcome To The Pleasuredome (Vinyl, LP) at Discogs (writing)". Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  15. "ZTT Records | Frankie Goes To Hollywood - ...Pleasuredome (Element Series edition)". ztt.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  16. Liverpool Echo: Peter Ashworth interview: Frankie Goes to Hollywood
  17. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. p. 118. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  18. "Austriancharts.at – Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  19. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 9568". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  20. "Dutchcharts.nl – Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  21. "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 2 no. 2. 14 January 1985. p. 9. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 4 July 2019 – via American Radio History.
  22. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  23. "Les Albums (CD) de 1984 par InfoDisc" (in French). InfoDisc. Archived from the original on 11 July 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  24. "Offiziellecharts.de – Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  25. "Charts.nz – Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  26. "Norwegiancharts.com – Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  27. "Swedishcharts.com – Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  28. "Swisscharts.com – Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  29. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  30. "Frankie Goes to Hollywood Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  31. "Top 100 Albums of 1984". RPM. Vol. 41 no. 17. 5 January 1985. ISSN 0315-5994. Retrieved 4 July 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  32. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1984". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  33. "Top Albums of 1984". everyHit.com. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  34. "Jahreshitparade Alben 1985". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  35. "RPM's Top 100 Albums of 1985". RPM. Vol. 43 no. 16. 28 December 1985. ISSN 0315-5994. Retrieved 4 July 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  36. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1985". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  37. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1985" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  38. "Top Selling Albums of 1985". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  39. "Top 100 Albums". Music Week. London. 18 January 1986. p. 11. ISSN 0265-1548.
  40. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1985". Billboard. Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  41. "Austrian album certifications – Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  42. "Canadian album certifications – Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome". Music Canada. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  43. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Frankie Goes to Hollywood; 'Welcome to the Pleasuredome')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  44. "Dutch album certifications – Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 29 November 2019. Enter Welcome to the Pleasuredome in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  45. "New Zealand album certifications – Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome". Recorded Music NZ. 20 January 1985. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  46. "Sonet - Frankie Went to Norway" (PDF). Billboard. 6 December 1986. p. S-6. Retrieved 29 November 2019 – via American Radio History.
  47. "British album certifications – Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome". British Phonographic Industry. 28 May 1985. Retrieved 4 July 2019. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Welcome to the Pleasuredome in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  48. "American album certifications – Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome". Recording Industry Association of America. 4 March 1985. Retrieved 4 July 2019. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
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