Rage Hard

Last updated

"Rage Hard"
Rage Hard singles.jpg
Single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
from the album Liverpool
B-side
Released25 August 1986 (1986-08-25) [1]
Genre Art rock
Length
  • 5:05 (album version)
  • 4:11 (7" inch version)
Label ZTT
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Stephen Lipson
Frankie Goes to Hollywood singles chronology
"Welcome to the Pleasuredome"
(1985)		"Rage Hard"
(1986)		"Warriors of the Wasteland"
(1986)
Music video
"Rage Hard" on YouTube

"Rage Hard" is the fifth single by English pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood. It was released on 25 August 1986 as the first single from their second album Liverpool . The song reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart and number 1 in Germany and it was also a massive success in other countries.

Contents

Background

Having topped the charts around the world with Welcome to the Pleasuredome and its accompanying singles, Frankie Goes to Hollywood took off to Amsterdam to record the follow-up album, Liverpool . Taking on a rockier edge, "Rage Hard" was the first single culled from the album.

In a 1986 interview, singer Holly Johnson was asked about the meaning of the song explaining, "Have you read the poem 'Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night' by Dylan Thomas? It was kind of inspired by that. It's an incantation against death and lethargy, and it's supposed to encourage lots of creative idealism in the listener." [2]

Not only was it the first Frankie single to be featured on CD single, it was also the first single to not feature a cassette release—new rules limited the number of items that could count towards the official charts, following the earlier ZTT excesses. "Rage Hard" eventually hit number 4 in the UK Singles Chart and number 1 in Germany for two weeks, #5 in Switzerland, #7 in the Netherlands, #12 in Austria, #19 in Sweden and #32 in France.

Critical reception

In a contemporary review, Billboard praised the band's performance calling "the matured Frankie socks out weight art-rock best suited to AOR/ alternative radio." [3] Ro Newton of Smash Hits compared the single unfavorably with their previous releases as, "watered-down and without the guts. The over all effect is a bit limp and very disappointing." [4]

B-sides

The original B-side is an odd composition entitled "(Don't Lose What's Left) Of Your Little Mind". It was released in two versions—a 4-minute mix and a 6-minute mix—and featured Holly Johnson and Brian Nash imitating Count von Count ("Ha ha ha/I am the Count") from the children's TV show Sesame Street . This was complemented by sampled burps and belches over a backing track.

For the 12" single to "Rage Hard" were covers of David Bowie's "Suffragette City", stylized as "SuffRAGEtte City" to fit in with the "Rage Hard" promotion and the second cover song was the Doors' "Roadhouse Blues." A shorter version features on the CD single.

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
"Rage Hard" (Freddie Bastone mix) excerpt
An excerpt from "Rage Hard" (Freddie Bastone mix)
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Track listing

All discographical information pertains to UK releases only.

7": ZTT / ZTAS 22 United Kingdom

"rage rage"

  1. "Rage Hard" (7" mix) – 5:05
  2. "(Don't Lose What's Left) Of Your Little Mind" – 4:03

7": ZTT / ZTAX 22 United Kingdom

  1. "Rage Hard" (stamped) – 4:55
  2. "(Don't Lose What's Left) Of Your Little Mind" – 4:03
All "Rage Hard" releases Full Rage Hard releases.jpg
All "Rage Hard" releases

12": ZTT / 12 ZTAS 22 United Kingdom

"Slam Bam"

  1. "Rage Hard" (The Young Person's Guide to the 12" mix[ citation needed ]) – 12:08
  2. "[The B-side]" + "SuffRAGEtte City" (David Bowie) – 3:31
  3. "(Don't Lose What's Left) Of Your Little Mind" – 6:15
  4. "['always note the sequencer...']" – 0:22

12": ZTT / 12 ZTAX 22 United Kingdom

  1. "Rage Hard" (broad mix) – 8:36
  2. "Roadhouse Blues" – 4:03
  3. "(Don't Lose What's Left) Of Your Little Mind" – 6:15
  4. "['always note the sequencer...']" – 0:22

CD: ZTT / CD ZCID 22 United Kingdom

  1. "Rage Hard (⊕⊕⊕✪)" – 17:12
  2. "SuffRAGEtte City" – 3:31
  3. "["Don't lose what's left.."]" + "Roadhouse Blues" (compacted) – 3:54

Tracks 1 and 3.1 were re-released on the Sexmix compilation in 2012.

12" promo: Island / DMD 987 United States

  1. "Rage Hard" (Freddie Bastone vocal remix) – 7:00
  2. "Rage Hard" (Freddie Bastone remix edit) – 4:03
  3. "Rage Hard" (Freddie Bastone remix dub) – 5:30

Digital download: ZTT

  1. "Rage Hard" (7" mix) – 5:09
  2. "Rage Hard" (stamped) – 5:00
  3. "Rage Hard" (7" mix, instrumental) [labelled as "Voiceless"] – 5:07
  4. "Rage Hard" (The Young Person's Guide to the 12" mix) [labelled as "⊕"] – 12:07
  5. "Rage Hard" (broad mix) [labelled as "⊕⊕"] – 8:42
  6. "Suffragette City" – 3:35
  7. "(Don't Lose What's Left) Of Your Little Mind" – 6:15
  8. "Roadhouse Blues" – 4:07
  9. "['always note the sequencer...']" [labelled as "Rage Hard" (⊕⊕ Coda)] – 0:24

1993 version

A version of the song appeared as a B-side of "The Power of Love" reissue (FGTH 3), entitled the "original DJ mix". This version is the original 7" mix from 1986, but with the first chorus removed. Instead, the first verse and second verse are jointed together. This release can also be found on a large centre hole 7" disc with the label details stamped into the naked vinyl, as opposed to a paper or printed label.

Charts

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frankie Goes to Hollywood</span> British pop band

Frankie Goes to Hollywood were an English pop band that formed in Liverpool in 1980. They comprise Holly Johnson (vocals), Paul Rutherford, Mark O'Toole (bass), Brian Nash (guitar) and Peter Gill (drums). They were among the first openly gay pop acts and made gay rights and sexuality a theme of their music and performances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Relax (song)</span> 1983 single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood

"Relax" is the debut single by English new wave band Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released in the United Kingdom by ZTT Records in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Two Tribes</span> 1984 single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood

"Two Tribes" is an anti-war song by British band Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released in the UK by ZTT Records on 4 June 1984. The song was later included on the album Welcome to the Pleasuredome. Presenting a nihilistic, gleeful lyric expressing enthusiasm for nuclear war, it juxtaposes a relentless pounding bass line and guitar riff inspired by American funk and R&B pop with influences of Russian classical music, in an opulent arrangement produced by Trevor Horn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welcome to the Pleasuredome (song)</span> 1985 single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood

"Welcome to the Pleasuredome" is the title track to the 1984 debut album by English pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood. The lyrics of the song were inspired by the poem Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

<i>Liverpool</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Liverpool is the second and final studio album by British band Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released in October 1986. Produced by Stephen Lipson and mixed by Trevor Horn, the album showcases a heavy rock sound in contrast to the synth dance tone found in its predecessor, Welcome to the Pleasuredome. The recording sessions would be marred by the radical change in musical direction creating tension within the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watching the Wildlife</span> 1987 single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood

"Watching the Wildlife" is the seventh and last single by English pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Released on 28 February 1987, it is the most radio friendly of the three singles from Liverpool going for a Beatlesque approach with string orchestration and psychedelic guitar riffs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holly Johnson</span> British artist, musician, and writer (born 1960)

William Holly Johnson is an English artist, musician, and writer, best known as the lead vocalist of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, who achieved huge commercial success in the mid-1980s. Prior to that, in the late 1970s he was a bassist for the band Big in Japan. In 1989, Johnson's debut solo album, Blast, reached number one in the UK albums chart. Two singles from the album – "Love Train" and "Americanos" – reached the top 5 of the UK Singles Chart. In the 1990s, he also embarked on writing, painting, and printmaking careers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freddie Jackson</span> American rhythm and blues singer (born 1956)

Frederick Anthony Jackson is an American singer. Originally from New York, Jackson began his professional music career in the late 1970s with the California funk band Mystic Merlin. Among his well–known R&B/soul hits are "Rock Me Tonight " (1985), "Have You Ever Loved Somebody" (1986), "Jam Tonight" (1986), "Do Me Again" (1990), and "You Are My Lady" (1985). He contributed to the soundtrack for the 1989 film, All Dogs Go to Heaven with the Michael Lloyd-produced duet "Love Survives" alongside Irene Cara. He also appeared in the movie King of New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Power of Love (Frankie Goes to Hollywood song)</span> 1984 single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood

"The Power of Love" is a song originally recorded and released by British band Frankie Goes to Hollywood. It was written by Holly Johnson, Peter Gill, Mark O'Toole and Brian Nash, four of the five members of the band. It was released by the group as their third single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warriors of the Wasteland</span> 1986 single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood

"Warriors of the Wasteland" is the sixth single by English pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Released on 10 November 1986 as the second single from their album Liverpool, it stalled at number 19 in the UK Singles Chart, number 7 in Germany and number 13 in Switzerland.

<i>Twelve Inches</i> 2001 remix album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Twelve Inches is a compilation album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, featuring many remixes that had previously only been available in their original twelve-inch format.

<i>I Hear Talk</i> 1984 studio album by Bucks Fizz

I Hear Talk is the fourth studio album by the pop group Bucks Fizz and their last under contract to RCA Records. Released in November 1984, the album featured the singles "Talking in Your Sleep", "Golden Days" and "I Hear Talk".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Don't Fool Me</span> 1996 single by Queen

"You Don't Fool Me" is a song by Queen, from the 1995 album Made in Heaven. It was released as a single in 1996, containing various remixes of the song. The song is one of the few which were actually written and recorded after the Innuendo sessions, and was written and composed by the band, under David Richards' supervision. It proved to be the band's final European hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Open Up (Leftfield song)</span> 1993 single by Leftfield

"Open Up" is a song by British electronic duo Leftfield featuring John Lydon. It was released as a single on 1 November 1993 by Hard Hands label. The single reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart, number one on the Music Week Dance Singles chart and number 39 in both Australia and New Zealand. NME reported in their 18 September 1993 issue, "This is the record that people have always wanted Lydon to do." In 2014, the same publication ranked "Open Up" at number 444 on their list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". A black-and-white music video was produced to promote the single, directed by British director Lindy Heymann.

<i>Bang!... The Greatest Hits of Frankie Goes to Hollywood</i> 1993 greatest hits album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Bang!... The Greatest Hits of Frankie Goes to Hollywood is a compilation album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released in 1993 during a spate of reissuing and remixing of Frankie Goes to Hollywood products by ZTT Records, hence the appearance of "classic" 1993 versions of two tracks, and the addition of one contemporary remix on the American CD version of 1994.

<i>Reload! Frankie: The Whole 12 Inches</i> 1994 remix album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Reload! Frankie: The Whole 12 Inches is a remix album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. It was released by ZTT Records in 1994 as a complementary album to Bang!... The Greatest Hits of Frankie Goes to Hollywood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Save Our Love</span> 1994 single by Eternal

"Save Our Love" is a song by British R&B girl group Eternal. It was released in January 1994 by EMI and 1st Avenue as the second single from the group's debut album, Always & Forever (1993). The single was written by Anne Preven, Eddie Chacon and Scott Cutler, who also produced it. It entered at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart on 15 January, climbing to its peak of number eight the following week, and remained in the UK top 75 for seven weeks. On the UK Dance Singles Chart, it was even more successful, reaching number six. The accompanying music video, directed by Swiss director Dieter Trattmann, was filmed in December 1993.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood were a British band who released two studio albums and seven singles before disbanding in 1987. Since then, almost all of their tracks have been rereleased on compact disc, including various compilation albums and CD singles. In recent years, their record company has also released original material that was not released during the band's heyday.

<i>Frankie Say Greatest</i> 2009 greatest hits album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Frankie Say Greatest is a compilation album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released in 2009 by ZTT Records. The album is available in various formats: single CD, double CD, double LP, and DVD. The latter contains the music videos to the band's singles, while the LP version focusses on remixes only.

<i>Sexmix</i> 2012 remix album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Sexmix is a Frankie Goes to Hollywood remix album released on 3 August 2012. The set focuses on rare FGTH single formats, specifically the cassette releases ("singlettes") and CD releases.

References

  1. ↑ "Bitz". 13 August 1986.
  2. ↑ "Holly Johnson (FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD)". Smash Hits. 5 November 1986. p. 12. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  3. ↑ "Reviews". Billboard. 20 September 1986. p. 73.
  4. ↑ Newton, Ro (27 August 1986). "Review Singles". Smash Hits. p. 47. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  5. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 118. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  6. ↑ "Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Rage Hard" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  7. ↑ "Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Rage Hard" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  8. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0731." RPM . Library and Archives Canada.
  9. ↑ Timo (13 August 2015). "Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1960: Artistit FIS - FRA". Sisältää hitin. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  10. ↑ "InfoDisc : Les Tubes de chaque artiste commençant par F". Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  11. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Rage Hard". Irish Singles Chart.
  12. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Frankie Goes To Hollywood".
  13. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Frankie Goes to Hollywood" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  14. ↑ "Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Rage Hard" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  15. ↑ "Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Rage Hard". Top 40 Singles.
  16. ↑ "Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Rage Hard". VG-lista.
  17. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
  18. ↑ "Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Rage Hard". Singles Top 100.
  19. ↑ "Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Rage Hard". Swiss Singles Chart.
  20. ↑ "Frankie Goes to Hollywood: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  21. ↑ "Frankie Goes to Hollywood Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard . Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  22. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Rage Hard" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  23. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1986". www.top40.nl. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  24. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten - Single 1986". www.dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  25. ↑ "Swiss Year-End Charts 1986". www.swisscharts.com. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  26. ↑ "Top 100 Singles (January to December 1986)" (PDF). Music Week . 24 January 1987. p. 24. ISSN   0265-1548. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 November 2021 – via World Radio History.
  27. ↑ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.