View Full Version : It's making me feel old.....
Blue Cow
14-01-04, 01:07 PM
Have just read this on BBCi and couldn't resist posting it. At the time I thought the song was really naughty :wow: but now it's just making me smile!
It's making me feel really old too!
Twenty years ago this week, the BBC banned the song Relax, by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, thereby catapulting it to legendary status, and the number one slot. The censors are more savvy today, but are we more tolerant?
It was during his peak-time chart rundown one Wednesday morning in January 1984 that Radio 1 DJ Mike Read suddenly twigged.
While treating his listeners to a performance of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's thumping dance single Relax, Read idly scanned the record sleeve and began to read the lyrics to the song, which had been steadily climbing the charts.
Then, mid-broadcast, he lifted the needle, denounced the content as "obscene" and refused to play it again. The rest of the BBC followed suit, banning the song, with its veiled reference to gay sex, from all TV and radio airplay, with the curious exception of the top 40 show.
Within a fortnight the song had rocketed from 35 in the charts to number one, where it nested for four weeks. (As if to rub the Beeb's nose in it, a few months later Relax returned to the charts, reaching number two.)
hollygolightly
14-01-04, 01:21 PM
20 years ago! :blink: :lol: I can't believe it...
Fantastic song, still as good today as it was back then - although it has been slightly tainted since my NFH played it "at" me one morning after I'd complained. :angry:
Annabel
14-01-04, 01:50 PM
I remember the furore well!! and all it did was show up Radio 1DJ's for the pompous arrogant selfsatisfied idiots that they were. they were so out of touch with the youth of that time. i remember thinking at the time 'who the heck do they think they are?' songs used to get banned all the time and it was ridiiculous...everyone must remember how the sex pistols not only got banned but their record sleeve was censored as well...also debbie harry's record sleeve..did it make any difference...no way!!!i i used to listen to radio one all the time back then...soon stopped that..started listening to capital radio (london) instead.
when you judge it by what gets played these days, well, the mind boggles!!!
when the BBC started sacking them all, it was a true sign of the times, the old dinosaurs being killed off.
gawd!!
Am I that old????? :huh:
Klaxon man
14-01-04, 08:59 PM
RELAX - 28/01/1984
5 weeks at #1 - 48 weeks on chart
Oh oh
Wee-ell-Now
Relax don't do it, when you want to go to it
Relax don't do it, when you want to come
Relax don't do it, when you want to suck it to it
Relax don't do it, when you want to come
When you want to come
Relax don't do it, when you want to go to it
Relax don't do it, when you want to come
Relax don't do it, when you want to suck it to it
Relax don't do it, when you want to come
Come-oh oh oh
But shoot it in the right direction
Make making it your intention-ooh yeah
Live those dreams
Scheme those schemes
Got to hit me
(Hit me)
Hit me
(Hit me)
Hit me with those laser beams
Laser beams
Relax don't do it
Relax, when you want to come
I'm coming
I'm coming-yeah
Relax don't do it
When you want to go to it
Relax don't do it
When you want to come
Relax don't do it
When you want to suck it to it
Relax don't do it (love)
When you want to come
When you want to come
When you want to come
Come, huh
Get it up
The scene of love
Oh feel it
Relax don't do it
When you want to go to it
Relax don't do it
Relax don't do it
When you want to suck it to it
Relax don't do it
Hey
Come
Yes - I was there, struttin' me stuff too!
If you have the EP picture disk of this - it is worth a lot to the materialistic collectors of such things!
sapphirelily10
15-01-04, 07:11 PM
Great! Iconoclastic in it's time....a real kick against an establishment that refused to acknowledge that there is more than one reality as far as sexuality is concerned, and, I'm sure annoyed more than a few homophobes. A big thumbs up to Frankie for a hell of a tune and more :notworthy: Still sounds good :D
Sapph ;)
A 'Cynical' person might wonder how much Mike Read got for
what some might say was a very clever 'Marketing Ploy' !!
If there are any 'Cynical' people left that is !! :rolleyes:
Btw, they ban 'Relax' and ignore 'Ebeneezer Goode' !!
'Nawty-Nawty' :P
Aah,
But wasn't 'Eezzer Goode' banned on some stations and Top of the Pops had a bit of a Dilemma over it didn't they? At least I think so :blink:
Well that's nothing either really when you think of the likes of Eminem & other rap artists :o
Can remember being out one Saturday night and a guy standing in the bar miming to the 'Relax' song. Was a good night that was.
To get banned by the BeeB in those days was the best publicity ever. The Sex Pistols proved that. 1977, officially no.1 "God save the Queen" but changed around for Rod Stewart to be there with "Sailing" nothing against that, have been to more Rod Stewart concerts than I can count - big fan.
And yes, old Ebeenzer Good - ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaa. Very Nawty, nawty, nawty of the powers that be but they were some 10 years later and I really don't think the powers that be had got the gist of things then....do you? I know I hadn't :blush:
M2