Welcome to the Pleasuredome

Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Studio album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Released	29 October 1984 (1984-10-29)
Recorded	July 1983-1984 at Manor Studios, Oxford and Sarm Studios, London
Genre	Pop, rock
Length	64:04
Label	Island Records (US) ZTT Records (UK)
Producer	Trevor Horn
Professional reviews
The reviews parameter has been deprecated. Please move reviews into the “Reception” section of the article. See Moving reviews into article space. Allmusic link Robert Christgau (C) BBC (2010 Deluxe Edition, positive) link
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 vinyl's dust jackets.

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

Whilst commercially successful, the album also drew criticism for containing new versions of 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.

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

Track listing

LP: ZTT / ZTTIQ 1 (United Kingdom)

All songs written by Peter Gill/Holly Johnson/Brian Nash/Mark O'Toole, unless otherwise noted.

Side 1 ("F")

1. "Well..." (Gill/Johnson/Nash/O'Toole/Andy Richards) – 0:55
2. "The World Is My Oyster" – 1:02
3. "Snatch of Fury (Stay)" (Gerry Marsden) – 0:36
4. "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" – 12:58

Side 2 ("G")

1. "Relax (Come Fighting)" (Gill/Johnson/O'Toole) – 3:56
2. "War (...and Hide)" (Barrett Strong/Norman Whitfield) – 6:12
3. "Two Tribes (For the Victims of Ravishment)" (Gill/Johnson/O'Toole) – 3:23
4. "(Tag)" – 0:35 [unlisted track on vinyl and some CD editions]

Side 3 ("T")

1. "Ferry (Go)" (Marsden) – 1:49
2. "Born to Run" (Bruce Springsteen) – 3:56
3. "San Jose (The Way)" (Bacharach/David) – 3:09
4. "Wish (The Lads Were Here)" (Gill/Johnson/O'Toole) – 2:48
5. "The Ballad of 32" – 4:47

Side 4 ("H")

1. "Krisco Kisses" – 2:57
2. "Black Night White Light" – 4:05
3. "The Only Star in Heaven" – 4:16
4. "The Power of Love" – 5:28
5. "Bang" – 1:08

• "(Tag)" was an unlisted orchestral extract from Two Tribes and featured an impersonation of HRH Prince Charles (by Chris Barrie) ruminating about orgasms.
• "Ferry (Go)" was a short version of Ferry Cross the Mersey, the Gerry & The Pacemakers' track that backed Frankie's first 12-inch single, Relax. A very brief extract of the vocals from this featured on side one as "Snatch of Fury (Stay)"
• The LP was also issued as a double picture disc in transparent PVC sleeve, cat no: NEAT 1, and cassette, cat no: ZCIQ1.

CD: ZTT / CID 101 (United Kingdom)

The original CD version had the following altered tracklist. Subsequent CD reissues reverted to the vinyl LP's track listing and cover art.

1. "The World Is My Oyster" – 1:57 (incorporates "Well...")
2. "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" – 13:38 (incorporates "Snatch of Fury (Stay)")
3. "Relax (Come Fighting)" – 3:56
4. "War (...and Hide)" – 6:12
5. "Two Tribes (For the Victims of Ravishment) including The Last Voice" – 10:22 ("Two Tribes" version is actually "Annihilation")
6. "Born to Run" – 4:13
7. "Happy Hi!" – 4:12
8. "Wish (The Lads Were Here) including The Ballad of 32" – 7:35
9. "Krisco Kisses" – 2:57
10. "Black Night White Light" – 4:05
11. "The Only Star in Heaven" – 4:16
12. "The Power of Love" – 5:28
13. "Bang" – 1:08

• Several CD reissues omit the vocals on "Snatch of Fury (Stay)".
• A 2000 reissue included the bonus B-side tracks "One September Monday" (4:50) and "One February Friday" (4:58).

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:

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 Hidden And Hiding)" - 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

Chart performance

Chart (1984)	Peak position
Austrian Albums Chart	3
Canadian Albums Chart	9
French Albums Chart	7
German Albums Chart	4
New Zealand Albums Chart	1
Norwegian Albums Chart	8
Swedish Albums Chart	7
Swiss Albums Chart	5
UK Albums Chart	1
U.S. Billboard 200	33

Credits

• Holly Johnson: lead vocals
• Brian Nash: guitar
• Peter Gill: drums
• Mark O'Toole: bass
• Paul Rutherford: vocals
• J. J. Jeczalik: keyboards, programming, software
• Andrew Richards: keyboards
• Louis Jardim: percussion
• Anne Dudley: keyboards, string arrangement on "The Power of Love"
• Steven Lipson: guitar
• Steve Howe: acoustic guitar (on the track "Welcome to the Pleasuredome")
• Trevor Rabin: guitar
• Trevor Horn: backing vocals, bass

Production

• Produced By Trevor Horn
• Engineers: Stuart Bruce, Steve Lipson
• Mastering: Ian Cooper

External links

• Zang Tuum Tumb and all that

Preceded by Give My Regards to Broad Street by Paul McCartney

UK number one album 10 November 1984 – 16 November 1984

Succeeded by Make It Big by Wham!