Welcome To The Pleasuredome Super Deluxe Edition announced

Originally released on 29 October 1984, Welcome To The Pleasuredome, the debut album by Frankie Goes To Hollywood, was a cultural phenomenon.

The band’s first three singles all reached No.1 in the UK charts, and two of them, Relax and Two Tribes, would go on to become two of the 30 best-selling British singles of all time, and The Power Of Love has become a beloved Christmas staple.

Now, the whole story of the band’s meteoric rise is being told in a comprehensive 7CD/1Blu-Ray boxset. Compiled for the first time in conjunction with all members of the band, it includes 33 unreleased tracks featuring the original demos for Relax and Two Tribes, two BBC sessions for John Peel, unreleased versions of their first three singles, outtakes, unreleased songs, alternate mixes, and blistering live recordings.

The 90-track collection is released on 31 October.

Explosive Arrival

Viewed through the prism of 2025, it’s hard to grasp the impact of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s explosive arrival. Emerging from Liverpool’s vibrant post-punk scene, the band’s line-up was unique and seen as controversial, featuring two openly queer frontmen, Holly Johnson and Paul Rutherford, alongside the straight ‘lads’, Mark O’Toole on bass, drummer Peter ‘Ped’ Gill and Brian ‘Nasher’ Nash on guitar.

A fusion of diverse and sometimes contradictory influences, post-punk, glam, disco, rock, and avant-garde, culminated in something truly singular. What you hear on CD1 of this set defies easy categorisation, a sound that could only have emerged from this collision of personalities, tastes, and cultural touchstones.

It’s this quality that a variety of labels couldn’t grasp or understand, despite John Peel and David ‘Kid’ Jenson sessions for Radio 1. In February 1983, they were booked to appear on the legendary Channel 4 Friday tea-time music show, The Tube, performing the demo version of Relax. Their provocative appearance enthralled most who watched it. One such person was the producer Trevor Horn, and by May, they were signed to his fledgling ZTT label.

Hear the previously unreleased Love Has Got A Gun (Phonogram Demo 15 October 1982) below:

Headline Makers

Contrary to popular myth, Frankie didn’t set out to shock, they were simply being themselves. Still, The Tube performance, the Radio 1 ban of Relax due to the lyrical content, the rumour that the Two Tribes voiceover violated the Official Secrets Act and the video for it, which saw the US & Russian leaders of the time (Ronald Reagan and Konstantin Chernenko) battling it out in a makeshift wrestling ring, quickly proved that Britain was easily scandalised. Frankie were never far from the headlines.

When Welcome To The Pleasuredome finally arrived, a year to the week after the release of Relax, the full scope of the band’s influences became clear. From the prog-inflected title track to their audacious cover of Springsteen’s Born To Run, to the power-pop brilliance of Krisco Kisses, Black Night White Light, and The Only Star In Heaven, the album was a cornucopia of musical delights.

Cornucopia Of Musical Delights

In Autumn 1984, the band toured the album in the US, where Relax had cracked the Top 10, and at Christmas, they played three triumphant homecoming nights at Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre, silencing critics who claimed they couldn’t play live. Sadly, no recordings survive from that tour or their subsequent Around The World In Mighty Ways shows, but this boxset includes four fully live tracks from the soundcheck for The Tube’s Europe-A-Go-Go special, newly mixed and released for the first time and showcasing for the first time the power of their live show.

The 7CD/1 Blu-ray Super Deluxe Edition also features a 38-page book, with a foreword by Paul Sinclair and a detailed timeline by Kevin Foakes aka DJ Food.

SUPER DELUXE EDITION & DIGITAL TRACKLIST

CD1 DEMOS + SESSIONS
Relax (In Heaven) – Arista Demo -11^th/13th September 1982*
Two Tribes – Arista Demo – 11th-13th September 1982*
Love Has Got A Gun – Phonogram Demo – 15th October 1982*
Junk Funk – Phonogram Demo -15th October 1982*
Two Tribes – BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session – 24th November 1982*
The World Is My Oyster – BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session – 24th November 1982*
Krisco Kisses – BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session – 24th November 1982*
Disneyland – BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session – 24th November 1982*
Relax (Shoot It In The Right Direction) – BBC Radio 1 Kid Jenson Session – 24th February 1983*
Invade My Heart – BBC Radio 1 Kid Jenson Session – 24th February 1983*
Only Star In Heaven – BBC Radio 1 Kid Jenson Session – 24th February 1983*
Welcome To The Pleasuredome – BBC Radio 1 Kid Jenson Session – 24th February 1983*
Junk Funk (Get On Down) – BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session – 3rd December 1983*
The Other Side Of Midnight – BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session – 3rd December 1983*
The Power Of Love – BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session – 3rd December 1983*
Get It On – BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session – 3rd December 1983

CD2 RELAX + B-SIDES
Relax – Rough Mix – Sunday 4^th September 1983*
Relax – The Album*
The Party Trick (Acting Dumb)
The Special Act (Adapted From The Sex Mix Cassette Edition)
The U.S. Mix (Come Dancing (The Special Act adapted from the Sex Mix Cassette Edition)
The Single (The Act Cassette Edition)
Ferry Across The Mersey (…And Here I’ll Stay Cassette Edition)
Relax – Sex Mix Edition 3 – AKA Luis Jardim Mix
Relax – With New Fairlight & DMX Ruff Mix*
Relax – Video Version

CD3 TWO TRIBES + B-SIDES
Two Tribes – Newsnight Version*
Two Tribes – Cowboys & Indians Original 7”
Two Tribes – Video Destructo Mix
Two Tribes – Keep The Peace, Intro
Two Tribes – At Madison Square Garden, The Carnage, The Annihilation
War – Somewhere Between Hiding And Hidden
Two Tribes – Keep The Peace, Outro
War – No 2*
Two Tribes – We Don’t Want To Die
War – Hidden
Two Tribes – Hibakusha
Two Tribes – The Last Voice

CD4 FROM THE VAULTS OF BLUE HELL
Well… – Intro Long Version*
Welcome To The Pleasuredome (The World Is My Oyster) – Early 12 Inch Version*
Welcome To The Pleasuredome – Ad Lib*
Two Tribes – Outtake 2 – 7 Inch Version Of The Annihilation Mix*
Born To Run – Instrumental*
Love Has Got A Gun aka Wish The Lads Were Here – Backing Track*
Black Night White Light – Extended*
The Only Star In Heaven – Backing Track No Vox*
The Power Of Love – Take 4*

CD5 THE POWER OF LOVE + B-SIDES
The Power Of Love – 7 Inch Version
The World Is My Oyster – 7 Inch Version
The Power Of Love – Extended Singlette Version
The World is My Oyster – Scrapped
The World is My Oyster – Trapped
The Power Of Love – Instrumental Singlette Version
Welcome To The Pleasuredome – Pleasurefix
The Only Star In Heaven – Starfix
The World Is My Oyster – 12 Inch Version
The Power Of Love – Strings Only*
War – Europe A Go Go Soundcheck*
The Power Of Love – Europe A Go Go Soundcheck*
Relax – Europe A Go Go Soundcheck*
Born To Run – Europe A Go Go Soundcheck*

CD6 WELCOME TO THE PLEASUREDOME + B-SIDES
Welcome To The Pleasuredome – Altered Reel aka Alternative To Reality – Original 7 Inch Version
Happy Hi!
Relax – International – Live On The Tube Europe A Go Go
Welcome To The Pleasuredome – The Alternative aka Fruitness
Happy Hi! – All In The Body
Welcome To The Pleasuredome – The Soundtrack From Bernard Rose’s Video
Get It On (Edit)
Welcome To The Pleasuredome – How To Remake The World
Disneyland ZTT Sampled
Born To Run – Live
Welcome To The Pleasuredome – Urban Mix

CD 7 WELCOME TO THE PLEASUREDOME – THE ALBUM
Well…
The World Is My Oyster (Short Version)
Snatch Of Fury (Stay)
Welcome To the Pleasuredome
Relax (Come Fighting)
War (…And Hide)
Two Tribes (For The Victims Of Ravishment)
Tag
Ferry (Go)
Born To Run
San Jose (The Way)
Wish (The Lads Were Here)
Including The Ballad Of 32
Krisco Kisses
Black Night White Light
The Only Star in Heaven
The Power of Love
Bang

BLU-RAY STEVEN WILSON VERSION
Welcome To The Pleasuredome Album
Steven Wilson Atmos Mix
Steven Wilson 5.1 Mix
Steven Wilson Stereo Mix

BONUS TRACKS
Ferry Cross the Mersey –  Steven Wilson Atmos Mix
Relax 12-inch instrumental version – Steven Wilson Atmos Mix
War (B side version) – Steven Wilson Atmos Mix
The World is My Oyster (B-side version) Steven Wilson Atmos Mix
Happy Hi – Steven Wilson Atmos Mix
Disneyland – Steven Wilson Atmos Mix

(*Previously Unreleased)

WELCOME TO THE PLEASUREDOME
SUPERDELUXEEDITION.COM EXCLUSIVE BLU-RAY

Welcome To The Pleasuredome Album
Steven Wilson Atmos Mix
Steven Wilson Atmos Instrumental Mix
Steven Wilson 5.1 Mix
Steven Wilson 5.1 Instrumental Mix
Steven Wilson Stereo Mix
Steven Wilson Stereo Instrumental Mix
Original Stereo Mix

BONUS TRACKS
Ferry Cross the Mersey –  Steven Wilson Atmos Mix
Relax 12-inch instrumental version – Steven Wilson Atmos Mix
War (B side version) – Steven Wilson Atmos Mix
The World is My Oyster (B-side version) Steven Wilson Atmos Mix
Happy Hi – Steven Wilson Atmos Mix
Disneyland – Steven Wilson Atmos Mix
Welcome To The Pleasuredome (Supernova) Steven Wilson 30 Minute Mix

WELCOME TO THE PLEASUREDOME
STEVEN WILSON VERSION 2LP

SIDE ONE
well… – Steven Wilson Stereo Mix
The World Is My Oyster – Steven Wilson Stereo Mix
Snatch Of Fury (Stay) – Steven Wilson Stereo Mix
Welcome To The Pleasuredome – Steven Wilson Stereo Mix
SIDE TWO
Relax (Come Fighting) – Steven Wilson Stereo Mix
War (…And Hide) – Steven Wilson Stereo Mix
Two Tribes (For The Victims Of Ravishment) – Steven Wilson Stereo Mix
(Tag) – Steven Wilson Stereo Mix
SIDE THREE
Ferry (Go) – Steven Wilson Stereo Mix
Born To Run – Steven Wilson Stereo Mix
San Jose (The Way) – Steven Wilson Stereo Mix
Wish (The Lads Were Here) – Steven Wilson Stereo Mix
Including The Ballad Of 32 – Steven Wilson Stereo Mix
SIDE FOUR
Krisco Kisses – Steven Wilson Stereo Mix
Black Night White Light – Steven Wilson Stereo Mix
The Only Star In Heaven – Steven Wilson Stereo Mix
The Power Of Love – Steven Wilson Stereo Mix
bang… – Steven Wilson Stereo Mix

WELCOME TO THE PLEASUREDOME
DELUXE 2CD

CD1
well…
The World Is My Oyster
Snatch Of Fury (Stay)
Welcome To The Pleasuredome
Relax (Come Fighting)
War (…And Hide)
Two Tribes (For The Victims Of Ravishment)
(Tag)
Ferry (Go)
Born To Run
San Jose (The Way)
Wish (The Lads Were Here)
Including The Ballad Of 32
Krisco Kisses
Black Night White Light
The Only Star In Heaven
The Power Of Love
bang…
CD2
Relax (In Heaven) (Arista Demo) 11-13 September 1982*
Love Has Got A Gun 2 (Phonogram Demo) 15 October 1982
Krisco Kisses BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session, 24 November 1982*
Welcome To The Pleasuredome BBC Radio 1 Kid Jensen Session, 24 February 1983*
Two Tribes  Newsnight Version*
The Power Of Love – Strings Only*
The World Is My Oyster 12″ Version
Black Night White Light Remix Edited Version With Extended Mid-Section *
War – Europe A Go Go Rehearsal*
Born To Run – Europe A Go Go Rehearsal*
Welcome To The Pleasuredome (The World Is My Oyster) – Early 12″ Version*
Welcome To The Pleasuredome – Ad Lib*
The Only Star In Heaven – Starfix
Disneyland
Relax – Arrival (Early Version)
Two Tribes – Video Destructo

(*Previously Unreleased)

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