ABSTRACT
The Liverpool band was discovered by Malcolm Gerrie of the now sadly defunct Channel Four music show, The Tube. The Frankies were given a small budget by Gerrie with which to make a video for screening on the show. Since the musicians in Frankie Goes to Hollywood 'were between sixteen and eighteen years old, and inexperienced as studio musicians' at the time 'Relax' was being recorded, it is hardly surprising that they encountered problems. Having invested so much effort and money into the recording of 'Relax' and also generated much material that did not appear on the final 7-inch single version, Zang Tuum Tumb (ZTT) released several remixes. The unusual structure and the absence of sections with strong verse or chorus characteristics make 'Relax' an unusual pop song. 'Relax' relies heavily on the repetition of musical material: many elements – synthesized brass gestures, bass lines, lyrics – appear on several occasions and whole sections are repeated.
