Frankie Goes To Hollywood frontman Holly Johnson has reflected on one of the most surprising chart battles of the 1980s, saying the late Freddie Mercury must have been “gutted” when Relax kept Queen’s Radio Ga Ga from reaching the UK No.1 spot.
Speaking to NME as part of their “Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?!” feature, Johnson remembered how the success of Relax shocked the music world back in early 1984.
“The fact that ‘Relax’ kept Queen’s ‘Radio Ga Ga’ off Number One must have been like a knife through the heart for poor Freddie, because no one had heard of us the week before,” said Johnson.
The track, originally released in November 1983, climbed the charts slowly but surely. By January 1984, it had made the Top 40, and within three weeks, it knocked Paul McCartney’s Pipes of Peace from the top of the UK Singles Chart.
Johnson admitted the competitive atmosphere of the decade’s pop scene meant every chart position carried weight.
“It was highly competitive, and no one liked being usurped in the charts or magazine covers, because it was all considered so important.”
Though he never had a deep friendship with Mercury, Johnson said their paths often crossed at gay bars.
“We exchanged looks in gay bars – but they were friendly looks! I was shy and would go to gay bars on my own, so I wouldn’t approach Freddie with his entourage. We weren’t best mates, put it that way. We smiled at each other, though.”
No Full Reunion for Frankie Goes To Hollywood
The singer also addressed the future of Frankie Goes To Hollywood, who briefly reunited to perform Welcome to the Pleasuredome at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 opening ceremony in their hometown of Liverpool.
While the one-off appearance went smoothly, Johnson made it clear that a full reunion remains unlikely.
“The lead-up was exhausting. The preamble between Universal Records and the amount of emails was ridiculous. When I actually got into the rehearsal room with the band, everything was fine. It was like it had been all those years ago.”
Despite interest from promoters after the Eurovision performance, Johnson said not all members were on board.
“It’s always ‘never say never’, but we’re all getting a bit long in the tooth so it’s unlikely.”
