Frankie Goes to Hollywood, “Relax”

Tags

1980s, banned, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, One Hit Wonder, relax, top ten hit, Two Tribes, Welcome to the Pleasuredome

Relax is the debut single by English synth pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released in the United Kingdom by ZTT Records in 1983.  

The hit version, produced by Trevor Horn and featuring the band along with other musicians, entered the UK top 75 Singles chart in November 1983 but did not crack the top 40 until early January 1984. One of the decade’s most controversial and most commercially successful records, “Relax” eventually sold a reported two million copies in the UK alone, easily ranking among the ten biggest selling singles in the UK. It remained in the UK top 40 for 37 consecutive weeks, 35 of which overlapped with a radio airplay ban by the BBC (owing to lyrics perceived as overtly sexual).  

In June 1984, bolstered by the instant massive success of the band’s follow-up single Two Tribes, the single re-entered the top ten for a further nine weeks, including two spent at #2 (behind Two Tribes). At that time, Frankie Goes to Hollywood were the only act apart from the Beatles and John Lennon to concurrently occupy the top two positions on the chart. Several 12 inch single versions (and the “Frankie Say Relax” T-shirt craze) further fed the Relax phenomenon. The single re-entered the UK top 75 in February 1985 and, more successfully, in October 1993, when it spent three weeks in the top ten.  

In the United States, Relax was also comparatively slow in reaching its chart peak. Released in March 1984, albeit with a different mix and nearly a minute shorter in length, the single stalled at #67 on ‘Billboard‘s Hot 100 in May during a seven-week run, but it ranked number one for the year by Los Angeles alternative rock station KROQ, as voted for by listeners. In January 1985, a release of Relax that was far more similar to the UK hit version entered the Hot 100 at #70, and in March it reached #10 during its 16-week run. In January 1989, the single was certified Gold by the RIAA.  

In February 1985, the record was awarded Best British Single of 1984 at the Brit Awards, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood won Best British Newcomer. A version of the song features on Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s debut album Welcome to the Pleasuredome, released in October 1984. 

 

John Coltrane

Tags

American, Celebrity, hepatitis, jazz, John Coltrane, liver cancer, saxophonist

John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music.  

Born and raised in North Carolina, Coltrane moved to Philadelphia after graduating from high school, where he studied music. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes and was one of the players at the forefront of free jazz. He led at least fifty recording sessions and appeared on many albums by other musicians, including trumpeter Miles Davis and pianist Thelonius Monk. Over the course of his career, Coltrane’s music took on an increasingly spiritual dimension, as exemplified on his most acclaimed album A Love Supreme (1965) and others. Decades after his death, Coltrane remains influential, and he has received numerous posthumous awards, including a special Pulitzer Prize and was canonized by the African Orthodox Church.  

Coltrane died of liver cancer at the age of 40 on July 17, 1967. Biographer Lewis Porter speculated that the cause of Coltrane’s illness was hepatitis, although he also attributed the disease to Coltrane’s heroin use at a previous period in his life. Coltrane’s death surprised many in the music community who were unaware of his condition. Miles Davis said, “Coltrane’s death shocked everyone, took everyone by surprise. I knew he hadn’t looked too good … But I didn’t know he was that sick—or even sick at all.” 

His second wife was pianist and harpist Alice Coltrane. The couple had three children: John Jr. (1964–1982), a bassist; Ravi (born 1965), a saxophonist; and Oran (born 1967), a saxophonist, guitarist, drummer and singer. 

“Breathe”

Tags

Books, Breathe, Jiu Jitsu, memoir, Rickson Gracie

From Brazilian Jiu Jitsu legend Rickson Gracie, a riveting memoir weaving the story of his stunning career with the larger history of his family dynasty and Jiu Jitsu.

Undefeated through his final fight, Rickson Gracie belongs in the fighting pantheon with Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, and Mike Tyson. In Breathe, Rickson shares the full story of how his father and uncles came to develop Jiu Jitsu, what it was like to grow up among several generations of world-renowned fighters, and the principles and skills that guided him to his undefeated record. Gracie’s classic memoir offers indispensable insights into martial arts, human performance, and how the connection between mind and body can be harnessed for success both inside and outside the ring.  

Tomato and Cucumber

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absorption, cucumber, Food, salad, tomato, vitamin C

As someone who grew up on tomato and cucumber salad, I was surprised to learn that this combination was a no no. 

Isn’t a salad healthy? The answer is yes, but the tomato/cucumber pairing work against each other in our stomachs. 

Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C ,according to the USDA — in fact, they actually have more of it than an orange. 

However, cucumber contains an enzyme that interferes with the absorption of vitamin C, making your digestive tract a little angry, and cancelling out some of the benefits. 

“Please Like Me”

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2010s, Australia, dramedy, Josh Thomas, Please Like Me, TV

Please Like Me is an Australian television comedy-drama series created by and starring Josh Thomas. Thomas also serves as a writer for most episodes. The series premiered on February 28, 2013 on ABC2 in Australia and is on occasion available on Netflix in certain regions. The show explores realistic issues with humorous tones; executive producer Todd Abbott had pitched the show as a drama rather than a sitcom. The show aired later on the United States network Pivot, which then helped to develop the show from its second season onwards. Four seasons of the show have been broadcast, and creator Thomas has stated that he has no plans to make any further episodes. The show has attracted praise from critics and has garnered numerous nominations, winning a number of awards. 

Singing Nun, “Dominique”

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#1 hit, 1960s, Belgian, Dominique, French, Grammy Award, Jeannine Deckers, Noel Regney, One Hit Wonder, Singing Nun, Soeur Sourire

Dominique is a 1963 French language popular song, written and performed bu Belgian singer Jeannine Deckers, better known as Soeur Sourire (Sister Smile) or the Singing Nun. The song is about Saint Dominic, a Spanish-born priest and founder of the Dominican Order, of which she was a member (as Sister Luc-Gabrielle). The English-version lyrics of the song were written by Noel Regney. In addition to French and English, Deckers recorded versions in Dutch, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese.  

Dominique reached the top 10 in 11 countries in late 1963 and early 1964, topping the chart in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It reached the top 5 in Norway, Denmark, Ireland and South Africa, with the song making it into the lower reaches of the top 10 in the Netherlands, West Germany, and the United Kingdom.   

The song won the Grammy Award for Best Gospel or Other Religious Recording (Musical) in 1964. It was also a nominee for Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Soeur Sourire was a nominee for Best Female Vocal Performance. It was the second foreign language song to hit #1 on the Hot 100 in 1963, the first being Sukiyaki by Kyu Sakamoto.  

“Gangs of New York”

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2000s, Cameron Diaz, Civil War, Daniel Day-Lewis, feud, Gangs of New York, historical drama, Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, Movies, Oscar nominations

Gangs of New York is a 2002 American historical drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Jay Cocks, Steven Zaillian and Kenneth Lonergan, based on Herbert Asbury’s 1927 book The Gangs of New York. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis and Cameron Diaz.  

The film is set in 1863, when a long-running Catholic-Protestant feud erupts into violence, just as an Irish immigrant group is protesting against the threat of conscription during the Civil War. Scorsese spent twenty years developing the project until Miramax Films acquired it in 1999.   

Gangs of New York was completed by 2001 but its release was delayed due to the September 11 attacks. The film was theatrically released in the United States on December 20, 2002, and grossed over $193 million worldwide. It was met with generally positive reviews and Day-Lewis’s performance was highly acclaimed. It received ten nominations at the 75th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Scorsese and Best Actor for Day-Lewis. 

“1987 (What the Fuck is Going On?)”

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1987, ABBA, Albums, beatbox, British, destroy unsold copies, electronic, Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, KLF, plagiarism, unauthorised samples

1987 (What the Fuck Is Going On?) is the debut studio album by British electronic band The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu (the JAMs), later known as the KLF. 1987 was produced using extensive unauthorised samples that plagiarised a wide range of musical works, continuing a theme begun in the JAMs’ debut single All You Need is Love. These samples provided a deliberately provocative backdrop for beatbox rhythms and cryptic, political raps.  

Shortly after an independent release in June 1987, the JAMs were ordered by the Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society to destroy all unsold copies of the album, following a complaint from ABBA. In response, the JAMs disposed of many copies of 1987 in unorthodox, publicised ways. They also released a version of the album titled 1987 (The JAMs 45 Edits), stripped of all unauthorised samples to leave periods of protracted silence and so little audible content that it was formally classed as a 12 inch single. 

Push Cart Pete

Tags

1930s, collectors item, Fisher Price, Push Cart Pete, Toys

With only a few of this specific design created, the Wooden Push Cart Pete Toy is without a doubt one of the most valuable Fisher-Price toys. From its name alone, you can imagine a rough image of what it looks like. 

The distinct feature with Fisher-Price toys is the hat some of the earliest characters wore. This 1936 illustration appears to be wearing a small red hat that matches the wooden cart with yellow wheels. 

“Cruisin’ for a Bruisin'”

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1940s, Cruisin' for a Bruisin', Fad, harm, slang, Trouble

The American slang “cruisin’ for a bruisin'” has been around since at least the mid-20th century. It describes behavior that is likely to lead to trouble or harm. This phrase was first known in a military newspaper called the Palisades, issued at Camp Shanks, New York, on December 29, 1944.