Streaming: New Holly Johnson Album

The first new album in 15 years from former Frankie Goes To Hollywood frontman Holly Johnson is streaming in full today at the Guardian. I'm really digging it. Ordering details and tour info is here.

Holly Johnson - In And Out Of Love

Via Digital Spy:

Holly Johnson has unveiled the music video for new song In and Out of Love. The track is the lead single from Europa, Johnson's first album in 14 years. The video has been directed by Chris Shepherd and produced by Alex Bedford. The follow-up to 1999's Soulstream coincides with the 30th anniversary of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's debut Welcome to the Pleasuredome and is released on September 29. Johnson returned to the studio after being introduced to Mark Ralph by The 2 Bears. "I'd pile my vintage synths into the back of a cab, head over to Mark's place, and we'd be up all night making this record," said Johnson.

RELATED:The Guardian has published a fascinating look back at Welcome To The Pleasuredome, which dominated the British charts for most of 1984. An excerpt:

Frankie were a blip, albeit a seismic one. Relax and Two Tribes are the sixth and 22nd bestselling UK singles ever – above Relax there are just charity records (Band Aid, Candle In The Wind) and novelty songs (Mull of Kintyre, You’re The One That I Want), give or take Bohemian Rhapsody. Frankie’s achievements – first three singles all No 1, a double debut album with advance sales of more than a million – are colossal. Yet they rarely get cited by other bands: they didn’t, for example, feature in the NME’s recent cover story on the 100 Most Influential Artists. But that’s because it would be impossible to recreate what they did. They were a one-off: two self-styled “ferocious homosexuals” up front, backed by three prototype Liam Gallaghers, who were known as “The Lads”. Their symphonic future disco came in sleeves full of literary allusions and they issued missives in T-shirt form: Frankie Say War! Hide Yourself, Arm The Unemployed and Bomb Is a Four Letter Word. The hi-tech sonics were the work of producer Trevor Horn; the intellectual subterfuge was courtesy of former NME writer Paul Morley.

Holly Johnson - Follow Your Heart

Former Frankie Goes To Hollywood frontman Holly Johnson releases his first solo album in 14 years in September. From the press materials about the first single:

The digital EP, featuring one of the final remixes by Frankie Knuckles (and Eric Kupper), is out July 27 alongside a limited-edition coloured vinyl the week before. Surrounding the launch of ‘Europa’, the Frankie Goes to Hollywood front-man will also embark on his first solo tour – the last being with FGTH in 1987 – featuring a London show at Indigo2 on October 28. Further single and live plans will be unveiled shortly. Click here to pre-order the album in its various formats, including a couple of limited editions. More information on the track listing, packaging, etc will come soon. You’ll be able to pre-order the album from iTunes at the start of August. Click here to pre-order the 12” single, where you’ll also see there’s a VERY limited signed and hand numbered test pressing. Get them while you can!

BRITAIN: Former Frankie Frontman Holly Johnson Announces First Solo Tour

Former Frankie Goes To Hollywood frontman (and JMG reader!) Holly Johnson will launch his first-ever solo tour in October.

The October tour will mark the 30th anniversary of the release of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s 3x platinum debut album ‘Welcome To The Pleasuredome’ which reached number 1 in October 1984. The album release followed the group’s controversial debut single ‘Relax’, and follow-up ‘Two Tribes’, both of which hit the number 1 spot in the UK single charts in the same year. After leaving Frankie Goes To Hollywood in 1987, Holly went on to release three solo albums, including his platinum selling number 1 debut solo album ‘Blast’ in 1989, ‘Dreams That Money Can’t Buy’ in 1991 and ‘Soulstream’ in 1999. His new solo album will be released on 15th September this year. Whilst he has been performing at UK festivals in recent years, the newly announced dates will be his first full solo tour, speaking about the tour Holly says: “Since 2011 I have been performing at one or two festivals each Summer here in the UK, I realised how enjoyable it is to sing the songs that I have written, and look forward to performing material from my new album.

Tickets go on sale this Friday. Hit the link for dates and for info about the coming new release.