XXL Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/interviews/a601478/holly-johnson-interview-madonna-saw-relax-as-a-blueprint.html#~oS1U38g4KaUZ1K 30 years after 'Relax' people still say that pop is getting too risqué or obscene - is it the same old argument? "It's interesting, the whole idea of controversy in pop music... It is a pop art form but it's just entertainment." "There have been artists who saw the controversial nature of 'Relax' as a blueprint. I think Madonna really wasn't very controversial on her first album particularly. We shared a management company in America and she definitely plucked the power of sexual controversy. "It became a sort of blueprint really for modern pop and dance music in a way. Time and time again people have tried the same trick. I don't think anything has really had a high-profile ban since 'Relax' really. I think even the BBC realised that you were highlighting a record rather than burying it into obscurity by banning it."The whole idea of people wearing less and less clothes now, for example in the presentation of records. Famously Rihanna. Then we have Marianne Faithfull who was famous for being..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollhouse Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 hes nuts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattress Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genevieve Vavance Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I find Relax still controversial lol, it must have been really shocking at that time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lights Above Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mensch Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Love the song, and agree with him. Love Blondie's cover too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuckeye Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 oh please, is he trying to take credit for using sex/controversy in music, lol. her first album included songs like burning up & physical attraction and the video for lucky star. more intelligently sexualized then 'relax' and george michael's sex and prince's head, come on now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 girl byeee!!! And there are some who say they created meBut only my parents will have that acclaimI took it from there, I am to blame Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realityisalways Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Between monsters and delusional has beens all of Madonna's history is being re-written... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSD Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Everyone wants a piece of Madonna. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerGirl Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 In ur dreams tbh!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacket Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Fade back into obscurity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivy Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 If anything, I would say it was Donna Summers: love to love you baby ( extended version ) where she practically orgasims for five minutes that would have been the blue print for Madonna, not this boring and cliched song, yuck! and it was recorded years before this shit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXL Posted October 7, 2014 Author Share Posted October 7, 2014 He's probably unaware of the fact that Madonna was the one artist in the 80s that pushed for the advent of a new visual medium for music more than anybody else and especially when most people were skeptical about it or oblivious to its power, hardly a girl that needed to see CONTROVERSIAL in them and decided to use it for herself 00:26 And besides, the whole concept of the BU video for instance wasn't exactly Nickelodeon for 1983 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mensch Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I think you guys are misinterpreting what he's saying. I think he's saying M could see how pushing the envelope using sexuality in music could create a certain type of unmatched attention that would equate to massive success. I don't think he's saying she copied the idea. I think he's saying she totally noticed the type of reception the song would have and the appeal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreeMySoul Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bluejean Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 I think you guys are misinterpreting what he's saying. I think he's saying M could see how pushing the envelope using sexuality in music could create a certain type of unmatched attention that would equate to massive success. I don't think he's saying she copied the idea. I think he's saying she totally noticed the type of reception the song would have and the appeal. It's probably true but it's only one influence. She would have seen the same reactions elsewhere as well including in stars that date well before FGTH (eg Elvis and his hip swivelling was considered overtly sexual and controversial.) This guy is giving himself and his one hit way too much credit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzy Jan Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 I find Relax still controversial lol, it must have been really shocking at that time I remember it being number 1 but as I was a young sweet little virgin at the time, did not even realize what it was really about and it went over my head completely. It is so obvious now of course. I remember hearing a radio announcer saying that it was the most filthy song and that was the first time I knew it was even controversial. Ahh, those innocent days - where did they go ? Mind you, I do remember people saying that the song "Like a Virgin" was shocking at the time due to the virgin lyrics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rachelle of London Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 What does it mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzy Jan Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 What does it mean? Chelle, I will leave it for our more descriptive members to explain it. One hint is the "when you want to come" section. Come should have been spelt differently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karbatal Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 It was controversial, but it has nothing to do with Madonna. Are these people nuts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madonnasuperfan01 Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 I don't think he's actually shading her but he's certainly giving himself WAY too much credit. Yeah Relax was definitively controversial but i don't think it was THE blueprint for Madonna and others artists using sex in their music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acko Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 The video certainly was very EXTREME in those days, & a landmark, as is the song, in terms of the exploitation of (gay) sexuality in popular culture. There was a whole wave of UK acts that were at the forefront of celebrating queer culture in mainstream media, often with a political twist. Of course AIDS put a stop 2 that. But FGTH was a very 'intelligent' pop group so people should stop talking out of their asses. Credit should b given where credit is due. Which isn't 2 say I think they created a blue print for Madonna. But let's not b so precious about it...this is not a little monster forum. Madonna crawling on street in the BU video was already a sign of her raw & un-Hollywood type of sexuality for a female. Really the 60's have nothing on the early 80's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzy Jan Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 The video certainly was very EXTREME in those days, & a landmark, as is the song, in terms of the exploitation of (gay) sexuality in popular culture. There was a whole wave of UK acts that were at the forefront of celebrating queer culture in mainstream media, often with a political twist. Of course AIDS put a stop 2 that. But FGTH was a very 'intelligent' pop group so people should stop talking out of their asses. Credit should b given where credit is due. Which isn't 2 say I think they created a blue print for Madonna. But let's not b so precious about it...this is not a little monster forum. Madonna crawling on street in the BU video was already a sign of her raw & un-Hollywood type of sexuality for a female. Really the 60's have nothing on the early 80's. The Burning up song and video was EVERYTHING. Great to see someone else loving the whole crawling around the road in almost orgasmic passion as so different and raw for a female singer for the time. One of my favourite video clips of Madonna and her first "proper" one filmed as a video clip. Other pop girls then and now could only dream of having the same charisma and daring style. Regarding Frankie goes to Hollywood, I loved them in the 80's. Relax,Two tribes and The Power of Love were 3 of my favourite singles of the 80's even if I did not get how controversial they were at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crux Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 What a delusional and repulsive piece of shit Holly Johnson is. There were controversial songs LONG BEFORE the overrated "Relax" came out. As others have mentioned, Prince's "Head" in 1980. Vanity 6's "Nasty Girl" in the early 80's...but those are just a few examples. There's far too many to mention...He's just talking shite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bluejean Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 What a delusional and repulsive piece of shit Holly Johnson is. There were controversial songs LONG BEFORE the overrated "Relax" came out. As others have mentioned, Prince's "Head" in 1980. Vanity 6's "Nasty Girl" in the early 80's...but those are just a few examples. There's far too many to mention...He's just talking shite. True but those songs were not played on mainstream radio. But yes, I think Prince was probably her main influence in the early part of her career. Her whole approach to what she was doing was "If Prince can be sexual and provocative so can a woman." I don't really see a big influence from FGTH but by the sounds of it that song really pushed the boundaries so it holds significance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrokenButterfly Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 But FGTH was a very 'intelligent' pop group so people should stop talking out of their asses. FGTH built most of their lyrics off of poetic quotes which is a bit unusual for pop music. Pleasuredome was pretty much an ode to 'Kubla Kahn' and Rage Hard was inspired by 'do not go gentle into that good night'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 I thought he died. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollhouse Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 he's old fart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aime Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Oh dear, I knew I shouldn't have clicked on this thread... Holly Johnson is like God to me. His voice is in my top3 along with Neil Tennant and John Legend. He's a great songwriter, so charismatic and his battle against AIDS is so inspiring. And yes, FGTH were the kings of controversy. Who else has the balls to print the instruction on how to fist someone properly on the sleeve of their first single? I mean, really? ICONIC. It upsets me to see so many people here use the 'Oh I don't know him' card, it's what GaGa fans do. What's so good about being ignorant? They've sold millions of their records in the UK, they're hardly t.A.T.u or whatever. With that being said, I don't really see his influence on Madonna at all but he's entitled to his opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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