Rage Hard
Encyclopedia
"Rage Hard" is the fifth single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
. It was released in August 1986.
to record the follow-up album, Liverpool
. Taking on a rockier edge, "Rage Hard" was the first single culled from the disc.
The single's title came from the Dylan Thomas
poem "Do not go gentle into that good night
".
Of note, "Rage Hard" was a testament to the changing musical landscape in Britain at the time. It was not only the first Frankie single to be featured on CD single, it was also the first single to not feature a cassette release - new rules limited the number items that could count toward the official charts, following the earlier ZTT excesses.
"Rage Hard" eventually hit Number 4 in the UK singles charts and Number 1 in Germany
(for two weeks), #5 in Switzerland
, #7 in the Netherlands
, #12 in Austria
, #19 in Sweden
and #32 in France
.
's 1972 glam-rock classic "Suffragette City", slightly renamed to "SufferRAGEette City" to fit in with the "Rage Hard" promotion. The second cover song was "Roadhouse Blues" by The Doors
which featured on the 2nd 12". A shorter version features on the CD single.
The original b-side is an odd composition entitled "(Don't Lose What's Left) Of Your Little Mind". It was released in two versions, a 4 minute mix and a 6 minute mix and featured Holly Johnson
& Brian (Nasher) Nash imitating 'The Count' Vampire ("Ha ha ha/I am the count") from the Children's TV show 'Sesame Street'. This was complemented by sampled burps and belches over a backing track.
(All discographical information pertains to UK releases only)
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were a British dance-pop band popular in the mid-1980s. The group was fronted by Holly Johnson , with Paul Rutherford , Peter Gill , Mark O'Toole , and Brian Nash .The group's debut single "Relax" was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts and...
. It was released in August 1986.
Background
Having topped the charts around the world with Welcome to the Pleasuredome and its accompanying singles, Frankie Goes to Hollywood took off to AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
to record the follow-up album, Liverpool
Liverpool (album)
Liverpool is Frankie Goes to Hollywood's second album, released in October 1986 . It would be the band's final album of all-new material, and lead singer Holly Johnson would leave the band following the corresponding world tour, followed by a flurry of lawsuits from ZTT.The album was a commercial...
. Taking on a rockier edge, "Rage Hard" was the first single culled from the disc.
The single's title came from the Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
poem "Do not go gentle into that good night
Do not go gentle into that good night
Do not go gentle into that good night, a villanelle, is considered to be among the finest works by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas . Originally published in the journal Botteghe Oscure in 1951, it also appeared as part of the collection "In Country Sleep." Written for his dying father, it is one of...
".
Of note, "Rage Hard" was a testament to the changing musical landscape in Britain at the time. It was not only the first Frankie single to be featured on CD single, it was also the first single to not feature a cassette release - new rules limited the number items that could count toward the official charts, following the earlier ZTT excesses.
"Rage Hard" eventually hit Number 4 in the UK singles charts and Number 1 in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(for two weeks), #5 in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, #7 in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, #12 in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, #19 in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and #32 in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
B-sides
The b-sides to "Rage Hard" were, for the most part, straight forward cover songs. Firstly there was a cover of David BowieDavid Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
's 1972 glam-rock classic "Suffragette City", slightly renamed to "SufferRAGEette City" to fit in with the "Rage Hard" promotion. The second cover song was "Roadhouse Blues" by The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
which featured on the 2nd 12". A shorter version features on the CD single.
The original b-side is an odd composition entitled "(Don't Lose What's Left) Of Your Little Mind". It was released in two versions, a 4 minute mix and a 6 minute mix and featured Holly Johnson
Holly Johnson
Holly Johnson is an English artist, writer and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and former bassist for Big in Japan.- Big in Japan :...
& Brian (Nasher) Nash imitating 'The Count' Vampire ("Ha ha ha/I am the count") from the Children's TV show 'Sesame Street'. This was complemented by sampled burps and belches over a backing track.
7": ZTT / ZTAS 22 United Kingdom
"rage rage"- "Rage Hard" (7" mix) - 5:05
- "(Don't Lose What's Left) Of Your Little Mind" - 4:03
- The standard release features all five coloured fists on the cover
7": ZTT / ZTAX 22 United Kingdom
- "Rage Hard" (stamped) - 4:55
- "(Don't Lose What's Left) Of Your Little Mind" - 4:03
- The dance mix of Rage Hard was an edit of the "Broad Mix" from the 2nd 12" (sleeve featured the Blue fist)
- ZTAX7 came in a pop-up gatefold sleeve (with the Rage Hard fists being the pop-up) (sleeve featured the Orange fist) (ZTD22)
12": ZTT / 12 ZTAS 22 United Kingdom
"Slam Bam"- "Rage Hard" - 12:08
- "[The B-side]" + "SuffRAGEette City" (David Bowie) - 3:31
- "(Don't Lose What's Left) Of Your Little Mind" - 6:15
- "['always note the sequencer...']" -0:22
- An edit (10:05) of this mix is also known as "Young Person's Guide To The 12-inch"
- This 12" was also released with a 12" x 24" poster (12 ZTAQ 22)
- Also released on German CD (Island / 658 434)
12": ZTT / 12 ZTAX 22 United Kingdom
- "Rage Hard" (Broad Mix) - 8:36
- "Roadhouse Blues" (the full version) - 4:03
- "(Don't Lose What's Left) Of Your Little Mind" ('suffer brother') - 6:15
- "['always note the sequencer...']" -0:22
- (sleeve featured the Yellow fist)
- Note: 12ZTAX22 also came as a limited edition with a box designed to contain all the Rage Hard UK issues (box featured the Red fist)
CD: ZTT / CD ZCID 22 United Kingdom
- "['we have begun']" - 0:07
- "Rage Hard" (Broad Mix edited) - 5:08
- "Rage Hard" (compacted) - 11:58
- "SuffRAGEette City" - 3:31
- "(Don't Lose What's Left) Of Your Little Mind" (excerpt) - 0:18
- "Roadhouse Blues" (the short version) - 3:37
- (sleeve featured the Purple fist)
- (Compacted is a combined edit of the Young Persons Guide and Broad.)
12": Island / DMD 987 United States
- "Rage Hard" (Freddie Bastone Vocal Remix) - 7:00
- "Rage Hard" (Freddie Bastone Remix Edit) - 4:03
- "Rage Hard" (Freddie Bastone Remix Dub) - 5:30
- US Promo 12"
Chart performance
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 12 | 16 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 82 | 4 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 6 | 10 |
| French Singles Chart | 32 | 12 |
| German Singles Chart | 1 | 20 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 2 | 4 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 12 | 13 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 8 | 2 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 19 | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 5 | 12 |
| UK Singles Chart | 4 | 7 |