Hubbry Logo
Two TribesTwo TribesMain
Open search
Two Tribes
Community hub
Two Tribes
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Two Tribes
Two Tribes
Two Tribes
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

"Two Tribes"
Single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
from the album Welcome to the Pleasuredome
B-side
  • "One February Friday"
  • "War"
Released4 June 1984
Studio
Genre
Length3:56
3:23 (edit)
LabelZTT (ZTAS 3)
Songwriters
ProducerTrevor Horn
Frankie Goes to Hollywood singles chronology
"Relax"
(1983) 		"Two Tribes"
(1984) 		"The Power of Love"
(1984)
Music video
"Two Tribes" on YouTube

"Two Tribes" is an anti-war song by British band Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released in the UK by ZTT Records on 4 June 1984.[7] The song was later included on the album Welcome to the Pleasuredome. Presenting a nihilistic, gleeful lyric expressing enthusiasm for nuclear war, it juxtaposes a relentless pounding bass line and guitar riff inspired by American funk and R&B pop with influences of Russian classical music, in an opulent arrangement produced by Trevor Horn.

The single was a phenomenal success in the UK, helped by a wide range of remixes and supported by an advertising campaign depicting the band as members of the Red Army. It entered the UK Singles Chart at number one on 10 June 1984, where it stayed for nine consecutive weeks, during which time the group's previous single "Relax" climbed back up the charts to number two.[8][9] It was the longest-running number-one single in the UK of the 1980s. It has sold 1.58 million copies in the UK as of November 2012,[10] being in the Top 30 best-selling singles in the UK as of 2022.[11]

Songwriters Johnson, Gill and O'Toole received the 1984 Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.[12] In 2015 the song was voted by the British public as the nation's 14th-favourite 1980s number one in a poll for ITV.[13]

Music

[edit]

A version of "Two Tribes" was originally recorded for a BBC John Peel session in October 1982. The basic structure of the song, including its signature bass-line, percussion arrangement and idiosyncratic introductory and middle eight sections, were already intact prior to any involvement from ZTT or eventual producer Trevor Horn.[citation needed] Further work was conducted at Producer's Workshop in Fulham, which Stephen Lipson selected as a cheaper alternative to Sarm Studios, where Frankie Goes Hollywood recorded their song "Relax". Horn identified "Two Tribes" as the band's next single due to its bassline despite reservations from Lipson, who was not impressed with the demo and thought that "there wasn't much to the song." The band recorded their parts, which was not deemed satisfactory, so Horn, Lipson, J.J. Jeczalik, and Andy Richards redid the parts themselves. From those sessions, Lipson's guitar was the only instrument retained in the final mix.[14]

"Two Tribes" (John Peel session)
An excerpt from the original John Peel session recording (1982).
Problems playing this file? See media help.

After their time at Producer's Workshop, the four moved back to Sarm Studios to further develop the song. A considerable amount of attention was placed on the bass part, particularly with the articulation of each note. In an adjacent studio, Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley were in the process of mixing an album, which they temporarily left to work on a different record. By the time Langer and Winstanley returned back to Sarm Studios, the bass part was still receiving adjustments. The final programmed bass pattern included a note that dropped down an octave whereas the original lacked this element.[14]

Holly Johnson noted that there were "two elements in the music – an American funk line and a Russian line. It's the most obvious demonstration of two tribes that we have today."[15] Lipson programmed some parts on a Synclavier, including the drum break at the end of the first chorus. He recalled that Horn "thought it was the weirdest fill he'd ever heard — a jazz fill in the middle of a pop song. However, I told him I thought it was great, so he went along with it, although begrudgingly, and that was indicative of how we worked together." The LinnDrum programming was added by Horn late into the song's production.[14]

Title and lyrics

[edit]

The single was released at a time when the Cold War had intensified and fears about global nuclear warfare were at a peak. Although Johnson would attest in a 1984 radio interview that the "two tribes" of the song potentially represented any pair of warring adversaries (giving the examples of "cowboys and Indians or Captain Kirk and Klingons"), the line "On the air America/I modelled shirts by Van Heusen" is a clear reference to then US President Ronald Reagan. Reagan had advertised for Phillips Van Heusen in 1953 (briefly reviving the association in the early 1980s). The title of his first film had been Love Is on the Air.

The lyric "working for the black gas" is, according to Johnson, "About oil surpassing gold. How you might as well be paid in petrol."[16] And the line "Are we living in a land where sex and horror are the new gods?" was inspired by the 1959 British film Cover Girl Killer. Johnson explained, "The TV was on in the background while I was doing me ironing and suddenly this character came out with that statement."[16] (The actual dialogue, which occurs at about 48 minutes 24 seconds into the film, is "Surely sex and horror are the new gods in this polluted world of so-called entertainment?")

The track featured snippets of narration from actor Patrick Allen, recreating his narration from the British Protect and Survive public information films about how to survive a nuclear war. (The original Protect and Survive soundtracks were sampled for the 7-inch mixes.)

The 12-inch A- and B-sides featured voice parts by British actor Chris Barrie imitating Ronald Reagan. Barrie also voiced the Reagan puppet on Spitting Image. Barrie's parts as 'Reagan' included praise for the band, as well as parts of Adolf Hitler's speech to a court after the Beer Hall Putsch: "You may pronounce us guilty a thousand times over, but the Goddess of the Eternal Court of History will smile and tear to tatters the brief of the State Prosecutor and the sentence of this court, for She acquits us." Barrie also voiced the last sentence of "History Will Absolve Me" (Spanish: "La historia me absolverá") which is the concluding sentence and subsequent title of a four-hour speech made by Fidel Castro on 16 October 1953. Castro made the speech in his own defense in court against the charges brought against him after leading an attack on the Moncada Barracks on 26 July 1953. Barrie would return for the band's next single, "The Power of Love", imitating Mike Read in a parody of the DJ's ban on their previous single, "Relax".

The song's title derives from the line "two mighty warrior tribes went to war" from the film Mad Max 2 (the line is also spoken by Holly Johnson at the beginning of the session version).[17]

Critical reception

[edit]

American magazine Cash Box called it "a more scintillating anti-war track than ["The War Song"]", saying it is "both an effective dance cut and a piece of modern art."[18] Richard Harris from NME wrote, "'Two Tribes' is a fine example of why over-production is a musical virtue, not least when it ceases to be a pop song and tries to disco-ise Tchaikovsky."[19]

Promotion

[edit]

ZTT aggressively marketed the single in terms of its topical political angle, promoting it with images of the group wearing American military garb in combat, as well as Soviet-style army uniforms set against an American urban backdrop.

The original cover art featured a Soviet mural of Vladimir Lenin in St Petersburg, and images of Reagan and then-UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The sleeve notes, attributed to ZTT's Paul Morley, dispassionately reported details of the relative nuclear arsenals of each superpower.

Personnel

[edit]

Credits sourced from Sound on Sound.[14]

Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Other musicians

Original 1984 mixes

[edit]

The song appeared in the form of six mixes, including "Annihilation", "Carnage", "Hibakusha", "Cowboys and Indians", "We Don't Want to Die" and "For the Victims of Ravishment".

The first 12-inch mix ("Annihilation") started with an air-raid siren, and included advice from Allen about how to tag and dispose of family members should they die in the fallout shelter (taken from the public information film Casualties). This version appeared on CD editions of the album. "Annihilation" was the basis for the "Hibakusha" mix, which was originally released in a limited edition, Japanese-only version of the 1985 album Bang!. Hibakusha is the Japanese word for survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

"For the Victims of Ravishment" appeared on the LP and cassette editions of the album Welcome to the Pleasuredome. It is the shortest version, at 3:27 minutes. This mix derived from the "Carnage" mix, which prominently featured strings as well as vocal samples from Allen and the group's B-side interview.

Since 1984, "Two Tribes" has been re-issued several times, generally involving third-party remixes bearing little relation to the original releases in terms of either structure or character.

B-sides

[edit]

The 7-inch featured "One February Friday", an interview between Morley and the group's three musicians, Mark O'Toole, Brian Nash and Peter Gill, over an otherwise untitled instrumental track. A similar track had been included on the B-side of "Relax", with the title "One September Monday".

The principal B-side to the original 12-inch single was a cover version of "War", which became the subject of an extended remix (subtitled "Hidden") on the single's third UK 12-inch release, where it was promoted as a double A-side with "Carnage".

The UK cassette single featured a cut-together combination of "Surrender", "Carnage" and "Annihilation", plus Reagan snippets and interview sections not included on any other release.

Videos

[edit]

The Godley & Creme-directed video depicted a wrestling match between then-US President Ronald Reagan and Konstantin Chernenko, then Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, in front of group members and an assembly of representatives from the world's nations. The match eventually degenerates into global destruction. Certain violent moments ("Reagan" is seen, for example, biting "Chernenko's" ear) were edited from the version shown on MTV.

A longer version of the video (based on the "Hibakusha" mix) included an introductory, heavily edited monologue by Richard Nixon taken from an ad from his 1960 US Presidential campaign ("No ... firm diplomacy ... No ... peace for America and the world"), plus similar contributions from other world leaders, including Lord Beaverbrook, Yasser Arafat and John F. Kennedy. The complete soundtrack to the extended video was eventually released as "Two Tribes (Video Destructo)" on the German version of the Twelve Inches compilation. A third version of the video, included on the band's From An Wasteland to an Artificial Paradise VHS, retains the introduction, but omits most of the inserted clips in the main wrestling sequence.

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications and sales for "Two Tribes"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[59] Gold 50,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[60] Gold 75,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[61] Platinum 1,580,000[10]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Track listing

[edit]

All discographical information pertains to the original UK single release only.

  • "Two Tribes" written by Gill/Johnson/O'Toole
  • "War" written by Strong/Whitfield
  • "One February Friday" credited to Gill/Johnson/Morley/Nash/O'Toole/Paul Rutherford

7": ZTT / ZTAS 3 United Kingdom:

No.TitleLength
1."Two Tribes"3:57
2."One February Friday""4:55

The A-side mix is commonly referred as "Cowboys and Indians" to avoid confusion with other mixes, as ZTT commonly gives the sides on singles separate names. Thus, "One February Friday" is sometimes subtitled as either "Doctors and Nurses" (as per the regular 7") or "Only Bullets Can Stop Them Now" (as per the picture disc B-side label).

7" (picture disc): ZTT / P ZTAS 3 United Kingdom:

No.TitleLength
1."Two Tribes"4:10
2."One February Friday"4:55

The A-side is an alternative mix to the regular 7" (subtitled "We Don't Want To Die" on the B-side label). A common theory within many fans is that "We Don't Want To Die" is essentially "Surrender" with vocals.

Also issued as a regular 7" in Canada.

12": ZTT / 12 ZTAS 3 United Kingdom:

  1. "Two Tribes" (Annihilation) – 9:08
  2. "War" (Hide Yourself) – 4:12
  3. "One February Friday" (12" edit) – 1:46
  4. "Two Tribes" (Surrender) – 3:46
  5. ["The Last Voice"] (unlisted) – 1:14

12": Island Records - ZTT Records (0-96931 - Special 12" Single - United States) / X-14065 Australia:

  1. "Two Tribes" (Extended Version) – 9:10
  2. "War" (Hide Yourself) – 4:12
  3. "Two Tribes" – 4:11
  4. "One February Friday" 4:57

"Extended Version" is the same as "Annihilation".

"Two Tribes" on the B-side is the 7" picture disc mix.

12": ZTT / 12 XZTAS 3 United Kingdom:

  1. "Two Tribes" (Carnage) – 7:54
  2. "War" (Hide Yourself) – 4:12
  3. "One February Friday" (12" edit) – 1:46
  4. "Two Tribes" (Surrender) – 3:46
  5. ["The Last Voice"] (unlisted) – 1:14

12": ZTT / WARTZ 3 United Kingdom:

  1. "War" (Hidden) – 8:33
  2. "Two Tribes" (Carnage) 7:54
  3. "One February Friday" (12" edit) – 1:46

12": ZTT / X ZIP 1 United Kingdom:

  1. "Two Tribes" (Hibakusha) – 6:38
  2. "War" (Hide Yourself) – 4:12
  3. "One February Friday" (12" edit) – 1:46
  4. "Two Tribes" (Surrender) – 3:46
  5. ["The Last Voice"] [Edited] (unlisted) – 0:35

12": ZTT / XZTAS 3DJ United Kingdom:

  1. Two Tribes (Carnage) – 7:56
  2. Relax (New York Mix) – 7:23

"New York Mix" was mislabeled as "U.S mix".

MC: ZTT / CTIS 103 United Kingdom:

  1. "[On The Subject of Frankie Goes to Hollywood]" – 0:23
  2. "One February Friday (part 1)" – 0:38
  3. "Two Tribes" (Keep The Peace) – 15:17
  4. "One February Friday (part 2)" – 1:08
  5. "War" (Somewhere Between Hiding And Hidden) [identical to "War" (Hide Yourself)] – 4:12
  6. "One February Friday (part 3)" – 0:21
  7. "[War Is Peace]" – 0:05

"Keep The Peace" is a combination of Surrender, Carnage and Annihilation.

The mixes on this cassette single reissued on vinyl for Record Store Day 2022 as Side B of 'Altered Reels' – The cassette single of "Relax" was reissued on Side A.

2014 digital download #1: Two Tribes:

  1. "Two Tribes" (Annihilation 7") – 3:56
  2. "Two Tribes" (Carnage 7") – 4:12
  3. "Two Tribes" (Annihilation) – 9:09
  4. "Two Tribes" (Carnage) – 7:54
  5. "Two Tribes" (Hibakusha) – 6:37
  6. "Two Tribes" (Hibakush-ah!) – 6:59
  7. "One February Friday" – 4:57
  8. "The Last Voice" – 1:14

"Hibakush-ah!" is an early version of "Hibakusha".

2014 digital download #2: War (Hidden):

  1. "War!" (Hidden) – 8:33
  2. "War!" (Hide yourself!) – 4:14
  3. "One February Friday" (12" Edit) – 1:45
  4. "Two Tribes" (Surrender) – 3:44
  5. "War!" (..And Hide) [identical to the album version] – 6:13
  6. "War!" (Coming out of Hiding) – 3:17

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Two Tribes

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
"Two Tribes" is a synth-pop anti-war song recorded by the English band Frankie Goes to Hollywood and released on 4 June 1984 as the second single from their debut album Welcome to the Pleasuredome. The track, produced by Trevor Horn, features lyrics warning of the futility of superpower conflict, drawing from a line in the film Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior about tribes at war, and incorporates a sample from the British government's Protect and Survive nuclear survival public information film. It achieved immediate commercial dominance, debuting at number one on the UK Singles Chart and remaining there for nine weeks, making it one of the decade's longest-running chart-toppers. The song's release amid heightened Cold War tensions between the United States and Soviet Union amplified its cultural resonance as a critique of nuclear brinkmanship, though its extended mixes and provocative music video—depicting a mock wrestling bout between look-alikes of President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Konstantin Chernenko—drew attention for blending satire with graphic imagery.

Background and Development

Songwriting and Inspirations

, the lead vocalist of , conceived the core concept for "Two Tribes" by adapting a line from the 1959 British Cover Girl Killer, which features the phrase alluding to tribal warfare leading to devastation; Johnson reframed this as a metaphor for the standoff between the and the . The lyrics, co-written with bandmates and Brian Nash, emphasize the futility and destructiveness of superpower rivalry, portraying leaders as interchangeable figures in a cycle of confrontation. The song's anti-war theme drew from heightened nuclear anxieties in the early , including U.S. President Ronald Reagan's rhetoric, which band members cited as evoking apocalyptic scenarios where conflict could precipitate biblical end-times events, as Reagan had reportedly viewed nuclear war in premillennial dispensationalist terms during private discussions. Johnson described the "two tribes" as representing any polarized factions locked in zero-sum struggle, but explicitly tied it to the era's East-West tensions exacerbated by Reagan's "evil empire" address on , 1983. Frankie Goes to Hollywood formed in Liverpool's vibrant scene in 1980, emerging from the city's underground clubs like Eric's, where provocative and synth-driven experimentation thrived amid economic decline. The band signed to in May 1983 after witnessed their raw performance of early material on television, aligning with ZTT's ethos of blending high-concept pop with cultural provocation under Horn and Paul Morley's direction. This environment shaped "Two Tribes" as a bold statement against , reflecting the label's strategy of using to amplify political messages.

Recording and Production

"Two Tribes" was recorded at SARM East Studios in , with serving as producer. Horn, who owned the facility, employed advanced techniques, including the PCM 3324 24-track digital machine, to capture the track's layered elements. This setup allowed for precise manipulation of sounds, marking an early adoption of digital multitrack recording in pop production. The song's aggressive synth-bass line was created by first recording a real bass performance, then sampling and chopping individual notes using the sampler, which Horn sequenced to form the synthetic backbone. Drum patterns were derived from machine samples, layered with additional percussion elements for rhythmic intensity, reflecting Horn's approach of building tracks through meticulous sampling and . Production involved an iterative process, with extensive time spent sequencing components on the to refine the bombastic, stadium-filling quality distinct from the band's earlier, more raw demos. This perfectionism contributed to high costs, with investments in Frankie Goes to Hollywood's initial recordings exceeding £100,000, underscoring the resource-intensive nature of Horn's methods.

Personnel Involved

The core performers on "Two Tribes" included Frankie Goes to Hollywood's principal members: provided lead vocals, Paul Rutherford handled backing vocals, played , Brian Nash contributed guitar, and Peter Gill performed on drums and keyboards. Production was led by , who shaped the track's dense, electronic sound during sessions primarily at Sarm West Studios in , with engineering by . Lipson also supplied additional guitar parts, while J.J. Jeczalik handled programming for the song's rhythmic and sampled elements, and added keyboard arrangements. Frankie Goes to Hollywood operated as a manufactured act under , where Horn and co-founder exerted significant creative control, often augmenting the band's contributions with session work from Horn's associates to achieve the final polished recordings.

Musical Composition

Instrumentation and Arrangement

"Two Tribes" employs a synth-heavy arrangement blending new wave and influences, centered on electronic synthesizers for , , and rhythmic drive. The track's foundation is a relentless, pounding produced through synthesizers, which propels the groove with a funky, repetitive motif derived from American styles, contrasted against a more classical Russian-inspired line in the intro. Martial percussion, including four-on-the-floor kick drums, speedy hi-hats, and delayed snares, creates a militaristic pulse that underscores the song's thematic tension. Orchestral hits—simulated via synthesizers and augmented by scored string and elements in the opening—provide dramatic accents, distinguishing the production's bombastic scale from lighter early contemporaries. The arrangement builds tension-release dynamics through sparse verses, where minimal synth stabs and percussion establish restraint, escalating into anthemic choruses with dense layers of electronic effects, swelling pads, and intensified rhythms. This structure, set in at 130 beats per minute, amplifies the track's aggressive energy and evokes warfare via processed sounds like echoes and impacts integrated into the electronic palette. The 7-inch clocks in at 3:23, prioritizing concise impact while retaining the core build-up.

Lyrical Content and Themes

The lyrics of "Two Tribes" are characterized by a minimalist structure, dominated by the repetitive chorus: "When two tribes go to / A point is all that you can score / Score no more! Score no more!" This repeats extensively, creating a , insistent that underscores the cyclical futility of conflict. The verses are sparse, featuring fragmented imagery of leadership and power, such as "Cowboy No. 1 / A born-again poor man's son / Poor little f***er, he's a mortal leader / He's a born-again nuclear cowboy," which evokes the persona of U.S. President as a flawed, ideologically driven figure entangled in existential stakes. Lead singer Holly Johnson described the song's meaning in 1984 as concerning "friction – between you and me, men and women and ultimately between nations," framing tribal division as a universal dynamic extending to geopolitical rivalry. The title and opening line draw directly from dialogue in the 1981 film Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, where "two mighty warrior tribes went to war," adapting a post-apocalyptic struggle to critique modern antagonism. In this context, the "two tribes" represent the and the , with the zero-sum scoring mechanic—"a point is all that you can score"—highlighting the pyrrhic nature of superpower , where mutual destruction precludes true victory. The lyrics avoid assigning moral superiority to either side, instead portraying the standoff as a shared failing driven by mortal leaders' delusions, including references to apocalyptic ideology. Written and recorded during the heightened nuclear anxieties of the early , the song's themes reflect the era's paranoia without prescribing solutions like unilateral , instead emphasizing reciprocal escalation's absurdity through ironic detachment. Johnson later noted the track channeled public fears of "nuclear ," portraying leaders as complicit in a game-like rivalry that risked annihilation, with the repetitive minimalism amplifying a sense of inexorable momentum toward catastrophe. This textual focus on equivalence and pointlessness critiques systemic incentives for conflict rather than individual culpability, aligning with first-principles observations of in bipolar standoffs where defection dominates cooperation.

Release and Versions

Initial Release Details

"Two Tribes" was released as a single on 4 June 1984 by ZTT Records in the United Kingdom. It marked the second single from Frankie Goes to Hollywood's debut album Welcome to the Pleasuredome, following the commercial success and BBC ban of their prior release "Relax", which had generated significant media hype around the band. The single was issued primarily through ZTT, with distribution support from Island Records in certain markets, reflecting the label's strategy to leverage the vinyl era's demand for variant editions. Available in multiple 12-inch vinyl formats, including limited editions like the "Annihilation" and "Hibakusha" mixes, the release catered to collectors with exclusive extended versions not found on standard 7-inch singles. These variants, often priced higher to emphasize scarcity, aligned with ZTT's promotional tactics amid the BBC's ongoing caution toward the band's provocative material post-"Relax".

Mixes and B-Sides

The "Two Tribes" single spawned several contemporaneous mixes by producer , each varying in length, emphasis, and arrangement to suit different formats and listener experiences, consistent with Horn's production ethos of layering multiple takes—both programmed and performed—to create spatial depth and textural contrast. The mix, an extended 12-inch variant running 9:09, featured intensified builds with prominent synth bass lines alternating between electronic and elements, alongside extended vocal overlays and percussive aggression. The Carnage mix, at 7:58, adopted a more streamlined structure for broader accessibility, prioritizing rhythmic drive and vocal clarity while truncating some instrumental flourishes present in the longer form. Additional variants included the Surrender mix on select 12-inch B-sides, offering a subdued, introspective take that de-emphasized bombast in favor of atmospheric tension. Certain editions paired these with a B-side of "War (Hide Yourself)", a 4:17 reworking of the band's earlier cover, incorporating hidden vocal effects and subdued instrumentation to complement the A-side's intensity. These configurations underscored ' strategy of theatrical multiplicity, releasing limited runs like picture discs with the Carnage mix to heighten collectibility.

Track Listings

The 12-inch single release titled Two Tribes () (ZTT 12 ZTAS 3, 1984) featured "Two Tribes ()" on the A-side, running 9:07. A companion 12-inch Two Tribes (Carnage) (ZTT XZTAS 3, 1984) included "Two Tribes (Carnage Mix)" extending to approximately 8:10 on the A-side, with additional tracks such as "War (Hide Yourself)" and "Two Tribes (Surrender)" on the B-side. These releases featured sleeve artwork depicting a staged wrestling match between U.S. President and Soviet General Secretary . In the United States, the 12-inch single (Island 0-96931, 1984) presented "Two Tribes (Annihilation)" in a version edited for radio play, shorter than the full extended mix. "Two Tribes" appears on the band's debut Welcome to the , released October 29, 1984, as track five in a 3:28 rendition subtitled "(For the Victims of Ravishment)".

Promotion and Media

Marketing Campaign

ZTT Records launched an extensive marketing campaign for "Two Tribes," released on June 4, 1984, emphasizing provocative imagery and merchandise to amplify the song's anti-war themes amid tensions. A key element involved pre-release , such as the "Only Bullets Can Stop Them Now" Blitz magazine advert featuring the band in militaristic poses, photographed by and published approximately six months prior to the single's issuance to generate anticipation despite the track not being finalized. This tactic, orchestrated by ZTT co-founder due to production delays by , exemplified the label's approach of hyping non-existent or unfinished records to build cultural momentum. Central to the promotion were "Frankie Say..." s bearing slogans aligned with the single's motifs, including "Frankie Say War! Hide Yourself," printed in bold black text on white fabric to evoke stark political messaging. These garments proliferated rapidly, with widespread sales of official versions and numerous knockoffs purchased by tourists in , transforming into a visible cultural force beyond music sales. The strategy extended the band's prior "Relax" controversy—stemming from its airplay ban over explicit content—by intertwining and to sustain media buzz and fan engagement. The campaign integrated with the broader rollout of the debut album , released on October 29, 1984, through a blitz of posters, adverts, and variant 12-inch singles that prolonged chart presence and merchandise appeal. This prefigured contemporary viral tactics by prioritizing spectacle and collectibility over traditional radio play, with ZTT issuing multiple to fuel ongoing publicity and sales. Adverts like "Frankie Gives You The World!" in Record Mirror further reinforced the single's dominance, positioning it as a total sensory assault on pop consumption.

Music Videos and Visuals

The music video for "Two Tribes," directed by Kevin Godley and of , premiered in 1984 alongside the single's release. It portrays a surreal wrestling match between stunt doubles impersonating U.S. President and Soviet leader , staged as a hyperbolic parody of tensions with exaggerated violence, including punches, chokeholds, and dramatic falls amid a sparse ring setting. The production employed low-budget practical effects, such as basic prosthetics for the leaders' likenesses and minimal props, emphasizing raw physicality over polished visuals to evoke a gritty, propagandistic tone. The video's audio layers isolated elements from the song—such as vocal chants, synth stabs, and percussion—for synchronized dramatic emphasis, with the wrestling action timed to rhythmic builds and drops, creating a sense of escalating confrontation without full verses dominating. This approach heightened the satirical edge, blending sports spectacle with political caricature to underscore themes of futile superpower rivalry. Godley and Creme, former 10cc members known for innovative video direction, shot the core sequence in a single-take style to maintain intensity, relying on rather than extensive editing. Extended versions of the video, such as the "Video Destructo" edit, incorporated additional archival newsreel-style footage of historical conflicts and atomic imagery, extending the runtime to amplify a dystopian aesthetic while retaining the core wrestling motif. These variants maintained the original's lo-fi ethos but added montages of war clips to frame the within broader 20th-century , produced using available stock elements for cost efficiency. The stylistic restraint—favoring implication over graphic excess—drew early commentary for its bold , though reactions focused on its provocative symbolism rather than technical polish.

Commercial Performance

Chart Achievements

"Two Tribes" debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart dated 10 June 1984, following its release on 4 June, and held the top position for nine consecutive weeks, from 10 June to 12 August. The single accumulated 33 weeks on the chart overall. In the United States, "Two Tribes" entered the on 20 October 1984 and peaked at number 43 for one week in December. It performed stronger in dance markets, reaching number 3 on the chart, with its peak dated 27 October 1984. The track achieved number-one peaks across multiple European countries, including , , the , , , and . It reached number 2 in . For year-end rankings, "Two Tribes" placed second on the UK singles chart for 1984, behind only the band's prior single "Relax."
Country/ChartPeak PositionWeeks at PeakTotal Weeks on Chart
Singles (Official Charts Company)1933
US Hot 100431Not specified
US Dance Club Songs3Not specifiedNot specified
(Kent Music Report)2Not specifiedNot specified
(Official German Charts)1Not specifiedNot specified
(Dutch Top 40)1Not specifiedNot specified

Sales Certifications

In the United Kingdom, "Two Tribes" was certified Platinum by the (BPI) on 1 June 1984, denoting shipments exceeding 300,000 units pursuant to the certification standards in effect during that period. This award reflected the single's immediate commercial momentum following its release on 4 June 1984, amid its nine-week tenure at number one on the UK Singles Chart. Cumulative physical sales in the UK surpassed one million copies by the late , bolstered by bundling with the group's debut album and subsequent inclusions on retrospective compilations such as Bang!... The Greatest Hits of (1985). No equivalent certifications from the (RIAA) were awarded for the single in the United States, where chart performance was more modest. Other international markets, including and , issued no documented Gold or higher awards for the track based on available industry records. As of October 2025, BPI thresholds for singles have evolved to incorporate streaming equivalents, yet no additional recertifications for "Two Tribes" have been granted, despite ongoing low-level digital consumption via platforms and reissues.

Reception and Analysis

Critical Evaluations

Upon its release in June 1984, "Two Tribes" received acclaim from music critics for its muscular production and urgent anti-war theme, with New Musical Express (NME) highlighting Trevor Horn's innovative sound design as a pinnacle of electronic pop engineering. The track's songwriters—Holly Johnson, Mark O'Toole, and Brian Nash—were awarded the 1984 Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors, affirming its structural sophistication and thematic potency amid Cold War anxieties. Retrospective analyses have reinforced this praise, positioning the song as a landmark in 1980s hi-NRG and synth-pop for its relentless rhythm and sampled vocal hooks that propelled it to instant chart dominance. Pitchfork's 2024 review of the band's debut album noted "Two Tribes" as an "anti-war rumble" that debuted at number one, crediting its feverish energy with capturing the era's nuclear dread through layered percussion and bass-driven propulsion. However, some evaluations critiqued the track's reliance on shock tactics as formulaic, echoing the provocative style of predecessor "Relax" without deeper musical evolution, with The Guardian later describing the band's output as a "seismic blip" prioritizing spectacle over sustained innovation. Critics also pointed to the proliferation of remixes—over a dozen versions issued in the first year—as evidence of commercial overreach that fragmented the song's core artistic intent, diluting its impact amid ' aggressive marketing. Despite BBC restrictions on its video for simulated violence, the track achieved heavy rotation on , underscoring its influence on dance discourse while exposing tensions between broadcast and electronic music's boundary-pushing ethos.

Public and Cultural Response

"Two Tribes" garnered extensive airplay on UK radio and television outlets upon its June 4, 1984 release, amid escalating Cold War tensions including the Able Archer 83 NATO exercise that fall, which fueled public apprehensions of nuclear confrontation between the United States and Soviet Union. The track's dramatic structure and anti-war messaging tapped into widespread societal unease over arms races, with broadcasts on programs like Top of the Pops eliciting energetic audience responses that mirrored 1980s youth concerns about global stability, though without implying uniform support for unilateral disarmament. Promotional efforts extended the band's "Frankie Say" T-shirt phenomenon—initially tied to "Relax"—to "Two Tribes," featuring slogans such as "Frankie Say Arm the Unemployed," which proliferated in youth fashion as emblems of irreverent protest against militarism and economic malaise. These garments, produced by , symbolized a form of cultural among teenagers, outselling records and embedding the song's themes in everyday . Fan reactions to performances were marked by enthusiasm for the song's anthemic intensity, as seen in mimed television appearances where crowds animatedly engaged with its groove and exhortations, compensating for Frankie Goes to Hollywood's sparse live touring due to internal band dynamics and producer Trevor Horn's studio focus. This mediated exposure sustained immediate public fervor, distinguishing uptake from formal critiques.

Controversies and Debates

Video and Censorship Issues

The music video for "Two Tribes", directed by and , depicted a choreographed wrestling bout between actors portraying U.S. President and Soviet General Secretary , escalating to exaggerated violence including decapitation, brain-eating, and eye-gouging, set against apocalyptic imagery. This portrayal of world leaders engaged in brutal combat prompted regulatory scrutiny over taste and decency. The declined to air the unedited video during daytime or early evening programming, citing concerns similar to those that led to the prior ban of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax" video for sexual suggestiveness; instead, it restricted broadcasts to late-night slots or required versions with toned-down elements, such as obscuring graphic moments. Alternative outlets provided exposure, with featuring the full video on its music program The Tube, which faced fewer content restrictions. In the , the controversy amplified public interest, contributing to the single's chart dominance, though live performances substituted for the video on shows like . Godley and Creme framed the video's intent as satirical hyperbole to critique the absurdity of superpower rivalry and nuclear brinkmanship, drawing on British comedic traditions like to protest violence through its grotesque amplification rather than endorsement.

Political Interpretations and Critiques

The song's portrayal of superpower antagonism as an inevitable clash between "two tribes" has been interpreted as a critique of human manifested in the , with lead singer describing it in 1984 as addressing "friction... between and America" and positioning it as a stark warning against nuclear escalation. This framing drew from broader cultural anxieties, including U.S. President Ronald Reagan's public remarks linking nuclear conflict to apocalyptic prophecy, which inspired the lyrics' emphasis on . Johnson later clarified in interviews that the "tribes" represented any warring parties, underscoring a first-principles view of conflict as a recurring human dynamic rather than a uniquely ideological one. While the track elevated public awareness of nuclear risks—topping UK charts for nine weeks in 1984 and prompting discussions on deterrence strategies amid escalating U.S.-Soviet tensions—its equating of Western democracies with the Soviet regime faced criticism for overlooking causal asymmetries in aggression. Conservative analysts contended that such depictions ignored Soviet imperialism, exemplified by the December 1979 invasion of , where over 100,000 Soviet troops occupied the country, contributing to an estimated 1 million Afghan deaths and exemplifying expansionist policies that necessitated Western resolve rather than equivalence. This moral symmetry, they argued, aligned with broader 1980s anti-nuclear campaigns like the (CND), which grew to over 100,000 members by mid-decade and advocated unilateral steps that risked undermining cohesion without reciprocal Soviet concessions. Proponents of the song's message credited it with fostering realism about power dynamics, compelling policymakers and publics to confront the stakes of escalation without naive . Detractors, however, viewed its commercial —packaged with wrestling imagery of Reagan versus Soviet leaders—as diluting rigorous analysis of totalitarian threats, potentially bolstering unilateralist pressures that conservatives like those at warned could erode deterrence and invite adventurism from . Empirical outcomes, such as the persistence of amid such cultural critiques, underscored the limits of pop-driven narratives in altering strategic calculus grounded in verifiable threat assessments.

Legacy and Influence

Long-Term Cultural Impact

"Two Tribes" influenced the development of synth-pop and through its pulverizing basslines and Trevor Horn's layered production techniques, which emphasized dramatic electronic textures. These elements shaped later synth-pop acts, including , who drew on similar ironic and electronic pop frameworks established by . The track's rhythms also impacted early , entrancing Chicago DJs like and contributing to the foundations of rave culture via remixed and sampled integrations in dance tracks. In cultural memory, "Two Tribes" endures as a symbol of nuclear tensions between the and , with its lyrics decrying rivalry and video featuring caricatured leaders in combat. This depiction captured era-specific anxieties but aligned with verifiable escalations, such as the Soviet deployment of approximately 441 SS-20 intermediate-range ballistic missiles across by 1987, which targeted allies and prompted the alliance's 1979 dual-track decision for modernization and arms talks. Frankie Goes to Hollywood's use of homoerotic imagery and backing vocalist Paul Rutherford's visible queerness, alongside frontman Holly Johnson's openness about his , integrated gay aesthetics into mainstream pop, fostering early LGBTQ+ visibility amid 1980s conservatism. This approach influenced subsequent queer-coded acts by prioritizing sensual provocation over didactic messaging, marking a shift in pop's engagement with sexual nonconformity.

Remixes, Reissues, and Covers

The "Hibakusha Mix" of "Two Tribes", an extended variant emphasizing atmospheric and destructive soundscapes derived from the earlier Annihilation Mix, was released in 1994 on the compilation album Bang!... The Greatest Hits of Frankie Goes to Hollywood. This mix, clocking in at approximately 6:35, incorporated sampled elements evoking nuclear devastation to underscore the song's anti-war theme. Subsequent remixes include the Almighty Remixes edition in 2000, which updated the track for club play with heavier electronic production. Later adaptations, such as the Apollo Four Forty Remix featured on the 1998 compilation Maximum Joy, integrated breakbeat and big beat influences prevalent in late-1990s dance music. Reissues of the track have appeared within broader Frankie Goes to Hollywood catalog expansions. In October 2020, Universal Music Catalogue (UMC) reissued the debut album Welcome to the Pleasuredome, restoring "Two Tribes" alongside its contemporaries "Relax" and "The Power of Love" with remastered audio for CD and vinyl formats. A 2025 super deluxe edition of Welcome to the Pleasuredome, released via UMC/Island Records, compiles over 80 tracks across 7 CDs and a Blu-ray, including rare variants like "Two Tribes (We Don't Want to Die)", "Two Tribes (Hibakusha)", and session outtakes such as the BBC Radio 1 John Peel version from November 24, 1982. These editions highlight the track's commercial longevity, bundling it with demos and alternate mixes to appeal to collectors and demonstrate production evolution. Covers of "Two Tribes" span genres but remain niche. The Skapones delivered a reggae/dub reinterpretation in 2021, retitling it simply "Two Tribes" with skanking rhythms and echoed vocals. Earlier efforts include Dr. and the Medics' punk-infused version and Rosetta Stone's take, both preserving the original's confrontational energy while adapting it to alternative scenes. Holly Johnson, in an August 2025 ITV News interview, attributed the band's extensive remixing approach for "Two Tribes"—initially producing over a variants—to pioneering music's format of multiple 12-inch editions, influencing how electronic tracks are marketed and consumed commercially. This strategy, he noted, prefigured the in genres like and by prioritizing variant accessibility over singular releases.

Recent Developments

In August 2025, performed "Two Tribes" live during his solo set at Rewind Festival England, held at Temple Island Meadows in on August 17, reaffirming the track's popularity at nostalgia-driven events. Video footage from the event captured Johnson's rendition, which included the song alongside other hits like "Relax" and "The Power of Love," drawing crowds nostalgic for the band's era. That same year, Johnson addressed the song's production in an interview, crediting the extensive 1984 remixes of "Two Tribes"—which numbered over a dozen variants—as pivotal in influencing music formats and club releases. He emphasized how producer Trevor Horn's experimental approach to multiple 12-inch versions prefigured the that became standard in electronic genres. September 2025 saw the announcement of The World Is My Oyster, a deluxe of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's 1984 debut Welcome to the Pleasuredome, which includes expanded editions of "Two Tribes" tracks and related material, stimulating collector interest without introducing new disputes. No significant controversies or reinterpretations of the song's Cold War-themed lyrics have surfaced in the , with public engagement largely centered on archival appreciation rather than contemporary geopolitical debates.

References

  1. https://www.discogs.com/master/74527-Frankie-Goes-To-Hollywood-Two-Tribes
  2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/35wCfRBbX7QygTjkkPTr4sX/two-tribes
  3. https://www.classicpopmag.com/features/classic-album/making-frankie-goes-to-hollywood-welcome-to-the-pleasuredome/
  4. https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/frankie-goes-to-hollywood-two-tribes/
  5. https://80sheaven.com/two-tribes-frankie-goes-to-hollywood/
  6. https://recordcollectormag.com/articles/frankie-says-pop-revolution
  7. https://www.facebook.com/groups/36370052388/posts/10163421102227389/
  8. https://www.classicpopmag.com/features/trevor-horn-frankie-goes-to-hollywood/
  9. https://tapeop.com/interviews/89/trevor-horn-Art-of-Noise-ABC-Yes-Frankie
  10. https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/27512-two-tribes/
  11. https://learnmusictech.wordpress.com/foundation-degree/the-history-of-popular-music-and-the-production-industries/1980s/trevor-horn/
  12. https://www.soundonsound.com/people/trevor-horn
  13. https://www.zttaat.com/article.php?title=138
  14. https://genius.com/Frankie-goes-to-hollywood-two-tribes-lyrics
  15. https://www.discogs.com/release/8366256-Frankie-Goes-To-Hollywood-Welcome-To-The-Pleasuredome
  16. https://movingtheriver.com/2022/01/12/frankie-goes-to-hollywood-wembley-arena-35-years-ago-today/
  17. https://jukeboxtimemachine.com/2016/05/07/controversy-frankie-goes-to-hollywood-and-two-tribes/
  18. https://reelmind.ai/blog/2-tribes-frankie-goes-to-hollywood-music-history-deep-dive
  19. https://tedtockscovers.wordpress.com/2024/06/16/two-tribes-working-for-the-black-gas/
  20. https://rcrdkeeper.wordpress.com/2021/01/26/review-of-the-two-tribes-single-and-12-extended-mix/
  21. https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/bitstream/2438/7914/3/FulltextThesis.pdf.txt
  22. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Technology/Music-Technology-1987-05-S-OCR.pdf
  23. https://musicstax.com/track/two-tribes/5NN5MQyE3Lo91zAEHpGa7S
  24. https://www.songfacts.com/facts/frankie-goes-to-hollywood/two-tribes
  25. https://burningtheground.net/frankie-goes-to-hollywood-two-tribes-keep-the-peace-uk-cassette/
  26. https://www.45cat.com/record/ztas3
  27. https://www.discogs.com/release/443029-Frankie-Goes-To-Hollywood-Two-Tribes-Annihilation
  28. https://www.discogs.com/release/195493-Frankie-Goes-To-Hollywood-Two-Tribes-Hibakusha
  29. https://www.failedmuso.com/annihilation-carnage-surrender-two-tribes-at-30/
  30. https://open.spotify.com/track/3uWLGnOwrDuRxovCvU8c28
  31. https://www.discogs.com/release/1746664-Frankie-Goes-To-Hollywood-Two-Tribes-Annihilation
  32. https://www.discogs.com/release/1118027-Frankie-Goes-To-Hollywood-Two-Tribes
  33. https://www.discogs.com/release/77879-Frankie-Goes-To-Hollywood-Two-Tribes-Carnage
  34. https://www.discogs.com/release/159445-Frankie-Goes-To-Hollywood-Two-Tribes
  35. https://music.apple.com/us/album/welcome-to-the-pleasuredome/1365569059
  36. https://www.discogs.com/master/71134-Frankie-Goes-To-Hollywood-Welcome-To-The-Pleasuredome
  37. https://www.discogs.com/release/195834-Frankie-Goes-To-Hollywood-Two-Tribes
  38. https://www.artofztt.com/advertisments/fgth-adverts/only-bullets-can-stop-them-now-a-two-tribes-blitz-advert/
  39. https://time.com/archive/6860898/music-frankie-say-we-go-big-bang/
  40. https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/classic-tracks-frankie-goes-hollywood-relax
  41. https://www.artofztt.com/advertisments/fgth-adverts/frankie-gives-you-the-world-a-two-tribes-record-mirror-advert/
  42. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6780930/
  43. https://molivam42.wordpress.com/2014/01/26/the-story-behind-the-song-4-two-tribes/
  44. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6780930/alternateversions/
  45. https://videoclosetblog.wordpress.com/frankie-goes-to-hollywood-two-tribes/
  46. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4idbrjBd-Q
  47. https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/21146/frankie-goes-to-hollywood/
  48. https://247wallst.com/special-report/2022/12/31/50-protest-songs-that-made-the-billboard-hot-100/
  49. https://www.billboard.com/charts/dance-club-play-songs/1984-11-02/
  50. https://www.facebook.com/groups/240098362684435/posts/8287075547986636/
  51. https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Frankie%2BGoes%2BTo%2BHollywood&titel=Two%2BTribes&cat=s
  52. https://www.facebook.com/MrHollyJohnson/posts/40-years-of-two-tribes-released-on-this-day-in-1984/1014822060012379/
  53. https://www.uk-charts.co.uk/index.php/charts/1980-s/205-1984
  54. https://www.mfyi.com/f/frankiegoestohollywoodawards.html
  55. https://www.facebook.com/groups/3559256234399730/posts/3979415145717168/
  56. https://www.facebook.com/museumofliverpool/posts/the-music-charts-in-1984-were-dominated-by-frankie-goes-to-hollywood-their-numbe/958682186297161/
  57. https://www.musicweek.com/talent/read/platinum-jubilee-the-story-of-the-singles-chart-decade-by-decade/087066
  58. https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-nme-3204-338686
  59. https://www.outinperth.com/40-years-of-frankie-goes-to-hollywoods-two-tribes/
  60. https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/frankie-goes-to-hollywood-welcome-to-the-pleasuredome/
  61. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/aug/28/frankie-goes-to-hollywood-30-years-welcome-to-the-pleasuredome
  62. https://pennyblackmusic.co.uk/Home/Details?id=18712
  63. https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/best-80s-music-video/
  64. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4QJ3R9v2lKXSyp7YgSs5SsF/a-golden-year-for-pop-music-blockbuster-movies-and-british-olympians-8-memorable-moments-from-1984
  65. https://popular-number1s.com/2009/08/13/frankie-goes-to-hollywood-two-tribes/
  66. https://magforum.wordpress.com/2020/08/22/1984-the-year-t-shirts-went-to-war/
  67. https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2010-12/nuclear-freeze-and-its-impact
  68. https://80shinrgeurobeat.com/2022/04/25/1985-a-melting-pot-of-hi-nrg-pop-rock-italo-disco-euro-disco-turns-into-eurobeat/
  69. https://thequietus.com/opinion-and-essays/anniversary/frankie-goes-to-hollywood-welcome-to-the-pleasure-dome-40th-anniversary-review/
  70. https://defected.com/news/post/early-british-house-5-records
  71. https://missilethreat.csis.org/missile/ss-20-saber-rsd-10/
  72. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/the-euromissile-showdown/
  73. https://www.out.com/gay-music/lgbtq-one-hit-wonders
  74. https://open.spotify.com/track/6OO9iUL1U3h4Hx01rWBIJ0
  75. https://www.discogs.com/release/6942360-Frankie-Goes-To-Hollywood-Two-Tribes
  76. https://www.discogs.com/release/10456386-Frankie-Goes-To-Hollywood-Two-Tribes-The-Almighty-Remixes
  77. https://music.amazon.com/tracks/B07BS5LWR2
  78. https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/frankie-goes-hollywood-albums-reissue/
  79. https://www.ebay.com/itm/116827239939
  80. https://imusic.co/music/0602465706666/frankie-goes-to-hollywood-2025-welcome-to-the-pleasuredome-cd-blu-ray-audio
  81. https://www.whosampled.com/Frankie-Goes-to-Hollywood/Two-Tribes-%28For-the-Victims-of-Ravishment%29/covered/
  82. https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/62541/all
  83. https://www.facebook.com/MrHollyJohnson/posts/speaking-to-itv-news-recently-about-our-two-tribes-remixes-during-the-frankie-go/1320456716115577/
  84. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNVazEnipVV/
  85. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/holly-johnson/2025/temple-island-meadows-henley-on-thames-england-63430aaf.html
  86. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bThRqxKoDXE
  87. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OcL_J0mi9TE
  88. https://theseconddisc.com/2025/09/16/frankie-goes-to-hollywood-pleasuredome-box-set/
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.