Editing Rage Hard

{{Short description|1986 single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Rage Hard
| cover      = Rage_Hard_singles.jpg
| alt        = 
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Frankie Goes to Hollywood]]
| album      = [[Liverpool (album)|Liverpool]]
| B-side     =
* "(Don't Lose What's Left) Of Your Little Mind"
* "[[Suffragette City|SuffRAGEtte City]]"
* "[[Roadhouse Blues]]"
| released   = {{start date|1986|08|25|df=y}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.zttaat.com/article.php?title=1357|date=13 August 1986|title=Bitz}}</ref>
| recorded   = 
| studio     = 
| venue      = 
| genre      = [[Art rock]]
| length     =
* 5:05 (album version)
* 4:11 (7-inch version)
| label      = [[ZTT Records|ZTT]]
| writer     =
* Peter Gill
* [[Holly Johnson]]
* Brian Nash
* Mark O'Toole
| producer   = [[Stephen Lipson]]
| prev_title = [[Welcome to the Pleasuredome (song)|Welcome to the Pleasuredome]]
| prev_year  = 1985
| next_title = [[Warriors of the Wasteland]]
| next_year  = 1986
| misc       = {{External music video|{{YouTube|T9AXDPCWics|"Rage Hard"}}}}
}}

"'''Rage Hard'''" is a song by English [[Pop music|pop]] band [[Frankie Goes to Hollywood]]. It was released on 25 August 1986 as the first single from their second album, ''[[Liverpool (album)|Liverpool]]''. The song reached number four in the [[UK Singles Chart]] and number one in [[West Germany]].

==Background==
{{Listen|filename=Rage Hard Freddy Basstone Mix.ogg
|title="Rage Hard" (Freddie Bastone mix)|description=An excerpt from "Rage Hard" (Freddie Bastone mix).}}
Having topped the charts around the world with ''[[Welcome to the Pleasuredome]]'' and its accompanying singles, Frankie Goes to Hollywood took off to [[Amsterdam]] to record the follow-up album, ''[[Liverpool (album)|Liverpool]]''. Taking on a rockier edge, "Rage Hard" was the first single culled from the album.

In a 1986 interview, singer Holly Johnson was asked about the meaning of the song explaining, "Have you read the poem '[[Do not go gentle into that good night|Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night]]' by [[Dylan Thomas]]? It was kind of inspired by that. It's an incantation against death and lethargy, and it's supposed to encourage lots of creative idealism in the listener."<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 November 1986 |title=Holly Johnson (FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD) |url=https://www.zttaat.com/article.php?title=819 |access-date=2024-03-22 |publisher=[[Smash Hits]] |page=12}}</ref>

Not only was it 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 of items that could count towards the official charts, following the earlier ZTT excesses. "Rage Hard" eventually reached number four on the [[UK Singles Chart]] and number one in [[West Germany]] for two weeks, number five in Switzerland, number seven in the Netherlands, number 12 in Austria, number 19 in Sweden and number 32 in France.

==Critical reception==
In a contemporary review, ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' praised the band's performance calling "the matured Frankie socks out weight art-rock best suited to AOR/ alternative radio."<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ayQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT70 |title="Reviews" |date=1986-09-20 |publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |page=73}}</ref> Ro Newton of ''[[Smash Hits]]'' compared the single unfavorably with their previous releases as, "watered-down and without the guts. The over all effect is a bit limp and very disappointing."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Newton |first=Ro |date=27 August 1986 |title=Review Singles |url=https://www.zttaat.com/article.php?title=963 |access-date=2024-03-22 |website= |publisher=[[Smash Hits]] |page=47}}</ref>

==B-sides==
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]] and Brian Nash imitating [[Count von Count]] ("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.

For the 12-inch single to "Rage Hard" were covers of [[David Bowie]]'s "[[Suffragette City]]", stylized as "SuffRAGEtte City" to fit in with the "Rage Hard" promotion and the second cover song was [[The Doors|the Doors']] "[[Roadhouse Blues]]." A shorter version features on the CD single.

==Track listings==
'''7-inch: ZTT / ZTAS 22 United Kingdom'''
# "Rage Hard" (7-inch 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.
*20,000 copies in a pop-up gatefold sleeve (with the "Rage Hard" fists being the pop-up), featuring the orange fist (ZTD22).

'''7-inch: ZTT / ZTAX 22 United Kingdom'''
# "Rage Hard" (stamped) – 4:55
# "(Don't Lose What's Left) Of Your Little Mind" – 4:03

*"Stamped" is an edit of the "Broad" mix from the second 12-inch (sleeve featuring the blue fist).
*Released to celebrate the song entering #6 on the UK charts on 6 September 1986.
[[File:Full Rage Hard releases.jpg|thumb|right|200px|All "Rage Hard" releases]]

'''12-inch: ZTT / 12 ZTAS 22 United Kingdom'''
# "Rage Hard" (The Young Person's Guide to the 12" mix{{citation needed|date=October 2021|reason=This subtitle does not appear on the label; see talk page}}) – 12:08
# "[The B-side]" + "SuffRAGEtte City" <small>(David Bowie)</small> – 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 track 1 is also known as "Young Person's Guide into the 12-inch".
*This 12-inch was also released with a 12"x24" poster (12 ZTAQ 22), limited to 20,000 copies.
*Also released on German CD (Island / 658 434).

'''12-inch: ZTT / 12 ZTAX 22 United Kingdom'''
# "Rage Hard" (broad mix) – 8:36
# "Roadhouse Blues" – 4:03
# "(Don't Lose What's Left) Of Your Little Mind" – 6:15
# "['always note the sequencer...']" – 0:22

*Sleeve featuring the yellow fist.
*This release also came in a limited edition cardboard box which was designed to contain the complete set of "Rage Hard" UK releases. The front of the box lists the relevant catalogue numbers of the intended contents, minus the "Stamped" mix 7-inch single which is not listed. The box, called "The Total" had a sticker which made it clear that only 12 ZTAX 22 was included. It is still not established whether any box sets with their intended contents were ever officially released or indeed sold by record stores, but it's highly likely that some stores sold a complete set on request, if not officially.
*The "Broad" mix is also known as "Rage Hard ⊕⊕".
*Track 2 is labelled as "Broadhouse Blues" on the sleeve.
*Track 3 is labelled as "(Don't '''Loose''' What's Left) Of Your Little Mind" on the front sleeve.

'''CD: ZTT / CD ZCID 22 United Kingdom'''
# "Rage Hard (⊕⊕⊕✪)" – 17:12
# "SuffRAGEtte City" – 3:31
# "["Don't lose what's left.."]" + "Roadhouse Blues" (compacted) – 3:54

*Sleeve featuring the purple fist.
*"⊕⊕⊕✪" is a combined edit of "Stamped", "The Young Person's Guide to the 12"" and "Broad".

Tracks 1 and 3.1 were re-released on the ''[[Sexmix]]'' compilation in 2012.

==1993 version==
A version of the song appeared as a B-side of "[[The Power of Love (Frankie Goes to Hollywood song)|The Power of Love]]" reissue (FGTH 3), entitled the "original DJ mix". This version is the original 7-inch mix from 1986, but with the first chorus removed. Instead, the first verse and second verse are jointed together. This release can also be found on a large centre hole 7-inch disc with the label details stamped into the naked vinyl, as opposed to a paper or printed label.

==Charts==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Chart (1986)
!Peak<br />position
|-
!scope="row"|Australia ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=118}}</ref>
|45
|-
{{single chart|Austria|12|artist=Frankie Goes to Hollywood|song=Rage Hard|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{single chart|Flanders|7|artist=Frankie Goes to Hollywood|song=Rage Hard|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|82|chartid=0731|rowheader=true}}
|-
!scope="row"|Finland ([[Suomen virallinen lista]])<ref>{{Cite web|last=Timo|date=13 August 2015|title=Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1960: Artistit FIS - FRA|url=http://suomenlistalevyt.blogspot.com/2015/08/fis-fra.html|access-date=21 July 2020|website=Sisältää hitin}}</ref>
|2
|-
!scope="row"|France ([[Institut français d'opinion publique|IFOP]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infodisc.fr/Tubes_Artistes_F.php |title=InfoDisc : Les Tubes de chaque artiste commençant par F|publisher=Infodisc.fr |access-date=17 July 2020}}</ref>
|21
|-
{{single chart|Ireland2|2|song=Rage Hard|rowheader=true}}
|-
!scope="row"|Italy (''[[Musica e dischi]]'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicaedischi.it/classifiche_archivio.php|title=Classifiche|work=[[Musica e dischi]]|language=it}} Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Frankie Goes To Hollywood".</ref>
|3
|-
{{single chart|Dutch40|7|artist=Frankie Goes to Hollywood|song=Rage Hard|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{single chart|Dutch100|6|artist=Frankie Goes to Hollywood|song=Rage Hard|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{single chart|New Zealand|12|artist=Frankie Goes to Hollywood|song=Rage Hard|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{single chart|Norway|8|artist=Frankie Goes to Hollywood|song=Rage Hard|rowheader=true}}
|-
!scope="row"|Spain ([[Productores de Música de España|AFYVE]])<ref>{{cite book|last=Salaverri|first=Fernando|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st|date=September 2005|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}</ref>
|23
|-
{{single chart|Sweden|19|artist=Frankie Goes to Hollywood|song=Rage Hard|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{single chart|Switzerland|5|artist=Frankie Goes to Hollywood|song=Rage Hard|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|4|artist=Frankie Goes to Hollywood|artistid=|rowheader=true|access-date=19 April 2025}}
|-
!scope="row"|US [[Dance Singles Sales|12-inch Singles Sales]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-dance-singles-sales/1986-10-18/|title=Dance Singles Sales|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=18 October 1986|url-access=subscription|access-date=17 July 2020}}</ref>
|42
|-
{{single chart|West Germany|1|artist=Frankie Goes to Hollywood|song=Rage Hard|songid=1496|rowheader=true}}
|}
{{col-2}}

===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Chart (1986)
!Position
|-
!scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1986|title=Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1986
|website=www.top40.nl|access-date=17 July 2020}}</ref>
|65
|-
!scope="row"|Netherlands (Single Top 100)<ref>{{cite web|url= https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1986&cat=s|title=Jaaroverzichten - Single 1986|website=www.dutchcharts.nl|access-date=17 July 2020}}</ref>
|29
|-
!scope="row"|Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)<ref>{{cite web|title=Swiss Year-End Charts 1986|website=www.swisscharts.com|url=http://swisscharts.com/charts/jahreshitparade/1986|access-date=17 July 2020}}</ref>
|23
|-
!scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC)<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Week-IDX/IDX/1987/Music-Week-1987-01-24-IDX-26.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111232336/https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Week-IDX/IDX/1987/Music-Week-1987-01-24-IDX-26.pdf |archive-date=11 November 2021 |url-status=live |title=Top 100 Singles (January to December 1986) |magazine=[[Music Week]] |date=24 January 1987 |page=24 |issn=0265-1548 |via=World Radio History}}</ref>
|77
|-
!scope="row"|West Germany (Media Control)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/single-jahr/for-date-1986|title=Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1986|language=de |publisher=[[GfK Entertainment]] |access-date=17 July 2020}}</ref>
|15
|}
{{col-end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Frankie Goes to Hollywood}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Frankie Goes to Hollywood songs]]
[[Category:1986 singles]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in Germany]]
[[Category:1986 songs]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Stephen Lipson]]