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Frankie goes to no. 1!

TOMORROW: Exclusive interview with Frankie

TOP of the Pops — thats Liverpools sensational pop group Frankie Goes To Hollywood.

Their new single Two Tribes went straight into the pop charts at Number One today after selling 500,000 copies in eight days.

The group, who blasted pop idols Wham off the top spot, are also at Number One in the 12-inch singles charts and their debut single Relax has jumped back up the charts to Number 11.

Singer Paul Rutherford said today: “Its incredible, just amazing. I cant believe it, honestly we just never expected to go straight in at Number One — thats amazing.”

“Frankiemania” is how the groups jubilant record company described the news.

A spokesman said: “Its incredible, they are smashing all kinds of pop records along the way. There hasnt been a group doing this since The Beatles.

“Its fantastic news for the record business and its great for Liverpool, of course.”

Relax has now sold more than 1,500,000 copies, is in the Top 15 best selling singles of all time list and has been in the charts for 30 weeks.

Sell-out

The record company spokesman said: “Theyve got a silver, gold and platinum disc for sales of Relax and already they have got a silver and a gold for Two Tribes which really is almost unheard of.”

Two Tribes — which sold out in three hours on the day of its release in Liverpool — is now the fastest selling British single of the 1980s and the first to go in at Number One since Duran Duran in March, 1983.

Record shops in Liverpool are selling out of copies of the single.

Paul Johnson, manager of H.M.V. Records in Church Street, said: “We just cant keep up with the demand

The only sour note on the day of the groups celebrations was news that the B.B.C. is considering banning the video for Two Tribes which has a strong anti-war message.

The B.B.C. claim the video is too violent