Released in 1983, Relax didn’t fare particularly well in the music charts until the band appeared on UK TV show Top of the Pops on 5th January 1984. This prompted a rapid rise up the charts to the Number 6 position.

But what really pushed it to the Number One spot was the BBC’s decision to ban the record a week later on the grounds of its ‘sexual content’ (“Relax…when you want to come”).

The record immediately rose to Number Two then hit the Number One spot a week later, where it remained for a further five weeks.

Presumably the BBC thought they were protecting the public from those smutty lyrics and even smuttier promotional video. As usual, it had the reverse effect and the band’s profile rocketed. And, just to add to the fun, they upped the ante with even more sexual innuendo and hardcore S&M images in their adverts. The fact that both Holly Johnson and Paul Rutherford were upfront about being gay seemed almost insignificant by comparison.

As the record ban become ever more embarrassing for the BBC, they lifted it later in the year. The promotional video was less fortunate. With it’s upfront portrayal of leather queens, S&M, simulated sex, full-frontal male nudity and various other types of decadence, the BBC would have none of it. Nor, indeed, would MTV, so the band was forced to shoot another, more restrained video.

But, in the interests of freedom of speech and general bad taste, here’s the original!