"Watching the Wildlife"
Single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
from the album Liverpool
B-side	"The Waves"
Released	23 February 1987 (1987-02-23)
Recorded	1986
Genre	Psychedelic pop Neo-psychedelica
Length	3:50
Label	ZTT – ZTAS 26
Songwriter(s)	Peter Gill Holly Johnson Brian Nash Mark O'Toole
Producer(s)	Stephen Lipson
Frankie Goes to Hollywood singles chronology
"Warriors of the Wasteland" (1986) "Watching the Wildlife" (1987)

"Watching the Wildlife" is the seventh and last single by English pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Released on 23 February 1987, it is taken from the album Liverpool. Of the three singles from Liverpool, "Watching the Wildlife" is a radical departure of the hard rock sound seen on "Rage Hard" and "Warriors of the Wasteland" going for a more psychedelic feel with a doo woop inspired chorus, lush string arrangements and Lennonesque guitars.

“Watching the Wildlife” was a commercial failure, the single only reached number 28 on the UK Singles Chart and #23 in Germany and would prove to be the last single released by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. The band would split up shortly after the release of the single, initiating a string of lawsuits by the record label ZTT. It is also the only one of the three Liverpool singles not to have a CD single release at that time and the mix used on the 7" vinyl single has never appeared on a UK issued compact disc.

Track listing

All discographical information pertains to UK releases only.

7"

ZTT / ZTAS 26

"animal fur/animal smell"

1. "Watching the Wildlife" – 3:50
2. "The Waves" – 3:02

12"

ZTT / 12 ZTAS 26

1. "Watching the Wildlife" (hotter) [labelled as "animal fur"] – 9:02
2. "Wildlife Bit 1" [unlisted] – 0:38
3. "Wildlife Bit 2" [unlisted] – 0:37
4. "Watching the Wildlife" (voiceless) – 3:49
5. "The Waves" – 3:02

• "Watching the Wildlife" (voiceless) was re-released on the Sexmix compilation in 2012.

12"

ZTT / 12 ZTAX 26

1. "Watching the Wildlife" (movement 2) – 7:12
2. "Wildlife Bit 3" – 6:24
3. "Wildlife Bit 4" – 4:20
4. "The Waves" – 3:02

• "Movement 2" is a mainly instrumental mix, featuring a unique orchestration of the song by arranger David Bedford, and until recently was one of the rarest tracks by Frankie, being only available on this 12" record which itself was a low selling item. The "Movement 2" mix finally made it onto compact disc as part of ZTTs Element series reissues.
• "Wildlife Bit 3" is an extended mix by engineer Robert Kraushaar.^[1]
• "Wildlife Bit 4" is an instrumental mix without drums, guitar or bass, showcasing the orchestral arrangement.

12"

ZTT / 12 ZTE 26

"Beobachtungen im Wilden Leben" (Die Letzten Tage der Menschheit mix)

"Beobachtungen im Wilden Leben" (roughly translated as "Observations in the wild life")

1. "Beobachtungen im Wilden Leben" (Die Letzten Tage der Menschheit mix) (use a condom) – 10:16
2. "Wildlife Bit 1" [unlisted] – 0:38
3. "Wildlife Bit 2" [unlisted] – 0:37
4. "Watching the Wildlife" (voiceless) – 3:49
5. "The Waves" – 3:02

• The "Die Letzten Tage der Menschheit" mix ('The last days of mankind' mix) was deceptively listed as mixed by Klaus Schulze, which got ZTT into trouble with Schulze. It was actually mixed by Paul Morley,^[1] and features samples from an AIDS phoneline. This release was deliberately packaged to look like a German import, complete with German titles, an Island Records catalogue number (in addition to its correct UK ZTT one) and even an Island Records label design. It is the only UK issue not to have a normal ZTT label.

MC

ZTT / CTIS 26

1. "Watching the Wildlife" (bit 4) [a.k.a. "Orchestral Wildlife"] – 4:26
2. "Watching the Wildlife" (hotter) ["Hotter Wildlife"] – 9:09
3. "The Waves" – 3:02
4. "Wildlife Bit 1" ["One Bit"] – 0:38
5. "Wildlife Bit 2" ["Two Bit"] – 0:37
6. "Watching the Wildlife" (bit 3) [a.k.a. "The Condom Mix"] – 6:26

• Although the tracks were listed on the sleeve with unique titles ("Orchestral Wildlife", "The Condom Mix" etc.), they are in fact the same tracks that appeared on the first two 12" singles.
• This cassette single was included on the 2011 deluxe reissue of Liverpool, with a reordered track listing (being "Bit 3", "Bit 4", "The Waves", "Hotter", "Bit 1" and "Bit 2").

Digital download

ZTT

1. "Watching the Wildlife" (7" mix) – 3:52
2. "Watching the Wildlife" (hotter) – 9:08
3. "Watching the Wildlife" (movement 2) – 7:13
4. "Watching the Wildlife" (Die Letzten Tage der Menschheit) – 10:14
5. "Watching the Wildlife" (bit 1) – 0:38
6. "Watching the Wildlife" (bit 2) – 0:37
7. "Watching the Wildlife" (bit 3) – 6:25
8. "Watching the Wildlife" (bit 4) – 4:24
9. "Watching the Wildlife" (voiceless) – 3:50
10. "The Waves" – 3:02

• The version of the 7" mix included here is the version from Frankie Said, which is not the exact same mix.

Charts

References