I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) by Aretha Franklin and George Michael was released on January 19, 1987, with an instrumental version of the song as the B side. The single appeared on Franklin’s thirty-fourth studio album Aretha. Continue reading
George Michael
80s Song of the Day: Father Figure by George Michael
Father Figure by George Michael was released January 2, 1988. The 7″ release in the United States featured an instrumental version of the song as the B side. The song was the fourth single from Michael’s debut studio album, Faith, following the breakup of Wham! in 1986. Continue reading
80s Song of the Day: Last Christmas by Wham!
Last Christmas by Wham! was released on December 10, 1984, on a double-A side with the single Everything She Wants, from the Make It Big album. Two years after its release as a single, Last Christmas appeared on two Wham! album releases – The Final, a compilation album released in the United Kingdom; and Music from the Edge of Heaven, considered the duo’s third studio album, released in North America and Japan.
In the United Kingdom, Last Christmas reached No. 2 on the UK Singles chart, behind Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? to which George Michael contributed vocals. Wham! donated all of their Last Christmas/Everything She Wants royalties to famine in Ethiopia, which sales of Do They Know It’s Christmas? benefited as well.
Last Christmas is the biggest selling single in UK chart history not to reach No. 1.
80s Song of the Day: Careless Whisper by Wham! featuring George Michael
We could have been so good together
We could have lived this dance forever
Now who’s going to dance with me
Careless Whisper by Wham! featuring George Michael was released on July 24, 1984, with an instrumental version of the song as the B side. Other than in the United States, Canada, and Japan, the song was credited solely to George Michael. It was included on Wham!’s album Make It Big. Continue reading
80s Song of the Day: I Want Your Sex by George Michael
There’s things that you guess
And things that you know
There’s boys that you can trust
And girls that you don’t
I Want Your Sex by George Michael was released on June 1, 1987. The song consisted of three separate parts called Rhythms. The first, titled Rhythm One: Lust, was the version released as a single from the Beverly Hills Cop II soundtrack.
The first version mixed with the second version, Rhythm Two: Brass in Love, appeared on George Michael’s debut solo album Faith. The second version also appeared by itself as the B side of the single.
A third part, Rhythm Three: A Last Request, appeared as a B side to the Hard Day 7″ and Kissing a Fool 12″ singles, and as a bonus track on the CD version of Faith. All three versions were mixed continuously as one 13-minute song for the 12″ single release.
The controversial song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart.
Watch the music video for the song.
45 RPMs: George Michael Careless Whisper
I’m never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
It’s impossible to have a conversation about 80s pop music without including George Michael. Between his time with Wham! and his solo career, the man absolutely owned the decade and is one of the most successful recording artists of all time because of it.
Careless Whisper was the second single from Wham!’s second album, Make It Big, released in 1984. The song was a follow-up to Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, the duo’s first No. 1 hit in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
Even though it appeared on Make It Big and was credited to “Wham! featuring George Michael” in a handful of countries, including the U.S., Careless Whisper was George’s first solo effort. Unlike most Wham! singles, the song was co-written with the other half of Wham!, Andrew Ridgeley. Continue reading
Eighties Grooves 