Wham!

Wham! was a British popduo founded in 1981 by the friends George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley.



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[hide] *Origin 1  ==Origin[ Edit] == Michael and Ridgeley met at Bushey MEADS school (Bushey Meads School) in Watford, England. At first they performed in a ska band named "The Executive". When the two formed this group ceased to exist the duo Wham! after which they signed to Innervision Records a record deal. Soon after, they signed with Columbia (US) and Epic (the rest of the world).
 * 1.1 More success
 * 1.2 China and Live Aid
 * 1.3 Removal
 * 2 After Wham!
 * 3 discography
 * 3.1 Albums
 * 3.2 Singles
 * 3.3 Radio 2 Top 2000

George Michael had the largest role and responsibility in terms of composing, singing, producing and take care of instrumentation. Ridgeley was the spokesman for the band, a role that was crucial for their first success. Ridgeley convinced Michael that Wham! had to change his image. Of the gloomy guys with profound lyrics to the more poppy pop stars with songs like Wake Me Up Before You Go Go.

Their debut single was the Wham Rap!, in June 1982. It was one of the first singles ever to hear a band in the United Kingdom which was rappend. The song was initially unsuccessful. In October, their next single,Young Guns released a call from a boy to his friend to his life not as fast to throw away by marrying. Also this song came the British hit parade not within, but Wham! It was noted by the tv program Top of the Pops.The two were allowed to occur there. This concert was an important moment in the career of Wham!, since this was the moment in which they really were discovered by the general public. ===More success[ Edit] === The effect of Wham! on the public, especially teenage girls, was felt from the moment they appeared in Top of the Pops with Young Guns. After the show came the number the British hit parade within, in which it earned a third place in december.

After Young Guns was re-released the Wham Rap!, now with more success. Bad Boys Club Tropicana and followed as singles. With every single the duo made a remarkable video clip.

At the end of 1983 was Wham! become a competitor of Duran Duran and Culture Club with regard to the most successful British band. Their debut album Fantastic won first place in England and the top 10 in several countries including the Netherlands.

However, their old label Innervision non-money and made problems over their original contract with the record company. While a lawsuit brought Innervision ran a medley of songs from that Wham! had previously recorded but not on their album appeared: the Fantastic Megamix. Wham! called the public not to buy on this single. The lawsuit eventually led to a bankruptcy Declaration by Innervision.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:inherit;">The new single by Wham! was released, with which also the image of the Group was changed. Something had already started with Club Tropicana continued: from bleak duo tried Ridgeley Wham! to change into a pop group that the idol would be for teenagers. The song Wake Me Up Before You Go Go became their first number one hit around the world. The t-shirts that the band members wore in the video clip were popular garments.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:inherit;">After this global hit was, with great contrast, Careless Whisper the ballad released, under the name of George Michael as a solo singer. Yet it was the song co-written by Ridgeley. Also this song came on right to number one. Michael tried to distance himself from the playboy image of Wham!. It was only in the autumn of 1984, the next issue of Wham! released: Freedom, followed by their second album Make It Big .

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:inherit;">George Michael took part in the Band Aid project and in addition also brought Wham! a Christmas song: Last Christmas. All proceeds from the single went, just like the proceeds from Band Aid, to Ethiopia, to fight the famine. ===China and Live Aid<span class="mw-editsection" len="338" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:inherit;">In april 1985, Wham! took a break from recording to a world tour, including a 10-day visit to China. They were the first Western pop group who did this.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:inherit;">Also joined Michael and Ridgeley (however not as Wham!) on during Live Aid. Michael sang Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me " with Elton John, Ridgeley stood with Kiki Dee in the row as backing vocals. In november of 1985, Wham! a new number from: I'm Your Man, again a world-wide hit. ===Lifting<span class="mw-editsection" len="330" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:inherit;">George Michael wanted to make more mature music than some more suited to the mostly teenage girls existing fanbase of Wham!. For that reason, in the spring of 1986 the split up of the Group announced. On 28 June 1986 the Group gave a grand farewell concert at the Wembley Stadium. As a farewell single The Edge of Heaven was released, again a number one hit in many countries. ==After Wham!<span class="mw-editsection" len="329" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:inherit;">George Michael knew after Wham! a very successful solo career. Several years after its beginning as a solo artist Michael spoke itself negatively out in the press about his Wham! time. He complained about the constant pressure he felt snubbed and claimed that the duo would be financial. Also he spoke negatively about the repertoire of Wham!.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:inherit;">Andrew Ridgeley tried in vain to be professional driver. Also he does not pursue a solo career. The backing singers Pepsi & Shirlie scored after the break-up of Wham! some hits. ==Discography<span class="mw-editsection" len="332" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ===Albums<span class="mw-editsection" len="327" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ===Singles<span class="mw-editsection" len="328" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ===Radio 2 Top 2000<span class="mw-editsection" len="337" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] ===