George Michael remembered

It’s fair to say that 2016 was a year many people would rather forget. So a very happy new year from 17 Seconds and hope that this year is good to you. One of my resolutions is to blog more often – health issues left me exhausted for much of the time.

My tribute to George Michael can be read over on God Is In The TV. Certainly much of the music he made provided an important part of my growing up.

Since he died on Christmas Day, ‘Careless Whisper’ and ‘Last Christmas’ are the songs that have benefited most in terms of sales boosts, but to me, this Wham! single from 1984 is the best thing he wrote and performed.

Of all the solo songs, I think this tops them all.

 

 

17 Seconds Christmas Posts 2015: part 7

Wham

Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’ remains the biggest-selling record ever in the UK not to go to no.1, kept off by Band Aid’s original ‘Do they Know It’s Christmas?’ in 1984.

It has been covered a few times, including by Jimmy Eat World…(available on iTunes)

The Manic Street Preachers…(available on iTunes)

…and All About Eve, on their Iceland album, and Kim Wilde on her Wilde Winter Songbook album.

Christmas posts 2013 part 1

Last Christmas

Yup, it’s four weeks until Christmas Day, so I am starting my annual Christmas posts now.

First up, ‘Last Christmas.’

‘Last Christmas’ was first a hit for Wham! in 1984, and nearly thirty years since it original release, it still holds the record for being the best-selling single not to go to No.1 in the UK. This was due to Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ which was the best-selling single in the UK from 1984 until 1997 when it became Elton John’s ‘Candle In The Wind 1997.’ Though the indie kids may have been clasping The Smiths to their collective bosom, in the pop charts 1984 was the year of Wham! and Frankie Goes To Hollywood (who’d been championed by John Peel anyway).

Whatever mistakes George Michael may have made over the last ten years, I was eight when this record came out, and Wham! and his solo career were definitely part of the soundtrack to my pre-teen years. So, no, I make absolutely no apologies for featuring this.

There have been numerous cover versions over the year, this rather lovely one is by ILikeTrains, which as far as I can tell never received a commercial release.

ILikeTrains-‘Last Christmas.’ mp3

Amongst the many cover versions available, the song has been covered by the Manic Street Preachers, All About Eve, and Jimmy Eat World amongst many others. These versions are available commercially, so if you like them, go and buy them.