George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley met at Bushey Meads School in Watford, England. At first, they performed in a short-lived rock and roll band called The Executive. They then changed their name and signed with Innervision Records. Soon after a legal victory over Innervision, the duo was signed to CBS, Columbia Records in the United States and Canada and Epic Records for the rest of the world.
Further information: Artist development deal
Michael took on the majority of roles and responsibilities within the band— composer, singer, producer, and occasional instrumentalist— but the contribution of Ridgeley as the group's image specialist and spokesman was crucial to the band's initial success. Ridgeley convinced a reluctant George that Wham! needed to change their image and sound frequently, from the leather-clad moody singers of "Bad Boys" and "Young Guns (Go For It!)" to the more fashionable pop superstars of "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go."
Still teenagers, they promoted themselves as hedonistic youngsters, proud to live a carefree life without work or commitment. This was reflected in their earliest singles. Such works as "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?)" have been seen as sarcasm advocating the other point of view.
The first record to be released by the band was "Wham Rap!". It was a double-A side with a Social Mix and Anti-social Mix. The record was banned for general release in the UK due to the profanity in the Anti-social Mix. In October 1982, their song "Young Guns (Go For It!)" was issued. The song was an appeal from one youthful lad to his friend to not throw his life away so early on marriage. It stalled outside the UK Top 40 but then Wham! got lucky when Top Of The Pops scheduled them. An important weekly BBC chart show on television, it had to look outside the Top 40 to fill a gap created by an act which had pulled out of recording. Nearest to the 40 mark and still climbing, Wham! was summoned, and a phenomenon immediately began.
The impact of Wham! on the public, especially teenage girls, was felt from the moment they finished their debut performance of "Young Guns (Go For It!)" on Top Of The Pops. Michael's appearance may have helped. He wore espadrilles, a suede jacket slit open, and rolled-up denim jeans. Ridgeley stood behind him, flanked by backing dancers D.C. Lee and Shirlie Holliman.
The performance was as much one of acting as it was of singing, with Michael playing the part of the pleading goodtime lad, and Ridgeley the guy who had been drawn into commitment. Afterwards, the song shot into the Top 40 at #24 and peaked at #3 in December. The following year (1983), D.C. Lee began her work with Paul Weller of The Style Council, and was replaced by Pepsi DeMacque. Holliman and DeMacque would later record music as Pepsi and Shirlie.
Wham! followed up "Young Guns (Go For It!)" with the reissue "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)", a song about the joys of a leisurely life (the full version of which clocked in at almost seven minutes long); "Bad Boys", about a strained relationship between a rebellious teenage lad and his worried parents; and "Club Tropicana", a satire of the Club 18-30 scene. Each song came with a memorable music video.
By the end of 1983, Wham! was rivaling Duran Duran and Culture Club as Britain's biggest pop act. Notoriety and column inches were duly achieved with their antics of placing a shuttlecock down their shorts, and their first album Fantastic reached #1.
Around this time, Ridgeley become conscious of legal problems with their initial contract at Innervision. He mounted a legal challenge against the record company and its founder Mark Dean, who had initially signed them to the label, and George publicly stated they were financially mistreated [citation needed]. While the legal battle raged (perhaps to raise much-needed funds for the fight), Innervision released a medley of non-single album tracks from Fantastic, entitled Club Fantastic Megamix. Wham! publicly denounced the move, and urged fans not to buy it. After all the legal wrangling, Innervision admitted there were royalty discrepancies with Wham!'s contract, leading to the bankruptcy and dissolution of Innervision.
Driven by Ridgeley, the duo changed their image, and Wham! returned in May 1984 with an updated, cutting-edge pop image quickly copied by other pop bands. Andrew changed the band's look from "moody in leather jackets" to smiles and fashionable clothing, with an aim to promote themselves more as sex symbols rather than spokespeople for a disaffected generation.
Fittingly enough, these changes propelled the next single (a pop standard) to the top of the charts around the world. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, a song Michael wrote from a note left to him in his hotel room one night by Ridgeley. The note was mistakenly written by Ridgeley as "don't forget to wake me up up before you go go, George". Since he accidentally wrote the word "up" twice, Ridgeley decided to compound the error and write "go" twice. It became their first UK #1 and rose to the top in the USA), capped by a memorable video of the duo, plus the ubiquitous Pepsi and Shirlie, wearing Katharine Hamnett T-shirts with the slogans CHOOSE LIFE and GO GO.
These t-shirts became essential fashion items as Hamnett wrote herself into the pop culture lexicon, having simultaneously designed the FRANKIE SAY t-shirts for Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
Although some critics felt that Wham! represented bubblegum pop[citation needed], many were starting to appreciate Michael's proven ability as a songwriter and capable vocalist. (The following year, he would win the Ivor Novello Award for songwriting.) However, at the same time they bemoaned the status of Ridgeley, who had started to "play" a guitar during live shows (never on any recordings) but whose overall contribution was deemed to be lightweight[citation needed].
With some bizarre contradiction, the next single "Careless Whisper" was issued as a George Michael solo piece, yet unlike any Wham! single since "Wham Rap!," it was co-written by Ridgeley. The song quickly reached #1. In the autumn of 1984, Wham! came back as a duo with "Freedom", another chart-topper. In November, they released their second album, Make It Big, which coasted to #1 on the album charts. The band set off on another arena tour at the end of '84, and George told Smash Hits magazine at the time that he had written a song called "Stephen." The song had been composed for a friend who was struggling to cope with bereavment. While this song is still unreleased, those that were at the recording sessions decsribe it as a heartfelt story of the loss of a loved one[citation needed].
George contributed to the Band Aid project, with Michael providing vocals as the song usurped their own Christmas release, "Last Christmas"/"Everything She Wants", the former of which featured a video set in a ski resort.
The single became the highest-selling single ever to peak at #2 in the UK charts. As such, Wham! donated all their royalties to the Ethiopian famine appeal to coincide with the fundraising intentions of Band Aid, the song which beat them to the top spot. Band Aid's success meant that Michael had been at #1 within three different entities in 1984—as a solo artist, half of a duo, and part of a charity ensemble.
Michael desired to create music targeted to a more sophisticated audience than the duo's primarily teenage fanbase. Therefore, Michael and Ridgeley announced the breakup of Wham! in the spring of 1986, destined to take place after a farewell single and album, along with a historic grand finale concert at Wembley Stadium on June 28, 1986, called The Final. British pop group Five Star declined George's invitation to be the supporting act, saying they needed to concentrate on their own career at the time.
Bad Boy
Wham! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dear mummy, dear daddy,
You had plans for me, I was your only son.
And long before this baby boy could count to three,
You knew just what he would become.
Run along to school,
Run along to school.
When you tried to tell me what to do,
I just shut my mouth and smiled at you,
One thing that I know for sure
Bad boys
Stick together, never sad boys
Good guys
They made rules for fools, so get wise
Dear Mummy, Dear Daddy,
Now I'm nineteen as you see,
I'm handsome, tall, and strong.
So what the hell gives you the right to look at me,
As if to say "Hell, what went wrong?"
Where were you last night?
You look as if you had a fight.
Where were you last night?
Well I think that you may just be right,
But don't try to keep me in tonight,
Because I'm big enough to break down the door.
Bad boys
Stick together, never Sad Boys
Good guys
They made rules for fools, so get wise
Boys like you, are bad through and through.
Still,
Girls like me, always seem to be with you
We can't help but worry,
You're in such a hurry,
Mixing with the wrong boys,
Playing with the wrong toys.
Easy girls,
And late nights,
Cigarettes, and love bites
Why do you have to be so cruel?
You're such a fool
[Chorus: x2]
The song "Bad Boys" by Wham! portrays a rebellious teenager who resents the parental authority and refuses to conform to societal conventions. The singer of the song speaks directly to his parents, who had high expectations set for him as their only son. However, from a young age, the singer knew that he was not interested in following their plans, and chose to ignore their attempts to guide him. The song highlights the generational clash between the parents, who represent the conservative norms, and the son, who rebels against their expectations.
The first verse of the song is a reflection of the son's adolescent years. The parents admonish him to go to school and not become a fool, but the son does not heed their words. He smiles and remains quiet while continuing to walk his own path. The chorus contrasts and emphasizes the divide between the 'bad boys' and 'good guys.' The bad boys, of course, stick together, while the good guys make rules that ultimately benefit only themselves.
In the second verse, the son is already nineteen and considers himself handsome, tall, and strong. He questions why his parents look at him as if something is wrong when he is all that they wanted him to be. The parents inquire about where he was the previous night, and in turn, he tells them that he is growing up, and they can't keep him in anymore. The son believes that he is mature enough to make his decisions and does not want to be confined anymore. The song concludes with a bridge that epitomizes the parents' sentiments towards their son and highlights their concerns about his life choices.
Line by Line Meaning
Woo-woo
Instrumental intro
Dear mummy, dear daddy,
You had plans for me, I was your only son.
Addressing the parents and acknowledging they had high hopes for the singer's future, being their only son.
And long before this baby boy could count to three,
You knew just what he would become.
Parents had expectations from a very early age.
Run along to school,
No child of mine grows up a fool,
Run along to school.
Encouragement for education and achievement.
When you tried to tell me what to do,
I just shut my mouth and smiled at you,
One thing that I know for sure
Unwillingness to listen to parental advice, but acknowledging that the artist has self-knowledge.
Bad boys
Stick together, never sad boys
Good guys
They made rules for fools, so get wise
Anthem for rebellion and defiance against societal norms.
Dear Mummy, Dear Daddy,
Now I'm nineteen as you see,
I'm handsome, tall, and strong.
So what the hell gives you the right to look at me,
As if to say "Hell, what went wrong?"
Presenting the singer as a grown man, questioning the parents' right to judge his current lifestyle and appearance.
Where were you last night?
You look as if you had a fight.
Where were you last night?
Parents questioning the artist's activities and physical appearance.
Well I think that you may just be right,
But don't try to keep me in tonight,
Because I'm big enough to break down the door.
Acknowledging the parents' concerns, but rejecting any form of control or restraint.
Bad boys
Stick together, never Sad Boys
Good guys
They made rules for fools, so get wise
Reiterating the theme of rebellion and non-conformity.
Boys like you, are bad through and through.
Still,
Girls like me, always seem to be with you
Acknowledging the attraction towards bad boys despite potential consequences.
We can't help but worry,
You're in such a hurry,
Mixing with the wrong boys,
Playing with the wrong toys.
Parents expressing concern over the artist's social circle and activities.
Easy girls,
And late nights,
Cigarettes, and love bites
Why do you have to be so cruel?
You're such a fool
Highlighting the potential negative influences associated with 'bad boy' behavior, and questioning the singer's choices.
Bad boys
Stick together, never Sad Boys
Good guys
They made rules for fools, so get wise
Final repetition of the chorus, cementing the theme of defiance and non-conformity.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE MICHAEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@andymann1667
So wonderful to see younger people appreciate older pop stars in the comments. George had a great impact on pop music that will continue on for generations to come.
@stars_aligning
Andy Mann I'm 15, Ive grown up with his music. Gone too soon, I'd much rather this music than some of what we have today
@corinnenoah5383
I play his cd's all the time.. pretty much all I listen to and 3 out of my 5 grandchildren love his music especially the up beat stuff and if I want to get them to nap all I have to do is play older... they go right to sleep.. the 4 and 5 year olds ask to listen I am ecstatic about that.. I have cd's put away for them when they get old enough to appreciate and take care of them
@thomascooper2613
liv ikr
@Sanjay-ub7eq
@@stars_aligning these songs are way too god than today's song
@freshavacado1299
I'm 12 and obsessed with george omg he is such a legend he's just an absolute angel💓
@Aramanth
"I'm handsome, tall and strong." And modest LOL!
George can really write a story into a song...
Love the actors playing the parents! Miss you George! 💙
@naveenchandrapathak9274
That's it. I was looking for someone who too has this opinion. 🙏
@damian-795
Just looked it up , He was 6 foot tall which is tall , I am 6"2 😁😁
@cisio64123
It comes from the fact that George was notoriously the case of the ugly duckling who turned into a swan. He was a chubby not so good looking kid but by 16 he had grown into a popular hunky budding musician ...and with it put in his face by the obvious female attention it sparked he couldn't help but know it. Wham's hit Careless Whisper had actually begun being written by a then 17 year old George ( who hadn't realized his true sexuality yet ) over his guilt that his total transformation had finally garnered his long time crushes attention and he couldn't help but go for it despite having a steady GF. Despite his guilt he couldn't help but revel in the ego boosting fact that the loser who hadn't been been given the time of day by girls had suddenly become the cool hunky musician two timer. So yeah by this time George knew full well he was a hottie and after spending his childhood as the dumpy kid there wasn't going to be any humility about it whatsoever...he was full on embracing it.