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 bandโ composer, singer, producer, and occasional instrumentalistโ 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 1984โas 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.
Nothing Looks the Same In the Light
Wham! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I cannot sleep,
I touch your hair,
I kiss your skin,
And hope the morning sun won't wake you too soon.
For when you wake,
And look at me,
You never know,
Another boy who crept in your room
Take your time
(that's what you told me)
Take your time
But I fell head first, and I just don't know what to do.
[Chorus]
Nothing looks the same in the light,
Only a fool like me would take to heart,
The things you said you meant last night.
Nothing looks the same in the light,
I'll keep my feet firm on the ground.
Nothing looks the same in the light,
There's danger in a stranger,
With a warm hand and a kiss so right.
Nothing looks the same in the light,
It's been a pleasure, see you around
I watch the sun,
Upon the sheets.
I hear a car,
Out on the street,
And gently pull you close, it's over too soon.
What can I do,
But wait and see,
Hold on to you,
Please stay with me,
Because you're the first, and I want to stay here with you.
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Wham!'s song "Nothing Looks the Same in the Light" depict a scene of intimacy and intense emotions between two people, as the artist watches their partner sleep, admiring their features and hoping that the morning won't come too soon. The ambiguous nature of their relationship is highlighted by the mention of "another boy who crept in your room," suggesting that there may be competition for their partner's affection.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea that nothing looks the same in the light, and that the previous night's words and actions may not hold the same weight in the harsh light of day. The artist acknowledges that they may have been foolish to take to heart the things their partner said the night before, highlighting the dangers of getting too attached or trusting in someone too quickly.
Line by Line Meaning
I watch you breathe,
I'm lying next to you, watching you breathe as I cannot sleep.
I cannot sleep,
I am too preoccupied with watching you and being near you to fall asleep.
I touch your hair,
I caress your hair with my fingers, feeling its softness.
I kiss your skin,
I lightly brush my lips on your skin, feeling a sense of longing and desire.
And hope the morning sun won't wake you too soon.
I do not want the morning to come and for you to leave, so I hope that time slows down and we can stay together longer.
For when you wake,
When you wake up from your sleep.
And look at me,
When you turn to face me and see me laying next to you.
You never know,
You might not realize.
You just might see,
You could possibly discover.
Another boy who crept in your room
That I am just another boy that you let into your room, and that our relationship is not serious or meaningful to you.
Take your time
You advised me to be patient and not rush into anything.
(that's what you told me)
This is the advice you gave me, to not rush anything between us.
But I fell head first, and I just don't know what to do.
Despite your advice, I fell for you completely and now do not know what to do next.
Nothing looks the same in the light,
Things appear differently in the daylight, and my perception of our relationship may change when the sun comes up.
Only a fool like me would take to heart,
I may be foolish to believe the things you said to me last night and take them to heart.
The things you said you meant last night.
The things you said to me while we were together may not mean the same thing in the daylight.
I'll keep my feet firm on the ground.
I will try to stay level-headed and maintain a realistic outlook on our relationship.
There's danger in a stranger,
I acknowledge that there is a risk in pursuing a relationship with someone new and unfamiliar.
With a warm hand and a kiss so right.
However, I cannot resist the temptation of your warmth and passion towards me.
It's been a pleasure, see you around
It has been enjoyable spending time with you, but I realize that this may only be a casual encounter and our time together may not continue.
I watch the sun,
As I lay next to you in the early morning.
Upon the sheets.
I notice how the sunlight falls on the sheets around us.
I hear a car,
I notice the sound of a car in the distance, which may signal the beginning of a new day and the end of our time together.
Out on the street,
The car is on the street outside your window.
And gently pull you close, it's over too soon.
I pull you towards me and hold onto you, knowing that our time together may soon come to an end.
What can I do,
I am unsure of what my next move should be.
But wait and see,
For now, I will wait and see what the future holds for us.
Hold on to you,
I want to keep holding onto you and the feelings we share.
Please stay with me,
I do not want you to leave, and I hope you will stay with me a little longer.
Because you're the first, and I want to stay here with you.
I have never felt this way about anyone before, and I want to spend as much time as possible with you in this moment.
Lyrics ยฉ Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE MICHAEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@GYMCENTRAL1
I watch you breathe,
I cannot sleep,
I touch your hair,
I kiss your skin,
And hope the morning sun won't wake you too soon.
For when you wake,
And look at me,
You never know,
You just might see,
Another boy who crept in your room
Take your time
(that's what you told me)
Take your time
But I fell head first, and I just don't know what to do.
Nothing looks the same in the light,
Only a fool like me would take to heart,
The things you said you meant last night.
Nothing looks the same in the light,
I'll keep my feet firm on the ground.
Nothing looks the same in the light,
There's danger in a stranger,
With a warm hand and a kiss so right.
Nothing looks the same in the light,
It's been a pleasure, see you around
I watch the sun,
Upon the sheets.
I hear a car,
Out on the street,
And gently pull you close, it's over too soon.
What can I do,
But wait and see,
Hold on to you,
Please stay with me,
Because you're the first, and I want to stay here with you.
Nothing looks the same in the light,
Only a fool like me would take to heart,
The things you said you meant last night.
Nothing looks the same in the light,
I'll keep my feet firm on the ground.
Nothing looks the same in the light,
There's danger in a stranger,
With a warm hand and a kiss so right.
Nothing looks the same in the light,
It's been a pleasure, see you around
@byronbenguche
The fact that George Michael was only 19 when he wrote and produced this is mind blowing this dude was major talented ๐๐๐๐
@ElvarMasson
This song was - along with four other songs on this album - co-produced by the very experienced Steve Brown. May he rest in peace
@warrenfuchs2304
Genius To Craft all the music produce and mix everything and of Course vocals
@warrenfuchs2304
Pure Talent
@warrenfuchs2304
I love the Sampling at 1:50 so groovy
@warrenfuchs2304
George was Born a Genius Jewish mother gave him inspiration
@rebeccasanchez7067
Every song is a page in his journal. So full of heartache.
@jennifersaunders3745
I can see why he got the best songwriter award. He was a phenomenal songwriter, producer, and singer. I really miss George. I just watched the Wham documentary and I was impressed with it.
@Faisal0729
very nostalgic. I grew up with Wham
@warrenfuchs2304
Indeed he was the full package songwriter produced all the music he sang to and Vocals