Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by Wham! | ||
| from the album Make It Big | ||
| Released | May 1984 | |
| Format | 12", 7" | |
| Recorded | 1983 | |
| Genre | Pop | |
| Length | 3:50 | |
| Label | Columbia Records | |
| Producer(s) | George Michael | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| Wham! singles chronology | ||
| "Club Fantastic Megamix" (1983) |
"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (1984) |
"Careless Whisper" (1984) |
"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" is a song by English pop duo Wham! which was released in 1984 and became their first UK number one hit. It was written and produced by George Michael, one half of the duo.
Contents |
[edit] History
Michael's inspiration for the song was a scribbled note left for him by his Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley at a hotel. Released in May 1984, it heralded the beginning of a softer, sunnier image for Wham!, who had spent the previous year as a moodier, more politically-themed duo, with songs about unemployment, young marriage and battles of will between parents and their children. With the release of "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", they re-emerged with wider smiles, more colourful clothing and a more positive disposition in interviews.
The song entered the UK singles chart at number four - after much hype from the duo claiming they would go straight in at number one, which was a rare occurrence then - and climbed to the top seven days later, staying there for three weeks. The music video, essentially the duo performing (it also introduced Ridgeley as a guitar player for the band) to a teenage audience, was memorable for the clothes, which became a lasting sartorial image for the decade. Michael and Ridgeley, plus backing singers Pepsi and Shirlie, were wearing Katharine Hamnett T-shirt designs which said "CHOOSE LIFE" (originally a slogan targeted at drug abuse and suicide) and "GO GO", which became much sought-after fashion items of the year, along with her similarly stark garments as part of the Frankie Goes to Hollywood phenomenon which said "RELAX" and "FRANKIE SAY...", among others. Michael was also seen in luminous gloves, which he later bemoaned as the clip of him always picked out by advertisers whenever "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" went on to a compilation album.
The song also went to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA and Michael followed it up with a solo single, "Careless Whisper" and another Wham! hit, "Freedom", both of which were also UK number-one hits. The album, Make It Big, was an unqualified success. Wham! had three more UK number one singles and split at their height in 1986.
In 2004, Japanese actor Yuji Oda made a cover of the song ("Wake Me Up Go! Go!") as a companion to his cover of "Last Christmas", both songs being the main soundtrack of the Japanese television drama he was starring in, Last Christmas.
"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" has been used in several films, including an appearance in 2001 comedy Zoolander, sung briefly by a character in 1998's The Wedding Singer, and featured in outtakes of the 2006 film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, sung by John C. Reilly. It made number 28 on the "VH1 Greatest Songs of the '80s". It was also used in a 2005 episode of Family Guy, "Jungle Love", in which Chris & the jungle tribe into which the Peace Corps has dropped him (literally) perform it together, following which the chief informs Chris that, "according to tradition," he is now married to the chief's daughter.
[edit] Track listing
[edit] 7": Epic / A 4440 (UK)
- "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (3:51)
- "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go [Instrumental]" (4:03)
The US 7" single (Columbia 04552) had the same track listing.
[edit] 12": Epic / TA 4440 (UK)
- "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (3:51)
- "A Ray of Sunshine [Specially recorded for 'The Tube']" (4:03)
- "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go [Instrumental]" (4:58)
| Preceded by "Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)" by Billy Ocean |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single November 17, 1984- December 1, 1984 |
Succeeded by "Out of Touch" by Daryl Hall and John Oates |
| Preceded by "The Reflex" by Duran Duran |
UK number one single June 10, 1984 |
Succeeded by "Two Tribes" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood |
