| "Faith" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by George Michael | ||||
| from the album Faith | ||||
| Released | 12 October 1987 | |||
| Format | CD single, 7" single | |||
| Recorded | 1987 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 3:16 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Writer(s) | George Michael | |||
| Producer | George Michael | |||
| George Michael singles chronology | ||||
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"Faith" is a #1 song, written and performed by George Michael, released as a single on Columbia Records, from his 1987 Faith album. According to Billboard magazine, it was the top-selling single of the year in the United States in 1988.
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7": UK / Epic EMU 2
12": UK / Epic EMU T2
Having disbanded Wham! the previous year, there was a keen expectation for Michael's solo career and "Faith" would go on to become one of his most popular and enduring songs, as well as being the most simplistic in its production. It was the second of six singles released from the well-received album.
A famous video was made, which provided some definitive images of the 1980s music industry in the process - Michael in shades, designer stubble, a leather jacket & a particularly memorable pair of tight Levi's blue jeans & cowboy boots, playing a guitar near a classic-design Wurlitzer jukebox.
The music video also features parts of two other songs by George Michael. The jukebox starts by playing "I Want Your Sex", and then is interrupted by a pipe organ version of Wham!'s "Freedom" before starting into the song.
The video for "Freedom! '90", released three years later, used some of the elements used in the "Faith" video, from the guitar, jeans, jacket all the way to the jukebox.
The song reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and number two on the UK Singles Chart.
On the Hot 100 chart, "Faith" rocketed from #54 to #37, the week of 31 October 1987, reaching #1 on 12 December 1987 and remaining there for 4 consecutive weeks, easily becoming the longest running chart topper of 1987. Altogether, "Faith" lingered in the Top 10 for 9 weeks, the Top 20 for 11 weeks & the Top 40 for 15 weeks.
Charts |
Certifications
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| Preceded by "Beds Are Burning" by Midnight Oil |
New Zealand RIANZ number-one single 4 December 1987 – 15 January 1988 |
Succeeded by "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany |
| Preceded by "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" by Belinda Carlisle |
Billboard Hot 100 number-one single 12 December 1987 – 2 January 1988 |
Succeeded by "So Emotional" by Whitney Houston |
| Preceded by "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes |
Canadian RPM Singles Chart number-one single 19 December 1987 - 9 January 1988 |
Succeeded by "Got My Mind Set on You" by George Harrison |
| Preceded by "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley |
Australian ARIA Singles Chart number-one single 18 January 1988 |
| "Faith" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Limp Bizkit | ||||
| from the album Three Dollar Bill, Yall$ | ||||
| Released | 1998 | |||
| Format | CD | |||
| Recorded | May 1997 at Indigo Ranch Studio in Malibu, California | |||
| Genre | Nu metal | |||
| Length | 2:26 | |||
| Label | Flip/Interscope/MCA Records | |||
| Producer | Fred Durst Ross Robinson DJ Lethal |
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| Limp Bizkit singles chronology | ||||
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Limp Bizkit covered the song "Faith" in their live performances, using the cover to attract attention to the band. Word of mouth attendance and energetic live performances in which guitarist Wes Borland appeared in bizarre costumes increased the band's cult following. Audiences, in particular, were attracted to Borland's guitar playing and appearance.[14]
Despite the success of the song in Limp Bizkit's live performances, producer Ross Robinson was opposed to recording the cover for their debut album, Three Dollar Bill, Yall$, and tried to persuade the band not to play it on the album. However, the final recording, which incorporated heavier guitar playing and drumming, as well as DJ scratching, impressed Robinson.[14]
Fred Durst directed a music video for the band's single "Faith" in promotion for its appearance in the film Very Bad Things, but was unsatisfied with it, and directed a second video which paid tribute to tourmates like Primus, Deftones and Mötley Crüe, who appeared in the video.[15] Borland stated in an interview that George Michael, the writer of the song, hated the cover and "hates us for doing it".[15]
Alvin and the Chipmunks covered this song as the opening track to their 1988 album The Chipmunks and The Chipettes: Born to Rock. In this version, they changed the lyric "If I could touch your body" to "If you could be my baby."
The song also inspired a dancehall reggae riddim of the same name.
The Russian pop duo Smash!! produced a cover of this song on its 2004 album 2Nite and was later released as a single.
Joe McElderry who won the British X Factor in 2009 samples 'Faith' with his song 'Until The Stars Run Out' on the 25 October album release Wide Awake. Joel McHale's character Jeff Winger sang a different version of this song on the episode Intro to Political Science on the NBC sitcom Community
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