If you love Wham!, check out the new documentary on Netflix.
Back to that in a moment.
Years ago, when malls still had record stores, I remember seeing this photo on an album cover on display at the entrance to Musicland in the Eastridge Mall in San Jose. I was with my dad at the time, and recall asking “Do you think that guy looks like Sylvester Stallone?”
Not a word from Dad. Just a glance and a shrug.
I don’t think I knew the names Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael at that time, but I was familiar with the group — largely because of their early hits “Wham Rap” and “Young Guns (Go For It),” which were getting modest radio-play. Still, the duo’s sex appeal remained overshadowed by the members of Duran Duran: Simon, John, Roger, Nick, and for some, Andy.
But change was a comin’.
It never takes long for pop-stars with a megahit, especially good looking ones, to make their way into the hearts and minds of teens. Within months, Andrew and George occupied space in both places.
The day I saw the record, Wham! was relatively new to American audiences. However, once “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” and “Careless Whisper” were released in 1984, the boys from Wham! had enormous appeal. And although most of it was sexy, my high school English teacher thought the song lyrics were attractive as well. She used the lyrics “Guilty feet have got no rhythm” to teach us about metaphors.
Two years ago, while serving as a chaperone on a bus ride to Discovery Kingdom, a bunch of high school students started singing “Last Christmas.” I got a huge kick out of it until — the very next day — I learned that Taylor Swift had covered the song. Meh.
Like a lot of people, I was a big Wham! fan, and was lucky enough to see them at Day on the Green at the Oakland Coliseum in September of ’85, and later, George Michael — during his solo tour — at the Shoreline in September of ’88.
While the recent documentary doesn’t show these events, it has everything you want, including a lot of childhood footage and commentary from Ridgeley and Michael.
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