Jump to content

Careless Whisper

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from I'm Never Gonna Dance Again)
"Never Gonna Dance Again (song)" redirects here. For the song by the Sugababes, see Change (Sugababes album).

"Careless Whisper"
UK 7″ vinyl picture sleeve (also used for various international releases)
Single by George Michael
from the album Make It Big
Released20 July 1984[1]
StudioSarm West (London)
Genre
Length
  • 6:30 (album version)
  • 5:04 (7″ and video version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
George Michael singles chronology
"Careless Whisper"
(1984) 		"A Different Corner"
(1986)
Wham! singles chronology
"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"
(1984) 		"Careless Whisper"
(1984) 		"Freedom"
(1984)
Music video
"Careless Whisper" on YouTube

"Careless Whisper" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter George Michael. Released as the second single from Wham!'s second studio album Make It Big (1984), it was written by Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, with Michael producing the song. Although the song was released as part of Make It Big, the single release is credited to either Wham! featuring George Michael (in North America and several other countries) or solely to George Michael (in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and some nations in Europe).

The song has been covered by a number of artists since its release, including Brian McKnight, Seether, Roger Williams, Kenny G and Julio Iglesias, among others. A contemporary pop song with R&B and soul influences, it features a prominent saxophone riff composed by Michael and played by Steve Gregory. It became a commercial success, topping record charts in at least ten countries and selling about 6 million copies worldwide—2 million of them in the United States.[6] The song later achieved popularity on social media, mainly due to the saxophone riff being used in many movies and as a popular internet meme.[7] With sales of over 11 million copies worldwide it is one of the best selling songs of all time.

Background

[edit]
"Careless Whisper"
The composition features a distinctive tenor sax solo performed by Steve Gregory.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Composition and writing

[edit]

In 1981, Michael (age 18) was working as a DJ at the Bel Air Restaurant[8][9][10] in Northwood, London[11] near Bushey, Hertfordshire.[12] Michael explained in his autobiography, Bare, that he conceptualised "Careless Whisper" based on events from his childhood. Michael wrote, "I was on my way to DJ at the Bel Air when I wrote 'Careless Whisper'. I have always written on buses, trains and in cars. It always happens on journeys... With 'Careless Whisper' I remember exactly where it first came to me, where I came up with the sax line... I remember I was handing the money over to the guy on the bus and I got this line, the sax line... I wrote it totally in my head. I worked on it for about three months in my head."[13] Sheet music for "Careless Whisper" sets the key of D minor.[14]

"When I was twelve, thirteen, I used to have to chaperone my sister, who was two years older, to an ice rink at Queensway in London," he explained. "There was a girl there with long blonde hair whose name was Jane. I was a fat boy in glasses and I had a big crush on her—though I didn't stand a chance. My sister used to go and do what she wanted when we got to the skating rink and I would spend the afternoon swooning over this girl Jane."[15]

"A few years later, when I was sixteen, I had my first relationship with a girl called Helen," Michael continued.

It had just started to cool off a bit when I discovered that the blonde girl from Queensway had moved in just around the corner from my school. She had moved in right next to where I used to stand and wait for my next-door neighbour, who used to give me a lift home from school. And one day I saw her walk down the path next to me and I thought – now where did SHE come from? She didn't know it was me. It was a few years later and I looked a lot different. Then we played a school disco with the Executive and she saw me singing and decided she fancied me. By this time she was that much older and a big buxom thing – and eventually I started seeing her. She invited me in one day when I was waiting for my lift and I was... in heaven.[15]

Michael observed that after he stopped wearing glasses, he began getting invited to parties. "And the girl who didn't even see me when I was twelve invited me in," he noted.

So I went out with her for a couple of months but I didn't stop seeing Helen. I thought I was being smart – I had gone from being a total loser to being a two-timer. And I remember my sisters used to give me a hard time because they found out and they really liked the first girl. The whole idea of "Careless Whisper" was the first girl finding out about the second – which she never did. But I started another relationship with a girl called Alexis without finishing the one with Jane. It all got a bit complicated. Jane found out about her and got rid of me... The whole time I thought I was being cool, being this two-timer, but there really wasn't that much emotion involved. I did feel guilty about the first girl – and I have seen her since – and the idea of the song was about her. "Careless Whisper" was us dancing, because we danced a lot, and the idea was – we are dancing... but she knows... and it's finished.[15]

Andrew Ridgeley came up with the chord sequence on his Fender Telecaster he had received for his 18th birthday.[16] They continued to work together on the music and lyrics both at Michael's house in Radlett, and Shirlie Holliman's aunt's basement flat in Peckham, where Ridgeley was living.[16][17]

Demoing

[edit]

The original demo was recorded by local music producer Paul Mex, in January 1982 alongside "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)" in the front room of Ridgeley's home (his parents' lounge turned into a makeshift studio) with Mex's TEAC 4-track Portastudio. Because most of the day was spent on "Wham Rap!" and Ridgeley's mother had returned home by that point, "Careless Whisper" had to be recorded in one take very quickly. It featured a Doctor Rhythm drum machine, an acoustic guitar (played by Ridgeley) and a bass guitar (played by Dave West), with Michael's vocal (recorded with a microphone attached to a broom handle).[18][19] The overall cost of the recording was £20 (largely due to the rental cost of the Portastudio) and the duo landed a deal with Innervision by Mark Dean on the strength of the demos.[20][21]

A more complete and fully realised second demo was recorded on 24 March 1982 at Halligan Band Centre, Holloway, London with a backing band and a saxophone riff. This second demo also included the songs "Club Tropicana" and "Wham Rap!".[22] However, on the same day, Michael and Ridgeley were called over by Dean to sign a contract in addition to the record deal, which they did at a nearby greasy spoon café. Michael recalls of that day:

"One of the most incredible moments of my life was hearing 'Careless Whisper' demoed properly, with a band, a sax and everything. It was ironic that we signed the contract with Mark [Dean] that day, the day I finally believed we had number-one material. That same day we signed it all away. But you can never really know what you are capable of, you can never really have that foresight."[22]

Production

[edit]
"Careless Whisper" (Jerry Wexler version)
Michael was unhappy with this original Wexler recording.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The song went through at least two rounds of production. The first was during a trip Michael made to Sheffield, Alabama, where he went to work with producer Jerry Wexler at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in 1983.[23][24] Michael was unhappy with the original version produced by Wexler, and decided to re-record and produce the song himself; the second version was the one ultimately released as a single.

After the backing track and Michael's vocal had been recorded, Wexler had booked the top saxophone player from Los Angeles to fly in and do the solo.[25] "He arrived at eleven and should have been gone by twelve", recalled Wham! manager Simon Napier-Bell. "Instead, after two hours, he was still there while everyone in the studio shuddered with embarrassment. He just couldn't play the opening riff the way George wanted it, the way it had been on the demo. But that had been made two years earlier by a friend of George's who lived round the corner and played sax for fun in the pub."[25]

The saxophone solo was performed on a Selmer Mark VI tenor by Steve Gregory

While the saxophonist appeared to be playing the part perfectly, Michael told him, "No, it's still not right, you see ..." and he would lower his head to the talkback microphone and patiently hum the part to him yet again. "It has to twitch upwards a little just there! See ...? And not too much."[25]

Napier-Bell consulted with Wexler over Michael's dispute with the sax sound. "Is there really something George wants that's different from what the sax player is playing?" Napier-Bell asked.[25] "Definitely!" replied Wexler.

I've seen things like this before. There's some tiny nuance that the sax player is somehow not getting right. Although you and I can't hear what it is, it may be the very thing that will make the record a hit. The success of pop records is so ephemeral, so unbelievably unpredictable, we just can't take the risk of being impatient. But this sax player's not going to get it, is he![25]

The version Wexler produced was released later in the year, as a (4:41) B-side "special version" on 12″ in the UK and Japan.

The record label Innervision was going to put out the Wexler version of "Careless Whisper" after the "Club Fantastic Megamix" as early as 1983. Song publisher Dick Leahy said that while he could not stop the release of the "Club Fantastic Megamix", he could stop the release of this single on the basis that as a publisher they "have the right to grant the first license of the recording of a tune of which he controls the copyright". He was unable to do anything about the "Club Fantastic Megamix" because it was already released material. He said: "We knew how big that song could be, so it was necessary to upset a few people to stop it."[26] Towards the end of 1983, Michael was also committed to touring with Wham! to promote Fantastic, so according to him it would not have made sense to release "Careless Whisper" as a solo single in the middle of the tour, despite it being part of the setlist.[27]

Michael later went back to London's Sarm West Studio 2 to re-record the track, the backbone of which was done with a live rhythm section in one take, with "loads of stuff bunged on [overdubbed] later" as Michael added, although the feel of it was basically live.[28][29]

Michael elaborated on the song's production and how it turned out in the end:

Jerry Wexler did one recording of "Careless Whisper" with me. Then we re-mixed that, which meant re-shooting the video and then we completely re-did the track about four weeks before it was due to be released. When we originally made it I was totally in awe of Jerry Wexler and it was the first time that I had ever felt like that about anybody that I'd worked with. Usually I have trouble convincing myself that people know what they're doing. In this case I had to get drunk in order to sing, I was so nervous. Anyway, my publisher [Dick Leahy] and I had loads of discussions about whether the record was good enough for the song and whether there was enough of me in it because it just did not sound like me. I said 'it's great. Jerry's done a great job on it', and for the first time since we'd started I was blind to what was going on because the song was already two and a half years old and I just did not have a clue about where else I could take it. Eventually I just thought, 'sod this. I'm going to go in and do it as if it had never been done before with the musicians we normally use and see what happens.' The track was much better because I was relaxed and I think that our musicians did a much better job than the Muscle Shoals section.[29]

After hiring and firing several other sax players, for which the BBC characterized as struggling to play all the notes with "the right amount of fluidity and still breathe,"[30] Michael eventually heard what he was looking for from Steve Gregory.[31]

During an interview with DJ Danny Sun, Gregory said he was the 9th sax player to attempt the riff. Gregory said Michael's secretary had phoned him up midday and asked him to give the solo a try.[32][better source needed]

"When I got there, it was about getting on to midnight, and there was another saxophone player in the studio, Ray Warleigh, who I knew quite well, and he said 'what are you doing here?' And George hadn't showed up. So Ray was a bit fed up. He said 'Well I'm going, you can do it. I've had enough of waiting.' So he left and it was just myself, and (record producer) Chris Porter. So I said I've had quite a long day, I'm going to do a better job now than I will at 3 o'clock in the morning, so can we try and do something? So we went into the control room and George had already recorded it in LA with Jerry Wexler producing it and Tom Scott playing the saxophone line...he said this is what you got to do and he played this and I thought 'That is fantastic, why on Earth does he want to do it again? I can't play it as well as that!' And (Porter) said 'Oh, it's a new version, he's done his own production, it's a new track, it's got to be re-done, he just needs that on the new track,' so I went in the studio I tried to do it and my saxophone is an old Selmer (tenor sax) from about 1954 or something and I didn't have that top note. I didn't have a proper note on my saxophone, I had what we call a fake fingering I had to do to play it. So it didn't really sound that smooth. It didn't sound that great. And so having been around for a while, having had a bit of experience, I suggested to him, I said, 'look, if you took it down by a semitone, a very small amount, I'd have all the proper notes on my horn and we could see how it sounds. So that's what he did, he sort of did his calculations and took it down a semitone, so I went out again and I played it in a lower key and when after I finished it I went back into the control room and he played it back and he put it back up to the proper speed, and as he was playing it back, George walked into the studio, and he said 'Oh, I think we got it!' Then he pointed at me and said, 'You are number 9!'"

The officially released single was issued in July 1984, entering the UK Singles Chart at number 12. Within two weeks it was at number one, ending a nine-week run at the top for "Two Tribes" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.[33] It stayed at number one for three weeks, going on to become the fifth best-selling single of 1984 in the United Kingdom; outsold only by the two Frankie Goes to Hollywood tracks, "Two Tribes" and "Relax", Stevie Wonder with "I Just Called to Say I Love You", and Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?". The song also topped the charts in 25 other countries, including the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States in February 1985 under the credit "Wham! featuring George Michael". Spending three weeks at the top in America, the song was later named Billboard's number-one song of 1985.[34]

Despite its success, Michael stated repeatedly in interviews that he was not fond of the song. He said in 1991 that it "was not an integral part of my emotional development [...] it disappoints me that you can write a lyric very flippantly—and not a particularly good lyric—and it can mean so much to so many people. That's disillusioning for a writer."[26]

Critical reception

[edit]

"Careless Whisper" received mainly positive reception upon its release. Music critic Alexis Petridis of The Guardian ranked the song number five of George Michael's 30 greatest songs, stating, "it’s a brilliant pop song regardless, and, in 'guilty feet have got no rhythm', it boasts one of the great once-heard-never-forgotten lyrics".[35] Billboard referred to the track as a "polished-pop approach", stating, "[the] saxy ballad will tug at many a heartstring".[36] Rolling Stone placed the song as George Michael's 2nd best song, describing it as "a soulful, saxophone-laden ballad" with "infidelity-themed lyrics".[37]

Cash Box said the song illustrates Wham!'s "versatility and range" when compared to the previous single "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", calling this song "soft, beguiling and memorable" and saying that it features "a highly romantic instrumental arrangement as well as an extremely well-written melody and lyric".[38] Amy Hanson of AllMusic described the song as "perfect for dance floor canoodling", stating, "built around a simmering Latin-lite tempo, sultry sax and Michael’s own impassioned delivery, 'Careless Whisper' touched fans and passive listeners alike to become one of, if not the only, love songs of 1985".[39]

Music video

[edit]

The official music video (which uses the shorter single version instead of the full album version) was directed by Duncan Gibbins (who previously directed "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go") shows the guilt felt by a man (portrayed by Michael) over an affair, and his acknowledgement that his partner (Lisa Stahl) is going to find out. Madeline Andrews-Hodge plays the woman who lures George away. It was filmed on location in Miami, Florida, in February 1984[40] and features such locales as Coconut Grove and Watson Island.[41] The final part of the video shows Michael leaning out of a top floor balcony of Miami's Grove Towers.[42]

A first original version of the video was edited with the Jerry Wexler 1983 version, and featured Ridgeley as a cameo, handing over a letter to a dark-haired Michael. This version had a more detailed storyline, but was then re-edited later.[43]

According to producer Jon Roseman, production of the video was "a fucking disaster".[44] According to Michael's co-star Lisa Stahl, "They lost footage of our kissing scene so we had to reshoot it, which I didn't complain about ... Then George decided he didn't like his hair so he flew his sister over from England to cut it and we had to reshoot more scenes."[45]

As the band felt they had "screwed up" the video, further footage of Michael singing the song onstage was later shot at the Lyceum Theatre, London.[46] The video performance (1984 version) was officially uploaded to the George Michael YouTube channel on 24 October 2009. As of October 2024, the video had surpassed 1.3 billion views.[47][48]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley

7″: Epic / A 4603 (UK)
No.TitleLength
1."Careless Whisper" (7″ version)5:04
2."Careless Whisper" (instrumental)5:02
12″: Epic / TA4603 (UK)
No.TitleLength
1."Careless Whisper" (extended mix)6:31
2."Careless Whisper" (instrumental)5:02
12″: Columbia / 44-05170 (US)
No.TitleLength
1."Careless Whisper" (extended mix)6:20
2."Careless Whisper" (instrumental)4:52
12″: Columbia Promotional / AS-1980 (US)
No.TitleLength
1."Careless Whisper"4:50
2."Careless Whisper"4:50
12″ maxi: Epic / QTA 4603 (UK) – Special Edition
No.TitleLength
1."Careless Whisper" (extended mix)6:31
2."Careless Whisper" (Jerry Wexler special version)5:34
3."Careless Whisper" (condensed instrumental Version)4:52
  • Note: the "extended mix" is identical to the album version from Make It Big.

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from the Extended Mix's liner notes.[49]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications and sales

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[103] 2× Platinum 140,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[104] 3× Platinum 180,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[105] Platinum 100,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[106] Platinum 90,000‡
France (SNEP)[108] Silver 500,000[107]
Germany (BVMI)[109] Gold 300,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[110] Platinum 50,000‡
Japan — 204,000[111]
Netherlands (NVPI)[112] Platinum 100,000^
Portugal (AFP)[113] Platinum 40,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[114] Platinum 60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[116]
Physical 		Platinum 1,200,000[115]
United Kingdom (BPI)[117]
Digital 		2× Platinum 1,200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[118] 7× Platinum 7,000,000‡
Streaming
Greece (IFPI Greece)[119] Platinum 2,000,000†
Summaries
Worldwide — 6,000,000[6]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions

[edit]

"Careless Whisper" has been covered by many other artists. Among the most notable versions are:

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ The name of Wham!'s drummer was Trevor Murrell.[50] He is listed on the liner notes as Trevor Morrell.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "BPI". Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  2. ^ Greenwald, Ted (1992). Rock and Roll: The Music, Musicians, and the Mania. Mallard Press. p. 31.
  3. ^ Molanphy, Chris (6 May 2016). "Keanu and the Remarkable Chart History of George Michael, "Black" Music Star". Slate. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  4. ^ "Top 40 New Wave Albums". Ultimate Classic Rock. 19 October 2021. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  5. ^ Breihan, Tom (21 September 2020). "The Number Ones: Wham! Featuring George Michael's "Careless Whisper". Stereogum. Retrieved 30 July 2023. Michael clearly does his best to capture the sound of American quiet-storm soul...
  6. ^ a b "George Michael: 50 years in numbers". The Daily Telegraph. 25 June 2013. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  7. ^ Suciu, Peter. "Shhh! George Michael's 1984 Hit 'Careless Whisper' Has Just Racked Up A Billion Views On YouTube". Forbes. Archived from the original on 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  8. ^ Gavin, James (28 June 2022). George Michael: A Life. Abrams. p. 21. ISBN 978-1-64700-673-0. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  9. ^ Negus, Keith; Sledmere, Adrian (May 2022). "Postcolonial paths of pop: a suburban psychogeography of George Michael and Wham!". Popular Music. 41 (2): 131–151. doi:10.1017/S0261143022000253. S2CID 249829672. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023. PDF Archived 9 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine Free access icon
  10. ^ Ridgeley, Andrew (8 October 2019). Wham!, George Michael and Me: A Memoir. Penguin. pp. 120, 136, 141. ISBN 978-1-5247-4531-8. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  11. ^ "Belair Restaurant in Northwood". Watford Observer. 20 January 2003. Archived from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  12. ^ Youngs, Ian (26 December 2016). "George Michael: Six songs that defined his life". BBC News. Archived from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  13. ^ Michael, George; Parsons, Tony (1991). Bare. Penguin. pp. 56–57. ISBN 9780140132359.
  14. ^ Michael, George (19 November 2007). "George Michael "Careless Whisper" Sheet Music - Download & Print". musicnotes.com.
  15. ^ a b c Michael, George; Parsons, Tony (1991). Bare. Penguin. pp. 128–129. ISBN 9780140132359.
  16. ^ a b Ridgeley, Andrew (2019). Wham! George & Me (First ed.). Penguin. p. 134. ISBN 9780241385807.
  17. ^ Ridgeley, Andrew (2019). Wham! George & Me (First ed.). Penguin. p. 136. ISBN 9780241385807.
  18. ^ "George Michael | Backstory on the Recording Session". YouTube. 25 July 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  19. ^ Steele, R. (2017). Careless Whispers: The Life & Career of George Michael: Revised & Updated. Omnibus Press. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-78323-968-9. Archived from the original on 29 July 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  20. ^ Horkins, Tony (December 1987). "George Michael: A Question Of Faith". International Musician. UK.
  21. ^ Michael, George; Parsons, Tony (1991). Bare. Penguin. pp. 65-66. ISBN 9780140132359.
  22. ^ a b Michael, George; Parsons, Tony (1991). Bare. Penguin. pp. 67-68. ISBN 9780140132359.
  23. ^ Corey, Russ (28 December 2016). "Solo version of 'Careless Whisper' recorded in the Shoals". TimesDaily. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  24. ^ "Wham! Nothing Looks The Same In The Night (Melody Maker, 1983)". gmforever.com. 29 October 1983. Archived from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  25. ^ a b c d e Napier-Bell, Simon (2015). "Simon Napier-Bell: George Michael & Recording Careless Whisper". Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay: The Dodgy Business of Popular Music. Random House UK. Archived from the original on 3 September 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  26. ^ a b Michael, George (1991). Bare. Penguin. p. 166. ISBN 9780140132359.
  27. ^ Simper, Paul (22 October 1983). "Fantastic Day (and Night): Wham!'s First Tour (1983)". No. 1 magazine. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  28. ^ Buskin, Richard (1 March 2013). "Classic Tracks: George Michael 'Faith'". Sound on Sound. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  29. ^ a b "Modern Recording & Music June 1985" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  30. ^ "8 lesser-known heroes who played the iconic moment on your favourite songs". BBC Music (in Welsh). 9 April 2018. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  31. ^ Ridgeley, A. (2019). Wham! George & Me: The Sunday Times Bestseller 2020. Penguin Books Limited. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-241-38583-8. Archived from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  32. ^ "STEVE GREGORY Saxophonist I UK Radio interview (Part I) with DJ Danny". YouTube. 6 April 2022. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  33. ^ a b "Top 100 1984 – UK Music Charts". Archived from the original on 16 December 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  34. ^ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 28 December 1985.
  35. ^ Petridis, Alexis (9 December 2021). "George Michael's 30 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 14 July 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  36. ^ "Reviews". Billboard. 15 December 1984. p. 72. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  37. ^ Weingarten, Christopher R.; Heller, Jason; Portwood, Jerry; Freeman, Jon; Spanos, Brittany; Grow, Kory; Johnston, Maura; Doyle, Patrick (26 December 2016). "George Michael: 20 Essential Songs". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  38. ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 15 December 1984. p. 7. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  39. ^ Careless Whisper by Wham! - Track Info | AllMusic, archived from the original on 14 July 2023, retrieved 14 July 2023
  40. ^ Michael, George; Parsons, Tony (1991). Bare. Penguin. pp. 144. ISBN 9780140132359.
  41. ^ "The Story of... 'Careless Whisper' by George Michael". 23 July 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  42. ^ "Google Maps". Google Maps. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  43. ^ Careless Whispers: The Life & Career of George Michael: Revised & Updated Archived 24 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine By Robert Steele
  44. ^ Tannenbaum, R.; Marks, C. (2011). I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution. Penguin Publishing Group. p. 16. ISBN 978-1-101-52641-5. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  45. ^ Q magazine, June 2009
  46. ^ I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution by Rob Tannenbaum, Craig Marks
  47. ^ Dailey, Hannah (29 March 2023). "George Michael's 'Careless Whisper' Music Video Joins Billion Views Club on YouTube". Billboard. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  48. ^ "George Michael - Careless Whisper (Official Video)". YouTube. 25 October 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  49. ^ George Michael (1984). Careless Whisper (Extended Mix) (LP, Vinyl, CD). CBS Records. 11-004603-20.
  50. ^ "The Sway Allstars Orchestra". Swaytheband. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  51. ^ Niles, Laurie (14 February 2017). "Adele and George Michael: The Messy Art of Getting It Right". Violinist.com. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  52. ^ "Australian Top 50 Chart Week Ending 23rd September, 1984". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 29 July 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  53. ^ "George Michael – Careless Whisper" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  54. ^ "George Michael – Careless Whisper" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  55. ^ "Las canciones más populares en Latinoamérica". La Opinión (Los Angeles) (in Spanish). 3 June 1985. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  56. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9533." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  57. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 9579." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  58. ^ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 2 February 1985. p. 80. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  59. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  60. ^ "Singlet 1984-11 marraskuu" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Archived from the original on 24 August 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  61. ^ "George Michael – Careless Whisper" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  62. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  63. ^ "George Michael Chart History". RÚV. 22 March 2016. Archived from the original on 8 November 2018. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  64. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Careless Whisper". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  65. ^ "Media Forest weekly chart (year 2016 week 52)". Media Forest. Archived from the original on 2 October 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  66. ^ "Top 3 in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 2, no. 1. 7 January 1985. p. 5. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 27 May 2022 – via World Radio History.
  67. ^ "George Michael Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  68. ^ ワム!のランキング情報 (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 30 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023. ケアレス・ウィスパー - 発売日 - 1984年08月25日 - 最高順位 - 12位
  69. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 36, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  70. ^ "George Michael – Careless Whisper" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  71. ^ "George Michael – Careless Whisper". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  72. ^ "George Michael – Careless Whisper". VG-lista. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  73. ^ "Las canciones más populares en Latinoamérica". La Opinión (Los Angeles) (in Spanish). 25 May 1985. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  74. ^ "Las canciones más populares en Latinoamérica". La Opinión (Los Angeles) (in Spanish). 3 June 1985. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  75. ^ "Top 3 in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. 5 November 1984. p. 3. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  76. ^ "SloTop50: Slovenian official singles weekly chart" (in Slovenian). SloTop50. Archived from the original on 22 December 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  77. ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Archived from the original on 27 September 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  78. ^ Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  79. ^ "George Michael – Careless Whisper". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  80. ^ "George Michael – Careless Whisper". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  81. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  82. ^ "George Michael Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  83. ^ "George Michael Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  84. ^ "Hot Singles Sales". Billboard. Retrieved 19 November 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  85. ^ "Wham! Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  86. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – George Michael – Careless Whisper" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  87. ^ "George Michael Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  88. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  89. ^ "Kent Music Report No 548 – 31 December 1984 > National Top 100 Singles for 1984". Kent Music Report. Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2023 – via Imgur.com.
  90. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  91. ^ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1984". austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  92. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1984". Ultratop. Archived from the original on 29 November 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  93. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984". Dutch Top 40. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  94. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1984". Single Top 100. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  95. ^ "The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  96. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1984". hitparade.ch. Archived from the original on 29 May 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  97. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  98. ^ "Top 100 Singles of 1985 in Canada". 5 November 2015. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  99. ^ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1985". Archived from the original on 10 May 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  100. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1985/Top 100 Songs of 1985". Archived from the original on 27 July 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  101. ^ "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 1985". Billboard. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  102. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  103. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2016 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  104. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – George Michael – Careless Whisper" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  105. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Wham – Careless Whisper". Music Canada. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  106. ^ "Danish single certifications – George Michael – Careless Whisper". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  107. ^ Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP). Fabrice Ferment (ed.). "TOP – 1984". 40 ans de tubes : 1960–2000 : les meilleures ventes de 45 tours & CD singles (in French). OCLC 469523661. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2024 – via Top-France.fr.
  108. ^ "French single certifications – George Michael – Careless Whisper" (in French). InfoDisc. Select GEORGE MICHAEL and click OK. 
  109. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (George Michael; 'Careless Whisper')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  110. ^ "Italian single certifications – George Michael – Careless Whisper" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  111. ^ "List of best-selling international singles in Japan". JP&KIYO. 2002. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  112. ^ "Dutch single certifications – George Michael – Careless Whisper" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 27 June 2012. Enter Careless Whisper in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1984 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  113. ^ Tenente, Fernando (2 March 1985). "Fourth-Quarter Upturn in Portugal" (PDF). Billboard. p. 71. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2022 – via World Radio History.
  114. ^ "Spanish single certifications – George Michael – Careless Whisper". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  115. ^ Rob Copsey (2 April 2021). "Official Top 40 best-selling songs of 1984". Official Charts. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  116. ^ "British single certifications – George Michael – Careless Whisper". British Phonographic Industry.
  117. ^ "British single certifications – George Michael – Careless Whisper". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  118. ^ "American single certifications – Wham – Careless Whisper". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  119. ^ "IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Εβδομάδα: 47/2023" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  120. ^ "Official Charts Company – Sarah Washington". archive.is. 19 January 2013. Archived from the original on 8 May 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  121. ^ "Careless Whisper (Song by Dave Koz) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  122. ^ "Official Singles Chart Results Matching: Careless Whisper". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 11 December 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  123. ^ "Seether". Billboard. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  124. ^ "American single certifications – Seether – Careless Whisper". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  125. ^ Alex Rigotti (4 November 2023). "Miguel honours George Michael with a cover of 'Careless Whisper' at Rock Hall 2023". NME. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Careless_Whisper&oldid=1258636305"