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Wham!

Wham! to Reunite?

The Mirror is saying that George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley are planning a “one-off pop extravaganza” to mark the 30th anniversary of their first hit, “Wham Rap.”

If you’ve been following George Michael for any length of time, you know that the Wham! reunion story comes around every few years and nothing comes of it.  This story is probably a spinoff from George Michael’s comments yesterday about his new song “White Light” premiering on British radio on June 29, 2012, which is 30 years to the day when “Wham Rap” premiered on the British charts.

Still, the Mirror is saying:

“They probably won’t do a long tour or release new material like Take That but they do want to commemorate the event with a big gig… and an even bigger party afterwards!

“Things are still in the early stages but everybody is getting really excited about it.”

You can read more here.

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Wham!

French Vogue Editors Revisit “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”

The French Vogue editors have completed a new version of “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” to kick off their magazine’s new web design.

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Andrew Ridgeley Pepsi & Shirlie Wham!

Wham! The Final Reissued for 25th Anniversary

Pepsi and Shirlie have been doing some press for the reissue of The Final.

I also just discovered that Pepsi and Shirlie’s All Right Now has been reissued.  I have been waiting years for this because I still had it on cassette!

And if you’re a big Pepsi and Shirlie fan like I am, make sure to check out:

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Wham!

Wham Rap! Release Key Event in History of Pop Music

Wham! Fantastic

The Guardian lists the release of Wham Rap! as number 28 in its series of the 50 key events in the history of pop music:

Teenager George Michael was inspired by Britain’s early 80s recession to write a song about the upside of being on the dole. Contending that unemployment provided free time to immerse oneself in London’s booming club culture, Wham Rap! was rather subversive. It was also one of the first British pop singles to avail itself of the still new hip-hop style, and if Michael’s rhyming skills were the essence of Englishness, they seemed cool at the time.

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Last Christmas Music Wham!

Could “Last Christmas” Become the New “White Christmas”?

40th Anniversary “Last Christmas” CD Single
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Here is a fascinating article on “Last Christmas” and its longevity: Could “Last Christmas” Become the New “White Christmas”?

According to Stewart, after the post-WWII boom of classic Christmas songs died down, a new standard emerged every seven or eight years. He cited “Blue Christmas” and “Jingle Bell Rock” as early examples. The Donny Hathaway song “This Christmas” emerged from the ’70s (Mary J. Blige cites it as a favorite), as did John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over)”– which Alicia Keys and Tim McGraw performed today on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

Stewart said “Last Christmas” is the latest example of the trend — and, despite being 25 years old, perhaps the most recent, as the rock historian had trouble naming a song recorded after 1984 that’s developed the same traction on radio and with other recording artists.

Read more about the 40th anniversary of “Last Christmas” in the following articles:

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