WHAM!
Sometimes things are just as good as you remember.
Last night I watched the new Netflix documentary, WHAM!, one of my favorite bands in the ’80s.
I was eager to tune in but kinda hoped it wouldn’t be a reminder that things aren’t always as good as you remember.
Nah. In this case, they were just as good as I remember.
I had all of Wham!’s albums — “Fantastic“, “Make It Big“, and “Music From The Edge of Heaven” — and pretty much wore them out. (I also bought the cassettes and later the CDs, which I still own.)
Only Four Years?
Watching it transported me back to high school — specifically my junior year when "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" was released and followed-up by "Careless Whisper", the number-one song in 1985, that my friends and I played and played and played on the jukebox* at our favorite hangout, Ignazio's Pizza (RIP).
*Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" was also on heavy rotation.
It's astonishing to think that Wham! had only a four-year existence, but that can be an eternity for 17 year old.
Looking back, it's the blink of an eye.
The last concert in the duo's 1985 American tour (Whamamerica!**) was on September 10 at the Pontiac Silverdome outside my hometown. I can't remember why I didn't go, though I’d guess I was cash poor at the time.
**!!!
Worth the Trip
I think one of the lasting impressions of the film is just how young George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley were: in their early 20s and just barely.
When I was listening to them in the '80s, I never made the connection that they were only five years older than me and my friends.
Another is how Wham!’s music bookended my high school years, each song instantly bringing me back to a classroom, a dance or a weekend party — or, of course, Ignazio's.
My Favorites
Without question, my favorite song is the extended version of "Everything She Wants" that was not released on the "Make It Big" album, but was the version played on MTV and later released on "Wham! The Final" and "Wham! The 12" Remixes."
This is the best version of Wham!'s best song.
Another extended version of a great track.
Worth It
Sometimes looking back isn't a good idea. This time it was.