Last Christmas

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"Last Christmas"
Image:Last Christmaswham.jpg
Single by Wham!
Released 1984
Format 12", 7", CD single
Recorded 1984
Genre Pop
Length 4:27
6:45 (Pudding Mix)
Label Columbia Records (US/Canada)
Epic Records
Producer George Michael
Wham! singles chronology
"Freedom"
(1984) 		"Last Christmas"
(1984) 		"Everything She Wants"
(1984)
Twenty Five track listing
"Careless Whisper"
(1) 		"Last Christmas"
(2) 		"A Different Corner"
(3)

"Last Christmas" is a song by British pop duo Wham!, released on Epic Records in 1984, on a double A-side with "Everything She Wants". It was written by George Michael, one half of the duo.

Wham! had been a dominant force in the UK Singles Chart in 1984 and news that they were planning a Christmas single meant that a battle for the coveted Christmas #1 spot in the UK seemed set to be between Wham! and the year's other big act, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, who had achieved a third #1 in early December with "The Power of Love". However, the Band Aid project, helmed by Bob Geldof, produced the #1 single. Wham!'s offering peaked at #2 for much of the period, although George's involvement in Band Aid meant that Wham! still had an input. Wham! subsequently topped the monies raised by Band Aid by donating all of their "Last Christmas/Everything She Wants" royalties to the Ethiopian famine appeal.

"Last Christmas" did make #1 in various other countries.

The single sold well over a million copies and became the biggest selling single in UK chart history not to reach #1. A year later, it was re-issued for Christmas again (this time without a billed flip-side) and got to #6. A second re-issue at Christmas 1986 - by which time Wham! had split - stalled outside the top 40.

The song gradually sold in Japan, and finally became the best-selling single that did not reach that country's top-10 chart, selling more than 600,000 copies and peaking on the chart at #12 in 1992.

Since 1997, the song enters the German Singlecharts every year and peaked at #4 in 2007. In the airplay charts the songs enters every year the Top 5.

In 2007, the track re-entered the UK Top 20 and hit the UK iTunes Top 10.

Contents

[edit] "Can't Smile Without You" Settlement

Due to obvious similarities between "Last Christmas" and the song "Can't Smile Without You" as popularised by Barry Manilow, an out of court settlement was reached in which the first year's royalties were donated to the one-year-old "Band Aid" charity.

[edit] Music video

The video to "Last Christmas" saw George and partner Andrew Ridgeley accompanying girlfriends to see friends at their home in an unspecified ski resort, although the funicular that can be seen in two shots is from Saas-Fee, Switzerland. It became clear early on, however, that Andrew's girlfriend had previously been in a relationship with George, and it was to her character the song was aimed. The video also featured the duo's erstwhile backing singers Pepsi and Shirlie and Spandau Ballet bassist Martin Kemp, the boyfriend and future husband of Shirlie Holliman.

[edit] Cover versions

A number of artists have recorded the song with varied levels of success. Danish singer Whigfield did a cover version of the song which just failed to make the top 20 in the UK at Christmas 1995. Richard Cheese did a cover of this on his 2006 album, Silent Nightclub. The Danish band Raunchy made a metal-oriented cover of the song, which was released as a B-side on their limited edition-single Decemberklar. Other artists to cover the song include

Although only the Wham! original has maintained status as an airplay and party staple each festive season in many countries. In much of Continental Europe (although not in the UK or Ireland) the original Wham! recording is reissued every year, and has achieved significant chart peaks in the 2000s especially in Germany.

"Last Christmas 2007"
Single by Wham!
Released December 3 2007
Format Digital download, CD single
Recorded 2007
Genre Pop
Length 5:13
Label Pro-active Recordings, Tent Records
Wham! singles chronology
"Last Christmas 1986"
(1986) 		"Last Christmas"
(2007)

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Original 1984 release

7": Epic / A 4949 (UK)

  1. "# "Everything She Wants" – 5:07

7": Epic / QA 4949 (UK)

  1. "Everything She Wants (Remix)" – 5:31
  2. "Last Christmas" – 4:24

12": Epic / TA 4949 (UK)

  1. "Last Christmas (Pudding Mix)" – 6:47
  2. "Everything She Wants" – 5:07

12": Epic / QTA 4949 (UK)

  1. "Everything She Wants (Remix)" – 6:30
  2. "Last Christmas (Pudding Mix)" – 6:47

[edit] 1985 reissue

7": Epic / WHAM 1 (UK)

  1. "Last Christmas" – 4:24
  2. "Blue (Armed With Love) [Live in China]" – 5:43

12": Epic / WHAM T1 (UK)

  1. "Last Christmas (Pudding Mix)" – 6:47
  2. "Blue (Armed With Love) [Live in China]" – 5:43
  3. "Everything She Wants (Remix)" – 5:31

[edit] 1986 reissue

7": Epic / 650269 7 (UK)

  1. "Last Christmas" – 4:24
  2. "Where Did Your Heart Go?" – 5:43

12": Epic / 650269 6 (UK)

  1. "Last Christmas (Pudding Mix)" – 6:47
  2. "Where Did Your Heart Go?" – 5:43

[edit] 2007 reissue

7", 12", CD: Tent / PD45579

  1. "Last Christmas (Remix)" – 5:13
  2. "Everything She Wants (Remix)" – 6:01
  3. "Last Christmas (Pudding Mix)" – 6:47
  4. "Everything She Wants" – 6:29

[edit] Chart performance

Chart (1984) Peak
position
Sweden 7
Switzerland 6
Norway 2
Austria 9
Netherlands 2
Finland 20
Australia 3
Japan 12
UK 2
Germany 7
Chart (2007) Peak
position
UK 14
Germany 4

[edit] Ashley Tisdale Version

Last Christmas was recorded in 2006 for Warner Bros. Records by Ashley Tisdale.

Official Version
  • 2006: Last Christmas - 3:56
  • 2007: Last Christmas - 3:39
Appears on album
performed live
  • Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
  • Hollywood Santa Parade

[edit] References

v • d • e
Ashley Tisdale
Studio albumHeadstrong (2007)
Singles"Kiss the Girl" · "Last Christmas"  · "Be Good to Me" · "He Said She Said" · "Not Like That" · "Suddenly"
Other singles"Headstrong" · "Goin' Crazy"
Soundtrack albumsHigh School Musical (2006) · High School Musical 2 (2007)
FilmographyWhisper of the Heart · A Bug's Life · Donnie Darko · The Suite Life of Zack & Cody · High School Musical  · High School Musical 2 · Phineas and Ferb
RelatedDiscography · There's Something About Ashley · Jennifer Tisdale
Concert toursHigh School Musical: The Concert (2006-2007) · Headstrong Tour Across America (2007)

[edit] External links

de:Last Christmas fi:Last Christmas hr:Last Christmas it:Last Christmas ja:ラスト・クリスマス (楽曲) sv:Last Christmas nl:Last Christmas zh:愛在聖誕節
 v • d • e Wham!
George Michael | Andrew Ridgeley
Deon Estus | Pepsi & Shirlie
Discography
Studio albums: Fantastic | Make It Big | Music from the Edge of Heaven
Compilations: The Final | If You Were There (The Best of Wham)
Singles: "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)" | "Young Guns (Go For It!)" | "Bad Boys" | "Club Tropicana" | "Club Fantastic Megamix" | "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" | "Careless Whisper" | "Freedom" | "Everything She Wants" | "Last Christmas" | "I'm Your Man" | "A Different Corner" | "The Edge of Heaven"
Retrieved from "http://india.smashits.com/wikipedia/Last_Christmas"
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