- published: 25 Oct 2009
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Wham! were a British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band.
Wham! sold 25 million certified records worldwide from 1982 to 1986.
Michael and Ridgeley met at Bushey Meads Comprehensive School in Bushey near the suburb of Watford in Hertfordshire, England, UK. At first they performed in a short-lived ska band called The Executive, alongside three of their former school friends David (Austin) Mortimer, Harry Tadayon and Andrew Leaver. When this group split, Michael and Ridgeley eventually formed Wham!, signing with Innervision Records, a contract they later sued to be released from. Once that situation was resolved, they signed with CBS (Columbia Records in the United States and Canada, and Epic Records for the rest of the world).
Michael took on the majority of roles and responsibilities within the band—composer, producer, singer, and occasional instrumentalist. Ridgeley convinceda reluctant Michael that Wham! needed to change their image and their sound frequently, from the leather-clad moody singers of "Bad Boys" and "Young Guns (Go for It!)" to the more fashionable pop superstars of "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go".
George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou (Greek: Γεώργιος Κυριάκος Παναγιώτου); 25 June 1963) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. Michael rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley. His first solo single, "Careless Whisper", was released when he was still in the duo and sold about six million copies worldwide.
As one of the world's best-selling music artists, Michael has sold more than 100 million records worldwide as of 2010. His 1987 debut solo album, Faith, has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and made several records and achievements in the United States. Michael has garnered seven number one singles in the UK and eight number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked Michael the 40th most successful artist on the Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists list.
Michael has won numerous music awards throughout his 30-year career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male twice, four MTV Video Music Awards, four Ivor Novello Awards, three American Music Awards, and two Grammy Awards from eight nominations.
Said that you love me
Thought that it was true
You said that you needed me
And baby I believe that too
I thought that you were shy
But you put me straight
With the wink of your eye
I should have known better
I know
But now my hand's in my pocket
Every time I see you cry
People think that you're so sweet
But they don't know you
Quite like I do
I guess they think
I'm a lucky guy
But you're not fooling
Everybody
You can have my credit card
Baby
But keep your red hot fingers
Off my heart
Lady
All I know is what I see
You're getting what you want
Girl
It ain't just me
No matter how you cry
I'm not giving any love away
Do you think I'm crazy
All I know is what I see
But what can I do
When you pretend that you're in love with me
Baby
You tell me you love me
'Cause I know that it's not true
Just tell me
You need my money
Girl
You know I'll give it to you
Between the ocean and sky
There are things
That you can't buy
And if you look you'll see
One of them is me
Take your hands out of my pockets
Dig until the day you die
People think that you're so sweet
But they don't know you
Quite like I do
I guess they think
I'm a lucky guy
But you're not fooling
Everybody
You can have my credit card
Baby
But keep your red hot fingers
Off my heart
Lady
All I know is what I see
You're getting what you want
Girl
It ain't just me
No matter how you cry
I'm not giving any love away
Do you think I'm crazy
All I know is what I see
But what can I do
When you pretend that you're in love with me
Baby
They don't know you
Quite like I do
And you're not fooling
Anybody
You can have my credit card
Baby
But keep your red hot fingers
Off my heart
Lady
All I know is what I see
You're getting what you want
Girl
It ain't just me
No matter how you cry
I'm not giving any love away
Do you think I'm crazy
All I know is what I see
But what can I do
When you pretend that you're in love with me
Baby