Released: July 7
Their tenure at the top may have lasted less than five years, but George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s pop legacy is unparalleled.
Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of their debut album, ‘Fantastic’ (1983), ‘The Singles: Echoes From the Edge of Heaven’ brings together Wham!’s impeccable run of hit records – from their 1982 debut, Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do), and UK breakthrough, Young Guns (Go for It), to their final international single, Where Did Your Heart Go? – along with a selection of additional tracks and mixes from across their career.
Sequenced chronologically, the LP journeys through the pair’s chart reign, boasting a total of five UK No. 1 hits (Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, Freedom, Last Christmas, I’m Your Man and The Edge of Heaven), along with two US chart-toppers: Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go and Everything She Wants.
With 16 tracks on the standard CD edition and 19 on the 2LP set, both include Club Tropicana B-side, Blue (Armed With Love), and The Edge of Heaven B-side, Battlestations – along with remixes of select tracks and an instrumental of debut album cut, A Ray of Sunshine.
Somewhat disappointingly, the UK Top 20 Club Fantastic Megamix and chart-topping Careless Whisper – often credited solely to George but in fact a co-write with Andrew from ‘Make It Big’ (1984) – are both omitted from this release; particularly unfortunate in the instance of the latter, since it featured on their first best-of, ‘The Final’ (1986), and when the duo’s Netflix documentary puts such an onus on his pivotal role within the act.
But that’s not to take away from what is presented, with the album once again showcasing Wham!’s knack for crafting and delivering hit after hit and scoring such tremendous worldwide success in just half a decade.
All too often, it’s George Michael’s solo career that’s thrust into to the spotlight – and deservedly so – but ‘Echoes From the Edge of Heaven’ is not only a fitting anniversary tribute one of pop’s greatest acts ever, but a reminder of the fact that, without Andrew Ridgeley and Wham!, the world may never have got to appreciate the late superstar’s greatness.
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