Club Tropicana

7" : Innervision  A 3613

12" : Innervision  TA 3613

7" Picture Disc : Innervision WA 3613

CHARTED : 30 JULY 83

HIGHEST CHART POSITION : 4

Number of Weeks : 11

 FRONT COVER

"Pack your bags and leave tonight".

Club Tropicana was released July 23, 1983 on Innervision Records.

The song, which had been actually been written about two years earlier, was a mild departure from Wham!'s previous singles, which had all been motivated by social or political issues.  It came in for criticism from people who perceived the lyrics as a move into the pop mainstream : writing escapist lyrics about the glamorous life rather thatn everyday experiences.

Club Tropicana, however, was a satire of the boom for cheap package holidays for younger, single people of a hedonistic nature. It was specifically seen in the UK as a swipe at the very popular Club 18-30 scheme.

MUSIC VIDEO

A memorable video was made at Pikes Hotel in Ibiza, with scenes of George and Andrew on the beach, making eyes at bikini-clad girls played by their backing singers  Dee C.Lee and Shirlie Holliman.

The lyrical parody of Club Tropicana was intended to be exaggerated by the video, which was luxuriosly shot in the sun-drenched Balearic Islands. Expanses of well-oiled flesh are on display around the poolside and George and Andrew frolic in the apparent lap of luxury, sporting deep suntans and sparkling white teeth. After various encounters between the Wham! boys and the backing girls, the foursome dress up in airline uniforms, thus dispelling any implications that they are actually rich jet setters. George jumps at the opportunity to fulfil a childhood ambition by becoming a pilot for the day.

All vocals : George Michael

Drums : Trevor Morell

Bass : Dion Estes

Guitars : Andrew Ridgeley

Keyboards : Tommy Eyre

Percussion : Andy Duncan

Horns : Ian Ritchie / Roddy Lorimer (Arranged by Ritchie / Michael)

 

The song was released in July 1983 and peaked at #4 in the UK, going on to become the 39th best selling single of 1983. It was the fourth and final single to be taken from the album Fantastic.

The B-side, Blue (Armed With Love), is a semi-instrumental dub track of higher quality than is generally expected for B-side material, and would not have been out of place on Fantastic. During their "Club Fantastic Tour" in late 1983 and in 1985 in China, they performed this song live, complete with sung verses, and the result was released on their 1986 U.S LP Music from the Edge of Heaven as well as the B-side of 1986's single release of Last Christmas.

7" BACK COVER

7" single

A. Club Tropicana — 4:29

B. Blue (Armed With Love) — 3:54

12" maxi

A. Club Tropicana — 4:29
B1. Blue (Armed With Love) — 3:54

B2. Club Tropicana (instrumental) — 3:31

7" Picture Disc (BACK)

7" Picture Disc (FRONT)

 

JAPANESE COVER (FRONT)

CLUB TROPICANA

(George Michael / Andrew Ridgeley)

Let me take you to the place
Where membership's a smiling face
Brush shoulders with the stars
Where strangers take you by the hand
And welcome you to wonderland
From beneath their panamas

Club Tropicana, drinks are free
Fun and sunshine - there's enough for everyone
All that's missing is the sea
But don't worry, you can suntan

Castaways and lovers meet

Then kiss in Tropicana's heat

Watch the waves break on the bay

Soft white sands, a blue lagoon

Cocktail time, a summer's tune

A whole night's holiday !

Club Tropicana, drinks are free

Fun and sunshine - there's enough for everyone

All that's missing is the sea

But don't worry, you can suntan !

Pack your bags

And leave tonight

Don't take your time

Gotta move your feet, don't you miss the flight !

Cool, cool, cool, cool

Club Tropicana, drinks are free

Fun and sunshine - there's enough for everyone

All that's missing is the sea

But don't worry, you can suntan !

Cool, cool, cool, cool