Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

7" : EPIC A4440

12" : EPCTA 1440

CHARTED : 26 MAY 84

HIGHEST CHART POSITION : 1

Number of Weeks : 16

FRONT COVER

Artwork Peter Saville / Photography Trevor Key

"It's cold out there, but it's warm in bed, they can dance, we'll stay home instead."

By the spring of 1984, Wham! were free from their contract  with Innnervision — but also broke. They had lost a case concerning the validity of their contract with Innervision, been forced to buy their way out of the contract, and eventually signed a much better deal with CBS subsidiary, Epic. George was busy writing material for a new album, and their next single, Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, was released in May.
 
Michael's inspiration for the song was a scribbled note left by his Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley for Andrew's parents, originally intended to read "wake me up before you go" but with "up" accidentally written twice, so Ridgeley wrote "go" twice on purpose. The song heralded the beginning of a softer, sunnier image for Wham!, who had spent the previous year as a moodier, more politically themed duo, with songs about unemployment, young marriage, and battles of will between parents and their children. With the release of Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, they re-emerged with wider smiles, more colourful clothing, and a more positive disposition in interviews.

Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go entered the UK singles chart at number four — after much hype from the duo claiming they would go straight in at number one, which was a rare occurrence then — and climbed to the top seven days later, dislodging Duran Duran ('The Reflex') from the N°1 spot. Its stay at the top was short-lived — two weeks — being replaced by Frankie Goes To Hollywood's 'Two Tribes' ( a single that was enjoying the start of a nine-week sojourn at the top of the charts) but the singles market in the U.K. at that time was extremely buoyant, and the single continued to sell in vast quantities — and mainly to new fans — for many weeks, solding 700,000 copies.

In the autumn, Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go reached the Billboard Hot 100 in America, finally climbing to the top in November.

MUSIC VIDEO

The music video, essentially the duo performing (it also introduced Ridgeley as a guitar player for the band) to a teenage audience, was memorable for the clothes, which became a lasting sartorial image for the 1980s as a decade. 

Having decided to go for a more accessible dance video, Wham! invited hundreds of fans to be extras in this athletic promo with the sole proviso that they came dressed in white, wearing fluorescent accessoires. The colourful effect perfectly accompanies the song's infectious appeal, with a dramatic change to ultraviolet light towards the climax of the song. 

Pop's prime moment occurs when George hugs himself with his Day-Glo yellow fingerless gloves and rolls his eyes skywards in a smarmy attempt at seduction: 'It's cold out there / But it's warm in bed / They can dance / We'll stay home instead'.

Michael and Ridgeley, plus backing singers Pepsi and Shirlie, along with motor trade Guru Peter (Froudy) Froud, were wearing Katharine Hammet T-shirt  designs which said "CHOOSE LIFE" (originally a slogan targeted at drug abuse and suicide) and "GO GO", which became much sought-after fashion items of the year. Michael was also seen in luminous gloves, which he later bemoaned as the clip of him always picked out by advertisers whenever Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go went on to a compilation album. 

The video, directed by Andy Morahan, was filmed at the Carling Academy Brixton in London.

7" single

A. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go — 3:51

B. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (Instrumental) — 4:03

12" maxi

A. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go — 3:51
B1. A Ray Of Sunshine (Specially recorded for 'The Tube') — 4:58

B2. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (Instrumental) — 4:03

THE 'CHOOSE LIFE' T-SHIRT

Katharine Hamnett's original 'CHOOSE LIFE' T-shirt brought her worldwide fame. It was her biggest seller in the eighties.

'CHOOSE LIFE' first appeared in a Buddhist exhibition that Lynne Franks, of Ab Fab fame, hosted. 
The 'CHOOSE LIFE' T-shirt embodies an all-encompassing statement about ideal behaviour.

'CHOOSE LIFE was relevant then. 
CHOOSE LIFE is even more relevant now.
CHOOSE LIFE is a message forever.
CHOOSE LIFE over WAR.
CHOOSE LIFE over DESERTS.
CHOOSE LIFE over EXTINCTION.
CHOOSE LIFE over everything you do'

WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO-GO

(George Michael)

Jitterbug

You put the boom-boom into my heart

You send my soul sky high when your lovin' starts

Jitterbug into my brain

Goes a bang-bang-bang 'til my feet do the same

But something's bugging you

Something ain't right

My best friend told me what you did last night

Left me sleepin' in my bed

I was dreaming, but I should have been with you instead

Wake me up before you go-go

Don't leave me hanging on like a yo-yo

Wake me up before you go-go

I don't want to miss it when you hit that high

Wake me up before you go-go

'Cause I'm not plannin' on going solo

Wake me up before you go-go

Take me dancing tonight

I wanna hit that high (yeah, yeah)

You take the grey skies out of my way

You make the sun shine brighter than Doris Day

Turned a bright spark into a flame

My beats per minute never been the same

'Cause you're my lady, I'm your fool

It makes me crazy when you act so cruel

Come on, baby, let's not fight

We'll go dancing, everything will be all right

 

Wake me up before you go-go

Don't leave me hanging on like a yo-yo

Wake me up before you go-go

I don't want to miss it when you hit that high

Wake me up before you go-go

'Cause I'm not plannin' on going solo

Wake me up before you go-go

Take me dancing tonight

I wanna hit that high (yeah, yeah, baby)

(Jitterbug)

(Jitterbug)

Cuddle up, baby, move in tight

We'll go dancing tomorrow night

It's cold out there, but it's warm in bed

They can dance, we'll stay home instead

U.K Front Cover with FREE POSTER

7" U.K Back Cover

12" U.K Back Cover

The 12" single includes a new version of A Ray Of Sunshine,

specially recorded for "The Tube"

7" U.S Front Cover

7" Brazilian Front Cover

7" Japanese Front Cover

7" Japanese Back Cover

7" Japanese Front Cover (Style B)