7" : Innervision IVL A2442
12" : Innervision IVL A 132442CHARTED : 15 JAN 83
HIGHEST CHART POSITION : 8
Number of Weeks : 12
"I am a man, job or no job you can't tell me that I'm not"
Wham! Rap (Enjoy What You Do), released in June 1982, was the pair's debut single. Credited to Panos/Ridgeley (ie George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley), it was produced by Bob Carter on the Innervision label.
George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley first met at Bushey Health Comprehensive in Hertfordshire. Their first group, The Executive, was a five-piece outfit playing ska. However, by November 1979, it was too late to hop on the 2-Tone bandwagon - plus George was keen to see out his 'O' levels before hitting the road. Their friendship survived Andrew's departure to sixth form college, whilst George stayed on at school to study for his 'A's. After school, the duo were unable to find permanent jobs, although Andrew worked occasionally as a dee-jay in pubs around Watford, and - when they could afford it, they went nightclubbing, enjoying the emergence of the electro-pop scene.
The idea of Wham! was germinating, and January 1982 saw the unemployed duo pooling their ressources to buy enough studio time to record a demo tape, which included their recently penned Wham! Rap. George took lead vocals and played bass, whilst Andrew played guitar and programmed the drum machine.
That spring, a copy of the demo tape found its way to the youthful Mark Dean, previously with Phonogram and now director of a new record company, Innervision. Dean was sufficiently impressed to sign up the group and released Wham! Rap (Enjoy What You Do) as their first single in June.
The song was based on their experience of being, in Andrew's words : "on the dole for about a year, trying to scrape some money together - but finding that a lot of musiciens were in the same position. In fact finding that it wasn't bad after all".
The song was explicitly political and indeed revolutionary. It flew in the face of the conventional British Left-wing who were talking about the 'Right to work' at the time. But, in a capitalist economy, the 'Right to work' is only the right to be exploited by the bosses.
Although rap was still an underground and almost exclusively american phenomenon in the early 1980s, the title of the song didn't lie - George rapped a number of verses about the joys of living every day to the fullest, which meant that being gainfully employed was not an option, and 'having fun with the boys down the (welfare) line'. The chorus asked the question "Do you enjoy what you do?", which brought about the bracketed section of the title.
David Austin and Paul Ridgeley (Andrew's brother) added backing vocals.
David Austin and Paul Ridgeley (Andrew's brother) added backing vocals.
The single was popular in clubs and discos, but was passed over by the BBC (The first and only DJ to play it on BBC Radio was Peter Powell), who were concerned at the group's advocation of "fun on the dole", oblivious of the tongue-and-cheek nature of the lyrics. For the same reason, the song won Wham! some useful, albeit short-lived credibility with the 'heavier' end of the music press (but was chosen by the music paper Sounds as its single of the week).
Wham! Rap (Enjoy What You Do) could reach only #105 in the UK chart.
After the duo had achieved their breakthrough with Young Guns (Go For It), the song was re-issued in January 1983.
Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do) - the full version of which was almost seven minutes long - reached #8 in the UK Singles Chart, the second of four hits from Wham!'s debut album Fantastic.
Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do) - the full version of which was almost seven minutes long - reached #8 in the UK Singles Chart, the second of four hits from Wham!'s debut album Fantastic.
MUSIC VIDEO
The promo clip accompanying Wham!'s re-released debut single shows George and Andrew as rebellious teenagers in their leather jackets, defying their parent's wishes and enjoying life on the dole. George's ponytailed strut and the depiction of 'Mr Average' are as hilariously dated as the boys' stonewashed, three quarter length jeans. Shirlie and D.C Lee make an early appearance pair-dancing with the boys, and the gross caricature of the parents combine to make a lively, gently alternative video. Note that George cheekily shows off his leather-clad bottom for first time!
ORIGINAL RELEASE (1982)
7" single
A. Wham! Rap — 3:30
B. Wham! Rap (Club Mix) — 4:02
12" maxi-single
A. Wham! Rap (Unsocial Mix) — 6:36
B. Wham! Rap (Social Mix) — 6:46
12" U.S promo maxi-single (remix by François Kevorian)
A. Wham! Rap (Vocal) — 6:58
B. Wham! Rap (Instrumental) — 6:03
RE-RELEASE (1983)
7" single
A. Wham! Rap (Special U.S Re-Mix) — 3:28
B. Wham! Rap (Club Re-Mix) — 3:10
12" maxi-single
A. Wham! Rap (Special U.S Re-Mix) — 6:43
B. Wham! Rap (Club Re-Mix) — 3:33
WHAM RAP (ENJOY WHAT YOU DO)
(George Michael - credited as "Panos" / Andrew Ridgeley)
Produced by Bob Carter
note : following lyrics are taken from the "unsocial mix"
note : following lyrics are taken from the "unsocial mix"
You got soul on the dole
You're gonna have a good time down on the line
You got soul on the dole
You're gonna have a good time down on the line
I said get
Get
Get on down
I said get
Get get get on down
Hey everybody take a look at me,
I've got street credibility,
I may not have a job,
But I have a good time,
With the boys that I meet "down on the line"
I said D.H.S.S. - man
The rhythm that they're givin' is the very best
I said b-one b-two - make the claims on your names all you have to do
Well
Folks can be a drag if work ain't your bag
And when you let them know
You're more dead than alive in a nine to five
Then they say you'd got to go
And get yourselves a job or get out of this house
Get yourself a job are you a man or a mouse ?
A finger in each ear you pretend not to hear
Gotta get some space get out of this place
WHAM! BAM!
I AM! A MAN!
JOB OR NO JOB,
YOU CAN'T TELL ME THAT I'M NOT
DO! YOU!
ENJOY WHAT YOU DO?
IF NOT, JUST STOP!
DON'T STAY THERE AND ROT!
In the streets in the cars on the underground
If you listen real hard you can hear the sound
Of a million people switching off for work
Well listen Mr. Average you're a jerk
Not me - you can't hold me down
Not me - I'm gonna fool around
Gonna have some fun
Look out for number one
You can dig your grave
I'm staying young
IF YOU'RE A PUB MAN
OR A CLUB MAN
MAYBE A JET BLACK GUY WITH A HIP HI-FI
A WHITE COOL CAT WITH A TRILBY HAT
MAYBE LEATHER AND STUDS IS WHERE YOU'RE AT
MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY DAY
DON'T LET HARD TIMES STAND IN YOUR WAY
GIVE A WHAM GIVE A BAM BUT DON'T GIVE A DAMN
COS THE BENEFIT GANG ARE GONNA PAY!
Now reach up high and touch your soul,
The boys from Wham! will help you reach that goal
It's gonna break your mama's heart (so sad)
It's gonna break your daddy's heart (too bad)
But you'll throw the dice and take my advice,
Because I know that you're smart.
Can you dig this thing? - YEAH!
Are you gonna get down? - YEAH!
Say Wham! - WHAM!
Say Bam! - BAM!
7" Back Cover (1982 European Release)
12" Front Cover (1982 European Release)
12" Back Cover (1982 European Release)
12" U.S Label (Kevorkian Mix - Promo Only)
7" U.K Back Cover (1983 Re-release - Style A)
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