February 16, 1985, marked a pivotal moment in pop history.
On this day, “Careless Whisper” began a three-week reign at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. While the track cemented George Michael’s status as a generational talent, the story behind its rise involves a confusing credit dispute, a teenage bus ride, and a studio struggle that nearly ruined the song’s most famous hook.
The “Solo” Song That Wasn’t
In the UK, “Careless Whisper” was released as George Michael’s first solo single, signaling his eventual departure from Wham!. However, in the United States, the marketing strategy was different. American audiences were just getting to know the duo, so the single was credited to “Wham! featuring George Michael”.
This billing allowed the song to appear on the Wham! album Make It Big, ensuring the duo’s momentum didn’t stall while simultaneously setting up Michael for future solo stardom. The strategy worked. Billboard eventually named it the No. 1 song of 1985.
A Saxophone Nightmare
The song’s defining feature is its opening saxophone riff, but capturing that sound was a logistical disaster. Michael allegedly went through 10 different saxophone players who could not deliver the sound he heard in his head.
The 11th player, Steve Gregory, finally got the job, but even he struggled with the original key. To solve this, the engineer slowed the tape down, allowing Gregory to record the solo a semitone lower. When they sped the tape back up, it created the sharp, unnatural saxophone tone that became one of the most recognizable sounds of the 1980s.
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Written on a Bus at 17
Despite the song’s mature themes of infidelity and guilt, Michael co-wrote the melody with bandmate Andrew Ridgeley when he was just 17 years old. He later revealed he composed the famous saxophone line in his head while handing money to a bus conductor on his way to work as a cinema usher.
Michael often expressed amusement at the song’s enduring legacy. In later interviews, he admitted he felt “puzzled” that a lyric he wrote so flippantly as a teenager connected so deeply with millions of people. He noted that while the production was sophisticated, the lyrics were “naive” and lacked the emotional depth of his later work.
A Lasting Legacy
“Careless Whisper” did more than top the charts. It became a cultural touchstone, covered by artists ranging from Seether to Bananarama. It proved that George Michael was capable of producing timeless standards before he even became an adult.
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