The points of discussion:
1) Do you love it or hate it?
2) Does it bring back memories?
3) Any relevant experiences involving the song?
4) What do you think the song is about?
Careless Whisper:
"Careless Whisper", under Fred Bronson's survey of Hot 100 Hits, is George's biggest hit in America. Spending 3 weeks on the top and going platinum, it was a worldwide #1 hit. Three weeks at #1 on both the US and UK charts. George wrote this song when he was in his teens. I personally think this song has a great melody and is a perfect pop ballad. The saxophone in the background really adds the vibe for the song. Don't we all love this song? Let's hear your comments!
Careless Whisper on the Charts:
UK: #1 (3 weeks)
US: #1 (3 weeks)
(name) Tony Balogh
(email) [email protected]
I find it absolutely amazing how he wrote this song. He was on a bus and the saxophone melody appeared in hs head. He was writing the music down as fast as he could.
And the lyrics? Because he worked at a movie theatre, he had seen all of the romantic imagery used over and over again. He decided to write about the common visions that were inspired (in a loose sense of the word) by these movies. He claims that the song is filled with cliches and that there is no emotional attachment to the song. If you think about it, writing a song like this is pretty silly.
This is true talent. I can listen to any rendition of this song and enjoy it, whether it be MIDI, instrumental, full, short, etc. I wonder what it would be like to hear something like that long before you can play it or write it down?
(name) Theresa
(email) [email protected]
I think Careless Whisper is one of the best songs from George Michael. Is Andrew Ridgeley shown in the video to Careless Whisper and why did Wham! break up?
(name) Mark
(email) [email protected]
bryan
careless whisper has to be my favourite g.m. song,and to have written it so young was amazing.
george once said that he wants to leave his mark in history with a song, well this has to be it.
as far as memories go back in 84/85 i had just started to date my future wife and just got my drivers
licence. the video for this song could have been better in as much as the story doesn't really match
the song, but it was still a hit and that is all that matters.
mark
(name) Chantilly
(email) [email protected]
Never much cared for the Wham era-ed GM - Aside from "A Different Corner", I found most of the WHAM! songs way too "light" , "Baby, Baby" and "Yeah-Yeah". Flame me if you want to but such is my opinion. As far as the "Careless Whispers" song is concerned, I tend to agree with GM's sister in calling it "Tuneless Whimper" ;-) The only part of the song I remember liking is/was the sax solo. As far as George himself was concerned, like many at the time, I considered him to be nothing short of an air-head with an inflatable ego to match; A musical "Flash-in-the-Pan" of sorts.
Matter of fact, I "met" George a few times during this WHAM!/post-WHAM!/pre-solo career era. I say "met" because though we were in the same room (at some of the Awards/private parties-shing-dings things), we never spoke. More than he'll ever know, I wasn't interested in him or his material at that time. Actually, we (my date and I) were more interested by "serious" artists such as Elton John (et al) and carried a lengthy, enjoyable and intelligent conversation with none other than Phil Collins, among others of the like.
Personally, I was pleasantly surprised by GM's talent as a composer during his solo career. His first solo album's ("Faith") tracks, "Hand to Mouth" (Which spoke of the poor and society's indifference to their plight), "Faith" (Which encouraged people to think differently, developing more "faith" in themselves and in their future), "Monkey" (Which spoke of a drug addicted mate who kept on making empty promises) really impressed me. I was also electrified by the strong, stand alone, musical score of "I want your sex".
Being a lyricist, I tend to first look at the lyrical contents/value of a song, the musical score accompanying it and then the overall impact a given song has/may have on our society. Again, flame me if you want to but in my opinion, a song which does nothing to attempt to improve/create an awareness of some kind, on some important issue is, to me, nothing short but a waste of talent and time.
The Gift of Music (Writing/Composing) is God-Given. When one is fortunate enough to finally be "heard" by the masses, one should use this chance responsibly, to convey important "messages". Many, in the past, have used their talents to such ends, including George. Hence, I could say that, in short, any artist who lends his/her fabulous talent to causes of importance (Such as AIDS, Racism, Poverty, Anti-Drugs, Homelessness, et al) is well worth my (and other's) adulation. WHAM!, as far as I remember, did nothing like this, which is probably why, despite their world-known fame, their material failed to "attract" my senses and earn my respect. Again, flame me if you want, so long as you know I'm just being honest.
Of course, I'm not saying that ALL songs written/composed by a given artist SHOULD be created and/or presented in that format but it's nice to see artists such as George, Elton John, Phil Collins, and Michael Jackson (to name but a few) use their gift for the benefit of others. Such is, in my opinion, the most self-less gift one can make.
Then again, it is only and just MY opinion but I do feel strongly about it and felt the need to share it with you while inviting you all, by the same token, to visit my page at;
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/1961 or click http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/1961/#songs To get to Blindheart Music faster.
To view what exactly it is I mean by "responsibility", refer to George's "Hand to Mouth", Phil Collins' "Another Day", Michael Jackson's "The Man in the Mirror" (etc) or... Just click on one of the following, which are some of my own, yet unpublished, songs:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/1961/pilots.html A Pilot's Prayer A song about the urgency of Peace.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/1961/place.html
A place called Home - A song about Homelessness, Racism, and Hope
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/1961/dont.html
Don't give up- A song of Hope, considering Teenage Suicide
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/1961/dontw.html
Don't wanna be like them - A song depicting society's indifference to the Poor and Afflicted
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/1961/ihave.html
I have a Dream - A dedicace, against War and Racism, to Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/1961/it.html
It didn't show - A song about Teenage Suicide, a desperate attempt to get teenagers to TALK to their parents about their problems.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/1961/laugh.html
Laugh On - A song of Hope for the Poor
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/1961/winds.html
Winds (Wings) of War - A song against War... A prayer for Peace
Sorry this post was so long but I hope some of you will have gotten something out of it, no matter how little or insignificant what I have tried to bring you may seem. The least I hope for, in this lengthy post, is that SOME of you (and there are many talented people in our pool) will use some of their own talents to the benefit of others some day. Regardless.....Peace to all!
Love, xxx Chantilly
(name) Jaime
(email) [email protected]
I think I'm probably the only George fan who doesn't really like Careless Whisper. What kind of fan am I, anyway? ;p When I first heard the song, I didn't like it and I didn't like the video. I thought it was horrible that George cheated on the first woman--but it's just a video. :) Even though it's musically great and George sounds great, it's not one of my faves.
I don't have any romantic/relationship experiences involving the song, but this question brought back the strangest memory. In '94, a friend and I were in this competition where we got to go to San Francisico for a long weekend and compete at Nationals. It was cool and we did well...It was *the* best weekend! But when I got on the plane in Chicago to fly home to Michigan, the sax line from CW popped into my head. I remember looking out the window at the traffic below (very pretty at night) and just feeling really sad with the sax line playing over and over. I don't know why I felt that way, cos everything was perfect. I guess it was just fitting music for the end of a great weekend. :)
-Jaime
(name) Anne
(email) [email protected]
I actually went thru my entire childhood thinking this song was called 'I�m never gonna dance again'. And I actually went thru these yrs thinking it was released after the break-up with Wham!.
I have to say this is the biggest lovesong ever written, the biggest classic of the 80es. This will probably always be the most known George Michael song. Even today, 13 yrs later, it is still the most played song of his. Why? Because it has what a classic needs, there is nothing typical about it. It could be a song recorded today. It still lasts. And imagine he wrote it 17 yrs ago!!
Even though it�s not his personal favorite it is one of mine. The beginning and the way the song itself is so 'big'. And the longer version off 'Make it big', I love that beginning too.
The video is great fun to watch. He is so young and she is so young and it looks exactly like a scene taken out of Miami Vice. Still it�s one of my favorites, because there�s a story in it.
I am 100% sure this will appear on his Greatest Hits. He cannot leave it out because he doesn�t personally like it. I hope he will perform it at the tour next year. I hope he can spare us five minutes with this song, he could atleast enjoy seing the crowd going crazy.
So even if he disagrees, we will always love 'Careless Whisper'.
Anne
(name) Lisa Holmes
(email) [email protected]
I'm a sucker for ballads so of course 'Careless Whisper' is up there with my other favourites. The thought that comes into my head whenever I hear this song is the clip from the Wham In China video. He's wearing a white suit with a bare chest underneath (from memory) and his voice is devine.
I just melt hearing it ...and for that matter thinking about it!!
Take care
Lisa
(name) Tania
(email) [email protected]
CARELESS WHISPER
Oh, what can't I remember about that song, for me not only is it my
favorite but the BEST song ever of all time (not just a GM song but an
ALLTIME fav). memories: so many and so much. Almost anything can be said
about what the song's contents are in terms of romance, lust and the
intimate feelings one has when in LOVE. It is sad to know that for GM it
doesn't mean as much as it does to all of us. Or even the fact that he
doesn't even want to sing anymore. For me the song itself has become a part
of me, ever since I heard the first time. I remember when I saw the
video, my god I feel in love !!!! And until today I still believe I am !! I
felt as if it were ME who George was singing to and it was I who was going
to come back running to his arms when he pleaded "please stay"..........I
think I cried, I was really young and I didn't have a clue love could hurt
so much but then neither did George.
Before this song I had always 'liked' GM but since Careless Whisper I knew I was hooked. I have been and will continue to be amazed at such great & wonderful lyrics, talented musical atributions and powerful yet sensual voice. What else can I say : YOU ARE AWESOME George Michael and thank you for your creation.
With love,
Tania
(name) Bryan
(email) [email protected]
I haven't commented on the Song of the Week choices but I decided to reply in general to the posts I have read and particulary to Tilly, who I agree with in most degrees. Sorry, this is lengthy.
Me, as a listener of music, I have two basic moods. Sometimes, I feel the need for music that can give me something lyrically, other times I can listen to no-brain music like "Wannabe" and enjoy it. This is why I don't like to shoot down pop music. We certainly need a bit of humor and fun in our music. That's what's so good about what's out there: variety. I find lots of people insulting the Spice Girls or other poppier, less serious bands. But why do so? They are good fun music and I do find myself enjoying it, sometimes as much as I enjoy serious music. Which is why I still pick up Wham! records these days. If I feel fun, I'll put on some of these songs, if I feel I need something more serious, I'll play LWP. This is the same with my favorite singer, Madonna. If I feel like I need something fun, I'll put on "Material Girl", if not, it will be something like "Erotica". I like these singers for the different moods they portray and their different vibes, so I don't like to target any brainless pop song and shoot it down.
I'm sure all of us have had our moods where we're actually listening to the Spice Girls or any other pop music so I find it pathetic for people who go around insulting them because I know most of them have the "Spice" CD. Same with Wham! in the 80's. No one really took them seriously, and lots of people dissed them. I bet a sizable portion of these people had the "Make It Big" CD. I hope you get my point. You can go up on the street and have a survey of who likes the Spice Girls and probably 90 percent of them will say "yuck" but they actually have the "Spice" CD and they hate to love some of their songs. Why stay in denial, I think?
Personally I think "Careless Whisper" is a beautiful song. It's melody is perfect, making it a perfect pop ballad that doesn't just go away. It's a classic, in other words and I agree that if there is one song George is remembered for, it's this one. It's his anthem, basically. I loved this since childhood and it's one of those songs that stay in your head forever.
However, I do see this song as something particularly, tailored for mainstream. I say this because listening to it now, it doesn't give the listener much. I can relate to George who doesn't think much of this song now. It is so fitting of his Wham! days. Everything was for fun and for pop and for some extra cash. I see why people don't like this song though. It seemed so serious yet so insincere. I do see this as a song George wrote so it would become a big hit and it did. What's so bad about that? It has helped make George more well known and it's these annoying meaningless pop songs that have made him so famous, enabling him to do his own, more serious, stuff and still make him a valid asset to his company.
There is a lot of talent out there, but the reason they don't want to become mainstream is because they have to sacrifice their artistical integrity. In some points, George is still very mainstream. You listen to a song like "Fastlove" and he needs songs like these to stay up there. I do believe he's a great songwriter but they all need "mainstream, brainless" songs to stay up there and stay recording and stay famous, as we'd like them to be.
I mean, we've heard so many "My heart is broken" songs. Most of them do very well on the charts and basically, people like Mariah Carey, write for mainstream. I am glad George got out of that. It shows the growth of an artist, and as I told people who diss Madonna's "Material Girl" years, it was a stepping stone. It's these experiences that have made the George we see today and the music we hear today. Lots of people relate to love, which is why it's such a common topic and it's very mainstream.
Well, my point is basically that I understand why some people dislike "Careless Whisper" and at the same time, that people should understand the function of these songs. I'm sorry I said so much. I hope you understand these ramblings.
Bryan
(name) Chitra
(email) [email protected]
Dear Bryan, sorry if it's a belated comment. This is my first comment about the song of the week. I love it, I love it very much. Careless Whiper has been my favourite song since I was 13 up until now. I love the lyric, the music, and the sax. I always like it. It's one of the greatest love song ever written. Thanks
(name) Jewel
(email) [email protected]
hmm... Careless Whisper... well, to be honest, it's no longer one of my favourite songs, but like many of us, this song was ... (ahem... no pun intended) instrumental in turning me on to George's music. But there is one thing I'd like to say about this song. Earlier this year I got my hands on a video - Motown Returns to the Apollo. This program aired on tv in the 80s was a showcase for black soul, r&b and jazz musicians - only about 3 or 4 white musicians were invited - George was one of them. When I watched this show, and knowing that George was just starting out on an independent career (Careless Whisper was new at the time)... well, I think it's a very important statement when G gets up there to perform with the likes of Smokie Robinson & Stevie Wonder... and George was only... what? 22? George sang a duet with Smokie, the song.... Careless Whisper.
(name) Richard
(email) [email protected]
I understand (I am new here) the subject is Careless Whisper... Now I have 27 CD's(singles/albums) and GM songs...but I do not have this song on CD. Of course it is because of the introduction of the CD came later. But I do not have it on a compilation album either. I do have the vinyl single but I don't have a record player any more... BUT.. Careless whisper is a song I recognize the most, when I hear it I automatically sing the lyrics. Despite of my missing CD material I know the song very well.
You are all discussing about it, one says it is great and is having many memories and the other thinks it is not artistic enough and too commercial. It doesn't really mather what you think about it, as long as a song is "touching" one's feeling in any way it is succeeded. In this case careless whisper is a great song according me.
I hope these lines aren't full with nonsensel according you....
Greetz,
Richard
(name) Michele
(email) [email protected]
I LOVE IT! Careless Whisper is and will always be my favorite song of all time. I have loved this song from the day I heard it playing over the intercom at the local mall at the age of 11. The video is a classic too, of course. Though it does evoke much jealousy -- don't we all wish we could be Lisa Stahl?? I don't blame her for fainting during their bedroom scene, I know I would have! I think it's pretty obvious what the song is about, George's experience cheating on his steady girlfriend. This song just makes me love him even more though -- how many other guys do you know that would be willing to openly admit such a mistake, and feel such resentment for it? The song is not only my favorite song, but "my song" with my boyfriend. Though he does not like GM -- because he knows that he is my one true fantasy -- he played this song during our first date to set the mood for a candelit picnic on the balcony. I could go on forever, but the bottom line is that this song is wonderful.
(name) Gemma
(email) [email protected]
Careless Whisper. (I hope this doesn't come too late)
I just find so... amazing yeah, and funny somehow that he was able to write such a song, which has become a classic (maybe with the little help of the saxophone), when he was only seventeen and, even the fact that he wasn't really writing about his feelings, as he has told so many times,(and he makes it sound so credible when he sings it) I think makes nothing but proving his talent, because I imagine it must be easier to write about something you do feel... though on the other hand it seems he found hard during the making of Older to put words to his feelings, so I don't really know... I know nothing really about writing music. I just know this is the kind of songs where there isn't much margin for interpretations or misinterpretations... and I personally prefer the 'interactive' songs, you know... which make me think in some ways. ;o)
Gemma.
(name) Catalin Florean
(email) [email protected]
Yes!
George Michael's "Careless Whisper" is one of the best songs.
I have a question, where can I get a midi version of it?
Catalin Florean,
Bucharest, Romania
(from Bryan: You can download George's midis in this cool site. Of course, you can find "Careless Whisper: http://www.bway.net/~ffigure/Gmichael.htm)
(name) jorge rojas arbona
(email) [email protected]
Im new to the club so I won't take long. I've been reading GNOTES since I
sign up and this is the first time I write. My subject is that GM told Mtv
interviewers that Carless Whispers was a song he wouldn't sing again ever.
Also that he wrote it when he was just a teen or something and that it
didn't have any sense anymore. Those were not his words, but that was the
idea. What do you think?
I think different about that song since.
jll
(from Bryan: Never found it sincere from the beginning, but indeed I don't think as highly of it anymore)