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Whan!: Fantastic

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Innervision Records
Released: 1983
Time:
 36:42
Category: Pop
Producer(s): See Artists ...
Rating: ****...... (4/10)
Media type: CD
Web address: www.georgemichael.com
Appears with: George Michael
Purchase date: 2001.09.15
Price in €: 3,99



 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Bad Boys (G.Michael) - 3:19
[2] Ray of Sunshine (G.Michael) - 4:43
[3] Love Machine (W.Moore/W.Griffin) - 3:19
[4] Wham Rap! [Enjoy What You Do] (G.Michael/A.Ridgeley) - 6:41
[5] Ray of Sunshine [Instrumental Remix] (G.Michael) - 5:39
[6] Love Machine [Instrumental Remix] (W.Moore/W.Griffin) - 3:28
[7] Club Tropicana (G.Michael/A.Ridgeley) - 4:28
[8] Nothing Looks the Same in the Light (G.Michael) - 5:53
[9] Come On (G.Michael) - 4:24
[10] Young Guns [Go for It] (G.Michael) - 3:55
[11] Nothig Looks the Same in the Light [Instrumental Remix] (G.Michael) - 6:35

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


GEORGE MICHAEL - Vocals, Background Vocals, Producer
ANDREW RIDGELEY - Guitar

CHRIS HUNTER - Horn
ANNE DUDLEY - Keyboards
JESS BAILEY - Keyboards
GUY BARKER - Horn
GRAHAM BROAD - Drums
BOB CARTER - Keyboards, Producer on [4]
JIMMY CHAMBERS - Background Vocals
GEORGE CHANDLER - Background Vocals
PAUL COX - Horn
GEOFF DALEY - Horn
MARTIN DROVER - Horn
ANDY DUNCAN - Percussion, Drums
TOMMY EYRE - Keyboards
COLIN GRAHAM - Horn
JOSIE JAMES - Background Vocals
LUIS JARDIM - Percussion
KATIE KISSOON - Background Vocals
BRAD LANG - Bass
STEVIE LANGE - Background Vocals
D.C. LEE - Background Vocals
RODDY LORIMER - Horn
JOHN MACKENZIE - Bass
IAIN MACKINTOSH - Horn
SYLVIA MASON - Background Vocals
TONY MORONI - Percussion
TREVOR MURRELL - Drums
IAN RITCHIE - Horn
ROBERT AHWAI - Guitar
LINDA HAYES - Background Vocals
DAVE MORTIMER - Shouts
PAUL RIDGELEY - Guitar, Shouts
TONY JACKSON - Background Vocals
RAOUL - Horn

STEVE BROWN - Producer
CHRIS CRAYMER - Photography
JANUSZ GUTTNER - Photography

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


1983 CD Columbia CK-38911
1983 LP Innervision 25328
1983 CS Columbia FCT-38911



Fantastic is the misguided 1983 debut release from the U.K. duo Wham. With Fantastic, George Michael and partner Andrew Ridgeley introduced themselves as leather jacket-clad, street-smart "rebels." This approach proved wildly popular in the U.K., where Fantastic was a Top Ten hit, but the album went largely unnoticed in the States. Fantastic is now notable only for its early appearance of Michael, who would become an international superstar by the mid-'80s. While Fantastic showcases the young (20 at the time of the album's release) George Michael's ability to craft engaging, hook-filled melodies, much of the material on Fantastic suffers from the duo's pretentious, tough-guy posturing. The empty funk of the U.K. hits "Bad Boys," "Young Guns (Go For It)," and the embarrassing "Wham Rap" barely registers, and Michael's smart-alecky, self-conscious lyrics are often unintentionally hilarious. Although Michael eventually became well known as a reasonably successful emulator of R&B trends, neither these tunes nor Fantastic's stupefying remake of the Miracles' "Love Machine" give any indication of his abilities. At best, Fantastic can be viewed as a testament to George Michael's maturity. "Nothing Looks the Same in the Light" and "Club Tropicana," two of Fantastic's best tunes, lean toward the lush, adult pop of Michael's later solo work. These songs are ultimately more successful than the juvenile meanderings of "Bad Boys" and "Wham Rap." Fortunately, Michael and Ridgeley would later ditch the superficial, leather-jacketed approach for the more sophisticated pop of later Wham releases like "Everything She Wants" and "Freedom" (both from 1984's Make It Big) and "The Edge of Heaven" (from 1986's Music From the Edge of Heaven), finding major U.S. success in the process. Fantastic isn't a good album, but it's oddly entertaining. It's certainly interesting hearing the difference between the frothy Fantastic and Michael's later, "serious" solo work like Listen Without Prejudice and Older. And Fantastic is also good for a few chuckles. Unfortunately, that probably wasn't George Michael's intention. But even he might get a good laugh out of it.

William Cooper
All-Music Guide, © 1992 - 2001 AEC One Stop Group, Inc.



Wham perfectly captures the adolescent lifestyle-when, as teenagers (which they are), high-spirited fun is paramount yet you must begin to grapple with life's complications. The lyrics hit home: "Young Guns" concerns growing up and marriage, "Bad Boys" is about adolescent rebellion, "Wham Rap" displays both sides of the teenage dilemma: should I get a job or just have fun? What separates this album from the pack is the music: these tracks reach some staggeringly energetic highs by employing irresistible hooks, hot horns and dynamic rhythms. They even cover "Love Machine," certainly one of the most dynamic pop dance tracks ever. With a little push, this LP could be the hottest pop record of this summer.

College Media, Inc. - CMJ New Music Report Issue: 20 - Aug 01, 1983



I first heard Wham! U.K. while I was driving around Los Angeles listening to KROQ. The song "Young Guns" seemed exciting and sophisticated, especially when the singers cross-chanted "Get back! Hands off! Go for it!" It sounded like someone reading vanity license plates to a beat–maybe that's why it sounded so good in the car. At home, on the stereo or the Walkman, Fantastic, the British duo's first album, just sounded like brittle, tinny sub-Human League British technopop. For music that aspires to danceability, the album is surprisingly light-weight; it's bottomless funk, which seems odd for a record that devotes a whole song to the joys of a bass line ("A Ray of Sunshine"). Probably the biggest problem with Wham! is that the group lacks a really distinctive vocalist. George Michael's earnest whine is as synthetic and overly familiar as the cheap keyboards so prevalent nowadays. The only cut that really stands up is "Nothing Looks the Same in the Light," a lush, melodious, almost Bee Geeslike number, on which Michael (who writes most of the group's material with Andy Ridgely) plays all the instruments. Turn up Wham! when they come on the car radio, but remember: they won't sound the same anywhere else.

DON SHEWEY - RS 404
© Copyright 2001 RollingStone.com
 

 L y r i c s


BAD BOYS

Woo-woo
Dear mummy, Dear Daddy,
You had plans forme, I was your only son.
And long before this baby boy could count to three,
You knew just what he would become.
Run along to school,
No child of mine grows up a fool,
Run along to school.
When you tried to tell me what to do,
I just shut my mouth and smiled at you,
One thing that I know for sure

BAD BOYS
Stick together, never Sad Boys
GOOD GUYS
They made rules for fools, so get wise...

Dear Mummy, Dear Daddy,
Now I'm nineteen as you see,
I'm handsome, tall, and strong.
So what the hell gives you the right to look at me,
As if to say "Hell, what went wrong?"
Where were you last night?
You look as if you had a fight.
Where were you last night?
Well I think that you may just be right,
But don't try to keep me in tonight,
Because I'm big enough to break down the door.

BAD BOYS
Stick together, never Sad Boys
GOOD GUYS
They made rules for fools, so get wise...

Boys like you, are bad through and through.
Still, girls like me, always seem to be with you....
We can't help but worry,
You're in such a hurry,
Mixing with the wrong boys,
Playing with the wrong toys.
Easy girls,
And late nights,
Cigarettes, and love bites
Why do you have to be so cruel?
YOU'RE SUCH A FOOL

BAD BOYS
Stick together, never Sad Boys
GOOD GUYS
They made rules for fools, so get wise...


A RAY OF SUNSHINE

Move it move it, baby
Can't you see I'm ready to dance?
And I can't stop this rhythm in my heart.
Move it move it baby,
Can't you see I'm ready to dance?
Without this beat my life would fall apart.
Shuffle on your feet till the floor is hot,
Gonna make a lot of money,
Gonna break your heart.
Watch out boy, (watch out boy)
Shuffle on your feet till the floor is hot,
Gonna make a lot of money,
Gonna break your heart.

But I'm the only one with a key.
And that's me.

Sometimes,
You wake up in the morning with the bass line,
A Ray of Sunshine,
Sometimes,
You know today you're gonna have a good time,
And you're ready to go.

Move it move it baby
Can't you see I'm ready to dance?
And I can't keep my rhythm in my heart.
Move it move it baby,
Can't you see I'm ready to dance?
Without this beat my life would fall apart.
Shuffle to the beat,
Gonna take a cut,
There's money in your feet,
Gimme what you got.
Watch out boy, (watch out boy)
Suffle to the beat,
Gonna take a cut,
There's money in your feet,
Gonna stitch you up.

Any other boy that you see,
But not me.

Sometimes,
You wake up in the morning with the bass line,
A Ray of Sunshine,
Sometimes,
You know today you're gonna have a good time,
And you're ready to go.
Turn the music up,
Turn the music up, turn it up,
because it's all I've-
All that I've got.

Shuffle to the beat
Gonna take a cut,
There's money in your feet,
Gimme what you got.
Watch out boy, (watch out boy)
Suffle to the beat,
Gonna take a cut,
There's money in your feet,
Gonna stitch you up.

Sometimes,
You wake up in the morning with the bass line,
A Ray of Sunshine,
Sometimes,
You know today you're gonna have a good time,
And you're ready to go.


LOVE MACHINE

[Chorus:]
I'm just a love machine
And I won't work for nobody but you,
I'm just a love machine,
A huggin', kissin' friend.

I think it's high time you knew,
Whenever I think of you,
My mind blows a fuse.
When I look in you eyes,
My meter starts to rise, and I become confused.
My voltage regulator cools,
When I'm sitting next to you,
Electricity starts to flow,
And my indicator starts to glow - wooo

[Chorus]

Na, na na na na, na na na na, woo-woo-wooo
Na, na na na na, na na na na, na naaah

[Chorus]

I'm gentle as a lamb, I'm not that hard to program,
There's no way that you can lose,
My chassis fits like a glove,
I've got a button for love,
That you have got-to-use.
If you look into my file,
I am sure you can find out how,
To turn me on just set my dial,
And let me love you for a little while - ooh

[Chorus]
Na, na na na na, na na na na, woo-woo-wooo
Na, na na na na, na na na na, na naaah
[Chorus]


WHAM! RAP (ENJOY WAHT YOU DO)

[Chorus:]
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!

You got soul....
You got soul....
I said get, get, get on down,
Said 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, I - DON'T - NEED - YOU
So you don't approve,
Well who asked you to?
HEY - JERK - YOU - WORK
This boy's got better things to do
Hell,
I ain't never gonna work, get down in the dirt,
I choose, to cruise.
Gonna live my life, sharp as a knife,
I've found my groove and I just can't lose.
A.1. style from head to toe,
Cool cat flash gonna let you know,
I'm a soul boy - I'm a dole boy,
Take pleasure in leisure, I believe in joy!

[Chorus]

Party nights, and neon lights,
We hit the floors, we hit the heights.
Dancing shoes, and pretty girls.
Boys in leather kiss girls in pearls!
Hot-damn! Everybody, let's play!
So they promised you a good job - NO WAY!

One, two, three, rap!
C'mon everybody, DON'T NEED THIS CRAP!

[Chorus]

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!

[Chorus]

Do you want to work? - NO
Are you gonna have fun? - YEAH
Said one, two, three, rap, c'mon everybody,
DON'T NEED THIS CRAP!
ENJOY WHAT YOU DO?
Everybody say Wham! - WHAM!
Everybody say Wham! Bam! - WHAM! BAM!
ENJOY WHAT YOU DO?


CLUB TROPICANA

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...

[Chorus:]
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!

[Chorus]

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

[Chorus]

Cool, cool, cool, cool


NOTHING LOOKS THE SAME IN THE LIGHT

I watch you breathe, I cannot sleep,
I touch your hair, I kiss your skin,
And hope the morning sun won't wake you too soon.
For when you wake, and look at me,
You never know, you just might see,
Another boy who crept in your room...
Take your time...(that's what you told me),
Take your time...
But I fell head first, and I just don't know what to do.

[Chorus:]
Nothing looks the same in the light,
Only a fool like me would take to heart,
The things you said you meant last night.
Nothing looks the same in the light,
I'll keep my feet firm on the ground.
Nothing looks the same in the light,
There's danger in a stranger,
With a warm hand and a kiss so right.
Nothing looks the same in the light,
It's been a pleasure, - see you around...

I watch the sun, upon the sheets.
I hear a car, out on the street,
And gently pull you close, it's over too soon.
What can I do, but wait and see,
Hold on to you, please stay with me,
Because you're the first, and I want to stay here with you.


COME ON!

[Chorus:]
Come On, Everybody!
Get on, with your party!
And don't let nobody say you're wrong.
O.K.
So you've lost control,
But they'll never steal your soul
No way!
That they're gonna spoil your fun.

Greedy men, in far off places,
Don't be afraid to show your faces.
We know what you've done is wrong,
But clap your hands, and sing along now!
Don't even bother, to let us know,
When you flick the switch and stop the show,
Because the party has begun,
And we'll still be dancing, as-you-run-now!

[Chorus]

Oh no, don't think that I'm not scared,
Oh no, don't think that I'm prepared.
I just take each day as it comes,
Because it may - it may -,
It may be the last one!
I know they don't care about me,
I ain't got no money, ain't a V.I.P.
And I know they don't care about you,
You may - as well - enjoy your life like I do!
[Chorus]


YOUNG GUNS

Hey sucker
(What the hell's got into you?)
Hey sucker
(Now there's nothing you can do)

Well I hadn't seen your face around town awhile,
So I greeted you, with a knowing smile,
When I saw that girl upon your arm,
I knew she won your heart with a fatal charm.
I said "Soul Boy, let's hit the town!"
I said "Soul Boy, what's with the frown?"
But in return, all you could say was
"Hi George, meet my fiancee"

Young Guns,
Having some fun
Crazy ladies keep 'em on the run.
Wise guys realize there's danger in emotional ties.
See me, single and free
No tears, no fears, what I want to be.
One, two, take a look at you
Death by matrimony!

Hey sucker,
(What the hell's got into you?)
Hey sucker!
(Now there's nothing you can do.)

A married man? you're out of your head
Sleepless nights, on an H.P. bed
A daddy by the time you're twenty-one
If your happy with a nappy then you're in for fun.
But you're here
And you're there
Well there's guys like you just everywhere
Looking back on the good old days?
Well this young gun says CAUTION PAYS!

[Chorus:]
Young Guns,
Having some fun
Crazy ladies keep 'em on the run.
Wise guys realize there's danger in emotional ties.
See me, single and free
No tears, no fears, what I want to be.
One, two, take a look at you
Death by matrimony!

I remember when he such fun and everthing was fine,
I remember when we use to have a good time,
Partners in crime.
Tell me that's all in the past and I will gladly walk away,
Tell me that you're happy now,
Turning my back
Nothing to say!
"Hey tell this jerk to take a hike,
There's somethin' 'bout that boy I don't like"
"Well sugar he don't mean the things he said"
"Just get him outta my way, 'cause I'm seeing red
We got plans to make, we got things to buy
And you're wasting time on some creepy guy"
"Hey shut up chick, that's a friend of mine,
Just watch your mouth babe, you're out of line"

OoooooH!

GET BACK
HANDS OFF
GO FOR IT!

[Chorus]

 M P 3   S a m p l e s


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