"Careless Whisper" is a song by the English singer-songwriter George Michael, then part of the duo Wham!, and released as the second single from Wham!'s second album, Make It Big (1984). It was produced by Michael and written by him and his Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley. The single was credited to Michael as part of his transition to a solo career.
"Careless Whisper" is a contemporary pop song with R&B and soul influences. It features a saxophone part composed by Michael and played by Steve Gregory. Michael composed it as a teenager and recorded several versions, auditioning several saxophone players, before he was satisfied.
"Careless Whisper" topped the charts in the UK, the US, and several other countries. It is one of the best-selling songs of all time, selling more than eleven million copies, including seven million in the US. It has been covered by acts including Brian McKnight, Seether, Roger Williams, Kenny G, and Julio Iglesias.
Background
Michael wrote "Careless Whisper" on a bus at the age of 17, while he was travelling to his job as a DJ at a restaurant near Bushey, Hertfordshire. He worked on the song "in his head" for three months. Michael wrote in his autobiography, Bare, that he based the lyrics on events from his childhood. He said the lyrics were inspired by his experience of infidelity, imagining a situation in which his partner discovered him. He wrote, "'Careless Whisper' was us dancing, because we danced a lot, and the idea was – we are dancing... but she knows... and it's finished."
Andrew Ridgeley, Michael's bandmate in the pop group Wham!, wrote the chord sequence on the Fender Telecaster he received for his 18th birthday, with Michael singing the saxophone line. The pair worked on the song at Michael's family home in Radlett, and the basement flat in Peckham, where Ridgeley was living.
Michael and Ridgeley recorded the first demo on a Portastudio with a local producer, Paul Mex, in Ridgeley's family home on 18 January 1982, for a fee of £20. They recorded it quickly in a single take, as they had spent most of the session recording a demo for their song "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)". On Michael's final night working as a DJ, he played the "Careless Whisper" demo. He wrote in his memoir: "They had never heard it before and... the floor filled. I remember thinking – that's a good sign."
Production
"Careless Whisper" was not included on the first Wham! album, Fantastic, in 1983. Wexler booked Tom Scott to perform the saxophone part, but Michael was not satisfied with his performance. Michael would hum the part to him repeatedly, asking for adjustments. Napier-Bell recalled: "After two hours, he was still there while everyone in the studio shuddered with embarrassment." Michael took Wexler's advice not to add a key change, saying it was a cliché. Additionally, Michael was committed to touring with Wham! to promote Fantastic, and felt it would not have made sense to release "Careless Whisper" as a solo single at that point.
A few weeks after the Muscle Shoals session, Michael contacted Chris Porter, who had produced some of Wham!'s second album, Make It Big, and asked him to help record another version of "Careless Whisper". They recorded it at Sarm West Studio 2, London, with a live rhythm section. Michael felt the results were better as he was more relaxed and the Sarm musicians did a better job, but the saxophone part had still not been recorded.
According to Gregory, the part would have been easier on an alto saxophone, but Michael insisted on tenor and Gregory's saxophone was unable to play the top note without the use of fake fingering. At Gregory's suggestion, Porter lowered the recording by a semitone by slowing the tape, Gregory performed the part in a lower key using the proper fingering, and the recording was returned to the original speed. Michael was satisfied with the part.
The "Careless Whisper" single was credited to Michael as part of the strategy to transition him to a solo artist. Cash Box said it illustrates Wham!'s "versatility and range" when compared to the previous single "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", calling this song "soft, beguiling and memorable" and saying that it features "a highly romantic instrumental arrangement as well as an extremely well-written melody and lyric".
In 2016, Rolling Stone named "Careless Whisper" Michael's second-best song, describing it as "a soulful, saxophone-laden ballad." In 2021, Alexis Petridis of The Guardian named it Michael's fifth-best song, writing: "It's a brilliant pop song [...] and, in 'guilty feet have got no rhythm', it boasts one of the great once-heard-never-forgotten lyrics." Amy Hanson of AllMusic said it was "perfect for dance floor canoodling ... 'Careless Whisper' touched fans and passive listeners alike to become one of, if not the only, love songs of 1985." Michael wrote in 1991 that it "was not an integral part of my emotional development ... It disappoints me that you can write a lyric very flippantly—and not a particularly good lyric—and it can mean so much to so many people. That's disillusioning for a writer." and features such locales as Coconut Grove and Watson Island. The final part of the video shows Michael leaning out of a top floor balcony of Miami's Grove Towers.
Filming took place in and around hotels and marinas in Coconut Grove, Miami. According to Napier-Bell, Michael was unhappy with the rushes from the first day's filming, feeling his hair looked "dreadful ... Too long. Too posey. Too poofy." He had his sister, Melanie, flown to Miami to cut it and the first day's filming was reshot, sending the video £17,000 over budget and triggering coverage in the British tabloids. According to Michael's co-star, Lisa Stahl, the kissing scene had to be reshot after footage was lost. The video was uploaded to YouTube in 2009 and reached one billion views in March 2023.
Track listings
- The "extended mix" is identical to the album version from Make It Big.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the extended mix's liner notes, unless otherwise noted.
- Trevor Murrell – drums
- Deon Estus – bass guitar
- Hugh Burns – electric guitar
- Chris Parren – keyboards
- Danny Cummings – percussion
- George Michael – lead and backing vocals
- Andrew Ridgeley – acoustic guitar (uncredited)
- Steve Gregory – saxophone
- Andy Richards – keyboards
Charts
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
!scope="col"|Chart (1984–2017)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
!scope="row"|Australia (Kent Music Report)
|1
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Bolivia (UPI)
| 1
|-
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Canada (The Record)
|2
|-
!scope="row"|Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)
|2
|-
!scope="row"|Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)
|2
|-
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Iceland (RÚV)
|1
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Israel (Media Forest)
|4
|-
!scope="row"|Italy (Musica e dischi)
|1
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Japan (Oricon)
|12
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Panama (UPI)
| 2
|-
! scope="row"| Peru (UPI)
|2
|-
!scope="row"| Slovenia (SloTop50)
|29
|-
!scope="row"|South Africa (Springbok)
|1
|-
!scope="row"|Spain (PROMUSICAE)
|11
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
!scope="row"|US Hot Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)
|3
|-
!scope="row"|US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)
|8
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
!scope="col"|Chart (2021)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
!scope="col"|Chart (2024)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
|}
Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
!scope="col"|Chart (1984)
!scope="col"|Position
|-
!scope="row"|Australia (Kent Music Report)
|4
|-
!scope="row"|Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)
|18
|-
!scope="row"|Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)
|5
|-
!scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)
|3
|-
!scope="row"|Netherlands (Single Top 100)
|2
|-
!scope="row"|New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)
|10
|-
!scope="row"|Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)
|9
|-
!scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC)
|5
|-
!scope="row"|West Germany (Official German Charts)
|31
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
!scope="col"|Chart (1985)
!scope="col"|Position
|-
!scope="row"|Canada Top Singles (RPM)
|2
|-
!scope="row"|South Africa (Springbok)
|3
|-
!scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100
|1
|-
!scope="row"|US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)
|4
|}
All-time charts
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
!scope="col"|Chart (1958–2018)
!scope="col"|Position
|-
!scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100
|162
|}
Certifications and sales
Sarah Washington version
In 1993, a dance version by English singer Sarah Washington peaked at number 45 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 20 on the Irish Singles Chart.
Charts
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
!scope="col"|Chart (1993–1994)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
!scope="row"|Australia (ARIA)
| 78
|-
!scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)
| 90
|-
!scope="row"|Ireland (IRMA)
| 86
|}
See also
- List of best-selling singles
- List of best-selling singles in the United Kingdom
- List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1980s
- List of Dutch Top 40 number-one singles of 1984
- List of number-one singles of 1984 (Ireland)
- List of number-one hits of 1984 (Switzerland)
- List of number-one singles from the 1980s (UK)
- List of RPM number-one singles of 1985
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1985 (U.S.)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1985 (U.S.)