Is it too early for Christmas music?
You may love it, you may hate it, but there’s no denying the staying power of “Last Christmas,” the unavoidable holiday classic from Wham!, which has a massive resurgence annually starting almost immediately after Halloween since it was first released in 1984.
That’s not hyperbole, as the song has topped the UK Singles Chart four of the last five years for multiple weeks at a time.
Just this week, it was announced “Last Christmas” is up for the Ivor Novello Award in the Most Performed Work category. Named for the Welsh actor, the prestigious awards celebrate the top British and Irish songwriters and composers.
Next month, as in years past, the Ivor Academy will hold the ceremony in London.
The Most Performed Work category recognizes a song that’s been performed the most, as measured by PRS for Music, a UK-based performing rights organization.
Up against “Last Christmas” are “As It Was” by Harry Styles; “Houdini” from Dua Lipa; Cassö, Raye, and D-Block Europe’s “Prada”’ and “Stargazing” by Myles Smith.
And while it’s technically credited to Wham!, “Last Christmas” is truly a song by George Michael, who wrote, composed, arranged, produced, and played all the instruments on the track.
His partner in the English pop duo, Andrew Ridgeley, had seen the writing on the wall earlier that year that the group might not last, as their song “Careless Whisper” topped the charts and was heavily promoted as a George Michael number.
Wham! would somehow make it until the early summer of 1986, performing one final show at Wembley Stadium in London in front of 72,000 fans.
Michael, who subsequently exploded as a solo star, remains the only individual songwriter to receive the Ivor Novello Songwriter of the Year award three times, nabbing it in 1985, 1989 and 1997.
It was in 1985, at just 21 years old, when he became the youngest recipient of an Ivor Novello as “Careless Whisper” took home Most Performed Work.
He was also recognized as Songwriter of the Year at the ceremony, claiming two of the four Novellos for which he was nominated.
Throughout his career, Michael won six Ivor Novello Awards and has now received 13 nominations. The nod for “Last Christmas” marks his first Ivor Novello nomination in two decades and his first posthumously.
The singer passed away on Christmas Day 2016, having sold a combined 150 million records, and then some, between his solo career and as a member of Wham!
As for “Last Christmas,” in addition to continued chart success and award nominations, it’s been covered by everyone from Jimmy Eat World to Taylor Swift, had a documentary made about it, and even inspired a film of the same name starring Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding.
Finally, next weekend marks halfway to Halloween, so we’re almost at the point where it’ll be back earworming its way into the public consciousness as it does every year.
Vinyl of the Week
Keep an eye on this spot as each week we’ll be looking at new or soon-to-be-released vinyl from a variety of artists. It might be a repressing of a landmark recording, special edition, or new collection from a legendary act.
This week, it’s the 35th anniversary of a singer/songwriter’s debut LP, which was much more than its hit single.
‘Tracy Chapman: 35th Anniversary’
Originally released by Elektra Records in April 1988, Tracy Chapman’s eponymous debut album has just been reissued on vinyl to celebrate its 35th anniversary, marking its first return to the format since it was first released.
Featuring the classic singles “Fast Car,” “Talkin’ ’bout a Revolution,” and “Baby Can I Hold You,” the album earned three Grammy Awards and went on to become one of the most successful debuts of all time, topping the Billboard charts and hitting No. 1 in multiple countries on the way to selling more than 20 million copies worldwide.
This anniversary reissue has been prepared for release by Chapman herself, alongside the album’s original producer, David Kershenbaum.
It’s pressed on 180-gram vinyl and sourced from an analog master.
The album package includes an insert of translated lyrics, which accompanied the original international release.
“I was just out of college when the album came out, and for a young singer songwriter, it was a dream come true: making a record, recording my own songs, releasing my first album,” Chapman said in a statement about the reissue. “That year [1988] marked the beginning of what has been a humbling and thrilling experience, seeing fans around the world embrace these 11 songs. I really wanted to mark the 35th anniversary of the album, and so I am grateful to have this opportunity to reissue the record on vinyl.”
Born and raised in Cleveland, Chapman was awarded an academic scholarship to the prestigious Wooster School in Danbury, Conn., and later attended Tufts University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology.
It was while she was at Tufts, in the Boston area, in the late ’80s, that she began singing in coffeehouses, nightclubs and street performing around Harvard Square.
Chapman made her breakthrough performance at Nelson Mandela’s 70th Birthday Tribute concert in London in 1988, where she performed “Fast Car,” leading to the song to begin its rise up the charts.
In February 2024, the singer made a surprise appearance at the 66th Grammy Awards, collaborating with country superstar Luke Combs for a duet of “Fast Car,” marking 35 years to the month since Chapman first performed the track at the Grammys.
Afterwards, the original version re-entered charts around the world, as did her debut album.
By the end of the year, the Grammy performance had made Google’s top five trending songs as part of its Year in Search 2024, and “Fast Car” recently entered Spotify’s Billions Club.
The performance also topped the New Yorker’s list of Best Performances of 2024.
The 35th anniversary reissue of “Tracy Chapman” can be found online and from all respectable retailers that carry vinyl.
To contact music columnist Michael Christopher, send an email to rockmusicmenu@gmail.com. Also, check out his website at thechroniclesofmc.com.
Source: Berkshire mont