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SONG HOME YOUR VIEWS Last Christmas Wham! One of the great Christmas songs that has stood the test of time, Last Christmas is fondly remembered for its video featuring George and Andrew dressed in chunky knitwear in a winter wonderland. When planning the release of Last Christmas, in was presumed that it was on course to become Wham's fourth UK Song facts Composer George Michael Genre Pop Album If You Were There: Greatest Hits Year of Release 1984 UK Chart Position 2 number one and become the perfect end to a fantastic year for the duo. However, with the release of They Know It's Christmas?, George and Andrew had to settle for number two in the UK charts.  George Michael sang on the charity single, and to show support for the cause, Wham! donated the royalties to their hit to the Ethiopian famine appeal, which resulted in £250,000 going to the charity. The song was written upstairs at George Michael's parents' house as Andrew Ridgley watched Match of the Day on TV. George stayed up all night to finish the song and Andrew called back in the morning to hear the finished future hit. Cleverly, the B-side of the song was Everything She Wants, which gained a life of it's own from Boxing Day onwards. Nobody wants to hear a Christmas song after the turkey is finished off, so radio stations were asked to play the non-seasonal flip side which continued the singles longevity in the charts. This resulted in the single selling over a million, despite the fact it never reached number one. Find out more about Radio 2's Christmas Programmes Listen to George Michael & Andrew Ridgley on Last Christmas "Suddenly this melody came into my head and I thought God! that would be great for Christmas" George Michael reveals how spending a Saturday night in watching the footie resulted in one of the best Christmas songs of all time. Listen to Wham! on Last Christmas Audio help Other versions Hear the Manic Street Preachers live version of Last Christmas that appeared on their Lipstick Traces CD. George Michael has written one of the classic Christmas songs of all time Amelia Parker READ MORE COMMENTS... Make a comment Your Name and Town/City: Your Message: Songwriting tips Fancy getting some guidance on writing your own songs? Consult the Songwriting Guide. Working in the studio can transform a song. Find out more about studios here. Test your knowledge Test your knowledge of Wham! TAKE THE CHALLENGE! Newsletter sign-up Sign up for updates on new songs, documentaries and live events Like this song? Try these... Do They Know It's Christmas? Band Aid 20 Merry Xmas Everybody Slade Sleigh Ride The Ronettes White Christmas Bing Crosby Wonderful Christmastime Paul McCartney DON'T MISS Doves Special guests on Dermot's show this week What's on Radio 2 Documentaries Find out more about current and forthcoming documentaries on Radio 2.

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