A Pop Music Feature
It’s time to return…. return to the Edge of Heaven with WHAM! A new retrospective compilation takes a look at the early chart-topping hits of one of the ’80s most influential pop bands!
Nostalgia is king! If you need proof of that you just have to look across any and all forms of multi-media! From film, and television, to stage and literature, glimpses into the past are far more abundant and obvious in music. The advent renaissance of vinyl has amassed popularity among audiophiles that is almost impossible to rationalize in this digital age. The Compact Disc is largely an endangered species and lately is often meriting a legitimate pressing, except when tugging on the heartstrings of dedicated collectors or to mark an anniversary.
In popular culture, only a select number of artists have been able to make an indelible impression on fans. The 80s were a relevant seismic shift in music, especially with the launch of MTV and the music video marrying two mediums into one. Artists and bands had to now be “pretty” to enhance their marketability and no band was prettier in the 80s than WHAM! The British pop duo comprised of frontman George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley emerged on the scene in 1981 and battled their way to success with some of the catchiest, happiest, and sexiest tracks of the era!
The pair had grown up as best mates and immediately began pursuing a career as musical artists, but it wasn’t overnight stardom for these two — and many critics didn’t embrace their songs, many of which were “slagged” in the press — that is until the world got WOKE! With the release of their song “Wake Me Up (Before You Go-Go)” their lives would be forever aged as the track rose to #1 on the charts and solidified their worldwide appeal. WHAM! went from playing small venues and local pubs to selling out arenas in every continent across the globe.
Everything We Want
40 years later, the duo is being commemorated in a brand new release from SONY Music that puts a new perspective spin on their early days and the tracks from their debut releases. WHAM! THE SINGLES: Echoes From The Edge of Heaven is an expansive collection of original remastered singles, edits, and remixes, some of which are being compiled for the first time in this unique collector’s package. The set is currently in pre-order status and will be offered in multiple formats, including a 7” Vinyl Boxset with a specially etched signature keyring (for $261.00).
Additional formats include specially designed ZoeTrope Vinyl / Picture Discs and a CD Singles Boxset both exclusive to the online store, with a commercially accessible vinyl set and CD DigiPack, and an expanded digital download version that includes many previously unreleased tracks to add to your collection. This compilation promises to offer fans unprecedented access to those chart toppers that defined an era of pop music that will forever be remembered as one of the most exciting times in emerging talent, as WHAMMania took over the globe.
The duo is profiled in an upcoming Netflix documentary, premiering on the subscriber service on July 5th. Here is your #FanzEyeView of WHAM! the official trailer:
WHAM! THE SINGLES: ECHOES FROM THE EDGE OF HEAVEN | by WHAM! | is available as a 10-CD Box Set, 2-LP Special Color Vinyl, 2-LP Black Vinyl, and CD and Digital Download released from SONY Music. Pre-Order is available now on iTunes and other online music store retailers. Download from iTunes here.
WHAM! is also now on TikTok! Follow the band HERE
