Angus Kidman – anguskidman.show

It’s a big week for Wham! fans like me. On Wednesday 5 July, a new Wham! documentary appears on Netflix, promising heaps of unseen archive footage. Here’s the trailer.

That’s exciting, but I’m more excited by the release later in the week of The Singles: Echoes From The Edge Of Heaven. There’s a vinyl version (natch), but I’m much keener on the 10CD box, since it marks the first CD release of some of Wham!’s key B-sides and remixes.

Unfortunately, it’s not an entirely comprehensive collection. With 10 CDs, space isn’t an issue, so it’s annoying that some of the rarer versions aren’t making an appearance. But they’re not.

Drawing on my own knowledge and a super-helpful discussion at the always excellent Super Deluxe Edition, here’s what missing from the box, with the unincluded titles in bold. (I haven’t included remixes that date from after Wham!’s actual era, pop pedants.)

Does Sony care? I doubt it. The box is near sold out anyway (Australian fans can still order through JB Hi-Fi but the site is showing a “Running Out” logo). But I wish it had been put together with just a little more thought. Dannii Minogue definitely did better.

CD1

1. Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?)
2. Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?) [Club Mix]
3. Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?) [Social Mix]
4. Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?) [Unsocial Mix]
5. Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?) [Special US Remix]
6. Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?) [Special Club Remix)

CD2

1. Young Guns (Go for It!)
2. Go For It!
3. Young Guns (Go for It!) [12″ Mix]
4. Go For It! (12″ Version)
5. Young Guns (Go for It!) [Club Mix]

CD3

1. Bad Boys
2. Bad Boys (Instrumental)
3. Bad Boys (12″ Mix)

CD4

1. Club Tropicana
2. Blue (Armed with Love)
3. Club Tropicana (Instrumental)
4. Club Tropicana (edited version from Japanese CD single)
5. Blue (Live In China)

CD5

1. Club Fantastic Megamix
2. A Ray of Sunshine (Instrumental Remix)
3. Club Fantastic Megamix (12″ Version)
4. Wham! U.K. Mega Mix
5. A Ray Of Sunshine (recorded for The Tube)

CD6

1. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
2. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (Instrumental)
3. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (Extended Version)

CD7

1. Freedom
2. Freedom (Instrumental)
3. Freedom (Long Mix)
4. Freedom (7″ Version)
5. Freedom (Long Version)

CD8

1. Last Christmas (Single Version)
2. Everything She Wants
3. Last Christmas (Pudding Mix)
4. Everything She Wants (Remix)
5. Last Christmas (Instrumental)
6. Last Christmas (Original Mix)
7. Last Christmas (Pudding Mix 7″ Edit)
8. Message from Wham! (from Japanese 7″ Everything She Wants single)

CD9

1. I’m Your Man
2. Do It Right (Instrumental)
3. I’m Your Man (Extended Stimulation)
4. I’m Your Man (Acappella)
5. I’m Your Man (Extended Mix)

CD10

1. The Edge Of Heaven
2. Wham! Rap ’86
3. Battlestations
4. Where Did Your Heart Go?
5. Battlestations (Extended Edit)
6. Where Did Your Heart Go? (Edit Version)

And yes, there should have been singles included for ‘Careless Whisper’ and ‘A Different Corner’ as well. Both appeared on Wham! albums back in the day. But those have long been treated by the George Michael team as solo tracks, so that particular omission did not shock me when this box was announced.