BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985
“I’m Your Man” is a song by British pop duo Wham!, released in 1985 on Epic Records in the UK and most of the world, and Columbia Records in the U.S. It was written and produced by George Michael, one half of the duo.
The song was long-awaited, as Wham! had spent much of 1985 touring and then resting. A groundbreaking appearance in China had been followed by a stint at Live Aid, but there had been no new Wham! material until November and the release of “I’m Your Man”, a straightforward song of seduction through personality.
The video was similar to that of previous hit “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” (which had been a huge success the previous year), in that it was essentially an “as live” performance of the song in front of a crowd of fans. It was also shot in black and white rather than colour. It was shot inside and outside of London’s historic Marquee Club.
“I’m Your Man” became Wham!’s third #1 but did not feature on a studio album, and was essentially an isolated single which was only followed up by a re-issue of the previous year’s Christmas hit, “Last Christmas”. Already the signs were there that George, now bearded, was ready to move his career into an adult market. The song also reached #3 in the US singles chart, prevented from further chart movement by “Burning Heart” by Survivor and “That’s What Friends Are For” by Dionne and Friends.
Within six months of “I’m Your Man”, Wham! had announced their split. They had a fourth and final number one and released a farewell album, prior to a concert at Wembley Stadium, at which “I’m Your Man” was the last song Michael performed with partner Andrew Ridgeley.
An extended mix of the song was released on Wham!’s 1986 album Music from the Edge of Heaven (the U.S. version of their final album The Final).
SIDE A:
I’m Your Man (Extended Stimulation) 6:52
SIDE B:
Do It Right (Instrumental) 4:04
I’m Your Man (Acappella) 4:15
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
U.S. CHART HISTORY:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | I’m Your Man | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | #3 |
| 1985 | I’m Your Man | U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | #13 |
| 1985 | I’m Your Man | U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play | #42 |
| 1985 | I’m Your Man | U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles | #55 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic – 12.3P-699
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Poster
Country: Japan
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Producer, Written-By, Arranged By – George Michael
Recorded By – Chris Porter
NOTES:
Includes 1986 calendar / poster / lyric insert.
Find the 12″ On DISCOGS
EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Speed Control: Pro-Ject Speed Box S
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner
SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removeal: ClickRepair (DeClick Level 3)
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator
RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
