Wham! – Last Christmas (Japan 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

I originally posted this festive 12″ on December 12, 2010, wow six years ago. Since then I have really upgraded my equipment and fine tuned my ripping skills. I also stopped using ClickRepair and now manually remove every click/pop myself, the results are much better since using ClickRepair can degrade the audio. This year I wanted to bring new life into this 12″ so I gave it a brand new transfer. If you happen to have the old rip in your collection I think you will see this is the definitive transfer.

The mix used on this 12″ omits a verse and has additional backing vocals from George Michael and some slightly different keyboard arrangements towards the end. The record itself is labeled as (Pudding Mix) (Long Version) it is actually an alternate edit of the “Pudding Mix”.

I really hope that you enjoy the new transfer Seasons Greetings.

~ DjPaulT (December, 2016)

“Last Christmas” is a song by English pop duo Wham!, released on Epic Records in 1984, on a double A-side with “Everything She Wants”. Originally written and produced by George Michael, it has been covered by many artists since its original release.

Wham! had been a dominant force in the UK Singles Chart in 1984 and news that they were planning a Christmas single meant that a battle for the coveted Christmas #1 spot in the UK seemed set to be between Wham! and the year’s other big act, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, who had achieved a third #1 in early December with “The Power of Love”. However, the Band Aid project, helmed by Bob Geldof, produced the #1 single. Wham!’s offering peaked at #2 for much of the period, although George’s involvement in Band Aid meant that Wham! still had an input. Wham! subsequently topped the monies raised by Band Aid by donating all of their “Last Christmas/Everything She Wants” royalties to the Ethiopian famine appeal.

“Last Christmas” did make #1 in various other countries.

The single sold well over a million copies and became the biggest selling single in UK chart history not to reach #1. A year later, it was re-issued for Christmas again (this time without a billed flip-side) and got to #6. A second re-issue at Christmas 1986 – by which time Wham! had split – stalled outside the top 40.

The song gradually sold in Japan, and finally became the best-selling single that did not reach that country’s top-10 chart, selling more than 600,000 copies and peaking on the chart at #12 in 1992.

“Last Christmas” has sold 1.8 million copies as of June 2016 and is the biggest selling single in UK chart history not to reach number one.

Due to perceived similarities between “Last Christmas” and the song “Can’t Smile Without You” as popularised by Barry Manilow, an out of court settlement was reached in which the first year’s royalties were donated to the one-year-old “Band Aid” charity.

The video to “Last Christmas” saw George and partner Andrew Ridgeley accompanying girlfriends to see friends at their home in an unspecified ski resort, although the cable-car that can be seen in two shots is from Saas-Fee, Switzerland. It became clear early on, however, that Andrew’s girlfriend had previously been in a relationship with George, and it was to her character the song was aimed. The video also featured the duo’s erstwhile backing singers Pepsi and Shirlie and Spandau Ballet bassist Martin Kemp, the boyfriend and future husband of Shirlie Holliman.

SIDE A:
Last Christmas (Pudding Mix Edit) 4:45

SIDE B:
Credit Card Baby 5:09

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic/Sony – 12·3P-575
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 45 RPM
Country: Japan
Released: 21 Dec 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer, Arranged By, Written-By – George Michael

NOTES:
Released with a lyric insert and obi strip.
Side A is listed as “Pudding Mix” “Long Version” but actually plays the 4:45 version.

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck 
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 Removal: Manual
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

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Giuseppe Mazzola
Giuseppe Mazzola
February 7, 2021 6:45 am

please reup all wham! release! U r the best!

Lenny K.
Lenny K.
November 27, 2018 4:40 pm

What about ripping the original UK early 7″ Mix? Basically, it is the same take as this version, but it has all three verses. It has never appeared on CD yet…

Modernaire
Modernaire
January 17, 2017 4:48 pm

I’ve just gotten around to listening to your truly incredible 2016 vinyl dub transfer Paul. I have so many versions of Last Christmas but anything Burning The Ground is essential and I found that every detail of this version jumps out, I’m hearing elements I’ve never even heard before! The sound quality is nothing short of superb. This DJPaulT Burning The Ground 24bit-96kHz rip of ‘Last Christmas’ could very well be the very best sounding version EVER! And yes, it’s so sad, so sad at the same time that just posted days before George left us and it was his… Read more »

Grant
Grant
December 28, 2016 8:15 pm

Wow – amazing that you had just posted this. Rest in peace, George Michael.

Alberto
Alberto
December 25, 2016 8:35 pm

I’m feeling devastated. Such a talent, a great personality… RIP George Michael.

GM Fan
GM Fan
December 25, 2016 7:11 pm

Today I was listening his song “Last Christmas”, and coincidentally he passes away on Christmas day. George Michael Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou (25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) I love you forever

Jermajesty
Jermajesty
December 25, 2016 7:10 pm

Too sad for words. 🙁 He achieved and gave so much in such a relatively short life.

RIP George.
x

opoder
opoder
December 24, 2016 6:51 am

Thank you Paul for this RIP. The best Christmas ever (for me).
Thank you for try to do better than last RIP.
Sorry about my english.

AnthonyC
AnthonyC
December 20, 2016 3:16 am

Hi Paul

Last night I compared the old rip to this new rip – I am SHOCKED by how different the new rip sounds. It’s absolutely incredible.

The new rip certainly sounds crisp and there is a noticeable difference in the top end sounds.

Thank you!

jtf
jtf
December 17, 2016 12:47 pm

Happy Christmas Paul!

music_fan
music_fan
December 17, 2016 8:16 am

Last Christmas is one of the all-time great Christmas songs. Such a simple, elegant chorus.

Merry Christmas, DjPaul T. 🙂

Richard
Richard
December 17, 2016 1:21 am

A wonderful upgrade for the season. Thank you!

mr8382004
mr8382004
December 16, 2016 11:10 pm

Hello, thanks for this rerip paul, the old rip is already good sounding to me and now this one even better. Hope you’ll re-rip the one with the instrumental also, it really don’t sound so good.
Thanks and happy Christmas to you.

Nicola
Nicola
December 16, 2016 4:37 pm

Great.finally…It’s been six Christymas I hear the “old” version!I eagerly expected and waited for this,Paul!Superb and fantastic as ever,pal!Cheers 🙂

Joey
Joey
December 16, 2016 3:12 pm

Nice post. It is really mind boggling that so much of this material is still vinyl only. I have little doubt that a lot of new reissues are done by people who probably don’t know the music they are compiling or (gasp) were not even born yet when it was made. Why no one consults with actual fans about the music is really odd. One question I have wondered is if the sound quality of the special mix of Careless Whisper is any better on the UK pressing, as the Japanese edition (which usually sounds the best) sounds a bit… Read more »

Joey
Joey
Reply to  DjPaulT
December 17, 2016 1:11 am

I agree, the Japanese pressings seem to have that extra something. You would definitely be the one to consult for Wham! One must wonder what they have stocked away in the archives, besides remixes, I imagine there are more than a song or two we have never heard before.

AnthonyC
AnthonyC
December 16, 2016 2:30 pm

Pure class! Thank you so much!

I’ve always wanted GM to re-record the vocal on this as I hate his sloppy pronunciation of “gave” as “gev”.

George please remember the words are “Last Christmas I GAVE you my heart but the very next day you GAVE it away”.

At 3:58 he does get the pronunciation correct, so we know he can do it! LOL.

🙂

AnthonyC
AnthonyC
Reply to  DjPaulT
December 16, 2016 4:41 pm

Sadly no! LOL

Just very bad pronunciation 🙂

Jonathan
Jonathan
December 16, 2016 1:45 pm

Thanks , this is my favorite christmas music !!

Dhanavarsh Reddy
Dhanavarsh Reddy
December 16, 2016 1:36 pm

Wow, Thanks paul for excellent digitization and the quality.

Martijn van Heeringen
December 16, 2016 1:17 pm

With “Do They Know It’s Christmas” from the same year it is still right up there with the best Christmas songs of all time, like John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”, Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” and among others, Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”.
Apart from that, yet another great song by the very talented George Michael.

Martijn van Heeringen
Reply to  DjPaulT
December 17, 2016 10:04 am

It has often been overlooked due to his good looks and because boy groups from today are often only in it for the money, but even at the time of Wham, George Michael was more than a pretty face. He was/is a truly talented artist/song writer with an excellent voice, too. Is it true he wrote Careless Whisper when he was 17?

Jeff
Jeff
December 16, 2016 12:31 pm

Once again Paul, you make my (musical) Christmas Dreams come true!! This year I want to make my Mom a musical Christmas compilation and wanted to include this song as she really loved it when she first heard it coming from my room along time ago. I was hoping to give her “The Pudding Mix” because it is the version I used to play all the time. I can’t wait to hear this alternate take of it. You always come up with the best presents each day to fulfill our “wish lists” and surprise us with other delights we never… Read more »

Omar
Omar
December 16, 2016 12:25 pm

Thanks Paul. I hope someday we get a complete overhaul of Wham’s back catalogue with all the singles/bsides/remixes appearing in remastered form on cd. It’s hightime don’t you think?

Stefano
Stefano
December 16, 2016 12:13 pm

Great post, curious to hear the improved quality. Thanks Paul!

Hugh
Hugh
December 16, 2016 12:10 pm

Wow.. thank you so much.. and Happy Holidays