NewsWham! Make It Bigger reissue
George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley have announced that they will come together 30 years after splitting up Wham! to promote Make It Bigger, an expanded reissue of the band’s 1984 studio album due later this year
The pair ruled the pop airwaves in 1984 with a series of smash hits taken from Make It Big, including Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, Freedom and Everything She Wants. To date Make It Big has sold nearly 10m copies worldwide. George and Andrew eventually called it a day with The Final Concert at Wembley Stadium in June 1986, just as they chalked up another number on single in the UK with The Edge of Heaven.
Full details of the Make It Bigger reissue have yet to be announced, but the unreleased-on-CD ‘Special Version’ of Careless Whisper (aka the Jerry Wexler Mix) has been confirmed as appearing on the bonus disc along with a previously unreleased seven-minute instrumental guitar demo written by Ridgeley. A source close to the duo told SDE that including a Ridgeley solo composition was “key” to persuading him step back into the public eye and help promote Make It Bigger.
Other bonus content will include the Long Version of Freedom, the Pudding Mix of Last Christmas (the festive number wasn’t on the original album, of course), and all the instrumentals issued at the time (largely used as B-sides). In total, three versions extra of Everything She Wants will feature on the deluxe including Everyting She Want (the much-bootlegged ‘Jamaican Mix’) and a reworking of the 1997 version from The Best of Wham: If You Were There compilation, called Everything She Wants 97 16.
The ‘Special Version’ of Careless Whisper will see its CD debut on Make It Bigger.
Perhaps the most anticipated track on Make It Bigger will be the previously unheard outtake (I’m) Super Hard, Lady. This infamous ‘X-rated’ number was confined to the vaults on the insistence of manager Simon Napier-Bell after he heard the demo and called it “vulgar” (George later reworked it as Credit Card Baby).
As well as the two-CD set, a Make It Bigger deluxe box will be issued which will include both CDs, a DVD of promo videos (plus the Foreign Skies film), a shuttlecock, a ‘Choose Life’ T-shirt, a teeth whitening kit and a 64-page hardcover photo book: I Know You’re Not A Fool: Wham! in ’84.
George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley are expected to support the reissue with a committed media campaign. Appearances on top tier UK TV shows are promised, including Loose Women and Sunday Brunch. Broadcaster Nick Knowles also let slip recently that he had filmed an episode of his BBC show DIY SOS at Ridgeley’s home in Cornwall, which is due to be broadcast in October.
Make It Bigger is expected later this year.
SDE helps fans around the world discover physical music and discuss releases. To keep the site free, SDE participates in various affiliate programs, including Amazon and earns from qualifying purchases.
Related Content
[…] on April Fool’s Day in 2016, I wrote about a fictional Wham! ‘Make It Bigger’ reissue and joked at the end that George and Andrew would be supporting the reissue campaign: […]
Must admit I rather sneered at Wham back in the day. But, now, if this were real I’d buy it – even the Terence Delaney compilation. Paul, thanks as always for the site and for a good chuckle at this post.
So is this an April Fool’s joke or not? Some think it is but others appear to be taking it seriously?
Very very happy the tracklist. Tracklist final?
Long version + instrumental = FABULOUS.
Remastering perfect??? 0 défaut !
Make It Bigger deluxe box . Soon???
Here’s a list to go with the Super Deluxe set:
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go 3:49
Everything She Wants 5:07
Heartbeat 4:42
Like A Baby 4:13
Freedom 5:07
If You Were There 3:41
Credit Card Baby 5:09
Careless Whisper 6:30
Last Christmas 4:24
I’m Your Man 4:05
Blue (Armed With Love) (Recorded Live In China) 5:53
A Ray Of Sunshine (Specially Recorded For ‘The Tube’) 4:58
Careless Whisper 5:04 7″
Freedom 7″ 5:08
Everything She Wants (Remix) 7″ 5:31
Last Christmas (Pudding Mix) 6:47
I’m Your Man (Extended Stimulation) 6:53
Careless Whisper (Special Version)(Wexler Version)
Freedom (Long Version) 7:14
Everything She Wants (Remix) 6:34
Last Christmas (Pudding Mix)(Long Version) 4:45
Freedom (Long Mix) 6:16
I’m Your Man (Acappella) 4:17
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (Instrumental) 4:03
Careless Whisper (Instrumental) 5:02
Freedom (Instrumental) 5:10
Do It Right (Instrumental) 4:05
Last Christmas (Instrumental) 4:27
BluRay/DVD
The Promos:
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
Careless Whisper
Freedom
Last Christmas
Everything She Wants
I’m Your Man
Blue (Armed With Love) (Live In China)
TOTP:
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
Careless Whisper
Freedom
Everything She Wants
Bonus Video
Careless Whisper (Wexler Version)
Foreign Skies – Wham! In China
Plus Documentary with Interviews, Live Tracks etc…
CDs with Vinyl Picture Disc, Book & Postcards
Don’t think “I’m Your Man” belongs on Make it Big…came out over a year later, has a different sound and the band had moved on to a different ‘look’.
Where is the purchase link, I would buy that it a “Heartbeat”?
And although I kinda agree with Paul that I’m Your man was a slightly different era (ditto Edge of heaven) I would still put them in as there is nothing they could ever fit on to qualify as an SDE, A greatest hits maybe, but I would not complain at IYM and EoH being on here. It’s not as if they would be reserved for the album that came after Make it Big.
Why is this stuff being ignored, what’s wrong with people?
GM has an iron-like grip on anything like this. Sony can’t do anything without his permission. He’s a multi-millionaire with apparently no desire to revisit his Wham! past.
Bloody Kate Bush Syndrome!
It almost makes me long for the days when artists were slaves….oh the irony eh, George?
There has to be a halfway house. When a studio does it with little or no artist input it usually ends in disappointment, when an artist does it all it can be a dull and insipid egofest, I’m looking at you Philip, you and yer bloomin’ live obsession. It seems if both pull together, particularly if they ever bother to ask the fans what they want or have some fan input (SDE curated or similar?), then it turns out to be brilliant. TFF and PY for instance. Because there is so little Wham! material anyway there is so little to go wrong. C’mon George, park up the Range Rover and get to work.
I’d buy it, Terence!
In fact, I “bought” the whole rolo pafil ekoj, right through the shuttlecock (which I kind of skimmed over figuring it had some UK-centric in-joke significance, like a campy Badminton conceit to a TOTP appearance) and the tooth whitener—which sounded like a great sense of humor from two who “Made it Big” in those two quintessential years of that most superficial decade, the ’80s.
At 8 tracks, it was a slight album, but a hit-filled one, one which both would benefit from and deserves a proper SDE!
a-ha can do it—Manic Street Preachers can do it!—even educated Fleas do it (or at least RHCP announced a 25th anniversary edition of Mothers Milk a couple years back), and still credibly pursue a contemporary career, GM, AR & Wham! should do it, do it right! Do it with SDE!
Damn you! I fell for it all the way through! I thought the teeth whitening kit was being put in as a snark!) I was ready to head for Amazon.
As 28th July 2016 will be the 30th anniversary of the split, it would be criminal not to mark this historical event with a series of re-issues.
Surely record companies and artists have to realise time is limited and there will come a day when the word “Wham” will be followed by “who?”
If only :-(
Well, i would really have loved to see it for good !
Dammit Paul, you got me good LOL. Even after the free shuttlecock – even after the teeth whitening! – I still didn’t twig! My fingers were poised over the keyboard, ready to moan about about how I’d have to buy the extra box of crap just to get the DVD! It was only the other comments that finally slapped me in the face.
I hope your guilty feet suffer from no rhythm. : )
You should know better than to cheat a friend. : )
Wake me up when its Noon Noon. – I want this Super Deluxe, shuttlecock and all – It will go nicely with my collection of marbles, cardboard beer mats, folded posters, autograph card inserts, postcards and paperback books containing pictures with no narratives.
This is not a shelf filler.
That was mean because I would have purchased this CD/DVD Set if it had actullaly been true. In fact, I am really peed off knowing it is just a stupid wind-up for April Fool.
Everyting She Want ‘Jamaican Mix’ …….. yeh mon yi almos’ had me goin’ an t’ing!
Had me right up to the free shuttlecock
got me! good one.
I’m more worried that they will read this and actually release it.
Damn you Paul. Damn you.
Seven minute guitar instrumental….absolutely brilliant, still laughing at that one.
Pink Floyd would totally include a shuttlecock in a box set…
Lol…true. I hope for an eventual Animals box set, but one wonders if it would include a tuft of straw!
Cheers mate—you got me! Maybe one day before I die!!!!!!!
Is it a joke or is it for real, Paul, I’m serious? Please reply ASAP! Many thanks!
I’m a big rolo pafil fan, but they only ever release stuff on the same day every year, which is a bit of a joke.
The sad thing is I actually want this…… It must have taken quite a while to decide which mythical – overdue – not gonna happen Album you would pick the this specific role, Paul. But you picked one I wanted, The funny thing is, in the school of “you couldn’t make this up”, what with marbles and chalk making it into various other SDEs, the Shuttlecock and Tooth Whitener doesn’t seem that much of a stretch…..
i hope their put on the 11 minute version of careless whisper extended mix
I was hoping this was true as well. I’d even buy it if it didn’t include the shuttlecock…
Damn –
Not a big fan of Wham but I would have bought this… in fact I was totally considering it (I was even intrigued by the Andrew Ridgely guitar instrumental) until I saw ‘Shuttlecock’ and then I remembered the date… :-(
Well done Paul!
I knew straight away but its such a shame. Some of George’s best work to my ears. Well done though.
Well done with the April Fool guys lol!
:-) Brilliant!
these albums are in need of dbl deluxe reissues the final needs a cd release with the vinyl trak listing
“Appearances on top tier UK TV shows are promised, including Loose Women and Sunday Brunch.”
Hehe! Very good.
You had me until the teeth whitening kit. Nice!
You had me until ‘Loose Women’….
There has been a delay with this as there has been some mishap with the ‘new’ artwork for the booklet, as being provided by ‘Snappy Snaps’
LOL!!!! You just took this to the next level. Brilliant!!
I actually fell for this. I chuckled out loud at how depreciating the boys seem now. Shuttlecock!
This is a release worth waiting for. I’m a bit sad it was announced today of all days. Who knows, it may happen one day for real (without the teeth whitening kit, of course).
Shuttlecock and tooth whitening kit…brilliant, lol
Love the ‘rolo pafil’ tag, Paul! You’re a real tease!
I see that too. What does ‘rolo pafil’ mean?
Oh duh. April Fool word scramble. Ignore my question. Shame on me for posting so early in the morning!
Aww, I saw it in the FB newsfeed and was totally exited :) Spotted the joke here: a Ridgeley solo composition was “key” to persuading him step back into the public eye.
Anyway I still want this! I hope Andy and George are following SDE.
April Fools?
Good stuff Paul! Kinda knew this was a joke before I even read the article though, as I know it’ll never happen :(
Impressive stuff. When it comes to box sets, this one’s a whopper!
Oh man. You totally had me until the teeth whitening kit. Well done for April Fools! Although, I will spend the rest of the day being sad, as I would really like to see this get expanded someday.