I'm Your Man (Wham! song)

"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 US. It was written and produced by George Michael.

"I'm Your Man"
UK 7" and 12" vinyl release artwork, also used for most international releases
Single by Wham!
from the album Music from the Edge of Heaven and The Final
B-side"Do It Right"
Released11 November 1985[1]
Recorded1984–85
GenreDance-pop
Length4:04 (Single/Video Version)
6:07 (Album Version)
6:53 (Extended Stimulation Mix)
Label
Songwriter(s)George Michael
Producer(s)George Michael
Wham! singles chronology
"Last Christmas" / "Everything She Wants"
(1984)		 "I'm Your Man"
(1985)		 "The Edge of Heaven"
(1986)
Music video
"I'm Your Man" on YouTube

Background & Writing

I'm Your Man, according to George Michael, was "pretty different to anything [Wham has] ever done". According to Michael:

"‘I’m Your Man’ was written very quickly. The whole of the first verse and chorus came to me in five minutes on an internal flight in America [during the Whamamerica! tour].[2]

History

"I'm Your Man" became Wham!'s third number one on the UK Singles Chart,[3] 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 number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, prevented from further chart movement by Rocky IV soundtrack single "Burning Heart" by Survivor and "That's What Friends Are For" by Dionne and Friends.[4]

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).

In 1996, the song was re-recorded by Michael in a funkier style. It appeared, credited to Michael solo, as a B-side on the "Fastlove" CD single (also being interpolated into an extended mix of "Fastlove") and, credited to Wham!, on The Best of Wham!: If You Were There....

In 2012, comedian John Bishop mimed and danced to the song along with a "Mini Me" version of himself at the end of his tour DVD Rollercoaster.

Music video

The official music video for the song was directed by Andy Morahan.[5] The video is presented in black and white, set in the London club Marquee where Wham! are performing the song. An extended intro and outro has George and Andrew trying without success to sell tickets to passers by. George makes a phone call to his agent Simon Napier-Bell, complaining about having to sing at the Marquee. He is heard to say "Simon, don't cry" and finally hangs up on him with the words "we got a gig to play goodbye". During the video, film countdown numbers flash up at times, making the numbers 69 and 66. It also shows "SEX" in the count down.

Track listing

All tracks are written by George Michael.

7": Epic / A 6716 (UK)
No.TitleLength
1."I'm Your Man"4:05
2."Do It Right"4:05
12": Epic / TA 6716 (UK)
No.TitleLength
1."I'm Your Man" (Extended Stimulation)6:53
2."Do It Right"4:05
3."I'm Your Man" (A Cappella)4:17
  • Also released as a picture disc (WTA 6716) and cassette (TA40 6716)
  • "Do It Right" is the instrumental version of "I'm Your Man"

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[34] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[35] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Lisa Moorish version
"I'm Your Man"
Single by Lisa Moorish
from the album I've Gotta Have It All
Released18 August 1995
Recorded1994
GenreDance
Length3:48
LabelGo! Discs
Songwriter(s)George Michael
Producer(s)Johnny Douglas
Lisa Moorish singles chronology
"Just The Way It Is"
(1995)		 "I'm Your Man"
(1995)		 "Mr Friday Night"
(1995)

In 1995, Lisa Moorish covered "I'm Your Man" for her album I've Gotta Have It All, the background vocals were sung by George Michael. Just like "Mr Friday Night", the cover was also a moderate success on the UK charts.

Charts
Chart (1995) Peak
position
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[36] 49
UK Singles (OCC)[37] 24

Shane Richie version
"I'm Your Man"
Single by Shane Richie
Released24 November 2003
GenrePop
LabelSony BMG
Songwriter(s)George Michael

In 2003, actor and EastEnders star Shane Richie also covered the song as a fundraising single for the BBC charity Children in Need. Richie's version of the song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart.

Track listing
CD
  1. "I'm Your Man"
  2. "I'm Your Man" (Party Remix)
DVD
  1. "I'm Your Man" (video)
  2. "I'm Your Man" (making-of video)

Charts
Chart (2003) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[38] 10
UK Singles (OCC)[39] 2

Cover versions

References
  1. "GEORGE MICHAEL / WHAM I'm Your Man UK magazine ADVERT / mini Poster 11x8 inches". ebay.co.uk.
  2. "'Mr. Pop Man' Interview with George Michael (No. 1 Magazine, 1985)". gmforever.com.
  3. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 456. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  4. The Complete Guide to the music of George Michael & Wham! L Ellis... - 1998 - Music Sales Group
  5. Garcia, Alex S. "mvdbase.com - Wham! - "I'm your man"". Music Video DataBase. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  6. David Kent (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. Canada, Library and Archives (17 July 2013). "Image : RPM Weekly". Archived from the original on 15 January 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  8. "Austriancharts.at – Wham! – I'm Your Man" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  9. https://www.ukmix.org/showthread.php?118921-Danish-Chart-Archive-Singles-1979-____-(B-T-IFPI-DK)/page6
  10. "Dutchcharts.nl – Wham! – I'm Your Man" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  11. "Ultratop.be – Wham! – I'm Your Man" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  12. "Lescharts.com – Wham! – I'm Your Man" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  13. "Offiziellecharts.de – Wham! – Freedom". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  14. "Wham! Chart History". RÚV. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  15. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I'm Your Man". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  16. "Charts.nz – Wham! – I'm Your Man". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  17. "Norwegiancharts.com – Wham! – I'm Your Man". VG-lista. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  18. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  19. "Swedishcharts.com – Wham! – I'm Your Man". Singles Top 100. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  20. "Swisscharts.com – Wham! – I'm Your Man". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  21. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  22. "Wham! Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  23. "Wham! Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  24. "Wham! Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  25. "Wham! Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  26. "Wham! - Awards: AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 21, 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  27. "Cash Box Top 100 2/15/86". Archived from the original on 2015-06-04. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
  28. "Top 100 1985 - UK Music Charts".
  29. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  30. Canada, Library and Archives (17 July 2013). "RPM Weekly - Top Singles of 1986". Archived from the original on 23 November 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  31. "The Official New Zealand Music Chart".
  32. "Top 100 Hits of 1986/Top 100 Songs of 1986".
  33. "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1986". Archived from the original on 2016-12-26. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
  34. "Canadian single certifications – Wham! – I'm Your Man". Music Canada.
  35. "British single certifications – Wham! – I'm Your Man". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type I'm Your Man in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  36. "Dutchcharts.nl – Lisa Moorish – I'm Your Man" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  37. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  38. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I'm Your Man". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  39. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
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