Wham! have pulled off the chart triumph of a lifetime, finally securing the UK’s Official Christmas Number 1 today with Last Christmas, a record-breaking 39 years after first being denied it.
Last Christmas has topped the charts around Christmas before, but never on it, beginning in 2021 when it reached No 1 on New Year’s Day. It returned to the top in December 2022, and in 2023 has spent the previous two weeks at No 1.
Wham! make a spectacular return to Number 1 in the UK with their timeless classic Last Christmas.
Jumping four places to the Official Singles Chart summit, Last Christmas celebrates a fourth non-consecutive week at Number 1 today, charging ahead with over 53,000 chart units.
Today marks the first time Last Christmas has reached Number 1 twice in the same calendar year.
The Singles: Echoes From The Edge Of Heaven is a new Wham! release which marks the pop band’s 40th anniversary. It collects all ten singles that Wham! released in the UK (‘Careless Whisper’, as a George Michael single is not included) and will be available across five physical formats, some of which offer B-sides and remixes. The audio has all been newly remastered from the original tapes.
The most lavish and expensive edition is the seven-inch single box set. This limited edition features replicas of all ten singles in a special carry case and includes a hardcover book with notes on each single and a cassette of bonus mixes. It also includes a metal key ring, postcards and a numbered certificate of authenticity. The box actually has 12 vinyl singles in it since The Edge Of Heaven is comprised of two seven-inch singles (as per the original) and there’s a bonus 45: Interviews: Fan club gift from Wham!
This new release coincides with a new documentary, called WHAM! which is a feature length documentary directed by Chris Smith and producers John Battsek and Simon Halfon. The filmmakers have been given “unprecedented access to both George and Andrew’s personal archive” including remarkable and never-before-seen footage, alongside rare, candid and previously unheard interviews.
The documentary airs on Netflix from 5 July 2023 while Wham! The Singles: Echoes From The Edge Of Heaven will be released on 7 July 2023.
