Last Christmas

"Last Christmas"
Single by Wham!
from the album Music from the Edge of Heaven
Released	1984
Format	12", 7", CD single
Recorded	1984
Genre	Pop
Length	4:27 6:45 (Pudding Mix)
Label	Columbia Records (US/Canada) Epic Records
Producer	George Michael
Wham! singles chronology
"Freedom" (1984) "Last Christmas" (1984) "Everything She Wants" (1984) Twenty Five track listing "Careless Whisper" (1) "Last Christmas" (2) "A Different Corner" (3)

"Last Christmas" is a song by British pop duo Wham!, released on Epic Records in 1984, on a double A-side with "Everything She Wants". It was written by George Michael, one half of the duo. The song has been covered by many artists throughout the years.

Original version

Chart performances

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.

Since 1997, the song enters the German Singlecharts every year and peaked at #4 in 2007. In the airplay charts the songs enters every year the Top 5.

In 2007, the track re-entered the UK Top 20 and hit the UK iTunes Top 10.

In 2008, the song re-entered the UK Singles Chart again, this time at #36 and peaked at #26.

"Can't Smile Without You" settlement

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.^{[citation needed]}

Music video

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.

Track listings

Certifications

Charts

Billie version

"Last Christmas"
Single by Billie Piper
from the album The B-Sides Collection
Released	1999
Format	Airplay, Digital download
Recorded	1998
Genre	Pop
Length	4:27
Label	Innocent Records
Writer(s)	George Michael
Producer	George Michael
Billie Piper singles chronology
"She Wants You" (1998) "Last Christmas" (1999) "Honey to the Bee" (1999)

After "She Wants You" was released in late 1998, the cover of "Last Christmas", featured as a B-Side on the single, received some airplay. Due to this, a CD Single was released in Europe and charted at #47 in Sweden. The Single was also released as a promotional Single in the UK, limited to 500 copies and therefore could not chart there. It is one of Billie's most notable songs, although it was not included on The Best of Billie.

Track listings

European CD Single

1. "Last Christmas"
2. "She Wants You" (Album Version)
3. "She Wants You" (Sharp Ballrom Remix)

UK Promo CD

1. "Last Christmas" (Edit)
2. She Wants You" (Radio Edit)

Charts

Ashley Tisdale version

"Last Christmas"
Single by Ashley Tisdale
Released	November 11, 2006 (2006-11-11) (see release history)
Format	Digital download
Recorded	2006
Genre	Pop
Length	3:55 (single version) 3:39 (radio edit)
Label	Warner Bros. Records
Writer(s)	George Michael
Producer	George Michael
Ashley Tisdale singles chronology
"Kiss the Girl" (2006) "Last Christmas" (2006) "Be Good to Me" (2006)

"Last Christmas" was recorded in 2006 for Warner Bros. Records by Ashley Tisdale. The song was officially released in radios in November 21, 2006. This song was the first single released by Ashley Tisdale in her deal with Warner Bros. Records and became her official first holiday single. Tisdale performed the single on Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Rockefeller Center in 2007. The song was one of the B-Sides in the european CD singles of Tisdale's first single "Be Good to Me" and Tisdale's second single "He Said She Said", from the album Headstrong. ^[9] The song has been included on several compilation albums, including A Very Special Christmas Vol.7 and A Disney Channel Holiday.

Track listings

Digital tracklisting ^[10]

1. "Last Christmas" (single version) - 3:55

Charts

Crazy Frog version

"Last Christmas"
Single by Crazy Frog
from the album Crazy Frog Presents More Crazy Hits Ultimate Edition
Released	December 2006
Format	CD single Maxi single Digital download
Recorded	2006
Genre	Dance, Electronica
Length	4:27
Label	Ministry of Sound
Producer	George Michael Henning Reith Reinhard Raith
Crazy Frog singles chronology
"We Are the Champions (Ding a Dang Dong)" (2006) "Last Christmas" (2006) "Crazy Frog in the House (Knightrider)" (2007)

"Last Christmas" was covered in 2006 by Crazy Frog and released as a Christmas single. In Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and France, "Last Christmas" was released 12 months before in other countries.

Track listings

CD single

1. "Last Christmas" (radio edit)
2. "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"
3. "Last Christmas" (club mix)
4. "Nellie the Elephant"

Charts

Cascada version

"Last Christmas"
Single by Cascada
from the album Perfect Day
Released	November 21, 2007
Format	Digital Download, CD single
Recorded	2007
Genre	Eurodance
Length	3:52
Label	Zooland Records, Robbins Entertainment, All Around the World
Producer	George Michael
Cascada singles chronology
"Wouldn't It Be Good" (2007) "Last Christmas" (2007) "What Hurts The Most" (2007)

"Last Christmas" was recorded in 2007 by Cascada. It was released on iTunes in November, 2007. The single had only a Digital release but 6 days later it was released on the single/EP "What Hurts the Most" which was the first single from their second album.

In the UK, despite it being a B-side track, the song is regularly played throughout music channels during the festive season.

iTunes Download

• "Last Christmas" - 3:52

Charts

* Based on downloads alone, but did chart at #10, as it was the B-side to "What Hurts The Most"

Other cover versions

• 2-4 Family under the moniker, Rap Allstars.
• Alex Evans for the Save Children Charity Concert in 2008
• All About Eve
• Alcazar
• Ashley Tisdale
• Backstreet Boys
• Birgit Õigemeel
• BoA
• Atomic Kitten
• Busted
• Carrie Underwood Live at the White House
• Coldplay
• Darren Hayes
• Dexter Freebish
• Erlend Øye
• Fonda
• The BossHoss
• Madsen
• Hawk Nelson
• Hilary Duff
• Hitomi Shimatani
• Human Nature
• Jamelia
• Yuji Oda (with Butch Walker)
• Actress
• Exile
• Yoko Watanabe
• Foxxi misQ, Japanese version by a Japanese female hip hop trio group
• Michie Tomizawa as Sailor Mars (for Sailor Moon album Sailor Stars Merry Christmas)
• Jimmy Eat World
• John Holt
• JLS
• Keshia Chanté
• Kimberley Locke
• As One
• Rumble Fish
• Nell
• J
• Moon Hee Jun
• Leigh Nash
• Little Boots, formerly of Dead Disco
• The Maine (band)
• Manic Street Preachers, a version by James Dean Bradfield appears on the 2003 compilation Lipstick Traces
• New Jersey
• *NSYNC
• In 1984, Dalida performed Last Christmas in French laguage as Reviens-Moi (Album: Pour Te Dire Je T'Aime).
• Romina Power
• Polish version with polish lyrics - "Kolęda dwóch serc" performed by Andrzej "Piasek" Piaseczny, Mietek Szcześniak, Kuba Badach & Andrzej Lampert (from the album "Święta, Święta II")
• Roses Are Red (for the album based on the Taste of Chaos tour: Taste of Christmas)
• Jan Johansen
• Taylor Swift (Peaked at #28 on U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 2007)
• The Cheetah Girls
• The Maine
• The Ordinary Boys
• The Three Degrees
• The Ventures
• The Violet Burning
• Thirteen Senses
• Travis
• Whigfield
• Tai Wan Band F.I.R for the concert in Hong Kong in 2008
• Gregory Douglass in 2009 on the Merry EP.

References

External links

• Last-Christmas.com Collection of cover versions of the song