George Michael’s isolated a cappella vocals from Careless Whisper are spine-tingling

16 July 2021, 11:46

Hear George Michael's incredible vocals in this a cappella version of Careless Whisper...

Five years after his death, George Michael’s music continues to influence artists across the world.

And now an unearthed clip sees the legend’s incredible vocals on full display in a stunning rendition of 'Careless Whisper'.

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The video has no backing music, so Michael’s voice sounds more enchanting than ever.

'Careless Whisper' was George Michael’s first solo single, but he actually co-wrote it with his former Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley.

George Michael - Careless Whisper (Acapella Studio & Exclusive Extended Version)

Writing in his autobiography Bare, George said: "I was on my way to DJ at the Bel Air when I wrote 'Careless Whisper'. I have always written on buses, trains and in cars. It always happens on journeys.

“With 'Careless Whisper' I remember EXACTLY where it first came to me, where I came up with the sax line. I can remember very vaguely where I was when I wrote things after Wham! got off the ground, but with 'Careless Whisper' I remember exactly the time and place.”

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The lyrics were said to be inspired by George's early romantic moments, including two different girls named Jane and Helen.

While it is now one of the greatest love songs ever written, George wasn’t happy with the original version which was produced by Wexler, and decided to re-record and produce the song himself.

The single was then released in August 1984, and unsurprisingly it reached number one in the UK and stayed there for three weeks.

It also topped the charts in 25 other countries and was later named Billboard's number-one song of 1985.

Despite its success, George later admitted he didn’t know what all the fuss was about.

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Speaking to the Big Issue in 2009, he said: "I'm still a bit puzzled why it's made such an impression on people... Is it because so many people have cheated on their partners? Is that why they connect with it?

"I have no idea, but it's ironic that this song - which has come to define me in some way - should have been written right at the beginning of my career when I was still so young. I was only 17 and didn't really know much about anything - and certainly nothing much about relationships."