There was absolutely no one else like peak George Michael. That’s what fans said after hearing the jaw-dropping “Careless Whisper” duet that Michael gave in New York City with none other than soul icon Smokey Robinson. There are surprisingly few high-quality videos of Michael singing live in his heyday, which makes this mesmerizing 1985 performance with Robinson all the more special. Michael is really in the groove here, dropping velvety lines and spine-tingling melodies, and making it all look easy.
Robinson brings his own style to “Careless Whisper,” adding some spicy high-range runs that surprised and delighted the audience. Fans watching at home also noted that given that the Motown pioneer made time to duet with a young Michael showed that Michael had won the respect of the greats even at that early point. The Music Man has to say that they sure don’t make ‘em like these two legends anymore.
Michael and Robinson teamed up for the duet at the Apollo Theater in New York City on May 4, 1985. The upload drew three million views on YouTube, where fans added comments such as “George Michael’s voice is always studio album quality when he’s singing live. Very rare for a performer to be that good” and “George Michael gained respect from the soul community. This is not easy to do. He did a duet with Whitney, Aretha and now performed with Smokey. Legendary. Iconic.”
Michael delivered so many powerhouse duets over the years. Another one of The Music Man’s favourites came when Michael sang “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me” with Elton John. Even though it’s John’s song, Michael is definitely the main event here, and John was happy to let him shine. Seeing how Michael adapts John’s song into his own style and makes it his own is such a beautiful thing. Hearing him sing that main hook is total goosebumps territory.
George Michael’s duo Wham! issued “Careless Whisper” as the second single from their second album Make It Big. Michael produced the song and co-wrote it with his bandmate Andrew Ridgeley. “Careless Whisper” was a worldwide hit, going multi-Platinum in six markets, including the US, where it went seven times Platinum. It became one of the highest-selling singles in history, having sold 11 million copies worldwide. Michael wrote “Careless Whisper” about his own youthful experiences relating to a love triangle. As a teen, he had cheated on his girlfriend, and for the lyrics, he imagined that his girlfriend had found out, and that “we are dancing… but she knows… and it’s finished.”