"A Different Corner" is a song written and performed by
George Michael
George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling musici ...
that was released on
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America
Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...
(
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
in the US) in 1986 .
Background & Writing
"A Different Corner" was written by Michael while
Wham!
Wham! (briefly known in the US as Wham! U.K.) were an English pop duo formed in Bushey in 1981. The duo consisted of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They became one of the most commercially successful pop acts of the 1980s, selling more ...
were at their peak as a duo, and during a low point in his life:
Michael admitted that "A Different Corner" was the "most honest" and personal song he had ever done. He elaborated further on the song's meaning:
According to Michael, the song took roughly 14 hours to write and record from beginning to end. The synthesizer textures were created with a
Roland Juno-60
The Roland Juno-60 is an analog synthesizer manufactured by the Roland Corporation between 1982 and 1984. It followed the Juno-6, an almost identical synthesizer released months earlier. The Juno synthesizers introduced Roland's digitally control ...
synthesizer.
History
At the time of its release in March 1986, Michael was still a member of pop duo
Wham!
Wham! (briefly known in the US as Wham! U.K.) were an English pop duo formed in Bushey in 1981. The duo consisted of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They became one of the most commercially successful pop acts of the 1980s, selling more ...
(the song is included on Wham!'s album ''
Music from the Edge of Heaven
''Music from the Edge of Heaven'' is the final studio album from British pop duo Wham!. It was released on July 1, 1986 by Columbia Records.
''Music from the Edge of Heaven'' was only released in North America and Japan. In other territories, a ...
'' only released in Japan and North America, as well as their compilation album ''
The Final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
'', released worldwide), though he and partner
Andrew Ridgeley
Andrew John Ridgeley (born 26 January 1963) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer, best known for his work in the 1980s in the musical duo Wham!.
Early life
Ridgeley was born in Windlesham, Surrey, England, to parents ...
had announced that they would split in the summer after a farewell single, album and concert. Michael had already enjoyed a solo number one on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
in 1984 with "
Careless Whisper
"Careless Whisper" is a song written by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. Released on the 1984 Wham! album ''Make It Big'', the single release was credited either to ''Wham! featuring George Michael'' (in North America and several other count ...
", which was credited as Wham! featuring George Michael in the US.
After radio DJ
Simon Bates
Simon Philip Bates (born 17 December 1946) is an English disc jockey and radio presenter. Between 1976 and 1993 he worked at BBC Radio 1, presenting the station's weekday mid-morning show for most of this period. He later became a regular pres ...
first aired "A Different Corner" on
Radio 1 Radio 1 or Radio One most commonly refers to:
*BBC Radio 1, a music radio station from the BBC
** BBC Radio 1Xtra, a digital radio station broadcasting black music
*CBC Radio One, a talk radio station operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporatio ...
, he rated the song so highly that he immediately played it again from the beginning. Michael went back to the top of the UK chart with "A Different Corner", becoming the first solo act in the history of the UK chart to reach number one with his first two releases, although he was hardly an unknown or new act on either occasion due to his previous hits with Wham!. The song reached number 7 on the
US Billboard Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming i ...
, thus becoming the first single credited solely to Michael to become an American top-ten hit which was enough to make American executives at
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America
Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...
confident that Michael would be viable as a solo artist and helped get the gears in motion for his solo album debut ''
Faith
Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as "belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion".
Religious people often ...
''. It was the first song to reach number one in the UK charts to be written, performed and produced by the same person.
The song was also remixed for his compilation ''
Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael''. This version omitted the guitar and Michael's background vocals during the instrumental break.
The song was featured in a 1986 episode of the US daytime soap opera ''
Days of Our Lives
''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...
''.
The song was performed by
Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John Martin (born 2 March 1977) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist, pianist, rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay. Born in Exeter, Devon, he went to Univ ...
as part of a tribute to Michael during the
2017 BRIT Awards
Brit Awards 2017 was held on 22 February 2017 and was the 37th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The awards ceremony were held at The O2 Arena in London. Emma Willis hosted ''The Brits Are Coming'', the laun ...
.
A note on the back of the sleeve proclaims, "This record is dedicated to a memory."
Cover versions
* 1992:
Pepsi & Shirlie
Pepsi & Shirlie are an English pop duo group formed in London in 1985, which released two albums, ''All Right Now'' in 1987 and ''Change'' in 1991. Their debut single "Heartache" reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart.
Career
The act comprised ...
* 2017:
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University Col ...
Music video
The music video is set in a sparse white room with a window. George Michael is also dressed in white, and is shown sitting and walking around the room whilst singing the song.
Track listing
7": Epic / A 7033 (UK)
# "A Different Corner" – 3:57
# "A Different Corner" (instrumental) – 4:13
12": Epic / GTA 7033 (UK)
# "A Different Corner" – 3:57
# "A Different Corner" (instrumental) – 4:13
* released in gatefold sleeve
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Different Corner, A
1986 singles
1986 songs
George Michael songs
European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles
Dutch Top 40 number-one singles
Number-one singles in Norway
Number-one singles in Zimbabwe
RPM Top Singles number-one singles
UK Singles Chart number-one singles
Songs written by George Michael
Song recordings produced by George Michael
1980s ballads
Pop ballads
Contemporary R&B ballads
Soul ballads
Columbia Records singles
Epic Records singles