"I'm Your Man" is a song by British pop duo

Wham! Wham! were an English pop duo formed in Bushey in 1981 consisting of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They were one of the most successful pop acts during the 1980s, selling more than 30 million certified records worldwide from 1982 to ...

, released in 1985 on

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...

in the UK and most of the world, and

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

in the US. It was written and produced by

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...

Background and writing

"I'm Your Man", according to Michael, was "pretty different to anything ham! hasever done". According to Michael:

History

"I'm Your Man" became Wham!'s third number one on the UK Singles Chart, but did not feature on a studio album, and was essentially an isolated single which was only followed up by a re-issue of the previous year's

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

hit, "

Last Christmas "Last Christmas" is a song by British pop duo Wham!. Written and produced by George Michael, it was released on 3 December 1984 via CBS Records internationally and as a double A-side via Epic Records with " Everything She Wants" in several Eur ...

". The song also reached number three on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, prevented from further chart movement by ''

Rocky IV ''Rocky IV'' is a 1985 American sports drama film starring, written and directed by Sylvester Stallone. The film is the sequel to '' Rocky III'' (1982) and the fourth installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise. It also stars Talia Shire, Burt You ...

'' soundtrack single " Burning Heart" by

Survivor Survivor(s) may refer to: * one who survives Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Survivors, characters in the 1997 KKnD series#Armies, ''KKnD'' video-game series * ''The Survivors'', or the ''New Survivors Foundation'', a fictional ...

and "

That's What Friends Are For "That's What Friends Are For" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager. It was first recorded by Rod Stewart in 1982 for the soundtrack of the film '' Night Shift'', but it is best known for the 1985 version by Dionne Warwic ...

" by Dionne and Friends. Within six months of "I'm Your Man", Wham! had announced their split. They had a fourth and final number one and released a farewell album, prior to a concert at

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...

, at which "I'm Your Man" was the last song Michael performed with partner

Andrew Ridgeley Andrew John Ridgeley (born 26 January 1963) is an English musician, best known for his work in the 1980s in the musical duo Wham! consisting of Ridgeley and George Michael. Associated with the MTV-driven Second British Invasion of the US, th ...

. An extended mix of the song was released on Wham!'s 1986 album '' The Final''. It also featured on the US version of the album '' Music from the Edge of Heaven''. In 1996, the song was re-recorded by Michael in a funkier style. It appeared, credited to Michael solo, as a

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

on the "

Fastlove "Fastlove" is a song by English singer-songwriter George Michael, released on 22 April 1996 by Virgin Records in the United Kingdom and by DreamWorks Records in the United States as the second single from his third album, '' Older'' (1996). Wri ...

CD single A CD single is a single (music), music single in the form of a compact disc (CD). Originally the ''CD single'' standard (as defined in the Rainbow Books, Red Book) was an 8 cm (3-inch) "mini CD" (''CD3''); later on the term referred to any si ...

(also being interpolated into an extended mix of "Fastlove") and, credited to Wham!, on '' The Best of Wham!: If You Were There...''. In 2012, comedian

John Bishop John Bishop (born 30 November 1966) is an English comedian, presenter, actor and former semi pro footballer. His first television appearance was in 2007 on the RTÉ topical-comedy show '' The Panel'', where he was a regular panelist until 20 ...

mimed and danced to the song along with a "Mini Me" version of himself at the end of his tour DVD ''Rollercoaster''.

Critical reception

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said that it "continues to show the group’s indebtedness to

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

grooves and girl group vocal arrangements." ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' agreed that it has Motown influence and is "handled with affection and accuracy."

Music video

The official music video for the song was directed by

Andy Morahan Andrew Douglas Morahan (born 11 August 1958) is a British commercial, film and music video director. He is the son of director Christopher Morahan and the half-brother of actress Hattie Morahan. Married to Joanna Lewis, he has two children. ...

. The video is presented in black and white, set in the

Marquee Club The Marquee Club was a music venue in London, England, that opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. It was a small and relatively cheap club, in the heart of London's West End of London, West End. It was the location of the first ...

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, London, where Wham! are performing the song. An extended intro and outro features Michael and Ridgeley trying without success to sell tickets to passersby. Michael makes a phone call to his agent

Simon Napier-Bell Simon Robert Napier-Bell (born 22 April 1939) is an English record producer, music manager, author and journalist. At different times, he has managed artists as diverse as the Yardbirds, John's Children, Marc Bolan, Japan, London, Sinéad O'Co ...

, complaining about having to sing at the Marquee. He is heard saying "Simon, don't cry" and finally hangs up on him with the words "we got a gig to play, goodbye". During the video, film countdown numbers flash up at times, making the numbers 69 and 66. It also shows "SEX" in the countdown.

Track listing

* Also released as a picture disc (WTA 6716) and cassette (TA40 6716) * "Do It Right" is the instrumental version of "I'm Your Man"

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Lisa Moorish version

In 1995, English singer-songwriter

Lisa Moorish Lisa Moorish (born 16 January 1972) is an English singer-songwriter. She had a solo career beginning in 1989, and was the lead singer of the indie band ''Kill City'' in the early 2000s. Biography Origins Moorish was born in Walworth, but grew ...

covered "I'm Your Man" for her debut album, ''I've Gotta Have It All'' (1996), with Michael providing background vocals. Just like "Mr. Friday Night", the cover was also a moderate success on the UK charts. According to the story of this recording, Moorish was in a UK studio working on the track with the producer, Jon Douglas. On the same day Michael was in the building, walking down the hall and heard Moorish singing the song. He loved her interpretation and asked to sing backup on the track.

Critical reception

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the musi ...

from ''

'' wrote, "Charming pop ingenue drops the pace of this

chestnut down to a wriggling

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

smoker that is already a smash overseas. Single is bolstered by an uncredited vocal by George Michael, though Moorish has a vampish style that would have easily drawn the ardent attention of

top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...

programmers on her own. Hard to imagine this one not riding a fast and furious wave to the top regions of the

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the 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), o ...

within seconds." In a separate review, Flick explained, "The final product is a deliciously seductive jeep/hip-hop version of the song that is bound for multiformat success similar to its run abroad. Newcomer Moorish makes an excellent first vocal impression here, revealing a low-register, feline style—though we are still wondering why she chose to sing a male-specific lyric in the first place. Michael's long-absent distinctive belting is a welcome treat, as is the track's perfectly measured fuzz-guitar lines, muscular bassline, and hard-edged beats." Jordan Paramor from ''

Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand ...

'' gave Moorish' version of the song four out of five, writing, "It's great! it's laid-back and funky with smooth vocals, and, joy of joys, George even sings on it!"

Charts

Shane Richie version

In 2003, actor and ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...

'' star

Shane Richie Shane Patrick Paul Roche (born 11 March 1964), known as Shane Richie, is an English actor, comedian, presenter and singer. Following initial success as a stage and screen performer, he became best known for his portrayal of the character Alfie ...

also covered the song as a fundraising single for the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

charity ''

Children in Need ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...

''. Produced by

Absolute Absolute may refer to: Companies * Absolute Entertainment, a video game publisher * Absolute Radio, (formerly Virgin Radio), independent national radio station in the UK * Absolute Software Corporation, specializes in security and data risk ma ...

, Richie's version of the song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart.

Track listing

* UK CD single # "I'm Your Man" – 3:37 # "I'm Your Man" (Shanghai Surprize's East End Pop Mix) – 6:37 # "I'm Your Man" (video) – 3:37 # "The Making of the Video" – 1:59 * UK DVD single # "I'm Your Man" (video) # "I'm Your Man" (karaoke) # "The Making of the Video"

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 1985 songs 1985 singles 1995 singles 2003 debut singles Bertelsmann Music Group singles Black-and-white music videos Columbia Records singles Epic Records singles Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Music videos directed by Andy Morahan Number-one singles in Denmark Number-one singles in New Zealand Song recordings produced by Absolute (production team) Song recordings produced by George Michael Songs written by George Michael UK singles chart number-one singles Wham! songs