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O.T.: Last Christmas - Wham!

Printed From: Top 40 Music on CD
Category: Top 40 Music On Compact Disc
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Printed Date: 10 June 2025 at 6:24pm
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Topic: O.T.: Last Christmas - Wham!
Posted By: NightAire
Subject: O.T.: Last Christmas - Wham!
Date Posted: 10 December 2017 at 12:25am
This missed the top 40 by one, so hopefully, it's OK to talk about.... and I'm flabbergasted by what I've found vs. what I remember.

Wikipedia (admittedly not the most reliable source) has "Last Christmas" coming out in four different versions:

1) original '84 7" mix
2) longer but missing a verse on Japanese 12" & Spanish 7"
3) "Pudding Mix," released on 12" in '85
4) Edit of Pudding Mix, as the 7" in '85

They claim the edit of the Pudding Mix is what we find on most digital sources, the full Pudding Mix is available on some digital sources, the original 12" is rare but available, and the original 7" mix is nowhere to be found.

(They also claim the original 7" and 12" both have pieces of the original performance but the full session has never been released... I'm not even going to get into that...)

I looked at my copy of "Last Christmas" and saw it was 4:24, just like the original 7". Yay!

Then I saw the edit of the Pudding Mix was 4:24 as well. Boo!

That led me to look up Last Christmas at Discogs, and to my bewilderment, the discovery that they don't list ANY 7" or 12" releases of "Last Christmas" in the United States... not in '84, not in '85!

Now... C'mon... that CAN'T be right, can it?

The first listing I find for "Last Christmas" on vinyl in the U.S. is "Music From The Edge Of Heaven" released in 1986. It's the last track on the "Cool" (2nd) side... and it's the full Pudding Mix.

----------

OK, here are my questions:

#1, what is the difference between the original 7" and the edit of the Pudding Mix so I can tell which version I have?

#2, does anybody know of a digital source for the original 7"?

#3, when did Last Christmas first hit our shores?

#4, was the original 7" mix or the edit of the Pudding Mix from '85 the "hit" version in the United States?

Joel Whitburn's "Christmas In The Charts" says "album cut recorded in 1985 and issued as a promotional '45' on Columbia 2591; from the 1997 Australian import album Christmas Wishes on Dino 147." He indicates it hit the Hot 100 in January of 1998. He does not show it hitting the Billboard Christmas chart, which ran from 1983 through 1985, with 10 positions on each chart.

I would have SWORN I was hearing "Last Christmas" on local radio stations on or before Christmas of 1990. I would have thought I would have been hearing it as early as 1984!

Thanks for any insight anybody can provide.

-------------
Gene Savage
http://www.BlackLightRadio.com - http://www.BlackLightRadio.com
http://www.facebook.com/TulsaSavage - http://www.facebook.com/TulsaSavage
Tulsa, Oklahoma USA



Replies:
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 10 December 2017 at 1:09am
As far as I know, the only 45 release of "Last Christmas" in the US is on a promo from 1986. Perhaps some stations got their hands on import copies to play it prior to the official release. After all, Wham! was hot in 1984-85.

As far as I'm concerned, the edit of the Pudding Mix is the hit version. It's the only version I've ever heard on the air. From memory, the 7" edit chops off the slow intro and then fades to the 4:24 mark.

I'm pretty sure this is the 1984 version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0eO01jajig - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0eO01jajig
The linked YouTube video plays a version where there are electronic hand claps on top of the snare, and it's a different edit than the 1986 7" edit.

-------------
Aaron Kannowski
http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound
http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop


Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 10 December 2017 at 1:28am
Also, this fun 8-bit version was just released a few days ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPUBkNgVGsw - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPUBkNgVGsw

-------------
Aaron Kannowski
http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound
http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop


Posted By: Hykker
Date Posted: 10 December 2017 at 12:58pm
I checked my music surveys for WHTT & WZOU in Boston.
Neither listed the song in either '84 or '85. By Dec. '86
WHTT had changed format, and WZOU was no longer publishing
a survey.


Posted By: EdisonLite
Date Posted: 10 December 2017 at 3:34pm
In trying to sum up Gene, Aaron's, & Wikipedia's info, I think these are all the original versions, but please correct me if I'm wrong:

(1) Original 1984 recording (7" mix) 4:24 - with claps unique to the 1984 mixes, a different edit than other singles, and (to my ears) some unique vocal overdubs. This can be found on the flipside of the UK 1984 7" single "Everything She Wants". CD availability: Never released (according to Wikipedia)

(2) Original 1984 recording (long version, though missing a verse) Time: listed as 4:34 (according to Wikipedia - only 10 seconds longer than short version, but if it's missing a verse, it probably contains other sections not in the short version) - available on Japanese 12" commercial single and Spanish 12" promtional single. CD availability: Unknown but probably non-existent

(3) 1984 Pudding mix 6:47 (remixed version with partly re-recorded and additional vocals) - appears on 1984 & 1985 issued 12" UK singles and "The Final" CD and "If You Were There (Best of Wham)" CD.

(4) 1985 edit of 1984 Pudding Mix 4:24 - appears on 1985 UK 7" single, and can be edited from "The Final" CD by removing removing the first 27 seconds and fading early until the new version clocks in at 4:24. And apparently, this version is on a lot of Various Artist compilation CDs, as well as George Michael's compilation "Twenty Five".

(5) 2007 Remix 5:13 available on 7", 12" and CD (Tent PD45579)

I haven't heard the 2007 remix - and I didn't hear the original 1984 mix until Aaron posted it today (Thank you, Aaron!)

So it sounds like the original 1984 mix, not available on CD in its edited form, is also likely unavailable on CD in its full-length form. That's a shame. It would be great to have this mix on CD in any length. I like the claps in this mix. And given Wham! and George Michael's huge success, I'm actually quite surprised this hasn't surfaced as a bonus cut on any CD anywhere in the world.


Posted By: EdisonLite
Date Posted: 10 December 2017 at 3:56pm
PS - until now, I only thought there was the pudding mix, and the edit of the pudding mix.


Posted By: Bill Cahill
Date Posted: 11 December 2017 at 2:43pm
I was Program Director at KJ-103 in OKC in 1984. We were a very MTV leaning Top 40 station playing a lot of New Wave, so we'd run the syndicated weekend show "Rock over
London". That show included "Last Christmas" by Wham on show 151 in December 1984, which of course I lifted from the show and played for the 1984 Holiday season as a KJ-103
exclusive. (The competitor never found it). So some stations including mine played it in 1984, I thought that by the 1985 Holiday season, EVERYBODY had it, but it could have
been in 1986 when there was at least a promo copy to radio to promote the Edge of Heaven album. As far as a mix difference, I didn't notice a change in mix with the 4:24 promo from
what I played in 1984 but I really wasn't paying attention at the time.


Posted By: RichM921
Date Posted: 11 December 2017 at 9:17pm
My info will be purely anecdotal but I wanted to add it anyway. I was a
big Wham fan then and bought "Music From The Edge of Heaven" the
day it was released, so I became familiar with "Last Christmas" right
away after that release. But I never heard it get played on the radio until
at least 1990.

Also I never heard the mix that Aaron posted until last Christmas (no
pun intended!) Our local AC station played it last year and I wondered
from where it came. Now we know!

Rich


Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 11 December 2017 at 11:16pm
Also anecdotal, my grandma had a Yamaha SHS-10 keytar (keyboard)
circa 1987. I remember playing with it as a kid for at least a year or two
after she got it. The demo it played was "Last Christmas," but at the
time, even as late as 1988/89, I had no idea it was a real song.
Sometime after, I heard the Wham song and recognized the tune. So,
at least in my area, the song probably received very little airplay in the
mid-'80s. Otherwise I surely would've realized the Yamaha demo was
Wham!

Here's a video of the keyboard playing the demo:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=yBuucJAOptc

-------------
Aaron Kannowski
http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound
http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop


Posted By: MMathews
Date Posted: 12 December 2017 at 2:28am
In NY I started hearing "Last Christmas" in 1985, and
every season thereafter. I remember not being surprised
when I saw it on "Music From The Edge Of Heaven" in 1986.

As for mix, I thought they might be too similar for me to
recall, but after hearing the link Aaron posted above, I
can say for sure I only ever heard the pudding mix edit on
the radio.
MM   


Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 12 December 2017 at 2:46am
Originally posted by aaronk aaronk wrote:


I'm pretty sure this is the 1984 version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=G0eO01jajig
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=G0eO01jajig
The linked YouTube video plays a version where there are
electronic hand claps on top of the snare, and it's a
different edit than the 1986 7" edit.


Oh, wow, I've never heard that mix before. Back in the
day, I owned the Japanese laserdisc of "Wham - The Video"
that came out in late '84 or early '85, and the mix used
in the video on that collection was the Pudding Mix edit.


Posted By: edtop40
Date Posted: 11 December 2018 at 3:53pm
this song has finally made the Billboard top 40 this week,
December 15, 2018....question i have is...which version
would be considered the hit version via digital downloads
or streams as wikipedia shows two different versions and
run times...the 4:27 version and the 6:45 pudding mix...

-------------
edtop40


Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 11 December 2018 at 4:56pm
Ed, I would say the hit version is the Pudding Mix edited
and faded to 4:24 as Aaron indicated above.

-------------
John Gallagher
Erie, PA
https://www.johngallagher.com" rel="nofollow - John Gallagher Wedding & Special Event Entertainment / Snapblast Photo Booth


Posted By: EdisonLite
Date Posted: 11 December 2018 at 5:27pm
I'd agree with that assessment. Also, there are lot of Christmas songs that have now (this season)reached their highest peak on the Hot 100, some of which are just making the top 40 this year.

Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" originally never charted during its debut year, 1994 IIRC. But two years ago, it peaked at #11 around Xmas week; one year ago, it peaked at #9 (finally a top 10 hit) around XMas week. But this year, it's already up to #7, and we're still a couple weeks away from Xmas so it could peak even higher.


Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 11 December 2018 at 6:45pm
Every year, there are NEW Christmas songs that get spins
on the Mediabase A/C chart. Yet, the positive testing
songs are always the classics and select songs from newer
artists over the years.

-------------
John Gallagher
Erie, PA
https://www.johngallagher.com" rel="nofollow - John Gallagher Wedding & Special Event Entertainment / Snapblast Photo Booth


Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 11 December 2018 at 10:51pm
Originally posted by EdisonLite EdisonLite wrote:


Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You"
originally never charted during its debut year, 1994
IIRC.

Right, because it was not issued as a commercial single
in 1994, which back in those days made it ineligible for
the Hot 100.



Posted By: Paul Haney
Date Posted: 12 December 2018 at 5:07am
Streaming has a lot to do with the increased popularity of
older Christmas songs this year. Combined with the
airplay from the 24-hour X-mas stations, it's no surprise
that we're seeing higher peak positions this year.


Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 12 December 2018 at 9:21am
Many of the all Christmas stations started weeks before
Thanksgiving this year. It's a huge ratings boost.

-------------
John Gallagher
Erie, PA
https://www.johngallagher.com" rel="nofollow - John Gallagher Wedding & Special Event Entertainment / Snapblast Photo Booth


Posted By: Ron S
Date Posted: 13 December 2018 at 10:32am
Originally posted by aaronk aaronk wrote:

As far as I know, the only 45 release of "Last Christmas"
in the US is on a promo from 1986. Perhaps some stations got their hands
on import copies to play it prior to the official release. After all, Wham! was
hot in 1984-85.

As far as I'm concerned, the edit of the Pudding Mix is the hit version. It's
the only version I've ever heard on the air. From memory, the 7" edit chops
off the slow intro and then fades to the 4:24 mark.

I'm pretty sure this is the 1984 version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=G0eO01jajig
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0eO01jajig
The linked YouTube video plays a version where there are electronic hand
claps on top of the snare, and it's a different edit than the 1986 7" edit.


I believe the 1984 version is available on digital.

And the pudding remix edit is on his twenty-five CD? I have that CD.

I have to hear both versions to compare because I always thought they
sounded the same...LOL


Posted By: PopArchivist
Date Posted: 16 December 2018 at 4:10pm
FYI everyone it now is a top 40 hit single in 2018. Only took about 32 years to do it...


Posted By: PopArchivist
Date Posted: 16 December 2018 at 4:13pm
Originally posted by Brian W. Brian W. wrote:

Originally posted by EdisonLite EdisonLite wrote:


Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You"
originally never charted during its debut year, 1994
IIRC.

Right, because it was not issued as a commercial single
in 1994, which back in those days made it ineligible for
the Hot 100.



And now it was #7 this past week. Christmas songs these days do not usually hit the top 10 of the Hot 100 (Mariah being an exception). However, an instrumental top 10 single hasn't hit the Hot 100 since The Theme From Mission Impossible in 1996 and is rarer.


Posted By: eric_a
Date Posted: 17 December 2018 at 11:13am
Originally posted by PopArchivist PopArchivist wrote:

However, an instrumental top 10
single hasn't hit the Hot 100 since The Theme From
Mission Impossible in 1996 and is rarer.


Not to go too far OT but didn't "Harlem Shake" hit #1?


Posted By: PopArchivist
Date Posted: 20 December 2018 at 11:31pm
Harlem Shake was not totally instrumental. That is why I did not count it, it actually contains some words, even if repeated over and over.

The Mission Impossible theme was all instrumental, there were no voices at all (except in the remix version they played in NY on WKTU where they started with the Mr. Phelps stuff at the beginning which was the remix version they had on the CD single...ah the memories!).

Mission Impossible 1996 single, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eStUeLdLM6k

Harlem Shake single, Bauer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV0LHCHf-pE

Harlem Shake had limited lyrics:

In the first 40 seconds you hear the two lines:

Con los terroristas
Do the Harlem Shake



Posted By: peterpyser
Date Posted: 13 January 2020 at 5:21am
After celebrating its new #11 peak position on the Hot
100 in the week ending 4th january, i would like to
add a new info regarding the original (1984) 12''
single release, the one with the missing verse.
It is available on the 2008 release “The Essential NOW
That’s What I Call Christmas”:
https://www.discogs.com/Various-The-Essential-Now-
Thats-What-I-Call-Christmas/release/10067653

It can also be found on the digital-only release
“Essential A Very Special Christmas” 2013 compilation:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3PFnE9aYFIxWzI1INS7lY6

That leaves 2 other versions of the song still
presumably unavailable on cd: the original (1984) UK
7'' single and the instrumental version first issued
in 2014 as a Record Store Day exclusive.
Do anyone know if any of those 2 versions has been
released on some obscure cd? Not even on some
compilation like TM Century promos, or maybe on some
syndicated radio show transcription disc?


Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 13 January 2020 at 7:40am
Thanks for bringing that to our attention! I pulled out my copy of the Essential Now...Christmas CD, and yes, it's the version with the handclaps. Pat also lists this same version on a couple other database CDs that I do not have.

Is the UK 7" an edit of this mix?

-------------
Aaron Kannowski
http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound
http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop


Posted By: peterpyser
Date Posted: 13 January 2020 at 9:04am
The UK 7'' is an alternate edit of the very same recording that produced that original 12'' version.
Both versions (original 1984 7'' and 12'') share most of the main song, except that the 12'' is missing a verse but it has a longer coda.
The 7'' version has the additional verse but it fades early.
The complete version that was edited differently for the 7'' and the 12'' is still unreleased, but it can be recreated using the above 2 sources. The problem is that for the 7'' version there is still no known cd source, so the unedited full version could only be recreated from vinyl.

Anyway, there should be a cd source somewhere for the original 1984 7'' version, i can't believe it has never been issued on digital. Maybe someone still has to find the right obscure cd it is buried in...


Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 13 January 2020 at 10:26am
Ah, okay! That makes sense. I didn't re-read the entire thread, but I think someone did mention that a while ago. I'll check my collection, but I don't think I have a UK 45 for "Last Christmas."

-------------
Aaron Kannowski
http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound
http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop


Posted By: peterpyser
Date Posted: 13 January 2020 at 3:10pm
Just to have an idea how the original 1984 UK 7'' version sounds like, this is a vinyl transfer:
https://burningtheground.net/2018/12/wham-last-christmas-uk-7/ - Last Christmas 1984 UK 7''

In my opinion the guy running that site doesn't do great transfers, and this is no exception, but you can use it to spot the difference with the more common versions.


Posted By: chendagam
Date Posted: 31 December 2021 at 2:36pm
I was listening to random Christmas music the other day on
shuffle and this song started to play and I had never
heard the version playing before! It was the one with the
hand claps from the Essential Now...Christmas CD. What is
this exact version and were did it first appear? Thanks!


Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 31 December 2021 at 4:11pm
Originally posted by chendagam chendagam wrote:

I was listening to random Christmas music the other day on shuffle and this song started to play and I had never heard the version playing before! It was the one with the hand claps from the Essential
Now...Christmas CD. What is this exact version and were did it first appear? Thanks!


It's the original UK 12" mix, as Peter Pyser detailed a few posts back.


Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 31 December 2021 at 4:15pm
Originally posted by peterpyser peterpyser wrote:

It is available on the 2008 release “The Essential NOW That’s What I Call Christmas”:

https://www.discogs.com/Various-The-Essential-Now-Thats-What -I-Call-Christmas/release/10067653

It can also be found on the digital-only release “Essential A Very Special Christmas” 2013 compilation:

https://open.spotify.com/album/3PFnE9aYFIxWzI1INS7lY6

That leaves 2 other versions of the song still presumably unavailable on cd: the original (1984) UK 7" single and the instrumental version first issued in 2014 as a Record Store Day exclusive.

Do anyone know if any of those 2 versions has been released on some obscure cd?


The instrumental was issued recently on the Japanese "Wham! The Japanese Singles" compilation. Haven't found the 1984 UK 7" verison yet.

By the way, I think the first appearance of the 1984 12-inch mix was on the 2000 CD "All-Star Christmas," which is also on Qobuz:

https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/all-star-christmas-various-artists/0884977785487 - https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/all-star-christmas-various -artists/0884977785487



Posted By: ChicagoBill
Date Posted: 31 December 2021 at 5:03pm
From a retail standpoint... We heard it being played on Chicago stations (I don't recall which) from the middle of November
1985. We then ordered it from our UK single supplier as that was the only source. It arrived on 2/12/1986 with 'Blue' on the B-
side and the label/number listed as 'Wham 1'. We put them away with all the other Christmas 45's until we brought them out for
the next season (1986) and quickly sold out. -Bill.


Posted By: 995wlol
Date Posted: 01 January 2022 at 1:11pm
Originally posted by ChicagoBill ChicagoBill wrote:

We put them away with all the other Christmas 45's until we brought them out for
the next season (1986) and quickly sold out. -Bill.


Bill (or anyone else who remembers), what were some of the popular Christmas songs played on Top 40 radio during the 80s?

I was just a kid, so I can only specifically remember a handful of songs that were played here in the Twin Cities on WLOL:

Bryan Adams - Christmas Time
Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Hall & Oates - Jingle Bell Rock
Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas
Wham - Last Christmas
Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime
Bob & Doug McKenzie - Twelve Days Of Christmas
...plus a bunch of cuts off the "Very Special Christmas" album from '87 including Winter Wonderland, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, and Santa Baby.


Posted By: VWestlife
Date Posted: 01 January 2022 at 4:23pm
Vince Vance & The Valiants' "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (no relation to the Mariah song of the same name) was first released in 1989, but I don't recall hearing it on AC/CHR stations until over a decade later. Country stations played every year since its 1993 re-release, but it didn't cross over to the pop airplay chart until 2002!


Posted By: NightAire
Date Posted: 02 January 2022 at 12:39am
I remember hearing Elton John's Step Into Christmas and The Waitresses Christmas Wrapping on our local top 40, alongside Emerson, Lake, & Palmer's I Believe In Father Christmas.

Johnny Mathis's Walkin' In A Winter Wonderland got plenty of airplay, and of course The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late).

Even Frank Sinatra's Christmas Waltz and Bing Crosby's Oh Come All Ye Faithful might show up on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

Seems like tracks from the Phil Spector Christmas album would end up on the air too, but I switched between CHA, AC, and EZ Listening stations so I guarantee what was where.

-------------
Gene Savage
http://www.BlackLightRadio.com - http://www.BlackLightRadio.com
http://www.facebook.com/TulsaSavage - http://www.facebook.com/TulsaSavage
Tulsa, Oklahoma USA


Posted By: Paul Haney
Date Posted: 02 January 2022 at 4:41am
"Another Lonely Christmas" by Prince (B-side of the "I Would Die 4 U" single) also got some airplay in the Twin Cities.


Posted By: RichM921
Date Posted: 02 January 2022 at 7:33am
Originally posted by 995wlol 995wlol wrote:

Bill (or anyone else who remembers),
what were some of the popular Christmas songs played on
Top 40 radio during the 80s?

I was just a kid, so I can only specifically remember a
handful of songs that were played here in the Twin Cities
on WLOL:

Bryan Adams - Christmas Time
Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Hall & Oates - Jingle Bell Rock
Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas
Wham - Last Christmas
Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime
Bob & Doug McKenzie - Twelve Days Of Christmas
...plus a bunch of cuts off the "Very Special Christmas"
album from '87 including Winter Wonderland, Have Yourself
A Merry Little Christmas, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa
Claus, and Santa Baby.


Besides the ones you mentioned, here are some other
Christmas "hits" from the '80s.

Alabama - Christmas in Dixie
Billy Squier - Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You
Dan Fogelberg - Same Old Lang Syne
Dolly Parton - Hard Candy Christmas
Elmo & Patsy - Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer
Jon Anderson - Easier Said Than Done
Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton - A Christmas To Remember
Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton - With Bells On
Leon Redbone & Dr John - Frosty the Snowman
Neil Diamond - You Make it Feel Like Christmas
New Edition - Christmas All Over the World
Ray Parker Jr - Christmas Time Is Here
Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping

There were also several Mannheim Steamroller tracks which
were popular. Of course these were all played along with
the typical Christmas oldies that you still hear today.


Posted By: ChicagoBill
Date Posted: 02 January 2022 at 12:15pm
Without even checking my notes from the eighties, I would say the David Bowie/Bing Crosby single was a monster seller. It
first came out as a boot, but then in 1982, it was released on RCA. I also would mention the impact of "A Very Special
Christmas" CD as it came out as the public was starting to purchase their first CD players and wanted something 'Pop'
sounding to play around the holidays. I'll go to my archives for more. -Bill.


Posted By: ChicagoBill
Date Posted: 02 January 2022 at 2:16pm
Mike posed the question, "What was played on Top 40 radio in the 80's.....", but this is what my record store SOLD the
most of in the 70's and 80's. This list does not include Christmas/Holiday hits that were released before 1970, like
Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Elvis, etc., that were still selling. Number 1 (don't laugh), Elmo & Patsy -
"Grandma Got Run Over...", 2) Jose Feliciano-'Feliz Navidad', 3) Singing Dogs-"Jingle Bells", 4) John Lennon-"Happy
Xmas", 5) Paul McCartney-"Wonderful Christmastime". Those were the top 5. I think the Singing Dogs actually was
recorded in the 50's but had a huge resurgence when it was re-released in 1974. As was another huge seller, Yogi
Yorgesson-"I Yust Go Nuts At Christmas". Some reflect the ethnicity of my neighborhood. Some would've been better
sellers if they would've been available longer like Cheech & Chong's-"Santa & His Old Lady" which was only available
for 1971-1974. -Bill.   


Posted By: 995wlol
Date Posted: 02 January 2022 at 2:57pm
This is great info--thanks everyone!!


Posted By: 995wlol
Date Posted: 02 January 2022 at 2:59pm
Originally posted by Paul Haney Paul Haney wrote:

"Another Lonely Christmas" by Prince (B-side of the "I Would Die 4 U" single) also got some airplay in the Twin Cities.


Thanks, Paul--I always wondered if this was something I might have heard on 'LOL, but it's never sounded familiar enough for me to be sure!

Also, one that I didn't list, but got played in the Twin Cities was Limited Warranty's "Santa Claus Is Missing Christmas". Wish I could get my hands on a quality copy of that one.


Posted By: sriv94
Date Posted: 04 December 2023 at 3:52pm
I posted this query on the Book of Face. For those of you who work in
radio, is the subject of “Whamageddon” verboten? (Some people may be
playing the game of trying to go as long as possible without hearing “Last
Christmas” between December 1 and December 24, and in some circles the
game is also extended to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”)

I ask because evidently NPR did a piece on this game, but gave a warning
for those playing the game so they’d know to turn the radio off for a few
minutes. But for music stations (whether they’re currently all-Xmas or in
regular format with holiday tunes sprinkled in) that may or may not be a
good idea.

I’m not playing because it’s too hard to avoid, and actually I kinda like the
song (although Mariah just gives me the heebie-jeebies generally
speaking). But I am curious.

-------------
Doug
---------------
All of the good signatures have been taken.


Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 04 December 2023 at 6:55pm
I haven't been in radio in many years, but I can say that when I worked in radio, we would never give people a reason to turn off the radio. We certainly would not tell people to turn off the radio. Had Whamageddon been a thing back then, my guess is that the PD would've told us not to mention it. For one, there would be no reason to play the song if people didn't like it. Two, if people did like it, they'd want to hear it. Three, if they were playing the game, as silly as it is, by the time the station started playing it, they would've already lost and therefore would have no reason to turn it off at that point. Just my two cents.

-------------
Aaron Kannowski
http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound
http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop


Posted By: NightAire
Date Posted: 04 December 2023 at 6:59pm
I assume NPR warned people playing the game to turn their radios off because they were going to play snippets of the song.

As Aaron said, I've never heard of a commercial music radio station warning people they were going to play "Last Christmas." :-D

-------------
Gene Savage
http://www.BlackLightRadio.com - http://www.BlackLightRadio.com
http://www.facebook.com/TulsaSavage - http://www.facebook.com/TulsaSavage
Tulsa, Oklahoma USA


Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 04 December 2023 at 9:18pm
Yes, and NPR is a publicly funded radio network, so they couldn't care less if they have listeners or not.

-------------
Aaron Kannowski
http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound
http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop


Posted By: Hykker
Date Posted: 05 December 2023 at 6:07am
Maybe a stupid question, but what is Whamageddon? Is "Last Christmas" really that hated? One of my favorite Christmas songs.


Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 05 December 2023 at 7:10am
It’s a game someone made up about a decade ago (maybe longer) where if
you hear the song you’re “out.” It has nothing to do with people not liking
the song. The idea is that it’s nearly impossible to make it through a
Christmas season without hearing it.

-------------
Aaron Kannowski
http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound
http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop


Posted By: sriv94
Date Posted: 05 December 2023 at 7:56am
Originally posted by aaronk aaronk wrote:

It’s a game someone made up about a decade ago (maybe longer) where if
you hear the song you’re “out.” It has nothing to do with people not liking
the song. The idea is that it’s nearly impossible to make it through a
Christmas season without hearing it.


And a variant is "Mariahgeddon," where it may be even more impossible to go through a Christmas season
without hearing "All I Want For Christmas Is You."

At any rate, if you're playing and you hear either song, you have to post on social media when and where
the dirty deed was done dirt cheap. If you go through the entire period (12/1-12/24) without hearing it,
you've won.

Only the original recordings count. Covers, live performances (although that may be a little difficult
with Wham) and remixes are exempt. Doesn't matter if it's terrestrial radio, satellite radio, streaming,
TV or somebody playing the song(s) at full blast on an iPhone.

-------------
Doug
---------------
All of the good signatures have been taken.


Posted By: Hykker
Date Posted: 07 December 2023 at 5:50am
Originally posted by sriv94 sriv94 wrote:

At any rate, if you're playing and you hear either song, you have to post on social media when and where
the dirty deed was done dirt cheap. If you go through the entire period (12/1-12/24) without hearing it,
you've won.


The things I'm missing out on by not being on social media. <rolleyes>


Posted By: PopArchivist
Date Posted: 23 December 2023 at 6:15pm
I have 3 versions on CD. Did I miss any that made CD?

Wham! - Last Christmas [1984 12'' Mix]{The Essential Now That's What I Call Christmas}

Wham! - Last Christmas [Pudding Mix Edit] {TwentyFive}

Wham! - Last Christmas [Pudding Mix] {The Best Of UK}



-------------
Favorite two expressions to live by on this board: "You can't download vinyl" and "Not everything is available on CD."


Posted By: mjb50
Date Posted: 23 December 2023 at 8:07pm
The instrumental is on the 2020 Japanese release https://www.discogs.com/master/1844994-Wham-Japanese-Singles-Collection-Greatest-Hits- - Japanese Singles Collection (Greatest Hits) .

The original single mix is still unreleased on CD AFAIK.


Posted By: AaronsAmazing
Date Posted: 02 December 2024 at 11:11pm
Around December 2020, I caught Hit 104.7 playing Christmas songs at the
top-of-the-hour, and one song I heard was "Last Christmas", which
appeared to be the full-length Pudding Mix with the piano intro cut out. Was
this a crude attempt at recreating the single version or not?


Posted By: mjb50
Date Posted: 03 December 2024 at 6:00am
I doubt it was a conscious attempt. They probably just had the commonly available full-length Pudding Mix on hand (e.g. from The Final) and played it without the intro because no one remembers or wants to hear that slow intro.


Posted By: elcoleccionista
Date Posted: 14 December 2024 at 6:39pm
Yesterday I realized that the "Last Christmas" version
included on the 2014 Record Store Day 12" single to mark
the track's 30th anniversary (Legacy 88875042911) is
different from the 45 version we know. During the first two
seconds the synth sound plays differently than on the 45.
Maybe it is unique to this release, I checked several other
appearances of the single version and none of them have
this anomaly.


Posted By: AaronsAmazing
Date Posted: 16 December 2024 at 1:42pm
Wikipedia has claimed for years that the familiar 7" version is actually an
edit of the Pudding Mix done for the UK "Christmas '85" reissue, but the
existence of the Japanese 4:45 12" version (which has appeared on a few
CD compilations) confuses me. It sounds like the 1984 7" version, but it's
also an edit of the Pudding Mix. So is there another full-length "Pudding
Mix" in existence?


Posted By: mjb50
Date Posted: 16 December 2024 at 4:23pm
Wow, you're right about the intro on the 2014 RSD release; one of the chords is different!

As for the Pudding Mix:

The 1984 12" version with the LinnDrum claps was called Pudding Mix (on the Japanese 12" labels) or Long Version (on the Japanese retail 12" sleeve). I go back and forth on this, but right now I don't think it's wrong to call this the Pudding Mix since apparently that title existed in 1984.

The common 1985 12" version was also called Pudding Mix (on the UK/EU 12" labels), with no version title on the sleeve. If I understand correctly, some copies may actually play the 1984 version. So I don't think it's wrong to also call this one the Pudding Mix; it's just a different Pudding Mix than what came out in 1984.

The commonly reissued edit of the 1985 version is the video and international hit single version.

It seems unlikely, but I suppose it's possible that Long Version is only correct title for the 1984 12" mix, and that Pudding Mix was a remix made in 1984 but not actually released until 1985. Maybe someone could try getting in touch with Andrew Ridgeley to see if he has any insight.

[edit:] In the meantime, on the 2024 Blu-Ray reissue of Make It Big, they're calling the 1984 12" mix the "Pudding Mix Edit"!



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