Fantastic is the debut studio album by the English pop duoWham!, released on 1 July 1983.[6] It reached number one on theUK Albums Chart. It included the previously released singles "Young Guns", "Wham Rap!" and "Bad Boys". "Club Tropicana" was released as a single to coincide with the album's release. Although not on the album, "Club Fantastic Megamix" (a medley of songs from the album) was released against the band's wishes byInnervision soon afterFantastic, and whilst they were in proceedings to leave the label.[7]
According toAndrew Ridgeley in his 2019 bookWham! George and Me, it was during the early stages of writing and recording of this album that the pair agreed thatGeorge Michael should take sole responsibility for writing the group's material. Before securing their first record deal, they had written songs together, and made their first demos with these songs. When work started in the studio, Michael—according to Ridgeley—started working "at lightning speed", and it quickly became clear that he was by far the better songwriter. Ridgeley would later say that it was not something that he particularly wanted, but there was no doubt it was the way to go to achieve the success they both wanted.[8] Two new songs, "Golden Soul" and "Soul Boy", were written for the album but both were shelved as "neither of them were any good".[9]
The album features ahidden track (played on ahonky-tonk-style piano) after the final 20 seconds of "Young Guns (Go for It!)".
In the US, the album was originally released as the group "WHAM! U.K.", due to a conflict with a US group with the same name (Columbia BFC-38911).
The track listing of the first edition of the CD and the original cassette tape feature three bonus tracks interspersed within the original track listing, consisting of instrumental remixes. This track listing was again used for the 1998 reissue of the CD.
Michael and Ridgeley embarked on a UK tour to promote the album in October 1983, opening at Aberdeen'sCapitol Theatre, before going on to dates in Scotland, England and Wales, and ending in November at theCentre in Brighton.
