| "I'm Your Man" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 UK 7-inch and 12-inch vinyl picture sleeve (also used for most international releases) | ||||
| Single byWham! | ||||
| from the albumMusic from the Edge of HeavenandThe Final | ||||
| B-side | "Do It Right" | |||
| Released | 11 November 1985 (1985-11-11)[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1985 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter | George Michael | |||
| Producer | George Michael | |||
| Wham! singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "I'm Your Man" onYouTube | ||||
"I'm Your Man" is a song by the English pop duoWham!, released in 1985 onEpic Records in the UK and most of the world, andColumbia Records in the US. It was written and produced byGeorge Michael.
"I'm Your Man", according to Michael, was "pretty different to anything [Wham! has] ever done". According to Michael:
"'I'm Your Man' was written very quickly. The whole of the first verse and chorus came to me in five minutes on an internal flight in America [during theWhamamerica! tour].[4]
Within six months of the release 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 atWembley Stadium, at which "I'm Your Man" was the last song Michael performed with partnerAndrew Ridgeley.
"I'm Your Man" became Wham!'s third number one on theUK Singles Chart,[5] 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'sChristmas hit, "Last Christmas".
The song also reached number three on the USBillboard Hot 100, prevented from further chart movement byRocky IV soundtrack single "Burning Heart" bySurvivor and "That's What Friends Are For" byDionne and Friends.[6]
An extended mix of the song was released on Wham!'s 1986 albumThe Final. It also featured on the US version of the albumMusic from the Edge of Heaven.
In 1996, Michael recorded a solo version ofLisa Moorish's 1995 version of "I'm Your Man" on which Michael provided vocals. Michael's solo version appeared as aB-side on the "Fastlove"CD single (also beingsampled into an extended mix of "Fastlove") and, credited to Wham!, onThe Best of Wham!: If You Were There....
In 2012, comedianJohn Bishop mimed and danced to the song along with a "Mini Me" version of himself at the end of his tour DVDRollercoaster.
Cash Box said that it "continues to show the group’s indebtedness toMotown grooves and girl group vocal arrangements."[7]Billboard agreed that it has Motown influence and is "handled with affection and accuracy."[8]
The official music video for the song was directed byAndy Morahan.[9] The video is presented in black and white, set in theMarquee Club,Wardour Street, London, where Wham! are performing the song.[10] An extended intro and outro features Michael and Ridgeley trying without success to sell tickets to passersby. Michael makes a phone call to his agentSimon Napier-Bell, 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.
All tracks are written byGeorge Michael.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm Your Man" | 4:05 |
| 2. | "Do It Right" | 4:05 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm Your Man" (extended stimulation) | 6:53 |
| 2. | "Do It Right" | 4:05 |
| 3. | "I'm Your Man" (a cappella) | 4:17 |
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[43] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[44] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[46] | Gold | 608,287[45] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
| "I'm Your Man" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byLisa Moorish | ||||
| from the album I've Gotta Have It All | ||||
| Released | 31 July 1995 (1995-07-31)[47] | |||
| Studio | Sarm West (London)[48] | |||
| Genre | Dance | |||
| Length | 3:48 | |||
| Label | Go! Discs | |||
| Songwriter | George Michael | |||
| Producer | Jon Douglas | |||
| Lisa Moorish singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
In 1995, English singer-songwriterLisa Moorish 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.[49]
Larry Flick fromBillboard magazine wrote, "Charming pop ingenue drops the pace of thisWham! chestnut down to a wrigglinghip-hop 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 oftop 40 programmers on her own. Hard to imagine this one not riding a fast and furious wave to the top regions of theHot 100 within seconds."[50] 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."[49] Jordan Paramor fromSmash Hits 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!"[51]
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[52] | 66 |
| Europe (European Dance Radio)[53] | 12 |
| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[54] | 39 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[55] | 16 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[56] | 49 |
| Quebec (ADISQ)[57] | 34 |
| Scotland (OCC)[58] | 29 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[59] | 24 |
| UK Dance (OCC)[60] | 7 |
| UK Airplay (Music Week)[61] | 32 |
| UK Club Chart (Music Week)[62] | 6 |
| UK on a Pop Tip Club Chart (Music Week)[63] | 25 |
| "I'm Your Man" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single byShane Richie | |
| Released | 24 November 2003 (2003-11-24)[64] |
| Length | 3:37 |
| Label | BMG |
| Songwriter | George Michael |
| Producer | Absolute |
In 2003, actor andEastEnders starShane Richie covered "I'm Your Man" as a fundraising single for theBBC charityChildren in Need. Produced byAbsolute, Richie's version of the song reached number two on theUK Singles Chart.
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[67] | 11 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[68] | 10 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[69] | 2 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[70] | 2 |
| Chart (2003) | Position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA)[71] | 94 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[72] | 17 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[73] | Silver | 200,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Compilations | |
| Singles | |
| Concerts and tours | |
| Filmography | |
| Related articles | |
