#142: Young Guns by Wham!
City: Montreal, PQ
Radio Station: CKGM
Peak Month: May 1983
Peak Position in Montreal ~ #3
Peak position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ did not chart
YouTube: “Young Guns”
Lyrics: “Young Guns”
Wham! is the name of a British pop duo formed in 1981. George Michael (born Georgiōs Kyriakos Panagiōtou) was born in East Finchley, England, in 1963. In his teens, he began his involvement in the music business by working as a DJ, playing at the Bel Air Restaurant in London. In 1975, he met Andrew Ridgeley in school in Bushey, Hertfordshire. Andrew Ridgeley was also born in 1963, in Surrey, England. Prior to forming Wham! with George Michael, Ridgeley was in a band called The Executive. Ridgeley explained that the name originated from a need for “something that captured the essence of what set us apart—our energy and our friendship—and then it came to us: Wham! Wham! was snappy, immediate, fun and boisterous too.” In 1982, the debut record to be released by the band was “Wham Rap!” in June 1982. The song charted at only No. 105 on the UK pop chart. However, it was re-released in 1983 when the band was catching on and reached the Top Ten in Australia, the Netherlands and the UK.