The Edge of Heaven
Encyclopedia
"The Edge of Heaven" is a song by British pop duo Wham!
, released on Epic Records
in 1986. It was written by George Michael
, one half of the duo, and was promoted in advance as Wham!'s farewell single.
of 1986 that they would go their separate ways after a farewell single, album and concert. The album was called The Final and the concert was held in front of 100,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in London
.
The single, a five-minute tale of emotional and physical frustration within a relationship, was a slick and upbeat — albeit harder-edged than earlier works — pop tune which became, unsurprisingly, the fourth and final #1 in the UK (and the final US Top Ten hit, reaching #10) for the teaming of George Michael and his partner Andrew Ridgeley
.
Elton John
, a friend of the duo and especially of George, played piano on the track.
Epic released a double record set in the UK, with an updated version of Wham!'s early signature song "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)
" on the flip of disc one, and two new songs - "Battlestations" and a cover of the Was (Not Was)
song "Where Did Your Heart Go?" - on the flip of the second disc. "Where Did Your Heart Go?" was later given an equal billing and reached a lowly position in the UK Top 40
as a result.
In the United States, "The Edge of Heaven" was backed with a live version of "Blue" from Wham!'s tour of China. "Where Did Your Heart Go?" was released separately as the follow-up and the fourth and last single from Music from the Edge of Heaven (the shortened American version of The Final), and charted at #50 (backed with "Wham! Rap '86").
Two months earlier, George Michael had achieved his second solo #1 with "A Different Corner
" (which also made #7 in the US), and he was back in the charts as a permanent solo artist within six months of "The Edge of Heaven".
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
, released on Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
in 1986. It was written by George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
, one half of the duo, and was promoted in advance as Wham!'s farewell single.
History
With the known desire of George to move into a more adult market, Wham! had announced in the springSpring (season)
Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...
of 1986 that they would go their separate ways after a farewell single, album and concert. The album was called The Final and the concert was held in front of 100,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The single, a five-minute tale of emotional and physical frustration within a relationship, was a slick and upbeat — albeit harder-edged than earlier works — pop tune which became, unsurprisingly, the fourth and final #1 in the UK (and the final US Top Ten hit, reaching #10) for the teaming of George Michael and his partner Andrew Ridgeley
Andrew Ridgeley
Andrew John Ridgeley is an English former pop singer-songwriter, guitarist and environmentalist. Andrew was a member of the 1980s pop music duo Wham!.-Early life:...
.
Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, a friend of the duo and especially of George, played piano on the track.
Epic released a double record set in the UK, with an updated version of Wham!'s early signature song "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)
Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)
"Wham Rap! "' is a 1982 song by British pop duo Wham! on Innervision Records. It was written by Wham! members George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley....
" on the flip of disc one, and two new songs - "Battlestations" and a cover of the Was (Not Was)
Was (Not Was)
-Studio albums:-Compilation albums:-Singles:-Contributions:* A Christmas Record - "Christmas Time In The Motor City"* That's The Way I Feel Now: A Tribute to Thelonious Monk - "Ba-Lue-Bolivar-Ba-Lues-Are"...
song "Where Did Your Heart Go?" - on the flip of the second disc. "Where Did Your Heart Go?" was later given an equal billing and reached a lowly position in the UK Top 40
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
as a result.
In the United States, "The Edge of Heaven" was backed with a live version of "Blue" from Wham!'s tour of China. "Where Did Your Heart Go?" was released separately as the follow-up and the fourth and last single from Music from the Edge of Heaven (the shortened American version of The Final), and charted at #50 (backed with "Wham! Rap '86").
Two months earlier, George Michael had achieved his second solo #1 with "A Different Corner
A Different Corner
"A Different Corner" is a song written and performed by George Michael which was released on Epic Records in 1986.- History :...
" (which also made #7 in the US), and he was back in the charts as a permanent solo artist within six months of "The Edge of Heaven".
7": Epic / FIN 1 (UK)
- "The Edge of Heaven" – 4:31
- "Wham Rap '86" – 6:33
- "Battlestations" – 5:25
- "Where Did Your Heart Go?" – 5:43
- limited edition double 7" pack
12": Epic / FIN T1 (UK)
- "Battlestations" – 5:25
- "Where Did Your Heart Go?" – 5:43
- "The Edge of Heaven" – 4:31
- "Wham Rap '86" – 6:33
Chart performance
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia | 2 |
| Austria | 11 |
| France | 22 |
| Germany | 4 |
| Italy | 3 |
| The Netherlands Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
1 |
| Norway | 2 |
| Sweden | 10 |
| Switzerland | 4 |
| United Kingdom UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 |
| United States Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
10 |
External links
- [ AllMusic.com entry for "The Edge of Heaven"]