Fantastic (Wham! album)

Fantastic is the debut studio album by the English pop duo Wham!, released on 1 July 1983.^[6] It reached number one on the UK 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 by Innervision soon after Fantastic, and whilst they were in proceedings to leave the label.^[7]

Fantastic
Studio album by Wham!
Released	1 July 1983
Recorded	1982–1983
Studio	Maison Rouge (London)[1]
Genre	Pop dance-pop post-disco
Length	36:42
Label	Innervision 25328 Columbia CK-38911
Producer	Steve Brown George Michael Bob Carter
Wham! chronology
Fantastic (1983) Make It Big (1984)
Singles from Fantastic
"Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)" Released: 11 June 1982 "Young Guns (Go for It)" Released: 17 September 1982 "Bad Boys" Released: 6 May 1983 "Club Tropicana" Released: 22 July 1983

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Q	[3]
Rolling Stone	[4]
Uncut	[5]

According to Andrew Ridgeley in his 2019 book Wham! George and Me, it was during the early stages of writing and recording of this album that the pair agreed that George 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 a hidden track (played on a honky-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).

Track listing

Original

All tracks are written by George Michael, except where noted.

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Bad Boys"		3:19
2.	"A Ray of Sunshine"		4:43
3.	"Love Machine"	Pete Moore Billy Griffin	3:19
4.	"Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)"	Michael Andrew Ridgeley	6:41

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
5.	"Club Tropicana"	Michael Ridgeley	4:28
6.	"Nothing Looks the Same in the Light"		5:53
7.	"Come On"		4:24
8.	"Young Guns (Go for It!)"		3:55
Total length:			36:42

Reissue

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.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Bad Boys"	George Michael	3:19
2.	"A Ray of Sunshine"	Michael	4:43
3.	"Love Machine"	Pete Moore Billy Griffin	3:19
4.	"Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)"	Michael Andrew Ridgeley	6:41
5.	"A Ray of Sunshine" (instrumental remix)		5:40
6.	"Love Machine" (instrumental remix)		3:28
7.	"Club Tropicana"	Michael Ridgeley	4:28
8.	"Nothing Looks the Same in the Light"	Michael	5:53
9.	"Come On"	Michael	4:24
10.	"Young Guns (Go for It!)"	Michael	3:55
11.	"Nothing Looks the Same in the Light" (instrumental remix)		6:40
Total length:			52:30

Personnel

Wham!

• George Michael – lead vocals (1–4, 7, 8), backing vocals (1–3), arrangements (4–7), all vocals (5, 6), horn arrangements (5), instruments (6)
• Andrew Ridgeley – guitars (1–5, 7, 8), arrangements (4)

Additional musicians

• Jess Bailey – keyboards (1)
• Anne Dudley – keyboards (1, 8)
• Tommy Eyre – keyboards (2, 3, 5, 7)
• Bob Carter – keyboards (4)
• Robert Ahwai – guitars (1–3, 7, 8)
• Deon Estus – bass (1–3, 5, 7), backing vocals (1)
• John McKenzie – bass (4)
• Brad Lang – bass (8)
• Trevor Murrell – drums (1–3, 5, 6)
• Andy Duncan – drums (4), percussion (4, 5)
• Graham Broad – drums (7, 8)
• Luís Jardim – percussion (1, 3)
• Tony Moroni – percussion (2)
• Jeff Daly – saxophones (1)
• David Baptiste – saxophones (2, 3, 7)
• Chris Hunter – saxophones (4)
• Ian Ritchie – saxophones (5), horn arrangements (5)
• Andy Mackintosh – saxophones (8)
• Paul Cox – trumpet (1)
• Martin Drover – trumpet (1)
• Colin Graham – trumpet (2, 3, 7)
• Raul D'Oliveria – trumpet (2, 3, 7)
• Guy Barker – trumpet (4)
• Roddy Lorimer – trumpet (5)
• Bert Ezard – trumpet (8)
• J. Healey – trumpet (8)
• Linton Ace – string arrangements (3)
• Dee C. Lee – backing vocals (1, 8)
• Ruby Mason – backing vocals (1)
• Jimmy Chambers – backing vocals (3)
• George Chandler – backing vocals (3)
• Tony Jackson – backing vocals (3)
• Katie Kissoon – backing vocals (7)
• Stevie Lange – backing vocals (7)
• Sylvia Mason-James – backing vocals (7)
• Lynda Hayes – backing vocals (8)
• Shirlie Holliman – backing vocals (8)
• Josie James – backing vocals (8)

Shouting on "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?)"

• Bob Carter, George Michael, David Mortimer, Andrew Ridgeley and Paul Ridgeley

Handclaps on "Club Tropicana"

• Deon Estus, Steve Evans, George Michael, Andrew Ridgeley and Phil Wilcox

Production

• George Michael – producer (1–3, 5–8)
• Steve Brown – producer (1–3, 5–8)
• Bob Carter – producer (4)
• Tony Taverner – engineer
• Wham! – cover design
• Shoot That Tiger! – cover design
• Chris Craymer – front cover photography, inner sleeve photography
• Janusz Guttner – inner sleeve photography

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Fantastic Chart (1983–85) Peak position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[10] 6 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[11] 8 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[12] 8 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[13] 7 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[14] 17 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[15] 1 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[16] 8 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[17] 15 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 25 UK Albums (OCC)[19] 1 US Billboard 200[20] 83 Chart (2024) Peak position Greek Albums (IFPI)[21] 70 Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)[22] 24

Year-end charts 1983 year-end chart performance for Fantastic Chart (1983) Position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) 69 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[23] 37 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[24] 13 UK Albums (OCC)[25] 5 1984 year-end chart performance for Fantastic Chart (1984) Position Japanese Albums Chart (Oricon)[26] 80 UK Albums Chart[25] 60

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for Fantastic

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[27]	Gold	35,000^
Japan	—	218,000[28]
Netherlands (NVPI)[29]	Gold	50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[30]	Platinum	15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[31]	3× Platinum	900,000^
United States (RIAA)[32]	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Club Fantastic Tour

Main article: Club Fantastic Tour

Michael and Ridgeley embarked on a UK tour to promote the album in October 1983, opening at Aberdeen's Capitol Theatre, before going on to dates in Scotland, England and Wales, and ending in November at the Centre in Brighton.