What! And the frosty reality: dispute behind the scenes of Last Christmas

What! And the frosty reality: dispute behind the scenes of Last Christmas

The Christmas season would be without "Last Christmas" from Wham! Hardly imaginable. Since 1984, George Michael's hit († 2016) and Andrew Ridgeley (61) has been enchanted by the listeners and ensures a nostalgic festive feeling. But filming the iconic music video in the picturesque Saas-Fee in Switzerland was anything but harmonious. According to the former hotelier Beat Anthamatten, the duo wanted to live "as far as possible" during the recording, since verbal arguments between the band members were not unlikely at the time, as he announced the "Süddeutsche". George Michael was so annoyed during the filming that he even thought about canceling the recordings.

drama behind the hit

The tensions within the band increased their career in recent years, and in 1984 the end of Wham! already foreseeable. Nevertheless, "Last Christmas" developed into a Christmas classic with around 430 cover versions and ensures ringing coffers worldwide-in the Christmas season alone, the song is played on the radio for up to 500 times a day. Almost seven million euros flow through this catchy tune every year, with Andrew Ridgeley regretted not to have written any more songs, which he admitted in an interview in 2019.

Andrew Ridgeley now looks back nostalgically for the times together. In an interview, he emphasized George Michael's generosity, which came into its own during the Christmas season. He remembered the Christmas gifts in the form of great hampers that Michael and his friends came to him and his friends every year. "A gesture that illustrates one of the foundations of Christmas - the joy of giving -", as Ridgeley noticed on the Smooth Radio Show. Even nowadays, the hit "Last Christmas" remains an important legacy for both musicians and ensures atmospheric holidays, even if the background of the origin was clouded by arguments, reported Express.co.uk .