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March 23rd 2015 will see the release of Wham!'s 3CD box-set entitled "Original Album Classics" that will include their two studio albums - "Fantastic" (1983) and "Make It Big" (1984) - and "Music From The Edge Of Heaven", the 1986 compilation that was issued in America (and a few other territories) instead of "The Final".

And again ... NO remastering and/or extra tracks that still never see or saw the light of day on CD!!!

Pretty shameful.

If i recall weren't Fantastic & Make It Big both remastered back in the late 90's. Fantastic had some extra inst. remixes. Sony i guess is very particular and has never been easily given into having stuff remastered unless it's a major anniversary reissue.

This is ridiculous. I mean its a good set and all, but can't they just release deluxe editions already? I mean how long are they gonna drag this long wait out? There's only two studio albums to reissue anyway, but they could probably reissue The Final as well. I'd be more than satisfied with simple 2CD editions of the two studio albums. Even if they didn't include all the mixes, I'd just be glad they finally did it anyway!

I don't like the fact that the 1998 reissue of Fantastic adds all those tracks WITHIN the original tracklisting. Something just doesn't seem right about tinkering with the album like that.

Aevion93 wrote:I don't like the fact that the 1998 reissue of Fantastic adds all those tracks WITHIN the original tracklisting. Something just doesn't seem right about tinkering with the album like that.

You do realise that re-issue simply re-instates the original 1983 cassette bonus tracks? It's not tinkering, it's how it originally was!

http://www.discogs.com/Wham-Fantastic/release/5261312

anfunny2003 wrote:

Aevion93 wrote:I don't like the fact that the 1998 reissue of Fantastic adds all those tracks WITHIN the original tracklisting. Something just doesn't seem right about tinkering with the album like that.

You do realise that re-issue simply re-instates the original 1983 cassette bonus tracks? It's not tinkering, it's how it originally was!

http://www.discogs.com/Wham-Fantastic/release/5261312

Oh wow well I definitely wasn't aware of that! I guess I'm not as knowledgeable when it comes to their releases (I'm a relatively new fan). Although I think I'd still prefer those mixes maybe on the end of the album. Also wasn't Fantastic released in 1982?

Aevion93 wrote:

anfunny2003 wrote:

Aevion93 wrote:I don't like the fact that the 1998 reissue of Fantastic adds all those tracks WITHIN the original tracklisting. Something just doesn't seem right about tinkering with the album like that.

You do realise that re-issue simply re-instates the original 1983 cassette bonus tracks? It's not tinkering, it's how it originally was!

http://www.discogs.com/Wham-Fantastic/release/5261312

Oh wow well I definitely wasn't aware of that! I guess I'm not as knowledgeable when it comes to their releases (I'm a relatively new fan). Although I think I'd still prefer those mixes maybe on the end of the album. Also wasn't Fantastic released in 1982?

Nope, it was 1983. They released two singles in 1982; Wham Rap and Young Guns (Go For It), and in 1983 they re-released Wham Rap, then Bad Boys, then Fantastic, then Club Tropicana as the final single.

There was a rumor a year or two ago that Wham would reform for a one off gig to celebrate their 30th anniversary of the release of Wham Rap. Also Fantastic was supposed to be reissued as a deluxe. Whatever happened to that idea?

omar wrote:There was a rumor a year or two ago that Wham would reform for a one off gig to celebrate their 30th anniversary of the release of Wham Rap. Also Fantastic was supposed to be reissued as a deluxe. Whatever happened to that idea?

Can't say I ever heard that rumour? Andrew was invited to play on a few tracks at George's big shows a few years back but he declined, suffering from severe stage fright and instead stayed back stage. But he was there. That's as close as it got...

I dunno why everyone wants album re-issues anyway, there's next to nothing to include! They have just 21 studio tracks, all have been released digitally and all but one remain in print, whilst 99% of their remixes have also made it onto CD, bar a few instrumentals/dubs. I'd happily buy them if they did put them out - but neither album would even need a second CD, the extras would fit on the end I think. All the 12" mixes are on The Final, which was just remastered about 18 months back.

Fantastic would get Blue added and Make It Big would get A Ray Of Sunshine [Specially Recorded For 'The Tube']. The rest are mixes/instrumentals/dubs.

> All the 12" mixes are on The Final, which was just remastered about 18 months back.

Agree with most of what you said, but on The Final CD, some of the 12" mixes were edited.
Compare durations between The Final vinyl and CD:
http://www.discogs.com/release/1380983
http://www.discogs.com/release/4269873

obs wrote:> All the 12" mixes are on The Final, which was just remastered about 18 months back.

Agree with most of what you said, but on The Final CD, some of the 12" mixes were edited.
Compare durations between The Final vinyl and CD:
http://www.discogs.com/release/1380983
http://www.discogs.com/release/4269873

Yes, Careless Whisper [Extended Mix] is on The Final LP, but not the CD... but it's on Make It Big anyway. And similarly, the Bad Boys 12" and I'm Your Man UK 12" are on the LP of The Final, but not the CD... the Freedom 12" was never on The Final at all. So, to be fair, whilst all of these 12" mixes are available on various CDs, they've never been compiled together in one release. As I said, I'd buy remasters, but there is little to get excited about generally.

As far as I know these non-album tracks from the "Fantastic" era are already released on cd:

Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do) (12") (Unsocial Mix) (6:43) > CD: Wham! – Twelve Inch Mixes
Young Guns (Go For It) (12") (5:13) ) > CD: Wham! - The Best Remixes (jap.) or Twelve Inch Mixes
Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?) (12") (Social Mix) (6:44)> CD: Wham! - The Best Remixes (jap.)
Bad Boys (12") (4:56) > CD: Wham! - The Best Remixes (jap.)
Blue (Armed With Love) (studio version) (3:54) > jap. MCD “Club Tropicana”
Blue (Armed With Love) (Live In China) (5:43) > CD: Music From The Edge Of Heaven
Bad Boys (7") (3:20) > CD: Wham! - The Final
Young Guns (Go For It) (7") (3:40) ) > CD: Wham! - The Best Of Wham!
A Ray Of Sunshine (Instrumental Remix) (5:40) > CD Fantastic (Rem.)
Nothing Looks The Same In The Light (Instrumental Remix) (6:40) > CD Fantastic (Rem.)
Love Machine (Instrumental Remix) (3:28) > CD Fantastic (Rem.)
Wham! Rap '86 (6:33) > from CD: Music From The Edge Of Heaven > the song is from "Fantastic" but in a "newer" mix so not exactly from that era

But there is still plenty rare stuff from that era to be released on cd. As I love this album I would appreciate it to see all these versions gathered together on a deluxe version - but I know this will never happen as some of these versions are not exactly favourites of G.M.:

Megamixes:
Wham! UK Mega Mix (12”)(8:59) > from: Promo 12” / A-Side = B-Side(1983)
Club Fantastic (Megamix) (12”Version)(8:36) > from: 12” / A-Side
Club Fantastic (Megamix) (7” Version)(3:54) > from: 7” / A-Side

7"-Mixes:
Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do) (7” early 1982 Version)(3:30) > from: 7” A-Side (UK)
Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do) (7” 1983 Version)(3:30) > from: 7” A-Side (UK)
Club Tropicana (7” edit version)(3:47) > from: jap. 7” / A-Side
Young Guns (Go For It) (7” Version)(3:41) > not sure if there is a different 7" mix/edit from that single

12"Mixes+B-Sides:
Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do) (Special U.S. Re-Mix)(6:43) > from: UK 12” / A-Side
Enjoy What You Do (Wham Rap) (US 12” Vocal)(6:58) > from:US Promo 12” / A-Side
Enjoy What You Do (Wham Rap) (US 12” Instrumental)(6:03) > from:US Promo 12” / B-Side
Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do) (7” Club Mix)(4:02) > from: 7” / B-Side
Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do) (Special Club Re-Mix)(3:33)> from: UK 12” / B-Side
Young Guns (Go For It) (US 12” Club Version)(6:53) > from: US Promo 12” / A-Side
Going For It (12” Version)(5:10) > from: UK 12” / B-Side
Going For It! (US 12” Instrumental)(4:49) > from:US Promo 12” / B-Side
Going For It! (7” Version)(3:40) > from: 7” / B-Side
Club Tropicana (Instrumental)(3:32) > from: UK 12” / B-Side
Bad Boys (Instrumental)(3:25)> from: UK 12” / B-Side (7"=12")
A Ray Of Sunshine (Specially Recorded For 'The Tube')(4:58) > from: UK 12” “Wake me…/ B-Side

There are two other b-sides not mentioned in the list above:
Blue (Armed with love) from Club tropicana 7"UK
Club tropicana (Instrumental) from Club Tropicana 12"UK

7version12mix wrote:There are two other b-sides not mentioned in the list above:
Blue (Armed with love) from Club tropicana 7"UK
Club tropicana (Instrumental) from Club Tropicana 12"UK

Both are there?