Fantasy

Album: Faith (1990)
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Songfacts®:

  • George Michael's first posthumous release is a reworking of a song that was first recorded by the star in the late '80s. The track was originally meant to feature on Michael's second solo album Listen Without Prejudice Vol.1, but for some unknown reason didn't make it onto the record.

    The tune eventually found its way onto the B-side of the US release of the single "Freedom '90" and on the UK version of the single "Waiting for That Day" in 1990. It later appeared on the 2011 deluxe edition of Faith.

    George Michael went on to perform "Fantasy" live during his hugely successful Cover To Cover tour in 1991 and placed free cassettes with the track on every seat in the venues he played during the tour.

    In 2016 Michael was looking to launch the reissue of Listen without Prejudice and contacted Chic producer Nile Rodgers to give Fantasy more funk. Rodgers completely overhauled the original in favor of a slinky funk groove.
  • The new version received its global exclusive first play on UK radio on September 7, 2017. Rodgers tweeted: "This process was extremely emotional for me. We were such massive fans of each other's work. #Christmas2016 was very sad."
  • After a fan expressed "mixed feelings" on Twitter about Nile Rodgers' reworking, the producer responded by saying, "You SHOULD have mixed feelings. No one's heart was dragged through emotional ambiguity more than mine. Tears, uncertainty, happiness & #LOVE."
  • The Listen Without Prejudice vol.1 reissue went straight to #1 on the UK album chart. The record sold 56,000 copies to go to the top of the tally, achieving the biggest Week 1 sales for a reissue in UK chart history.

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