Songs from the Last Century

Last updated

Songs from the Last Century
Songs from the Last Century (George Michael album - cover art).jpg
Studio album by
George Michael
Released6 December 1999 (1999-12-06)
Recorded1999
Length43:11
Label
Producer
George Michael chronology
Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael
(1998)		Songs from the Last Century
(1999)		 Patience
(2004)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
BBC (mixed) [2]
NME (3/10) [3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]

Songs from the Last Century is the fourth solo studio album by English singer-songwriter George Michael, released on 6 December 1999 by Aegean Records and Virgin Records. Produced by Phil Ramone and George Michael, it was his only album of cover versions. It consists mainly of old jazz standards plus new interpretations of more recent popular songs, such as "Roxanne" by The Police and "Miss Sarajevo" by U2 [nb 1] and Brian Eno with Luciano Pavarotti. "Roxanne" was released as a single in other countries except the United Kingdom.

Contents

History

This album is the only album in Michael's entire solo catalogue to not reach number one on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number two instead. It was kept off the top spot by Shania Twain's Come On Over . [5]

A music video for "Roxanne" was shot in Amsterdam, in the so-called Red District, using ordinary people, not actors, who really live their lives on the street.

Another version exists of the album's opening track, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?", sung by Michael with Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti at one of his famous "Pavarotti and Friends" live shows. This version is included on the limited edition of Michael's 2006 greatest hits album, Twenty Five .

Track listing

  1. "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" (E.Y. Harburg, Jay Gorney) – 4:22
  2. "Roxanne" (Sting) – 4:11
  3. "You've Changed" (Bill Carey, Carl Fischer) – 4:25
  4. "My Baby Just Cares for Me" (Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson) – 1:45
  5. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" (Ewan MacColl) – 5:19
  6. "Miss Sarajevo" (Adam Clayton, Brian Eno, Dave Evans, Larry Mullen, Paul Hewson) – 5:11
  7. "I Remember You" (Johnny Mercer, Victor Schertzinger) – 4:12
  8. "Secret Love" (Paul Francis Webster, Sammy Fain) – 2:39
  9. "Wild Is the Wind" (Dimitri Tiomkin, Ned Washington) – 4:02
  10. "Where or When" / "It's All Right with Me" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart / Cole Porter) (instrumental) (hidden track) – 7:00

Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic. [6]

Charts

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [38] Gold35,000^
Belgium (BEA) [39] Platinum50,000*
Canada (Music Canada) [40] Gold50,000^
France (SNEP) [41] 2× Gold200,000*
Germany (BVMI) [42] Gold150,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [43] Platinum15,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [24] Platinum100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [44] Gold25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [45] 2× Platinum600,000 [46]
United States—152,000 [47]
Summaries
Europe (IFPI) [48] 2× Platinum2,000,000*
Worldwide—3,600,000 [49]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. ↑ "Miss Sarajevo" was originally released under the name Passengers, a side project consisting of U2 and Brian Eno.

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References

  1. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Songs from the Last Century". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  2. ↑ "BBC News | NEW MUSIC RELEASES | CD Review: George Michael". news.bbc.co.uk. 5 December 1999. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  3. ↑ NME review
  4. ↑ Cross, Charles R. (2004). "George Michael". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  540. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  5. ↑ 1999 Top 40 Official Albums Chart UK Archive, 18 December 1999. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  6. ↑ "George Michael – Songs from the Last Century Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – George Michael – Songs from the Last Century". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – George Michael – Songs from the Last Century" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  9. ↑ "Ultratop.be – George Michael – Songs from the Last Century" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  10. ↑ "Ultratop.be – George Michael – Songs from the Last Century" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  11. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 10010". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  12. ↑ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard . Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  13. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – George Michael – Songs from the Last Century" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  14. ↑ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  15. ↑ "Lescharts.com – George Michael – Songs from the Last Century". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  16. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – George Michael – Songs from the Last Century" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
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  18. ↑ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  19. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – George Michael – Songs from the Last Century". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  20. ↑ ジョージ・マイケルのアルバム売り上げランキング (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
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  22. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – George Michael – Songs from the Last Century". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  23. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  24. 1 2 Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
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  26. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – George Michael – Songs from the Last Century". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
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  32. ↑ "Rapports annueles 2000" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
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  40. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – George Michael – Songs from the Last Century". Music Canada . Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  41. ↑ "French album certifications – George Michael – Songs from the Last Century" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique . Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  42. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (George Michael; 'Songs from the Last Century')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  43. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – George Michael – Songs from the Last Century". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  44. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Songs from the Last Century')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  45. ↑ "British album certifications – George Michael – Songs from the Last Century". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 27 October 2017.Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Songs from the Last Century in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  46. ↑ "George Michael on the charts". Music Week . Intent Media. 11 January 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  47. ↑ Keith Caulfield. "Ask Billboard: George in the USA". Billboard. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  48. ↑ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 1999". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  49. ↑ "George Michael Eyeing Universal U.K." Billboard. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
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