Songs from the Last Century explained

Songs from the Last Century
Type:studio
Artist:George Michael
Cover:Songs from the Last Century (George Michael album - cover art).jpg
Recorded:1999
Length:43:11
Label:
Producer:
Prev Year:1998
Next Title:Patience
Next Year:2004

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 and Brian Eno with Luciano Pavarotti. "Roxanne" was released as a single in other countries except the United Kingdom.

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.[1]

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.[2]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1999–2000)Peak
position
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[3] 5
European Albums (Top 100)[4] 2
Irish Albums (IRMA)[5] 7
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[6] 59
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[7] 11

Year-end charts

Chart (1999)Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[8] 74
UK Albums (OCC)[9] 18
Chart (2000)Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[10] 93
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[11] 39
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[12] 86
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[13] 87
European Albums (Music & Media)[14] 33
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[15] 64
UK Albums (OCC)[16] 98

Notes and References

  1. https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/albums-chart/19991212/7502/ 1999 Top 40 Official Albums Chart UK Archive, 18 December 1999
  2. Web site: George Michael – Songs from the Last Century Credits. AllMusic. 20 October 2014.
  3. Web site: Hits of the World. Billboard. 19 May 2016.
  4. Web site: Hits of the World. Billboard. 19 May 2016.
  5. Web site: Hits of the World. Billboard. 19 May 2016.
  6. Web site: http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/88084/ranking/cd_album/ . ja:ジョージ・マイケルのアルバム売り上げランキング. Japanese. Oricon. 19 May 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121023190051/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/88084/ranking/cd_album/. 23 October 2012.
  7. Book: Fernando Salaverri. Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002. 1st. September 2005. Fundación Autor-SGAE. Spain. 84-8048-639-2.
  8. Web site: ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Albums 1999. ARIA. 19 May 2016.
  9. Web site: End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1999. Official Charts Company. 19 May 2016.
  10. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2000. Ultratop. Dutch. 19 May 2016.
  11. Web site: Rapports annueles 2000. Ultratop. French. 19 May 2016.
  12. Web site: Chart of the Year 2000. Mogens Nielsen. 19 May 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131203062427/http://top20.dk/chart/2000. 3 December 2013.
  13. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 2000. Hung Medien. Dutch. 19 May 2016.
  14. Year in Focus – European Top 100 Albums 2000 . Music & Media . 17 . 52 . 23 December 2000 . 9 . 29800226 . American Radio History. 19 January 2019.
  15. Web site: Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts. German. GfK Entertainment. 19 May 2016.
  16. Web site: End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2000. Official Charts Company. 19 May 2016.

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