Below is the write-up about George Michael’s song “One More Try” from the book “The Billboard Book of Number One Hits: The Inside Story Behind Every Number One Single on Billboard’s Hot 100 from 1955 to Present” by Fred Bronson.
Writer: George Michael
Producer: George Michael
May 28, 1988
3 weeks
“One More Try” was George Michael’s seventh number one single in three-and-a-half years and his third consecutive number one from his Faith album.
Adam White, writing in Rolling Stone, pointed out that Michael’s success on the black charts “reflects black/urban radio’s continued willingness to include black-oriented records by white performers in their music mix – a trend begun in earnest during the disco radio explosion of the late ‘70s – as well as shrewd marketing by Michael’s label, Columbia Records.” White also mentioned that Michael wanted to be “fully briefed on the progress of Faith on the black charts.”
While appearing in Frankfurt, Germany, Michael said, “One of the more remarkable things about my career in America has been that from day one black audiences accepted me, without a question, as a singer, songwriter and performer. They didn’t really allow the stigma that was attached to wearing shorts and having the screaming get in the way. Credibility meant a different set of things in America and black acceptance was my consolation for America.”
In an interview with Chris Heath, Michael called “One More Try” “the best thing I’ve ever done. (It’s) about my attitude coming out of my last relationship and into this new one when I was pretty unwilling to be open to anything.” In a biography issued by his record company, George acknowledged, “The best songs are my ballads. I will probably be remembered for my ballads over the next five or 10 years. While ‘Careless Whisper’ [see 602] was loved by many, it did nothing for me emotionally. Most likely because it seems like it’s from another lifetime. On the other hand, ‘One More Try’ is a ballad very close to my heart. Many people compare the two. But for me, there is no comparison.”
With seven number one singles to his credit, it’s understandable that some might accuse Michael of being “commercial.” He defended himself in an interview with the British magazine, Q. “I resent the fact that people think my songwriting is completely contrived and calculated,” George said. “I only write in terms of commercial music because that’s the way my mind works. You either have that sort of pop sensibility or feel for a commercial melody or you don’t. You can’t write songs on a business level. You just write songs the way they come out. Sure, you draw on influences but that’s more often than not a subconscious process. Everybody does it.’
George had his defenders in the press. The week “One More Try” went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, Stephen Holden of the New York Times said, “If asked to nominate the one contemporary pop star most likely to be as successful 10 years from now as today, I’d cast my vote for George Michael. … (He) has everything a pop star requires for longevity. An avid student of American pop-soul music, he possesses a strong enough white voice to have held his own in a duet with Aretha Franklin [see 664- “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)”] …. At the same time, his voice has a vestigial teen-idol sob that complements his furry-eyebrowed, pug nosed good looks … But the most important factors in Mr. Michael’s longevity are his extraordinary skills as a songwriter, arranger and producer. Able to write in almost any contemporary pop style, he is not reliant upon other songwriters for his material or upon outside producers for a sound.”
THE TOP FIVE
Week of May 28, 1988
- ‘One More Try’ – George Michael
- ‘Shattered Dreams’- Johnny Hates Jazz
- ‘Anything for You’ – Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine
- ‘Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)’ – Samantha Fox
- ‘I Don’t Want To Live Without You’ – Foreigner
Similar Posts:
- George Michael Controversy After Winning the Favorite Male R&B Award
- George Michael Interview with Capital FM Radio with Dr. Fox (Dec 1998)
- George Michael: Artist or Airhead? (Musician, 1988)
- ‘George Michael, Seriously’ from Rolling Stone Magazine (1988)
- George Michael: The Lone Star State Interview on Q Magazine (June 1988)
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