‘Careless Whisper’ guitarist reveals what made George Michael ‘unique’

Exclusive: Renowned session musician Hugh Burns recalls recording the late artist’s signature song, ahead of a special anniversary reissue

George Michael was a “unique” artist who had a “natural feel for music that you can’t teach”, according to the guitarist who performed on his classic hit, “Careless Whisper”.

Ahead of the release of a special 40th anniversary edition of the track, Hugh Burns told The Independent what it was like to record with the late singer, who wrote “Careless Whisper” with his Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgley when they were just 17 years old.

Released in 1984, “Careless Whisper” remains Michael’s biggest hit, selling more than six million copies around the world and topping the charts in 25 countries, helping him to break through as a solo artist following his success in Wham!.

Scottish musician Burns, who had by then played on Wham!’s 1984 track “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”, was booked by their manager Simon Napier-Bell to join Michael’s studio sessions. He worked with the singer in a number of settings, including in the south of France while Wham! were recording their second album, Make It Big.

“The thing about George that was exceptional – and I’ve worked with a lot of wonderful singers – is that he had all his ideas in his head,” Burns said. “Very often he would sing it to you, to give you an idea. He was very strict on detail, and he had a remarkable talent for getting the feel just right.”

According to Burns, Michael had “a natural feel for music that you can’t teach – his first take was often perfect, and that’s extremely unusual.” He recalled a live performance where he played guitar for Michael where he sang “Jesus to a Child” outside the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, for the MTV Europe Music Awards in 1994.

George Michael on ‘Top of the Pops’ in 1986 (with Hugh Burns on right) (BBC)

“Even his live singing was immaculate,” Burns pointed out. “That is not an easy song to sing, but he did it live, and it sounded perfect.”

In his 1991 autobiography, BARE, Michael was somewhat derisive of “Careless Whisper, claiming that it was “not an integral part of my emotional development”.

In a 2009 conversation with the Big Issue, he doubled down on his remarks, commenting: “I'm still a bit puzzled why it's made such an impression on people.

”Is it because so many people have cheated on their partners? Is that why they connect with it? I have no idea, but it's ironic that this song - which has come to define me in some way – should have been written right at the beginning of my career when I was still so young.”

George Michael said he didn’t understand why ‘Careless Whisper’ was such a hit (Getty Images)

While Burns said that he never heard Michael discuss the song in that way, he noted that his lyrics did become “more sophisticated” later in his career: “There’s no doubt about that.”

“He really was very unique,” he added. “His songs and those performances actually stand the test of time, that's my opinion. I think they hold together very well. There are few artists who can make music that does that.”

The Careless Whisper EP is released by George Michael Entertainment and Sony Music on 18 October.