Your Careless Whisper has ruined my Freedom, but don't forget to Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, because you still take me to the Edge of Heaven

If you guessed by the title that this particular blog post will be about something having to do with the fabulous 1980's pop group Wham!, you are correct.

I went to see a little movie last year called "Music & Lyrics" and have been eagerly awaiting the release on DVD.  This particular movie was made FOR ME.  I have no doubt at all. 

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"But why do you think so?" you ask.  Well, its easy - "Music & Lyrics" is basically the imagined life of Andrew Ridgeley.

"Who?" 

Mr. Andrew Ridgeley, the other half of Wham! that wasn't George Michael. 

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You see, I had the World's Biggest Crush on Andrew Ridgeley.  Actually, that isn't true.  I loved Andrew Ridgeley, probably more than I love my label-maker today.  Perhaps even more than I love my dog.  It was the kind of true love that one can only have when one is 14-17 and life is but an open field, and you can actually believe that you and Sting might have a future together.  (My love of Sting is a more mature love - that came about in my 20's.) 

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Ahh.

But this isn't about Sting, this is about Andrew, whom I loved so passionately that I had an entire wall of my bedroom papered with his photo.  It was "The Andrew Wall" and I am terribly sad that my mother never took a picture of it.  (But she did call me this year on Andrew Ridgeley's birthday to remind me it was his birthday, in case I wanted to send him a card, or something.  Too sweet and funny.)

I loved Andrew when he had the "Young and Frosted Ambiguously Gendered Look."

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I loved him during the neon and tight shorts era.  It appears roughly at the 1:03 mark.  You can drool over the painters cap and tube socks.

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I loved him during the mullet years, and especially during the period of time that is marked by his fondness for large Tartan Suits that really only need clown shoes and a red nose to make one hell of a good Halloween costume:

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Nice bondage outfits in that second picture.  But to truly appreciate Andrew's hair, we have this picture:

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I would have killed for some of these pictures in the 80's.  Damn the Internet for taking so long to get here.

Even then, I somehow knew that it would never be possible for me and George Michael.  Even so, I always felt that George was somehow tame in comparison to Andrew and his sexy Greek roots.  He was always tan, buff from playing soccer, and looked hot in white:

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Random Andrew Fact:  Did you know he was actually the stylist for the band for about forever?  And everyone thought he was gay, even though he was dating one of the back-up singers.

I loved him during his race-car years:

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And especially when he cut off the mullet and started wearing black leather:

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And when they announced that the band was breaking up, I sobbed into my Shaun Cassidy pillowcase, likely clutching a copy of Tiger Beat to my chest, and thinking nasty thoughts about that George Michael for wanting to go solo.  Pictures of their final concert and videos were also plastered all over my walls:

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Of course, it never occurred to me back then that Andrew might want to go solo as well.  But he did, briefly, and I was a proud owner of "Son of Albert":

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The album didn't do well, and I can honestly admit that I NEVER LISTENED TO IT.  I wanted to keep him in my mind exactly the way I wanted him to be, and so I simply gazed at the cassette and never listed to it.

Not that I didn't still have fantasies about him somehow meeting me, falling in love, leaving whatever model he was dating, and whisking me off someplace romantic where he would feed me chocolate all the rest of my days. 

Of course real life intervened, and instead he met a lovely girl and remains with her today:

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You might recognize her.  She was in Bananarama.  I didn't stand a chance, especially since I didn't play an instrument, nor was I in a pop band in the 80's.

And thus Andrew drifted off into obscurity, and my passion for him abated, and I moved onto real life marriage and a deep love for Sting.  Who seems to just get better looking the older he gets.  That yoga is a beautiful thing.

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See?  Even in Spanish he is hot.  Then with the eye make-up, and now with the HOTNESS.

Andrew and George apparently remain friends to this day, which is nice for them.  Even though George seems to have been cryogenically frozen in time - the man doesn't appear to age at all.  And according to Wikipedia, Andrew has been writing songs under pseudonyms, surfing, and working to better the water quality in the waters around England.  He lives a quiet life in the English Countryside.  To which I say, good for him. 

And which is why I got such a kick out of the movie "Music & Lyrics."  I started cackling at the first opening notes of the video for Pop Goes My Heart! and didn't really stop till the end.  And you HAVE to watch the video.  The guy does an excellent George Michael impression.  And they even have an angry drummer!  It is CLASSIC.  I want it on my iPod.  I swear if they had an album I would buy it.

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Therefore, I suggest you all run right out there and buy the video for the movie.  Or rent it.  I'm really not picky.  You will love it if you grew up in the 80's.

And I will leave you with a picture of Andrew from back in the day for inspiration.  I think I had this one on my locker door at school:

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Comments

[The Cheap Chick]

Your love for Andrew was as pure and true as mine was for Roger Taylor from Duran Duran.

And some day, in our next lives, they WILL be ours!

[standing still]

I loved the movie Music and Lyrics. I think the Drew Barrymore character was lovely. And, even though he is a very bad boy for getting caught with a hooker, I am a pure sucker for Hugh Grant.

[Mrs. G.]

I just put POP on my ipod. That was my favorite part of the movie. I miss those asymetrical haircuts. Not.

What a fun back in time post!

[sozzled (but not at this moment)]

loved the movie. love hugh grant. loved the music. the 80s were grand. sigh. (the play list for my bday party was pure 80s and I am still listening to it, much to the dismay of my family)