A remastered version of Wham!’s Last Christmas music video has been released, as the song celebrates its 35th anniversary.
Originally released in December 1984, the original Last Christmas video showed George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in all their 80s glory, with the former depicted as having a bit of a festive frisson as he and his fans celebrated the festive season.
Over the weekend, a new 4K version of the video was uploaded onto the band’s official YouTube page, racking up 2.6 million views in just a matter of days.
The new version of the video is almost scarily clear, giving the impression it was actually filmed recently on high-tech cameras, with hired actors dressed in 1980s garb.
If you don’t believe us, check out the difference between the original Last Christmas…
...and this new remastered version...
See what we mean?
Last Christmas was written and produced solely by George Michael, and peaked at number two upon its release, behind Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas?, on which the singer also contributed vocals.
Since then, it’s gone on to become a festive staple, with covers from a range of artists including Ariana Grande, Carly Rae Jepsen, Cascada and… the Crazy Frog.
In 2019, Last Christmas also served as the inspiration for the new festive film of the same name, which received a mauling from critics, but has been received slightly better by cinemagoers.
The film – which stars Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding – heavily features the music of George Michael, including a previously-unheard track recorded before his death in 2016.