Young Guns (Go for It)
Encyclopedia
"Young Guns" (sometimes written with an exclamation mark as "Young Guns (Go for It!)") was a song by British
pop duo Wham!
which was released in 1982 on Innervision Records
. It was written by George Michael
, one half of the duo.
The song was Wham!'s first hit, although it came with some help from the BBC
music programme Top of the Pops
, which invited Wham! on to the show as a last-minute replacement for another act which had pulled out. Wham! were just outside the Top 40 threshold of the UK Singles Chart
at the time, which meant they had not climbed high enough in normal circumstances to get on the show, but they were recruited nonetheless as the highest-placed artists still climbing the charts from outside the 40. "Young Guns (Go for It)" entered the chart at #24 the following week, and eventually peaked at #3 in November 1982.
George wrote the song about a teenage lad's worry that his best friend was getting too committed to a girl when he should have been enjoying his youth and the single life. It featured a middle eight aside in which the girl conversely tried to get her boyfriend to ditch the best friend, prompting a vocal battle, akin to a tug of war
, between the girlfriend and the best friend which prompted the "go for it!" aspect of the song, as featured in the title.
On Top of the Pops, George mimed the vocals to his Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley
, who "acted" the part of the teenage bridegroom-in-waiting. They were flanked by backing singers Dee C. Lee
and Shirlie Holliman
.
12": Innervision (UK)
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
pop duo Wham!
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
which was released in 1982 on Innervision Records
Innervision Records
Innervision Records was an independent record label distributed by CBS Records. The label was established around 1981 by Mark Dean and Shamsi Ahmed which included Wham! on their artist roster, who scored four top-ten hits while signed to Innervision...
. It was written by George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
, one half of the duo.
The song was Wham!'s first hit, although it came with some help from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
music programme Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, which invited Wham! on to the show as a last-minute replacement for another act which had pulled out. Wham! were just outside the Top 40 threshold of the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at the time, which meant they had not climbed high enough in normal circumstances to get on the show, but they were recruited nonetheless as the highest-placed artists still climbing the charts from outside the 40. "Young Guns (Go for It)" entered the chart at #24 the following week, and eventually peaked at #3 in November 1982.
George wrote the song about a teenage lad's worry that his best friend was getting too committed to a girl when he should have been enjoying his youth and the single life. It featured a middle eight aside in which the girl conversely tried to get her boyfriend to ditch the best friend, prompting a vocal battle, akin to a tug of war
Tug of war
Tug of war, also known as tug o' war, tug war, rope war or rope pulling, is a sport that directly pits two teams against each other in a test of strength. The term may also be used as a metaphor to describe a demonstration of brute strength by two opposing groups, such as a rivalry between two...
, between the girlfriend and the best friend which prompted the "go for it!" aspect of the song, as featured in the title.
On Top of the Pops, George mimed the vocals to his Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley
Andrew Ridgeley
Andrew John Ridgeley is an English former pop singer-songwriter, guitarist and environmentalist. Andrew was a member of the 1980s pop music duo Wham!.-Early life:...
, who "acted" the part of the teenage bridegroom-in-waiting. They were flanked by backing singers Dee C. Lee
Dee C. Lee
Dee C. Lee is an English pop singer.-Career:Lee was a backing vocalist for the pop group Wham! in the early 1980s, but she left the group to work as a solo artist and also to join Paul Weller's band, The Style Council...
and Shirlie Holliman
Shirlie Holliman
Shirlie Holliman , is an English former pop singer, who found fame in the 1980s with Wham! and as part of the duo Pepsi & Shirlie....
.
Track listing
7": Innervision (UK)- "Young Guns (Go for It)" – 3:40
- "Going for It" – 3:40
12": Innervision (UK)
- "Young Guns (Go for It)" [12" version] – 5:10
- "Going for It" – 3:40
- "Going for It" is an instrumental version of "Young Guns (Go for It)"
Chart performance
| Chart (1982/3) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Sweden | 1 |
| Norway | 10 |
| Australia | 4 |
| UK | 3 |