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On this day in music history: November 17, 1984 - “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” by Wham! hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 3 weeks. Written and produced by George Michael, it is the first US chart topper for the pop music duo from Bushey, Hertsfordshire, UK. Released as the lead single from the duo’s second album “Make It Big”, the inspiration for the song comes from a note pinned to (a then still teen aged) Andrew Ridgeley’s bedroom door. The note was to remind his mother to wake him up before she left for work. However, Ridgeley makes the mistake of writing the word “up” twice on the note, so to humorously compound his error, he writes the word “go” twice. The track is cut at SARM West Studios in London in the Spring of 1984, with Michael and engineer Chris Porter programming the songs’ drum track on a Linn LM-1, and musicians Deon Estus (bass), Hugh Burns (guitar), David Baptiste, Steve Gregory (saxophones), Colin Graham, Paul Spong (trumpets), Tommy Eyre, Andy Richards and George Michael (keyboards). The basic track is cut in a day and a half, with Michael recording his lead and background vocals over a few days time. The song’s music video filmed at the Brixton Academy in South London, is directed by Andy Morahan. The clip marks the beginning of a years long association between Morahan and George Michael, who also directs several other videos for Wham! and Michael over the years. The now famous “CHOOSE LIFE” T-shirts worn by Michael and Ridgeley in the video are designed by British fashion designer Katherine Hamnett, later becoming a popular clothing item and an iconic 80’s image. Issued in the UK first on May 5, 1984, it quickly shoots to number one, spending two weeks at the top. Released in the US in August of 1984, it repeats its overseas success. Entering the Hot 100 at #80 on September 8, 1984, it climbs to the top of the chart ten weeks later. It is the first of three consecutive US chart toppers that Wham! has in just six months. The song is used to highly humorous effect by Ben Stiller in the comedy “Zoolander” in 2001. “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” is certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.

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On this day in music history: November 14, 2003 - “The Black Album”, the eighth studio album by Jay-Z is released. Produced by Just Blaze, Kanye West, The Neptunes, Timbaland, 9th Wonder, Eminem, Rick Rubin, The Buchanans, DJ Quik, Luis Resto, Aqua  and Joseph Weinberger, it is recorded at Baseline Studios, Battery Studios, Right Track Recording Studios, Manhattan Center Studios, The Hit Factory in New York City, The Hit Factory/Criteria Studios in Miami, FL, 54 Sound in Detroit, MI, The Mansion, The Record Plant and Akademie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research in Los Angeles, CA from Early - Mid 2003. With seven Platinum or multi-Platinum selling albums under his belt by the early 2000’s, Jay-Z publicly announces that he is “retiring” from recording. The rap star cites a lack of competitive spirit among his other rap contemporaries as one of the reasons for wanting to retire. He collaborates with a number of top Hip Hop producers including The Neptunes, Kanye West, Just Blaze, Timbaland, DJ Quik, and Rick Rubin. The final result is lauded as one of Jay-Z’s strongest efforts. The album is launched with a concert at Madison Square Garden, and is filmed for “Fade To Black”, a 2004 film documenting that “final performance” as well as showing behind the scenes footage on the making of “The Black Album”. It spins off three singles including “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” (#5 Pop, #3 R&B, #2 Rap), “Change Clothes” (#10 Pop, #6 R&B, #4 Rap), and “99 Problems” (#30 Pop, #26 R&B, #10 Rap). To encourage DJ’s to do their own remixes and mash ups, Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam releases a double vinyl promo LP featuring Jay-Z’s acapella vocals. Producer Danger Mouse creates an alternate version titled “The Grey Album”, mixing Jay-Z’s vocals with samples from The Beatles “White Album”. The underground bootleg release is an instant sensation, also inspiring a lawsuit from EMI Records in spite of the surviving Beatles and their families and Jay-Z giving it their approval. Jay-Z’s “retirement” proves to be short lived, as he collaborates with the rock band Linkin Park and releasing a second album with R&B star R. Kelly in 2004. The album is nominated for three Grammy Awards in 2005, winning one for Best Rap Solo Performance for “99 Problems”. “The Black Album” spends two weeks (non-consecutive) at number one on the Billboard Top 200, three weeks at number one on the R&B album chart, and is certified 3x Platinum in the US by the RIAA.