Blue (armed With Love) (dub) - Wham! (1983) < SAFE >

is a song by the British pop duo Wham! , originally released in July 1983 as the B-side to their hit single "Club Tropicana" . Though often overshadowed by its upbeat A-side, the track is a notable entry in the duo's early discography due to its unique production history and evolution from an unfinished dub to a fan-favorite vocal ballad. Production and 1983 Release

The song's potential was fully realized during Wham!'s subsequent tours:

During the Club Fantastic and Big tours, the duo performed a complete vocal version with sung verses that provided a more emotional narrative.

The version released in 1983 was a semi-instrumental track. Produced solely by George Michael , the song was put together in just 11 hours after the duo had finished their debut album, Fantastic . Because they ran out of time, Michael was unable to record full lead vocals for the studio version, leading to its release in an incomplete state featuring mostly backing vocals and a repeated chorus fade-out.

The studio dub version was included on the vinyl and cassette editions of their 1986 career summary, The Final , but was famously omitted from the original CD release. Lyrical Themes and Style

This more developed version was later recorded during their historic 1985 tour of China. It was officially released as "Blue (Live in China)" on the 1986 album Music from the Edge of Heaven and as a B-side to the 1985 re-release of "Last Christmas" .