"BAD BOYS" BY WHAM! (1983)

Bad Boys was written by George Michael when he was just 19 years old, and the lyrics tell the tale of a rebellious teenage lad's struggle against his parents. Apparently, he hates the track, and once stated that it was "like an albatross round my neck". Indeed, it was even left off the 1997 compilation album If You Were There...The Best of Wham!
 
The song was released in May 1983 and made number 2 In The UK singles chart and #60 in the U.S. It was the third single to be lifted from Wham
's debut album Fantastic. Other singles from the album were; "Young Guns (Go For It)", "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)" and "Club Tropicana".

By Mark Nobes, chief editor

Wham! Bad Boys - 7
The B-side on both the 7 inch and 12 inch vinyl singles featured an instrumental version of "Bad Boys".
The video starts in a vintage sepia tone of black and white, and features a man who returns home from the army (or National Service) to his wife and young boy in the 1940s/50s. They eat tea at the table, before the boy ventures outside in his school uniform. He starts causing trouble by firing his catapult at a lady's rear, and also bullying another child.
In the next scene, the sepia tone disappears, and the setting is the 60s. The focus is now on George Michael, who is dressed in a studded leather jacket. He argues with his parents about going out without their permission. There is a brief interlude shot in colour, which features George and Andrew in an old car with a seductive woman. The final scene features a Thriller style dance routine set in a misty street.
During the 1980's, Wham! achieved success with nine Top 10 singles and a #15 with the Club Fantastic Megamix in the UK - four singles reached the top of the charts - and five Top 10 singles in the U.S.