''Songs from the Last Century'' is the fourth studio album by the English singer-songwriter George Michael, released on 6 December 1999 by Aegean Records and

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), Tom Newman. It ...

. Produced by

Phil Ramone Philip Ramone (né Rabinowitz, January 5, 1934March 30, 2013) was a South African-born American recording engineer, record producer, violinist and composer, who in 1958 co-founded A & R Recording, Inc., a recording studio with business pa ...

and George Michael, it was his only album of

cover versions In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

. It consists mainly of old jazz standards plus new interpretations of more recent popular songs, such as " Roxanne" by

The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Polic ...

and "

Miss Sarajevo "Miss Sarajevo" is a song by U2 and Brian Eno, credited to the pseudonym "Passengers". It was released on 20 November 1995 as the only single from their album ''Original Soundtracks 1''. Luciano Pavarotti makes a vocal appearance, singing the ...

" by U2 and Brian Eno with Luciano Pavarotti. "Roxanne" was released as a single in other countries except the United Kingdom.

History

This album is the only album in Michael's entire solo catalogue to not reach number one on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

, peaking at number two instead. It was kept off of the top spot by

Shania Twain Eilleen Regina "Shania" Twain ( , ; née Edwards; born August 28, 1965) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She has sold over 100 million records, making her the best-selling female artist in country music history and one of the best-s ...

's ''

Come on Over ''Come On Over'' is the third studio album by Canadian country music singer Shania Twain. It was released on November 4, 1997, by Mercury Records. Produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, the album became the best-selling country album, the best ...

''. A music video for "Roxanne" was shot in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

, in the so-called Red District, using ordinary people, not actors, who really live their lives on the street. Another version exists of the album's opening track, " Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?", sung by Michael with Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti at one of his famous "Pavarotti and Friends" live shows. This version is included on the limited edition of Michael's 2006 greatest hits album, '' Twenty Five''.

Track listing

#" Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" ( E.Y. Harburg,

Jay Gorney Jay Gorney (December 12, 1896– June 14, 1990) was an American theater and film song writer. Life and career Gorney was born Abraham Jacob Gornetzsky on December 12, 1896, in Białystok, Russia (now part of Poland), the son of Frieda (Perlst ...

) – 4:22 #" Roxanne" ( Sting) – 4:11 #"

You've Changed "You've Changed" is a popular song published in 1942 with music by Carl Fischer and words by Bill Carey. The melody features descending chromaticism. The song was first recorded on October 24, 1941 by Harry James & His Orchestra (vocal by Dick H ...

" ( Bill Carey, Carl Fischer) – 4:25 #" My Baby Just Cares for Me" (

Gus Kahn Gustav Gerson Kahn (November 6, 1886October 8, 1941) was an American lyricist who contributed a number of songs to the Great American Songbook, including " Pretty Baby", " Ain't We Got Fun?", " Carolina in the Morning", " Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Goo ...

Walter Donaldson Walter Donaldson (February 15, 1893 – July 15, 1947) was an American prolific popular songwriter and publishing company founder, composing many hit songs of the 1910s to 1940s, that have become standards and form part of the Great American Song ...

) – 1:45 #"

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is a 1957 folk song written by British political singer-songwriter Ewan MacColl for Peggy Seeger, who later became his wife. At the time, the couple were lovers, although MacColl was still married to his ...

" ( Ewan MacColl) – 5:19 #"

" (

Adam Clayton Adam Charles Clayton (born 13 March 1960) is an English-born Irish musician who is the bass guitarist of the rock band U2. He has resided in County Dublin, Ireland since his family moved to Malahide in 1965, when he was five years old. C ...

, Brian Eno, Dave Evans,

Larry Mullen Laurence Joseph Mullen Jr. (; born 31 October 1961) is an Irish musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the rock band U2. Mullen was born in Dublin, where he attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School. In 1976, he co-founded U2 ...

, Paul Hewson) – 5:11 #" I Remember You" ( Johnny Mercer,

Victor Schertzinger Victor L. Schertzinger (April 8, 1888 – October 26, 1941) was an American composer, film director, film producer, and screenwriter. His films include '' Paramount on Parade'' (co-director, 1930), ''Something to Sing About'' (1937) with James C ...

) – 4:12 #" Secret Love" ( Paul Francis Webster, Sammy Fain) – 2:39 #"

Wild Is the Wind ''Wild is the Wind'' is a 1957 film directed by George Cukor and starring Anna Magnani, Anthony Quinn, and Anthony Franciosa. It tells the story of an American rancher who, after his wife dies, goes to Italy to marry her sister, but finds that s ...

" (

Dimitri Tiomkin Dimitri Zinovievich Tiomkin (, ; May 10, 1894 – November 11, 1979) was a Russian-born American film composer and conductor. Classically trained in St. Petersburg, Russia before the Bolshevik Revolution, he moved to Berlin and then New York City ...

Ned Washington Ned Washington (born Edward Michael Washington, August 15, 1901 – December 20, 1976) was an American lyricist born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Life and career Washington was nominated for eleven Academy Awards from 1940 to 1962. He won the Bes ...

) – 4:02 #"

Where or When "Where or When" is a show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical ''Babes in Arms''. It was first performed by Ray Heatherton and Mitzi Green. That same year, Hal Kemp recorded a popular version. The song also appeared in the film version o ...

" / "

It's All Right with Me "It's All Right with Me" is a popular song written by Cole Porter, for his 1953 musical '' Can-Can'', where it was introduced by Peter Cookson as the character Judge Aristide Forestier. The song is also used in the Cole Porter musical '' High S ...

" ( Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart / Cole Porter) (Instrumental) (Hidden track) – 7:00

Personnel

Credits adapted from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

. * Abe Appleman – violin * Diane Barere – cello * Elena Barere – concert master, violin * Herb Besson – trombone * Yuri Vodovoz – violin * Virgil Blackwell – clarinet * Arvil Brown – violin * Jacqui Danilow – bass guitar * Marji Danilow – bass guitar * Lawrence Feldman – woodwind * Frank Filipetti – engineer, mixing *

David Finck David E. Finck (born August 26, 1958) is an American jazz bassist. He plays both bass guitar and double bass. Finck was born in Rochester, New York. He studied under Sam Goradetzer and Michael Shahan of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and graduate ...

– bass guitar * Barry Finclair – concert master, violin * Crystal Garner – viola * Maura Giannini – violin * Karen Griffen – flute * Juliet Haffner – viola *

Corky Hale Corky Hale (born July 3, 1936) is an American jazz harpist, pianist, flutist, and vocalist. She has been a theater producer, political activist, restaurateur, and the owner of the Corky Hale women's clothing store in Los Angeles, California. Ear ...

– harp * Laura Hamilton – violin * Joyce Hammann – violin * Sheryl Henze – flute * Kenneth Hitchcock – woodwind * Jim Hynes – trumpet * Regis Iandiorio – violin * Jean Ingraham – violin * Greg Jakobek – design * Ted Jensen – mastering * Tony Kadleck – trumpet * Jeff Kievit – trumpet * Chris Komer – French horn * Carol Landon – viola * Jeff Lang – French horn * Kim Laskowski – bassoon * Ann Leathers – violin * Jeanne LeBlanc – cello * Nancy McAlhany – violin * Diane Lesser – oboe * Richard Locker – cello * Dave Mann – woodwind *

Rob Mathes Rob or ROB may refer to: Places * Rob, Velike Lašče, a settlement in Slovenia * Roberts International Airport (IATA code ROB), in Monrovia, Liberia People * Rob (given name), a given name or nickname, e.g., for Robert(o), Robin/Robyn * Rob ( ...

– arranger, conductor, piano * Andrew McPherson – photography * George Michael – design, liner notes, primary artist, producer * Jeff Mironov – guitar * John Moses – clarinet *

Rob Mounsey Rob Mounsey (born December 2, 1952) is an American musician, composer, and arranger. Music career Mounsey was born in Berea, Ohio, and grew up in Seattle, Washington, spending a few years each in Findlay and Granville, Ohio. At the age of 17 ...

– arranger, conductor, piano * Nick Murdoch – piano * Jan Mullen – violin * Lewis Nash – drums * Danny Cummings – percussion *

Phil Palmer Philip John Palmer (born 9 September 1952) is a rock sideman and session guitarist who has toured, recorded, and worked with numerous artists. He is best known for his work with Eric Clapton and Dire Straits. Biography Palmer grew up in nor ...

– guitar * Laura Oatts – violin * Caryl Paisner – cello * Scott Parker – assistant engineer * Shawn Pelton – drums * Steve Walters – bass guitar * Charles Pillow – woodwind * Sue Pray – viola * Phil Ramone – liner notes, producer * Tim Ries – woodwind * Marcus Rojas – tuba * Roger Rosenberg – woodwind * Stacey Shames – harp * Mark Orrin Shuman – cello * Pamela Sklar – flute * Andy Snitzer – woodwind * Jason Stasium – mixing * Byron Stripling – trumpet * Marti Sweet – violin * Donna Tecco – violin * David Tofani – woodwind * Carol Webb – violin * Ellen Westermann – cello * Torrie Zito – arranger

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

Notes

References

{{Authority control 1999 albums George Michael albums Covers albums Albums arranged by Torrie Zito Albums produced by Phil Ramone Traditional pop albums