Heal the Pain#2006 version
{{Short description|1991 single by George Michael}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2011}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Heal the Pain
| cover = Heal the pain george michael.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = George Michael
| album = Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
| B-side = Soul Free
| written = June 1990{{cite AV media notes|title=Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1|others=George Michael|year=3 September 1990|type=liner notes|publisher=Epic Records|id=467295 2|page=11}}
| released = {{start date|1991|2|4|df=y}}{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=vi|date=2 February 1991}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = {{hlist|Pop|folk-pop{{cite news |last=Levine |first=Nick |date=8 September 2020 |title=How George Michael transformed pop |url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200908-how-george-michael-transformed-pop |publisher=BBC Online |access-date=1 May 2025}}}}
| length = 4:46
| label = Epic
| writer = George Michael
| producer = George Michael
| prev_title = Freedom! '90
| prev_year = 1990
| next_title = Cowboys and Angels
| next_year = 1991
| misc = {{External music video|header=Licensed audio|{{YouTube|GwGlhJV75Vc|"Heal the Pain"}}}}
}}
"Heal the Pain" is a song written and performed by English singer-songwriter George Michael and released on Epic Records in February 1991. A contemplative, acoustic guitar-based love song, it was the fourth of five UK singles taken from his second solo album, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (1990).
The song entered the UK Singles Chart in February 1991 and peaked at number 31. It followed a pattern of being slightly lower than its predecessor (the previous three singles had peaked at numbers 6, 23 and 28, respectively). One more single from the album would continue the pattern, by not even breaking the threshold of the top 40. "Soul Free", also taken from Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, appeared as the B-side. For the fourth US single, Columbia Records used "Soul Free" as the A-side and "Cowboys and Angels" as the B-side, but the single did not chart.
The band Lemon Jelly used an uncredited sample of the track on the B-side of their single "Rolled/Oats". Brazilian singers Fernanda Takai and Samuel Rosa recorded a version of the song in Portuguese titled "Pra Curar Essa Dor", for Takai's fourth studio album, Na Medida do Impossível, released in 2014.
Critical reception
Adam Sweeting from The Guardian named "Heal the Pain" one of the "best tracks" of Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1. He added that the song "with its close harmonies and neck-brushing acoustic guitars, is the Paul McCartney ballad the Fab One never wrote."Sweeting, Adam (30 August 1990). "Music: Now George Wants Your Cheques". The Guardian. A reviewer from Music & Media wrote, "Comforting, Beatles-type pop. If the Beatles are the healer, Michael is the dealer."{{cite magazine|first=|last=|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1991/MM-1991-02-23.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music & Media|date=23 February 1991|page=24|access-date=6 April 2023}} Alan Jones from Music Week named it Pick of the Week, declaring it as a "gentle acoustically jangling, intimately sung ballad", noting that it was Michael's personal favourite. He concluded, "Not a Top 10 hit, but a breath of fresh air."{{cite magazine|first=Alan|last=Jones|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1991/MW-1991-02-02.pdf|title=Mainstream: Singles — Pick of the Week|magazine=Music Week|date=2 February 1991|page=8|access-date=6 April 2023}}
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (1991)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| {{single chart|Flanders|36|artist=George Michael|song=Heal the Pain|rowheader=true|access-date=9 April 2023}} |
| scope="row"| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[http://www.top40.nl/index.aspx?week=11&jaar=1991&maand=3&pos=16 Nederlandse Top 40]. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
| 16 |
| {{single chart|Dutch100|25|artist=George Michael|song=Heal the Pain|rowheader=true|access-date=9 April 2023}} |
| scope="row"| Ireland (IRMA)[http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement The Irish Charts]. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
| 16 |
| scope="row"| UK Singles (OCC)[http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/george%20michael/ Top 75 Releases]. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
| 31 |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (1991)
! scope="col"| Position |
|---|
| scope="row"| Europe (European Hit Radio){{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1991/MM-1991-12-21.pdf|title=EHR Year-End Top 100|magazine=Music & Media|volume=8|issue=51–52|page=20|date=21 December 1991|access-date=24 February 2024}}
| 78 |
{{col-end}}
2006 version
{{Infobox song
| name = Heal the Pain
| cover = Heal the Pain with Paul McCartney.jpg
| alt =
| type = promo
| artist = George Michael and Paul McCartney
| album = Twenty Five {{noitalic|(US release)}}
| released =
- 2006 (UK release of Twenty Five)
- 2008 (US release, also as single)
| recorded = week of 28 November 2005
| studio =
| genre = Pop
| length = 4:46
| label = Epic
| writer = George Michael
| producer = George Michael
| chronology = George Michael singles
| prev_title = This Is Not Real Love
| prev_year = 2006
| year = 2008
| next_title = December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas)
| next_year = 2008
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = Paul McCartney
| type = single
| prev_title = Ever Present Past
| prev_year = 2007
| title = Heal the Pain
| year = 2008
| next_title = Sing the Changes
| next_year = 2008
}}
}}
In 2005, it was announced that Michael would be recording a version of the track with Paul McCartney, in whose style the song was written. Michael appeared on the Chris Evans show on BBC Radio 2 on 5 December 2005, and announced that he had recorded the song with McCartney "last week" but did not know what he was going to do with it yet. The track was included on the greatest hits collection Twenty Five (2006), and was released as a promotional single from the US release of the album in 2008.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{YouTube|OprMsRlHFBE|Fernanda Takai and Samuel Rosa – "Pra Curar Essa Dor"}}
{{George Michael singles}}
{{Paul McCartney singles}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Songs written by George Michael