Login
Login

Spinning the Wheel

{{Short description|1996 single by George Michael}}

{{Use British English|date=May 2011}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Spinning the Wheel

| cover = Spinning the Wheel (George Michael single - cover art).jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = George Michael

| album = Older

| B-side =

  • "You Know That I Want To"
  • "Safe"

| released = {{start date|1996|8|19|df=y}}{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1996/Music-Week-1996-08-17.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=35|date=17 August 1996|access-date=2 July 2021}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

| length = 6:22

| label = Virgin

| writer =

  • George Michael
  • Jon Douglas

| producer =

  • George Michael
  • Jon Douglas

| prev_title = Fastlove

| prev_year = 1996

| next_title = Older

| next_title2 = I Can't Make You Love Me

| next_year = 1997

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|qSoMTkn_Qfg|"Spinning the Wheel"}}}}

}}

"Spinning the Wheel" is a song by English singer-songwriter George Michael. The song was co-written and co-produced by Michael and Jon Douglas. It was released on Virgin Records as the third single from Michael's third studio album, Older (1996), and depicts the worry of a lover whose partner is sexually promiscuous during the period when AIDS was newly discovered and rampant in the West.{{cite magazine|url=https://attitude.co.uk/article/george-michael-discusses-open-relationships-in-frank-2004-attitude-interview-part-3-1/13320/|title=George Michael on open relationships|access-date=10 July 2022|magazine=Attitude|archive-date=6 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206111520/https://attitude.co.uk/article/george-michael-discusses-open-relationships-in-frank-2004-attitude-interview-part-3-1/13320/|url-status=dead}} The song peaked at number two in the United Kingdom, kept off the top by the Spice Girls' "Wannabe". The single also peaked within the top 10 in Denmark, Hungary, Italy, and Spain where it spent 3 consecutive weeks at #1. The accompanying music video was directed by Vaughan Arnell and Anthea Benton.

"Spinning the Wheel" subsequently appeared on both of George Michael's compilations Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael and Twenty Five.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard praised the Forthright remix of "Spinning the Wheel" as a "hard-driving dance record", noting that the "sleek and jazzy interlude" from the Older album had been reconstructed "with a textured house music sound." He also complimented Michael for breaking "interesting new ground", and that the sophistication of the original recording "remains fully intact, though Forthright darkens the groove to complimentary effect".{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1996/BB-1996-09-21.pdf|first=Larry|last=Flick|title=Single Reviews|magazine=Billboard|date=21 September 1996|access-date=5 February 2020|page=64|author-link=Larry Flick}} Sarah Davis from Dotmusic named it the album's "upbeat highlight", adding that it finds Michael "sending out warning signs to an errant partner": Five o'clock in the morning, you ain't home ... I will not accept this as part of my life... I would rather be alone than watch you spinning the wheel for me.{{cite web|author=Davis, Sarah|title=GEORGE MICHAEL - OLDER|work=Dotmusic|date=15 April 1996|access-date=8 April 2020|url=http://www.dotmusic.com/artists/GeorgeMichael/reviews/April1996/reviews11083.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000901223227/http://www.dotmusic.com/artists/GeorgeMichael/reviews/April1996/reviews11083.asp|archive-date=1 September 2000}}

Swedish Göteborgs-Tidningen stated that it is "at least as good" as "Jesus to a Child" and "Fastlove".Göteborgs-Tidningen. 19 August 1996. Elysa Gardner from Los Angeles Times said that Michael "achieves a light jazz feel [on the song] that also makes for good background music".{{cite magazine|first=Elysa|last=Gardner|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oMJOAAAAIBAJ|title=Music Reviews: "Older"|magazine=Lakeland Ledger|date=25 May 1996|access-date=14 March 2020}} Paul Lester from Melody Maker said songs like "Spinning the Wheel" "are snazzily produced late-night smoochathons that'll provide horny shop assistants and bank clerks with shag material for months."{{cite magazine|first=Paul|last=Lester|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/53674491624/|title=Albums|magazine=Melody Maker|date=25 May 1996|page=50|access-date=14 May 2024|author-link=Paul Lester}} A reviewer from Music Week gave it four out of five, adding that this "balladic" follow-up to two number ones, "could just hit the spot again."{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1996/Music-Week-1996-07-27.pdf|first=|last=|title=Reviews: Singles|magazine=Music Week|date=27 July 1996|page=10|accessdate=1 September 2021}} Victoria Segal from NME noted its "brassy bleakness".{{cite web|first= Victoria |last= Segal |title= George Michael – Ladies And Gentlemen - The Best of George Michael |url= http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19981006103726reviews.html |work= NME|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20000817211528/http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19981006103726reviews.html |access-date= 24 November 2020|archive-date= 17 August 2000 }} Bob Waliszewski of Plugged In said that the singer "demonstrates 'tough love' on 'Spinning the Wheel' as he walks out on an adulterous woman."{{cite web|first= Bob |last= Waliszewski |title= Older |work= Plugged In |publisher= Focus on the Family |access-date= 27 March 2020 |url= https://www.pluggedin.com/album-reviews/georgemichael-older/}} Ed Morales for Vibe'' wrote that "the singular swing of the trip-hoppy" song "is compelling".{{cite magazine|first=Ed|last=Morales|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dS4EAAAAMBAJ|title=George Michael - Older|magazine=Vibe|date=1 August 1996|access-date=2 March 2020}}

Music video

A black-and-white music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Vaughan Arnell and Anthea Benton.{{cite web|url= https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6695576/ |title= George Michael: Spinning The Wheel |publisher= IMDb |date= |access-date= 3 October 2021}} It features Michael performing with a band in a club and was later made available on Michael's official YouTube channel in 2010. The video has amassed more than 7,8 million views as of August 2023.{{cite web|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSoMTkn_Qfg |title= George Michael - Spinning The Wheel (Official Video) |publisher= YouTube |date= 28 September 2010 |access-date= 3 October 2021}}

Track listings

  • Asian, Australian, European, and UK CD EP
  1. "Spinning the Wheel" (radio edit) – 4:57
  2. "You Know That I Want To" – 4:35
  3. "Safe" – 4:25
  4. "Spinning the Wheel" (Forthright edit) – 4:41
  • Asian, Australian, European, and UK CD "The Dance Mixes"
  1. "Spinning the Wheel" (Forthright club mix) – 8:11
  2. "Fastlove" (Forthright edit) – 4:23
  3. "Spinning the Wheel" (Jon Douglas remix) – 6:40

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"| Chart (1996)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

{{single chart|Australia|14|artist=George Michael|song=The Spinning the Wheel E.P.|rowheader=true|access-date=25 October 2016}}
{{single chart|Austria|29|artist=George Michael|song=The Spinning the Wheel E.P.|rowheader=true|access-date=25 October 2016}}
{{single chart|Flanders|36|artist=George Michael|song=The Spinning the Wheel E.P.|rowheader=true|access-date=25 October 2016}}
{{single chart|Wallonia|27|artist=George Michael|song=Spinning the Wheel|rowheader=true|access-date=25 October 2016}}
{{single chart|Canadaadultcontemporary|41|chartid=9819|rowheader=true|access-date=28 July 2013}}
scope="row"| Denmark (IFPI){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1996/MM-1996-09-21.pdf|title=Top National Sellers|magazine=Music & Media|volume=13|issue=38|date=21 September 1996|page=19|access-date=25 June 2018}}

| 7

scope="row"| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1996/MM-1996-09-14.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=13|issue=37|date=14 September 1996|page=16|access-date=26 June 2018}}

| 5

{{single chart|Finland|13|artist=George Michael|song=Spinning the Wheel|rowheader=true|access-date=25 October 2016}}
{{single chart|Germany|67|artist=George Michael|song=The Spinning the Wheel E.P.|songid=3283|rowheader=true|access-date=25 October 2016}}
scope="row"| Hungary (Mahasz)

| 6

scope="row"| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2945627#page/n1/mode/2up|title=Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (NR. 189 Vikuna 26.9. – 2.10. '96)|newspaper=Dagblaðið Vísir|language=is|page=16|date=27 September 1996|access-date=21 July 2018}}

| 16

{{single chart|Ireland2|14|artist=George Michael|song=The Spinning the Wheel EP|rowheader=true|access-date=25 October 2016}}
scope="row"| Italy (Musica e dischi){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1996/MM-1996-10-19.pdf|title=Top National Sellers|magazine=Music & Media|volume=13|issue=42|date=19 October 1996|page=18|access-date=27 November 2019}}

| 10

scope="row"|Italy Airplay (Music & Media){{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1996/MM-1996-10-19.pdf|title=Major Market Airplay: Italy|magazine=Music & Media|volume=13|issue=42|page=27|date=19 October 1996}}

| 9

{{single chart|Dutch40|31|artist=George Michael|song=Spinning The Wheel|rowheader=true|access-date=27 June 2018}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|24|artist=George Michael|song=The Spinning the Wheel E.P.|rowheader=true|access-date=25 October 2016}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|17|artist=George Michael|song=The Spinning the Wheel E.P.|rowheader=true|access-date=25 October 2016}}
{{single chart|Scotland|3|date=19960831|rowheader=true|access-date=25 May 2020}}
scope="row"| Spain (AFYVE){{cite book|last=Salaverri|first=Fernando|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st|date=September 2005|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}

| 1

{{single chart|Sweden|18|artist=George Michael|song=The Spinning the Wheel E.P.|rowheader=true|access-date=25 October 2016}}
{{single chart|Switzerland|24|artist=George Michael|song=The Spinning the Wheel E.P.|rowheader=true|access-date=25 October 2016}}
{{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|2|artist=George Michael|artistid=3|rowheader=true|access-date=6 March 2016}}
{{single chart|Billboarddanceclubplay|44|artist=George Michael|rowheader=true|access-date=6 March 2016}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"| Chart (1996)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2949469#page/n15/mode/2up|title=Árslistinn 1996|newspaper=Dagblaðið Vísir|language=is|page=16|date=2 January 1997|access-date=30 May 2020}}

| 59

scope="row"| UK Singles (OCC){{cite magazine|title=Top 100 Singles 1996|magazine=Music Week|page=25|date=18 January 1997}}

| 49

{{col-end}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=George Michael|title=Spinning the Wheel|award=Silver|relyear=1996|certyear=1996|id=6203-3520-1|salesamount=265,160|salesref={{cite web|url=http://www.musicweek.com/analysis/read/george-michael-on-the-charts/067107|title=George Michael on the charts|date=11 January 2017|work=Music Week|publisher=Intent Media|accessdate=16 August 2024}}}}

{{table end}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{George Michael singles}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1996 singles

Category:1996 songs

Category:Black-and-white music videos

Category:George Michael songs

Category:LGBTQ-related songs

Category:Music videos directed by Vaughan Arnell

Category:Number-one singles in Spain

Category:Songs written by George Michael

Category:Song recordings produced by George Michael

Category:Virgin Records singles