Wiki
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Release Date
2 November 1998
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Length
29 tracks
Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael is a greatest hits collection released by George Michael in 1998 (see 1998 in music).
The collection of 28 songs (29 songs are included on the European and Australian release) are separated into two halves, with each CD of the double set containing music of a particular theme and mood. The first CD, titled "For the Heart", predominantly contains Michael's hit ballads, while the second CD, "For the Feet", comprises mostly his popular dance tunes.
Ladies & Gentlemen is notable for containing a large number of compilation tracks and duets that have not previously appeared on a George Michael album, including his U.S. number-one duet with Aretha Franklin, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)", previously available on Aretha Franklin's 1986 album Aretha; "Desafinado", the duet in Portuguese with Brazilian legendary singer Astrud Gilberto; and the Elton John duet "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", from Elton's 1993 album Duets.
Ladies & Gentlemen was released by Michael through Sony Music Entertainment as a condition of severing contractual ties with the label (Michael departed Sony with a great deal of acrimony and publicity prior to the release of Older in 1996). He would later return to Sony to release his 2004 album Patience.
"Outside" was the first single from the album. The song was a humorous look at his arrest shortly before the release of the album for soliciting a policeman in a public restroom.
"As", Michael's duet with Mary J. Blige, was released as the second single in many territories around the world. It reached #4 in the UK Singles Chart. The track was left off the North American release of the album. There were rumours that Blige's label was uncomfortable with Michael being gay, but this is contradicted by Blige's embracing of her large gay fan base (see her recent cover story in The Advocate magazine where she said "most of my fans are gay").
To date, the album has reached worldwide sales of approximately 15 million copies.
"Waltz Away Dreaming", Michael's duet with Toby Bourke, was only available on the cassette and MiniDisc versions of the album.
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