One More Try (George Michael song)

History

The song was the fifth of seven singles to be released from Michael's debut solo album Faith. A ballad at six minutes in length, the song lyrically explores a young man's hesitancy to enter/revisit a new relationship because he had been emotionally hurt so many times previously. The song concludes with temptation taking over, and Michael ends by singing the title for the only time.

"One More Try" remained a live favourite at Michael's concerts in the years which followed, although its radio airplay tends to be restricted to specific "Love Songs"–esque features because of both the tempo and the length.

Track listing

"One More Try" maxi CD

1. "One More Try" (album version) – 5:50
2. "Look at Your Hands" – 4:36

Official remixes and versions

Chart performance

It reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart but became his sixth number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. Four of the six singles issued from Faith went to number one in America, while by comparison, none managed to do so in the UK.

"One More Try" was the third consecutive number one single from the Faith album. "One More Try" debuted at an impressive number 40 the week of 16 April 1988, and matching the speed of "Father Figure", reached number one by its seventh week, 28 May 1988, this time staying there for three consecutive weeks. "One More Try" was the second-longest running number one of 1988, tied with "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison, and behind the four-week run of Steve Winwood's "Roll with It". In total, "One More Try" spent seven weeks in the top 10 and 14 weeks in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. It was a triple-chart number one, also topping the R&B and Adult Contemporary charts and becoming the last number-one single on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart by a white male artist until Robin Thicke's "Lost Without U" (2007).

Divine version

In 1999, American teen trio Divine recorded the song as their second single off their debut album Fairy Tales.

Track listing

1. "One More Try" – 6:00
2. "One More Try" (extended version) – 9:00
3. "One More Try" (a cappella version) – 4:50

Beverley Knight version

British singer and songwriter Beverley Knight covered "One More Try" and released it as the third single release from her seventh studio album, Soul UK, a tribute to UK soul artists. It was released in the UK on 23 October 2011. The B-sides are remixes of Freeez's single "Southern Freeez", the original of which also appears on Soul UK.

Background

In regards to her version of "One More Try", Knight said "Everyone knew who George Michael was, but this song is when he became the real thing in my mind. He channelled a gospel sound, black America, ate it up, Britain followed and then the whole world. I took that sound, and going back to my own church roots, I ran with it." George Michael endorsed Knight's version of "One More Try" stating, "I'm always flattered by cover versions of my songs – especially when they are sung as beautifully as this. Thank You Beverley".

Track listing

1. "One More Try" (Album Version) – 5:43
2. "Southern Freeez" (Soulseekers Club Mix) – 7:17
3. "Southern Freeez" (Soulseekers Radio Edit) – 3:28
4. "Southern Freeez" (MCM Funky Freeez Radio Edit) – 3:18

1. "One More Try" (Album Version) – 5:43
2. "Southern Freeez" (Soulseekers Club Mix) – 7:17
3. "Southern Freeez" (Soulseekers Dub) – 7:17
4. "Southern Freeez" (MCM Funky Freeez Radio Edit) – 3:18

1. "One More Try" (Radio Edit)

Other cover versions