The Wham! demo the world has never heard

Music producer Paul Mex helped Wham! record their first demos

The first ever recording of the famous Wham! hit Careless Whisper involved a broom shoved down the back of a sofa, the record's producer has revealed.

Written by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, the 1984 hit widely credited as aiding Michael's transition to becoming a solo artist has humble beginnings.

Producer Paul Mex told Secret Sussex that he took his portastudio - a "recording studio in a briefcase" - to Ridgeley's family home in 1981 to record the demo version of the song.

The trio did not have a mic stand but managed to fashion one in Ridgeley's living room.

Mex said: "We found Mrs Ridgeley's broom, we stuffed it down the back of the sofa between a cushion and the back of the head, rested the mic onto the bristles of the broom...there you had a mic stand.

"You can imagine what that must've looked like - George Michael, singing into a brush."

So as not to disturb Mrs Ridgeley, who had arrived home to an "messy" house, the pressure was on to record the hit in quick time.

He said: "We did Careless Whisper in one take. George did it and I have to say, it was incredible."

Paul Mex has kept the original version of Careless Whisper given to him by George Michael

Mex said it was evident that Michael always had ambitions of becoming a solo artist, and Careless Whisper was a vital part of that journey.

He said: "It was obvious that Careless Whisper was a fantastic song, but it didn't fit into the Wham! remit."

The demo was crucial in securing Wham!'s deal with Innervision Records, which in turn launched Michael's career.

Mex always felt that he would make it.

He said: "Andrew was the catalyst in getting things going, but I think between the two of them, they always knew George was the creative force, they always knew George was the talent."

Mex describes the demo, which was gifted to him by Michael on his birthday and kept for some time at his Brighton studio, as his "pride and joy".