“Last Christmas”, a tune that still resonates 40 years later in Saas-Fee – rts.ch
Among the Christmas hits, the group’s song “Wham!” is one of the most famous and perhaps the most Swiss. A 7.30 p.m. team traveled to Saas-Fee to see if locals and visitors still remember the hit.
Perms on everyone’s head, a group of friends in neon suits and a chalet in the powder snow: more than 40 years ago, the team of the pop group “Wham!”, with George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, landed in Saas-Fee (VS) to shoot the clip for “Last Christmas”.
Released on December 3, 1984, the song has become a real worldwide success and now has more than 750 million views on Youtube.
This success has also contributed to the reputation of the mountain resort. For the public, this story of lost love leaves a memory of “pretty little village in the Swiss Alps”, admits Mattia Storni, marketing manager of Saas-Fee. “There’s the snow, the cold, the chalet and the warmth of Christmas. It was an incredible communication move for us,” he adds.
A “very special” group of tourists
Even after so many years, some locals remember these international pop stars who were almost unnoticed at the time.
“They had special clothes, coats up to their ankles, long hair,” says Lukas Imseng, a baker and resident of the region. “They were very special, I thought it must be a very special group,” he continues.
Even today, tourists who climb into “the” cabin that appears in the clip – it is the Felskinn cable car, still in service today – have a feeling of deja vu. Installation operator Karin Huber often gets the same question this holiday season: “Is this the famous cabin from ‘Last Christmas’?”. She answers in the affirmative
Since the time of filming, both cabins of the cable car have undergone a facelift. Unlike the song, which still works like the first day.
>> The music video for Wham! – Last Christmas:
TV Subject: Ainhoa Ibarrola
Adaptation Canvas: Doreen Enssle
