‘That’s my trouble actually. I think you can’t be selective with truth and honesty so I always go that bit further than my generation does and get myself into trouble. But also that’s my own dysfunction. If there’s a hard way to do it, do it the hard way. That’s me as well.’
George Michael did not unravel when he went out on tour. His life is not falling apart, far from it. He’s a very rich man who does what he wants, how he wants, when he wants. He doesn’t have to give a damn. His personal life is happy, he’s overcome the personal grief of the 1990s, he lives with the man of his dreams and music is still his life. ‘The difficulty,’ explains Michael, ‘is changing and growing as a person but managing to hold on to what was your original appeal in the first place.’ As the latest tours have proved, he’s making a pretty good job of that.
George and David Austin become ‘Tony’ and ‘Des’ for My Guy.
George and Andrew, ‘serious’ and ‘smiley’, in the latter days of Wham!
The boys celebrate ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’ reaching number one in their iconic sloganeering t-shirts.
George joins Elton John for Live Aid at Wembley Stadium in July 1985.
George and Lisa Stansfield sing while Brian May plays during the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.
George attends court for the first day of his case against Sony in 1993.
Parents Jack (left) and Lesley Panos leave the Howard Hotel in London in 1994. They refused to comment after their son lost his court battle.
George accompanies Princess Diana in the royal box during the World Aids Day Concert in 1994.
George hit the comeback trail with ‘Fastlove’ in 1996 which went to number 1 in the UK and Australia.
The press core hung around while George had his meal at Spago’s after the infamous press chase in April 1998. Here he is snapped leaving the restaurant.
The notorious public toilet in Will Rogers park, Beverley Hills.
George and Spice Girl Geri Halliwell pictured at the Equality Rocks show in April 2000.
George and partner Kenny Goss at the Ritz in Paris attending a party thrown by Donatella Versace.
George walks off with his Man of the Year award presented by GQ magazine in 2004.
George at the Japanese press conference to launch A Different Story.
Helen ‘Pepsi’ DeMacque and George’s sister, Melanie, attend a screening of A Different Story in London in 2005.
George returned to the touring circuit in 2006 with his triumphant 25Live show.
George has become a regular on the Michael Parkinson chat show, here he talks during a May 2007 appearance.
George leaves the Brent Magistrates court on 8 June 2007 after being sentenced to 100 hours of community service.
The following day George played the first show at the rebuilt Wembley Stadium.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books
30 Years of NME Album Charts, Boxtree, London, 1993
Blythe, Daniel, The Encyclopaedia of Classic 80’s Pop, Allison & Busby, London, 2002
Crampton, Luke and Rees, Dafydd, Rock & Pop, Year by Year, Dorling Kindersley, London, 2003
Crampton, Luke, Wham! The Official Biography, Virgin, London, 1986
Dessau, Bruce, George Michael: The Making of a Superstar, Pan, London, 1991
Dodd, Peter, et al, Albums of the 80s, Igloo, Kettering, 2004
Ellis, Lucy and Sutherland, Bryony, The Complete Guide to the Music of George Michael & Wham!, Omnibus Press, London, 1998
Erlewine, Michael, et al, All Music Guide, Miller Freeman Books, San Francisco, 1997
Gambaccini, Paul, et al, British Hit Albums, Guinness, London, 1994
Gambaccini, Paul, et al, British Hit Singles, Guinness, London, 1995
Goodall, Nigel, In his Own Words: George Michael, Omnibus Press, London, 1995
Kercher, John, Wham! Special, Grandreams Ltd, London, 1985
Mercer, Derek, The 20th Century Day-by-Day, Dorling Kindersley, London, 1999
Michael, George and Parsons, Tony, Bare, Penguin, London, 1991
Middles, Mick, George Michael Freedom, Chameleon, London, 1997
Napier-Bell, Simon, I’m Coming to Take you to Lunch, Ebury Press, London, 2006
Reynolds, Simon, Rip it Up and Start Again, Faber, London, 2005
Wapshott, Nicholas and Tim, Older: The Unauthorized Biography of George Michael, Sidgwick & Jackson, London, 1998
Yapp, Nick, Getty Images 1980s, Konemann, London, 2001
Periodicals and related articles on George Michael
John Aizlewood, Q, December 1998
John Aizlewood, Q, June 1999
Lynden Barber, Melody Maker, 1983
Mark Brown, Guardian, 21 October 2006
Mark Cunningham, Sound On Sound, 1997
Andy Davis, Record Collector, January 1998
Adrian Deevoy, Q, June 1988
Adrian Deevoy, Q, October 1990
Adrian Deevoy, Q, February 1992
Paul Du Noyer, Q, June 1996
Paul Elliott, Q, December 2006
Helen FitzGerald, Melody Maker, 28 July 1984
Rosanna Greenstreet, Guardian, 11 March 2006
Simon Hattenstone, Guardian, 9 December 2005
Paul Kelbie, Independent, 18 April 2006
Eleanor Levy, Record Mirror, 20 June 1987
Piers Morgan, Mirror, July 2002
Tony Parsons, The Face, August 1985
Tony Parsons, The Face, November 1987
Matthew Rolston, Rolling Stone, 28 January 1988
Jason Solomans, Daily Express, 31 March 1997
Steve Sutherland, Melody Maker, July 5 1986
Adrian Thrills, New Musical Express, 19 June 1982
Adrian Thrills, New Musical Express, 18 September 1982
Judy Wieder, The Advocate, 30 April 2000
Jon Wilde, GQ, December 1998
Websites
www.yogworld.com
www.georgemichael.com
General music articles
Associated Press, Billboard, City Lights, Los Angeles Times, Mojo, New York Times, Select, Sounds, Vox, Uncut
CHART POSITIONS
Wham!
Australia Canada Germany UK USA
Wham Rap! 9 – 17 8 –
Young Guns (Go For It!) 4 3 20 3 –
Bad Boys 9 19 12 2 60
Club Tropicana 60 – 13 4 13
Club Fantastic Megamix – – 56 15 –
Wake Me Up Before You Go Go 1 1 2 1 1
Freedom 3 5 3 1 1
Last Christmas 3 – 7 2 –
Everything She Wants 7 2 8 2 1
I’m Your Man 3 4 7 1 3
The Edge Of Heaven 2 5 4 1 9
Where Did Your Heart Go? – 52 – – 50
George Michael Solo
Australia Canada Germany UK USA
Careless Whisper 1 – 3 1 1
A Different Corner 4 3 7 1 7
I Knew You Were Waiting 1 9 5 1 1
I Want Your Sex 2 2 3 3 2
Faith 1 1 5 2 7
Father Figure 5 3 18 2 1
One More Try 34 2 22 8 1
Monkey 11 6 24 13 1
Kissing A Fool 66 7 44 18 5
Praying For Time 15 1 19 6 1
Waiting For That Day 44 15 – 23 27
Freedom 90 17 2 41 28 8
Heal The Pain – – – 31 –
Cowboys And Angels – – – 45 –
Soul Free 91 – – – –
Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me 3 1 4 1 1
Too Funky 4 3 12 4 10
Five Live – – 8 1 –
Jesus To A Child 1 7 12 1 7
Fastlove 1 5 25 1 8
Spinning The Wheel 15 _ 67 2 –
Older – – – 3 –
Star People – – 64 2 –
You Have Been Loved – – – 2 –
Outside – – 30 2 –
As – – 38 4 –
If I Told You That – – 62 9 –
Freeek! – – 7
7 –
Shoot The Dog – – 44 12 –
Amazing – – 19 4 –
Flawless (Go To The City) – – 54 8 –
Round Here – – – 32 –
An Easier Affair – – 44 13 –
This Is Not Real Love – – – 15 –
DISCOGRAPHY
Wham! Albums
Fantastic
Innervision IVL 25328 UK LP July 1983
Innervision 40–25328 UK Cassette July 1983
Innervision CDEPC 25328 UK CD July 1983
Epic 450090-2 UK CD 1998
Bad Boys / A Ray Of Sunshine / Love Machine / Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?) / Club Tropicana / Nothing Looks The Same In The Light / Come On! / Young Guns (Go For It!)
Make It Big
Epic EPC 86311 UK LP October 1984
Epic 40-86311 UK Cassette October 1984
Epic CDEPC 86311 UK CD October 1984
Epic 465576-2 UK CD 1998
Wake Me Up Before You Go Go / Everything She Wants / Heartbeat / Like A Baby / Freedom / If You Were There / Credit Card Baby / Careless Whisper
The Final
Epic EPC 88681 UK LP July 1986
Epic EPC 88681 UK 2 × LP* July 1986
Epic 40-88681 UK Cassette July 1986
Epic CD 88681 UK CD July 1986
Epic WHAM2 UK 2 × LP** 1987
Epic 088681-2 UK CD 1999
Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?) / Young Guns (Go For It!) / Bad Boys; Club Tropicana / Wake Me Up Before You Go Go / Careless Whisper / Freedom / Last Christmas (Pudding Mix) / Everything She Wants (Remix) / I’m Your Man / A Different Corner / Battlestations / Where Did Your Heart Go? / The Edge Of Heaven
* = Track listing for double LP / Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?) (12" Version) / Young Guns (Go For It!) (12" Version) / Bad Boys (12" Version) / Club Tropicana / Wake Me Up Before You Go Go / Careless Whisper (12" Version) / Freedom / Last Christmas (12" Version) / Everything She Wants (12" Version) / I’m Your Man (Extended Stimulation) / Blue (Armed With Love) / A Different Corner / Battlestations / Where Did Your Heart Go? / The Edge Of Heaven
** = Limited edition boxed set in gold vinyl with T-shirt, calendar, notebook and pencil
Music From The Edge Of Heaven
Columbia 40585-S1 USA LP July 1986
Columbia C 40585 USA Cassette July 1986
Columbia CK 40285 USA CD July 1986
The Edge Of Heaven / Battlestations / I’m Your Man (Extended Simulation) / Wham Rap ’86 / A Different Corner / Blue (Live In China) / Where Did Your Heart Go? / Last Christmas (Pudding Mix)
If You Were There: The Best Of Wham!
Epic 489020-2 UK CD December 1997
If You Were There / I’m Your Man / Everything She Wants / Club Tropicana / Wake Me Up Before You Go Go / Like A Baby / Freedom / Edge Of Heaven / Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?) / Young Guns / Last Christmas / Where Did Your Heart Go / Everything She Wants (1997 Mix) / I’m Your Man (1996 Mix)
Solo Albums
Faith
Epic 631 522 1 UK LP November 1987
Epic 631 522 4 UK Cassette November 1987
Epic 460000 2 UK CD* November 1987
Epic 460000 9 UK CD** December 1987
Faith / Father Figure / I Want Your Sex (Parts I & II) / One More Try / Hard Day / Hand To Mouth / Look At Your Hands / Monkey / Kissing A Fool / Hard Day (Shep Pettibone Remix) / A Last Request (I Want Your Sex Part III)
* = With three extra tracks
** = Picture disc with three extra tracks
Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
Epic 467 295 1 UK LP September 1990
Epic 467 295 4 UK Cassette September 1990
Epic 467 295 2 UK CD September 1990
Epic 467 295 9 UK CD* September 1990
Praying For Time / Freedom 90 / They Won’t Go When I Go / Something To Save / Cowboys And Angels / Waiting For That Day / Mother’s Pride / Heal The Pain / Soul Free / Waiting (Reprise)
* = Picture disc
Older
Virgin V 2802 UK LP May 1996
Virgin TCV 2802 UK Cassette May 1996
Virgin CDV 2802 UK CD* May 1996
Virgin CDVX 2802 UK CD** November 1997
Jesus To A Child / Fastlove / Older / Spinning The Wheel / It Doesn’t Really Matter / The Strangest Thing / To Be Forgiven / Move On / Star People / You Have Been Loved / Free
* = Picture disc
** = With bonus disc: Fastlove (Part II) / Spinning The Wheel (Forthright Mix) / Star People ’97 (Radio Version) / The Strangest Thing ’97 (Radio Version) / You Know That I Want To / Safe
Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best Of George Michael
Epic 749 170 2 UK 2 × CD November 1998
CD1: Jesus To A Child / Father Figure / Careless Whisper / Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me / You Have Been Loved / Kissing A Fool / I Can’t Make You Love Me / Heal The Pain / Moment With You / Desafinado / Cowboys And Angels / Praying For Time / One More Try / Different Corner
CD2: Outside / As / Fastlove / Too Funky / Freedom 90 / Star People ’97 / Killer / Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone / I Want Your Sex / Strangest Thing ’97 / Fantasy / Spinning The Wheel / Waiting For The Day / I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) / Faith / Somebody To Love
Songs From The Last Century
Virgin 8 48741-2 UK CD December 1999
Brother Can You Spare A Dime? / Roxanne / You’ve Changed / My Baby Just Cares For Me / The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face / Miss Sarajevo / I Remember You / Secret Love / Wild Is The Wind / Where Or When / It’s All Right With Me
Patience
Patience / Amazing / John And Elvis Are Dead / Cars And Trains / Round Here / Shoot The Dog / My Mother Had A Brother / Flawless (Go To The City) / American Angel / Precious Box / Please Send Me Someone (Anselmo’s Song) / Freeek! ’04 / Through / Patience Pt. 2
Twenty Five
Sony 700900-2 UK 2 × CD November 2006
Sony 700901-2 UK 3 × CD* November 2006
CD1: Everything She Wants / Wake Me Up Before You Go Go / Freedom / Faith / Too Funky / Fastlove / Freedom 90 / Spinning The Wheel / Outside / As / Freeek! / Shoot The Dog / Amazing / Flawless (Radio Edit) / An Easier Affair
CD2: Careless Whisper / Last Christmas / A Different Corner / Father Figure / One More Try / Praying For Time / Heal The Pain (with Paul McCartney) / Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me (with Elton John) / Jesus To A Child / Older / Round Here / You Have Been Loved / John And Elvis Are Dead / This Is Not Real Love (with Mutya)
* = CD3: Understand / Precious Box / Roxanne / Fantasy / Cars And Trains / Patience / You Know That I Want To / My Mother Had A Brother / If You Were There / Safe / American Angel / My Baby Just Cares For Me / Brother Can You Spare A Dime? (with Pavarotti & Friends) / Please Send Me Someone (Anselmo’s Song) / Through
Wham! Singles
Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?)
w / Wham Rap! (Club Remix)
Innervision IVLA 2442 UK 7" June 1982
Wham Rap! (Social Mix) / Wham Rap! (Unsocial Mix)
Innervision IVLA 13 2442 UK 12" June 1982
Wham Rap! (Special U.S. Remix Part 1) / Wham Rap! (Special U.S. Remix Part 2)
Innervision IVL A 2442 UK 7" January 1983
Wham Rap! (Special U.S. Remix) / Wham Rap! (Special Club Remix)
Innervision IVL A 13 2442 UK 12" January 1983
Young Guns (Go For It!)
w / Going For It
Innervision IVL A 2776 UK 7" September 1982
Young Guns (Go For It) (12" Version) / Going For It
Innervision IVL A 13 2776 UK 12 September 1982
Bad Boys
w / Bad Boys (Instrumental)
Innervision A 3143 UK 7" May 1983
Innervision WA 3143 UK 7* May 1983
* = picture disc
Bad Boys (12" Mix) / Bad Boys (Instrumental)
Innervision TA 3143 UK 12 May 1983
Club Tropicana
w / Blue (Armed With Love)
Innervision A 3613 UK 7" July 1983
w / Blue (Armed With Love) / Club Tropicana (Instrumental)
Innervision TA 3613 UK 12" July 1983
Club Fantastic Megamix
w / A Ray Of Sunshine (Instrumental Mix)
Innervision A 3586 UK 7" November 1983
w / A Ray Of Sunshine (Instrumental Mix)
Innervision TA 3586 UK 12" November 1983
Wake Me Up Before You Go Go
w / Wake Me Up Before You Go Go (Instrumental)
Epic A 4440 UK 7" May 1984
w / A Ray Of Sunshine (Recorded for ‘The Tube’) / Wake Me Up Before You Go Go (Instrumental)
Epic TA 4440 UK 12" May 1984
Freedom
w / Freedom (Instrumental)
Epic A 4743 UK 7" October 1984
Freedom (Long Mix) / Freedom (Instrumental)
Epic TA 4743 UK 12" October 1984
Last Christmas
w / Everything She Wants
Epic A 4949 UK 7" December 1984
Last Christmas (Pudding Mix) w / Everything She Wants
Epic TA 4949 UK 12" December 1984
w / Blue (Armed With Love) (Live In China)
Epic WHAM 1 UK 7" December 1985
Last Christmas (Pudding Mix) w / Blue (Armed With Love) (Live In China) / Everything She Wants (Remix)
Epic WHAM T1 UK 12" December 1985
Everything She Wants
Everything She Wants (Remix) w / Last Christmas