George Michael speaks exclusively to QX.
By Alex Canfor-Dumas, with Cliff Joannou
If there’s one sentence you could use to sum up George Michael at this stage in his career, it might be ‘30 and not out’ – to borrow from and paraphrase a rather familiar term in cricket scoring. Because this world-famous singer/songwriter, acclaimed international artist and celebrated global icon is still, after 30 years, as popular as he was when he first burst onto the music scene in the early 80s as one half of super duo Wham! Probably more so, in fact.
After embarking on a remarkably successful solo career in 1987, George Michael has become one of the most popular and widely acclaimed talents in music, as well as a celebrated artistic icon and a much-loved performer on the world stage. He has sold over 100 million albums, topped the international charts and sold out arenas and stadiums in all the major cities around the globe. Along the way, Michael has notched up seven US number one singles, 11 UK number one singles, six number one albums worldwide and has been the recipient of three prestigious Ivor Novello Songwriter Of The Year Awards.
His artistry has continuously raised the bar and set a new standard of excellence in the industry. His debut solo album, 1987’s ‘Faith’, almost single-handedly re-defined popular music for a generation. Now a towering figure in the music industry, George Michael is also rightly regarded as one of the most gifted singer/songwriters of his generation, and is well-known for crafting songs of extraordinary lyrical beauty and great emotional depth. Today, Michael is as current and as popular as ever, not least with his peers in the industry, who continue to revisit his body of work for inspiration. These include Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z. And very recently, Michael teamed-up to duet with Beyonce and then Alicia Keys in New York’s Black Tie Ball.
“Gay men’s relationship with dance music probably doesn’t end at the same time as straight people’s does!”
What is testament to his talent is that despite the negative tabloid attention (from being ‘outed’ in a public toilet in LA, to his more recent arrest for driving under the influence and smashing his car into a photo store) the consistent quality of Michael’s music has always eclipsed the headlines, and seemingly never fazed his varied and loyal fanbase.
He received a subsequent jail term for his driving conviction and, in typical George Michael style, tackled the gossip rags with deft honesty during the first shows of his European Orchestral Tour – Symphonica – last week: “I felt I had a bill to pay and I thought that prison was a logical conclusion to a very dark chapter. I wouldn’t say it was a good experience, but it was a logical experience.”
He added, “I’ve been in counselling for substance abuse for nearly ten months… Part of the advantage of that is I’ve dropped about 14 or 15lbs. All my old clothes fit me. I wouldn’t say I’m looking in the mirror but it’s definitely one of the advantages of being cleaner.”
Entering new musical territory with Symphonica, which kicked-off in Prague last week to rave reviews from the likes of the Evening Standard and The Guardian, and with a bold new album on the horizon, the future looks set to deliver more success for one of the UK’s most prolific musical talents.
I was actually inspired when I heard that Tony Bennett had done a tour like that. I’ve always wanted to sing with this sort of backing so that I can really, really use my voice. There are two elements in my music that I want to explore further. One being the use of my voice and the other is dance music. I think my fans would like both these things, too.
What sort of covers can we expect on this tour?
I think people will be quite surprised because I’ll be doing a lot of songs that I haven’t sung live before. Some will be the sort of compositions that only really lend themselves to the sort of intimate venues that I’ll be playing in, and some will be from artists who have influenced me over the years. And, of course, I’ll be doing a few numbers from my Songs of The Last Century album. I’ve found some really nice ways to cover these beautiful songs, so I don’t think my fans will be disappointed at all. Far from it, I hope.
As you’ll be touring when the Olympic Games opens in London next year, is there any chance of you performing at the opening ceremony?
Yeah, I’d love to, but unfortunately no one’s asked me. [Laughs] I’d imagine they’d ask Take That, wouldn’t they? It seems to be Take That for everything these days!
Of all the people you’ve sung duets with, who are your favourite?
It would be hard to single anyone out, because so many were really amazing. But I’d have to admit that my duet with Aretha Franklin was a dream come true. I was only 24, and she’d actually asked me to write and produce for her a few years before that. I bottled out though, it just seemed too scary at 21!
Could you tell us some more about the dance album that you’re working on at the moment? [The first track of which, ‘Every Other Lover’, was made with gay producers Stereogamous and is available exclusively to stream in podcasts by Phil Romano and Salva Di Nobles. Search iTunes: Logan Presents]
I love the fact that house and dance music – which have basically been the staple of the gay community since they emerged – has now been brought into the mainstream by people like Lady Gaga and Rihanna. It makes for some really exciting pop music. For this album I’m going to be working with either gay or gay friendly artists, and it’ll be a mixture of tracks sung by me and others by young gay artists – possibly unknown ones. And I’ve lined-up some really great dance producers to work on it too, so it’ll be a pretty stunning record, I hope. I know I’ll be 48 when the album comes out, but I have to say that gay men’s relationship with dance music probably doesn’t end at the same time as straight people’s does!
Can you tell us what sort of backstage/dressing room riders you’ll be stipulating for the Symphonica tour?
It looks likeit’s going to be quite an illustrious event.
Oh my God, if it was boring before… Actually all I tend to have is stuff that my friends and family can wonder in and eat backstage if they’re bored. That’s it really. Oh, and I quite like flowers in my dressing room, but I don’t stipulate any particular kind. So I have quite a cheap rider, really.
Have you been surprised at the way your fans have stuck by you over the last 12 months?
No, not really. I’ve always known that I have incredibly loyal and amazing fans, and they’ve never let me down. But I was pretty overwhelmed by the love and support they’ve shown me in the last 12 months. I’ve always felt that there’s something very special about my audience. When I perform, I can sort of feel from their energy that they’re very kind people.
Did you ever imagine that the boy from Radlett would one day be appearing at The Royal Opera House?
Funnily enough, the very first show that I ever played as a teenager with Wham! was in a small cub-scout hut, just up the road from my school. The audience was mostly made up of my family and friends, but it went incredibly well. And that’s one thing that’s always stayed with me throughout my career: I’ve never the left the stage feeling disappointed with either my performance or the audience’s reaction. But coming back to your question – no, I really never imagined I’d be here today in a place like this. I mean, if anyone does dream of a thirty year career that takes them to the Royal Opera House and the likes, well, they’d most likely be disappointed, wouldn’t they? When I was young and just starting out, my idea of success was appearing on Top of the Pops. As far as I was concerned, that was the be all and end all. Of course, I made it onto Top of the Pops with Wham!… and I just couldn’t believe how small the studio was!
