News I’m Your Man - a live update

[George Michael]

Apologies in advance for short sentences, part quotes etc. It’s not easy to type, pay attention, watch the TV screen and the computer screen, trying to get some stuff down - so bear with me. lol.

Starting off with an announcement by George Michael saying that he wishes to tell the viewer that he never tested positive for drink or drugs in his system whilst driving.

Then comes the infamous drug quote and “FastLove” live.
Then the suggestion that he has less gay fans.

“They’re only interested when they think you’re in the closet. Once you’re out, they don’t give a toss.”

He’s coping with the liars cause he’s able to go to work every day and make his music.

Big hug with Melvyn, adding,

“I’ve got hairgel on my hands in case you were wondering what the sticky stuff was.”

lol.
Rehearsal of “John and Elvis” in Air Studios in August.
(Does this means we’ll be hearing this on the road at some point?)

“I’m not saying anything other than thank you”

(about the tour).
The “you’d wish you did this while you could still stand without help” quote.

“The only way to cut through all the bullshit is to go out on tour and give my fans what they want.”

More “John and Elvis” rehearsal footage.

Iraq war talk.

“Shoot the dog has never been more word perfect. As the years go by, Mr Blair is making it more and more of a perfect protest song.”

Video of “Shoot The Dog”.

“People laughed and said it was naive at the time. I’m nothing but naive, but that song is not naive.”

Then saying “Murdoch is the devil walking the planet,” adding he’s not had one convincing hit song in Europe since “STD”.

Madrid dressingroom:

“They suggested I had featured cartoon bestiality and the audience were uncomfortable! They weren’t, they were cheering their heads off! Uncomfortable,” he sniggered.

Car talk. Blah blah.

Rehearsing song called “Idol” - an Elton John song. (After this I lost track of whateverthefuck else he said, cause fuck-me, that’s what I call a nice vocal on a nice song!)

He was a light star
Tripping on a high wire
Bulldog stubborn, born uneven
A classless creature, a man for all seasons
But don’t bet them
They can’t take him
To the very bottom
Because they made him and they’ll waste him
And I don’t believe that I want to watch them

‘Cause the fifties shifted out of gear
He was an idol then, now he’s an idol here
But his face has changed, he’s not the same no more
And I have to say that I like the way his music sounded before

He was tight-assed
Walking on broken glass
Highly prized in the wallet size
The number one crush in a schoolgirl’s eyes
But don’t pretend that it won’t end
In the depth of your despair
You went from lame suits right down to tennis shoes
To peanuts from the lion’s share

PART 2:

Rehearsing “Flawless” in Air Studios.

“I can’t be an out gay sexually active man and be a part of the media.”

About leaving the media-career:

“I’m not only - pardon the pun - taking it on the chin.”

A lot about staying in the mainstream is bad.
More “Flawless” rehearsal - vocals without backing track - explaining the backingsingers how to do it (Cor!)
He wants to enjoy the tour and therefore relate to the public in a way that’s pure.
Then interrupting himself mid-sentence saying, “Can we stop, please? I’m feeling a bit sweaty.”
“Flawless” on the stage.

Madrid:

“My voice isn’t as pure as it was. The more you go through, the more you express it in a way you sing. So actually, I find my early vocal performances a bit boring, cause I didn’t know enough about life.”

“My Mother Had A Brother” live rehearsal in Air Studios.
He got to “…she said…” and starts talking “Tell ya what, a bit more top end. Just at the very top.” lol.
“Tell me again why he di…” then goes off it again, talking, “OK, stop, lower mid, that’s what I’ve been dealing with, that’s what’s been frightening me.” (OK?)

Madrid:

“Strangely enough it’s being completely humiliated kinda leaves you in a fearless position. That’s in there as well. There’s less insecurity.”

More “My Mother…” rehearsal.
He looks somewhat tortured when performing.

“I’m 43 yrs old, spent many yrs of my life living with the principles I grew up with.”

Mother was very principled - which he’s grateful for.
Father making him apologise for something he wasn’t apologetic about, which “is extremely hard to do”.
“My Mother…” live.

He can’t bear to be a negative in the world. 25 years of taking people through emotional levels. The only time he didn’t do it - with Freeek! - to express anger… (then he didn’t finish his train of thought)
Clip of “Freeek!”

“Because I was trying to say something aggressive, it really freaked my female audience. I love it as a record, but stands out so much from what I normally try to do, and it dawned on me how much time people invest in who they think you are.”

(half hour break - Jesus Christ, they’re running 10 minutes late cause of the fucking loser assholes ran overtime with the football, and instead of cutting down the goddamn commercials to get back on time, they just keep going and going and going. For this I wanna extend a special thanks to ITV for being clueless, annoying, stupid fuckers.)

PART 3:
“I feel so spoilt in a strange way cause I spent most of the early part of my career…” then laughs and goes, “Sorry, I just saw Kenny going…” then does a series of hand/arm/facial movements.
About nicking stuff from the Beatles and Beach Boys in the 80s, but him not doing it.
Doesn’t get anything out of the early Beatles stuff - needs the Motown r’n'b beat.
Another unheard song rehearsed: “Knocks Me Off My Feet” by Stevie Wonder.

I see us in the park
Strolling the summer days of imaginings in my head
And words from our hearts
Told only to the wind felt even without being said
I don’t want to bore you with my trouble
But there’s sumptin’ bout your love
That makes me weak and
Knocks me off my feet

There’s supmtin’ bout your love
That makes me weak and
Knocks me off my feet
Knocks me off my feet

I don’t want to bore you with it
Oh but I love you, I love you, I love you
I don’t want to bore you with it
Oh but I love you, I love you, I love you
More and more

We lay beneath the stars
Under a lovers tree that’s seen through the eyes of my mind
I reach out for the part
Of me that lives in you that only our two hearts can find
But I don’t want to bore you with my trouble
But there’s sumptin’ bout your love
That makes me weak and
Knocks me off my feet

There’s sumptin’ bout your love
That makes me weak and
Knocks me off my feet
Knocks me off my feet

3*(I don’t want to bore you with it
Oh but I love you, I love you, I love you)
Darling I don’t…

Loves the later Beatles stuff.
Led Zeppelin quote about “knowing how to have sex”.
R’n'B music = the music is sexual expression‎.
Bad rock music = the music of sexually frustrated.

“Strange that I didn’t go down the rock path given that I was sexually frustrated for ages. I just didn’t look it or sound it!”

“I’m Your Man” video.

Madrid: Talking about Wham!, their mentality and image.

Always unhappy about not being born ten years before.
But would have been even worse to be born ten years later.
Walked into a recordcompanies without an appointments, and they liked that kinda cheek - “cause they thought we may tell’em something they didn’t already know.”
“Careless Whisper” video clip.

Madrid: Talking about writing Careless Whisper in a basement flat in Peckham. He said he was sure it was going to be a number one song for *someone* but not necessarily them.

“It took me 3 or 4 albums to realise I was a good a singer as I was a writer.”

“Careless Whisper” live.

Talking of how young artists showing any kind of determination or own ideas are shown the door.
Independent radio stations playing only stuff that sounds like something that’s on there already.
“The First Time Ever…” rehearsal footage from Air Studios.

“One of the greatest successes of my career is that the intent of my music hasn’t changed much. Leaning your craft, life and changing as a person and yet holding onto the basic elements of what gave you your appeal in the first place.”

More “The First Time…” ending it with “cool.”

PART 4:

“I’ve been an incredibly lucky man. Combination of musical ability and sexuality is afforded to very few people. Always believed I could have my ego’s desires and control over my life, cause I was so insecure, without compromising my music. The music I happened to love making happened to be the kinda music that a lot of people loved to buy.”

“Faith” live.
The house of his dreams, man of his dreams, making the music he wants - still loaded. “I’d be much more unhappy about it if it was true.”
More “Faith”.

“Those people I’m going to play to know why it’s been 25 years career, and a good time to centre on music again. Instead of the other crap.”
“Good for my memoirs.”

Lights up the spliff. “This stuff keeps me sane and happy” blah blah.

“I only started smoking this at 22-23, where I’d achieved a lot of what I wanted - though obviously not enough. You just can’t smoke this stuff if you’ve got anything to do!”

“Outside” rehearsal at Air Studios.

“I hope my future is very different and that it’s purely constructive thing. As an individual I stop being a ping-pong ball for various political ideas and learn to shut my mouth as well, that would be good. If I learn to shut my mouth I could probably have all the sex I like wherever I like. Which I do anyway, to be honest with you, but people won’t write about it. You know. Yeah, I should learn to shut my mouth and sing - that would be really clever.”

A-M-E-N!!!
More “Outside” - slightly out of tune.

Madrid:

“The grass makes me love my life even more. I tell myself regularly I’m the luckiest man alive - though it’s usually after a bit of this” (holds up spliff)

“Outside” live.

View from Kenny’s balcony. Someone re-doing the pond.

“They’ll be very upset if they realise that’s the state of their garden for the South Bank show” - adding grin.

“Freedom 90″ live clip with some very strange lyrics - literally mixing two sentences, making it sound something like “wat da dib da dibbi di”. lol.
More views, three gardens.

“You don’t need anything else. I didn’t go anywhere this year - sad old life.”
“When we’ll leave this house is when we can’t cope with the stairs. And Kenny will get there before me, cause he’s 48 this year. So I don’t know how long it’ll last, but I absolutely love it here.”