George Michael RIP (53)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Vaughan, Dec 25, 2016.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Neonbeam

    Neonbeam All Art Was Once Contemporary

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    It was entertaining but after it was over I found it spooky that there wasn't a single interview with an "ordinary" human being, no school friend or neighbour. Not even one of his sisters. All Class A and super important.

    It was predominantly about the persona, the creation. The man behind the mask?
    Amazing that this is how GM wanted to present himself. So.... what eventually would be..... late in his career.
     
  2. Psychedelic Good Trip

    Psychedelic Good Trip Beautiful Psychedelic Colors Everywhere

    Location:
    New York
    Finally ordered Listen Without Prejudice box set this morning.
     
    coffeetime likes this.
  3. bob60

    bob60 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London UK
    I think that George knew that LWP was most fans favourite album and that it would be a big seller.
    But I think he was also preparing to re launch himself with a new album and having been away for so long used the film to present himself as a still mega talent, hence the A list cast call in the film, as a build up to the eventual new album.
    I certainly didn’t believe for a minute the excuses for the delay in the documentary’s release.
    I think it was more to do with giving George more time to get himself back into shape before the film was released.

    Anyway, we have what we have. As already mentioned the first documentary was much better as an overview of George's career and him as a person.

    Let’s just hope we get a new album in 2018 :)
     
    Neonbeam and Davidmk5 like this.
  4. Davidmk5

    Davidmk5 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Marlboro , ma. usa

    Still my favorite Xmas song of the past 10 years ............just Magic :)
     
    enro99, bob60 and qJulia like this.
  5. bob60

    bob60 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London UK
    I case you are not aware, there are actually two slightly different versions of December Song. The original version was available as a free download from George’s website on Xmas day. A year later he changed it/remixed it and gave the song a proper release. The first version is the best I would say.

    This song was a real missed opportunity, its easily one of George’s very best later songs and could have been a mega Christmas single if given a proper release and promoted. Unfortunately by the time George released the song most fans already had it, and when it was released not enough copies were pressed for fans to purchase. The younger George would never have made a career slip like this.
     
    Davidmk5 and qJulia like this.
  6. Mo0g

    Mo0g Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Politics has no place in Western pop music, not even when its against obvious and easy targets (like Bush/Blair/Trump), I find it sanctimonious and hypocritical and it turns me off the music and if it persists, the artist. GM had it about right, being very altruistic without preaching or advertising.

    If I want to rail against the current government I will go on some protest and hope the intellect and insight of the likes of Charlotte Church or Lily Allen rubs off <cough>. Just imagine if we had Lembit Opik preaching and telling us what music is good and worthwhile, and what is bad.

    Oh, and nobody should be politicised by somebody, kids should find their own politics based on their own experience and intelligence, just like they should (IMO) with faith.
     
    Last edited: Dec 26, 2017
  7. qJulia

    qJulia Forum Resident

    Thanks for giving some history of the song. The version I heard is on Youtube. I assume that it is the 2nd version?

    It is interesting that you mentioned that the younger GM would not have made a career slip like this. I recently heard from one of his long-term fans who mentioned that she had to travel to a big city in the Midwest of the US in order to get a copy of Order album when it was released in 1996. Co-incidentally, in a GM unauthorized biography, it was mentioned that there weren't enough copies of Order in stock in the states probably because of issues with management in the US (the Dreamworks?). It seems that Wham! got an excellent management team, but it is not necessarily true with GM's solo team. Didn't it happen again with the release of Waltz Away Dreaming?
     
    Davidmk5 likes this.
  8. Yost

    Yost “It’s only impossible until it’s not”

    You probably are referring to the Older album? In the new documentary you can hear that his USA record company dropped all support after he said he didn’t want to promote Listen Without Prejudice (and I think it was the same with Older).
     
    Davidmk5 likes this.
  9. Davidmk5

    Davidmk5 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Marlboro , ma. usa

    That's interesting there are 2 different versions , i never knew that , My copy i bought from his merch store the year after the download (which i never knew about) so i have version II then , assuming the video is from version II ?
     
  10. bob60

    bob60 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London UK
    Yes you are correct.
    The original version is on YouTube, give it a listen and let us know what you think...
     
    Davidmk5 likes this.
  11. Davidmk5

    Davidmk5 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Marlboro , ma. usa

    wow ! it's quite a bit more "open" & you can hear the lush Effects a lot more , that's really nice ............. thanks for pointing that out , I have to agree this song should have been huge & would have been with some promotion .
    It's Amazing how many people every Xmas season i play it for that still have no idea it ever Existed & everyone loves it , George was among the greats .


    For anyone who wants to hear version 1

     
    ted209, keyXVII, enro99 and 2 others like this.
  12. bob60

    bob60 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London UK
    Glad you agree.
    For me this is George’s great ‘lost’ single, it really should have been a huge hit, but....

    The great sadness of George’s death is that despite his enourmous global success there is a feeling of potential unfulfilled.
     
    andy75, Yannick and Davidmk5 like this.
  13. JeffMo

    JeffMo Format Agnostic

    Location:
    New England
    Just watched Freedom documentary with my gf, and that is exactly how I feel about GM.
     
    bob60, Yannick and Retropsych like this.
  14. JPagan

    JPagan Generation 13

    Location:
    South Florida
    I've played the original lossy (128 kbps!) download since it came out in 2008. I'd love to have it in CD quality or better. Why won't they re-release it? Would there be issues with Sinatra's estate? Or is it George's?
     
  15. Davidmk5

    Davidmk5 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Marlboro , ma. usa

    That's a good question , the cd version was released i think 3 times ? I keep hoping they'd do some sort of Vinyl 12" as well
     
  16. Bob F

    Bob F Senior Member

    Location:
    Massachusetts USA
    As I’m not a fan, and I’d never noticed George Michael’s “December Song” before, I was confused by the Sinatra reference. Now, having listened to the above YouTube clip, I understand: The intro and outro are from Frank Sinatra’s 1957 version of “The Christmas Waltz”:



    Since only the choral part by the Ralph Brewster Singers is included (not Frank’s vocal), I can’t see this being an issue with the Sinatra estate. At least, it’s not been noticed or mentioned on the Sinatra Family Forum (as yet ;)).
     
    Davidmk5 likes this.
  17. JPagan

    JPagan Generation 13

    Location:
    South Florida
    Thanks for chiming in, Bob. I was thinking any reissue of GM's December Song would probably require the Sinatras and/or Capitol giving permission, even if Frank's voice isn't on it.
     
    Davidmk5 and Bob F like this.
  18. Bob F

    Bob F Senior Member

    Location:
    Massachusetts USA
    Today it would be Universal Music Group, and you may be right. Note that the Sinatra family (i.e., Frank Sinatra Enterprises) never owned Frank’s Capitol catalog, although UMG and FSE now have a licensing deal for distribution of same. (See: Frank Sinatra's Capitol and Reprise recordings now under one roof)

    [Edit:] Nancy Sinatra is a George Michael fan, so I don’t think the family itself would object. From an SFF thread:
     
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2017
    D.B., JeffMo, caupina and 3 others like this.
  19. JeffMo

    JeffMo Format Agnostic

    Location:
    New England
    Agreed

    Completely agree.
     
  20. GeorgeMPopMuz

    GeorgeMPopMuz New Member

    In early 2016 I was lucky enough to be purchase an interesting George piece of memorabilia. Fans of pop magazines in 80’s will remember No1. Like Smash Hits, No1 had an annual readers poll. In 1985, George answered the poll questions and it’s his handwritten responses that I’m unfortunately now auctioning this unique piece of memorabilia. It would be lovely if it went to a genuine fan. 1985 was the year of Live Aid, so it’s not surprising that George wrote that it was the event of the year. He also poked fun at his Wham band mate Andrew. If anyone wants to take a look:
     
  21. GeorgeMPopMuz

    GeorgeMPopMuz New Member

    [Mod: This belongs in the classifieds forum here. Once you have logged x number of posts (10?) you can access the classifieds. Thanks!]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 14, 2018
  22. GoodFairy

    GoodFairy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    Dear all,
    after a long wait and then search, this came up as the only active GM fan forum.
    I'm trying to find mates from the georgemichaelforums.com - are here any of you good souls I used to share 'tears' with over there, before they brutally shut it down?
    Sorry to interrupt all of you other folks here, it is the love for GM that connects us all, isn't it? He is dearly missed, very much so....
     
  23. GMfan87'

    GMfan87' Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT.
    Hello, GoodFairy ! Same GMfan87' from our old forums, think you were last person i was talking to when they took it down ! Glad to find you, you are right seems to be no currently active boards any longer. This is a good place though for talk about his music, hope to hear from you and any body else from the GMF. Yes, George continues to be dearly missed.
     
    GoodFairy likes this.
  24. GoodFairy

    GoodFairy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    OH DEAR, OH DEAR! So glad to hear from you! Yes, and you were the last person I talked to (including LadyJayne and that lovely lady from India)!! Have you heard from anybody - I mean, anybody- else from there?? I have no other contacts, as you remember it started to be quite rough and it took me completely by surprise that it was shut down so abruptly, so I have no E-mail addresses or anything else from the others there. I even tried to contact Frédérique (from the French blog) but he had no clue and promised me to let me know if anybody else contacts him, but he never wrote again. It is all so sad.
     
    GMfan87' likes this.
  25. GoodFairy

    GoodFairy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    P.S.-I don't have permission to send a post directly to your Inbox (or I just can't manage to find the way to do it) and I wanted to send you my E-mail address - any ideas how to get in direct contact...? ;)
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine