(tape rewinding)
(funky music)
- [George Michael] I've always had
a very strange sense of my own future.
And as a child, even though I had no idea
that I could write or sing, I was convinced
that I was going to be a pop star.
I had no real inclination to shout about it,
because I just felt it was going to happen.
I don't think it was until we made the album Make It Big
that I actually accepted that I was a singer,
I was gonna be a singer
that could actually get some respect from people.
(cheering)
("Everything She Wants" by Wham)
♫ Oh
♫ Oh yeah
- [Joe Smith] When the decision was made that you wanted
to go on your own, what do want to be?
- [George] We could've just kind of kept on being Wham
and me gradually making George Michael records,
but that would've been a real sham, you know.
Everyone is right now expecting me
to move into the kind of artist
that they've been comparing me to
for the last couple years, i.e. another Elton.
But I do have the advantage of youth.
I'm gonna make two types of music.
One is the type that people are expecting me to make,
because it's really what I'm best at.
And well, I would imagine whatever happens from now on,
I'll probably be remember the most for
is my songs in terms of structured balance
and stuff like that, with strong melodies.
("Careless Whisper" by George Michael)
♫ The way I danced with you
♫ Oh
You know, I've done that.
I've done Careless Whisper.
But also, there's a kind of sexuality
that I haven't really made the most of
with the first part of my career.
I suppose, obviously, as a 22 year old, 23 year old,
obviously I'm more experienced sexually
than I was as an 18 year old, so maybe it's time
for that to start reflecting in the music.
(funky dance music)
- [Joe Smith] What was the China experience like?
- [George] It was pretty horrendous, actually.
The idea of playing to those people,
being the first people to play real Western pop music
to those people, was a great privilege.
It was just that the place is so oppressive,
you know, the actual atmosphere.
We played two concerts, that's all we did.
One in Beijing, which is in, or Peking.
And what happened, basically,
was that we opened with a black dj.
And this guy did just about everything that a dj could do.
He did break dancing, he spun the records,
and scratching, and everything.
People were jumping, and then they're out their seats.
He ran around the auditorium dancing and stuff to our music.
The people were kissing him and tryin' to dance like him.
It was absolutely brilliant.
And there was about a 15 minute break before we came on.
There was an announcement, obviously in Chinese,
so we didn't understand it at the time, made to the audience
that there was to be no dancing for the rest of the evening,
they want people to remain in their seats.
So we went out and played to nothing, you know.
We went out and played to 13,000 people sitting down.
("Everything She Wants" by Wham)
♫ Tell me why all I need is you, you, you
There was one funny thing, (cheering)
actually, is that when you actually tried
to get the audience to clap,
they have no perception of clapping in rhythm.
So you'd clap, (clapping)
and they would just applaud you.
(laughing)
Everyone was smiling, but basically we just,
first, the first feeling was of failure,
that there was no way we could communicate.
Then, there was, when we actually found out
what had gone on, I was just furious.
I mean obviously I felt responsibility at the time
to represent my generation from the West in a good light,
and pop music in a good light.
I felt that was what we were there to do.
And after that, realizing that they had no real intention
of allowing people to absorb what we were doing,
I just felt really betrayed.
(funky dance music)
I suppose what I really want is to be able
to do what I want creatively, succeed publicly, and be able
to progress without screwing the rest of my life up.
That's the way I see it, really.
In 10 years time, I think I could be
a very, very big star, as opposed to just a star.
And although there is that half of me that wants it,
there is another half of me that's very frightened
of it as well, because I don't think
it has a good effect on people's lives.
I don't want to be dragged into the kinda down sides
of this business that are so easy to fall into.
I mean, I'm very excited about the future,
but at the same time it worries me.
(fun dance music)
I've had songs swimming around
in my head for about two years.
I just keep the songs and the arrangements in my head.
And it's very, very silly in one sense, 'cause, I mean,
I might go and bang my head tomorrow or something.
And I, where's wood?
There's no wood to touch.
(murmuring)
(knocking)
Touch wood! (laughing)
I don't, but, I mean, I might go
and have a nasty fall or somethin' and lose,
you know, an album's worth of material.
But I have this thing that if it's in my head
and it's still there, it's because it's meant
to be there, you know.
I have kind, it's like a superstition.
(tape rewinding)
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