In fact, I haven’t ever thought of Wham! reforming since they split in 1986. Take That, fine, Blur, fine, Led Zeppelin, I wish. But Wham!, no, leave that in the past where it belongs.

But George Michael still felt the need to spell this out when interviewed by People. According to Digital Spy, Michael stated:

“Wham! was about being young and exuberant and you can’t recreate that feeling at a certain age. Andrew Ridgeley and I are still good friends but I’m afraid we’ll never get back together. We both agree on that.”

Good, I’m glad.

And before you start feeling sorry for Ridgeley, he’s had a pretty damn good life since Wham! ceased to be.

[Photo Source: Newscom]

Post from: Brit Music Scene

George Michael is already part of the holiday thanks to Wham’s Last Christmas. That is an 80s classic, and is one of my favorite Christmas songs of all time. So, has George Michael pulled it off (and I’m not talking about public toilets here) with December Song (I Dreamed Of Christmas)?

The short answer is yes, but it’s certainly not an instantly gratifying as Last Christmas, and I doubt it’ll have the legs to still be being played in 25 years time as that classic of the genre is.

December Song is a soft ballad which though not the best song in the world manages to conjure up images of Christmas, family, friends, and feasting. Which is really the whole point of Christmas songs.

The lyrics are heartfelt, possibly semi-autobiographical, and the whole song has a dreamlike quality which put me in the mood for just dropping off to sleep on Christmas Eve when I was a kid.

The video is beautifully done, with animation reminiscent of The Snowman and also the video for Keane’s Bedshaped. All in all, a great Christmas song for 2009, although it’s clearly no Last Christmas.

[Photo Source: Amazon.co.uk]

Post from: Brit Music Scene

George Michael is one such person, but you know what? He really doesn’t care any more.

George Michael’s private life became very public after he was arrested for engaging in a lewd act in a public toilet in California. He was then forced to admit he was gay, something which most people already knew or at least suspected anyway.

Then came three arrests over drug possession, two concerning cannabis and one concerning cocaine. He’s also made it very clear he doesn’t regret seeking out gay sex in public places.

Now comes further confirmation that Michael really doesn’t care what people think of him and his choice of lifestyle.

In an interview with The Guardian, he said:

“[I used to do around 25 spliffs a day,] I probably do about seven or eight a day now.”

“[on cruising for gay sex] The handful of times a year it’s bloody warm enough, I’ll do it. I’ll do it on a nice summer evening. Quite often there are campfires up there. It’s a much nicer place to get some quick and honest sex than standing in a bar, E’d off your tits shouting at somebody and hoping they want the same thing as you do in bed. DyaknowhatImean?”

“People want to see me as tragic with all the cottaging and drug-taking… those things are not what most people aspire to, and I think it removes people’s envy to see your weaknesses. I don’t even see them as weaknesses any more. It’s just who I am.”

It is, of course, his own life to do with what he wants. But if George Michael is going to partake in criminal activity (whatever the rights or wrongs of it being criminalized are) then he need not moan about press intrusion or people focusing on his personal rather than his professional life. Because the two clearly aren’t compatible.

[Photo Source: Newscom]

Post from: Brit Music Scene

This week it was George Michael and Wham songs being given the cover treatments. And most of the contestants did a good job of attempting to stay in the contest.

John and Edward and Olly Murs were voted into the bottom two, the former being a given, the latter a huge surprise. Simon Cowell’s face said it all really, and Lloyd Daniels somehow managed to survive another week despite clearly being out of his depth.

Jedward were finally booted off the show after all the judges apart from their mentor Louis Walsh decided their time was up. And a huge celebratory cheer exploded outwards across the country. And it was started in my living room.

Lloyd Daniels

As every week, Lloyd messed up the start of the song. And he continued to hit bum notes throughout. However, he slowly improved through the course of the song, clearly reveling in the challenge of raising himself to the others’ level. Unfortunately for him, he’s still outclassed by the rest and the weakest singer left in the contest.

Stacey Solomon

Looked great – it seems you can turn an ugly duckling into a swan with multiple stylists, designer dresses, and expensive jewelry. Not a crowd-pleasing song but managed to lift the quality of it with her voice. Messed up a few smaller notes by clearly focusing on the big ones throughout. Very by-the-numbers rather than emotion-led.

Jedward

The novelty continued but had clearly run its course, with boos from the crowd proving people had had enough. They just can’t sing. Full stop. A big portion of the song was left to the backing singers and their over-reliance on them was proved in the final sing-off for survival. Rubbish is too nice a word for this pair of bumbling idiots and I’m glad to see the back of them.

Danyl Johnson

Good song choice and sang it well. A very stripped back performance that was as anti-Jedward as you’d like. Brilliant vocals, very emotionally sung. Put his heart and soul into the number and truly made the song his own. Was taking the ear piece out at the beginning a planned move to show he doesn’t need any help? Surely a Simon Cowell idea.

Olly Murs

Bad song choice that saw him stuck in the bottom two for the first time. He was basically found out singing something modern rather than the retro swing classics Simon would have him do week after week. Unimpressive vocals and novelty dance moves that made him look like he was having a fit. He has no range to his voice and the judges comments were far too overstated and kind.

Joe McElderry

Great song choice and closed the show in spectacular fashion. A flawless vocal performance right up there with Danyl’s. Has a strong voice but doesn’t seem to be able to move at all, which may harm his chances of being a modern pop star in the mold of Robbie Williams and Justin Timberlake.

[Photo Source: Newscom]

Post from: Brit Music Scene

George Michael was driving his land rover when it collided with an articulated lorry on the A34 in Berkshire on Friday (August 14) morning. BBC News reports how Michael was arrested at the scene on suspicion of driving under the influence of drink or drugs. And with the sort of record Michael now has that isn’t really surprising.

He was taken to Loddon Valley police station near Reading and questioned about the incident. In the end, he was released without charge after five hours in the clink. Michael had only just been handed his driving license back after being banned for two years in June 2007.

That followed an incident in which Michael was accused of crashing into three parked cars before driving off without notifying the owners of the vehicles or leaving contact details. Michael pleaded guilty and was given the two-year ban. The year before that, Michael was cautioned for possessing cannabis on two different occasions after being found asleep in his car.

Despite his obvious bad record, Michael has insisted that on this occasion he was stone cold sober and not under the influence of any substances. He issued a statement saying:

“Neither of us was charged because we were both stone cold sober. We both think the other is to blame so this is just an insurance fight. I don’t want my fans or my family worried by what they are reading all over again.”

I have no reason to doubt George Michael’s insistence that this was merely an accident with no extenuating circumstances. However, it’s bound to be a worry for his family, friends, and fans to see him constantly being arrested on suspicion of breaking the law, even if it turns out he hasn’t actually committed a crime.

[Photo Source: Newscom]

Post from: Brit Music Scene

The UK has produced an inordinate number of talented songwriters over the past 50 years, especially when you consider the small size of the population. But who are the best of the best? Who are the people whose songs have shaped and defined Britain through music?

Artists come and go all the time, one bad album and that can be it. But the ones that endure, either staying together for years (Oasis, Rolling Stones) or whose music lives on for generations (The Beatles) are the ones who are capable of pumping out magical song after magical song.

Songwriting is a special talent that generally cannot be taught. Which is why those manufactured stars from reality shows such as The X Factor have to rely on dedicated word smiths and musicians to write their songs for them.

According to Digital Spy, OnePoll recently carried out a survey to find people’s opinion as to Britain’s greatest songwriter. The results stand up as a testament to the incredible range of talented songwriters the UK possesses, but the winner may be a surprise to some.

1. Gary Barlow
2. John Lennon
3. Paul McCartney
4. Chris Martin
5. George Michael
6. Bee Gees
7. Noel Gallagher
8. Robbie Williams
9. Sting
10. Kate Bush

I’d agree that all ten deserve their place in the line-up but I have to wonder whether Gary Barlow really is a better songwriter than John Lennon. And certainly in terms of worldwide success, Lennon can not be beaten.

Seemingly realizing the reaction from some as to the result, a OnePoll spokesperson said:

“Gary Barlow has been responsible for some of the biggest hits of the past decade, and now this poll proves that,”

“A lot of people aren’t aware that he has also written songs that have done well in the charts for other artists.”

Barlow has done better than maybe he should have in the poll because Take That are current and in the ascendancy. If this poll had been held five years ago then I suspect Barlow would have been much lower down the list.

Interestingly, I think Paul McCartney and John Lennon needed each other to bring out their best. As a songwriting duo for The Beatles, they produced a much greater wealth of material than either could manage as a solo artist.

As for the rest, I’d say only Robbie Williams at eight is a dubious addition. Although obviously capable of writing good songs, he needed Guy Chambers by his side to really achieve huge success. When he writes on his own, the result is Rudebox. I think that says it all.

[Photo Source: From Newscom with permission]

Post from: Brit Music Scene

July

Most bands now love having their songs featured in video games such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero, but Led Zeppelin made a stand against the grain by refusing permission for their songs to be used. Meanwhile, Mani claimed that Ian Brown was the main thing stopping a Stone Roses reunion from happening.

There were claims that John Lydon AKA Johnny Rotten from the Sex Pistols had racially attacked Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke at the Summercase festival in Spain. While the moment that the Sex Pistols swore on live TV was voted as the most requested clip ever.

August

Ian Brown seemed to confirm Mani’s fears by stating that there’ll be no Stone Roses reunion for at least three lifetimes. Amy Winehouse appeared at The V Festival and gave one of the worst performances I’ve ever seen.

Leona Lewis and Jimmy Page helped close the Beijing Olympics by performing Whole Lotta Love together. While it emerged that Led Zeppelin, including Jimmy Page but excluding Robert Plant, were working on new material. I honestly can’t wait to hear their new stuff, whoever the lead singer ends up being.

September

Elbow won the 2008 Mercury Music Prize, despite having been around for ages. While Adele’s Chasing Pavements was banned in the U.S. for allegedly being a gay anthem. There were also rumors that Noel Gallagher was going solo after the release of Dig Out Your Soul.

I asked whether George Michael’s penchant for drugs and shenanigans in toilets was going to prematurely end his career. And Paul McCartney traveled to Israel to promote peace/himself. Judging by what’s happening over there at the moment, he obviously did a brilliant job.

Post from: Brit Music Scene

I’ve never really been a fan of George Michael. I can see the appeal, and some of his big hits are definitely up there with the best of British. But from his days in Wham through to his burgeoning solo career, he’s never really been my favourite artist in the world, or even come close to the top 50.

While his private life should really remain separate from his public life, the two have become inextricably intertwined over the past few years as Michael has found that he does in his spare time can sometimes become important to his career.

George Michael came out as gay in 1998, even though the world and his dog knew he was gay well before any kind of official announcement was made. This public pronouncement of his sexuality came about after he was arrested for engaging in a lewd act in a public toilet in Beverly Hills, California.

Then in 2006, George Michael was arrested twice on separate occasions over alleged drugs offences. One saw him cautioned over possession of cannabis, while the other saw him fall asleep at the wheel of his car after allegedly smoking cannabis.

On September 19th, 2008, Michael was arrested again, this time in a public toilet in the Hampstead Heath area of London over possession of Class C (cannabis) and Class A (crack cocaine) drugs. He received yet another police caution for the offence and has since apologised to his fans.

Now, he’s reportedly fled to his home in the south of France to get away from the press attention and possibly to also try and kick his habit. The thing is, with Michael’s career clearly in free-fall, could this latest incident tarnish his image so much that signals the end of his career?

Even if it doesn’t, could the public attention on his private life make him want to take an extended time out of the public eye? Michael has already stated that his current 25 Live tour is to be his last, and with a no-holds-barred autobiography also on the way, he already seems to be winding his singing career down.

As I said before, George Michael is not a favourite of mine, but if he retires in light of this latest scandal, it would be a loss to British music.

[Photo Source: From Newscom with permission]

Post from: Brit Music Scene

The name The Final Two is a nod to the last Wham show before they parted company in 1986, which saw him and Andrew Ridgeley play The Final at Wembley Stadium. These two shows will not only bring his 25 Live tour to a close, but also his live career.

The tour, which began in Europe in 2006, still has some dates left in North America through the summer before ending in London on August 24th and 25th.

A statement on his website yesterday read:

“These very special shows will naturally feature Michael’s hits, some tracks not previously performed in Britain,”

“These shows are truly not to be missed by any George Michael fan.”

Michael has since spoken to the BBC about his decision to quit touring, saying his main motivation is for “a quieter life” outside of the public eye, a public eye which has kept very close tabs on him over the years.

This really isn’t that much of a surprise, as not only has George been living off past glories to a certain degree, the personal problems he has had in recent years, have become very public knowledge. These problems include the whole public toilet incident in the States, and a recent police caution over cannabis.

I’ve never been a massive fan of George Michael, but you only have to listen to a selection of his greatest hits to realise he has had a phenomenal career. Hopefully, even though the live touring part may be coming to an end, he won’t be leaving the world of music for good.

[Photo Source: From Newscom with permission]

Post from: Brit Music Scene