Saturday Deluxe / 22 December 2018
“We love and remember him”. George’s family leave Xmas message…
On the eve of the second anniversary of his death, George Michael‘s family and friends have left a touching message to his fans on his website.
Addressing fans as ‘Lovelies’ (George’s favourite term for those devoted to him and his music) the message is a warm and positive one although Melanie, Yioda (George’s sisters) Jack (his Dad, Kyriacos) & David (Austin, presumably) acknowledge that “life continues to have almost daily reminders of him, in one form or another….”
Referencing George’s nickname of ‘Yog’ they also say that “In the face of disappointments, feeling that good people are doing only their best out in the world, in Yog’s name is really heartening….”
After thanking fans for their “continued support” the message ends with a simple “We love and remember him”.
There is a curious postscript though, which reads as follows:
“We are very excited about a couple of the first ever official projects to come in the following years, don’t worry, we’ll let you know what they are and when they’ll arrive….
Thank you for your Patience.”
Those words are interesting. “First ever official project” could mean anything but one assumes it is either a reissue (note the capital ‘P’ on Patience) or it could be the release of some unheard music. It also suggests, rather erroneously, that previous projects weren’t ‘official’ when of course the recent reissue of Listen Without Prejudice was very much controlled by George and his team in conjunction with Sony Music.
On a related note, 14 months on from its TV debut, it’s surprising that the Freedom documentary film wasn’t scheduled for DVD/Blu-ray release in the latter part of this year. Things have never moved quickly in the world of George Michael and now that the singer and songwriter is sadly no longer with us, that doesn’t appear to have changed.
You can read the full family statement on George’s website. If you could choose the ‘next’ George Michael-related project, what would it be? Leave a comment on SDE.
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Hard to believe how Wham has been ignored in this era of massive individual album boxsets – so those definitely need to be remastered/expanded. Obviously, I’m also hoping Older and Patience receive the full remastered and expanded treatment. I’d also like to see a vinyl/CD release of the entire Symphonica setlist, as I recall they cut several tunes from the previous CD release. I’m not sure what else is in the vaults, though if high quality Cover to Cover recordings exist, I’d be happy to buy them.
After giving it some thought, as a lifelong fan, I honestly think that “Older” – the song – is the best musically / most mature / accomplished solo work he has ever produced….and although we already have the regular / instrumental version, like Freddie Mercury on his excellent Solo box set collection, I would very much like to hear a whole disc dedicated to this masterpiece of a song – from conception / rehearsals / demos / different studio takes / mixes etc……wishful thinking, I know…..
Complete live CD & Blu-ray from the Cover to Cover tour would be great. A Blu-ray of the Symphonica show and MTV Unplugged would be nice too. All albums mixed into 5.1 surround (calling Steven Wilson!)
I would love to hear Trojan Souls as well. If the songs aren’t complete, perhaps assemble a superstar cast of people he loved (Elton, Kate Bush, Stevie Wonder, etc…) to finish the tunes.
For me it has to be a reissue/remaster of the Older album. It’s my favourite album from George. It deserves 3 discs covering all the b sides and remixes plus a DVD. Any unreleased tracks/mixes would be a bonus.
I’m sure there’s a lot to come anyway in time.
There is a film called Last Christmas due out next year with unreleased music, thats one of them I am sure. I’m sure Emma Thompson is writing it.
I miss you George: great voice, great man, great soul.
I wish MTV Unplugged (full length!) will be released soon on DVD/Blu-Ray.
Also, I’d like that the Palais Garnier concert would see the light of day in DVD/Blu-Ray, coupled with the BBC One programme.
Wham in China – Blu-Ray & DVD
Wham – The Final – DVD, CD & Vinyl
Faith Tour – DVD, CD & Vinyl
Cover To Cover – DVD, CD & Vinyl
25LIVE – CD & Vinyl
Symphonica in Paris – Blu-Ray & DVD
Wham 7″ Box Set
George 7″ Box Set
Ladies & Gentlemen – Vinyl
Songs From The Last Century – Vinyl
Patience – Vinyl
Duets Album – CD & Vinyl
Older Box Set
Patience – Box Set
All 12″ + Albums on Picture Disc & Coloured Vinyl
Unreleased Tracks & Mixes
George Michael Forever
Trojan Souls was abandoned and never finished. Not sure why people keep asking for it’s official release. The demo’s were leaked.
I was very disappointed the LWP deluxe set – disc 2 was like a data dump of material and could have been put together by anyone. So much potential on this release not realised. Unplugged obviously had no place here as well.
Love the sonics on both “Older” and “Symphonica” vinyl and would really appreciate expanded LP versions…one can at least hope….Cheers!
I want shuttlecocks…
Official blu-ray release of Symphonica at Palais Garnier Paris and of Freedom documentary please. Also deluxe boxsets like Listen Without Prejudice of all George’s solo albums. That would be great.
A complete Wham! singles box set in the same vein as the Bananarama one would be AWESOME. It’s do-able as the Wham! single output was not that extensive!
Make It Big Deluxe would be great.
Well Make it Bigger was cancelled owing to it being an April Fool… ;)
Hopefully these projects will include “Cover To Cover” CD/DVD, “Trojan Souls” and we need a “1” album similar to Beatles version of UK/US number 1s.
His real fans dont need a ‘1s’ album. Thats only for the casual fan. I hope they go back to the Wham stuff first. Like mentioned above, wham in china and the final 86 concert on dvd… and deluxe editions of the 2 studio albums please.
A deluxe edition of “Older” would be the next logical release. Including all the different versions, b-sides, outtakes, videos and – if possible – some live material.
“George Michael: Freedom” should be released – including bonus material.
Then there is the Wham!-catalogue. Deluxe editions of “Fantastic!” and “Make It Big” – again including all 7″, 12″ and instrumental versions, outtakes and live material would be logical future releases.
I would like expanded remastered versions of the Wham! albums
Fantastic
Make It Big
The Final
Including the best of the 7” mixes, b sides & 12”.i hope this would include the 12” of Club Tropicana which was on a promo 12” in Spain I believe.
Would also like on blu Ray or DVD of Foriegn Skies.
Would also like a company like Taschen to release a photography or memorabilia book on George Michael & Wham!.
blue studio version was released on the b side of club tropicana. there’s a jap cd single from 97 that has it, but that’s the only officially released cd version i know off. the russel harty performance is a lip sync to a different studio version
there’s loads of unreleased george michael tracks. not necesarily loads of unheard songs, but there’s a load of unreleased alternate versions and mixes. there’s early versions of older tracks that are pretty interesting. there’s LWP vol 2. most tracks released officially in one way or another, but disco is a great track that wasn’t released and there’s a bunch of different mixes of it. it’s a shame it wasn’t released in the day. ain’t no stopping us now also has a bunch of different mixes. it’s a shame LWP vol 2 wasn’t part of the reissue instead of unplugged, as unplugged deserved it’s own set with with the full show, plus the rehearsals videos, plus the bbc unplugged performance
trojan souls was never completed, so most tracks are just instrumentals as the point of the project was for it to be duets with other artists. this kind of love was a duet with elton john and there’s multiple versions of that. there’s also the trojan souls documentary film which would make a great bonus disc on a set of unreleased tracks. as most of trojan souls is instrumental it’s unlikely to be first in line for an official release
reissues of the early albums with unreleased tracks like soul boy and golden soul and whamshake, and the multiple versions of wham rap and other extended versions would be good. an official release of live in china on dvd and the wham final show on dvd would be also good. there’s also george’s version of santana’s jingo, plus the “dance” album he was working on the last few years
there’s piles of great unreleased stuff, and much of it hasn’t been heard by many. there’s lot of great stuff that isn’t on bootleg or youtube or whatever, just in the hands of a few
there’s also the side project stuff and stuff released under psydenoums, like infany’s cover of dead or alive’s you spin me round which has multiple versions, plus multiple versions of jive talking
then there’s symphonica, loads of tracks he didn’t release on the live album, plus there’s the paris show/documentary that was on tv in HD but never released. i bet there’s a longer unseen edit ;)
both nights of the final 2 were completely filmed, so potentially more stuff could be released from that. both nights had quite different setlists
there’s the rock in rio pro shot show, net aid performance, plus loads of early live tv performances such as TOTP that would make a nice compilation
id settle for a decent wham box set which includes all 12″ mixes im sure there were 4 0r 5 mixes of wham rap and the American 12″ mix of young guns is far superior to the uk release
We also miss him
What a Great Voice.
I Think he was working on new music, now We dont get to heat this AS it should be with george behind the mixing.
Of cource i buy the reissues.
Merry christmas Paul. Great job again in 2018, We look forward to new super deluxe Music in 2019.
Do you do the top 10 for 2018 and the news for 2019 article
SDE is the best…….
Similarly to what Todd says, boxsets of Fantastic and Make It Big containing LP + reproductions of ALL 12″ singles (i. e. also the cases of US remixes) + poster + a bonus 12″ of demos or rough versions, if existing.
For the latter I have low hopes, since I have always accused Wham! (i. e. George) of being stingy: for instance, they never had real 12″ mixes, and almost always had instrumentals on the flip sides never bonus tracks (Freedom, ESW and LC are quite feebly “extended” having just long introductions, things got serious only with IYM…). Even so, I still prefer his output with the duo to his solo stuff.
Make It Big box set to contain the IYM 12″ as well.
I hope for a reissue of Older. If they release new material than I have very low expectations. Never did material originally rejected by the artist turn out to be any good.
They should release his music on BluRay in 5.1 surround. The DVD in LWP Vol 1 was not in surround which was very disappointing.
I’m sure there are plenty of unreleased gems. His quality control was very strong on what was released. There have to be a number of others that we would love.
It’s got to be the Trojan Souls project (although his estate maintain this was never completed), or the Cover To Cover tour (DVD/Blu-Ray + CD), and an Older SDE in the style of the Listen Without Prejudice box (but without the mixed chronology).
There is so much that could be released…with Queen and Bowie, we tend to get too much (though we can always learn to say no), but with George Michael it’s the opposite.
EG.
Older vinyl edition, as well as Songs from the Last Century would be a great addition to all of us his fans.
The “Trojan Souls” album in would be great !
Any truth to the rumour about a film next year called Last Christmas with new songs and the tribute concert in the summer?
I don’t know about a tribute concert but the film is currently being shot and due for release in November 2019 according to imdb.com.
It’s directed by Paul Feig (The Office, Bridesmaids, Heat, Spy and A Simple Favor a.o.) and stars Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Emma Thompson and Michelle Yeoh a.o.
I’d expect something like “Love Actually” with music by George Michael.
My wish is for all remastered albums (both Wham! and solo material) including all bonus material to be released and also a blu-ray release of the Symphonica concert since he never toured here in the U.S. for it. From what I’ve seen on You Tube it looks like it was an amazing show/tour. Hard to believe it’s been two years.
I couldn’t agree with you more. There are so many projects that you think would’ve been started when we lose artists like this, like prince, and we still haven’t seen them! I hope it is much, much different in this case.
George Michael was an incredible talent. Gone way too soon. Nice to know more releases are on the way to remember his music and his life.
My wish release would include an expanded release of “Older”. (much like Faith and LWP Vol. 1) a dvd release of all of his music videos and any other unreleased recordings.
He was good but was he all that good towards the end? His lifestyle had taken a toll on him in all manners and his career in the U.S. was shot to hell. It was sad.
A very tragic loss after a very bad period of losing such well loved massive talents. I would like to see a full boxset of the caliber of the “Listen…” boxset for “Older” including a surround sound mix of the album and the Unplugged concert on DVD. This is the next logical step for his reissues. What a loss of such an immense talent! There are’nt many left who could write it, sing it, perform it & produce anything so well! RIP George.
Just during the last couple of years, after repeated listens, I have come to realize that “Like A Baby” is probably my favorite album track and honestly, maybe even the most accomplished musically George has come to during the Wham! years.
So while on the subject of wishful thinking, I would really love to hear this song in an alternate take / demo form or even an instrumental version (although its really almost an instrumental in itself).
Still sad to think he isn’t here. He’s gone far too soon.
I look forward to any official, family-approved projects they release, whatever they may be.
My personal choice for release would be the covers tour from 1991/92 I think it was, I forget the name of that tour.
He covered Elton’s Tonight which was later released on the Two Rooms tribute album.
I think it was called the Cover to Cover tour, wasn’t it?
Tonight by George Michael is outstanding, and probably my favourite of all the songs I’ve heard him sing.
I’d be happy simply with vinyl re-issues of Older and Patience.
Just imagine –
FANTASTIC with all the versions of “Wham! Rap”, the UK Mega Mix, the instrumental mixes, “Blue” on cd…
MAKE IT BIG with all the versions of “Freedom”, “Careless Whisper” and “Everything She Wants”…..
THE FINAL (opps they just did that) with all the tracks from the “I’m Your Man” 12″ finally on digital…..
could be something…..
That great “unsocial mix” of Wham Rap! just always seem to elude any 80s compilations. A real shame.
There is a movie in the works called “Last Christmas” which had George’s involvement and is meant to include several non released tracks along with the Christmas classic
It starts Emilia Clarke and is written by Emma Thompson . Due to be released next year
Blue armed with love finished studio version, does it exist? I love the b-side to club Tropicana version but it’s missing something and the live version doesn’t quite cut it for me.
Have you seen the ‘Russell Harty’ version? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc6OvuKp0mo
Wow, I’ve never seen that one, what a shame they rolled the credits and faded it.
That’s always been one of my favorite songs, I hadn’t heard the B-Side version till years later but I don’t find it as good as the Live one.
One of our best singer songwriters gone way too soon
I cried that day 2 years ago. Wham! and George Michael were the soundtrack to my life, he was an incredible artist, vocalist, writer and producer, they’ll never be another. I hope we do get new music from the vaults.
I write this just a few days after he passed,
http://www.philfogel.com/blog/2017/01/07/listen-without-prejudice-volume-4/
Happy to be fleeced for deluxe and expanded box sets of those Wham! studio albums. Maybe throw in some coloured vinyl or picture discs (so long as they’re in proper vinyl covers rather than PVC sleeves) and DVDs/Blu Rays.
I read the statement earlier today, and I thought they meant projects started since his death. Since the reissue was already in progress, I didn’t think twice about it.
G M complete singles box set curated by SDE!
A complete Wham! anthology containing everything from first early demo so to the full final Wembley gig in both audio and video. Dream on…
Happy Christmas to Paul and all SDE ers