After he died, it emerged that there were numerous people that he'd been supporting financially without any publicity or acknowledgement. One of the most generous and caring people in the industry. Sadly missed 😢
He wrote Careless Whisper, but added Andrew Ridgeley as a co-writer, so Andrew could get paid for publishing. If that's not a friend I don't know what is.
Geroge Michael did A LOT for the music industry. He was fighting the slave contracts that musicians had under the record companys, and he lost millions. But he didn't care. Ultimately, he paved the way for new artists to grow on their own terms. Well done George.
HEY, JAMEL!! Uh…. I’m just here to uh… listen to some music. I PROMISE I’m on my way to your channel! I just had to stop on the way. I promise the Rob Squad are just friends. Honest! Pinky swear. ;-)
It's an entirely original sax riff - though probably one of the only ones that's as recognisable and iconic as the one from "Baker Street". Both have been played everywhere for decades though (and were only released about 6 years apart) so maybe it's understandable you got them confused! :D George is widely regarded as one of the greatest solo artists of the late 20th century. He was good friends with Elton John and Freddie Mercury, and Prince thought very highly of him. Many of his early hits as part of the duo Wham! are also excellent
Yes definitely original sax. This was before what is done nowadays, another words no "sampling". Sampling was a rare idea back then.That didn't become the norm until the 90's.
@@michaelmacdermott6340 In the mainstream, at least. It had been a key component of hiphop, rap, reggae and the like since the 60s. But yeah, Careless Whisper was long before it became a thing in mainstream pop.
The live version of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is spectacular! When Elton John walks on stage the crowd erupts. It was totally unannounced and unexpected. RIP George! Long live Elton John!
We lost something special when we lost him. #RIPGeorgeMichael. He (and they - when he was in Wham) has lots of songs to choose from, but I think his less popular music was some of his best...Like Kissing A Fool. This one, however, remains my favorite. I instantly go into a mental music video of my life at that time (I'm about to turn 50), so for me, this is pure nostalgia. Great choice, and another great reaction. I hope you do more of his music. Also - I'd recommend Boy George! or more specifically - the group, Culture Club. #RobSquadRules P.S. - Ladies LOVED George, for sure. Unfortunately for them, George was also gay. He came out later in life, but I don't think too many of us were shocked.... I wasn't, anyway.
George was a great composer and musician! That song was and still is considered the greatest slow song of the 80's! And yes, we all had our suspicions about George's sexuality but we still loved him! Congrats on your coming birthday! I personally hit 50 a week ago so... we're oldies but goodies now!
@@michelemichele3375 Yes, I am not sure if you have heard that Elton John, Sam Smith, Adam Lambert and Ricky Martin are too . ............ oh, and so was Freddie Mercury! :)
George Michaels in my opinion was the only singer to match up to Freddie Mercury in the tribute concert for Freddie. He is incredible- bless his sweet heart- RIP George-♥️
In the '91 memorial tribute to Freddie Mercury, George sang "Find Me Someone to Love" with Queen, he had a great voice, sorry Amber, he was NOT a ladies man at all, Definately worth a look see.
Actually, he was and wasn't. He played both sides of the bench. He is quoted as saying that as a preteen he was attracted to women, then as a teenager, he became attracted to men. He slept with plenty of women during his time with WHAM but He was romantically attracted to me.
George was so talented and under appreciated. His best stuff was after he "came out". Lots of people have suggested some really good songs to try but let me add "Spin the wheel" to the list. Amazing video as well. You won't be disappointed.
George Micheal 😍 one of the best singers ever, his voice was and is like velvet for my ears. He was very talented and wrote this song when he was about 17. An absolute banger in the 80s ❤
So glad to see you react to George. He was a staple in my house growing up. I remember the day he passed my dad went to be by himself and blasted his music. Such a loss. He has so many great ones, both up-tempo and slower. For a slower vibe, I definitely recommend Jesus to a Child, and for something more upbeat, Too Funky. And Father Figure for something in the middle. I’d also recommend Freedom 90, but I’d suggest you watch the Faith video first to get some of the references.
Okay so you MUST react to "George Michael - Freedom 90", epic song, and equally epic music video! Other George Michael tracks I'd recommend are Outside, Fastlove, Too Funky, Jesus to a Child, As (with Mary J Blige), Faith, etc, etc, etc. One of the best male vocalists to ever grace the planet!
Such a talent, taken way too early, a large catalogue of excellence and variety! My 2 favourite George Michael songs are “cowboys and angels” and “mothers pride”!
Everything he did was good, either because it was so much fun or just beautiful, from his days in Wham! to his solo career. But his ballads were particularly moving. Kissing a Fool & One More Try are my favorites, along with the unfairly neglected Soul Free.
I listened to George since Wham first came to us. I new how hard it was to live free as a Lesbian and what cruelty many of us went through. We lived such secret lives. I understand exactly who George was singing his songs to. They marketed him as a heterosexual sex symbol. When he gained his "Freedom" from the horrible record industry in his law suit, he was finally free to be himself. He loved freely and openly. Canadian Grandma Lori. C.
This song is played all over the place. I believe he wrote this song when he was 16. Pure talent. I was in love with George Michael from the time I was 11 until my early 20's. LOL!
This sax shows George's brilliance in his late teens. You should listen to As with Mary J Blige and one with Whitney Houston. So good...and Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me with Elton John and Freedom 99! More please!!!!
He was a ladies man for a while, then he realized he was a "man's" man. Freedom 90 is amazing. Another good song that he is in, along with most of the music world, "Do they Know It's Christmas," the whole collab is called BandAid. You can't miss with George Michael, he changed his name from Greek, and I am sure we are all glad. Regardless he is one of the main diamonds that emerged .from the 80s.
the song is best served when innocense was still at hand, when puberty was just sailing... it pentrates the soul.. my reaction to these reactions is, like they bought it from the fastfood compared with hunting and preparing the meal..the song becomes a meme when i remember wasted love in the past..
The horns or otherwise known the Saxophone wasn’t from Baker Street. There was many talented sax players in the UK in the 1970’s and 80’s and Baker St preceded this by about 14 years I’m guessing. Still love what your doing 🙏🏼
Just fyi...George Michael...BI... I don't care tho.. He will always be one of my FAVORITES..Check his duets with the SIR ELTON JOHN and another Giant..The Queen Herself... ARETHA FRANKLIN!! George Michael was in it to WIN IT....✌️❤️😎👍👍
You guys are thinking of Gerry Rafferty, Baker Street. It did have a sax solo at the beginning, but it was quite a bit different than the one in this George Michael / Wham song.
I laughed at how you both looked perplexed when it came to the part where the other girl turned up catching Michael out 🤨🤔😬 then continued to listen to the rest of the song like oh well 😂
Hi guys I saw George Michael sing in concert at astroworld in 1983 here in Houston Texas before astroworld close. Your thinking Bob Seger I love this song I even invited my brother to go with me before my brother passed away days later he told me he wished he would have went now when I here this I think of my brother Amancio rip😂
The saxophone line wasn't sampled...it was written by George. He would later comment in his life that he hoped he wasn't remembered for only that saxophone rift. I did adore how you reacted to his voice. Loved George...was my favorite as a kid. Gone too soon.
Listen to Jeff Beck's "Cause We've Ended as Lovers", 1:42 pay attention to the melody he does on his guitar. There's a big chance that George was heavily inspired by this.
George started out as part of a duo called "Wham!" that were very fun and pop-y. Later they split and he went solo. Personally, I think he was one of the most talented singers/artists/songwriters, and never really got the recognition that he deserved, and he was gone too soon. His first solo album, "Faith," was a huge hit. He apparently found that the crazy fame and success didn't make him happy, and on his next album, "Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1," he wanted to be taken more seriously and not just as a pretty boy in tight jeans and a leather jacket that all the young girls screamed for. There are so many great songs to choose from. From the first album, I'd suggest "I Want Your Sex" (because it caused a bit of trouble with some conservative radio stations) and the title song "Faith." From the second album, I'd say "Freedom 90" (which talks about his realizations about fame and the music industry) and "Praying For Time." I also love "A Different Corner" which is actually a Wham! track. RIP George. You are missed.
Jesus to a Child, Father Figure are a couple of great songs. Tbh all his songs were amazing. Saw him twice at Wembley and one of the best concerts I've been too. Going to be 5 yrs Christmas day. Still can believe he's gone.
Except that Jeff Beck played that same melody already on his Jeff beck album in 1974. George was just born around that time when that melody was already on the radio long time before.
@@eltruheyo On Jeff Beck's 1974 album you can hear the guitar playing this melody. Google it ! Coincidence the exact melody ? So maybe now I can play the melody myself also and say hey it is exactly the same but total coincidence lol.
@@klaurcschwackerberg1880 I didn’t change the subject, I asked you which song since you seem to know but you didn’t answer my question. Instead you rambled about playing a melody yourself.
And yet neither song is as good as “kissing a fool”! He wrote that song as a teenager and recorded it in one take, a cappella. They put in the music later! It shows his unbelievable talent!!
@@KWayne6756 Sir … I mean no disrespect to you at all - clearly we love the same music … My list is my list … very strongly so. Naturally it is a list made up of “my” life’s history and experiences … I never attempted to be so bold as to suggest my list should be accepted by anyone else in the world ha ha ha That you appear to hold a different view is totally acceptable But I do not put “Kissing A Fool” in my top 3. Does this mean I am saying it is not a great song? No sir it does not. I accept there are multiple universes - I’m ok that in your world you hold “Kissing A Fool” on a pedestal … - that it is judged to be better than all three of the songs I’ve listed is debatable … but I haven’t left the floor open in my top 3 for a debate about “your” favourite GM song. All of that said … “Kissing A Fool” is a great GM song … GREAT But it sits in all its greatness outside MY top three. Happy George Michael songs to you.
@@morehamsandwich Oh yeah. There was that famous incident involving him and an undercover police officer in a Beverly Hills toilet, ha ha.George managed to turn the whole affair into a positive, though, coming out and being very open about all the pain and suffering dealing with his sexuality had caused him. Oh yeah, and the video for “Outside” satirized the whole bathroom thing. Check it out, good for a laugh
"Faith" is the song you've got to hear, I think it would appeal to both of you. As for being a ladies' man, well... when you're that attractive, they're going to market you to young girls and play up the manly good looks. Fortunately later in life (or perhaps unfortunately, given the circumstances leading up to it) he was able to come out and publicly stand up for a cause he believed in. Was also a generous philanthropist throughout his career, most of it done privately without the need to broadcast it to the world.
"Careless Whisper" was technically a Wham! song, not a solo song. His first HUGE solo hit, from his first solo album from 1987, is "Faith". The video connected especially with young women, since George does a lot of Elvis Presley-like butt-shaking in the video. The "ladies' man" comments were interesting, because while the perfect hair, facial stubble, and striking Greek features drove the ladies wild, George Michael kept the fact that he was gay a secret for a very long time. He was outed by the British tabloid press in a very vicious way in the early 90s, following an arrest for "lewd behavior" in a public restroom. Nevertheless, he remains a G.O.A.T., taking a place with M.J., Prince, and Madonna as 80s pop royalty. RIP.
It's both.. it was made for the album Make It Big in 1984 and was the second single off that album but the single was released under the artist George Michael and not Wham! which is a bit strange. George wrote the music and his band partner Andrew Ridgeley wrote the lyrics.
When you mentioned Brett Michaels Jay, the person who first came to mind was the lead vocalist of Poison Plus, I think you're a little confused, because I don't think that there's a wrestler named Brett Michaels, there's Shawn Michaels and Brett Hart and you might be combining their names
I was so in love with George back in the 80s. He really was a beautiful man, and as others have mentioned, took care of his friends without any acknowledgement. George gave co-writer credits to his Wham partner, Andrew Ridgeley, so he would never have financial problems. RIP George
As George would say, 'sometimes the clothes do not make the man' 😉 RiP George Michael, missed dearly. I've said it before and I'll say it again - one of the greatest vocalists and lyricists of our era. The sax riff isn't a sample though, it's an original piece of music written for this song. You should listen to Jesus to a Child and You Have Been Loved, both written about his boyfriend, and love of his life, who sadly died of AIDs complications only 2 years after they met.
Since no one has brought this up, "Sweet Chin Music" was SHAWN Michaels. Bret Michaels is the lead singer of Poison. Love y'alls channel. Have a great weekend!
The thing about George is he sounded exactly the same live, which is almost unheard of. I suggest doing a live performance reaction. He was an amazing singer.
You guys should do some Hall and Oates! I think you'd love them, maybe try You Make My Dreams Come True, or Maneater. (Maneater has some sax in it) Or something slower like Sarah Smile! They're so good, Daryl Hall is amazing!
It's true that the ladies loved George Michael, but Micheal was gay, and the music industry forced him to remain in the closet because the ladies loved him. The conventional wisdom at the time was announcing an artist was gay might lose fans and affect record sales. George was forced out of the closet by an arrest in Beverly Hills for "public lewdness" in 1998. George had a bit of fun with his arrest and coming out with his song "Outside" released after his arrest, and became a vocal supporter of LGBT causes. It's a sad testament, in my opinion, that being gay in 1998 was cause for the music industry to force artists to remain in the closet. Despite enormous strides forward, LGBT musicians and actors, and individuals are still pressured to remain in the closet. I can't say that George Micheal's eventual fall into addiction was completely caused by the music industry, but I'm sure it was a large part of it. I know that being forced to remain in the closet has negatively affected millions and millions of everyday people. RIP George Michael
Very well said. You are completely correct, and it was so bad the way he was ridiculed after his bathroom escaped. I really liked his music ever since he was with WHAM
If you were around in the 80's which is when he first became popular you would realize just how different society was and it wasn't just the fear of losing the female audience. Also, a lot of the actors and musicians decided for themselves to remain in the closet. The young generation of LGBTQ+ honestly don't realize just how much things have changed and just how far things have progressed in acceptance. I wish they could see the difference. That is the same with a lot of these social justice causes. They think they have it so bad because they don't realize all the progress that has been made and continues to be made. Things don't happen overnight and if they could only see that small little changes all add up to huge ones over the years, they might be a little surprised and have their eyes opened a little.
I don't think it was industry pressure alone. I remember an interview with him when he explained, that he had considered himself bisexual for a long time, before he realised that he had only ever been in love with men.
@@holmbjerg I' know there were other factors not least of them having to grow in fear that anyone would "find out." It was not unusual for LGBTQ+ people to want to be bisexual because during the 70s and 80s for some twisted reason that was supposed to be a bit more acceptable. It's odd that there was a time that even heterosexual would claim to bisexual. I have no doubt they were allies of LGBTQ+ people.but claiming to be bisexuali could.also add.a dash of artistic.cred and to make someone appear cutting-edge or a social and serial outlaw .I do that mean that to sound like a put down. Sexuality runs a wide spectrum and I think anyone should be able to claim where they stand at any time they want. My only objection, which I'm sure is yours ,is when people are caused by others to be frightened or forced in some way to feel the need to present themselves.in an inauthentic way. For hundreds of years LGBTQ+ preople had all that baked into the cake since birth I don't particularly mind that younger LGBTQ+ people don't understand the way things used to be. Why should they? I'm glad they haven't had to put up with the horrors we used to have to face. Knowing history is important IMO, but I won't berate people for not comletely understanding things none of us-no matters who we are-should should have had.to understand in the first place. I'm happy whenever people are able to live happier and more fulfilling lives. OOPS!!! We've strayed well away from music. ..or have we?
While it's true that being gay during the 80s and 90s was peceived to be a no-no for musicians, there were plenty who defiantly bucked the trend and didn't suffer. Frankie Goes to Hollywood, The Pet Shop Boys, Jimmy Somerville and Bronski Beat, Marc Almond, Right Said Fred, Erasure, and maybe others I can't recall had either big hits or long careers and sometimes both. At the time it seemed that the UK was leading the world in this regard, however, we shouldn't forget Canadian K.D. Lang.
This man was extremely talented and was drop dead gorgeous. After he was caught up in some kind of situation, he did finally step out of the closet and admit he was gay. A lot of women were heart broken but his music was amazing, as was he himself! Please do Faith and I Want Your Sex. Those songs along with this one are some of his best!!❤
I really like Geoge Michael and his music but I must say the second I saw him in his Wham video of Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go I said YES!, that boy is cute AND gay! I suppose some people just don't have gaydar. As far as his public sex "incident" that forced him out of the closet, he staged the best comeback to the situation by making the music video "Outside".
"Freedom! 90", "Edge of Heaven", "Father figure", "Last Christmas", "Jesus to a child", Sexual freak", "If I told you that", "Flawless", "Wake me up before you go-go" and soooo many more they should at least listen too
*Amber:* "I think he's a bit of a ladies man...." *Me:* "Oh my sweet summer child..." Seriously though, GM was a very talented artist. Check out his duet with Aretha Franklin, "I Knew You Were Waiting". AMAZING song!!!
Lol, Amber your comment made me smile….George was most definitely not a ladies man if you know what I mean😂 This is classic 80’s pop. If you’re lovin George then check out Faith or A Different corner or his duet with Elton John, don’t let the.sun go down on me, a real classic 😊
C'mon man, it's OK to say he was gay. What's with the "if you know what I mean" nonsense?! We don't have to nudge and wink when referring to gay people any more.
@@joyhruska9377 he did date women before he met Anselmo, who was in the front row of one of his gigs. He said to Michael Parkinson that being gay (to him) didn't mean who he could get it up for it was about who he fell in love with.
"I feel George Michael was a ladies man" 🤣🤣🤣 I'm dead. I had a friend in high school that copied GM because he thought he got "all the honeys" and freaked out when he found out George was gay. lol
@@user-or1ye3iz6d Only one of the greatest musical talents anywhere, at any time. He wrote and arranged this at 17 years old in his hometown of London.
When I'm thinking about George Michael songs, "Freedom '90" is the first thought. Not only because Linda Evangelista in video ;) Other George's songs to check: "Faith", "Older", "Jesus to a Child", "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (with Elton John), "Outside", "Father Figure", "A Different corner" With Wham! duo - "Wake me up before you Go-Go", "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)", "Young Guns (Go For It!)", "Everything She Wants" and ofcourse evergreen killed by shopping malls and radio stations - „Last Christmas”
As a early teen girl when this came out, I certainly thought he was a ladies man, due to the amount of girl kissing and hetero relationship portrayals in his videos. But no, turns out he batted for the other team. **At the time** it was not something you overtly put out there in your videos. Mainstream music was very hetero-normative and Music corps thought if you wanted to catch the pre-teen/teen girl market (big $$$) and you were a guy, you had better set your persona to "fantasy hetero guy" so the girls could dream about you as their man. Of course, to a lot of us it didn't matter. My mom saw me dancing around and singing "Karma Chameleon" by Culture Club (it was on Bandstand, I think) one Saturday and said, "You know, that song is about being gay, right?" And I said, "I don't care. I like it!" And carried on joyfully singing it loudly all over the house.
@@michlkwitz tbh at the time I wasn't entirely sure myself, I literally only saw music videos and heard songs on the radio (no personal info) about them. Edit: and I did not care.😁
Definitely gonna need to check out the group WHAM!!!..... George Michael was with them in his beginnings. He did awesome on his own though!!!!! So sad he's gone 😞❣️❣️
As I pointed out already, they have already checked out Wham! in this song. This is Wham! not George Michael. It's from their second album, "Make It Big."
@@bsanderfer okay Ben...... take 'er down a notch...... I wasn't a big wham fan.....i was more rock and southern rock. So I'm not totally up on the dates of George Michael. But thanks for the update!👍😏
@@michellejones6630 Sorry, it probably only seems like I need to take it down a notch because Wham! has an exclamation point at the end of their name...lol. If you re-read what I read, you'll see that it wasn't the intention to come off as screaming at anybody.
@@bsanderfer okay, good deal........ but truly not really up on the whole WHAM! Scene. Although, I did know their music.... and somehow,the words were catchy enough I could sing along 🤣👍
Check out "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham! (an iconic 80s song that was the start of George Michael's career with a childhood chum). He then went solo. "Faith" is a great iconic 90s video that features the biggest names in modeling at the time. My favorites are "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" with Elton John and "One More Try", but his catalog was fantastic.
I love Wham and George Michaels when he went solo. I would recommend Last Christmas by Wham during the Christmas season…LOVE THAT SONG. And for a George Michael (solo) I would recommend Faith. I have a feeling you both will love the “vibes”.
Jenni Metz The Original version of Last Christmas by Wham will always be my favorite version. I don't like any of the other versions they play during the holidays. Also, this Christmas will be the 5 year anniversary of George Michael passing away. Loved Wham and his solo career.
He was definitely a legend! He was so talented and gifted! So many great and iconic songs he did. You guys should react to Jim Croce. He also was a legend and was 70s music
