Thank God for Wham!
Just when you thought our septic isle would capsize under the weight of Tory filth, out jumps a joyous life raft of colour, talent, and sheer determination to save the day. Bands have their time and Wham! shook post-punk, Thatcherite Britain out of its malaise with their brand of “socially aware funk.” Wham! the kaleidoscopic new documentary featuring narration from George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, sends such a vital jolt of electricity through the nation that we are reminded (temporarily at least) just how great Britain is and could be again.
What a timely story Wham! provides: two working-class kids from immigrant families who looked out for one another, dreamt big and made it bigger! Like Madonna across the pond, Wham! emerged from the club scene with an up-tempo blend of funk and nascent rap that thundered with excitement. Resplendent in red and canary yellow Fila sportwear, feathered wedge haircuts that had their own weather system, and million dollar smiles, the teenage Wham! lit up our screens like nobody else.
The sheer exuberance of George and Andrew is brought vividly to life with countless stills and footage that documents their halcyon days, four short, majestic years that took them from dodgy North London nightclub appearances to worldwide domination and a farewell concert at Wembley Stadium. What illuminates Chris Smith’s film are forty scrapbooks, meticulously kept by Andrew’s mum, a testimony to youth and the DIY culture Wham! brought to their craft. What adds the layers of poignancy is the narration by both men – but especially when we hear George.
Like Amy, the cruel and beautiful trick that Wham! conjures on the audience is convincing us that George is still alive. His enunciation, his wit, intelligence, and self-awareness are so urgent, so engaging that when he finishes speaking at the end of the film you feel the grief of his passing all over again. Insignificant when compared to the loss felt by his family and friends, but no less important when you look at the cultural impact he had on your life. Let’s not forget just how magnificent a singer, songwriter, and producer George Michael was.
What other 21-year-old has the brass neck to ditch a Jerry Wexler production of Careless Whisper and back themselves to do a better job? George and Andrew always knew that Wham! was a jumping off point for George’s solo career, his elevation to global icon on the same level as Madonna, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston was relentlessly pursued by his ego even though he felt it would be a lonely existence, his talent a sublime gift and a tragic burden. The fact that Madonna is the only one of this superstar quartet still alive speaks volumes to the hubris of that level of fame.
As usual it is tempting to marginalise Andrew as the freeloading playboy riding on George’s designer stubble, but Wham! redresses the balance. George credits Andrew with the relentless drive to succeed, the band’s aesthetic, and that contagious sense of joie de vivre. Don’t forget Andrew co-wrote Careless Whisper, Wham Rap and Club Tropicana.
What the film brings to light is the fact that Wham! was very much Andrew’s band, and George’s personality and look was a homage to his friend and hero. George copied Andrew and George’s solo career seems to be a complicated psychodrama, escaping the shadow of his more confident friend whilst exploring his own sexuality under the greater shadow of the corporate machine that portrayed him as a heterosexual heartthrob.
Wham! halts at the end of one chapter, perched on the cusp of a solo story that will end in tragedy. The earlier documentary, George Michael: Outed explores the rampant homophobia of the English tabloids and George’s incredible response to the gutter press. George says near the end of Wham! that he knew he couldn’t continue with Andrew but realises how much he missed the camaraderie and support of his best friend. At the end of their farewell concert he whispers to Andrew, “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
At one point when asked what he will do when Wham! splits up Andrew responds that he will “retire with grace.” Wham! was never meant to grow old, never meant to tread the 80s nostalgia circuit. For that we can be grateful, just two astonishing pop albums, a four-year comet never to shine as bright again. A sacrifice for his dear, dear friend. Andrew was as good as his word and what a gift he gave to George and what memories he gave to us.