George Michael made us all believers when he came through a major depression to produce the biggest album of his career with the mature themes and diverse musical sophistication of this revelatory pop phenomenon. 'Faith' was born out of the breakup of Wham! and the end of a personal relationship. Michael considered: "In terms of lyrics, I guess the theme of the record is my life over the past couple of years. And I suppose sex has been a major theme...I have a very strong tendency to go for people that I know I can't ever fully have. And that tendency became a full-blown fact once I could have anyone, basically, that I wanted. It became totally unattractive to me to have anyone and everyone I wanted - because for a while I did. I mucked around a lot for about eight months to a year, really. And then you realize that you are a bigger mug than they are, because you're the one that gets talked about in their office the next day...The actual Wham! split was definitely provoked by my emotional distress around that period. It's hard to tell whether or not it would have happened at that time had it not been for that relationship failing. Maybe if I'd felt more secure, I would have felt no need to shake things up. But at the time I just wanted to make a clean start. Basically, I didn't want to be a star anymore, because I was feeling so sorry for myself ... The one person I really wanted, who I thought my life should revolve around, didn't want me. It hit me hard. There is a real pathos having to be part of a group such as Wham! when you are at your lowest ebb. The relationship fucked me up because I am usually the one who does the leaving. It was messy and I am used to being loved. I was spoilt in so many ways - going straight from school into the band, having no money problems, being able to sleep with whoever I wanted to whenever I wanted to, my career going exactly as I wanted - and then someone pulled the carpet away...I drank myself stupid for eight or ten months. I was in a very bad way...I thought - I have finally woken up. I have sussed it out and it is all a pile of shit...I have friends who are good enough friends to say to me - if you carry on like this then you are a complete asshole. But I just didn't take notice of them."
In the midst of this boozy haze, Michael began a new relationship with DJ and makeup artist Kathy Jeung; but it was his old partner Andrew Ridgeley that helped him the most: "Andrew was so great. I used him as a sounding board for everything that I thought was wrong. It was like an exorcism. He was very worried about me and he had to leave LA the next day. But when I woke up the next morning the cloud had lifted and, though I should have felt incredibly hungover, I felt brilliant. That black time ended after I had it out with Andrew. Now I am back in control."
Michael wrote, arranged, and produced all of the songs on 'Faith' with the exception of a shared writing credit on 'Look at Your Hands' with David Austin. Apart from the vocals, George Michael played keyboards, bass, drums, all of the instruments on "I Want Your Sex Pt 1" & "Hard Day", and most of the instruments on "Monkey". Robert Ahwai, J.J. Belle, Hugh Burns, and Roddy Matthews contributed guitar; Chris Cameron added piano, cathedral organ, keyboards, and backing vocals; with Betsy Cook and Danny Schogger on keyboards; Deon Estus on bass; Ian Thomas on drums; Andy Duncan on percussion; Steve Sidwell, Jamie Talbot, Rick Taylor, Paul Spong, Malcolm Griffiths, Mark Chandler, and Steve Waterman on horns; and Shirley Lewis on backing vocals.
'Faith' was an international smash hit, going to number sixteen in Japan; five in France; four in Sweden and Switzerland; three in Austria, Germany, New Zealand, and Norway; and number one in Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, and the US. It also became the first album by a caucasian artist to top the US R&B album chart, where it made its debut. 'Faith' also won the Grammy award for Album of the Year. It has sold over twenty million copies worldwide. Michael says: "It's very important to be popular. I love pop music and I'm totally fascinated by it. I love what it does to me emotionally, and the way that individuals can affect society as popstars - which they do, unbelievable as that may seem. I find it fascinating because it's such a contemporary form of art; the only totally immediate artform. But I do like to be thought of as a craftsman; however, I don't like the idea that that somehow detaches from what I do."
http://www.georgemichael.com/
'Faith'
'I Want Your Sex' was banned in many places, but it still became a huge hit.
'Father Figure'
'One More Try'
'Monkey'
'Kissing a Fool'
'Faith'
full album:
All songs written and composed by George Michael, except where noted.
Side one
"Faith" – 3:16
"Father Figure" – 5:36
"I Want Your Sex (Parts I & II)" – 9:17
"One More Try" – 5:50
Side two
"Hard Day" – 4:48
"Hand to Mouth" – 4:36
"Look at Your Hands" (Michael, David Austin) – 4:37
"Monkey" (Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis)– 5:06
"Kissing a Fool" – 4:35
bonus tracks
"Hard Day" (Shep Pettibone Remix) – 6:29
"A Last Request (I Want Your Sex Part III)" – 3:48
