So it occurred to me sometime yesterday afternoon that I forgot the BRIT
Awards
were last night, and thus I forgot my obligatory best wishes to George
in advance of his gathering some hardware...and so I blame
myself for his
snagging only 1 of 4. I did have a cool internet moment with Tom Wanless
though, I was interrogating him about
the winners when he proudly announced
that as we spoke, George got one. Tom was promised the lead off in today's
issue, but
something came else came up, so I hope you can settle for second.
YMH voting is going well, 124 received ballots by 12am the
24th, that's about
23% of the voting population. Yes, as a political science major voter
turnout is something I am concerned
with...so remember to vote, or I will
send more ballots out...
AND AWAY WE GO...
***************************
TGVH67A-at-prodigy.com
(MR ANGELO A ALEXOPOULOS) writes:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------
Amanda,
I
have been friends with Alan--alankhart-at-aol.com--for a few years now and
I wanted to pass some info. I called him just a little
while ago and he is in
the hospital. He has been in for about a week with at least another week or so.
I'm e-mailing you so
maybe you can pass it along on the list so we can wish
him along to a speedy recovery.
(I'm sorry to hear that! On behalf
of the gang here's hoping you get back
the the computer soon! All the best Alan! AG)
Angelo
***************************
tomwanless-at-virgin.net
(Tom) writes:
-----------------------------------------------------
To all you Yoggers,
Thought you may like to know who
won the Brits, seeing as they are the most
important awards in my opinion - at least GM has a chance here! I am writing
this
as it happens!
(Categories George were nominated in are marked #. AG)
Best International Female Solo Artist: Sheryl Crow
Best
Producer: John Leckie who has produced for Mark Owen and for Kula
Shaker
Best British Newcomer: Kula Shaker
Best
International Newcomer: Robert Miles
Best Soundtrack: Trainspotting
Best International Group: The Fugees
# Best Video: Say
You'll Be There - Spice Girls (Who ARE theses judges?)
Best Dance Act: Prodigy
Best British Female Artist: Gabrielle
# Best
Single: Wannabe - Spice Girls (see above comment!)
Best International Male Solo Artist: Beck
# Best Album: Manic Street
Preachers - Everything Must Go
# Best Male Artist: Need I say? OK then - George Michael!!!!!
Best Group: Manic Street
Preachers
Outstanding Contribution to British Music: Bee Gees
GM's award was presented to him by Elton John - must have
been nice for him
to have a friend presenting it. I wonder whether that was the idea?
I spent today trying to write a song
- I didn't get very far - it either
sounded really corny or just too weird! I am a bit down at the mo' because
I've realised I
want to be famous more than anything else - I did want to
be an accountant, but I've realised how bored I would get over the
course
of the 40 or so working years of my life! I know what GM says about Fame e.g.
"I can't go shopping because of
the danger of getting mobbed" - Daily
Express 1990
"I'm not prepared to sacrifice my life for my ego." -
Daily Mail 1990
"Celebrity fucks people up." - Bare 1990
I respect all of what he says and I know that if I
ever did get famous (Yeh
right!), I would thoroughly agree! However, he also says things like:
"I love having money,
it brings you good times and happiness. People who
say it doesn't are lying." - Today 1988
I am not that thick that I
interpret this as 'money can bring you
everything' - I know it can't and that quote was nearly 10 years ago! I
just don't want
to spend my life wishing I had done something about my
dreams when I was younger! I'm 16 now!
(Be careful what you wish
for, i still v. excited!! It's better than
nothing!! He got beat out by Spicies (best vid and best single) and Manic
Street
Preachers (who suck, in my view) (best album)
Anybody know if he went to accept the awards?
(Methinks so. Elton presented.
AG)
Hugs
Kinga (dancing around the room to Fastlove as it's being played by CapitalFM)
PS..Dr. Fox...big time
sucky...made me throw up...phbthphtbth...:-Þ....what
a loser..where did they find these dorks?!?!?
~~
U2 LIMERICK #2:
There
once was a man who played bass
whose music could rock the whole place
with his chin in the air
and really strange hair
and
a grin upon his face
(and a cigarette in his gob)
~~
Kinga "The Multitasking Queen"
~~
***************************
llkoh-at-pl.jaring.my
(KOH) writes:
-----------------------------------------------
Hello Yoggers
Just visited
WWW.cdconnection.com/bin/webquery and searched for some GM cds.
Can anyone tell me what songs are in these GM singles?
Jesus
To A Child
(1. Jesus to a Child (album version)
2. One More Try (Live Gospel)
3. Older (Instrumental)
Was the track
listing for the Dreamworks release, the Virgin issue also
included Freedom '94 (live) AG)
Spinning The Wheel #2(dreamworks)
Older
#2( dreamworks)
(Neither of these were released by DreamWorks. AG)
I have the Virgin version but am curious whether the
Dreamworks ver is the
same.
And oh yeah, I had a strange dream last week- GM was singing a song while
playing on the
piano Elton John style and the crowd was cheering. He gave a
very good performance. i dunno what the title the song is, but i
hear it on
my radio channel very often. It goes somthing like this
What can i say
What can i do
You don't know I am
so in love with you
etc etc
Lady, what's your name
Can i walk beside you in the rain
Just a little smile will make my
day etc
Anyone knows who sang this song? It's from the 80's or 70's i think.
(I can't think of the track, maybe my good
friend Alicia "Swing out Sister"
Aguirre can though... AG)
And what are the songs in the Star people single?
(I
don't have one yet. Anyone? AG)
***************************
jzh10-at-toraag.com (Haliska, Julie) writes:
------------------------------------------------------------
Hi
Everyone,
I'm a new member. My name is Julie Haliska (AKA Jewel). I live in
Toronto, Canada. Firstly, Amanda mentioned in a
previous issue that
she's trying to get people in the Southern Ontario area together. I'm
in! I don't know any GM fans so I
look forward to all of you coming out
of the woodwork and getting connected with us. There are enough people
on this network
that most of you should try to get in touch with the
people in your geographical area. I think we'd make the best of
friends.
Let's
"Move On" I saw the Portuguese lyrics to Desafinado on
YogMael#100. I have the lyrics in Portuguese and I'm getting
them
translated literally into English. I have the lyrics in English, but
it's just a song intended to mimic the Portuguese
meaning, but it's not
exact. Anyone who's interested can contact me. BTW, I agree that
Desafinado is a wonderful song because
Portuguese is such a challenging
language, especially for a Brit, and George is graceful and suave in
this song.
I'm
always looking for e-pals, so here's a bit about myself. I've been
listening to George since I was 12 (now I'm 25) and I adore
and respect
the man so much. I've never met him, but I'm determined. I speak
Spanish and my Polish needs practice, but
international e-pals are
welcome, as long as you can be patient with me. I love talking about my
beloved George, and I'm sure
we could be good friends.
And I have one last comment for Amanda. I'm a little disappointed with
the contest in #100.
Personally, I don't know all the details about
George's life, or his parents names. I respect some new releases I had overheard.
I, in no way, endorse or
denounce bootlegs, but they are available.
(I denounce such things for legal purposes only,
besides, they're not paying
advertisers anyway... AG)
Anyways, I am stuck in a medical school here in the West Indies, over
Christmas
break 250 CD's were stolen. That includes a large collection of my
George Michael imports and album releases. If anyone is
selling any of
George's CD's please e-mail me at jpbas1-at-aol.com, and hopefully I can begin
to replace my collection. One in
particular is a Live CD recording titled
"Everything She Want's" released in 1992. Does anyone have this? KTS is
also
releasing a new title called "Free Love" along w/ the acoustic release.
I have no idea of material content on either
CD's....
Thanxs again....John
***************************
Yogette-at-aol.com (Melanie) writes:
---------------------------------------------------
The
"Older" video clip is now available at BEATUK in the February 14, 1997
section. It's at
http://beatuk.com/WEEKLY/MOVIE/icantmakeyoulovemeg.mov
For people in the U.S., if you have a powerful enough computer, I
strongly
recommend downloading the RealPlayer, which has both RealAudio and RealVideo.
Then, at the Aegean site, you can watch
the complete video for "Older." (A
link for the RealPlayer is available at the Aegean site.) The BEATUK clip is
only
about 15 seconds long.
And if you get the RealPlayer, you might want to check out
http://www.timecast.com/video/music/aegean1.html
It's
a 9 minutes clip that discusses Aegean Net. George talks about the web
site (he's not on screen; it's just his voice with the web
page in the
background) and then they show clips of "JTAC," "Older," and "FastLove."
Melanie
***************************
cworkman-at-cbis.ece.drexel.edu
(cworkman) writes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Amanda, et al:
Here's
to the next 100!!! In the last couple of months, since I joined
Yogmael, I reunited with the one of my best friends, someone I
thought I'd
never see again. And I've gotten a second dose of a great deal of the joy
and excitement that I got outta being a
fan of GM's music and persona in my
youth (here I go waxing nostalgic). Every one of you Postees have
contributed to that.
(We
try Carla...I think this forum allows a lot of us to revert to
teenyboppers for
a few minutes each day, me for a couple
hours... AG)
Much Love,
Carla
(..."but is it bread?"
......."sorry.")
(OK, I'm glad you
brought this little sound byte up, does anyone know what
the
hell Andrew is talking about here????? AG)
***************************
Briliance-at-aol.com
writes:
--------------------------------------
Congratulations on your first 100 issues of YOGMAEL, Amanda!
(THANK YOU!
I share the honour with all my postees... AG)
In response to a question from Sandra in YM issue #95 regarding what George
said
in his acceptance speech at the American Music Awards in 1989, I wrote
down what he said. George won for Favorite Soul/R&B
Male. He said: "I was
sitting down there thinking I better not--I'd better not get flustered again,
but I don't know what
to say again. So, um, I've got some people to thank. I
want to get this right. Firstly, I'd like to thank my managers Michael
Lippman
and Rob Kahane because they've worked so hard. They've done a great
job for me. I'd like to thank their wives for being so
hospitable to me this
year. (You could just see it in his eyes when he realized what he had just
implied! He started laughing
and everyone in the audience started laughing
and screaming.) I'd also like to thank everybody at CBS Records. They've
done an
amazing job. I'd like to thank my mother, my father, who are here
tonight--my sisters back home--all my friends because they're
all a part of
if I
subscribed before the opening and I got an info mail of reply which someone
reported. I regret I cannot
travel as long as you all do, because I'm using
Netscape (and also have my mailbox) at the public library of my town
(internet's
now becoming popular in Italy..). This is also the reason why I
can read and write twice a week...
Coming back to
GM and me... We first 'met' in 1983-84 (I'm a fan of the very
first days...) when I was at the high school, and I owe to George
my
interest for soul music and my 'endless love' for the English language.
I've many many things to tell to all Yogfans about
my fan-life, so 'let's
get started!'
Yog's height is 1.83 m. (Sorry, I'm not familiar with 'feet'). I saw him
live three
times, also very close, and I can tell he's just about that size.
(That translates to 6 feet. AG)
The most beautiful
experience I remember is having been one of the 72,000 at
the Wembley Stadium on June 28th 1986 for 'The Final' Concert. It was
the
best day of my life as far as I can remember.
I have a vivid memory of me and my friends running across the field and
crossing
the lines of the security personnel up to 10-15 mt from the front
stage. It felt wonderful.
Supporting bands were Nick Heyward
and, before him, a man dressed like a
tin-can: Gary Glitter, an old glory of the past pop music. Then the
atmoshpere was
really 'warmed' by the video 'Wham in China' showing on two
giants megascreens... at that time, it was a prime show.
At 19.30,
... the first notes of 'Everything she Wants': 8 minutes of intro
during which first Andy, then Yog appeared on stage. George
kept moving
softly giving his back (and, let me tell you WHAT 'back'!!) to the audience,
then he said '1 2 3 4 go!!'.. I have
just this video bit of that moment...
The best moments were: The Edge of Heaven, when he divided the whole
audience into 3
parts and let us sing respectively the lines YE YE YE - LA
LA LA LA LA LA - YE YE YE YE YEAH and we all were 'making the wave'
with the
concert programme which was blue+green on one side and yellow+orange on the
other.. the effect was just brilliant!!
Then, his performance of 'Candle in
the Wind' with Elton John: it really sent me shivers down the spine.
He also covered Carly
Simon's 'Why' and sang 'I'm Your Man' together with
Simon Le Bon.
When he hugged Andy at the end of the concert, they both
cried and we all
cried with them. We all went out of the stadium as if we all were a single
person and we were 72,000: we all
sang, cried, shouted and in that moment I
felt we were all sharing exactly the same feeling, we all really loved Wham!
and
were sad because they were no longer there.
I don't know if I managed to give you just a small idea of what it was,
because it
was something I never felt again at any other concert I saw
after. It was my first 'big' concert, and I started from the Top!!
After
that, I went outside 'The Hippodrome', the West-End disco where Yog
and Andy were giving a party after the concert, but by the
time I was there
they had already went in.
I have bootlegs of the concert which are to me dearest than life, but if I
could
find someone who has videorecorded the FINAL CONCERT and can copy it
or sell it, I'd be the happiest in the world. I guess this
is the only thing
which really matters to me, besides any bootleg of the concerts George
played in the US during his 'Listen
withour Prejudice' tour (the few
concerts he made only in the US). I'm particularly interested in Cover
versions, where really
I love George and his voice the most. Any US fan who
can help me, please mail me at dcasadio-at-racine.ra.it
Did anyone of
you hear his cover of 'AIN'T NOBODY' by Rufus and Chaka Khan
and David Bowie's 'FAME'????
They're just fantastic!! You get the
same feeling as when you compare
George's and Freddie Mercury's 'Somebody to Love': I apologize with Freddie
and all Queen's
fans but there's version of 'the Strangest Thing' is brilliant, it seems a totally
different song from the album version, like
the 'ONE MORE TRY Gospel
Version' on the Jesus to a Child CD single (version for the UK market):
simply GREAT!
MTV
UNPLUGGED: actually, I'm one of the lucky ones to have it, but before I
have to SEE IT!!
My cousin videotaped it on 2nd Dec.
from the Satellite, but he lives close
to Milano and I haven't had the chance to go there yet (I absolutely don't
want to
receive it by mail for fear it gets lost!!). I have anyway seen some
bits and pieces on TV and I think it's great. I agree with
one of the
critics that the Unplugged version suits George and his music perfectly.
I just can't wait to see the official
Videotape (I am sure there will be
one, and a record as well); also because, if I remember well, Yog should
issue a large
quantity of records both for Virgin and for Sony as well, even
if he's 'free', so: where are they??
(To the complete
contrary...the deal with both companies is only a 2 album
deal. To release the Unplugged would fulfil the contract, and they're
not
having
that happen so quickly. There are no plans for an official release. AG)
He's always been terribly slow in
making records, not only because of the
Court story with Sony; and this because he doesn't seem able to delegate: he
is
writing, singing, mixing, producing, designing the sleeves'covers,
directing the videos, posing for photos, choosing photos,
almost making
photos himself.... sometimes he really gets me sick!! I only wait he's
starting producing every single CD home,
by hand, then packing them one by
one and distributing them all over the world!!
I'm joking but, as he says in an old
interview, he's very 'work-aholic'. I
only hope things have changed or for us poor fans there will be another
'Thank you for
waiting' line on his next CD, forthcoming in 2010...... (AH
AH AH...)
(Somehow I can actually picture George working in the
CD factory, and then
loading trucks on the docks...you might not be too far off... AG)
DIANE RANDALL asks about photos of
Yog when he was a 'Young gun', no, when
he was plump and with glasses: I have one for sure, probalby some more, if I
look
better in my old scrapbooks of the 'Good ol'days'....
UNOFFICIAL ISSUES: I've just bought an unofficial, 28 min. CD Interview
disc
with Andy, tracing back to 1986, at the times of 'The Final', I suppose,
called 'GM THE UNAUTHORIZED EDTION'. It contains
a 128 pages booklet with
GM's story and photos, updated to August 96. It's printed in the UK by
Virgin's Sound & Media
Ltd.
Thanks, till the next, ciao!
Dona
***************************
To Wrap it Up:
"Never state, what you
can't imply."