WEBVTT

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(tape rewinding)

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(funky music)

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- [George Michael] I've always had

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a very strange sense of my own future.

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And as a child, even though I had no idea

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that I could write or
sing, I was convinced

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that I was going to be a pop star.

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I had no real inclination
to shout about it,

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because I just felt it
was going to happen.

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I don't think it was until
we made the album Make It Big

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that I actually accepted
that I was a singer,

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I was gonna be a singer

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that could actually get
some respect from people.

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(cheering)

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("Everything She Wants" by Wham)

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♫ Oh

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♫ Oh yeah

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- [Joe Smith] When the decision
was made that you wanted

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to go on your own, what do want to be?

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- [George] We could've just
kind of kept on being Wham

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and me gradually making
George Michael records,

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but that would've been
a real sham, you know.

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Everyone is right now expecting me

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to move into the kind of artist

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that they've been comparing me to

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for the last couple
years, i.e. another Elton.

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But I do have the advantage of youth.

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I'm gonna make two types of music.

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One is the type that people
are expecting me to make,

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because it's really what I'm best at.

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And well, I would imagine
whatever happens from now on,

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I'll probably be remember the most for

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is my songs in terms of structured balance

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and stuff like that, with strong melodies.

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("Careless Whisper" by George Michael)

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♫ The way I danced with you

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♫ Oh

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You know, I've done that.

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I've done Careless Whisper.

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But also, there's a kind of sexuality

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that I haven't really made the most of

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with the first part of my career.

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I suppose, obviously, as a
22 year old, 23 year old,

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obviously I'm more experienced sexually

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than I was as an 18 year
old, so maybe it's time

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for that to start reflecting in the music.

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(funky dance music)

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- [Joe Smith] What was the
China experience like?

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- [George] It was pretty
horrendous, actually.

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The idea of playing to those people,

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being the first people to
play real Western pop music

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to those people, was a great privilege.

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It was just that the
place is so oppressive,

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you know, the actual atmosphere.

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We played two concerts, that's all we did.

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One in Beijing, which is in, or Peking.

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And what happened, basically,

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was that we opened with a black dj.

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And this guy did just about
everything that a dj could do.

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He did break dancing, he spun the records,

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and scratching, and everything.

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People were jumping, and
then they're out their seats.

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He ran around the auditorium
dancing and stuff to our music.

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The people were kissing him
and tryin' to dance like him.

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It was absolutely brilliant.

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And there was about a 15
minute break before we came on.

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There was an announcement,
obviously in Chinese,

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so we didn't understand it at
the time, made to the audience

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that there was to be no dancing
for the rest of the evening,

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they want people to remain in their seats.

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So we went out and played
to nothing, you know.

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We went out and played to
13,000 people sitting down.

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("Everything She Wants" by Wham)

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♫ Tell me why all I need is you, you, you

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There was one funny thing,
(cheering)

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actually, is that when you actually tried

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to get the audience to clap,

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they have no perception
of clapping in rhythm.

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So you'd clap,
(clapping)

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and they would just applaud you.

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(laughing)

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Everyone was smiling,
but basically we just,

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first, the first feeling was of failure,

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that there was no way
we could communicate.

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Then, there was, when
we actually found out

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what had gone on, I was just furious.

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I mean obviously I felt
responsibility at the time

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to represent my generation
from the West in a good light,

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and pop music in a good light.

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I felt that was what we were there to do.

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And after that, realizing that
they had no real intention

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of allowing people to
absorb what we were doing,

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I just felt really betrayed.

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(funky dance music)

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I suppose what I really want is to be able

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to do what I want creatively,
succeed publicly, and be able

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to progress without screwing
the rest of my life up.

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That's the way I see it, really.

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In 10 years time, I think I could be

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a very, very big star, as
opposed to just a star.

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And although there is that
half of me that wants it,

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there is another half of
me that's very frightened

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of it as well, because I don't think

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it has a good effect on people's lives.

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I don't want to be dragged
into the kinda down sides

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of this business that
are so easy to fall into.

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I mean, I'm very excited about the future,

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but at the same time it worries me.

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(fun dance music)

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I've had songs swimming around

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in my head for about two years.

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I just keep the songs and
the arrangements in my head.

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And it's very, very silly in
one sense, 'cause, I mean,

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I might go and bang my
head tomorrow or something.

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And I, where's wood?

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There's no wood to touch.

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(murmuring)

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(knocking)

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Touch wood! (laughing)

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I don't, but, I mean, I might go

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and have a nasty fall
or somethin' and lose,

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you know, an album's worth of material.

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But I have this thing
that if it's in my head

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and it's still there,
it's because it's meant

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to be there, you know.

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I have kind, it's like a superstition.

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(tape rewinding)