喬治麥可與威猛樂隊1984年Freedom單曲封面
【楚爾秀音樂欣賞】
喬治·麥可（George Michael，又譯喬治·邁克爾，1963年6月25日－2016年12月25日）是1980年代西洋音樂的天王巨星與創作歌手，當年火紅程度與麥可·傑克森不相上下。1981年喬治·麥可與安德鲁·瑞吉里（Andrew Ridgeley）共組雙人男子樂團威猛樂隊（Wham!，又稱轟樂團，渾二重唱），他們靠著出道歌曲《Young Guns (Go For It)》在英國一炮而紅，成為動感舞曲樂隊及偶像團體。
1984年威猛樂隊推出第二張專輯《炒熱它》（Make It Big），首支歌曲《離去之前叫醒我》（Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go）在歐美10國拿下流行榜冠軍，讓他們成功征服歐洲及美國流行音樂市場。專輯主打歌曲《無心的呢喃》（Careless Whisper），又在歐美10國拿下流行榜冠軍，更成為1985年美國告示牌流行音樂榜的年終冠軍曲，這首歌曲也是亞洲歌手酷愛翻唱的經典歌曲，《Careless Whisper》在2018年8月美國告示牌六十週年600大流行歌曲排行榜名列162名流行單曲。
1986年威猛樂隊在火紅之際解散，1987年單飛的喬治·麥可出了個人專輯《信念》（Faith），這張專輯是喬治·麥可的巔峰之作。專輯主打歌曲《信念》（Faith），成為1987年美國告示牌流行音樂榜的年終冠軍曲，《Careless Whisper》在2018年8月美國告示牌六十週年600大流行歌曲排行榜名列150名流行單曲。專輯另一首歌曲《One More Try》，在2018年8月美國告示牌六十週年600大流行歌曲排行榜名列381名流行單曲。
喬治·麥可最令人懷念的歌曲其實是1984年《去年耶誕節》（Last Christmas），這首歌曲當年在美國告示牌流行音樂榜最高只有到25名，連TOP 10 都打不進去，可是歌曲在日本和台灣非常風行。現在《Last Christmas》已成為耶誕節經典歌曲，每年耶誕節必放歌曲之一。這首歌曲至今在英國流行音樂排行榜重複入榜15次，自2007年起每年都會重新進入排行榜，難道是所謂的耶誕行情。另外，喬治·麥可於2016年耶誕節過世，使得《Last Christmas》更成為懷念喬治·麥可的歌曲。
喬治·麥可還有一個傳奇，威猛樂隊在1984年發行單曲《自由》（Freedom），這首歌曲是1984年第10熱銷的單曲，在美國告示牌流行音樂榜有第3名的好成績。 1990年喬治·麥可又創作一首歌曲《自由 90》（Freedom! ’90），這首歌曲成為喬治·麥可在音樂排行榜最後一首熱銷歌曲。之後喬治·麥可與唱片公司發生糾紛遭到封殺，然後宣布出櫃為同志，導致在主流音樂市場逐漸銷聲匿跡，直到2006年才復出開演唱會。
Wham! - Freedom (Live) 1984年早期演出版本
Freedom
Everyday I hear a different story
People say that you're no good for me
So you love another
And she's making a fool of you, oh
If you love me baby
Don't deny it
But you left me
And tell me I should try it
Tell me I'm a baby
And I will understand
But to know that I'll forgive you
Just this once, twice, forever
'Cause baby
You could take me to hell and back
Just as long as we're together
And you do
I don't want your freedom
I don't want to play around
I don't want nobody's baby
Part-time love just brings me down
I don't need your freedom
Girl all I want right now is you
Like a prisoner who has his own key
But I can't escape until you love me
I just go from day to day
Knowing all about the other boys
You take my hand and tell me I'm a fool
To give you all that I do
Bet you someday, baby
Someone says the same to you
But to know that I'll forgive you
Just this once, twice, forever
'Cause baby
You could take me to hell and back
Just as long as we're together
And you do, oh
I don't want your freedom
I don't want to play around
I don't want nobody's baby
Part-time love just brings me down
I don't need your freedom
Girl all I want right now is you
But to know that I'll forgive you
Just this once, twice, forever
'Cause baby
You could take me to hell and back
Just as long as we're together
And you do, oh
I don't want your freedom
I don't need to play around
I don't want nobody's baby
Part-time love just brings me down
I don't want your freedom
I don't need to play around
I don't want nobody's baby
Part-time love just brings me down
I don't want your
(I don't want your)
I don't want your
(I don't want your)
I don't want your
(I don't want your)
I don't want your
(I don't want your)
Oh...
Wham! - Freedom (Official Video) - 1985年中國北京演出版本
威猛樂隊在1985年創下前往中國北京開演唱會的紀錄，在北京工人體育館舉行15,000人的演唱會，這是第一個在中國表演的西洋音樂團體，也是北京史上第一場的英語歌曲大型演唱會。
當年，威猛樂隊的經紀人為了將樂隊推上世界頂峰，特別多次前往中國與官員交涉，終於得到批准在北京開演唱會。美國三大電視台都有轉播這場值得紀念的北京工人體育館演唱會。後來，威猛樂隊1985年訪問北京的影片，成為《自由》（Freedom）這首歌曲的正版MV，該影片紀錄了中國改革開放初期景象，並在美國音樂市場宣傳播放。
威猛樂隊音樂對於中國流行音樂有決定性的影響，威猛樂隊成為中國搖滾樂的啟蒙者，廣大的中國流行音樂市場自此打開。中國人民經由威猛樂隊認識了西洋音樂演唱會，並透過自由音樂傳遞自由思想進入中國，這確實是難能可貴的音樂交流，開啟了中國創作歌手的全新天地。
《自由 90》（Freedom! '90）的MV也是得推薦，這部音樂影片集結1990年代的超級名模拍攝，很特別的音樂影片。喬治·麥可發行第二張專輯《Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1》時，為盛名壓力所苦惱，厭倦自己演出MV，因此由Naomi Campbell、Linda Evangelista、Tatjana Patitz、Christy Turlington、Cindy Crawford等五大名模對嘴演出音樂影片。
《自由 90》（Freedom! '90）的音樂影片拍攝成本並非外界想像的天價，一開始模特兒公司無法接受每人一日15,000美元薪水價格拍攝MV，但看在當紅歌手喬治·麥可演唱與知名導演操刀，才接受這項表演委託，因而留下五大名模共同拍攝一部MV的佳話。
George Michael - Freedom! '90 (Official Music Video)
Freedom! '90
I won't let you down
I will not give you up
Gotta have some faith in the sound
It's the one good thing that I've got
I won't let you down
So please don't give me up
Because I would really, really love to stick around
Heaven knows I was just a young boy
Didn't know what I wanted to be
I was every little hungry schoolgirl's pride and joy
And I guess it was enough for me
To win the race, a prettier face
Brand new clothes and a big fat place
On your rock and roll TV
But today the way I play the game is not the same, no way
Think I'm gonna get me some happy
I think there's something you should know
I think it's time I told you so
There's something deep inside of me
There's someone else I've got to be
Take back your picture in a frame
Take back your singing in the rain
I just hope you understand
Sometimes the clothes do not make the man
All we have to do now
Is take these lies and make them true somehow
All we have to see
Is that I don't belong to you
And you don't belong to me
Freedom
I won't let you down, freedom
I will not give you up, freedom
Gotta have some faith in the sound
You got to give what you take
It's the one good thing that I've got, freedom
I won't let you down, freedom
So please don't give me up, freedom
Cause I would really, really love to stick around
Heaven knows we sure had some fun, boy
What a kick, just a buddy and me
We had every big-shot goodtime band on the run, boy
We were living in a fantasy
We won the race, got out of the place
Went back home, got a brand new face for the boys on MTV
But today the way I play the game has got to change oh yeah
Now I'm gonna get myself happy
I think there's something you should know
I think it's time I stopped the show
There's something deep inside of me
There's someone I forgot to be
Take back your picture in a frame
Don’t think that I’ll be back again
I just hope you understand
Sometimes the clothes do not make the man
All we have to do now
Is take these lies and make them true somehow
All we have to see
Is that I don't belong to you
And you don't belong to me
Freedom
I won't let you down, freedom
I will not give you up, freedom
Gotta have some faith in the sound
You got to give what you take
It's the one good thing that I've got, freedom
I won't let you down, freedom
So please don't give me up, freedom
Cause I would really, really love to stick around
Well it looks like the road to heaven
But it feels like the road to hell
When I knew which side my bread was buttered
I took the knife as well
Posing for another picture
Everybody's got to sell
But when you shake your ass
They notice fast
And some mistakes were built to last
That's what you get
I say that's what you get
That's what you get for changing your mind
And after all this time
I just hope you understand
Sometimes the clothes do not make the man
All we have to do now
Is take these lies and make them true somehow
All we have to see
Is that I don't belong to you
And you don't belong to me
Freedom
I won't let you down, freedom
I will not give you up, freedom
Gotta have some faith in the sound
You got to give what you take
It's the one good thing that I've got, freedom
I won't let you down, freedom
So please don't give me up, freedom
Cause I would really, really love to stick around
I'll hold on to my freedom
May not be what you want from me
Just the way it's got to be
Lose the face now
I've got to live
George Michael - Freedom '90 (MTV Unplugged 1996)
2015年五大名模慶祝Freedom '90音樂影片25週年
Christy Turlington、Cindy Crawford、Linda Evangelista、Naomi Campbell、Tatjana Patitz
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