Sony has officially announced that they are finally issuing a deluxe version of "Faith" by George Michael. It is scheduled to hit the "shops" on September 27.
This one has been a curiosity over the last few years. "Faith", along with his output as part of Wham!, has been mysteriously absent from the list of classic albums to be given the remastering treatment.
His legal wranglings with Sony long behind him, it was always odd that "Faith" never got the deluxification it deserved, especially during his recent "25 Live" tour. Nonetheless, it has been long overdue for a serious dusting off and sprucing up.
As I mentioned in a previous entry, it appears "I Want Your Sex" is being reswizzled for contemporary dancefloor consumption by Freemasons. It's an interesting choice considering the single version of "I Want Your Sex" has not appeared on any of GM's greatest hits collections. Another in a long line of head scratchers from George.
Hopefully, the deluxe edition of "Faith" will include all the remixes, non-album b-sides and single versions connected to GM's debut solo longplayer. While we wait for the tracklisting to leak, let's take a look back at all SIX singles from 1988's best selling album of the year.
"I Want Your Sex"
US #2/UK #3
"Faith"
US #1/UK #2
"Father Figure"
US #1/UK #11
"One More Try"
US #1/UK #8
"Monkey"
US #1/UK #13
"Kissing A Fool"
US #5/UK #18
As I mentioned in a previous entry, it appears "I Want Your Sex" is being reswizzled for contemporary dancefloor consumption by Freemasons. It's an interesting choice considering the single version of "I Want Your Sex" has not appeared on any of GM's greatest hits collections. Another in a long line of head scratchers from George.
Hopefully, the deluxe edition of "Faith" will include all the remixes, non-album b-sides and single versions connected to GM's debut solo longplayer. While we wait for the tracklisting to leak, let's take a look back at all SIX singles from 1988's best selling album of the year.
"I Want Your Sex"
US #2/UK #3
"Faith"
US #1/UK #2
"Father Figure"
US #1/UK #11
"One More Try"
US #1/UK #8
"Monkey"
US #1/UK #13
"Kissing A Fool"
US #5/UK #18
There is one question that still circumnavigates my brain when I listen to "Faith". Does George like the smell of his own armpit?
Damn, sir! When I saw this post, that's always the first thing that pops into my mind when I see that cover! I was going to ask the same question and then I saw your zinger as I scrolled down.
ReplyDeleteTouché!
Not a GM fan but "Faith" was the last thing anyone expected from him, and a real corker of a tune. I distinctly remember that one of the mail order dealers I heavily relied on in that era was Jack Wolak's Rare Necessities. The crusty dudes who ran it immensely preferred what would be called the Americana genre a decade or so later. Their catalogs of discs would always feature their top 10 listings for the year and most of these (presumably) hairy dudes who ran the "shop" gave massive praise and high placement on their personal lists to Mr. Michael for that title single, in spite of their antipathy for his previous material.
What would be the extras? we have the full I Want Your Sex suite, Jam and Lewis Monkey, another v of Hard Day (is there?), what else? Live One More Try maybe? Actually a full live CD would rock.
ReplyDelete@xolondon - Well, there are the single versions. For instance, the single version of "I Want Your Sex" can only be found on the "Beverly Hills Cop 2" soundtrack. Then there are some non-album b-sides and instrumentals.
ReplyDeleteI really would like see the remixes of "Monkey" and "Hard Day" on there, too.
When I was younger, I always thought there was something perversely sexy about george's leather and him sniffing his own armpit. I think it was the time when i realised sex wasn't just vanilla :P (That and the Frankie GTH videos!)
ReplyDeleteHow odd that he didn't have a UK number one from that album!
@Paul - I had that same realization. I wanted to sniff his leather jacket, as well. Dead sexy. It explains so much of my youth.
ReplyDelete