Author Topic: RIP George Michael  (Read 6643 times)

accolay

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RIP George Michael
« on: December 25, 2016, 05:28:12 PM »

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #1 on: December 25, 2016, 06:05:19 PM »
2016 sux

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #2 on: December 25, 2016, 09:05:19 PM »
So sorry to hear this news. Yup, he was a father figure way back when.

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #3 on: December 26, 2016, 05:23:53 AM »
I was quite shocked when I heard last night. RIP. Sad.

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #4 on: December 26, 2016, 09:34:06 AM »
This hit my DW pretty hard. A Wham-disciple back in the day she was.

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #5 on: December 26, 2016, 11:43:16 PM »
This hits me hard. George Michael made being gay acceptable for a lot of us younger folks growing up. Plus his incredible talent, sense of style, unapologetic nature and physical charm. So many icons I grew up listening to over the last 20 years are gone. He will certainly be missed along with so many others lost in 2016.

Metric Mouse

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #6 on: December 27, 2016, 04:19:51 AM »
I don't know that I would recognize any songs he sings.

arebelspy

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #7 on: December 27, 2016, 04:28:52 AM »
I don't know that I would recognize any songs he sings.
Wham's Wake Me Up Before You Go Go is the only I can name off the top of my head, though I find sometimes I recognize songs but didn't know the artist.

The only reason I know that is from Zoolander. :)
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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #8 on: December 27, 2016, 05:11:14 AM »
I don't know that I would recognize any songs he sings.
You would quite possibly recognise either Last Christmas or Careless Whisper, but if you are prepared to listen to any of them, I would recommend the achingly beautiful and sad Jesus to a Child, the royalties from which have long been signed over to a children's charity here in the UK -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNBj4EV_hAo

arebelspy

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #9 on: December 27, 2016, 05:24:30 AM »
Oh yeah, Last Christmas.

Rant incoming. :)

Any song where you can substitute in "Tuesday" for "Christmas" isn't a Christmas song, but a marketing ploy.

"Last Tuesday I gave you my heart, but the very next day, you gave it away. This year, to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special."

Totally works.

See also Elvis's "Blue Christmas" as another real world example (Blue Tuesday totally works) and the movie Love Actually, which mocks this by replacing Love with Christmas in lyrics of a song in the best subplot of the movie.

Also what does it mean for someone else to give your heart away?  That makes no sense. Now do I love that other person that you gave it to?  It should have "threw" in place of the second "gave".
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Metric Mouse

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #10 on: December 27, 2016, 05:31:59 AM »
I don't know that I would recognize any songs he sings.
You would quite possibly recognise either Last Christmas or Careless Whisper, but if you are prepared to listen to any of them, I would recommend the achingly beautiful and sad Jesus to a Child, the royalties from which have long been signed over to a children's charity here in the UK -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNBj4EV_hAo

Thank you for the link. Didn't particularly turn my crank, I guess. Largely because the way the song was mixed, so maybe another recording would be more enjoyable to me.

I guess I have heard of the song Last Christmas before.  Really didn't know Wham though - probably too young.

former player

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #11 on: December 27, 2016, 05:38:29 AM »
Oh yeah, Last Christmas.

Rant incoming. :)

Any song where you can substitute in "Tuesday" for "Christmas" isn't a Christmas song, but a marketing ploy.

"Last Tuesday I gave you my heart, but the very next day, you gave it away. This year, to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special."

Totally works.

See also Elvis's "Blue Christmas" as another real world example (Blue Tuesday totally works) and the movie Love Actually, which mocks this by replacing Love with Christmas in lyrics of a song in the best subplot of the movie.

Also what does it mean for someone else to give your heart away?  That makes no sense. Now do I love that other person that you gave it to?  It should have "threw" in place of the second "gave".

Nice rant, and I agree with a lot of it, but Tuesday doesn't quite work as a substitution in Last Christmas because of the "year" references -
"Do you recognize me?
 Well,
 It's been a year,
 It doesn't surprise me
 (Merry Christmas)"

Also, sold over 3 million copies.  Over 200 million views on youtube.  As a marketing exercise, a pretty successful one for a 21 year old to write.

arebelspy

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #12 on: December 27, 2016, 05:41:27 AM »
Nice rant, and I agree with a lot of it, but Tuesday doesn't quite work as a substitution in Last Christmas because of the "year" references -
"Do you recognize me?
 Well,
 It's been a year,
 It doesn't surprise me
 (Merry Christmas)"

It still works, even with year references.  It's a metaphor.  ;)

Quote
Also, sold over 3 million copies.  Over 200 million views on youtube.  As a marketing exercise, a pretty successful one for a 21 year old to write.

Sure.  I said it was a marketing thing.  Those tend to work.

I never said it was a bad thing.  It's just not a Christmas song, it's a trick.  :)
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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #13 on: December 27, 2016, 05:54:10 AM »
You're a Grinch.  And one who is struggling to maintain the thesis in this particular respect.

Wikipedia tells me the royalties on Last Christmas are donated to famine relief.

arebelspy

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #14 on: December 27, 2016, 06:06:26 AM »
You're a Grinch.

In some things related to Christmas, I am a Grinch.  In other things, I'm VERY Christmas-y.   It depends on the aspect of Christmas.

But I'm particular about my Christmas songs.

Quote
And one who is struggling to maintain the thesis in this particular respect.

Do you really not see how it's not a Christmas song?  Just because it says a "year" so you think it can't reference a day?

I mean, put in Easter then.  Or Black Friday.  Whatever.  Sure, there may be one or two other Christmas-y words shoved in.  That doesn't make it a Christmas-y song.

Is this a Christmas song:
Quote
On a dark December highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of candy canes, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night

There she stood in the doorway
I heard the Christmas bell
And I was thinking to myself
'This could be presents or this could be coal
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor
I thought I heard them say

Welcome to the Christmas California
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Christmas California
Any time of year (any time of year) you can find it here

Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that she calls friends
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet winter sweat
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget

So I called up the Santa
'Please bring me my wine
He said, "we haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty-nine
And still those voices are calling from far away
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say"

Welcome to the ChristmasCalifornia
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
They livin' it up at the Christmas California
What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise), bring your alibis

Mirrors on the ceiling
The pink champagne on ice
And she said, 'we are all just prisoners here, of our own device
And in the Santa's chambers
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives
But they just can't kill the beast

Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the tree
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
'Relax' said Santa
'We are programmed to receive
You can check out any time you like
But you can never leave!

(Bolding added for changes.)

I would argue no, shoving the word Christmas into it where it could be substituted for something else (say, Hotel?) and throwing in a few references to the season doesn't make it a REAL Christmas song.

Internet Christmas Song Police (ICSP) unite!

Quote
Wikipedia tells me the royalties on Last Christmas are donated to famine relief.

That's terrific!  (I mean that genuinely.)

...doesn't make it a Christmas song though.  Complete non-sequitur.  :)
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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #15 on: December 27, 2016, 06:31:26 AM »
Well, I've made some progress now you acknowledge that the substitution needs to relate to an annual event for it to make sense.

The lyrics also contain references to wrapping presents and to parties.  Add together an annual event with presents and parties with sadness at a time which is traditionally meant to be happy, and it's Christmassy enough for me.   It's fine for your mileage to vary.

Hotel California is one of those lyrics which has never been explained, so substitutions as a demonstration of it's (lack of) meaning are irrelevant.

arebelspy

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #16 on: December 27, 2016, 07:05:27 AM »
I don't agree with you, but don't care to argue about it any more.
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radram

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #17 on: December 27, 2016, 07:08:41 AM »

MinimalistMark

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #18 on: December 27, 2016, 08:42:15 AM »
Careless Whisper is one of my favorite songs ever. RIP.

accolay

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #19 on: December 27, 2016, 10:39:24 AM »
Interesting. Why even bother posting in a "RIP xxx" thread if you didn't know and or enjoy about the xxx who the thread is about?

George Michael's Top Ten Songs:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/26/george-michaels-greatest-hits/

Also, is a Christmas song even a Christmas song if it doesn't have a reference to Jesus in it? But I digress...

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #20 on: December 27, 2016, 10:49:29 AM »
We'll just have to watch this in his honor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui_CNb4FUtQ

arebelspy

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #21 on: December 27, 2016, 10:54:23 AM »
Interesting. Why even bother posting in a "RIP xxx" thread if you didn't know and or enjoy about the xxx who the thread is about?

Any number of reasons.  In MM's case, it seems to be to learn about him.

Quote
Also, is a Christmas song even a Christmas song if it doesn't have a reference to Jesus in it? But I digress...

Plenty.  How about "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch?"

;)
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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #22 on: December 27, 2016, 11:24:38 AM »
I always thought he had a beautiful voice but I never realised he was also so kind and generous until all the articles that have come out since Christmas about his philanthropic activities, especially the low-key/secret ones. Love that he volunteered at a homeless shelter, was nervous performing at his free concert for nurses, and that he apparently watched shows like Deal or No Deal (just somehow makes him seem down-to-earth and relatable, hehe). http://mashable.com/2016/12/26/george-michael-secret-philanthrophy-giving/

accolay

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #23 on: December 27, 2016, 11:25:28 AM »
Interesting. Why even bother posting in a "RIP xxx" thread if you didn't know and or enjoy about the xxx who the thread is about?

Any number of reasons.  In MM's case, it seems to be to learn about him.

Well, at least in MM case, it's too bad there aren't any recent news articles or any international series of tubes we could use to look up videos or articles of said performers body or work.

arebelspy

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #24 on: December 27, 2016, 11:28:28 AM »
Interesting. Why even bother posting in a "RIP xxx" thread if you didn't know and or enjoy about the xxx who the thread is about?

Any number of reasons.  In MM's case, it seems to be to learn about him.

Well, at least in MM case, it's too bad there aren't any recent news articles or any international series of tubes we could use to look up videos or articles of said performers body or work.

It's a million dollar idea.
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Metric Mouse

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #25 on: December 27, 2016, 01:46:13 PM »
Interesting. Why even bother posting in a "RIP xxx" thread if you didn't know and or enjoy about the xxx who the thread is about?

Any number of reasons.  In MM's case, it seems to be to learn about him.

Well, at least in MM case, it's too bad there aren't any recent news articles or any international series of tubes we could use to look up videos or articles of said performers body or work.

Great idea. I did a bit of this myself. Can't say I'd do it again.

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #26 on: December 27, 2016, 02:42:18 PM »
Oh, man. George was my first major crush! 13 year old me had him ALL OVER my bedroom walls.

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #27 on: December 27, 2016, 02:51:53 PM »
Oh, man. George was my first major crush! 13 year old me had him ALL OVER my bedroom walls.

Ditto.  Now that I'm older I appreciate his genius all-the-more.  He was a soul singer at heart, multi-instrumentalist, gifted writer... I still play his greatest hits a lot in my car.

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #28 on: December 27, 2016, 06:13:12 PM »
He was so talented and so amazingly generous. So very, very sad he's gone.

limeandpepper

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #29 on: December 28, 2016, 08:35:46 PM »

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Re: RIP George Michael
« Reply #30 on: December 29, 2016, 08:26:58 PM »
I listened to Last Christmas on repeat all through the holidays this year.

:(

He was so unapologetically queer and open during a time when it was extremely difficult. I have a lot of respect for him for that reason alone. Plus I do love his music.