WHAM! unwrapped: With unseen footage and surprising revelations, a new documentary about the duo will wow even diehard fans
- The documentary celebrates Brit pop duo who sold more than 30 million records
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Shirlie Kemp admits she was apprehensive about watching Netflix’s new Wham! documentary.
Backing singer Shirlie was best pals with founders George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley (and for a while Andrew’s girlfriend) during the four years the band blazed brightly before splitting at their peak in 1986.
But after the death of pop icon George in 2016, Shirlie imagined seeing the film would upset her. ‘I thought, “Am I just going to be crying?”’ Shirlie, now 61, tells me.
‘But as soon as it started and I saw George and Andrew when they were younger my heart melted. I didn’t feel sad at all. I thought, “There they are, the boys I knew and loved, when things were innocent and carefree.” I watched it all with a huge smile.’
That’s the gist of the documentary, timed to mark 40 years since Wham!’s debut album Fantastic hit No 1 in the charts.
A new Netflix documentary uncovers the universe of WHAM!, which was made up of George Michael (left) and Andrew Ridgeley, who met at school in Hertfordshire
Bandmates George Michael (left) and Andrew Ridgeley pictured in 1993. When the band split so George could launch his solo career, the pair remained friends
It’s a celebration of the young pop duo who sold more than 30 million records worldwide and turned out hits such as Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, Club Tropicana and Last Christmas.
The duo, who’d met at school in Hertfordshire, split amicably when George launched a solo career.
The documentary features a wealth of unseen material. One of its producers, Simon Halfon, says his team spent over two years digging for footage and audio, and as a friend of both men Simon had a good idea where to look.
‘I knew DJ Mark Goodier did a fantastic set of interviews with George, so I asked him if he had the raw footage.
‘Everything was there: George talking about his childhood, meeting Andrew, tours and their breakthrough appearance on Top Of The Pops in 1982. I told the other producers, “We’ve got our movie.”’
Andrew was interviewed several times as new George Michael recordings were discovered. ‘We’d say, “George said this. What do you think of that?”’ explains Simon. ‘We wanted the film to feel conversational.’
The fresh material will wow even Wham! fans, he says. ‘It includes things like the demo of Careless Whisper, which the George Michael estate didn’t have.’
He’s particularly proud of finding footage of Wham!’s 1983 performances at London’s Hammersmith Odeon.
George Michael at the age of 17. The new documentary features unseen footage of George talking about his childhood and meeting Andrew, as well as their tours and their breakthrough appearance on Top Of The Pops in 1982
‘People recalled the concert being filmed, but no one knew where it was,’ says Simon.
In the end, Wham! bass player Dave West had a VHS copy. ‘It didn’t exist anywhere else,’ says Simon. ‘So it’s never been seen. We’ve got footage of a US tour that’s never been seen. We’ve got so many elements fans will go nuts for.’
Among its many joyful moments is extra footage of their iconic 1984 Last Christmas music video, filmed in Switzerland.
It featured Andrew, George, backing singers Shirlie and Pepsi and pals. The gang’s tipsy Christmas dinner was exactly that, as the crew had filled their glasses ‘with real booze. We were knocking it back and getting gradually more drunk,’ says George. Andrew adds, ‘It’s amazing that video ever got made.’
We also see bits of scrapbooks that Andrew’s mum kept of their successes. ‘There were 50 or 60 of them,’ says Simon. ‘They make them feel homegrown, which Wham! were.’
Shirlie Kemp agrees the film captures Wham!’s endearing lack of polish. ‘It never felt like a slick, professional thing,’ says Shirlie. ‘We were just kids making this thing up. But we all knew George’s voice was insane.’
The film makes clear that Wham!’s cheerful pop for teens wouldn’t be enough for George in the long term; he needed to be taken seriously as a recording artist.
George Michael at eight-years-old. The film is in part a tribute to George and Andrew’s close friendship dating back to their school days
Wham! backing singer Shirlie Kemp (pictured) hopes the documentary will show that Andrew was as important for the band’s success as George was
‘While I was happy just being in a band, George needed more,’ says Andrew. ‘He needed recognition, affirmation of who he was.’
The footage of Wham!’s farewell concert in June 1986 finishes with a hug between the men, and the film is a tribute to their close friendship. ‘They were the funniest, most charming, charismatic boys,’ says Shirlie.
She hopes the film also makes clear Andrew’s contribution. ‘It shows his talent,’ says Shirlie.
‘He and George were equals, and I could see how Andrew would disagree with him, then suggest an idea that would work.
‘My hope is that everyone will now know that Andrew really did make that band. He was never just George’s mate standing there. George wouldn’t have been there without him.’
- Wham!, from Wednesday, Netflix.
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