A new documentary, "Wham! 10 Days In China," is set to revisit the groundbreaking 1985 tour of China by the British pop duo Wham!. The film utilizes previously unreleased footage from a documentary shot at the time, offering an unvarnished look at the cultural challenges and personal dynamics that defined the historic trip.
Wham!, comprising George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, became the first Western pop act to perform in China on April 7, 1985, at Beijing's Workers' Gymnasium. The concert, attended by 15,000 people, was met with an unexpected silence from an audience largely unfamiliar with Western pop music. "I remember looking at George and I could read his face. There was confusion in his eyes," recalled backing singer Shirlie Holliman.
The film, directed by Mike Christie, aims to present an authentic account, including "the rough with the smooth," as Ridgeley describes it. "Taking out the slightly uncomfortable bits wouldn't make such an engaging piece," he added.
The Road to China
The decision to tour China was driven by a desire to rapidly accelerate Wham!'s global fame. "We wanted to fast-track Wham! straight to the top," said Ridgeley. Co-manager Simon Napier-Bell orchestrated the deal, which took 18 months and multiple trips to China. To secure the booking, Napier-Bell presented Chinese officials with contrasting images of Wham! and Queen, opting for Wham!'s wholesome image.
Creative Friction
The band's co-manager hired director Lindsay Anderson, known for his dramatic films, to document the tour. However, Anderson, described as a "posh sexagenarian," reportedly had little respect for the young pop stars. "He was very down on them being pop stars. He even said in his diary, 'I'm only doing it for the money,'" Christie noted. Ridgeley described the pairing as "a marriage made in the very depths of hell."
Anderson's footage captured the duo at iconic locations like the Great Wall and at a reception hosted by the British ambassador. However, the band found these staged scenes uncomfortable. "To be dragged around to contrived scenes was not something either of us were particularly comfortable with," Ridgeley stated.
During this period, George Michael was also navigating personal complexities, including his future with Ridgeley and his yet-to-be-publicized sexuality. In one instance captured on film, Michael walks off during a press encounter, leaving Ridgeley to handle the questions alone. "Andrew was protecting George, who clearly was a fragile youth," Christie explained. Ridgeley added, "George was a very private person. He constructed George Michael, and George Michael shielded Yog to a degree."
The Beijing Concert and Its Aftermath
The Beijing concert itself proved challenging. The audience's unfamiliarity with the music and energetic performance style led to confusion and apprehension from authorities. "The authorities hadn't seen anything like this before. They were worried it was going to result in a riot. So when the interval came, there was an announcement that everyone had to stay in their seats," said Simon Napier-Bell.
Wham!'s performance was met with bewilderment. "We'd usually sit down to watch performances. Nobody knew how to react. Most of them wanted to move but they didn't know how to," recalled Chinese singer Cheng Fangyuan. When one audience member began dancing, he was removed by police, a move that "made the concert political," according to Napier-Bell.
George Michael described the concert as "f****** horrible," and Ridgeley found it disheartening to perform with "no palpable effect." The band was reportedly unaware of the restrictions placed on the audience, believing the subdued reaction was a reflection of their performance.
Further drama unfolded during the band's flight to their second concert in Guangzhou. Trumpet player Raul D'Oliveira suffered a breakdown mid-air and stabbed himself, causing the plane to return. "We all thought we were going to die," journalist David Wigg recounted.
A Different Reception in Guangzhou and Lasting Impact
The concert in Guangzhou, a city more open to Western influence, offered a stark contrast, with the audience enthusiastically clapping and dancing.
Four months after the China tour, Wham! embarked on a successful U.S. tour, fulfilling their ambition for global stardom. "We set the US alight. That was what Yog wanted. That was the whole purpose of the China enterprise," Ridgeley stated.
While authorities reportedly offered the duo around 6,000 bicycles as payment for the concerts, the offer was declined due to currency export restrictions and logistical concerns. "The freight costs would have been excessive," Ridgeley commented.
Following the tour, Wham! and director Lindsay Anderson parted ways after the band saw a rough cut of his film, deeming it "dull." Anderson's extensive footage, however, has now been shaped by Mike Christie into "Wham! 10 Days In China." The documentary includes notable scenes, such as Michael discussing Communism while receiving a massage, a moment that was included with Michael's consent.
Despite the difficulties, George Michael later reflected on the tour's significance: "There are very few things you can do as a pop band that haven't been done before. It was a great privilege being the first to play real Western pop music to those people."
"Wham! 10 Days In China" is scheduled for theatrical release on July 28, with a broadcast on BBC2 later in the summer.