e), is that it is perceived by most as evidence of a cultural decline, proof that there ARE no Lennons, no McCartneys either for that matter. Well, that much may be true.
The social environment that created The Beatles, the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, and of course the virgin birth of rock'n'roll, Elvis, can never be revisited. But the fact remains that Britain is a hugely potent musical force, not least because it is possibly the most success fully multi-racial community on the planet. That aspect of our lives is all over our music. The trouble is, it can only squeeze its way into the charts in the form of (normally watered-down) dance music. By some strange coincidence, club/dance is the only aspect of the music landscape the industry leaves to its own devices. Not because they want to, you understand, just because they don't have a clue what it's about. I mean, for God's sake, it's all so f***ing well, you know, YOUNG.
The corporate guys have s pent the last 15 years doing their best to relieve artists of their art (God knows there was no money to take back), and by the turn of the century they have pretty much succeeded. I say 15 years because I think Live Aid's accidental revival of dead rock stars (hey guys, the baby boomers want to buy this old catalogue stuff on CD!! Sod the kids!) also pumped up the egos, not to mention "bottom lines" of more than a few pony- tailed industry veterans, giving them a renewed confidence. Especially now that those nice Americans had shown them how to REALLY sell. I suppose what I am saying is that post-punk and pre- Live Aid, the kids were in charge of what other kids listened to in this country. That's why things were so much better.
When I was an 18-year-old, throwing my weight around in CBS' offices, I got what I wanted. And because I got what I wanted, in the course of a year I had gone from 'Wham Rap' (yes, exactly) to 'Careless Whisper', 'Everything She Wants' etc. These days, if I had been that stroppy at a point when I had yet to prove myself, I wouldn't have made it past the doorman, simple as that. Why work with one really self-opinionated, uncompromising singer/ songwriter, who never does what they're told when you can pluck four or five great looking kids groups out of stage school, push them around big time then take all the credit when they go to Number One, cos everyone knows they're shit and that you, my corporate friend, are an absolute marketing genius! Well, I'll tell you why. Because everyone over the age of six in this country is bored shitless with your clumsy, cynical attempts to make money. And because in the process of ignoring real talent (and those of us who still search it out know it's there) in favour of malleable, pretty young things, you are depriving the country of one of its greatest assets.
And what has this got to do with John Lennon's upright, I hear you say? Well, everything actually. Sure, I wanted to keep it out of tiny hands in Tokyo (xenophobic but true) and, yes, I think that's an investment (a great one actually where were EMI that evening?) but in reality my true feeling is that 'Imagine', apart from being the most popular song in history, will one day be seen as the symbol by which we remember a zenith in the humanity of popular culture, a time when people expressed a naive but genuine belief that they could change the world with music and conviction. These people wrote their own songs, sang them with a variety of untrained voices, drank, took drugs, drowned, marched, looked ridiculous and made amazing, beautiful music. And in my humble opinion, the best of that music was British.
F***, I wish I had been there. What I wouldn't give to compete in that kind of arena. Born too late, as they say. But it's never too late to play the fool. I know that when my fingers touch the keys of that Steinway, I will feel truly blessed. And parting with money has never been much of a problem. Just ask my accountant.
George Michael
PS: Does anyone know where I can get a snazzy stool