A compelling new 90-minute documentary, WHAM! 10 Days in China, released in cinemas next month, shows unseen footage of the band's 10-day trip behind the iron curtain. In a rare interview, their ex-manager Simon Napier-Bell reveals the truth about his plan to make George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley international stars.
Simon Napier-Bell's Bold Promise
Simon, who managed WHAM! from 1983 to 1985, says: "I started looking after WHAM! after seeing them on Top of the Pops singing Young Guns, their first hit. They didn't have a record deal and didn't have a proper manager. Their lawyer was looking after them. We went to dinner at the Bombay Brasserie in London. I said, 'right, let's discuss what we're going to do,' to which George replied 'we want to be the number one group in a year.' I just burst out laughing."
Simon added: "I said, 'it's completely impossible. No-one's ever been the biggest group in the world in one year. You have to be the biggest group in America too. It’s 60% of the world market. And that takes four or five years. Even The Beatles took five years. So you can't do it.' George said, 'well, you've got one year'."
The China Strategy
Simon's business partner Jazz Summers then suggested: "Maybe we could make you the first Western pop group to play in China. That would get on the news all over the world and would rush things a bit." George agreed, and Simon set off to China alone, without permission, without a word of Chinese, and without any Chinese money. He spent 18 months cold-calling Chinese ministers, eventually securing an invitation from the highest levels after 13 months of lunches.
Simon recalls: "After the last lunch, one minister said, 'I want you to come with me.' He had a red phone on his desk. He said 'the red phone goes right to the top.' He picked it up, spoke in Chinese, turned to me and said, 'yes, you're invited to China'."
Historic Concerts and Global Impact
WHAM! were invited to play two historic concerts: the first to 12,000 fans at the Workers' Gymnasium in Beijing on April 7, 1985, followed by a show to an audience of 5,000 three days later at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Guangzhou. Despite George Michael's initial stage fright, the concerts were covered by 90 news crews from around the world, propelling WHAM! to global fame.
Simon says: "The following morning WHAM! were on ABC, NBC, and CBS News in America. It was 24/7, every hour on the hour, the top thing on the news TV for a week was WHAM! By the end of that week, they were a household name."
Legacy and Documentary Release
Although the tour didn't make much money, the publicity was priceless. Simon notes: "In the next 10 years, billions and billions of dollars flowed in, and modern Beijing was built, really, from that money." The documentary includes restored newly digitised footage and behind-the-scenes stories. WHAM! 10 Days in China is in cinemas from July 28, with tickets on sale June 24. Simon Napier-Bell's book, I'm Coming to Take You to Lunch, is out now.
