不过从林赛·安德森 ( Lindsay Anderson ) 拍摄的纪录片《Foreign Skies : Wham! In China》所展现的画面来看,演出现场的气氛还是相当热烈的。
乔治·迈克尔 (George Michael) 与中国观众亲密互动。随行的乐队成员深入观众席和中国听众握手拥抱,一名男性黑人乐手还被一位另一位中国歌迷强吻。
当时的乐队经理 Simon Napier-Bell 在那次巡回演出20周年之际出版了一本纪念册《我带你去吃午餐》(I'm Coming to Take You to Lunch),透露他1983年来到中国,托英国大使馆的关系,给所有能找到的政府机关打电话,让接电话的人跟领导说有个叫西蒙·纳皮尔-贝尔的人要请他吃饭。
《Foreign Skies : Wham! In China》这样的剪辑,不像是纪录片,更像是给西方观众一种北京文化气氛“宽松”“开放”的假象的宣传片。
《芝加哥论坛报》当时刊文写道,1985年在北京举办的演唱会结束后乔治•迈克尔马上说:"这是最难的一场演唱会。演唱会一开始会场内鸦雀无声,令人难以置信。"
其实,1986年6月28日在伦敦温布利(Wembley)体育场举行的Wham!乐队告别演唱会上,向7.2万观众首映的60分钟片长的< Wham! in China: Foreign Skies > ,并不是导演 Lindsay Anderson 的原作,78分钟片长的 <If You Were There >。
The film created by Strathford Hamilton and Andy Morahan was shot over two weeks, was then edited over summer and autumn 1985 in London. Anderson called his one-hour and 18 minute film If You Were There.
In the final stages of editing, Anderson was dismissed in October 1985 by Wham!'s management, the editing team quit, and the film was entirely re-edited, renamed and released as Wham! in China: Foreign Skies.
【挂羊头卖狗肉的“记录片”】
导演 Lindsay Anderson 在1985年
10月被 Wham!的经理团队解雇,因为他想拍的是历史纪录片,而不是文艺/商业宣传片。
Lindsay Anderson原先的剪辑团队也集体退出,他的<If You Were There>整个被重新剪辑并且改名为 <Wham! in China: Foreign Skies>。
< Wham! in China: Foreign Skies > 录像带在美国热卖,零售价$19.98,was the sixteenth best-selling music videocassette for 1986.
The video was certified gold in April 1987 by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of 50,000 copies.
【Wham! 在中国是无偿演出】
The concert at the Workers' Gymnasium in Beijing on 7 April in front of 12,000, who paid about $1.75 each.
The concert on 10 April in front of 5,000 in Canton where tickets cost about $5.50 each.
The two concerts were played without compensation.
However, Wham's visit to China attracted huge media attention across the world.
Promotion of trip cost at least $1.5 million which was self-funded, due to Michael wanting artistic control over the film.