STACK #257 March 2026

MUSIC FEATURE

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GEORGE MICHAEL FAITH (40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION) Words: Paul Jones V I N Y L V I T A L

T he release of Faith in Octo ber 1987 put any rumours of a rethink about Wham!, George Michael’s pop project he’d grown out of, to bed. A significant departure from the bubblegum pop that had put his name on the map, Faith was slick, sensual, and a confident declara tion of artistic independence. Michael wrote, produced, and largely arranged the album himself, a bold move in an era still dominated by hit factory teams. The result was a unified record that jumped between genres with casual authority. The title track’s now-iconic rock abilly stomp opened the album with a strong statement: this was not teen pop. From there, Faith sprawled into sleek R&B in Father Figure, gospel-infused soul with One More Try , funk on Hand to Mouth , and the immaculate pop craftsmanship of I Want Your Sex , all held together by Michael’s powerful voice. Commercially, the impact was seismic. Faith topped charts worldwide, sold over 25 million copies - an exceptional feat that

placed Michael in the company of pop’s true heavyweights: Madon na, Michael Jackson, and Prince. At the 1989 Grammys, it won ‘Album of the Year’, a crown ing moment that silenced any lingering doubts surrounding his post-Wham! credibility. But Faith’s real legacy runs deeper than numbers. It captured a tension that would define Michael’s career: the friction between public persona and private truth. Songs like Father Figure and One More Try hinted at a vulnerability beneath the bravado. Culturally, Faith helped rede fine what a male pop star could be - confident and emotionally open without weakness, an artist in full creative control. It bridged pop and soul at a moment when those worlds were drifting apart. Nearly four decades on, Faith still sounds assured, daring, and modern - not just a blockbust er album, but a turning point where pop ambition met genuine artistic vision.

Bauhaus, The Smiths, and R.E.M early in their careers. He would eventually

progress into magazine cover shoots before final ly landing his first record sleeve contract, George Michael’s Faith . Young said the job “opened the Golden Gates” to his career. Asked about the symbols fea tured at the bottom of the album, Michael said in a 1987 interview, “I took the title and tried to think of five different things people have faith or a strong belief in. “So, I chose two religious symbols, the heart and the arrow, which is people’s belief in love, the money sign, and a musical sign called a bass clef.”

COVER CALLOUT T hen-burgeoning photographer Russell Young captured the iconic album artwork. After lying about his age to get into art school, the occasional ly homeless photographer honed his craft, capturing the gigs of bands like

• In the Faith video, George Michael is seen wearing a glove on his right hand. It wasn’t a fashion statement – the singer had strung the guitar with new strings, and these had cut his fingers; the glove was used to cover up his wounds. • George Michael not only wrote and produced the album, but also played most of the instruments, including guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums.

FAST FACTS

WHAT’S THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY PRESSING ALL ABOUT?

The album comes in two gatefold double-vinyl variants at JB: the standard black vinyl and our favourite, the red-and-black marble-effect version. The fourth side on Faith features a bonus track. I Want Your Sex (Monogamy Mix) is a 13-minute three-part extended mix originally released on a 12-inch single. It’s a remix of the single I Want Your Sex that features three parts. Part one was recorded in 1986, with the second two parts recorded as extensions in 1987.

44 FEBRUARY 2026

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