Wham!’s China Gamble and Legacy Revealed in Retrospective Documentary

The documentary "Wham! 10 Days in China" delves into the groundbreaking 1985 visit by the British pop duo Wham! to Communist China, marking them as the first Western pop act to perform there. Newly restored footage and firsthand accounts in the film, released in cinemas worldwide on July 28, explore the origins and consequences of this pivotal trip, which included concerts in Beijing and Guangzhou.

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I really wanted to discover, beyond the legacy for Wham! outside of China, which we know of...what actually is the legacy in China. And that was perhaps the most enduring legacy there is; it is those people whose lives, the course of their lives, let's say, was changed by Wham!'s performances.

Andrew Ridgeley, a member of Wham!, shared that the band members were largely unaware of the full extent of their legacy in China. "I really wanted to discover, beyond the legacy for Wham! outside of China, which we know of...what actually is the legacy in China," Ridgeley told Reuters. He believes the most enduring legacy is how the performances impacted and potentially changed the lives of Chinese citizens.

During the 1980s, China maintained strict controls on Western music. Among the approximately 15,000 attendees at a heavily policed concert in Beijing was Cui Jian, who later became known as the "godfather of Chinese rock." Ridgeley noted that Cui Jian embarked on his music career directly after witnessing Wham!'s performances, highlighting a significant and lasting cultural impact.

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He embarked on his career as a musician as a consequence of seeing Wham!'s performances, so that's the meaningful, really enduring legacy.

The China concerts were a strategic "career move" orchestrated by the band's manager, Simon Napier-Bell. Facing challenges with George Michael's voice, which prevented an extensive U.S. tour, the manager devised the China appearance as a way to rapidly increase the band's global profile. Ridgeley admitted he was initially skeptical of the plan, while Michael was enthusiastic, possibly understanding the publicity potential better than Ridgeley.

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It was a considered and manufactured career move. It was a consequence of the fact that George was not going to do a 90-day arena tour in the States. Something had to be done and Simon had the answer.

The film offers what Ridgeley described as a "frank and genuine" look at the two young musicians during a trip that carried political undertones and attracted considerable media attention. Ridgeley explained that the visit involved official banquets and diplomatic interactions, emphasizing that it was a professional engagement rather than a sightseeing tour.

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A show needed to be made of Wham! being there, so that meant official banquets, it meant diplomatic interactions, going to the ambassador's residence. We weren't going to go over there and think that we were going to be sightseeing all day. There was a job to be done.