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Lot #532: GEORGE MICHAEL - George Michael's "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" Video Screen-matched

Currency:GBP Category:Memorabilia / Music Memorabilia Start Price:15,000.00 GBP Estimated At:30,000.00 - 60,000.00 GBP
Lot #532: GEORGE MICHAEL - George Michael's  I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)  Video Screen-matched
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Day 1 and 2 of the auction will be held live with in-person bidding on Thursday 9th and Friday 10th November 2023 at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9LN.

Please note in-person bidding is not available on Days 3 and 4 (Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th November), bids can be placed online or via telephone or written absentee form.
GEORGE MICHAEL - George Michael's "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" Video Screen-matched La Rocka Jacket

A vintage screen-matched La Rocka jacket worn by singer-songwriter George Michael in the music video for his number-one hit duet with Aretha Franklin, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)". This jacket comes directly from the collection of Michael's stylist Alan Keyes, and originally belonged to Keyes.

Michael's Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgley spotted Keyes wearing the garment backstage during the "I'm Your Man" video shoot and asked if he could borrow it. Ridgley then wore the jacket (without the lapel pins and some of the skull studs) on stage in the video for that song, filmed in 1985 at the Marquee Club in London. Images of Ridgley wearing the jacket can be seen in the book If You Were There: George Michael and Wham! - Photographs by Martyn Goddard, published by Ormond Yard Press. Additional images in the book show Ridgley wearing the jacket, now with studs and pins applied, during two concerts at Brixton Academy on 23 and 24 June 1986. Pulls and scuffs on the left sleeve photo-match the jacket to one of the concert images.

In 1986, Michael - now embarking on a solo career - asked Keyes if he could borrow the jacket for the "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" video. Released in January 1987, the song reached number one in both the US and the UK, and it was Franklin's only ever UK number one. Directed by Andy Morahan, most of the video shows Michael and Franklin performing in front of, and on, a video screen. The positioning and make of certain studs on the back and the skull studs on the front screen-match the jacket to Michael in the video.

The vintage 1980s La Rocka leather jacket features denim sleeves, a red lining, three metal zips, skull buttons and studs, and multiple pockets. Various metal badges are pinned to the lapels, some of which can be seen in the video. The back is heavily decorated with metal studs, which spell out "Rock 'N' Roll", and features an image of the 7" single "Wild Cat" by Gene Vincent. Marked as a size "L", the jacket exhibits signs of wear and age, including patches of discolouration on the denim and marks and loose threads on the lining. Some of the studs have come loose, with others coming out over time, and several of the pins seen in the video are missing. The lot is accompanied by a handwritten letter of authenticity from Keyes.

Estimate: GBP 30000 - 60000 M

Bidding for this lot will end on Friday, November 10th. The auction will begin at 3:00PM BST and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace. Note other lots in the auction may close on Thursday, November 9th, Saturday, November 11th or Sunday, November 12th.