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Forum nameThe Lesson
Topic subjectInfo on the unreleased "Trojan Souls" project
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=5&topic_id=2625031&mesg_id=2645536
2645536, Info on the unreleased "Trojan Souls" project
Posted by jaywonder, Wed Jan-04-12 12:28 AM
from iOffer:
In 1993 George and cousin Andros had an amazing idea; to
create an album written and produced by George Michael, with other
major artists (i.e. Stevie Wonder, Seal, Janet Jackson) to record
the songs.

This project was called ’The Trojan Souls’, and
in 1993 Warner Brother gave George and Andros a Million Dollars to
produce it. George spent countless hours in the studio writing and
recording the tracks. The resulting work would have become an
George Michael classic.

Unfortunately due to devastating personal events, George was
unable to continue working and the project was shelved. While the
instrumental tracks to each song had been completed, the vocals
were left in various states. A couple were 100% complete, some had
choruses, and others were left in instrumental form.

The highlight of The Trojan Souls is ’This Kind of
Love’, a ballad that was written as a duet with Elton John.
The version on this disc features George singing all the vocals
(Elton’s attempts can be found on the Remix/Outtakes/Demos
CD). The range an intensity of his performance is absolutely
moving!

Dia-hard fans might recognize ’Ain’t No
Stoppin’ Us now’, which was to be released as the first
single from the album.


and from a dotmusic article:
The long, long-delayed George Michael album "Trojan Souls" is still alive, according to a report in England's "Dot Music." The record, which a source close to Michael says features collaborations with 10 vocalists including Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Anita Baker, was halted over Michael's legal problems with his former label, Sony.

The R&B-oriented record was conceived in 1991 as a Michael project that saw the singer write and produce tracks for the guest artists, but apparently it evolved to include duets. It was originally planned as part of a production deal between Sony and Hardback, the label at the time run by Michael's cousin Andreos Georgiou, but Sony rejected the deal and the project was given to Warner.

The record was initially scheduled to be released in 1993. Work was halted in 1992 when Michael and Sony began their legal battle (launched over creative and financial issues) which also apparently affected the Hardback contract. At that time the record was said to be 50 percent complete. Georgiou, told "Dot" that it was still only 50 percent complete and that it would be out "early in the new millenium." Georgiou also told the news service that the Hardback label is also being resurrected.

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