George Michael Uncensored

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George Michael recently opened up to The Guardian for a no holds barred interview. And when we say no holds barred, we mean it. It's like the journalist slipped a jigger of sodium pentothal into the pop star's tea before switching on the tape recorder. We're jealous it wasn't us -- and we love it. Here are the best bits:

On smoking pot: In the bad old days, he reckons he was smoking around 25 spliffs a day, and was worried he'd do permanent damage to his voice. "I probably do about seven or eight a day now [he says]."

On what he's working on these days: "I've got some great stuff, and I don't know whether I should release it or hold on to it. It uses my supposed infamy on my own terms." Tell me more [asks the Guardian]. "I can't." The tiniest hint? "I can't tell you. Let's just say my foreseeable future in musical terms is fairly schizophrenic." What kind of music is it? "Can't tell you."

On being caught slumped behind the wheel: "For all the doctored pictures, every single breathalyser test I've taken in my life has read 0.0, and I've never failed a sobriety test." He stops. "I always preface this with, 'I deserved to lose my licence, I needed to lose my licence.' " Yes, he had taken drugs, but he was not stoned. "I had a problem with sleeping pills for about a year and a half, and I fucked up really badly. I got in the car twice when I'd forgotten I'd already downed something to try to get me to sleep. It doesn't matter that it wasn't deliberate -- ultimately, I did it a second time, and I could have killed somebody. But the fact remains I was never accused of driving under the influence. I got done for exhaustion and sleeping pills."

On smoking crack: Is he smoking crack? "No." Has he ever? "No!" He starts again. "I mean, I've done different things at different times that I shouldn't have done, once or twice, you know." I say I'd hate to think of him on crack. "Of course. Of course. Nobody wants to regularly smoke crack." I'm feeling more parental by the second. It's hard not to worry about Michael - for all his paranoia, recklessness and self-absorption, he exudes intelligence, warmth and generosity. "Look me in the eye," I say. "Were you smoking crack?"

"Was I? On that occasion? Yeah."

"When was the last time you smoked it?"

"I'm not going to tell you that. But I am going to tell you, whatever I do, I did 105 really good performances, and none of my musicians can ever say they've seen me wasted."

On cruising: "The handful of times a year it's bloody warm enough, I'll do it. I'll do it on a nice summer even-ing. Quite often there are campfires up there. It's a much nicer place to get some quick and honest sex than standing in a bar, E'd off your tits shouting at somebody and hoping they want the same thing as you do in bed. DyaknowhatImean?"

To read the full interview -- and trust us, you want to -- head here.

George Michael's new live DVD, George Michael: Live in London, is in stores tomorrow.

Previously > Kylie Minogue Live in NYC (Again!)