George Michael’s landmark 1987 solo debut, Faith, is set to receive a deluxe reissue in early 2026, including an SDE exclusive blu-ray audio edition featuring a Dolby Atmos Mix, 5.1 surround sound, and 13 bonus tracks. The release promises to celebrate one of the defining albums of the 1980s, cementing Michael’s transition from Wham! frontman to global solo superstar.
Released on 30 October 1987 in the US and 2 November in the UK, Faith marked a bold step for Michael, who had grown frustrated with Wham!’s teen-pop image despite the duo’s commercial success. Michael took full creative control, writing and producing every track except Look At Your Hands, co-written with David Austin. Musically, the album blends pop, R&B, funk, soul, rock, and jazz, while its introspective and occasionally provocative lyrics reflected Michael’s personal and artistic evolution.
Faith was an unprecedented commercial success. It topped the charts in more than 10 countries, including the US and the UK, sold over 25 million copies worldwide, and won Album of the Year at the 31st Grammy Awards. Its four Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles-Faith, Father Figure, One More Try, and Monkey-made Michael the only British male solo artist to achieve four chart-toppers from a single album.
The highlight of the reissue is the SDE exclusive blu-ray, number 56 in the ongoing SDE Surround Series. Engineered by Chris Porter, the original album’s engineer, it offers a Dolby Atmos Mix and a 5.1 surround mix alongside a newly mastered stereo mix. The blu-ray includes 13 stereo bonus tracks, featuring extended and instrumental versions of Monkey, Father Figure, Kissing A Fool, and the 13-minute I Want Your Sex (Monogamy Mix). Several tracks, including the 7” version of I Want Your Sex, appear on a Faith reissue for the first time.
Other formats in the reissue campaign include a CD, a single LP black vinyl edition, and 2LP editions on black and red-and-black marbled vinyl, pressed on environmentally friendly BioVinyl with gatefold sleeves and printed inners. The red and black 2LP edition includes the Monogamy Mix of I Want Your Sex on side four.
The SDE blu-ray will be released on 20 February 2026 via Sony Music, packaged in a clear amaray case and shipping with a collectible slipcase.
Michael recorded Faith over more than a year, starting with I Want Your Sex (Part 1) and Look At Your Hands at Sarm West Studios in London. The bulk of the album was produced at Puk Studios in Denmark, a private environment that allowed him to develop songs without media interference. Michael often overdubbed each instrument himself, occasionally using session musicians, while utilising drum machines, synthesizers, and samplers to create a sophisticated sound palette.
Tracks such as Faith incorporated rockabilly influences, Father Figure evolved into a mid-tempo R&B ballad, and One More Try drew on soul traditions inspired by Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. Funk elements powered Monkey and Hard Day, while Kissing A Fool offered a jazz-inflected closing ballad. Michael’s experimental approach, paired with confident songwriting, demonstrated his determination to be counted among contemporaries like Michael Jackson and Prince.
Following the album’s release, Michael embarked on the Faith Tour in February 1988, opening at Tokyo’s Budokan arena before travelling to Australia, Europe, and North America. Highlights included a duet with Aretha Franklin in Los Angeles and a performance at Wembley Stadium’s Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute.
Faith received critical acclaim, with Rolling Stone calling Michael “one of pop music’s leading artisans” and praising the album’s combination of vocal finesse, musical innovation, and contemporary influences. The album earned multiple accolades, including three American Music Awards and the MTV Video Vanguard Award. It is widely regarded as one of the defining albums of the 1980s, featuring in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time at number 151 in 2020.
The reissue, with its immersive mixes and rare tracks, allows fans to revisit an album that reshaped pop music and launched Michael into solo stardom.
The SDE Blu-ray includes:
I Want Your Sex (Monogamy Mix) 13:12
Hard Day (Shep Pettibone Remix) 9:05
Faith (Instrumental) 3:08
Father Figure (Instrumental) 5:38
Monkey (Extended Version) 8:09
Kissing A Fool (Instrumental) 4:34
I Want Your Sex (7” Version) 4:45
Hard Day (Radio Edit) 4:12
Monkey (7” Edit) 4:48
Monkey (A’Capella) 3:46
Monkey (Extra Beats) 3:44
Monkey (Instrumental) 5:35
Monkey (Dub Version) 5:20
CD
Faith
Father Figure
I Want Your Sex
One More Try
Hard Day
Hand To Mouth
Look At Your Hands
Monkey
Kissing A Fool
I Want Your Sex (Monogamy Mix)
(Part 1) Rhythm 1 Lust
(Part 2) Rhythm 2 Brass In Love
(Part 3) Rhythm 3 A Last Request
Faith SDE Blu-ray and other formats will be available from 20 February 2026 via Sony Music.
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