Michael Jackson - Brian May


Hard to know what to say – what to feel. I find myself wondering what might have happened on his tour … the number of dates in the UK that he had committed to was insane … I did have a feeling it was impossible … but I was so shocked to hear that he went so suddenly. Very sad. Of course I still think of him as a boy … he used to come and see us (Queen) play when we were on tour in the States, and he and Freddie became close friends … close enough to record a couple of tracks together at Michael’s house … tracks which have never seen the light of day. Michael was the boy star of the Jackson Five, and always the most screamed at. I remember in their show, they tried very hard to make all the brothers equal in the presentation, but it was abundantly obvious that all most of the girl fans really wanted to see was little Michael. It was Michael who heard our track “Another One Bites the Dust” when he came to see us on “The Game” tour … and told us we were mad if we didn’t release it as a single. Of course this was way before Michael’s monster solo career began … but he was already in search of that fusion between Funk and Rock, Black and White, and the Thriller album was the consummation of that quest. There are many similarities between it and our “Hot Space” album … but our timing was out, really. Michael got it right in every respect … including timing … the world was just ready for it … and of course he was in a sense seeking the same ground, but coming from the opposite direction. Amusingly, after Freddie and Michael has spent some time together recording, Freddie came back and played us the work in progress, and he remarked that Michael had come up with a great album title … BAD. A little later, Freddie smiled his wicked little conspiratorial smile, and said … “I have a perfect idea for our album title – you may love it or hate it … but think about it …. we can call it ….. wait for it …. GOOD”!!!

I think the world is a more colourful place thanks to Michael’s work … he was a truly wonderful performer at his peak – and had a great team around him, including, of course, genius Quincy Jones. I think he qualifies as a great artist; he devoted his whole body and soul to his art. It’s as if, with all the changes he introduced to his body, his art actually became his body and his persona. Yes, I only hope he passed away in happiness, in great hopes and anticipation of his glorious comeback tour. RIP Michael.

Bri.

Michael Jackson - Brian May


Hard to know what to say – what to feel. I find myself wondering what might have happened on his tour … the number of dates in the UK that he had committed to was insane … I did have a feeling it was impossible … but I was so shocked to hear that he went so suddenly. Very sad. Of course I still think of him as a boy … he used to come and see us (Queen) play when we were on tour in the States, and he and Freddie became close friends … close enough to record a couple of tracks together at Michael’s house … tracks which have never seen the light of day. Michael was the boy star of the Jackson Five, and always the most screamed at. I remember in their show, they tried very hard to make all the brothers equal in the presentation, but it was abundantly obvious that all most of the girl fans really wanted to see was little Michael. It was Michael who heard our track “Another One Bites the Dust” when he came to see us on “The Game” tour … and told us we were mad if we didn’t release it as a single. Of course this was way before Michael’s monster solo career began … but he was already in search of that fusion between Funk and Rock, Black and White, and the Thriller album was the consummation of that quest. There are many similarities between it and our “Hot Space” album … but our timing was out, really. Michael got it right in every respect … including timing … the world was just ready for it … and of course he was in a sense seeking the same ground, but coming from the opposite direction. Amusingly, after Freddie and Michael has spent some time together recording, Freddie came back and played us the work in progress, and he remarked that Michael had come up with a great album title … BAD. A little later, Freddie smiled his wicked little conspiratorial smile, and said … “I have a perfect idea for our album title – you may love it or hate it … but think about it …. we can call it ….. wait for it …. GOOD”!!!

I think the world is a more colourful place thanks to Michael’s work … he was a truly wonderful performer at his peak – and had a great team around him, including, of course, genius Quincy Jones. I think he qualifies as a great artist; he devoted his whole body and soul to his art. It’s as if, with all the changes he introduced to his body, his art actually became his body and his persona. Yes, I only hope he passed away in happiness, in great hopes and anticipation of his glorious comeback tour. RIP Michael.

Bri.

lotusflower said:

Beautiful.

ufoclub said:

Great work Brian, Nuff Respect for doing this for Michael Jackson

R.I.P - M.J.

LondonStyle said:

Staying Power would have fit great on Thriller imo.

It's very interesting to compare the failure of Hot Space with the success of Thriller. Thriller is a far superior album imo, but I still really like Hot Space...
[Edited 6/30/09 16:51pm]

Forget that he wrote/co-wrote
Blues Away
Enjoy Yourself
Style of Life
Do What You Wanna
Walk Right Now
Love Never Felt So Good (for Johnny Mathis)
Eaten Alive (for Diana Ross)
Someone Put Your Hand Out
Push Me Away
Things I Do For You
Destiny
Bless His Soul
All Night Dancing
That's What You Get For Being Polite
Don't Stop Til You Get Enough
Workin' Day And Night
Get On The Floor
Sunset Driver
This Had To Be (for The Brothers Johnson)
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
The Girl Is Mine
Billie Jean
Beat It
Behind The Mask (for Greg Philliganes)
P.Y.T (demo)
Got The Hots
Can You Feel It
Lovely One
Everybody
Heartbreak Hotel
Walk Right Now
State Of Shock
Joy (for Blackstreet)
You're The One (for Jennifer Holliday)
Alright Now (for Ralph Tresvant)
Muscles (for Diana Ross)
We Are The World (for USA For Africa)
Bad
The Way You Make Me Feel
Scared Of The Moon
Speed Demon
Liberian Girl
Another Part Of Me
Streetwalker
Cheater
I Just Can't Stop Loving You
Dirty Diana
Smooth Criminal
Leave Me Alone
The Hurt
Be Not Always
Blood On The Dancefloor
Superfly Sister
Morphine
Is It Scary
Ghost
Jam
Why You Wanna Trip On Me
She Drives Me Wild
Remember The Time
Heal The World
Black Or White
Will You Be There
Give In To Me
Dangerous
Who Is It
Night Time Lover (for LaToya Jackson)
Centipede (for Rebbie Jackson)
Scream
They Don't Care About Us
Stranger In Moscow
D.S
This Time Around
Childhood
Tabloid Junkie
2Bad
HIStory
Little Susie
Earth Song
People of The World (for J Friends)
Unbreakable
Heartbreaker
Break of Dawn
Heaven Can Wait
You Rock My World
We've Had Enough
The Way You Love Me
In The Back
Beautiful Girl
Monkey Business
Lisa It's Your Birthday (for The Simpsons)
Do The Bartman (for The Simpsons)
Speechless
You Are My Life
Shout
Don't Walk Away
Whatever Happens
Threatened
Privacy
2000 Watts
The Lost Children
It's Not Worth It (uncredited)

Forget he worked with Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Gamble and Huff, Ray Charles, Lionel Richie, Carlos Santana, Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, Barry Gibb, John Barnes, Freddie Mercury, Mick Jagger, Leon Ware, The Brothers Johnson, Patti Austin, Kenny Loggins, Greg Philliganes, and many others

forget that DANCING IS ART. Forget that singing is art...

some of ya'll *smh*....

One of the more obscure songs I have heard is called I am Love, one of the Jackson 5 last songs with Motown its about late 1974 after Dancing Machine, Jermaine does all the vocals and they all wear matching different coloured frilled blouses singing it. Has anyone heard it, its quite mature sounding.

Album: Destiny
Composers:Michael Jackson/Randy Jackson

Jack still cries day and night
Jack's not happy with his life
He wanna do this
He wanna do that
He wanna be kind
But ends up flat
For love, for love

He tries so hard to give a lot
He wants to be what he is not
Love's not harsh
Love's not bad
And what he's doing for love is so sad

(He wants to be so bad)
(He wants to be so bad)

All the time getting in
Things he can't get out
Somethings deep inside of him
Eating up the pride of him
That makes him buy things for girls
Thats what you get for being polite (for being polite)

Jack still sits all alone
He lives the world that is his own
He's lost in thought, who to be
I wish to God that he would see, just love
Give him love

He tries so hard to give a lot
He wants to be what he is not
Love's not harsh
Love's not bad
And what he's doing for love is so sad

(He wants to be so bad)
(He wants to be so bad)

All the time getting in
Things he can't get out
Somethings deep inside of him
Eating up the pride of him
That makes him buy things for girls
Thats what you get for being polite (for being polite)

Jack still
Trying to make you happy, but
Jack still
Trying to make you happy, but
Jack still
Trying to make you happy, but it's love
But it's love

Jack still
Trying to do...don't you know he cries?
Jack still
Don't you know he's scared?
Jack still
Hoo, it's often for his love
It's for his love

Don't you know he often cries about you
He cries about me
He cries about you (you)
And me (me)
And every little thing that's in his way

He cries about me
He cries about you (you)
And me (me)
Knows that he just has to cry

Jack still
Don't you know he cries?
Jack still
Don't you know he's scared?
Jack still
Hoo, it's often for his love
Yeah, Yeah

Adlib to fade

Copycat said:

I actually never paid attention to this song until I read the lyric just now. Also, watching CNN they have on Jacksons advisory and Mike told him "All ever wanted was to be loved" he felt he was never loved.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

I've loved this song since the first time I heard it 1996 or 1997. If I ever have compilation of songs that feel autobiographical to my life. This will be the first song

bboy87 said:

I wouldn't say pay attention, just never listened to the lyrics this closely. I got Destiny in95 or 96, I wanna say. I'm gonna try to remember when I purchased all these Jackson releases and post them later.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

Yo, we were basically buying these albums at the same time

Not to mention our birthdays are real close together


bruh, go check your birth certificate!

bboy87 said:

We just brothas from another motha.

The first Jackson release I remember getting was either a three cassette J5 comp released in 89 on cassette or Original Motown Classics on Pair. This was in late 91. At that time, I (or should I say my father) already had tons of Jacksons material. On vinyl ABC, Third Album, Maybe Tomorrow, Goin' Back to Indiana, Thriller, Bad and on cassette Off the Wall. Also he had Marlon's Don't Go single, and Jermaine's, Jermaine (80), I like Your Style and Precious Moments and Janet's Rhythm Nation VHS.

So you see how I became a Jacksons fan, it was natural.

Copycat said:

I actually never paid attention to this song until I read the lyric just now. Also, watching CNN they have on Jacksons advisory and Mike told him "All ever wanted was to be loved" he felt he was never loved.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

For me, it was a long journey and I'm still on it

My first memory of Michael is from 1989 or 90, when I was about 2 or 3 watching Moonwalker. My mom, aunt, and cousins tell me all the time how they took me to Great America and Michael's music got played and I instantly started doing all the moves and a crowd started, but I can't remember. In my house we already had

Off The Wall on vinyl
Thriller on vinyl
Bad on cassette
2300 Jackson Street on cassette (I still want to know who bought that...) and then the VHS tapes of Moonwalker and Making of Thriller

But then starting 1992, I was getting gifts like tapes, books...I learned how to read by reading Magic and The Madness! I was in the third grade with a 9th grade reading level!

My first I didn't get the Jacksons tapes until 1994 or 1995. I remember in 1992, my godsister bought me Off The Wall and the J5 greatest hits album on cassette

(pictures from MichaelJacksonforsale.com)

bboy87 said:

I remember getting Greatest Hits around 92 and ABC on cassette a little after that. It was over once that mini-series hit in November 92. I was a Jackson for life. Around this time, probably earlier in the year, my pops got Dangerous (for him, not me, remember he was the reason I was a fan.) I have a video of me,my pops and my sister performing Jackson songs. I had to be four and was on the skins ans singing like lil Mike.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

so we got GH the same year? Man, too many coincidences

My aunts has pictures of 3 year old bboy moonwalking on her backporch


I've gotten 10x better at it now

bboy87 said:

Around 92, I was at my aunts house and my dad came over with a surprise, 3 MJ posters (I still got in my garage.) If we didn't go to the store he'd bring it home. I remember him bringing home Diana Ross on cst/ Got to be there was a gift (don't remember what for.)

I remember once in 95 he came home with Ben and J5's 16 Greatest hits on cassette, one for me and one for my sister. I was pissed I got 16 greatest hits.

I remember in 94 on a rainy day going to Top Hits (local mom and pop record store) to get Original Soul of MJ on vinyl. I remember going to a video store down the street and getting "The Legend Continues" around the same time.

I remember getting The Jacksons debut in 96 (I know this cause my pops got New Editions Home Again for my sister around the same time) I also heard 2300 J Street on the radio that day and asked my dad about it. He said he never got that album.

I got Jacksons Live on cassette but don't remember when I got it.