trueiopian said:

But Thriller only had 3 videos....what about the other hits from the album?

The album's promotion: 3 videos, 7 singles, 1 live performance, and 3 mini interviews

trueiopian said:

But Thriller only had 3 videos....what about the other hits from the album?

The album's promotion: 3 videos, 7 singles, 1 live performance, and 3 mini interviews

bboy87 said:

THAT WAS THE MOST AMAZING FUCKING THING ABOUT THRILLER!

He didn't do no Johnny Carson, didn't go on American Bandstand or Soul Train, didn't do a tour to promote it, he didn't do a lot of magazine interviews or televised interviews (just a few Q&As), and he sure didn't go on the radio to promote it.

And yet, he still had seven top ten singles, two number-one hits, only three music videos, one live performance at "Motown 25", and the mothafucka still sold 20 million albums in just a year and a fucking half!!
[Edited 7/21/09 16:13pm]

paisleypark4 said:

trueiopian said:

But Thriller only had 3 videos....what about the other hits from the album?

The album's promotion: 3 videos, 7 singles, 1 live performance, and 3 mini interviews

bboy87 said:

I'm talking about the song Thriller

trueiopian said:

i dunno about anyone else, but at my house we were grooving to "Thriller" on the album a year before the video for that song came out. not really a favorite song of mine, but we were into it.

bboy87 said:

what interview?

He was still okay. They definately helped with some songs ("Smooth Criminal"), but I could listen to Beat It, Billie Jean or YRMW standalone.

I didn't really like the Way You Make Me Feel video, particularly with the lame ass dancing, how he was kinda threatening to rape that chick and the part where he humps the sidewalk with his friends. I'd rather just listen to the song on that one.

This has been answered. Look at the charts right now.

It's the music that is selling - the music that has him at number 1.

Case closed.

Swa

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much-gear-so-little-time/401331-robmix-tell-us-about-mj.html

Some random memories:


One morning MJ came in with a new song he had written overnight. We called in a guitar player, and Michael sang every note of every chord to him. "here's the first chord first note, second note, third note. Here's the second chord first note, second note, third note", etc., etc. We then witnessed him giving the most heartfelt and profound vocal performance, live in the control room through an SM57.

He would sing us an entire string arrangement, every part. Steve Porcaro once told me he witnessed MJ doing that with the string section in the room. Had it all in his head, harmony and everything. Not just little eight bar loop ideas. he would actually sing the entire arrangement into a micro-cassette recorder complete with stops and fills.

His beatboxing was without parallel, and his time (<--- timing ?...(Shango) was ridiculous.

His sense of harmony was incredible. Never a bad note, no tuning, even his breathing was perfectly in time.

I was assisting Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis while they recorded the background vocals for "Scream" with MJ and Janet. The two of them singing together was amazing. Super tight, no bad notes. One part after another. When they took a break they sang the showtunes they used to sing as kids. Again, perfect harmony. Mj refused to sing the "stop f*ckin' with me part" because he would NOT curse.

I was the tape op for the recording of the background vocals on "Stranger in Moscow". Scared the hell out me. Michael was dropping in and out on syllables, rearranging the notes and timing as he put it down. No Pro Tools at the time, just 2" tape, and my punches.

The last weekend of recording on HIStory he came to me and Eddie Delena, and said "I'm sorry, but I don't think any of us are going to sleep this weekend. There's a lot to get done, and we have to go to Bernie on Monday morning". He stayed at the studio the entire time, singing, and mixing. I got to spend a couple quiet moments with him during that time. We talked about John Lennon one night as he was gearing up to sing the last vocal of the record - the huge ad libs at the end of "earth song". I told him the story of John singing "twist and shout" while being sick, and though most people think he was screaming for effect, it was actually his voice giving out. He loved it, and then went in to sing his heart out. . . .

I was lucky enough over the course of 3 years to have access to the multitrack masters for tour prep, videos, and archive purposes. To be able to pull these tracks apart was a huge lesson in production, and songwriting. A chance to look into the minds of geniuses.

Of all the records I've worked on, MJJ was the only company to give platinum award records.

One day we just all sat in the studio listening to his catalog with him for inspiration. He loved the process, he loved the work.

---

It was amazing how he'd come in with some song he liked and want to capture something about it - the energy, the tone, the mood.

He was really into "Owner of a Lonely Heart" too. So when Yes came to town, I made sure everyone knew it, and we got Trevor Rabin to come down and play some stuff on "They Don't Care About Us".

That was one of the really fun parts about working with MJ. You could call anyone and get them down there. We needed a funk guitar player, and some names were being tossed about. I finally said, hey what about Nile Rogers. Michael was excited for that because they had toured together in the 70's. Of course Nile played some of the funkiest sh*t ever . . . . however, Michael had a very specific part in mind for the song "Money". BTW, strat into a DI, into the SSL, straight to tape. Nothing else.

---

Michael and Bruce were both nostalgic, and maybe a bit superstitious. We needed to add choir to a couple songs while we were in L.A., so they immediately said it had to be recorded at Westlake D, where "Man in the Mirror" was recorded. Bruce sent me over there with his prized M49's. Everyone on the session was like" he know he's never let them out of his sight, and no one has ever put them up or taken them down but him". Yes, I was scared . . . . . Unfortunately, they crapped out on us halfway through the session, and we had to switch to C12's. But both sets of mics were put through Bruce's 1084's. No compression of course to 2" tape. We always set up Andre Crouche's choir in a circle, the mics in the center in omni. I think Bruce has detailed his choir setup on GS before.

This has been answered. Look at the charts right now.

It's the music that is selling - the music that has him at number 1.

Case closed.

Swa

OMG some people in this thread are hilarious


Can anyone think of another popstar who can lead a gospel choir??

LightOfArt said:

Foreigner and Luther Vandross. R. Kelly did it throughout the entire 90's even did it for Michael "You Are Not Alone".
[Edited 7/22/09 6:04am]

dseann said:

Anyone who can hire a choir 2 back them up.
Where are u people getting this nonsense from?

Anyone who can hire a choir 2 back them up.
Where are u people getting this nonsense from?

Imago said:

Funny you say that because I've read about his music being studied in music theory classes. His work is also used as examples in music production classes

I know teachers who used Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, Billie Jean, and other songs talked about in music classes.

and R&B and hip hop producers always go back to his music and try to understand the production and his approach...so yeah, his music can be studied

LightOfArt said:

Foreigner and Luther Vandross. R. Kelly did it throughout the entire 90's even did it for Michael "You Are Not Alone".
[Edited 7/22/09 6:04am]

bboy87 said:

oh, I wasn't saying that MJ's music isn't studied. It certainly is by virtue of it's success.


I was framing my answer within the "if" scenario and the way the music is actually written. MJ's songs are pop fair regardless of who studies or teaches them. It's sing-along music, regardless of it's outstanding production and vocal delivery.

bboy87 said:

oh, I wasn't saying that MJ's music isn't studied. It certainly is by virtue of its success.


I was framing my answer within the "if" scenario and the way the music is actually written. MJ's songs are pop fair regardless of who studies or teaches them. It's sing-along music, regardless of its outstanding production and vocal delivery.

Imago said:

I'm trying to understand how that's a bad thing. It just comes across as typical music snobbery. Yes, I prefer Michael Jackson to Frank Zappa; so what?

Imago said:

I'm trying to understand how that's a bad thing. It just comes across as typical music snobbery. Yes, I prefer Michael Jackson to Frank Zappa; so what?

AlexdeParis said:

Who said it was bad? That is the way u are taking it.

AlexdeParis said:

Who said it was bad? That is the way u are taking it.

Mid-level star. Nowhere on the Thriller level.

His voice is great. His music is catchy. But it's "sing along" music.
MJ is a media star--not an artist whose music is to be studied.

AlexdeParis said:

I didn't say it was a bad thing.

All my posts have been framed within the actual spirit of the question posed by the thread.


MJ is a media-star. His video presence is essential to the level of commercial success that he has had. Folks who harp on record sales going through the roof since his death should bear in mind the media coverage was the result of his use of various forms of media. This helped him go from being a successful sing-along pop act to a very successful one.


Werther you're into that or not is of no concern of mine, nor did I say it was a bad thing. Inferring that from my posts would require a healthy dose of conjecture.

It's the tone of what Imago said. Yes, I realize tone in writing is more about what I'm inferring than what he's implying. Still, look at his original comment:

Imago said:

It's clearly being used as a pejorative IMO.