Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds about his latest tour. He told me about his love for Michael Jackson, working with El DeBarge and a few details about his new album...

http://www.soulsummer.com...ture/all/1

While touring can be fun, Babyface is looking forward to returning to the studio to complete work on his latest project. “I can work when I’m on the road,” he says. “But it’s a different vibe when you’re in the studio.” While his last album, Playlist (2007), paid homage to the AM-pop of Jim Croce (“Time in a Bottle”) and James Taylor (“Shower the People”). But this time Babyface is jumping back on the soul train.

“On the next record I’m going back to my roots,” Babyface says. “This is going to be a straight R&B, heart-driven soul music. I don’t really care about any of the sounds today, so I’m going to take it back.” That’s one musical trip, black to the future, we can look forward to.

Sounds interesting

I'll be patiently waiting on this SOULFEST from one of our GREAT TUNESMITH!!!!!

SoulAlive said:

It's about time, whew!

thanx 4 posting!

RnBAmbassador said:

it looks like he's getting back to his roots

mikemike13 said:

At the end of Spike Lees's movie "Get On The Bus" Michael is singing a song, obviously produced by Babyface as the credits roll, which is one of the best songs I have ever heard him sing. The damn track was left off of the official soundtrack album and I can't for the life of me find it anywhere. Can anyone help me with a name here? And why didn't these two hook up for more colaborations?

dseann said:

embedding disabled by request...

[Edited 5/5/10 6:29am]

SoulAlive said:

Thank you, thank you! May long live embrace you. Now can you please answer my question. Why didn't these two hook up for more of the same? It could have been special.

dseann said:

Well,they hooked up for "You Are My Life",a song on MJ's 'Invincible' CD.I think Babyface also produced some stuff for 'Dangerous' but it didn't appear on the album?

SoulAlive said:

Yeah, it has been said Michael did work with La Reid and Babyface around that time, allegedly making Jermaine Jackson annoyed in the process as he was waiting to work with them LOL (the stuff they did with Jermaine was released of course).

Babyface also worked with Michael on "why", but Michael let his nephews 3T release the track instead (with his backing vocals on the chorus intact).

Michael wrote "on the line", whilst Babyface produced it (and clearly does some backing vocals). Sheila E is on drums bytheway LOL.

SoulAlive said:

Great soulful vocal by Mike on that track.

NMuzakNSoul said:

I love that track. One of my favs. I think this could be a HIStory outtake and "you are not alone" probably replaced it? They both sound quite similar. Not sure why it never made the Spike Lee OST though, though I bet MJ let Spike use it as a return favour for him directing the "they don't care about us" videos.

It was released on some obscure limited edition single with the VHS of "ghosts" apparantly around 1997? Thank God it got a proper release on the boxset.

I agree that "On the Line" was one of the best songs Michael ever sang.

Timmy84 said:

I have always loved that song, Great vocals, Great melody , Great lyrics, A great ballad...everything

dseann said:

On The Line was released on a CD maxi single back in 1997 as part of the Ghosts boxset and then again in 2004 on The Ultimate Collection


They worked together on some stuff on Dangerous and HIStory (Why was fully recorded but he gave it to 3T and took off his lead vocals)

they worked together in 1999 for Invincible

^^ a "Ghosts" box set? What's included in it?

I think the 'Ghosts' boxset included the CD, the mini movie on VHS, CD single and a programme.

Also, Babyface produced/wrote 'Why' which was originally intended for 'HIStory' but MJ gave the song to his nephew's 3T instead. A new Babyface album should be good, if he's going to back to the classic Soul/R&B sound. I read a while back that Babyface was going to work with El DeBarge again also, which would be good too.

Babyface is good and all, but I always wished he would do some upbeat/fast tempo stuff. With him it always seemed to either be the sappy/crappy (which with him it wasn't that bad but still..) or the Usher type mid-tempo songs.


Come on Babyface. Make some fast jams.

seeingvoices12 said:

Should have been on a real album instead of that "On The Line" box set that no-one in America had a chance to even buy. I have a feeling if "On The Line" had been released in the late 90s, it would have charted really well in USA.

To this day, I think I remember Babyface wrote the song, but I just wonder
what Michael thought of the lyrics when he sang them. It seemed so PERSONAL
and so true, and then to find out Babyface wrote it, I was kinda surprised.

SoulAlive said:

It came with Ghosts on VHS (PAL format)
the Ghosts programme
Blood On The Dancefloor
and the On The Line/Is It Scary maxisingle

bboy87 said:

Wow,that's an impressive box set! Do you have it?

SoulAlive said:

Never heard that song. I dig it.
Thanks.

SoulAlive said:

Nope, it never was released in the States. I probably will off of ebay one of these days though

Are there any plans to release "Ghosts" on DVD? That film is incredible!

I looove On the Line, the lyrics are so inspirational

You Are My Life grew on me but I like it.

SoulAlive said:

It was going to be aired on NBC this past October then probably released on DVD. Frank Dileo was working on a Halloween special for Michael to be aired on the network while Michael was rehearsing for the This Is It shows

Vanilli said:

Mike wrote it alone. I can see what your saying though. When I downloaded it many years ago (long before youtube LOL), I assumed Babyface wrote it for him. But when I got the boxset, I was surprise he actually wrote it.

I may be dreaming but I think the version I first heard back in 2002/2003 or whenever it was, was ever so slightly different to the box set version? Maybe the original cd single "ghost" version was ever so slightly different?
[Edited 5/12/10 16:34pm]