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For any other MJ fans and people who like to hear hidden stuff in songs I learnt something cool about this song on MJJC listen closely at 3:22 and another 10 seconds I'm feeling a bit fammy™ | |
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What is it? I can tell something is said, but can't really make it out. | |
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I think it is the real deal, it matches the discription, there is an article on damienshields.com about this. How could Timbo F this up so bad ! this should have been released ! | |
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What's the deal with the newly leaked version of Chicago? I thought the original version was on the second disc of Xscape? | |
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Cloudbuster said:
This is the corey rooney mix hè made for"Michael album. The background story is to be found on damienshields.com | |
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The power of hindsight. The thing is MJ (and no one else frankly) knew he had already reached the pinnacle of his success. So I think MJ being the driven man that he was just kept pushing the enevelope in search of more success. Even the best laid plans sometimes backfire. He was only in his 20s at the time.
Also he had already seen his career benifit from rumours. For example stories of him being gay, having a sex change, taking female hormones and talking to mannequins had been floating around since Off the Wall days...they did not hurt his career one bit. He had also began doing major cosmetic surgery during this period (OTW and Thriller) and frankly most people did not mind it. Many (maybe most) thought he looked better. So I can clearly see why MJ would plant stories and keep doing surgeries and other things, maybe even thinking it would lead to more success. [Edited 9/2/14 15:04pm] To All the Haters on the Internet
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Nicki Minaj will get more views because her video is basically soft core pornography. I think the mistake Sony and the estate made with "A Place with No Name" is choosing not to release it on "Michael." A sniplet had been leaked and public interest was high at that time. Now not so much.
I still maintain I think its a good thing to release these songs. MJ released one album every 4 years..there is a lot of good stuff there. I would much rather hear "Behind The Mask" than for it to be sitting on a hard drive collecting dust. As for the videos..we got spoiled with MJs excellent work on videos. Sadly no only is his presence missed on these releases but also the budget is a lot lower than in his heyday. Records just don't sell enough to cost justify expensive videos anymore. To All the Haters on the Internet
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his career did not benefit from the rumors...
his career benefited because of his immense talent
that's the hidden gem that has been lost over time
to suggest the rumors benefited his career actually is a slight on his legacy and what his greatest contribution to music actually was, which has never been acknowledged
we look at all these other variables that took the focus off of what truly made him special
when we heard of THE MAGIC OF MICHAEL JACKSON.....the real magic had nothing to do with rumor or innuendo...the magic was directly associated with what he did on stage as a live performer....
this is why the Triumph Tour needs to be released so the world can see, although I doubt it will ever happen......
because I guarantee if the world watched it, while they are watching it, the focus will be on just that..the talent....all the other stuff will be a footnote until the show is over...
it would have been an even greater victory, and triumph if the world would have been willing to accept MJ and his talent in his full natural state, w/out him feeling the need to alter his being
because he only did it because he felt that's what he had to do........
for me, I would have bought all his albums in his full natural state, that goes for OFF THE WALL and THRILLER
the question is, who were the people who thought he looked better w/the plastic surgery.......
this is where society needs to questions its own drive and why they place unfair expectations on people for anyway
because what happened to MJ is a direct reflection of the many contradications that exists within american society to this very day, contradictions that has actually excaserbated since the time we witness what happened to MJ over time...that's why many of his followers continue to look for scapegoats to tag the blame on when in all actuality, there is no scapegoat, only the illusion that destroyed everything
if he would have been allowed to be who he was meant to.....then his pinnacle would have definitely extended beyond THRILLER...that's what's so tragic about this whole situation
MJ reached his potential but was never allowed to fulfill his promise......
he received god awful advice from opportunists who looked to exploit his name and stature after he reached what wound up being his pinnacle
one of these days, we will acknowledge what happened to this man and be real about it....
it's only a matter of time [Edited 9/2/14 16:42pm] | |
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It is sad what was done to him and his part in it as well though I really did feel bad for him. I also want Triumph and a clear proper copy of Victory released. | |
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New book: Susan Fast: Michael Jackson's Dangerous (33 1/3)
You buy it on Amazon now
Dangerous is Michael Jackson's coming of age album. Granted, that’s a bold claim to make given that many think his best work lay behind him by the time this record was made. It offers Jackson on a threshold, at long last embracing adulthood—politically questioning, sexually charged—yet unable to convince a skeptical public who had, by this time, been wholly indoctrinated by a vicious media. Even though the record sold well, few understood or were willing to accept the depth and breadth of Jackson’s vision; and then before it could be fully grasped, it was eclipsed by a shifting pop music landscape and personal scandal—the latter perhaps linked to his assertive new politics. This book tries to cut through the din of dominant narratives about Jackson, taking up the mature, nuanced artistic statement he offered on Dangerous in all its complexity. It is read here as a concept album, one that offers a compelling narrative arc of postmodern angst, love, lust, seduction, betrayal, damnation, and above all else racial politics, in ways heretofore unseen in his music. This record offered a Michael Jackson that was mystifying for a world that had accepted him as a child and as childlike and, hence, as safe; this Michael Jackson was, indeed, dangerous.
http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Jacksons-Dangerous-Susan-Fast/dp/1623566312/ref=pd_sim_b_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=1WBS4QPVW67R52RDJX7T?tag=citofgamonlco-20
Dangerous Talk with Susan Fast “The profile featured a photograph of Eckstine coming out of a nightclub in New York City, and being mobbed by white teenage girls,” Ginell says. “If you look at the photograph, it looks very innocuous and very innocent. It’s actually what America should be like, with no racial tension, no racial separation – just honest love and happiness between the races. But America wasn’t ready for that in 1950. White America did not want Billy Eckstine dating their daughters.” Eckstine’s crossover career abruptly ended with that one photograph: “Eckstine continued to record and perform, but white disc jockeys would not play his records.” And it’s almost like he was erased from public memory – at least, white memory. But Michael Jackson was a well-read student of history, especially black history, and I’m sure he would have known about the backlash experienced by public figures before him who had been perceived as too friendly with white women – people like Jack Johnson and Chuck Berry and Billy Eckstine. Monster I think he really understood this impulse by certain segments of the population to characterize him as a monster, an animal, a bogeyman, an Other, and he forced us to acknowledge it.
, and this quote begins at 3:38.) His use of Tchaikovsky as an example is so interesting to me: what pop musician models commercial success on a record of classical music?? But Tchaikovsky’s idea wasn’t far off from Jackson’s. The Nutcracker ballet was long, complicated, and required a lot of resources to mount; why not create a “greatest hits” suite that could be performed as a concert piece? I think it’s also interesting that there are eight pieces in the Nutcracker Suite, most of them quite short – the whole thing is about 25 minutes long. I can’t help but draw a parallel to the structure of Thriller: nine songs, about 42 minutes of music.
) You know, I’ve seen the ballet many times, and certain parts of the score are really popular – it seems like everywhere you go at Christmas you hear the music for the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy playing in the background, and it was also included in Disney’s Fantasia. (Just for fun, here’s a
to that too.) But I don’t think I’ve ever just listened to the music to The Nutcracker all the way through, separate from the ballet, and I never thought about the Suite like an album. That’s so interesting, especially when you put it side by side with Thriller … I wanted to do an album that was like Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. So that in a thousand years from now, people would still be listening to it. Something that would live forever. I would like to see children and teenagers and parents and all races all over the world, hundreds and hundreds of years from now, still pulling out songs from that album and dissecting it. I want it to live. Well, the dissecting has begun! I have to admit that while I’d read this interview before, I didn’t remember this quote until after I’d finished writing the book: what a shame. But I feel somewhat vindicated now in thinking that Jackson did, indeed, have an overarching concept for this record, that he was not thinking in terms of hit singles (or not exclusively or primarily), but of a series of interconnected songs, laid out in a particular order, that tell us a story. And a pretty complex story, too, one that he saw as requiring a lot of analysis to unravel (the idea that an artist wants his work dissected is pretty thrilling for someone like me). | |
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The Jacksons relive key moments in their dazzling career | |
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The Jacksons in 1975: (from left) Tito, Jackie, Michael, Jermaine and Marlon Jackson. Michael Jackson: The Man .... Campbell
une 30, 2009 “Oh, God! That boy moves in a very exceptional way. That’s the greatest dancer of the century.” – Fred Astaire “The only male singer who I’ve seen besides myself and who’s better than me — that is Michael Jackson.” Frank Sinatra
Some have used the occasion to present a contemptibly narrow view of his personal struggles. But as the months and years roll by, it is the contribution of his musical genius that will be written permanently in the hearts and minds of people everywhere. Even now, the greatest of his peers have recognized him as one of the most gifted and accomplished musical artists of the last century.
Few artists have used their talents to uplift mankind as vigorously as Michael Jackson. Though lean in stature, he stood firmly against social and political forces that seek to diminish the integrity of the human spirit. He uplifted individuals struggling to be free. At the same time his voice spoke a message that went far beyond the rights of the individual. Michael reminded us that personal dignity and individual freedom can only be perfected in the warm embrace of human solidarity. It was the human family that stood foremost in Michael’s mind. “We are the world,” he said. And against this backdrop, he challenged freedom-loving individuals to act heroically for the betterment of all. “If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change,” he said.
Thus Michael Jackson was no spokesman for narcissism, despite the fact that he often sought refuge there. At bottom, his music was driven by the ancient dream of the brotherhood of man. He saw redemption in a bonding of all individuals in simple humanity. Human solidarity — Love — was for him the foundation of Justice and the meaning of Life!
Armed with this simple vision, Michael set about to dedicate his life to others. As a young boy, he burst onto the world’s stage like a bolt of lightening and, once there, he inspired youth, and the youthful, to act on behalf of justice and the human community. He created a powerful synergy with his audiences and through this confluence helped generate a moral force that over time would bring the world to a better place.
It is not commonly recognized how much Michael Jackson contributed to U.S public diplomacy during the last decade of the Cold War. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Michael’s music inspired young people in captive nations to take chances on behalf of freedom and democracy. With his dramatic style, he electrified youth and stirred them to unite in common purpose. In response, they rallied moral forces against fear and set about to challenge the ubiquitous brutality of totalitarian regimes. The collective energy Michael and other artists inspired became a critical factor in bringing about the political collapse of the Soviet Union and its Eastern European empire. “We are the world!”
Surveys taken by the Voice of America during the 1980s demonstrate his appeal. Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd, and Billy Joel were the preferred pop artists for VOA listeners behind the Iron Curtain. The music they provided offered a unique challenge to the fundamentals of Soviet totalitarianism — fear and isolation. It enabled listeners to dream of freedom and dignity, and it filled their hearts and minds with a practical determination to seek a brighter future. But, among all American pop artists, it was Michael Jackson that towered above the rest. His popularity achieved the highest ranking by VOA listeners –more than 50% approval.
I recall myself and a friend crossing the border into East Berlin before the Wall was torn down. As my friend maneuvered our rented VW to the checkpoint, I pulled back the sunroof and rolled down the windows. Earlier I had cued a tape to play Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.” As the guard approached, I hit the play button and turned the volume way up. The guard, who was carrying an automatic rifle, asked for our passports. Instead of responding directly, I said over the top of the music: “Do you like Michael Jackson?” He looked nervously at the guard house and then quickly nodded in approval. For a long moment, his face was covered with an unforgettable smile. But more than signaling his approval, the guard had broken military decorum.
Similarly, when we returned to the West through Austria, the guard stationed there responded to my question by first placing his machine gun on the ground. Then he grabbed my closest hand with both of his and said: “Yes, oh yes. Michael Jackson!” Not far away, hidden in a clump of bushes and trees, I saw the dark, sinister presence of Soviet tanks.
Michael’s creative imagination enabled him to craft a music of freedom, a music replete with a crisp defiance of injustice and unjust authority, a music deeply tinged with respect for the essential dignity of the human person. In a world whose temptations breed isolation and aloneness, Michael’s music gave voice to our common need for love, compassion, understanding, and mercy. It gave succor to those struggling to belong and unleashed a willfulness to labor against the forces of spiritual alienation. In a world dominated by fear, his music gave transcendent purpose and the hope of future redemption. In short, Michael’s artistry was an energy that inspired resistance against all forms of cultural and political repression. It was a music whose vitality cried out for a liberation of the human spirit.
Reflecting on the 1980s and early 1990s, one labors to imagine a more heroic episode in history’s hard march against tyranny. Liberty sprang up amidst a near bloodless convulsion, and took a daring but peaceful step forward. It was in the intensity of this revolutionary fervor that the artistry of Michael Jackson towered as a beacon of light for those struggling to be free. In the YouTube video below, listen to Michael perform “The Man In The Mirror.” Hear his words. Watch the imagery. Reflect how deeply he pleads for each individual to dedicate their lives to the reconciling impulses of Justice and Love. In a world that continues to be much too cold and brittle, Michael Jackson has established himself a much-needed prophet for our age.
Source: http://vox-nova.com/2009/06/30/michael-jackson-the-man-in-the-mirror/ Biography of Gerald L Campbell
Gerald L. Campbell was a senior staff member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1976 to 1985, the Director of Policy and Research for the National Security Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 to 1980, the Senior Advisor to the Director of the United States Information Agency from 1985 to 1990, and the Special Assistant to the Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Programs, at the U.S. Department of Justice from 1992 to 1993.
P.S. I'm so proud of Michael and the difference he made in the world with his genoristy and artistry | |
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Michael Jackson died unexpectedly on Thursday, June 25. The suddenness of his death came as a source of shock to all.
^ Neat shit about Dangerous up there. | |
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I started thinking about Invincible the other day. And although I am a fan of Invincible, and think it is a great album, I feel it could have been SOOO much stronger. So I compiled an alternate Invincible tracklist (2 actually) and (in my opinion) Invincible had the potention to be MJ's best work.
*Tracklist* 1)Unbreakable 2)Heartbreaker 4)Break of Dawn 5)You Rock My World 6)Hollywood Tonight 7)Blue Gangsta 8)Butterflies 9)Speechless 10)She Was Lovin Me (I'm using the newly leaked mix with a more rock feel) 11)Whatever Happens 12)Another Day 13)Xscape 14)A Place With No Name 15)One More Chance 16)We've Had Enough
I also really feel that invincible could have worked as a double album. With a tracklist like this:
**Disc One** 1)Unbreakable 2)Heartbreaker 3)Break of Dawn 4)Heaven Can Wait 5)You Rock My World 6)Hollywood Tonight 7)Blue Gangsta 8)The Way You Love Me 9)Butterflies 10)Speechless 11) Invincible
**Disc Two** 1)Shout 2)She Was Loving Me (I'm using the newly leaked mix with a more rock feel) 3)Whatever Happens 4)(I Can't Make It) Another Day 5)Xscape 6)A Place With No Name 7)Threatened 8)Don't Walk Away 9)Once More Chance 10)What More Can I Give 11)We've Had Enough
I did the same thing with HIStory recently. And although HIStory is one of my favorite MJ albums (after Dangerous & Off The Wall) I also feel that it could have been much stronger had a few different tracks been used in the place of others.
*Tracklist* 1)Scream 2)They Don't Care About Us 3)Stranger In Moscow 4)Morphine 5)Earth Song 6)Is It Scary 7)2 Bad 8)This Time Around 9)D.S. 10)Blood On The Dancefloor 11)You Are Not Alone 12)Childhood 13)Little Susie 14)HIStory 15)Smile
I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea. I love all of MJ's albums, and am in NO way taking anything away from them by making an alternate tracklist. It's just for fun, compiling what I feel makes a stronger and more cohesive album.
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Apols for re-introduicing this topic but Breaking News...
... Is such a fake track. I listened to it this evening for the first time in a couple of years and frankly I'm astonished it made the final cut as it's clearly not Jackson's vocals.
When it was released I didn't think it was him but was uncertain. Now, I have no doubts whatsoever. Sony and everyone involved in that mess should hang their heads in shame if they haven't already done so.
ANyway, as you were! Just had to get that off my chest. | |
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I am not disagreing with what you said above but I want to riff on what you said, if I may.
I think his career did benefit from the initial rumours. As a matter of fact that was how I first heard of him. It created a sort of "Howard Hughes" mystique around him. And of course, MJ would just deny the negative ones when questioned..."No I am not ..X"
Now as for the magic of MJ as a live performer, you are right. Particularly because you say him live at that age. Most of us did not. Also MJ at this point was reinventing himself in so many ways. He changed his appearance, slimed down and with sugeries. Started speaking in a noticably higher voice than he did as a kid and most importantly took his dancing to a whole new level. Scorp you are fortunate that you saw him live as a young adult during this incredibly important stage of his artistic growth. But I can tell you I saw the video for Don't stop till you get enough and Rock with You and I remember thinking so that is Michael Jackson..but I did not think Superstar. It took the music and videos of Thriller and of course the Motown 25 performance to truly launch MJ into Superstardom. MJ had been singing and dancing for 12 years in front of the public before Fred Astaire dubbed him his heir apparent after the Billie Jean performance. Clearly you and Jackson 5 fans saw that before the rest of us did.
You asked who were the people who thought he looked better with surgery. As far as I remember, most people did. It was only when his skin color changed (Bad) that I remember people saying "He had gone too far."
As for the advice that MJ received. I just read the book Michael Jackson Inc. and it speaks about MJ putting together a team of business advisors including John Branca and Mr. Johnson (the publisher of Ebony and head of Johnson Publishing). With there advice his fortune grew tremendously. That is the business advice. The suggestion in that book is that MJs physical changes was not due to the advice of advisers but rather MJ casing some version of physical perfection.
As for the advice that might have lead to him changing his features. The truth is that type of advice will only stick if you want to do it in the first place. And as I pointed out, he had been doing it since he reached the age to do it and continued doing it until his death. According to the former Dr Murray, MJ didn't just want to have light skin, he wanted his skin to be "Porcelain." So I think its MJ being MJ. Western Culture and its European beauty standards(i.e. Internalized racism) no doubt influenced but ultimately there was something deep in MJs psyche which lead him to do this..not the least is his desire "to be the first, to be a pioneer, to go further than anyone else had gone before."
Also as for his pinnacle extending beyond Thriller, I am not so sure. Thriller saw MJ at 24-26 the perfect age to appeal to young girls who make the bulk of the record buying public. His new looks appealed to them greatly. He had hit a sort of cosmetic surgery nirvana at that point plus he radiated an incredible youthful energy even in photographs. There was a 3-4 year break between the peak of Thriller and the release of Bad. That was a loong time. Other artist had now started making impressive videos, etc. In other words, the competition was copying him and taking bits and pieces of a market he had truly to himself during the success of Thriller. He had changed his sound. Gone was the warm analog tones and in its place was a more processed pop sound. But ultimately as good an album as Bad was, it just was not the cultural phenomena that Thriller was. And I don't think anything could be. Also there was a massive backlash building after the success of Thriller.
And you mentioned that MJ was the best. Well, Stevie Wonder was the best Marvin Gaye was the best Elvis Presley was the best. Hell, there are people on this board who will give you a laundry list of reasons why Prince was and is the best.
Besides MJs brilliance as a performer the biggest difference I see between MJ and the others previously mentioned is that Mj seemed to get us to care about him more as a person. Perhaps its because MJ had such an amazing relatiionship with his fans, also because we saw him go through the highest highs and the lowest lows and therefore experienced a full range of emotions with him. The illusion of him blending his public and private life. I say illusion because he only revealed so much. He still kept a lot secret...as he is entitled to. To All the Haters on the Internet
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since Prince was mentioned....let's take a look at Prince...
Prince has been on the scene for almost 40 years.......debuted in the late 70s...1978
and after all this time.....WE NEVER EVER HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT THIS MAN
We never hear anything about Prince's personal life.....never.....
only time Prince was really discussed as far as rumor or innuendo was in regards to who his girlfriend/lady/woman was in the 80s.....Vanity, Apollonia, Sheila E. Sheena Easton, Cat......
and when he got married and had their child.......that's it....
when he does interviews, he mainly speaks on the state of the music industry and what steps could be made to improve it
we don't see his name in the tabloids, or any radio shows talkin about his personal life....
that's absolutely astounding...........but see, everything starts from the source and Prince let the world be known from day one, he was going to share his talent w/the public and that's it....
and he has benefited tremendously from it.....so that means it is possible to be a major public figure and seperate your professional life from your private life....it can be done
Janet Jackson has did it.....she was married for 10 years to her 2nd husband and we didn't even know about it until she announced she was getting a divorce
The greatest NBA player of all time in Michael Jordan did it...he was the most popular athlete on the planet but we rarely saw pictures of his family, didn't really know if he was married or not until he won his first championship.....
Denzel Washington has been one of the most successful actors of the past 30 years and we rarely here about him in the news and he's starred in countless films during that time....
same with Robert Deniro and Al Pacino....they've been in all time classics and we rarely hear about them if at all......they remain private but still been active and productive ....
it can be done.....
they did not have to benefit on rumors or innuendo to spark up attention
Michael Jackson could have done the exact same thing........
as far as the Howard Hughes image/allure image of mystery
that didn't work for the real Howard Hughes so how can that work for Michael Jackson
the plastic surgery exascerbation destroyed his life and livelihood and there's no way getting aroudn that........
for every fan who he attracted because of the surgeries, I should say the transformation...he lost 5 fans because of it
and that ratio clearly resonates in the trajectory of his record sales after Thriller
he lost half his fanbase alone in the United States of America, almost 2/3 of his fanbase during the years of BAD selling 6-8 million copies in this country compared to teh 25 million he sold here w/THRILLER.......he lost over half his fanbase in the course of 2 years, 4 FULL YEARS before the first allegations hit in 1993 (which I never believed he was guilty of before anyone jumps the gun)...
so the allegations can not be blamed for the declining sales.....
and after BAD, his subsequent albums sold 5 million copies than its predecessor
the image never worked......now if his record sales would have surpassed THRILLER, then it would be a legit argument that it did...but it never did and was never going to.....especially when the musical output waned....
as far as any perceived backlash......I would suggest we exercise recall and focus on how the nation responded to WE ARE THE WORLD in 1985, the year after THRILLER completed its 2 year run on the charts.....
MIKE was so respected across the country, every single major radio station across the nation played that song at teh same time...that has never been done before or since.....along w/teh fact, citizens across the country from the very west to the very east joined hands from coast to coast........
he was a national icon......at that point, there was no backlash......
all true...but that rationale led to the greatest miscalculation in the history of showbizness, and this clearly points to more of an indoctrination that led to what we had witness...and this is where society has to take a good look at itself because after all the entertainment and music and dance has run its course, what is there left at the end for the person who chose this path....what is there left
when I see those videos for Don't Stop and Rock With You, at that point, his fans at that time knew he was already a showbizness legend, and the best entertainer, live performer on the planet......he was already a superstar...but see, everything starts w/the source and the problem is that after that period of his career...MICHAEL never talked about it in interview, especially after reaching his pinnacle...he barely made mention of his own album OFF THE WALL....
his dancing was more funkier and spontaneous during those years than even what we saw with THRILLER, he scaled down the full measure of his talent even then...
this gets to the point that's lost out of all of this.......the world of the past 27 years has never witnessed the real Michael Jackson..that's the great paradox of all of this.....
they've never seen him...
if the world got a chance to see the Triumph Tour, a whole new perspective would spring out the box.......but unfortunately, it will probably never happen......
if the estate really wants to take it to the ultimate level, they need to unleash that.....
[Edited 9/8/14 15:51pm] | |
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MJJJusticeProject @MJJJusticePrjct · Congratulations to Michael Jackson & Justin Timberlake, "Love Never Felt So Good" has been certified Platinum in the United States by RIAA.
Currently Xscape is the 9th best seller of 2014 with 1,392,000 sold worldwide.
Love Never Felt So Good is the 30th best selling single of 2014 with 2,225,000 copies sold worldwide. | |
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4-Year-Old Michael Jackson Fan Gets His Wish With Help From Military
sources: Travis Air Force Base – By Amber Carter| All Things Michael  Marlon Valentine, 4-year-old Make-A-Wish recipient, arrives sst his MJ themed party Aug. 24 in Calistoga, California. TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — “You wanna be tough, better do what you can, so beat it,” blared over the sound system Aug. 24 at the Tucker Farm Center in Calistoga, California, in preparation for a blast-from-the-past party for 4-year-old Marlon Valentine, Michael Jackson fanatic and Make-A-Wish recipient. Airmen from Travis Air Force Base were on hand to help make Marlon’s wish into a reality. Marlon has acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He is known at the Children’s Hospital Oakland as the “Michael Jackson boy” because he and his brother, Ivan, 3, and sister, Angelina, 8, would dance to Jackson’s music during his hospital visits, said Jennifer Wilson, Make-a-Wish marketing and promotions manager. “When Marlon was asked about his wish, he replied without hesitation, saying he wanted a Michael Jackson themed party,” Wilson said. For the past two months, approximately 40 people, including military members, attended dance practices inside a Travis Air Force Base hangar to help Marlon’s wish come true. “The practices were around two hours long every Sunday,” said Airman 1st Class Vincent Dahilog, 60th Logistics Readiness Squadron individual protective equipment apprentice. “It was a lot of work, but it was worth it because it was for a good cause.” Choreographed dances to songs such as “Beat It” and “Thriller” were the highlights of the party. There was a decorate-a-cookie table with Jackson’s iconic glove-shaped cookies, a table with individual bags filled with popcorn playfully labeled “King of Pop” and Marlon had his own personalized chair.  Volunteers perform for Little Marlon to some of Michael’s biggest hits. “At first he was shocked,” said Melissa Trujillo, Marlon’s mom. “I told him we were going to take pictures and when we walked in and he saw his family and the decorations, he was surprised. He’s obsessed with Michael Jackson. We had to replace his Michael Jackson Wii game twice because he plays it so much.” The “King of Pop” led the dances. Burgess Griffin, a Michael Jackson impersonator, would drive from his home in Sacramento to Travis once a week to teach choreography to the volunteers. “I’m really grateful and appreciative of the amount of effort that went into this party,” Trujillo said. “Marlon is having a great time and I can’t thank everyone enough.” The Make-A-Wish Foundation partnered with Travis to bring hope and encourage Marlon to fight leukemia and “beat it.” “It has truly been an honor to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation,” said Tech. Sgt. Shanta Glover, 60th Air Mobility Wing equal opportunity. “It’s a great opportunity to give back to our community and I think parents would do anything to see their kids smile.” Military members across a broad spectrum of backgrounds participated. Enlisted, officers, reservists and retirees all played a role in the success of the event. “It was great to see the military members come out and put so much into it to make Marlon’s day special,” said Jan Hammond, Travis event coordinator. “This was an all-volunteer event and it was all for Marlon.” | |
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Weighing in on what others were discussing about tabout the Triumph tour.. I think that a release of the Triumph and Victory tour are essential. And should have already happened. The estate needs to cool off with all of the posthumous albums for right now,, and making MJ holograms to perform at award shows. etc.. And show the world that footage. | |
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You are not really a big Prince fan are you Scorp? Because he has had a lot more crap than that. He even has books written about him essentially saying what a major turd he can be. Of course I am thinking about Possessed by Alex Hahn : http://www.amazon.com/Pos...0823077489 (Damn, my copy is now worth $43). In any event Prince was not on the level of interest that MJ commanded. When he was ,during Purple Rain, we also saw him experience hounding by the press which lead to the incident which lead to the song "Hello" during the "We Are the World Sessions". You think MJ did not try to keep parts of his life private? I think he did. And I think is some ways he succeded. MJ was not the image that most believe he was. He was a much more complex and multifaceted human being than that caricature/man-child which he present to the public.
Also stories tend to circulate among close fans. MJs celebrity was just that much larger than life. I have been a major admirer of James Brown almost as long as I have been of MJ and Prince. But it was only after his death I heard the personal and negative stuff. My older cousin is a true James Brown fan and when I showed him an article about all the crap James had done he knew it all.
Yes Janet was sneaky.LOL. But the truth is MJ did have a private life. The eccentricities and stories were created to get people talking about him. It was a faustian bargain and it got out of hand, but the first stories (the ones he leaked) were quite harmless in hindsight. Eg. Elephant man bones, the hyperbaric chamber, shrine to Liz Taylor. ..all just publicity stunts which got people talking. How could he have know it would lead to "Wacko Jacko"?
Again I don’t think the original plastic surgery hurt him in the least. He did a lot of surgery leading up to Thriller. I don’t remember anything negative being said about it until Bad…and that was more a result of his skin color changing than plastic surgery. And as you know he waited 6 years before giving the Vitiligo explanation. As a matter of fact I think if his skin color had remained the same, the surgeries would not be such a big deal.
Well I see Thriller a bit differently. Thriller sales was an aberration, a cultural phenomena, not his market by any means. You seem to think that MJs market was suddenly 25 million. Thriller sold to people who normaly did not buy records. James Baldwin wrote something very instructive after Thriller that “He hopes MJ realizes that his success has very little to do with him(MJ)” It is a profound and true statement. So MJ sells 6-8 Million of OTW and 25 million of Thriller and then goes back to selling around 8 million for his following albums in the USA. Lets compare that with Prince…Prince sells 3 million of 1999 and then 13 million of Purple Rain and then 2-3 million of Around the World in a Day. To me that says Prince’s market is 2-3 million and the 13 million sold of Purple Rain was an aberration. Not that Purple Rain sales figures represents his true market..not at all.
Woah, hold on there. Surely you are not suggesting that “We Are the World” was successful as it was solely due to Michael? If memory serves me well, he had a little help…from the biggest names in the American Music Industry. I guess Steve Perry (my favorite Rock Tenor), Bruce Springteen,Stevie Wonder,Lionel Ritchie, Dianna Ross and about 30 others were there to sing back-up! But seriously, "We are the World" and songs of its nature do so well ultimately because they represent worthy causes. Buying these records was both a way of enjoying music and giving to the cause at the same time.. "Sun City", "Do They Know Is's Christmas" and "We Are the World" were a great way for people to enjoy music and give to causes they believed in at the same time. Very few bought "Candle in the Wind(Goodbye England's Rose)" because of Elton John. They bought it because it was a way to give to give to Lady Dianne's charities and of course their strong feelings of lost for Lady Di and her premature death.
And again there was a building backlash. It happens whenever a group gets popular. Call it overexposure if you will. But I remember well in high school, after a time it wasn’t that cool to say you were an MJ fan if you were a guy. His androgynous image made for a lot of unkind jokes. There were other things too. Louis Farrakhan said something to the effect in 1984 of "Micheal Jackson is one of the most amazing artists of our time however he presents a female acting SISSYFIED way of expressing himself which is not a good image for our youth" This was in 1984 and seemed to be repeated everywhere in the media. There were other things too..fallout about high prices from the Victory Tour, his purchase of the Beatles Catalog received more negative press than positive...(this was really jealousy and bigotry). My point on this is prior to these incidents MJ could do no wrong. All of a sudden the media was criticizing him for minutiae. Anything they could find was painted negatively. I remember a news article saying "He pionered high prices in Music Videos"...WTF? Why didn't they say he pionered Excellence in music videos? That's what I mean by the backlash was building.
Again I became a fan during Thriller, but even now I don't see anything in Don't stop and Rock with You videos that would have lead me to think he was "the best entertainer, live performer on the planet". It wasn't until the Beat video It that I saw that. I remember when I first saw Beat I was so blown away I thought: "Now that is the way music should look!"
I remember watching a little clip of MJ during the recording of "We Are the World". It was just a drum beat going and he, Webster and Lionel Ritchie were there. MJ just started grooving to the beat and it was so funky! I think his dancing took in influences of modern dance and ballet as he went on... I too would definatley like to see more releases of his concerts..hopefully sooner rather than later.
[Edited 9/9/14 23:36pm] To All the Haters on the Internet
No more Candy 4 U | |
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Just like Prince is a grown man, so was Michael Jackson
that Peter Pan persona he constructed was all superficial......it was all an extreme construct
as far as Prince not being of same interest as MJ.....overall that's true
but as 1983 was the year of MJ......1984 was the year of Prince, particularly the summer of 1984, particularly when Purple Rain the movie hit the big screen......
quite to the contrary of saying Prince was not a major interest......
that summer, I seen tons of cats emulate Prince, not only was the rockin the Prince hairstyle (with hair draping over one eye), they were rocking Prince attire...yes, the ruffles underneath the victorinan style outfits, AND they were rocking the color purple AND they were rollin in motorcycles......
yeah, we have accounts of Prince behind the scenes, but the difference is Prince wasn't trying to manipulate the press over the years.....MJ clearly did time and time again, and misled his fans too
and Prince was not only successful in is own right, but he lead a revolution of musical sound, where an entire region of music was dubbed "The Minneapolis Sound"...and who came out of that realm, people Prince played a major hand in w/establishing their careers, or opening the door for them to begin a career......we can go down the line.....VANITY 6, THE TIME, APPOLONIA 6, JESSE JOHNSON, THE FAMILY, SHEILA E., revived the career of SHEENA EASTON, working w/the MAVIS STAPLES of the world, LARRY GRAHAM.....and none of than JIMMY JAM and TERRY LEWIS, who became one of the most reknowned producing team in the mix.......
MJ made it known, telling his manager during that time that he wanted his life and career to be teh "greatest show on earth", following P.T. BARNUM......and that's when he started manipulating the press crafting the superficial image.....it was not only false, it was superficial....and it never ever worked....it was counterproductive from day one, and it never worked w/his original fanbase whose reason for supporting him was because of his talent for dance, music, and song.....
if it was one person who didn't have to go that route was MICHAEL JACKSON.....I dont' see why anyone would want to disagree with that when the evidence proves that it didn't work
and as you mentioned James Brown, we didn't learn of his problems in life until after he passed because he wasn't trying to manipulate the press during anytime of his career
this isn't about trying to deify people, or suggest someone is better than the next, but Prince or James Brown wasn't trying to con the press...and when James Brown was at his pinnacle, I'm sure he was drawing major interest too......
MJ didn't have to manipulate the press for people to "talk" about him......that's the thing...he never had to do it....he was the biggest musical force on the planet......after WE ARE THE WORLD, fans and the press alike were already anticipating when his next album was going to be release...cats were still talkin about THRILLER, they were still talking about that THRILLER video....he had such huge momentum, he didn't have to craft an image to get people talking
Janet may have been "sneaky", but she didn't manipulate the press.....when u go that route, eventually, no matter who u are, the press will gain the upper hand, and when that moment happens, it's a wrap, because they will start dictating what the public will perceive about you...if MJ never would have given them that opening, they never would have been able to get to him....and they got to him when they starting calling him "wacko jacko".....that started in 1987, 1988 by British Press after BAD was released...he was never called that during the years of OFF THE WALL and THRILLER....know was he was called?.....Michael Jackson
Michael Jordan was the greatest athlete on the planet, and when the press tried to get him about issues off the court, they could never get him...they never got him, as a result, even after 10 years of retirement, he's still the greatest athlete on the planet....because he never gave them fuel to start a fire....
the plasticy surgery excelleration and the response to it when BAD was released, the discussion was about everything, not just the skin color...it was all of it, because everything changed....there was already damage that was discernable, but it was covered with layers of makeup to mask it...based on what was done, at that point, you can't seperate the two....you could already see scar damage.....it becamse so disconcerting, by 1989, during a show celebrating Sammy Davi's 60th year in showbizness, he pleaded with MJ to stop having the surgeires
the deal was that it was a tremendous deal and look where it all led too...now we see tons of entertainers today, men and women, black and white who are disfiguring themselves having way too much plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures...destroying their life in teh process...and we can go down the list.......even when "successful surgery" is done, even if the desired look is achieved, it's only temporary, for there will exist future complications down the road these plastic surgeons aren't informing them about....
Thriller was not an aberation......I doubt very seriously that MJ saw it as such......Thriller was a culmination of music itself.....people never mentioned this...look at all the great musicians behind the scenes who worked on that album...the musicians, the other great artists who sang background who represented the full gamut.....
it was a culmination of the best music had to offer that had been building from 1969-1984, truly music's golden era of existence, w/MJ being at the forefront of that....that was no accident....and this is why Quincy Jones said in his own autobiography......"the world misunderstand the reasons behind Michael Jackson's success, even Michael himself".....allot of this has to do with culture, culture that was suppressed by teh establishment during those 15 years......the same establishment that tried to erase disco off the map since disco was a music form that originated from underground black influence
THRILLER was no accident
PRINCE'S discography was such that he was releasing new albums practically every six months, AROUND THE WORD IN A DAY was released practically after Purple Rain completed its run, it was released in such a fashion, it was like an extension of Purple Rain....
Purple Rain was a masterpiece.......
same with Lionel Richie's album CAN'T SLOW DOWN which was his pinnacle achievement moment...no accident all these great benchmarks occured in 1983-1984 before the industry changed from an talent perspective to that of image, the day that happened, all of it began going downhill......
awww, so now we gone bring Louis Farrakhan into it...I see where this is headed........
the question is, when u was in high school...what year was you in high school....
because from 1979 up until 1985......some of the roughest cats on teh streets was rocking MJ...rocking BEAT IT shirts, jackets, the whole nine......
as far as WE ARE THE WORLD...it was a joint venture...no doubt about it, and as far as the actual performance....Steve Perry and Bruce Springsteen elevated that song to the highest heights....but MJ and Lionel Richie wrote the song
its' funny when a point is trying to be proven to uphold the false image, there's always an attempt to diminished what MJ accomplished during the years of his glory......but it's all good though
MJ didn't buy the Beatles catalog until after Thriller and the Victory Tour and most of the public and those buying his music even knew about it....matter of fact, most of the public didn't find out about that really until that trial hit in 2005......
there was no pending backlash by the public, by music followers, by peers, by contemporaries...
and in that BEAT IT video, all the leg kicks, and signature dance moves in that video....he was already doing it 4 years prior in 1979 when he performed live during the OFF THE WALL tour then in 1981, especially 1981 during the Triumph Tour.......
MJ was already rocking the glove 4 years before MOTOWN 25 hit the airwaves....
and this is why the original fanbase who witnessed the very beginning of MJ'S adult solo career should have more opportunity to highlight this stuff but it will never happen.....their voice does not count and tha'ts a huge part of the problem
MJ was on fire so much on stage prior to THRILLER.....he was doing a full round of spins that led into another round of spins all w/in the same stride w/out breaking stride.....
but when I say this stuff....I really think people dont' believe it because they never saw it...that's the great paradox in the room....
the irony is that if those concerts were released, the world would be witnessing the real Michael Jackson, whom they've never seen before, and if they did get the opportunity to see it, then their entire perspective will change about all this stuff, and I dont' think the estate wants that to happen......
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Michael Jackson Immortal Tour Wraps With Eighth-Best Gross of All Time
 Cirque du Soleil's "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour" premiered in Montreal in October, 2011. OSA ImagesCirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson the Immortal World Tour has wrapped after its three-year run, earning the No. 8 slot on the list of the top-grossing tours of all time with $360 million, based on Billboard Boxscore. The tour played its final performance on Aug. 31 in Guadalajara, Mexico, the last of 501 shows at 157 venues in 28 countries worldwide. The production celebrating the music of the late King of Pop began in Montreal on Oct. 2, 2011, and included legs in four continents during its run that logged a total attendance count of 3,369,207. U2 reigns atop the all-time Billboard Boxscore ranking (see list below) with $736 million in sales from its 360° tour, which played stadiums from 2009 through 2011. The veteran Irish band also takes the No. 6 slot with its Vertigo tour from 2005-07 ($389 million). The Rolling Stones are the only other act with two tours on the list, with A Bigger Bang (2005-07) at No. 2 with $558 million and Voodoo Lounge (1994-95) ranking 10th with $320 million. The sole female headliner on the all-time top 10 is Madonna at No. 5 with her Sticky & Sweet tour ($408 million in 2008-2009. The top sole male tour goes to Roger Waters' "The Wall Live" (2010-13) with $459 million. Guadalajara's Arena VFG hosted the Jackson tribute tour for its final engagement of seven performances from Aug. 28 through 31. With $3 million in sales at the Mexican arena, the Cirque du Soleil concert production makes its last appearance on Billboard's weekly slate of Hot Tours, ranking third this week. Leading the tally at No. 1 is country star Jason Aldean with $5.5 million in sales from his Burn It Down tour, currently on the road in North America through October. With Florida Georgia Line and Tyler Farr on the bill, the Macon, Ga., native has packed stadiums, outdoor amphitheaters, arenas, fairs and festivals during his summer outing that kicked off at the beginning of May. Box office revenue since the launch is now at $25 million from almost a half-million tickets sold. Teenage pop star Austin Mahone grabs the No. 2 Hot Tours ranking for the week with $3.6 million in sales reported from his Secret tour that wrapped in North America on Aug. 21 in Philadelphia. The tour played 19 markets in the U.S. and Canada during a four-week run that kicked off on July 25 in San Antonio. The attendance count topped 78,000 during the tour that featured the Vamps, Fifth Harmony and Shawn Mendes as openers. The top grosses came from two major markets on the schedule: New York and Los Angeles. The Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J., produced the top gross and attendance totals with $375,786 in sales from a sellout crowd of 7,457 on Aug. 20. Southern California fans filled L.A.'s NOKIA Theatre on July 30 with 5,790 sold seats and $301K at the box office, the second highest gross on the tour. Top 10 Highest Grossing Tours according to Billboard Boxscore (in millions) 1. U2 - 360° (2009-11) - $736
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6251218/michael-jackson-immortal-tour-eighth-best | |
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Michael Jackson's Charitable Contributions
[Edited 9/11/14 18:57pm] | |
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The 1980's | |
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 In October, 1987, he gives away 30 personal items and memorabilia such as t-shirts, sunglasses or a windbreaker for an auction addressing "UNESCO", the proceeds of which being invested into awareness raising and helping educate children in developing countries. On November 13, 1987, Michael Jackson meets 4-year old wounded Angela Darlington and her mother, Helen, in Melbourne Children’s Hospital during a stop from his BAD concert there at the Olympic Park Stadium. The mother has this to say on the visit 21 years later: “My daughter, Angela, was in hospital with head injuries after being hit by a car. One day we were told by the nurses that Michael Jackson was coming to visit. We had to keep it a secret, so the hospital wasn’t overwhelmed with fans. There was a big flurry, as his assistants handed out T-shirts and signed copies of his Bad album to everyone on the ward. Then he just walked around and talked to the patients. […] I said hello. He said he was pleased to meet me. I was gobsmacked. He was very gentle and seemed shy. I got the sense he had a deep love for children, especially those who’d been hurt. Then he crouched down and said ‘Hello, Angela’. She couldn’t talk, because she’d just come out of a coma, but she started smiling. After that day, she started to get better. I think of him as an inspiration. We’d been having a terrible time – Angela was in hospital and I’d been ringing Lifeline to keep myself together, but he was a total inspiration for the whole ward. I thought: ‘Thank God for sending him’. He just had a presence about him – this great empathy with people who needed to get better. Now, Angela is 25, at university and full of life. There was another boy on the ward who was about 15 and was a huge fan. After Michael’s visit, he started getting better too. His mom thought it was a miracle. I believe many of the children got better after meeting him. I think people should know about this side of Michael. I’ve never believed he was anything but a good person.” On November 18, 1987, he visits the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick, Australia. Natasha Lang, mother of a child committed in the hospital at the time, offers her account of his visit there years later: “[…] I will never forget that day as long as I live, when Michael came to the hospital with an abundance of stuffed animal toys, so generously given, to all the children in the children’s ward. He went around the ward and visited each child personally and quietly spoke words of comfort to them and I will never forget the delight of these children, the medical staff and the parents who visited on that day. My son now is a grown man and I wish to share this photograph with the whole world because it shows Michael’s selfless and generous nature. My son, unfortunately, lost his eye in a school accident that week and, as you can imagine, it was a real tragedy for the whole family, but that day he gave us all some joy, great pleasure and an abundance of happiness.” World-conscious single, “Man In The Mirror” (written by Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard), is released on January 9, 1988, and is the fourth consecutive number-1 single off album BAD. It was recorded with The Andre Crouch Choir. The song is described as Jackson going “a step further" and offering "a straightforward homily of personal commitment”, which can be seen in the lyrics: “I'm starting with the man in the mirror/I'm asking him to change his ways/And no message could have been clearer/If you wanna make the world a better place/Take a look at yourself and then make a change.” The videoclip features shots of starving children, homeless people, intermixed with shots of individuals that have made contributions towards helping them: Bob Geldoff, organizer of Band Aid and Live AID for the relief of famine victims, Willie Nelson, organizer of Farm Aid benefiting farmers, shots of Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Dr. Martin Luther King, Bishop Desmond Tutu, President Reagan with Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachov. Other notable people appearing include Raúl Alfonsín, Lech Wałęsa, Anwar El Sadat, Menachem Begin, Jimmy Carter, Rosa Parks, Pieter Willem Botha, and Adolf Hitler. Tragic events such as the Iranian hostage crisis, John Fitzegerald and Robert Kennedy’s assassinations, King’s, John Lennon’s are combined with a more joyful occurrence, the rescue of Jessica McClure from a well in Midland, Texas. Jackson is featured in only a brief shot, raising his arms giving the peace sign, surrounded by a crowd of children while on tour in Japan. “Man In The Mirror” peaks at number 1 in the United States soon afterwards. It is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed songs, topping the Billboard Hot 100 charts for two weeks. The song reaches the number 8 in the UK Singles Charts in 1988, but in 2009, following the news of his passing, the song will peak at number two. In January, 1988, one of his Bad Tour concert proceeds in Los Angeles are funneled to "Childhelp USA", the largest organization against child abuse. In February, 1988, the singer’s (inspirational) song, "Man in the Mirror", in partnership with "Camp Ronald McDonald", provides the cancer-plagued children of "Good Times" with its royalties.  On February 24, 1988, two-year old cancer patient, Allan Bufford, held by his mother, Brenda, meets his favorite entertainer backstage in Kansas City, Missouri on occasion of Jackson’s US leg of his first solo world tour, the Bad Tour. The ill boy obtained his doctor’s permission to attend the sold-out show. On March 1, 1988, (on occasion of the United Negro College Fund's 44th dinner) at a press conference organized by his sponsor, Pepsi, in Manhattan, N.Y., he offers UNCF’s President and CEO, Christopher Edley a check for 600,000 dollars, the entire grossings from his private sold-out benefit concert held at Madison Square Garden in New York City (for the 42 UNCF institutions, including Fisk University), making him one of "UNCF"s most significant donators. The event featured children reading their dreams and wishes as Jackson looks on. In the spring of 1988, Michael Jackson moves out of his home in Encino, California, which he has shared with his parents, brother Randy, and sisters La Toya and Janet since approximately 1971. He purchases a 2,800 acre ranch in Los Olivos, California in March for the reported price of 28 million dollars, while other sources say it was closer to 17 million. Previously called 'Sycamore Ranch', it was spotted by Jackson 5 years before, when he filmed a music video for "Say, Say, Say" with Paul McCartney. The grounds of this ranch consist in a mansion, guest house, tennis courts, lakes, streams, thousands of oak trees and a large space for his menagerie. The house will become an more or less official non-profit organization housing disadvantaged children and their families for over 17 years. Shortly before purchasing his new home, his Encino house was used for an auction of artwork, the 2 million-dollar proceeds from the auction going to the “South African Council of Churches” for housing, clothing and medical supplies. The auction is hosted by actress Whoopi Goldberg; Jackson was not at home at the time. On March 15, 1988, at his new mansion, Michael Jackson hosts benefits for Saint Vincent’s Residence. Saint Vincent’s Residence is one of the charity organizations from the Catholic Community Services of Northern Nevada, which offers 28 studio apartments and 25 rooms at affordable weekly rates for low-income and special needs individuals and families. Its mission statement reads: “With food, clothing, shelter and a helping hand, Catholic Community Services brings hope to all people in order to build spirit and self reliance within them and within our community.” In April, 1988, Jackson gives away free-of-charge tickets for three concerts in Atlanta, Georgia to the "Make A Wish Foundation". On May 22, 1988, he visits the Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital in Rome, Italy, where he signs autographed pictures and delivers sweets, records and moral comfort to the ill children, among whom 13-year old heart-transplant patient, Nunzia Glaccio. Jackson signs a check for 100,000 pounds to the hospital for leukemia research. While in Rome for his Bad Tour, he also visits the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican City, Saint Peter’s Cathedral, and other significant places. On June 19, 1988, Michael Jackson is performing a concert during Bad World Tour at the Reichstag Building in Berlin, West Germany, before an audience of 50,000 people. Over 3,000 East Germans gather at the Berlin Wall to listen to Jackson performing on the other side of the Wall in West Berlin. The entertainer decided to perform at Reichstag to send out a message of peace and unity. The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic between East Berlin and West Berlin which ran just behind Reichstag, from August 13, 1961, this completely cutting off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The barrier included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, which circumscribed the death strip that contained anti-vehicle trenches, fakir beds and other defenses. The fall of the Wall started on the evening of November 9, 1989, and was the first step toward German reunification, which was formally concluded on October 3, 1990. Michael Jackson wrote a poem dedicated to this historic episode for his 1992 book, “Dancing The Dream”, titled simply: “Berlin 1989”. In 1988, Jackson’s signed fedora is given away on occasion of a music celebrity auction advantaging the "T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research", the hat being sold for over 4,000 dollars. On July 16, 1988, he meets Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Wales before his third "Bad" concert at Wembley Stadium, London, and presents a check for 150,000 dollars/300,000 pounds for the "Prince’s Trust" (an organization addressing disadvantaged children), as well as one for 100,000 pounds for the "Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital" in the U.K. Jackson also presents the royal couple gives with Bad Tour jackets for sons Prince William and Prince Harry; he also presents them with a framed set of cassettes and compact discs of solo albums “Off The Wall”, “Thriller” and “Bad”. “I was so excited at meeting the royal couple. I’m very very happy that they came to watch me perform. I thought the Princess was just wonderful.”, says the singer following the meeting. Originally, Jackson did not wish to perform “Dirty Diana” in order to not offend the Princess who bears the name, but she told him that is one of her favorite songs and that he should perform it, which the singer eventually does. On July 20, 1988, he returns to meet with critically ill children and their parents at the "Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital", where he spends longer time with the less critical patients, reserving words of comfort to them, reading them stories and delivering presents, including albums, signed photos and T-shirts. He associates himself with the "Wishing Well Fund" for sponsoring the contruction of a novel unit, as part of the "Hospital for Sick Children" in Great Ormond Street, London, England. Notably, 9-year old Neil Clark, having undergone live-saving surgery to remove a brain tumour – and originally not scheduled to see the popstar – is visited by the singer, the boy’s father declaring with gratitude that the visit "cheered my son up". 4-year-old Joanne Doeffer, having undergone a throat operation and breathing through a special tube, was visited by the star, the meet-and-greet prompting her to struggle and say "Thriller" to a delighted Jackson. In the evening, a banquet is held in his honor at the Guildhall. In July, 1988, on occasion of a ceremony honoring the singer in England, Jackson is accompanied by 10-year old Jimmy Safechuck, a young American fan he had taken under his wing, Safechuck also appearing in one of Jackson's commercials with Pepsi. At Hamley’s in London, the world’s largest toy store, he shops with Safechuck and purchases computer games, over twenty dolls and teddy-bears, and six puppets: three Stevie Wonder ones and three of himself. He also expresses wish to purchase a carnival for the backyard of his ranch, offering 2 million dollars to John Carter’s Steam Fair; however, Carter will not prove interested in selling it, thus Jackson’s offer is declined. On his 30th birthday in 1988, on August 29, he delivers a concert to the "Give For Life" charity in Roundhay Park, Leeds, England, where 90,000 admirers sing to him "Happy Birthday". The benefit concert’s 130,000-dollar grossings will favor immunization programs for 40,000 children. He also presents a check for 65,000 pounds to the mentioned charity-organization. | |
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Michael Jackson lends his song, “Beat It”, for use in a Flinstone Kids cartoon special encouraging children to avoid drugs. “The Flinstone Kids” airs in September, 1988. In it, little Fred, Barney, Wilma and Betty work odd jobs to earn money for tickets to a Michael Jacksonn concert. They finally make it to the concert and see Michael Jackstone singing new lyrics to “Beat It” about the unnecessary use of drugs: “They told the girl / Why don’t you step over here? / You wanna be cool, / Take a look in here. / They wanna do drugs / And their words are really clear, / So beat it! / You don’t need it! (Say no!) / You don’t need friends / Doing things that are wrong, / There’s lots of kids like you / Who are cool and strong, / It might be kinda tough, / But you can move along, / So beat it! And say it ain’t fair, /Don’t mean it! / Don’t need it! / Just say no to drugs! / Defeat it! Have a life that’s happy, / A future that’s bright, /You make it happen,/ Drugs are wrong / And you’re right./ Just beat it! / Just beat it! (Say no!) / And defeat it! / Now, Moms and Dads. / You ought to listen to me: / To be a kid today, / It ain’t easy. /Just make your home and family / A loving place to be. / So beat it! Send it riding a wave!” Sister La Toya also contributes to the special with “Just Say No” from her album, “LaToya”. | |
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