Honour MJ Campaign

Michael Jackson's news in English. Your updated reference for Michael Jackson's news in English language from all around the world. Rumors, gossip and true facts. And a lot of Michael Jackson's beautiful pictures.
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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 17 ottobre 2021, 21:13


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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 20 ottobre 2021, 13:39

Snoop Dogg has revealed that he took inspiration from an unlikely source #MichaelJackson..."Mike was the king. I definitely looked up
to Mike and thought he was an amazing performer and artist."

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 21 ottobre 2021, 15:21

After an intense moment spending 41 days in Japan to launch his #BadWorldTour performing 14 concerts within a month !
#MichaelJackson decided to take some days off to rest and visit China. Michael Jackson liked Hong Kong very much. Therefore, they chose to come to Hong Kong for a holiday in 1987, and the return date was repeatedly delayed. As a result, the original stay of two days became a full three weeks.
From Tokyo Narita airport Michael left the country at 10:22 am on October 19th, 1987 from the flight JAL731 to Hong Kong.
Liu Guangzhi, Jackson's guide then, couldn't hold back his excitement speaking of the megastar's one-day visit of a guided trip in his hometown.
"I didn't know whom I was going to pick up until they gave me the tourists' name list. Michael Jackson's name was right there, the first on the list," Liu, 23 then, recalled.
"For most of his fans here, it's a pity he never visited Chinese mainland, but hardly have they known that he was here once 22 years ago," Liu added.
Michael Jackson is a man with few words but very friendly, Liu said of his first impression of the pop icon. "We are not able to have an in-depth talk on any subject, but he mailed me our photo with his autograph on it through his agent later," Liu continued.
The children and the seniors, who took photos with Michael Jackson during his tour of their village, also received the pictures from him. Many of the villagers still have the photos in house.
Liu is grateful to Michael Jackson for the pictures, he said, "it's a cherished memory for us all, and Michael helped us to keep it".
"Though he's not with us any more, I still remember his kindness. He's the unparalleled King of Pop, I'll keep the memory of him in my heart forever."
Michael Jackson came to Hong Kong for vacation and rest until November 10th. He visited Shaw Studios and Wireless Clear Water Bay Recording Factory. He was also treated by Sir mi Gao Jackson has been taking a vacation in Hong Kong.
When Michael Jackson visited the Ocean Park in Hong Kong to buy jewellery, it was a stir. In addition to Wang Mingquan and Yam Dahua, Zhen Ni and Wang Zuxian were also with Shaw. Tea chats with MJ in the Qingshuiwan Villa. MJ has also been to many places. He also wore dragon robes at the Shaw Brothers and Qingshuiwan Studios and took pictures on Minchu Street. During this period, Du Dewei recommended himself as a general, Zhong Shuhui as a court lady, and Liang Shuzhen Instead of Zhang Fengni, who wanted to see MJ, she and Liang Peeling put on cheongsam to accompany MJ to the street photo in the early Republic of China. Taiwanese artist Xu Shuyuan also bumped into MJ in a Hong Kong hair salon and took a group photo.
That year, Wang Mingquan even presented a TV picture tube to Michael Jackson as a souvenir, and the two sat in a dragon chair for a group photo, while Michael was wearing ancient costumes. When A sister was asked about this yesterday, she bluntly said that she had chatted with MJ about Say Hello and took a group photo.
Ren Dahua also met with MJ on the Shaw Brothers studio. Ren Dahua recalled: "In 1987, I filmed "The Book and Sword Encounter Record". When I saw him, I was a little stunned. He was very surprised about Chinese costumes and objects. I was curious. At that time, I was an emperor and lived in a dragon robe. He was very interested in a dragon robe. He touched the dragon robe and scared me with a bald head. I took a photo with him and signed it. In the warehouse, MJ is so nice. There is no shelf at all. It is a singer I really like. He often listens to his songs. Originally, my wife and I both bought tickets to watch a concert in the United Kingdom, but my family had no chance. La, this incident makes me feel that the world is impermanent and I really need to cherish the people around me.”
On October 21, Michael Jackson and his entourage arrived on a private jet, and I was in the office when my boss started freaking out, I asked him what was wrong and he said, ‘Michael Jackson is arriving and the press are at the airport. What are we going to do?’ I said, ‘That’s easy. I have an idea.’ I grabbed Peggy Johnson, who was our singer at the club. We rushed back to my place, I put on my costume. My wife dressed Peggy up as Michael Jackson with a hat, weird wig and dark clothing and we rushed off via the subway to get to Kai Tak Airport on time,” recalled Dr Penguin, a Moroccan entertainer... “I was working at Duddell’s on Duddell Street” and the owner of the restaurant knew Michael’s travel agent and ended up in Michael’s hotel room in Japan and the pair invited Michael to come to Hong Kong before flying to Australia to carry on the tour."
“Michael was enthused with the idea as he had never been there and wanted to go. He loved Chinese movies, kung fu and Bruce Lee, They came back to Hong Kong happy with the idea but did not know when Michael was going to arrive. He did say there was one condition. If there was any press at the airport he would turn around and go back to Japan."
“We come down the elevator to where the press were waiting – I look around wearing these dark glasses and I say – ‘Where’s the limo?’ I look at her and said, ‘Quick, Michael, run.’ And we ran toward a taxi and there was only one policeman there. The press were throwing money at the taxi driver and the police did nothing, I was beating them off and yelling at the press saying ‘let us go, let us go.’ Finally we got moving and the press followed us into town.
We went to the Mandarin [Oriental] hotel as we knew there were lots of different exits and it was close to Duddell’s. We got rid of the press and we ran to Duddell’s; by then it was midday – we had a couple of vodka tonics and laughed about it at the bar. When the papers came out we were everywhere – The Standard had a huge colour picture on the front page of me and Peggy with headlines ‘Michael Jackson arrives in Hong Kong.’ I had however called my editor friend Zelda Cawthorne at the South China Morning Post and gave her the story.”
“Meanwhile the real Michael Jackson arrives and gets into his car with no press and goes to the Hong Kong hotel where he was staying. That night Michael came to Duddell’s and we put on a special show for him downstairs in the cellar where the bank vault used to be, and which had been converted into a VIP area. His team were there first. We had jazz musicians, a stand-up base and piano. Just before Michael arrived Rick said, ‘can you put a band together?’ And we said, ‘it’s a little bit late for that.’ Rick then asked us to at least get a drummer, so I hired Sam, a Jamaican drummer who plays reggae. So the three of them, having never played together, were trying to keep the ambience going. Sam was able to play along with the jazz. We brought in acrobats and a kung fu show and I did close up magic. But during the evening, Michael got up and wanted to sing a song and it was hysterical because the band did not know any Michael Jackson songs or any song that he knew – it was an embarrassing moment,” recalls Dr Penguin.
“Michael was a big fan of magic, so we ended up talking for an hour and a half. Michael wanted to see more card tricks and how to do them. Then we were talking about The Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers and arguing over which ones were funnier and he appointed me there and then to be his tour guide in Hong Kong. He asked me how long I had been here and where I had lived, which included Nepal and other places, and he was fascinated by it, so I agreed to take him around.”
“Michael was looking for a roller coaster to buy for Neverland so he wanted to test it out. We had a private tour, and were the last two on the roller coaster. Everyone else had bailed because they were throwing up but Michael and I kept going again and again,” says Dr Penguin. “We took Michael antique shopping. He did a day trip to China and Macau, which he didn’t enjoy too much, but he really loved going up to the Shaw Brothers Studio. He wanted to meet Sir Run Run Shaw who had lent us his Rolls-Royce to use and it was arranged for him to meet some of the stars which he went gaga over.”
Ann Tsang was tasked to look after the star during his visit to the Shaw Brothers Studios in Clear Water Bay. “I had spent just two days in the marketing and PR department having moved over from programming at TVB when my boss called me in to let me about this special project. I had to meet with Jackson’s team and it took four to five days to make the arrangements,” says Tsang. “Michael wanted to dress is period costume and shoot some B-roll for laser disc in the Shanghai Street scenes at the Clear Water Bay studios,” says Tsang, who still lives and works in Hong Kong.
“Only five people were allowed on the set and Michael had four and then there was me. His people had specific requirements to make things go smoothly. It took us two days in the wardrobe department to figure out how to put on the costume. We had a 5am call on the day,” continues Tsang.
“Michael was humble, soft-spoken with no demands. He just wanted to dress up and play. He was curious about Chinese culture and wanted to wear the costume properly. It was a 12-hour shoot. I was not star struck, but I couldn’t comprehend it was happening.”
Because MJ was a vegetarian back then, he came to Hong Kong and brought a private chef to cook for him. Even vegetables were shipped to Hong Kong by air. MJ went to the Tsim Sha Tsui Space Museum and Central to wander around, went to discos, bookstores, Ocean Park, etc., and ordered clothes in Hong Kong, such as special Chinese tunic suits, and went to jewelry and watch shops to buy jewelry and jewelry. He went to Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station again, and he was in a good mood and ran alongside a large number of police officers.
The Hong Kong police officers are no exception to the rule and are even among the first, after their Japanese colleagues, to benefit from the favors of the star during this Bad Tour. Michael Jackson goes to the Tsim Sha Tsui police station, in Kowloon.
Tsim Sha Tsui (often abbreviated to TST) is a shopping district, a paradise for shoppers, and known for its lively nightlife. Nathan Road and nearby Canton Road are the two busiest streets, as well as the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade in Victoria Harbour, which is ideal for its panoramic view of Hong Kong.
The police station is located on Nathan Road. It seems that it is on invitation of the policemen that the singer goes there.
He finds himself in the middle of a unit of the PTU (Police Tactical Unit, the Hong Kong anti-gang brigade) with whom he poses and parades around the police station.
As in most of the big capitals, Hong Kong does not deviate from the rule of the tourist buses, these famous buses which make you go around the city to discover the main sites (for an often expensive sum by the way!). Michael Jackson took the game, got on one of them and enjoyed the city by night. It's hard to find the exact place of these pictures though, as neon lights are omnipresent and even legendary in Hong Kong and in Asian cities.
He stayed in Hong Kong for three weeks, and he praised Hong Kong as a lively and prosperous place, and praised Hong Kong people for their energy and vigor.

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 26 ottobre 2021, 9:55

Cohiba Rose
@Cohiba42794785
" I never didnt love him. Through all of the media drama and nonsense, i never didnt love Michael. I always, always loved Michael.
- Lady Gaga about Michael Jackson

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 27 ottobre 2021, 9:11


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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 29 ottobre 2021, 11:09

https://www.damienshields.com/michael-j ... h-no-name/

Michael Jackson Meets America in Invincible Album Outtake ‘A Place With No Name’
BY DAMIEN SHIELDS –

Below is a chapter from my book Michael Jackson: Songs & Stories From The Vault, revised for this article. The full book is available via Amazon and iBooks.

Immagine

On May 20, 1997, Epic Records, released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix – a compilation album including five new songs by Michael Jackson and eight remixes of tracks taken from his 1995 album, HIStory.

While some of the new songs are arguably among the best of Jackson’s illustrious career, only three of them had never been heard at the time of Blood on the Dance Floor’s release, leaving fans hungry for more new music from the pop star.

And so in 1998, Jackson turned his attention towards his next full-length album, returning to the recording studio to work on ideas with his team of trusted collaborators.

As was customary when recording a new album, Jackson also invited a number of new personnel into the fold with whom he had not yet worked, to see what they could bring to the table.

The newest member of Jackson’s team was singer, songwriter, and producer Elliot Straite, who goes by the name Dr. Freeze in the music industry.

Prior to working with Jackson, Freeze was best known for his New Jack Swing style production, and for having co-written the 1991 hit “I Wanna Sex You Up” for boy band Color Me Badd, and “Poison” for Bell Biv DeVoe.

In 1998, Freeze had been working on an album with one of his collaborative partners. But unfortunately, the album never saw the light of day.

“After completing the album, things did not go as planned and we had to cancel the project,” Freeze recalls in a 2011 interview with MJFrance.

At the time, Freeze was being managed by record executive John McClain.

Disappointed that his prior project had failed, Freeze recalls that he received some news from McClain that changed his life forever:

“I was very upset. And then John McClain said, ‘Don’t worry, Freeze. I have another project for you. You’ll be in business with Michael.’ I said, ‘Michael who?’ And he said, ‘Michael Jackson!’”

At first, Freeze thought McClain was crazy, not believing that Michael Jackson would actually want to work with him.

But then, Jackson called Freeze, telling the producer that he was returning to the studio to record another album, and he wanted Freeze to join him.

The collaboration was possible for Freeze because McClain was also managing Jackson at the time. And soon after their initial phone call, Freeze began preparing a collection of songs to present to Jackson.

When the songs were ready, the pair got to work on the tracks Jackson liked best.

“I introduced him to many songs,” recalls Freeze.

“The main songs on which we worked were ‘Break Of Dawn,’ ‘A Place With No Name,’ and ‘Blue Gangsta.’ These three songs were our priorities. He adored them.”

Though already an accomplished artist in his own right, and fully capable of holding his own in a recording studio, Freeze was intimidated during his first studio session with Jackson.

“It was pretty scary for me,” recalls Freeze.

“I felt like I was back in primary school, and not knowing anything about production. With Michael, I relearned everything. The other producers and I were [like] students facing a teacher. With Michael, it was as if we knew nothing [about] the business. We had to start over and relearn everything. He taught us to do everything the best way possible. Michael was a perfectionist… I was very nervous. Very nervous, but very honored. He knew all about the music industry; everything about everything. Nothing was foreign to him, and he taught me a lot.”

“Michael and I, we have a knack for melody,” Freeze continues.

“So every time I proposed something, it was easy for him to study the song because it was as if he already knew it. I gave him some songs that he adored. He cherished them… I did all the music, and he only had to learn the lyrics.”

For “A Place With No Name,” Freeze envisioned a hypnotic song themed around escapism.

“[It’s] a song where you just close your eyes to find yourself instantly transported into a wonderful world,” explains Freeze.

“This song is very cinematic. It would have been a perfect song for a movie like Avatar, because it reveals to us a wonderful world where people are different, but happy. This song is like an escape from everyday life. [It] was inspired by ‘A Horse With No Name,’ by the group America. The lyrics of this song are very deep. I wanted to refresh it and make a version for the 2000s.”
Michael knew the guys from America,” recalls Jackson’s recording engineer, Michael Prince, who worked on the track with Jackson and Freeze.

Jackson also knew America’s longtime manager, Jim Morey, who had co-managed Jackson with Sandy Gallin for a period of time years prior.

“So he called them to ask if it was okay to use the sample from ‘A Horse With No Name,’ and they said yes,” explains Prince.

“I know from my personal time with Michael that he was a musical fan of America. He mentioned it to me several times, actually,” recalls Morey.

“Michael himself never actually spoke to Dewey Bunnell, who is the original writer of the song. What happened was a publishing rep from Warner-Chappell Music notified me that there was going to be a use of the song which Michael had changed and needed permission for. Dewey agreed to the changes subject to payment and I negotiated the fee with Michael’s lawyer. It was very simple. No dramas.”

This wasn’t the first time that Jackson had taken someone else’s song and covered or repurposed it for his own project.

Jackson performed a rock version of The Beatles’ 1969 number one hit “Come Together” in his 1988 feature film Moonwalker, later including the track as a B-side on his “Remember The Time” single in 1992, and again on the HIStory album in 1995.
The HIStory album also features a stunning Jackson rendition of “Smile,” originally composed as an instrumental by Charlie Chaplin for his 1936 film Modern Times and later recorded by Nat King Cole in 1954 featuring newly written lyrics by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons.

Jackson and Freeze’s 1998 reimagining of “A Horse With No Name” also wasn’t the first – or the last – time a Jackson family member had recorded a track inspired by America’s music.

In 1985, Michael’s sister, Janet Jackson, was working on what would become the Control album.

At the time, Janet had recently hired John McClain as her manager, and McClain brought Minneapolis-based production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis on board to help bring the album to fruition.

One of the first tracks Jam and Lewis penned for Control, released in 1986, was “Let’s Wait Awhile,” which bears striking similarities to America’s 1975 hit “Daisy Jane.”

Fifteen years later, Jam & Lewis penned another America-inspired track for Janet, called “Someone to Call My Lover,” released as part of her All For You album in 2001.

“Someone to Call My Lover” directly samples the Dewey Bunnell-written guitar riff from America’s 1972 track “Ventura Highway.”

“I love sampling,” explains Jimmy Jam, who together with Terry Lewis worked on some of the most sample-heavy songs of Michael Jackson’s career, including “History” and “Tabloid Junkie” from Jackson’s 1995 HIStory album.

“I’m not into stealing. I’m not into taking something illegally and using it. But if people get credit for it, the idea of introducing people to new music through old music, and music I grew up with.”

Dewey Bunnell recalls that “Ventura Highway” was inspired when he, his brother, and their father encountered a flat tire during a family trip many years earlier.

“It was 1963, when I was in seventh grade,” recalls Bunnell. “We got a flat tire, and we’re standing on the side of the road, and I was staring at this highway sign. It said ‘Ventura’ on it, and it just stuck with me.”

In what appears to be an unimaginable coincidence, thirty-five years after the Bunnell family’s highway flat tire, the lyrics to first lines of “A Place With No Name” go like this:

As I drove across on the highway,
My jeep began to rock.
I didn’t know what to do so I stopped and got out,
And looked down and noticed I got a flat.

Lyrics to “A Place With No Name”
“America loved the idea,” says Freeze of he and Jackson’s new version of the 1971 chart-topper.

“They found this update absolutely terrific. They were really excited about [the] project.”

“A Place With No Name” was first worked on at Record Plant Recording Studios in Los Angeles in August of 1998.

At the time, CJ deVillar was the Record Plant’s chief engineer.

DeVillar is not only an engineer, but also an accomplished musician. In the early 1980s, deVillar played bass guitar in a couple of moderately successful bands, one of which was signed to Epic Records in 1984 – the same time that Michael Jackson and The Jacksons were.

As chief engineer at the Record Plant, deVillar was responsible for overseeing the recording sessions of high-profile artists, and was always present to ensure the more technically challenging sessions ran smoothly.

When Jackson first arrived at the Record Plant to begin working on new music with Dr. Freeze in the summer of ’98, Jackson wanted to hire a new engineer to assist with their sessions. DeVillar, who had worked with Jackson before, was assigned the task of helping him find the best man for the job.

To test out their skills, Jackson threw several tasks at the engineers, including asking each of them to compile a vocal using a variety of multi-track machines.

However, unfortunately for the engineers, Jackson’s requests were too complex, with deVillar having to constantly step in and fix a problem, or complete the task on his own.

After trialling three different engineers, it became clear that deVillar himself was far more capable of giving Jackson what he needed than any of the engineers they’d trialled.

“So three or four days later,” recalls deVillar, “Michael looked at me and said, ‘Why don’t you be my engineer?’ And I said, ‘Yeah! I’m ready. Let’s do this. Let’s work.’ And he said, ‘Great!’ And the next day I was working in the studio with MJ.”

The first track deVillar, Jackson and Freeze worked on was “Break of Dawn,” which Freeze had written for Jackson.

Production on “Break of Dawn” moved quickly, with Jackson recording it early on in the Record Plant sessions, before moving on to other songs, including “Blue Gangsta” and “A Place With No Name.”
During an early collaborative session for “A Place With No Name,” Jackson recorded a scratch vocal for the track with Freeze, deVillar, and another engineer, Eddie Delena, with whom Jackson and deVillar had previously worked a few years earlier.

At one point during the session, Freeze mentioned to deVillar that he wanted to have a ‘real’ (live) bass guitar on the track.

“Michael’s music usually uses a synth bass,” explains deVillar in an interview with The MJCast,

“So the minute I heard [Freeze say he wanted live bass] I was like, ‘I play bass! I’ve played for years. I could drop in and see if you guys like it.’ And they were like, ‘Yeah, bring it down!’”

DeVillar took Freeze at his word, bringing his bass guitar to the studio.

“I bring it down, and I take it out of the case,” recalls deVillar, “and I sit it in the corner so they can see it. Because I’m not gonna mention it again. I don’t want to be forward and rude [and] I don’t want to be forceful.”

But he didn’t have to be forceful at all. Before long, Freeze had suggested the timing may be right for deVillar to plug in and see what he could come up with.

Jackson, however, was still at the studio, and deVillar insisted that he and Freeze should wait for Jackson to leave the studio before entering the booth to record the bass.

DeVillar’s concern was that he didn’t want to jeopardize his position as an engineer on the project by being caught playing something that Jackson had not requested. And so they waited.

“Michael usually left around the same time every evening,” recalls deVillar, “so we waited for him to leave before I did my thing. The reason I didn’t want Michael to see me play was in case he didn’t understand that I’m also a bass player. I was scared of him seeing me and wondering why his engineer was messing around with his song. I didn’t want to get fired.”

It was a Tuesday evening on August 25, 1998, when deVillar finally laid down his bass parts at the Record Plant. And it was that same night that his worst nightmare became a reality, with Jackson catching him in the act almost immediately after plugging his bass guitar in.

“I saw Mike appear from the studio lounge through the glass right when I had just started playing,” recalls deVillar, “and I was like, ‘Oh, God!’”

Jackson asked deVillar what he and Freeze were doing, to which deVillar replied sheepishly: “Laying down some bass, Mike.”

Jackson wanted to hear what they’d done so far, and questioned whether anything had been recorded.

“Um, no, Mike,” said deVillar. “I’m just trying to find a vibe.”

Jackson encouraged deVillar to keep playing, and for Freeze to record it all, which is exactly what they did.

Jackson liked what he heard so much that he entered the booth and began rocking out with deVillar.

“I had Michael in my face, and he cranked the speakers up loud,” recalls deVillar.

“I’m hearing his voice, he’s dancing, popping and locking. I’ve got total Michael Jackson immersion. It was like I’d been zapped, like some crazy channeling was going on. It was like some kind of musical blessing that his aura and his power ended up in my space. And that bass line was created. It wouldn’t have happened if he wasn’t there, because he’s standing right in front of me. He’s dancing. He’s making faces. He’s cheering me on. He’s playing air guitar. He’s giving me affirmations while I’m playing, and I’m absorbing these affirmations like he’s a fan in the audience. It was like a live concert, and he was producing me live on stage. He kept saying, ‘Oh, yeah, CJ. That was stinky. Hurt me! Let’s do another.’ His enthusiasm was inspiring me. It was hypnotic, and Freeze wanted the track to be hypnotic.”

“I dropped in a total of five or six times, with the last one being a solid groove track so we didn’t have to compile a bunch of bass ideas to make the song listenable right away,” explains deVillar.

“After a few loud playbacks, I put together a quick rough mix and made him a DAT tape to listen to. He graciously thanked me again and then went home for the day… I had a lot of fun recording [with] Michael and Freeze. It showed me Michael’s relentless musical energy so vividly… The whole session went down in about thirty minutes, and it gave me a whole new level of respect for Michael.”

The next day, Jackson arrived back at Record Plant Recording Studios ready to record the background vocals and “na nas” with Freeze.

While the majority of the background vocals on the track belong to Freeze, there are a few instances where he and Jackson have recorded in harmony, with their vocals being layered seamlessly together by engineers.

Early versions of “A Place With No Name” ran eight minutes in length and were recorded across forty-eight tracks including conga drums, wind effects, shakers, claps, the guitar sample from America’s original version of the song, and, of course, deVillar’s live bass part.

After about a week of tweaking and editing the rough “A Place With No Name” mix, Jackson was ready to record the lead vocals.

The recording session, engineered by Eddie Delena with the assistance of deVillar, took place at the Record Plant on September 8, 1998.

Dr. Freeze recalls what it was like to witness Jackson in full force, recording vocals in the booth:

“When he came into the studio to record, he stood before the microphone and set fire to the song. As he left, the studio was in ashes and our jaws on the floor. It was really impressive to see.”

“He sang so well that when he was in the booth, magic was coming out,” recalls deVillar.

“I had to hold my emotions, because I’m more of a music guy than an engineer. When Michael would sing, sometimes he would hit these notes where I would jump out of my seat like, Oh, my god! And I’d have to stop myself, because I’m the engineer and I can’t jump out of my seat. But I did a few times!”

DeVillar continues:

“The pyrotechnics that came out of this man were ridiculous. And it came out like that all the f*cking time. It’s powerful. It’s magic. It was like he was channeling when he would sing. It was scary sometimes. He would actually grab the microphone with his hands and roar and just get into it. Then the part would be over and he would let go of the mic and he would just sit there and simmer. And I would wait sometimes up to twenty or thirty seconds until he got his composure back. He was gathering up energy, widening up his body and then, Bam! Letting it loose. Then relaxing, composing himself, a slight little five-second meditation and then we’d do another take. He was really focused on every part, every swing at the ball. There was a lot of force behind every single take.”

Jackson’s lead vocals were recorded using a Neumann M149 microphone.

Additional leads were recorded on October 16, 1998, by engineer Mike Ging at the Ocean Way Recording facility – commonly referred to as Record One.
From there, “A Place With No Name” did some serious studio hopping.

“It was such a round robin back in those days,” recalls engineer Michael Prince, who was bouncing back and forth between a room with Jackson’s longtime arranger, Brad Buxer, and another with Dr. Freeze.

“At one point we ended up at Marvin’s Place. We then moved back to Record Plant, then back to Record One again.”

“Typically, I was working mostly on the songs Brad and MJ were writing,” recalls Prince. “We had our hands busy with about five or six songs.”

Two of those songs were “The Way You Love Me” and “Hollywood Tonight.”

“A Place With No Name” was again revisited throughout February 1999, with Jackson, Prince, Buxer and Ging making further edits to the track at Record One.

“We were very happy at Record One, and that’s where we got the majority of our work done,” recalls Prince.

“That’s when Rodney Jerkins joined the team. Rodney, Fred Jerkins, and LaShawn Daniels were there for at least the last month that we were at Record One.”

Then, at the end of March 1999, Jackson flew out to New York to work at The Hit Factory recording studio with producer Cory Rooney on the song “She Was Loving Me,” which Rooney had written specifically for Jackson.

After a month of recording, editing and hanging out in the studio, Jackson decided to leave the completion of “She Was Loving Me” in Rooney’s hands, while he moved on to other songs.

But Jackson wouldn’t resume recording in Los Angeles.

Jackson’s month on the east coast had inspired him to move a selection of his production team from LA to New York City, where they would continue working at The Hit Factory, Sony Music Studios, and even in Jackson’s hotel room.

Much to their disappointment, CJ deVillar and Mike Ging did not receive a call to join Jackson in New York. Brad Buxer and Michael Prince, on the other hand, packed their bags and headed to the Big Apple.

Moving studios was a major task back in the days of recording to tape, especially the way Jackson composed songs.

Some of Jackson’s more complex pieces consisted of upwards of one hundred individual tracks.

“It took us days to make copies of all the tapes and hard drives, and to label them,” recalls Prince, “and then everything got shipped to The Hit Factory in New York and we spent months there.”

In early May 1999, once all the tapes had arrived in New York, Hit Factory engineer Paul J. Falcone worked on yet another mix of “A Place With No Name.”

However, as recording sessions for the work-in-progress album advanced, “A Place With No Name” was put on the backburner, along with Cory Rooney’s “She Was Loving Me” and Freeze’s “Blue Gangsta.”

At that time, Jackson shifted his focus to working with producer Rodney Jerkins, and Jerkins had done the same in return.

In the end, the Invincible album was released on October 30, 2001, and “A Place With No Name” was not included.

Years later, in early 2004, when working on music in a makeshift studio at his Neverland Valley Ranch, Jackson revisited the track with engineer Michael Prince.

“It has improved gradually,” explains Freeze.

“It was incremental work. He listened to the different mixes and changed some details around here or there. He was in full creative control. We wanted the song to be perfect… It was a bit like a director looking to improve his film by changing the script or changing players. This is the type of process that was used to create this song, and overall, the album Invincible… All that interested him was to have number one hits.”

Freeze’s sentiments about Michael wanting to have hits have been echoed by many over the years, including producer RedOne, and also by Jackson himself.

“Michael always has been focused on having hits,” says RedOne, who spent time working with Jackson during the final years of his life. “He always records a lot of songs and takes the best of them. That’s his formula, which I love.”

“It was Tchaikovsky that influenced me the most,” revealed Jackson in an interview with Bryan Monroe from Ebony magazine.

“If you take an album like Nutcracker Suite – every song is a killer. Every one! People used to do an album where you’d get one good song, and the rest were like B-sides. They’d call them ‘album songs,’ and I would say to myself, ‘Why can’t every one be like a hit song? Why can’t every song be so great that people would want to buy it if you could release it as a single?’ So, I always tried to strive for that… That was the whole idea… I worked hard for it.”

The 2004 version was briefly considered for a box set called The Ultimate Collection, released by Epic Records on November 16 the same year. But as with the Invincible album three years prior, it was again not included.

The track was then shelved for four more years, before being resurrected merely a year prior to Jackson’s death.

In January 2008, Jackson and his three children had moved into a rented mansion in Las Vegas.

The property was equipped with a home recording studio, in which Jackson began working on music, including with a producer called Neff-U, with whom Jackson had worked for several years.

During their 2008 collaborative sessions, Neff-U was also given a number of Jackson’s unreleased songs from the vault, to see if he could give them a fresh new sound.

“Michael had favourite songs, or songs that were works in progress,” explains engineer Michael Prince.

“Once Neff-U took over in 2008, Michael brought out some songs, including ‘A Place With No Name,’ and said: ‘Here, work with this song. See what you can come up with for this song.’ The vocals were always pretty much the same, but Neff-U would put new music on them.”

Minor edits were made by Neff-U in 2008, at Jackson’s home studio in Vegas. And coincidentally, the song’s original producer, Dr. Freeze, also visited Jackson at his home studio that year.

The pair had reunited to discuss the next chapter of Jackson’s musical journey.

“I was in the studio with him shortly before his death,” recalls Freeze.

“To be precise, I remember going to see him at his residence in Vegas, and there was a studio there… Nothing was recorded. We just brainstormed. We were about to start recording sessions… I offered a few new songs I had written especially for him. He loved [the songs] very much,” says Freeze.

But their work musical reunion wasn’t to be, with Jackson tragically passing away on June 25, 2009 – before they’d actually got in the studio and recorded the new songs.

“This was our last discussion,” recalls Freeze.

“He said ‘I love you’ and voila, it was over. He wanted to [record the songs], but he died.”

Three weeks after Jackson’s death, in July 2009, a short snippet of “A Place With No Name” leaked online, and it was quickly identified as a remake of America’s “A Horse With No Name.”
Following the leak, the writer’s of its predecessor – America’s Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley – expressed their desire for Jackson’s rendition of their 1972 hit to be released in full.

“We’re also hoping it will be released soon so that music listeners around the world can hear the whole song and once again experience the incomparable brilliance of Michael Jackson,” they said in a joint statement in July 2009, adding: “We truly hope his fans – and our fans – get to hear it in its entirety.”

Despite America’s enthusiasm for it to be released, the Jackson’s version remained unreleased for five more years.

Then, in May 2014, the track appeared on Xscape – the second posthumous album of Jackson material from the singer’s estate and Epic Records.

Two versions of “A Place With No Name” appear on Xscape – an original version and a remixed version.

The remix was done by Norwegian production duo Stargate, who had met with Jackson shortly before his death to discuss a potential collaboration
President of Epic Records at the time, LA Reid, who was overseeing the Xscape album project and recruiting the team of A-list producers who worked on it, discusses Stargate’s approach to their “A Place With No Name” remix.

“They approached it was so creative,” recalls Reid.

“They listened to the time signature of the song, which was a 6/8 time signature. So the guys from Stargate asked: ‘Which songs have had the 6/8 time signature?‘ There were songs like Stevie Wonder’s ‘Higher Ground,’ which was an influence… It’s a really special record.”

Stargate’s remix indeed had a strong Stevie Wonder “Higher Ground” vibe about it.

Tor Erik Hermansen recalls how Jackson’s rhythmic vocals inspired he and Stargate co-producer Mikkel Eriksen when working on the remix:

“When I listened to Michael, he’s in the booth snapping his fingers, clapping his hands and stomping his feet. He’s doing all these energetic things that gave us a vibe where this track should go. That’s when we started to experiment with the bassline. We didn’t even have the drums on it yet, just the bassline and a chord progression that really worked for something more danceable. Then we started working on drums. But all of that stuff really came from Michael Jackson.”

On August 13, 2014, Stargate’s remix of “A Place With No Name” was released as the second single from the Xscape album, along with a music video directed by Samuel Bayer.
https://youtu.be/YlJvMU-5NyA
The original version of “A Place With No Name” included on Xscape is what Jackson heard during those 2008 collaborative sessions with producer Neff-U and recording engineer Michael Prince.

“Compared with the 2004 version, you can hear the drums are different in the final version,” observes Prince.

“It has a different kick drum pattern, a little stronger snare, and the ‘na nas’ are copied to repeat through the fade.”

One element of the track that Jackson never changed, however, was engineer CJ deVillar’s bass part.

“That bass credit is the greatest highlight of my career,” beams deVillar, “because no one told me what to play. Michael just said he wanted to hear some live bass, and I played. Michael used that bass, made it part of his lexicon, sang to it, and kept it on the track for the next decade. He never had anyone redo it. He never removed it. He kept that bass for over ten years. How on earth did I get that privilege? I’m beside myself just thinking about it.”

“Michael loved that song. I mean, who didn’t love that song? It’s still a huge classic,” recalls deVillar of Jackson’s affection for the original, original version – “A Horse With No Name” – by America.

“Michael was a real artist’s artist. He wanted to work on things just because he wanted to. I don’t think Michael made plans with music. I think he sort of just mused and had fun with music [and] I think he just loved that song so much.”

DeVillar continues:

“In hip hop culture it’s just so natural to flip anything – just flip any song you want. And so that was just Michael and Freeze putting love into it. I don’t think they went after that track like it was supposed to be put on a record. I think it was even more personal than that. The feeling I got during that time was that they were just having so much fun trying to play with the melody and the lyrics and the music, and were really just having a great time flipping this classic track. And a successful flip isn’t easy, but I thought that was just wonderful.”

The song’s original writers, Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley, agreed.

“We’re honoured that Michael Jackson chose to record it, and we’re impressed with the quality of the track,” they said.

“Michael really did it justice. It’s really poignant.”

Damien Shields is the author of the book Michael Jackson: Songs & Stories From The Vault examining the King of Pop’s creative process, and the producer of the podcast The Genesis of Thriller which takes you inside the recording studio as Jackson and his team create the biggest selling album in music history.
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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 31 ottobre 2021, 15:49

King Of Pop On Spotify
@MJJSpotify2015

Not only is "Thriller" the world's biggest selling album in music history but his album "Blood On The Dance Floor" is the world's biggest selling remix album in music history

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 1 novembre 2021, 7:27

chart data
@chartdata

Michael Jackson's "Thriller" has reached #1 on US Apple Music for the first time. #halloween2021

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 7 novembre 2021, 21:31

Two days with Michael
Dear friends. Michael Jackson. We were friends since he visited me in our mountain hut in Sulden in 2001. A sensitive genius of the century who lived in his own world!
I asked him for a song, but he wanted to protect his voice. He asked me if I could sing a German song for him. Me??? It was very strange. But he kept insisting. I had to sing Lili Marleen and Sag mir, wo die Blumen sind again and again. Two anti-war songs. With guitar.
JT sings for MJ. There's nothing more absurd.
Until today I keep thinking about the pillow fights with Michael, Valerie and Françoise at 5 a.m. Michael could not sleep. I think about our meditations together. We had the same mantra. About our Spagetti with Langustinos whose eyes he covered with a serviette because they made him sad.
I remember a phone call with my children who were in London at the time and did not know anything about the secret visit of Michael in Sulden. Michael had a long conversation with Freddy about God and the world. Freddy stayed cool. It could not disturb his calmness that he was on the phone with a world superstar.
Michael called Nathalie, my youngest daughter. But she only laughed at him: "If you are Michael Jackson then I am the Pope." - she said and hung up. Michael came back from the call with Nathalie totally unsettled.
We talked a lot about wars which he despised. When he was about to be awarded with a Bambi award in Berlin in the fall of 2002 he was to have a speech. I asked him to say something about the upcoming Iraq war. A big part of the US troops were already in Kuwait. Michael stared at me long and said: "You know that will bring me a lot of flak in the US." I nodded my head. I knew too well.
At night at the award ceremony in front of millions of TV viewers Michael said in his speech:
"We are German, French, Italian, Russian, African, Asian, so many nationalities. We are Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus. We are black, we are white. We are a big community with so many differences. So complex yet so simple. WE DO NOT NEED WAR!"
Michael, you were a wonderful human being and a one of a kind artist. That is why you were so much hunted like a wounded deer. Destroying the winners is the favourite game of our world.
We will never forget you. I keep listening to your songs. My favourites are Earth Song and We Are The World. For millions of people you will never die.
Thank you, Michael! Your JT
http://youtu.be/PUPOZCC8GiA
by Jürgen Todenhöfer, German politician and anti-war activist

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June 26, 2014

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 10 novembre 2021, 7:40


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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 11 novembre 2021, 14:06

''Je Ne Veux Pas La Fin De Nous'' was #MichaelJackson's unique attempt to sing in French.
He choosed to adapt the song "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"
in Spanish and French to reach new audiences.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb3dte8JKho...
"Je Ne Veux Pas La Fin De Nous" (With Spoken Intro)
Other singers also went in that direction, and the aim was simply to improve their image in specific markets. Just as the Spanish version Todo Mi Amor Eres Tu was co-written by Ruben Blades, the French version was written by Belgian artist and writer Christine Decroix.
''Je Ne Veux Pas La Fin De Nous'' was recorded in a rush, just before the King of Pop went to Japan to launch the Bad tour. It took about a night to write the lyrics and Christine was in the studio with him to train him and give him instructions so he could get the accent right.
''First I wrote a few sentences. It was difficult, I had never done that. For me it was the first time. The lyrics appealed to Michael Jackson who started recording in July 1987. So he had to continue touring and we finished recording in early September''.
Belgium singer Christine Decroix’s recorded music with Michael and here are some of her thoughts on the King of Pop.
“Together let’s stand up and denounce the “wolves who killed the little lamb”, the people like journalist Bashir who didn’t know him and abused of his trust for their profit. As a friend I spent a great amount of time in the recording studio with him, we always had children with us and were always laughing and playing between recording sessions. He brought a lot of joy in people lives.
I grew up in Belgium raised by my dad who, as a chief of police, taught me to always be suspicious and I can tell you that I couldn’t see anything wrong with Michael except maybe that it was a man who at a young age never had the time to be a kid. He told me once that children are pure and innocent and adults always want something from him. That’s the sole reason he felt more comfortable with children, they just loved him because he was magic for the kids, and made them feel like giants.
He loathed vulgarity and would have been upset at me laughing with a dirty joke in the studio. He built a movie theatre for disabled children in his house. People are sick to think he did that to attract them as a child molester. They judge without knowing and should be ashamed because they largely contributed to his downfall and his death. Michael Jackson was hypersensitive, maybe it was the key of his talent. He suffered tremendously of all these false accusations, and the slanders that were spread. These unscrupulous persons took everything away from him including his amazing career. He did not have a childhood, his dad still beat him after he was 30. People always criticized his look but when your own father keeps telling you your nose is too big, you finally believe it and you try to fix it.
Michael was a strange guy for a lot of people because of his look.
So it was both an easy and profitable target for some media wanting to bring him down. He was a genius and an amazing talent already at a young age. Nobody can judge him without knowing him.
If one of you had spent only one hour with him, you would have fallen in love with his pure heart. He could make everybody around him feel special. He was even thanking you for working with him, and had definitely not a big star attitude, he was down to earth, lived on a healthy diet, never drank alcohol. The day of my birthday party in Tokyo he took my glass of champagne away from me and replaced it by a glass of water. He was not joking he just cared for people.
He already suffered from back problems in 1987 but I never saw him taking any drugs. It’s just a disgrace to compare his death with Anna Nicole Smith. Michael Jackson told me once “Coco (nickname he gave me), don’t judge a man until you’ve walked two moons in his moccasins ” so stop judging him, love him because he loved you all and that’s what he suffered from and why he was accused of committing such an horrible crime. He didn’t do it, he was found not guilty. They tried for years but couldn’t find any proof.
Once he also told me: animals kill to eat, humans kill by pleasure. He was like a child but a smart one. I tried a few years ago to gather people who knew him to speak out but nobody wanted to do it by fear of the media. Let’s unite to denounce the true murderers of Michael. I know today that his place belongs in paradise. Let’s get together, let’s get together and honour his life and legacy, simply because he was the greatest of all time.
Christine Decroix, a forever friend of Michael Jackson

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 13 novembre 2021, 10:27

"He can tuck his long, thin frame into a figure skater’s spin without benefit of ice or skates. Aided by the burn and flash of silvery body suits, he seems to change molecular structure at will, all robot angles one second and rippling curves the next. So sure is the body that his eyes are often closed, his face turned upward to some unseen muse. The bony chest heaves. He pants, bumps and squeals." #GerriHirshey, for Rolling Stone Magazine

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"This talented artist is a sensitive, funny, and full of intuition"...
-Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis-

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 15 novembre 2021, 19:25

Mourad Mesellaty shared a memory.

#StoryOfTheDay...That day, 15 years ago, the World Music Awards took place at Earls Court Arena in London, where #MichaelJackson received the ′′ Diamand Award from Beyonce for his incredible solo career with over 750 Million records sold, 104 million of which belonged to his best-selling album Thriller.
The DIAMOND AWARD is presented to those select top-selling artists who have sold over 100 million Records during their career. It is not presented every year. H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco presented the very first Diamond Award to Rod Stewart at the 2002 World Music Awards in Monte-Carlo and to Mariah Carey in 2003.
Celine Dion received this prestigious award from the Oscar winning actor Michael Douglas at the 2004 WMAs in the Thomas & Mac Arena in Las Vegas. Bon Jovi received the Award from Melissa Etheridge at the 2005 WMAs in the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. Beyoncé presented the same Award to Michael Jackson at the 2006 WMAs in Earl's Court London on his last public appearance on TV.
Unbelievable the warmth of the audience dragged by Beyonce, cheers: ′′ Michael! Michael! Michael!"... at the award ceremony, but truly unforgettable and the scene of the entrance of the King del Pop at the choir ′′ We Are the World", who is almost moved by the devotion of his fans, who never failed to show him affection, even in the darkest years of his life.
During the ceremony, Michael Jackson also received the Guinness Book World Record certificate for his album ′′ Thriller", which is still the best-selling album of all time.

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 17 novembre 2021, 8:01


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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 17 novembre 2021, 14:41


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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 20 novembre 2021, 9:49


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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 22 novembre 2021, 10:34

"#MichaelJackson was clearly one of the greatest entertainers of our era. His influence dominated and defined our culture not only in music, but in fashion, dance, film and so much more. Often overlooked are his spectacular skills as a songwriter, composing both music and lyrics for his immense body of work. In an era in which most songs are composed by teams, Michael was the sole composer of dozens of songs that endeared him to audiences around the world. A BMI songwriter since 1976, his BMI catalog contains more than 150 songs, more than 20 reaching multi-million performance status on American radio and television."
Del Bryant, President & CEO, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 23 novembre 2021, 8:52

billboard charts
@billboardcharts

.@michaeljackson's 'Dangerous' re-enters this week's #Billboard200 at No. 85, earning its highest ranking since 1993.
It last appeared on the chart in 2010.

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 24 novembre 2021, 17:14

"He was kind, wonderful and I have nothing but
positive memories of him. That guy was awesome." Eddie Garcia

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 25 novembre 2021, 8:33

Sam R.M. Geden

Now this is lovely - a 'lost' bonus feature from Michael Jackson's This Is It (2009), featuring the band discussing how the set-list for the show came together - only available on iTunes France back in the day! Some insights I had never heard before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzVBRLf7odg&t=113s

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 27 novembre 2021, 7:53

Sickick - I Can Feel It (Michael Jackson x Phil Collins Remix)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JITt3-9PyAU

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 29 novembre 2021, 7:26

A photographer behind the scenes of "This Is It".
Photographer Kevin Mazur was the only one who recorded Michael Jackson's rehearsal for the This Is It tour . Interestingly, he was also the photographer who filmed the Jacksons brothers during the Victory tour in 1984 and followed the King of Pop over the years.
Sharing his rehearsal memories in a BBC interview, he revealed magical moments of a man in his dark gray suit saying: "Let's make this happen!" He did some of his dancing turns and proclaimed, "This is my place."
After rehearsing Smooth Criminal, Michael admitted: “I'm so excited. We need to work a little more on some songs, but we're almost there. The only thing missing is my fans, my people, my family, and they will come. I know they will come.''
That night, he sang 12 songs, pausing only briefly to wipe his face on a white towel strategically placed at the side of the stage. At one point during the rehearsal, Jackson pretended to send a kiss to the audience and said, “This is me. The real me.”
Kevin also remembers the Jackson Five , Black or White and Thriller medley and after he finished rehearsal, Michael went back to the song list and began reviewing the ones he needed to improve.
''Michael and Kenny Ortega (director) talked about Thriller and Michael loved all the smoke that accompanied the song,'' recalls the photographer. He looked like the same old Michael, he was totally there—100%. He had that spark inside him — the desire to create something special and give people the best he could.” says Mazur.
BBC News: How was the part of the rehearsal you saw?
Mazur: ''I stayed there for a few days. I was there the first day when they built the stage and took pictures of the dancers and backing vocals for the tour book. So the next day, I took casual pictures of the band and dancers rehearsing when Michael arrived. He was like a father, full of expectations, waiting for what he was going to bring to the stage, he was so excited. It was like photographing him for the first time when he moonwalked.''
BBC: People said he wasn't ready and the delays were because of his health. Did you notice anything?
Mazur: ''A photo tells a story. Michael was apparently in good shape. You can look at the photos. I documented it, I was there.''
BBC: So how did you feel when four days later I learned of his death?
Mazur: ''I was shocked because I saw him on Tuesday night, he was full of energy, full of life. I couldn't wait to see this show at the O2 Arena with all the fans there.''
BBC: How was the part of the production you saw?
Mazur: ' 'I saw them rehearse about a dozen songs. And Michael never stopped. He sang 12 songs and only stopped a few times to adjust the instrumentation and some of the choreography. They had a screen that ran the entire length of the main stage, reaching perhaps 50 meters high that projected 3D images. I've been shooting shows for 25 years and never seen anything like this before.''
BBC: So you could say the show was in the final stages of preparation, with all the songs selected?
Mazur: ' 'Yes, everything was very well staged and constructed. There were certain things they were still waiting for — they had chandeliers to be put on set. But in the musical part and in the choreography I could see everything. When Michael was rehearsing, he and Kenny Ortega [the show's producer and choreographer] walked offstage to see props for Thriller. They had puppets that would fly over the audience and it was really, really cool. It would be a show like no other.''
Source : MJ Beats

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 1 dicembre 2021, 8:07

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 4 dicembre 2021, 8:07

King Of Pop On Spotify
@MJJSpotify2015

The #KingOfPop finishes 2021 by selling more than #Edsheeran, #BrunoMars, #LilNasX, #CardiB in the US just in 2021 according to
@Billboard
numbers. WOW!!!!

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 6 dicembre 2021, 15:58

" Michael Jackson is the most astonishing person I've ever met on the face of this planet. I never expected to meet anybody like him, I never suspected there was anybody like him.
He lived to GIVE"
- Howard Bloom

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 13 dicembre 2021, 8:53


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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 16 dicembre 2021, 15:43

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 18 dicembre 2021, 19:25

“Jackson has unselfishly helped every cause, and individual child, I have sent his way. In one case he hired a circus for the Down’s Syndrome children of a special school of the daughter of a friend of mine, and showed up to happily, (and yes in childlike enthusiasm) watch the show with them. This little girl believed she was Michael’s future wife, and he so kindly allowed her to sit next to him, as his future bride.
His feathers may be badly burned, and he may be damaged in other ways too, but he is something of an angel.”
Pete Townshend on MJ

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 20 dicembre 2021, 9:08

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 23 dicembre 2021, 19:39

Michael Jackson

While Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous” celebrates its 30th anniversary, the album is heating up the charts at the end of 2021. Recently the album hit #4 on Billboard’s vinyl sales chart and #13 on their overall album sales chart.

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 26 dicembre 2021, 12:41

"He was the coolest dude I'd ever met for sure," he says. "I mean people, you know, they have a lot of opinions about him and like anything else, my opinions can only be based on my experience. But he was super fun to hang out with. I mean he was like a big kid, you know?
"So yeah, the time that I got to spend with him was — it was like Disneyland all day long. He'd set up water balloon fights and pie fights in basketball courts. Just really fun stuff where he'd like invite all his friends over and there'd be two teams and everyone would dress in garbage bags and throw pies at each other. It was like super high-level fun and it was orchestrated fun and insanity.
A surrealist moment of my life that was memorable." - Sean Lennon

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 31 dicembre 2021, 9:26

MICHAEL JACKSON'S Charts & Sales
@Pierpinto

U.S. Sales

BIGGEST SELLING VINYLS OF 2021
Through 9 December

#14 THRILLER

137,000 copies

Sales slowed down a bit through the second half of the year. THRILLER sold 86,000 through 7 July 2021.

Source; Hitdailydouble.

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 3 gennaio 2022, 14:56

Evanna Lynch, who plays Luna Lovegood in “Harry Potter” revealed that when it comes to music, all she listens to is Michael Jackson. She has a tattoo on her back with MJ's eyes. His music will never die because he moved the kind of people who are determined to let it live on.

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 4 gennaio 2022, 7:36

Michael Jackson: ''Your body is music''
An exclusive interview with Vincent Paterson
Choreographer Vincent Paterson always fondly remembers his years
of working with Michael Jackson and speaks of his friend with great respect.
Paterson began working with Michael as a dancer in the Beat It and Thriller videos , and later directed the choreography in many of his music videos, including Smooth Criminal, The Way You Make Me Feel, Black Or White and Blood On The Dance Floor.
''I think the first time I really knew about Thriller was when I saw the Motown special with Michael Jackson. Honestly, I didn't like him very much before this show, but when I saw him I completely lost my mind. I've never seen anyone dance like that, boil with such powerful energy, have such strength, such self-control. I've never seen anything like it since Fred Astaire. I thought it would not be possible to repeat that.
I fell in love for him. Literally.
In the early 80's. I moved to Hollywood. I wanted to become a dancer. I had just returned from a world tour with Shirley MacLaine and was familiar with the choreographer who worked on Michael Jackson's projects. His name was Michael Peters. I was one of his best students and helped him teach dance. I applied for the position of one of the dancers for the video “Beat It”. In Los Angeles, I was a beginner and before that I was engaged in acting, and I started dancing relatively late — at 24 years old. And then I came to the selection. I heard that the plot of the video was somehow linked to street gangs, so I left my beard stubble, put a fake earring in my ear, licked my hair with gel and dressed in street clothes, as they used to at that time… in the hallway where the selection took place, and there was a crowd of people in shiny dancing tights. And I think I immediately stood out in terms of their background. Michael Jackson was in that room with Peters too.
After my audition, Michael immediately said, “I need this guy! I need this guy!''. I think his choice was largely due to the fact that I came to audition, having already gotten used to the role. As a result, it was much easier for Peters and Jackson to see in me the character they wanted.
I don't know if the entire script had already been written at that time. Peters simply recruited a group of dancers and assigned roles as they were approved. It turned out that Peters had decided to personally participate in the video. He told me, “Why don't you play against my opponent? I'm going to split the guys into two gangs... rival gangs. You will lead one, and I will lead the other. And that really changed my entire dance career. From that moment on, the whole world noticed me and for a while I even became a star… Peters and I (he was my best friend) would walk around town, in Los Angeles, Hollywood or New York, and people would come up to us and they asked for autographs. This never happened to dancers! It may be different now, but dancing was a new art form back then, and music videos were a new art form as well.
Michael Jackson was very, very shy, he was an introvert. At selection, I just greeted him; he was quiet and didn't speak to anyone. When I got the part and Peters started working with Jackson, I teamed up with another assistant to Peters, Frances Morgan. We work with Michael in the same room. That was great! He was so sweet and polite but still a quiet person. However, he liked to laugh and play tricks on people. I think he felt more comfortable in that small room where the four of us were.''
''Dancing in the Thriller video was a phenomenal experience thanks to the extraordinary storyline of that video. Back then, we were breaking records with every video that came out. It became a historic event.
The Thriller video was a little different from Beat It. Michael Peters once again choreographed the project, with John Landis as director. Peters brought in many of the dancers from the previous video, as well as dancers he had worked with before. We were delighted! We were already inspired by Michael Jackson's success with the Beat It video, and now we were working with John Landis on Thriller! A ten-minute video clip is unpublished! We knew we would go down in history.
In the beginning, I was an assistant choreographer and, at the same time, one of the zombie dancers. When I first entered the studio with Peters, before Jackson even appeared, Peters started inventing the movement and I was literally amazed. I asked him, “Michael [Peters], where does this choreography come from? How did you come up with that?'' And he replied, “I have no idea! It's just that… I was taken by the music. And I've got these crazy things coming up, I don't know where this is going''. I had a talent for remembering everything Peters did and then repeating it. When Jackson came—oh God, he literally freaked out! He didn't know we were going to choreograph that way. And when he saw what Michael Peters created, he was very excited and pleased with the way Peters interpreted his music.
Later, when I was already working alone with Michael Jackson as a choreographer and stage director, Michael told me one thing — and I think it was perfectly demonstrated in Peters' work: “Never try to dictate movement to music. Let the music speak to you. Let the music tell you what movement it wants to be incorporated into. If you listen carefully, she'll talk to you and give you the entire dance.'' That seems to be what happened to Peters when he heard this song.
When the dancers got together and started teaching choreography, we were shocked! We just couldn't believe it! “Oh God, it looks so weird, so scary!''—something unheard of back then! And look what happened, this dance lives on today, all over the world.
Dancing Thriller was much easier than in Beat It because it was a full number, we danced in one place. The filming took place somewhere in downtown Los Angeles. That night it was terribly cold… I don't remember if steam came out of our mouths, but if it did, it was for real. We were very cold, I remember that. And I also remember how we were constantly running to our trailers because there was a heater. The filming took place around three in the morning
Honestly, I don't remember how many actual dance shots we did that night, I think 30 or 40. John Landis personally followed the close-ups and parts of individual dancers, he appeared here and there, filmed Michael from various angles… Probably in in total, 30–40 takes. But the makeup took several hours! Makeup was done by Rick Baker. We each had our own makeup and our own makeup artist. There wasn't a single “zombie only” — we all had molds taken of our faces and for each we developed our own image, our own mask.
In fact, when you sit in front of the mirror and watch yourself transform from a healthy young man to carrion — it kills your brain! You see how your teeth are falling out. Each of us had our own false teeth. I stole mine after filming. I know I shouldn't have done this, but I stole them and I still have them!''
''Then I danced with Michael Jackson in two videos. I played the gang leader in Beat It and the zombie in Thriller, as well as acting as assistant choreographer for Michael Peters. And then one night when I was at home they called me. A soft, quiet voice asked for Vincent Paterson. I decided someone was making fun of me, pretending to be Michael Jackson. "Who is it?" I asked. “Michael Jackson” was the reply. "Who the hell is this?" - I asked. The same answer. "I'm going to get off the phone right now if you don't tell me who you are!" "I was irritated." It really turned out to be Michael Jackson. I started to apologize.
Michael was working on a new album at one of the Hollywood studios and asked if I could come by to see it. I ran over there, hoping he'd ask me to dance in the next video. We went to the studio and he played Smooth Criminal for me and asked my opinion. I really liked. Then he asked if I could have some ideas for the video and if I would like to perform a dance number. I was surprised and very flattered to receive this honor.
Michael proposed the idea of ​​an elegant club where 10 men in tails and top hats would dance. But he wanted me to express my ideas too.
I knew Michael loved Fred Astaire movies so I started researching the dances in these musicals, which were usually choreographed by Hermes Pan. While I was doing this and working with the dancers, Michael was in the studio most of the time. He provided me with a separate pavilion in which a special wooden floor was made for the dancers' safety. He also put an amazing audio system, a video camera in the pavilion and gave me ten dancers to practice the choreography.
Every morning we had dance classes, and then I would make up the choreography in that pavilion, then I could practice with the dancers. Filming everything that was done during the day, then Michael and I watched the tape. He used to say, “This is great! I think ten more dancers are needed.'' I hired about 50 dancers for the video.
I don't remember how long we rehearsed and filmed, but it feels like four to six weeks. At first it was just a video, then it turned into one of the scenes from the movie “Moonwalker”. I worked with Michael to expand the music, and in the movie this scene turned into a ten-minute dance number. After creating the overall choreography, I started working face to face with Michael.
“That's how Michael and I work. Rehearsing together. By this time, I had already given him an outline of the dance, and he changed a few points along the way. Michael stood in front of this mirror and repeated the choreography — for hours.''
''My favorite memories of Black Or White start with rehearsals. When we started filming the end of the video, the street dancing scene, Michael started grabbing his crotch. He even unbuttoned and zipped up his fly. It was cool!
The audience at that time was shocked and we got a sick beating for it. But remember, you saw so many videos and presentations after that…
I loved working with Michael as an artist and partner. He trusted me. I staged the moves for him and the dancers… I left room for him to create his own moves, his performance. He worked very hard to come up with his own style and I tried to give him the opportunity to highlight his dance.
When we were filming Black or White, I borrowed dance moves from all over the world. He readily accepted all suggestions.
Michael Jackson is one of the greatest dancers in the world. Jackson's talent lies in his ability to interpret his emotions, his musicality, through his body — just as opera singers, pianists and other great artists can. They are born with talent. But of course, you need to know how to improve this skill, how to work with it, how to practice.
Michael Jackson didn't just rely on his innate ability. Here is an example of our work on Smooth Criminal. I created a basic step that was repeated throughout the dance. Michael Jackson took this simple branch (it lasted no more than four counts out of eight) and repeated it in a corner in front of a mirror for at least four hours straight, until he honed it to such perfection that when he played music, it looked like a improvisation. That's how a great artist works. And Michael Jackson knew how.
During my career I have worked with many people. With great dancers, great artists. But among them there was no one with an innate talent, ability to dance, that was Michael Jackson. Nobody! He is the music itself. Your body is music. He is a real master.
In all the years I've worked with Michael—and that's over 16 years—I've never heard a single rude or rude word from him about anyone. In the process of working together, he would always say: “It was really cool, but I had the idea to try something like this…”. He was unique and outstanding and will always be missed.''

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 7 gennaio 2022, 8:07

.''I am nervous. Excited, but very nervous! It's a mild New York afternoon, and I'm going to the Hit Factory studio to meet #MichaelJackson. Today would be the first day of recording my vocals on a song I wrote.
The song is called Butterflies. Among the pedestrians and traffic noise, no sound, however loud, could interrupt my inner voice screaming "Calm down! You deserve it! You're worth it!!!'
I entered through the French doors in front of the reception area. I was asked to give my full name and ID. As expected, it was me! The doorman led me to the elevator and to his floor. Michael Jackson & Friends was written on a piece of A4 paper taped to the door. I was taken inside.
My heart literally pounded in my chest and I breathed two sighs that were close to a panic attack! All I remember is the sound of a piano playing a harmonic scale, someone singing....It was him. The king of pop! The greatest artist of all time. From the living room, he smiled at me and made a sign of peace and love. He continued to warm up his voice when I was almost terrified, and then he walked over to me. He said my name and hugged me warmly. - Thank you," Michael said. No, Michael! Thank you!!!!!!!!!
I learned a lot from Michael Jackson. Being able to be both an observer and a singer/producer was just too amazing to describe. I observed his breathing techniques, the vocal scales he repeated over and over before he even entered the studio recording booth, during each day where we were recording.
Michael was perfect! He was so determined! He gave it his all. That's the thing that inspires me most about him. He cared deeply about everything and everyone. He gave of himself in everything he did. Your legacy has been left for our study. It is a testament to how great he was and always will be." - Marsha Ambrosius, singer and songwriter

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 7 gennaio 2022, 16:14

" Just as there will never be another Fred Astaire or Chuck Berry or Elvis Presley, there will never be anyone comparable to Michael Jackson "
- Steven Spielberg

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 10 gennaio 2022, 8:58





Marcos Cabotá
@MarcosCabota

By the way, this happened tonight. It was a Sold Out tribute to Michael Jackson in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Wonderful.

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 11 gennaio 2022, 12:47

Mourad Mesellaty

#StoryOfTheDay For #Thriller40 coming up this year, allow me to relate you this incredible story which changed music industry with #MichaelJackson pioneer music videos.
In 1983, Michael Jackson scored two simultaneous Top 5 hits with the songs "Billie Jean" and "Beat It", both taken from his hugely successful Thriller album. The music videos for both songs are now legendary and helped break down musical and racial barriers on then-nascent MTV.
At the time, executives at Jackson's label, CBS Records, famously accused the channel's programmers of excluding black artists and R&B music - an accusation MTV continues to deny. Regardless, "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" received heavy airplay and set a standard for production values and choreography in music videos that lasted until the music industry meltdown almost 40 years later.
In "Beat It", the 25-year-old pop star was cast as a peacemaker who uses dance to quell a knife fight between a two warring gangs. The video, which featured a cast of real-life gang members and choreography by Michael Peters, was directed by Bob Giraldi, who would go on to direct Jackson in two Pepsi commercials for BBDO, New York.
Director Bob Giraldi spoke to Boards about working with Crips, Bloods and choreographers to make "Beat It".
How did you end up directing the video for "Beat It"?
As I was told, there was a certain spot that I directed in my early years as a commercial director for WLS-TV in Chicago, about two elderly blind people - a married couple - that didn't run from a neighborhood that all the other white folks fled from. It had become a very inner city, tough neighborhood and they chose to stay and throw a block party for all the young kids in the neighborhood. It was a commercial that Michael was really taken with - it was an emotional commercial, it was based on truth and he liked it a lot. So he wanted to meet and we met. I wanted "Billie Jean" and he had just finished shooting "Billie Jean", but he said he had this track called "Beat It" and maybe I'd like to come up with an idea for that. In those days, you didn't compete [for videos]. There were no three bids - there wasn't a whole lot of politics. Record labels didn't have commissioners, it was a different business. It wasn't a business yet.
What did you base the concept on? One of the things that is totally mistaken that I've read many times is that most people think "Beat It" was inspired by West Side Story and that's absolutely not true at all. I grew up in Paterson, New Jersey - always an edgy town but full of people really trying to be so much tougher than they really are. It seemed to me this song of peace, this song of reconciliation that Michael had written was perfect for a quasi kind of rumble. I've read where, the two lead dancers - Michael Peters and Vince Paterson - when they had their wrists tied and held the switchblades, that came from West Side Story. That's not true at all. That came from a story I heard when I worked in a factory one summer. A real tough kid from Jersey told me that he'd witnessed two guys who had their wrists tied and they held switchblades, and only one came out - and not too well. It was based on that little fable. Michael liked my idea and decided he was going to include the Crips and Bloods, which I thought was insane. If you see the video, you'll see guys that look like the real deal because they are the real deal. How did you cast the real gang members? It was Michael. He went out and he got 'em through, I guess, the LAPD's gang squad and he convinced them that, with enough police presence, this would be a smart and charitable thing to do; get them there to like each other and hang with each other for two days doing the video. I didn't like the idea because it was hard enough to direct actors and dancers, let alone hoods. So he tried to use the video to foster peace between them? Michael was always about peace. He was always about some sort of peace offering. That was his idea and the cops did go along with it and as history has it, we were almost shut down the first night because, as you know, film sets get to be very boring after the first hour. I guess the Crips and Bloods started to get on each other's nerves - they are mortal enemies - and we had a few incidents and two cops came to me and said they wanted to close it down. I somehow convinced the cop squad guy to just let me [shoot the] dance. I was gonna hold the dance for the second night of shooting. I said, 'The only thing I can think that'll save this is to let me just blast the music. I have a feeling it'll calm everything down. Can't get any worse, just give me a chance.' And the cop was cool, he looked at me and said, 'OK, not much more.' I couldn't go much more because it was volatile - no question about it - and scary. So we were in that warehouse, change of plans we're going to do the dance, get Michael out of the camper, here we go. What happened next? The gang members couldn't dance so they formed the ring and watched. And the [dancers] all started to dance with Michael Peters and Vince Paterson. When Michael Jackson comes down and does what he does, I remember looking at the faces of all the Crips and Bloods lined up and their expressions as they listened to that music and watched those kids dance. Those kids were basically, most of them were gay... and when they started to dance, the Crips and the Bloods had that look like, 'You know what? With all our wars and vendettas and stuff, that's cool right there. That's something we'll never be able to do.' And that's what made that evening work. Did Michael Jackson choreograph the video himself? That is the one time that I can honestly say Michael Jackson did not choreograph. 'Beat It' was choreographed by Michael Peters - God rest his soul - a great, great choreographer who is no longer alive. He was an incredible street dancer, he choreographed that and Michael Jackson danced it and danced it beautifully. I think from that point on Michael Jackson probably was involved in the choreography in every single thing he did. 'Beat It' was a little bit more belonging to Michael Peters than people want to give credit for. In those days MTV had an unspoken policy of not playing videos by black artists. What impact did "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" have when they came out? It was taking video to another level with dance and choreography and the fact that Epic, CBS could put down on the desk that these two were the largest selling records in the world. It was hard for Les Garland and [Bob] Pittman to hold on to that original idea, which was [playing] new wave bands for white teens in the suburbs. Michael was given credit, and rightly so, for being the first really, truly crossover artist of our generation and the man who forced MTV by his genius to rethink it's platform. What impact has "Beat It" and working with Michael Jackson had on your career? I met a man who I have total respect for. One of the most interesting things he ever said to me, I'll never forget, we were arguing, he said to me in that very high-pitched voice of his, 'You use the F-word to much'. That always stuck with me. I thought that was smart to say at a time like that. I watched a man dance better than anyone I'd ever seen in my life and I watched a man talk softly and carry a tremendously big stick, get what he wanted and get his way. And as we know now 25 years later, perhaps he got his way too much. But nonetheless, I watched him get his way but always using the softest, quietest approach you could possibly have used. I was influenced not only by his talent, but by his personality.

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 11 gennaio 2022, 19:58

"He was the most inspirational person in my life. His one dream was to cure all the sick children in the world. And when I'd say, 'Isn't that impossible?' Michael would just start to cry. He was very emotional about things that moved him. I guess you'd have to say he was a pure innocent in a world that wasn't so innocent anymore." #BrettRatner

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 14 gennaio 2022, 15:57

''Michael was very spiritual and always invited his band to pray before every show. I was arriving late from makeup to a show and the prayer was ending. Seeing my disappointment, Michael pulled me aside and prayed for just him and me. He was just kind and considerate. He had a beautiful soul.'' Siedah Garrett II, American singer and songwriter

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 17 gennaio 2022, 20:13

" No other artist has been able to connect with the audience like he did, and no one will ever break the records he has made. Michael touched people of all races, all ages. His role in popular culture will never be equaled and never be forgotten. "
- Naomi Campbell

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 22 gennaio 2022, 8:12

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 27 gennaio 2022, 8:48

Great interview of Emmanuel Lewis .. but re: MJ staying at his condo after the Pepsi burn .. BEGIN at 1min mark until 2:10 - https://youtube.com/watch?v=jgYSbPCBYao There was longtime loving friendship between Michael Jackson with the whole Lewis family #facts you won't find out thru media.

https://youtu.be/jgYSbPCBYao

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 2 febbraio 2022, 9:23

Michael Jackson Charts
@MJJCharts

Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' surpasses The Beatles' '1' and becomes the 11th longest charting album on the Billboard 200 (506 weeks).

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 7 febbraio 2022, 20:43

"My humble tribute to one of the greatest pop artists ever, Michael Jackson...may his soul rest in peace...Never got opportunity to meet him...i’ll always have this regret in my heart.." https://indiatoday.in/movies/celebritie ... rltracking via
@indiatoday

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Veteran Bollywood singer Lata Mangeshkar is no more. Regarded as the nightangle of India, Lata breathed her last today, February 6, at the age of 92. She was battling for her life in the hospital after she contracted Covid-19. A source close to Lata Mangeshkar had shared the singer's health update via her Twitter handle and even mentioned that she was showing signs of improvement. Unfortunately, she lost her life today.

Talking about the late singer, she contributed a lot to the Indian music industry. She met the biggest of personalities when she was alive. However, she regretted not having a chance to meet the legendary Michael Jackson.

Back in 2010, on Michael Jackson's first death anniversary (June 29), Lata Mangeshkar had penned a note on Twitter. "My humble tribute to one of the greatest pop artists ever, Michael Jackson...may his soul rest in peace...Never got opportunity to meet him...i’ll always have this regret in my heart... (sic)."

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 16 febbraio 2022, 19:43

“As with all celebrities I've worked with, it's always about keeping fans and crowds at arm's length. Everyone is a potential threat.
Of course, Mr. Jackson's relationship with his fans was different. He would open the car window and beckon people to talk, to be with them.
Being security, our natural instinct was to try to stay in the middle to act as a shock absorber, but Mr. Jackson always gave us a signal aside and said: “Be nice to my fans. They will never let anything happen to me”. He knew that his fans were his greatest defenders and protectors”. – Bill Whitfield, former MJ’s bodyguard

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 18 febbraio 2022, 20:53

in 2019 it was the 10th anniversary of the death of #MichaelJackson on June 25. A painful memory for the inhabitants of a kingdom in Ivory Coast. The king of pop, Afro-descendant, had done DNA tests to find his ancestors sold as slaves and his research had led him to Ivory Coast.
A 30 to 40 minute visit
In 1992, Michael Jackson visited the kingdom of Sanwi, in the southeast of the country, in the small town of Krindjabo. "He came with a strong delegation, we welcomed them, but they were in a hurry. They stayed 30 to 40 minutes," recalls Patrick Aka, advisor to King Amon N'Douffou V. "But it was a joy for his family members, everyone had tears in their eyes." During this express visit, Michael Jackson is made a prince, since his "family" has royal blood. The photo of the ceremony still hangs in the king's living room.
His sudden death was a shock to the people. The kingdom organized a symbolic funeral and there were even negotiations with the U.S. Embassy in Côte d'Ivoire: the king of Sanwi requested the repatriation of the body to Krindjabo, but the request was not successful.
In tribute to the King of Pop, a stele will soon be built to allow fans and tourists to pay their respects. But no big ceremony for the ten years of the death of the singer this Monday. The king will hold a private meeting with the Ivorian "family" of the deceased.
Michael Jackson, a tourist attraction for Krindjabo
As for the suspicions of pedophilia that hang over Michael Jackson, the subject makes the inhabitants of Krindjabo uncomfortable. "I don't like to talk about it," says Jacqueline Kadjo. "I don't believe in all that. According to the king's spokesman, the pedophilia cases are gratuitous and malicious accusations to denigrate him. Michael Jackson is a child of the country no matter what and its people will never reject him. In Côte d'Ivoire, the sense of family is very strong, and this link with the singer is also a tourist attraction for the kingdom. In recent years, Krindjabo has reportedly welcomed hundreds of Afro-descendants on pilgrimage to the town, dubbed the cradle of Côte d'Ivoire.
Source : franceinfo
https://francetvinfo.fr/.../le-royaume- ... -en-cote-d...

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 19 febbraio 2022, 7:44


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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 26 febbraio 2022, 7:51

“I spent close to 17 years with MJ, through many projects and much intimate time on and off sets. I constantly saw Michael adored one day and condemned the next day for various reasons: sleeping in a hyperbolic chamber, having a monkey as a best friend, having plastic surgery, creating a music video with a message as in Black or White…ad nauseum. I watched him duck and cover from the blasphemous lies spread about him daily. I sat beside him as he sobbed in his trailer, confused as to why people would be so vicious when his only motivation was to create for his fans…to give the world something it had never seen.
I never saw a hint of anything evil or even an inkling of this kind of perversion directed toward any child…or anyone to be perfectly honest. In fact, with the exception of a few celebrities with whom I have collaborated, Michael Jackson was the kindest, most polite, caring, generous person I ever met in the entertainment industry. Ever.” – Vince Paterson, MJ’s choreographer
Source: https://artsmeme.com/.../my-take-michael-jacksons.../

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Re: Honour MJ Campaign

Messaggio da soulmum » 9 marzo 2022, 10:15

MJJJusticeProject #1Billion4MJ
@MJJJusticePrjct

Sound engineer, Rob Hoffman recalls how #MichaelJackson "sang us a complete string arrangement" - That is what a man can do when HE is the instrument.

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