Michael Jackson: Exclusive Liner Notes from “Bad25″

Michael Jackson: Exclusive Liner Notes from “Bad25″

08/27/12 6:45pmRoger Friedman2

http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/08/27/michael-jackson-exclusive-liner-notes-from-bad25

Exclusive: Here’s some more info from the boxed set of Michael Jackson’s “Bad 25″ anniversary project coming on September 18th. Jackson fans should be ears up on this since we get some explanations for how the estate put the project together after Frank DiLeo unexpectedly and tragically passed away. Here’ an excerpt, plus a description of some of the unreleased songs I wrote about this morning. I’m telling you, “I’m So Blue” is one I cannot get out of my head. Very annoying, in a good way.
Excerpt: “A lot of time was spent listening to all of the recordings in the archives from the BAD era… Some tracks we found were very early recordings. They had no lyrics except possibly the chorus but more complete music tracks. Some were actually so complete that any other artist but Michael Jackson – who worked tirelessly to make sure his songs reflected his vision – might consider them finished tracks… As such, we have given a little information for each recording. As Michael wrote in a note at the time, he was determined to get exactly what he wanted on the recordings of his songs… In addition to the demo recordings, also on the “bonus” disc are the three recordings that were included in the 2001 re-release of the BAD album – “Fly Away,” “Streetwalker” and the Spanish version of “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You.” In addition, a French version of “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” is included along with the earlier mentioned remixes.”
DON’T BE MESSIN’ ROUND
It is well-known that Michael might start a song for one album, and then choose not to use it. The song would later be pulled from his vaults for possible use on a subsequent album project. “Don’t Be Messin’ Round” is an example of one such song, and how it took shape at the time of BAD. Indeed, Bruce Swedien has called it one of his favorites.
I’M SO BLUE
For Michael, creating a demo is how he let someone (in this case Quincy and Bruce) know what he wanted to hear in the finished recording. It also was a vehicle for writing both the lyrics and the music (since he didn’t actually write leadsheets). And because he was such a perfectionist, this really meant giving them a demo that, to most people, would be considered a finished “record” and not a demo at all as Bruce Swedien, among others, have noted. This is an example of one of those “demos.”
SONG GROOVE (A/K/A ABORTION PAPERS)
As noted earlier, this is a song that Michael knew could be controversial and, as a result, he spent a lot of time thinking about the story for the song and the voice through which the song should be told. The song is
about a girl whose father is a priest; she was raised in the Church and on the Bible. She gets married in the Church but decides, against the Bible, to have an abortion and she wants “Abortion Papers.” As Michael indicated in his notes, “I have to do it in a way so I don’t offend girls who have gotten abortions or bring back guilt trips so it has to be done carefully… I have to really think about it.“ This is an early example of a song with a controversial subject.
FREE
Generally, Michael’s process for creating a song would start with the chorus and harmonies first and it would build from there to include melodies and the lyrics for the verses. This piece shows a song that is clearly still a “work in progress” but with a full, finished chorus and harmonies.
PRICE OF FAME
Sometimes a song is written with a story in mind. In Michael’s work notes we found the story for this song – blind obsession. He described the story as “the girls who are over-obsessed with me, who follow me, who almost make me kill myself in my car, who just give their lives to do anything with me, to see me – they’ll do anything and it’s breaking my heart. It’s running me crazy. It’s breaking up my relationship with my girl, with my family. That’s the ‘Price of Fame’.”
AL CAPONE
When you listen to some early demos of songs, you can tell instantly what song it is. This is NOT one of those songs. It is an example of how different a song can be during its early stages of development from its later, finished polished version. If it were not a well known fact that “Smooth Criminal” was developed out of “Al Capone,” it would be hard to know that it had its roots in the material based on listening to this early recording.

Exclusive Michael Tells “Where I Met Lisa Marie And How I Proposed” Ebony Magazine

Source: Ebony Magazine – By Robert Johnson

Oct 1994

Introduction

In the first one-on-one interview the “King of Pop, Rock and Soul” Michael Jackson granted after he shook up America with the announcement of his marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of the late Rock ‘n’ Roller Elvis Presley, the mega star revealed to EBONY where they met and how he proposed.

Some published reports said that the couple had known each other only eight months before Lisa Marie Presley-Jackson issued a statement, saying: “My name is Mrs. Lisa Marie Presley-Jackson. My marriage to Michael took place in a private ceremony outside the United States [May 26].” She said the marriage was not formally announced because “we are both very private people living in the glare of the public media… I am very much in love with Michael. I dedicate my life to being his wife. I understand and support him. We both look forward to raising a family and living happy, healthy lives together. We hope friends and fans will understand and respect tour privacy.”

It was their love of privacy that prompted media probes that resulted in published stories that stated the couple knew each other only eight months before beginning their romance that led to matrimony. The truth is that Michael, now 36, and Lisa Marie, 26, were just a couple of youngsters when they met in Las Vegas 20 years ago. He was 16 and she was 6. The Jackson Five, with Michael out front as the lead singer, appeared at the MGM Grand Hotel April 9 through 23, 1974, and August 21 through Sept. 3, 1974.

Interview

Michael, taking time out from his studio recording session in New York to give EBONY an exclusive interview, recalls:

“Her father [Elvis] used to bring her to catch our show where all nine of us [Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Randy, Maureen 'Rebbie,' LaToya and Janet, then 8] were performing. It was a real family show — the only family show in Las Vegas which allowed children to come.” He continued: “Elvis would bring his daughter, Lisa Marie. She would sit right in the front and bodyguards would be right there. Afterwards, she would be escorted backstage and I would meet her and we would talk. This happened quite often. She would come again, again and again. It was quite an event. After that, I didn’t see her for quite a while. You know, it was like ships passing in the night — hello and goodbye.”

Lisa Marie married musician Danny Keough in 1988 and two children (Danielle, now5, and Benjamin, 2) were born to this union. Differences that the couple did not reconcile resulted in a “quickie” divorce in the Dominican Republic last spring. Three years ago when he started the DANGEROUS album, which featured such hits as “Why You Wanna Trip On Me,” “Remember The Time,” “She Drives Me Wild” and “Can’t Let Her Get Away,” Michael said their relationship reached a new plateau.

“We sort of went out together. Then we would talk on the phone… I noticed that we had come closer. We went to Las Vegas for The Jackson Family Honors [in 1993]. We later traveled to Atlanta for (former) President Jimmy Carter to visit children, but no one knew that she was there with me. The brilliant thing about us is that we were often together but did not let anybody know about it. We got to see each other that way over the years. We were really quiet and comfortable with each other. That’s pretty much how the dating started happening.”

It was during this period that Michael said their relationship changed from being good friends to lovers. As a sensitive songwriter who deals with feelings that run the range of human emotions, Michael has an uncanny sense of the chemistry in writing songs. For him, that chemistry is inspiration. If you listen to the lyrics of ”Remember The Time” and “I Can’t Let Her Get Away,” in the 1991 release of his ‘Dangerous’ album, you conclude that Lisa Marie could have provided the inspiration. She certainly provided the kind of support he needed in 1993 when he was going through legal trials and tribulations.

“I was on tour and it seemed like I was in Armageddon — Armageddon in the brains,” Michael remembered. “All these horrible stories were going around about me. None was true. It was unbelievable. Lisa Marie would call. I could count my true friends on one hand. She was very, very supportive the whole time. That really impressed me. She would call and be crying. She was angry and really wanted to choke people. But really, what impressed me was earthquake day in L.A. [June 28, 1993],” Michael says with an air of excitement. ”On earthquake day, my phone just happened to be working. I was terrified — almost out of my brains. I thought the world was ending. I got a phone call that day and it was from her, right after the quake. “Later, in London, where he underwent treatment for addiction to prescription drugs, Michael said that Lisa Marie gave him the impression that their relationship was moving them toward each other in ties that bind. ”She would call me, but she didn’t always get through to me. And that made it very frustrating for her. I got all the messages… She was very concerned.”

It was after these experiences that Michael say she came to that moment when he had to say “This Girl Is Mine” and “The Way You Make Me Feel.” (Michael chuckles at the play on the words of two of his best-selling songs.) “It kind of unfolded,” he said of the moment of truth. ”We spent a lot of time on the ranch [his sprawling, multimillion-dollar Neverland] and just walked around and talked. It happened! It unfolded all natural. We could feel the feeling we had for each other without even talking about it. It was all in the vibrations, the feelings and the look in our eyes.”

After he recounted how a friendship turned to romance, Michael was asked: “Who proposed, you or Lisa Marie?” He responded: “I proposed.” Blushing at the recollection, Michael said: “Well, first I asked — I’m the shyest person in the world. I said to her — we were on the phone — “If I asked you to marry me, would you?” She said, “Of course!” Then there was silence. I said, “Excuse me, I’ve got to go to the bathroom,” he laughed sheepishly. ”So I came back. I didn’t quite know what to say. But that’s how it happened.”

Following the telephone proposal and acceptance, the engaged couple promptly met at Neverland, where the romance started. It climaxed in marriage on May 26 in the Dominican Republic, proving that love conquers all. The couple honeymooned briefly in Budapest, Hungary, where the bride shared sometime with the groom on a film location, where he produced a promotional video for his upcoming album, ‘HISTORY.’ They also spent some time doing what they both love — caring for children. They visited children’s hospitals where they comforted the young patients and distributed toys. This was a prelude to the priority they have agreed upon. The priority is not recording together, although Lisa Marie inherited her famous father’s talent for singing and his estate valued at over $150 million.” All this talk about us recording together is a complete rumor,” says Michael, whose financial worth is estimated to be over $200 million. ”The thing we want to do most is centered around children. I never met anybody who cared so much about children the way I do. I get real emotional about children. Lisa Marie is the exact same way. Wherever we go, we visit children’s hospitals. My dream is that when we go to South Africa and India, we will aid children,” he discloses. Asked about plans for their own children, he replied: ”It’s already happening.” Then the fifth born of the nine Jacksons paused and added: “I want more children than my father [Joseph] has.”

Michael Jackson - HOME (rare poem by MJ)

 

 

HOME

 

Home gives you love to complete your life

Home gives you sunsets to warm your heart

Home gives you friendship to brighten your being

Home gives you patience to accept the truth

Home gives you comfort on a difficult day

Home gives you rainbow beneath the clouds

Home gives you hugs when your sprit sag

Home gives you faith so you can believe

Home gives you carriage to know yourself

Home gives you beauty for your eyes to see

 

Home written by Michael Jackson

OFFICIAL TRACK LIST OF BAD 25TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION IS UNVEILED

http://www.michaeljackson.com/us/news/official-track-list-bad-25th-anniversary-special-edition-unveiled

New York, NY – Epic/Legacy Recordings in collaboration with the Estate of Michael Jackson today announced the highly anticipated track listing for the September 18^th release of Michael Jackson BAD25 that celebrates the legendary album and record breaking BAD tour. Featured in the deluxe package, are three CDs, two collectible booklets, and the first ever authorized DVD release of a concert from the record breaking BAD World Tour – the July 16, 1988 sold out Wembley Stadium show in London.

Filled with previously re-mastered versions of iconic hits and un-released recordings from the King Of Pop, the BAD25 anniversary deluxe edition CDs and DVD will include the following:

CD one features re-mastered versions of Michael's biggest hits on the original BAD album, including, "Smooth Criminal," "Man In The Mirror," “Bad,” “Another Part of Me,” “The Way You Make Me Feel,” and "Dirty Diana" arranged in the same sequence as they appeared on the original album released 25 years ago. “Leave Me Alone” was added to the album as a bonus track following its initial release and has been included on the disc.

CD two offers fans a rare listen to thirteen additional tracks, 6 of which are previously unreleased demo recordings created at Michael’s personal studio built at his then-home on Hayvenhurst Avenue in Encino, California. Also included are all three bonus tracks from the 2001 expanded edition of BAD, the previously un-released French version of Michael performing the classic, “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” a high power version of “Speed Demon” remixed by Nero and the brand new remix of “Bad” worked on as an electrifying collaboration between Pitbull and Dutch DJ Afrojack.

Recordings included in this package reflect the songs and spirit of Michael Jackson’s artistry during BAD’s recording sessions and have been selected to show the different stages of how Michael’s songwriting and recording genius took shape. Some tracks are so complete that any other artist but Michael Jackson – who worked tirelessly to make sure his songs reflected his vision – might consider them finished tracks. Others are less complete but offer insight into Michael’s creative process in its various stages. Included is the demo, “Al Capone,” an early incarnation of what ultimately became “Smooth Criminal,” “Don’t Be Messin’ Around,” an example of a more complete demo, and a song initially titled, “Song Groove.” That song later became known as “Abortion Papers” which according to Michael’s own records, he spent considerable time in weighing how best to thoughtfully address something that was, and remains, a very personal and sensitive issue.

A true highlight of the package is CD three and the DVD – the never seen before live concert on DVD and its accompanying music CD of Michael’s legendary July 16, 1988 concert at Wembley Stadium. The concert is not a compilation of performances, but rather one complete show, exactly as Michael performed it for Prince Charles, Princess Diana and the 72,000 fans who were in the audience for that night’s sold out show. This show was one of the seven record-breaking nights played at the venue attended by more than half a million people – three times that many people tried to purchase tickets. The DVD was sourced from Michael Jackson’s personal VHS copy of the performance as shown on the JumboTrons during the concert. This footage was only recently unearthed and is the only known copy of the show to exist. The visuals have now been restored and the audio quality enhanced so that fans can share in the excitement of that famous night in 5.1 surround sound taken from the original multitrack recordings made that night.

In addition to the complete Wembley Show, the DVD will also contain “The Way You Make Me Feel” from Michael’s July 15^th performance at Wembley Stadium. This is the only song not performed on July 16^th due to the late start of that night’s show. Also included are the thrilling early performances of “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” and “Bad” from the Yokohama Stadium performance in September of 1987 during the first leg of the BAD World Tour.

 

BAD - 25th Anniversary (2 CD)

Includes bonus CD of additional material from the BAD sessions and new remixes

Music::CompactDisc

BAD - 25th Anniversary (2 CD) Pre-Order - Ships on or before September 18, 2012

in cart

This 25th Anniversary Edition of Michael Jackson's landmark album features the remastered original album PLUS a bonus CD of additional material from the BAD sessions and new remixes. It also includes an exclusive booklet which includes previously unseen photography from the BAD era.

CD one features re-mastered versions of Michael's biggest hits on the original BAD album, including, "Smooth Criminal," "Man In The Mirror," “Bad,” “Another Part of Me,” “The Way You Make Me Feel,” and "Dirty Diana" arranged in the same sequence as they appeared on the original album released 25 years ago. “Leave Me Alone” was added to the album as a bonus track following its initial release and has been included on the disc.

CD two offers fans a rare listen to thirteen additional tracks, 6 of which are previously unreleased demo recordings created at Michael’s personal studio built at his then-home on Hayvenhurst Avenue in Encino, California. Also included are all three bonus tracks from the 2001 expanded edition of BAD, the previously un-released French version of Michael performing the classic, “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” a high power version of “Speed Demon” remixed by Nero and the brand new remix of “Bad” worked on as an electrifying collaboration between Pitbull and Dutch DJ Afrojack.

CD ONE – Original Album

1. Bad
2. The Way You Make Me Feel
3. Speed Demon
4. Liberian Girl
5. Just Good Friends
6. Another Part Of Me
7. Man In The Mirror
8. I Just Can’t Stop Lovin’ You
9. Dirty Diana
10. Smooth Criminal
11. Leave Me Alone

CD TWO – Bonus Tracks, Unreleased Tracks, Demos, Remixes

1. Don’t Be Messin’ Around
2. I’m So Blue
3. Song Groove (A/K/A Abortion Papers)
4. Free
5. Price Of Fame
6. Al Capone
7. Streetwalker
8. Fly Away
9. Todo Mi Amor Eres Tu (I Just Can't Stop Loving You, Spanish Version)
10. Je Ne Veux Pas La Fin De Nous (I Just Can't Stop Loving You, French Version)
11. Bad (REMIX BY AFROJACK FEATURING PITBULL - DJ BUDDHA EDIT)
12. Speed Demon (REMIX BY NERO)
13. Bad (REMIX BY AFROJACK - CLUB MIX)

CD THREE – CD Live at Wembley Stadium July 16, 1988

1. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'2. This Place Hotel3. Another Part Of Me4. I Just Can't Stop Loving You5. She's Out Of My Life6. I Want You Back / The Love You Save / I'll Be There7. Rock With You8. Human Nature9. Smooth Criminal10. Dirty Diana11. Thriller12. Working Day And Night13. Beat It14. Billie Jean15. Bad16. Man In The Mirror

DVD – DVD Live at Wembley Stadium July 16, 1988

1. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
2. This Place Hotel
3. Another Part Of Me
4. I Just Can't Stop Loving You
5. She's Out Of My Life
6. I Want You Back / The Love You Save / I'll Be There
7. Rock With You
8. Human Nature
9. Smooth Criminal10. Dirty Diana11. Thriller12. Bad Groove (the Band Jam section)13. Working Day And Night14. Beat It15. Billie Jean16. Bad17. Man In The Mirror (Encore)

And Bonus Tracks Include:

1. The Way You Make Me Feel (Performed at Wembley the previous night, July 15, 1988)
2. I Just Can’t Stop Loving You/Bad (Performed at Yokohama Stadium, September, 1987)

Pre-Order Now

www.MichaelJackson.comhttp://www.facebook.com/michaeljackson#WhosBAD

Michael Jackson’s Costumer Releases Book

http://newsone.com/2027907/michael-jackson-costumes-michael-bush/#TID=17qout81mefpno&TData=57426|57867|55305|58591|58200

LOS ANGELES — The zipper-covered “Beat It” jacket. The military-inspired coats with

epaulets, crests and insignias. And, of course, that glittery glove.

Michael Jackson’s fashion sense was as singular as his musical style and dance moves. Millions imitated his pegged pants and penny loafers, a fedora cocked just so.
Jackson’s longtime costumer reveals the secrets behind the King of Pop’s meticulously crafted, regal rock-star look – and an intimate glimpse in to the man himself – in a colorful new book, “The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson.”
“When you worked with him, you couldn’t wait to get there and you didn’t want to leave when you got done,” said author/costume designer Michael Bush, who with his late partner, Dennis Tompkins, dressed Jackson for more than a generation. “It was hard to imagine anyone that projected fashion and style any better.”
What most people don’t know about Jackson, Bush said, is he was a joker – a playful prankster who loved to laugh and often teased those closest to him the most.
Bush tells of meeting Jackson for the first time in 1983, when both men were 25. The King of Pop hadn’t retained a costumer yet, and Bush was up for consideration. Jackson had been holed up for hours in his trailer on the set of “Captain EO.” Bush could hear a monkey squealing as he approached. It was dark inside and “like 120 degrees.” Jackson was snacking.

Eager to please as he prepped the pop star’s clothes, Bush felt something hit him gently in the head. A cherry stem. A few seconds later, it happened again. When it happened a third time, Bush lobbed a cherry at the rising superstar. Jackson tossed a handful back, and thus began a close professional and personal relationship that spanned the remainder of Jackson’s life.
“I think he wanted someone he could play with. He just wanted to see, `Am I going to have fun with this person?’” said Bush, now 54, an almost sheepish, informally trained clothier from Ohio who learned his craft from his mom and grandmother, who made wedding gowns, prom dresses, and quilts.
“And I laughed every day until he died.”
Bush wouldn’t discuss the time Jackson wore pajama bottoms to court during his child-molestation trial in 2005, but relished in other details of the entertainer’s unique approach to his performance attire.

“Michael’s concept was, `I want the fashion designers in the world, the big conglomerates, I want them to copy me. I don’t want to wear what’s out there. I want to push my individuality, and being that my music is me, my look should be me,’” Bush said in an interview at a warehouse in Los Angeles, racks of glittery history behind him.
Jackson’s stage costumes were designed to display his dance moves, so Bush and Tompkins, who died last December, were treated to regular private dance recitals to inform their work. Jackson danced five or six hours a day whether he was on tour or not, Bush said: “He traveled with a hardwood floor in a road case.”
All that dancing, such as during the 1987 “Bad” world tour, meant Jackson could drop so much weight during a concert that the costumes for his closing numbers had to be smaller than the ones for the show openers.
“Michael was usually a 28-inch waist, but by the midpoint of the show, when he was ready to perform his magic act of choice, right before `Beat It,’ he’d already lost five pounds of water, and his waist dropped to 27 and a quarter,” Bush writes in “The King of Style.” “If we didn’t have clothes hanging on the rack in the right order that were getting progressively smaller, we’d risk him putting on a pair of pants that would fall to his ankles with each rhythmic move of his body, and there is no magic in that!”

The King of Pop preferred China silk, silk charmeuse, and stretchy fabrics. “Spandex made Michael feel sleek and secure and worked for his dance style,” Bush writes.
Then there were the military jackets, the rhinestone-encrusted interpretations of British war uniforms like the one Jackson wore at the 1984 Grammy Awards, when he raked in a record eight awards for “Thriller.”
Jackson had a childlike fascination with rhinestones, Bush said.
“Sometimes I’d drive three hours to retrieve loose rhinestones straight from the factory, just because looking at them in that raw form pleased Michael to no end. Every time I opened the swatch of white felt that encased the rhinestones, he’d gasp,” he writes. “He’d take them from me and delicately move them around with his fingertips and whisper… `Can you imagine being a pirate opening a treasure chest? And seeing all the glitter inside? What a fascinating life, to be a pirate like that.’”
Bush and Tompkins worked with Jackson until the pop star’s death in June 2009. Though they weren’t in charge of the costumes for the ill-fated “This Is It” comeback tour, Jackson’s longtime costume designers created ensembles for seven songs, including a reprise of his “Billie Jean” outfit with its loafers and spangled socks. There was also a burgundy and gold monogrammed top with a Chinese collar and bell sleeves, and a pair of black bedazzled shin guards.

Bush declined to share any details about Jackson’s health or demeanor in his final days. He did say, though, that the King of Pop had always hoped his costumes would be celebrated in books and museums, and Bush is humbled by making that dream a reality. The costumer will exhibit some of Jackson’s performance outfits in South America, Europe and Asia before releasing his book on Oct. 30. Many of the costumes will be sold at auction in December, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Recording Academy’s MusiCares charity.