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Michael in the Media - Thread for Miscellaneous Articles

supermodelsonya said:
I wrote a four part series. I saw that someone else put my article up in another thread but I couldn't respond to it. I'm new here and I'm a longtime Jackson fan since I saw him in 1984. He was dating my neighbor who lived next door. It was amazing. That was my first introduction to MJ but living in a religious household, his music wasn't known to me until my father passed away in 1988. Only then could I learn more about who he was, since my mother was more secular.


https://medium.com/@supermodelsonya/michael-jackson-and-lessons-on-race-69690f92e77

This is the Fourth one, here are the rest.....

https://medium.com/@supermodelsonya/cracks-in-the-dam-a5c1271808e5

https://medium.com/@supermodelsonya/a-steep-price-31218662ac40


https://medium.com/@supermodelsonya/the-trauma-of-loving-michael-jackson-ff93819a2e2e

I hope this is okay to put this here. I invite everyone to take a read. I know that you guys know all about this stuff, but it doesn't hurt to pass on info, especially if you're bored one day and are looking for a great read. Thank you and I really love it here.
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Welcome to the forum. uh, Michael was dating someone in 1984? i come from a christian family and we knew who Michael was. Michael was a JW. :scratch:
 
supermodelsonya said:
I wrote a four part series. I saw that someone else put my article up in another thread but I couldn't respond to it. I'm new here and I'm a longtime Jackson fan since I saw him in 1984. He was dating my neighbor who lived next door. It was amazing. That was my first introduction to MJ but living in a religious household, his music wasn't known to me until my father passed away in 1988. Only then could I learn more about who he was, since my mother was more secular.


https://medium.com/@supermodelsonya/michael-jackson-and-lessons-on-race-69690f92e77

This is the Fourth one, here are the rest.....

https://medium.com/@supermodelsonya/cracks-in-the-dam-a5c1271808e5

https://medium.com/@supermodelsonya/a-steep-price-31218662ac40


https://medium.com/@supermodelsonya/the-trauma-of-loving-michael-jackson-ff93819a2e2e

I hope this is okay to put this here. I invite everyone to take a read. I know that you guys know all about this stuff, but it doesn't hurt to pass on info, especially if you're bored one day and are looking for a great read. Thank you and I really love it here.
Click to expand...

I read Part 4 and it is GREAT. I advise everyone to read it. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUCH A GREAT ARTICLE!! I am now getting ready to read Parts 1,2 and 3.
 
Supermodelsonya, WOW! Just read Part 1 and it took my breath away. I will try not to make another post until i read Parts 2&3. Btw, is Taj Jackson aware of this series of articles? These need to be shared EVERYWHERE.
 
somewhereinthedark;4296220 said:
Supermodelsonya, WOW! Just read Part 1 and it took my breath away. I will try not to make another post until i read Parts 2&3. Btw, is Taj Jackson aware of this series of articles? These need to be shared EVERYWHERE.
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I just completed ALL parts(1-4) of your series and was very pleased at how informative they were. Yes, I knew most of these things; however, your presentation, including the use of anecdotal material, helped to keep the articles from becoming redundant.

Maybe, I missed something; but, I am wondering why these series of articles have not been posted in fan forums, Twitter or discussed before. Of course, the media is going to ignore this because they WANT Michael to be guilty. As Taj has stated, every extra bit of information pointing to Michael’s innocence should be shared, disseminated and trumpeted. If fans don’t do it, who will? Hopefully Taj knows about this and can help spread the word.

GREAT JOB!!!! Clap! Clap! Clap!
 
Not an article, but a general observation. I’m currently browsing some scans of late 80’s, early 90’s teen magazines, and it’s really wild to see that segregation was still very much a thing in the USA at the time. In stark contrast to European magazines, US publications like Teen Beat, 16, Tiger Beat etc. have literally zero representation of Black people. You wouldn’t even be able to tell that Black people exist in the USA, flipping through those pages. Wow. It was really an uphill battle for MJ.
 
I live in US. yes it was still kind of an issue. but not at exactly. there was shows etc with black people. back in the day and still today we have our own magazines. it's nothing exactly racist about it. just have own magazines for us.
 
NatureCriminal7896;4297350 said:
I live in US. yes it was still kind of an issue. but not at exactly. there was shows etc with black people. back in the day and still today we have our own magazines. it's nothing exactly racist about it. just have own magazines for us.
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I think it is a big problem when white kids only see other white kids in the magazines they buy. That’s what creates the divide between “us” and “them”, and it also has a huge influence on the beauty ideals that the kids develop. I must say, I was shocked that this still was a thing over there in the late 80’s, early 90’s. I had no idea that it was this bad.

In contrast, when I flip through a Bravo or Pop Rocky magazine (both from Germany) from the same era, I see artists like Terence Trent d’Arby, Ziggy Marley, Seal, Whitney Houston etc. alongside MJ. It’s like a parallel universe, really.
 
ScreenOrigami;4297353 said:
I think it is a big problem when white kids only see other white kids in the magazines they buy. That’s what creates the divide between “us” and “them”, and it also has a huge influence on the beauty ideals that the kids develop. I must say, I was shocked that this still was a thing over there in the late 80’s, early 90’s. I had no idea that it was this bad.

In contrast, when I flip through a Bravo or Pop Rocky magazine (both from Germany) from the same era, I see artists like Terence Trent d’Arby, Ziggy Marley, Seal, Whitney Houston etc. alongside MJ. It’s like a parallel universe, really.
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yeah. you had to buy magazines like Jet and Ebony in order to really get news about Michael, Whitney, Prince, etc. that still a problem today but it's somewhat better.
 
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British metal magazine “Kerrang!” posted an interview with Slash, and of course he was asked – again – what it was like to work with MJ. Relevant snippet below. It doesn’t offer any new insights for us, but please do click through to support this kind of journalism. It’s also an interesting interview if you want to learn more about Slash. :)


Slash: “Guns N’ Roses Were A Gang That Walked Into A Room Like, ‘You Don’t Want To F*ck With Us’”
Guns N’ Roses legend Slash revisits the early days, Donington, Michael Jackson and the power of rock’n’roll
Words: Matt Allen

[…]

How did you end up working with Michael Jackson on the Dangerous album in 1991?

“Initially, it was a phone call from my manager where he said, ‘Michael is trying to get in touch with you,’ and I was like, ‘Wow.’ So I called him back and he wanted me to play on Dangerous. We made a date and I went down to the Record Plant in Hollywood and he was there with [actor] Brooke Shields. That was very surreal. These were two people that I’d sort of grown up with, in a way. So we hung out for two minutes and they went off to dinner and left me with this song. I did my thing, he really dug it and afterwards he kept asking me if I’d be into doing this, or doing that. I’d do some shows here and there and it was fun because he was such a pro, and he was such a ****ing talent from on high. That was the main thing: he was so amazingly musically fluid. Such a treat to be around.”

What was it like to hang out with him?

“Onstage, his whole professional thing was really where he clicked. When he wasn’t working, or in production or whatever, it was then you could see that he was sort of at the mercy of his own success. All the people he had around him, the tugging, and the yes people, you could tell that he knew 90 per cent of them were full of shit. I felt sorry for him in that sense. I did a couple of shows with Michael in Tokyo and saw how this whole massive ****ing thing worked, and he was the centre of it. The only time I really felt like he was in any kind of comfort zone was when he was actually onstage. Right after that, Guns came to town and did our shows and our success was massive, but it wasn’t as overwhelming as what Michael was going through. It was just an interesting light, looking at the two things and being careful about what you wished for.”

[…]

https://www.kerrang.com/features/slash-guns-n-roses-were-a-gang-that-walked-into-a-room-like-you-dont-want-to-f-ck-with-us/
 
German magazine “Stern” recalls MJ’s 1995 Wetten Dass performance. It has a somewhat ironic tone to it, but it’s overall positive and doesn’t mention any allegations. :)

(rough translation by Google Translate)

===

Moments of TV history

"I love you all" – and departure
Michael Jackson on "Wetten, dass ..?"

03.08.2020, 10:35 a.m.

Michael Jackson on "Wetten, dass ..?": In 1995 the late superstar made a spectacular appearance on Thomas Gottschalk's program. The stage show is still unforgettable, the subsequent interview is a farce.

"Few of them are interested in me tonight." With these words Thomas Gottschalk appeared in front of the cameras on November 4th, 1995 in the Rhein-Ruhr-Halle in Duisburg. He had prominent guests for the 97th edition of "Wetten, dass ..?" Invited: Hiltrud and Gerhard Schröder, then Prime Minister of Lower Saxony, cabaret artist Rüdiger Hofmann, Austrian presenter Arabella Kiesbauer and musical author Andrew Lloyd Webber took a seat on the sofa. But they were all just accessories for what was to come: the appearance of a superstar.

Michael Jackson presented the world premiere of his "Earth Song" in Duisburg. The performance lasted 7 minutes and 40 seconds and is still unforgettable today. The staging was like that of an alien. A globe floated into the picture using computer animation, and then Jackson could be seen. With the green screen effect, it initially seemed as if he was not in the hall at all. Only after a minute did the person actually appear on the stage. Screech.

Michael Jackson's appearance cost one million Deutschmarks

Jackson ripped open his shirt and jumped onto a pallet truck that lifted him high into the hall. Wind machines and fog made the King of Pop seem to hover over a kind of jet engine. That his singing probably came off the assembly line with the whole roar - it doesn't matter. The brimborium cost a million deutschmarks. Jackson showed the Germans what really big pop looks like on TV.

The mandatory interview with Gottschalk was all the more poor after that. The showmaster actually wanted to get his superstar on the couch, but the management had thankfully turned it down in advance. Instead, they agreed on a skirmish on the edge of the stage. And this is how it went:

Michael Jackson: "I love you all."

Fans: (screech)

Jackson: "I love you all very much."

Fans: (increased screeching)

Thomas Gottschalk: "Do you like Germany?"

Jackson: "I love it."

And finish.

Almost 18 million television viewers saw the spectacle and gave "Wetten, dass ..?" one of the highest ratings in the history of the show. Shortly thereafter, the song was number one on our charts and stayed there for five weeks. To date, the "Earth Song" is the most successful Michael Jackson single in Germany. Even the later Chancellor Schröder was thrilled: "Now I can understand the enthusiasm for Jackson. He has something heart-warming."

===

They chose a nice photo and included a YouTube video of the performance.

https://www.stern.de/kultur/tv/michael-jackson-bei-wetten--dass-------i-love-you-all--und-abgang-9356394.html
 
The Daily Express (UK) has a new entertainment writer since June who keeps churning out positive MJ articles. I don’t feel like linking to a tabloid, but I think it’s an interesting development. So if you feel like checking them out, they’re easy to find. The author is Callum Crumlish, 27 or something years young. His latest article even discusses MJ’s Neverland in a very positive light.

Of course, the articles are plastered with ads, since it’s all about the money, but it looks like we have an ally in one of the major tabloids.

===

Michael Jackson gave back to his community because of his MOTHER - here's why

MICHAEL JACKSON spent a lot of his time giving back to the community. Namely, he gave access to his incredible backyard fantasy land Neverland to a number of sick children, as well as those who could secure some time in his wonderland. Now, perhaps the reason why he gave access to his property has been revealed in an unearthed video with Geraldo Rivera.

By Callum Crumlish
PUBLISHED: 01:31, Wed, Aug 12, 2020

Michael Jackson is known to some people as an eccentric. While the Beat It hitmaker was certainly one of the most prolific and successful pop stars of all time, his personal life often made headlines as well. In particular, Jackson confused some people when it was revealed he has built a place called Neverland.

The Neverland ranch was a place for Jackson to enjoy the delights of being a child in his own back yard.

This expansive piece of his property included a ferris wheel, a number of rides, a zoo, and cinemas.

During his time owning this piece of land, Jackson allowed a number of children in to play, and generally have a great time.

During an interview in 2005 with Geraldo Rivera, Jackson touched upon why he ventured out to do this.

Geraldo first pointed out: "You still have a profound and passionate relationship with the community."

To which Jackson simply replied: "It's important to love your neighbours.

"I truly think it comes from my mother, and God. The way we were raised, the values my father instilled in us in our youth.

"She [his mother] was always there with the bible teaching us. We'd go to service all the time.

[…]

===

https://www.express.co.uk/entertain...children-album-news-interview-neverland-ranch
 
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Michael Jackson’s Favorite Song Ever Was Co-Written by a Major Movie Star

Matthew Trzcinski
August 11, 2020

Michael Jackson’s favorite song didn’t sound much like the hits from his catalogue. Oddly enough, the tune was co-written by a major movie star. Interestingly, the track has become prominent again because of a recent DC Comics movie.

michael-jackson-smiling-1024x777.jpg

Michael Jackson | Chris Walter/WireImage

The silent movie star Michael Jackson would dress up as

Jackson’s favorite song wasn’t by a fellow R&B singer but it was by a fellow major celebrity: Charlie Chaplin. While Chaplin is primarily remembered for his film roles, he has a musical legacy. According to American Songwriter, Chaplin helped craft the score to his movie Modern Times. Songwriters John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons later adapted part of that score into the song “Smile.”

According to the book Man in the Music, Jackson was a big fan of Chaplin. He watched his movies, listened to his music, and read about him. Beginning in the 1970s, he dressed up as Chaplin for numerous photo shoots.

What it was like for the New York Philharmonic to help create Michael Jackson’s ‘Smile’

While crafting his album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, Jackson reached out to producer David Foster. Foster had previously worked on Jackson’s Off the Wall as well as songs by Peter Cetera, Whitney Houston, and Celine Dion. Jackson long considered covering “Smile” — which MTV News reports was his favorite song — and Foster finally convinced him to do so.

Jackson recorded his cover with the backing of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. According to the book In the Studio with Michael Jackson, multiple bassists, cellists, harpists, and violinists played on the track. Predictably, this gives Jackson’s take on the song a more lush feeling than Cole’s. In addition, the vocals on Jackson’s version of “Smile” are more melancholy than the vocals on Cole’s version.

Jackson decided to meet with the members of the orchestra after they completed “Smile.” When he went to meet them, every member of the orchestra gave Jackson a standing ovation. Jackson was thrilled by the experience. “Smile” might not be one of Jackson’s big hits, but members of the New York Philharmonic seem to have enjoyed working with Jackson.

How ‘Smile’ reemerged in popular culture

For a song from the 1930s, “Smile” has a fairly prominent place in pop culture. It lives on through Jackson’s cover as well as its use in films. “Smile” popped up in the biopic Chaplin, the Julia Roberts movie Mona Lisa Smile, and the trailer for Joker, which prominently used Jimmy Durante’s cover of the song.

Perhaps the most poignant use of “Smile” was in Jackson’s funeral service. MTV News reports Jackson’s brother Jermaine covered “Smile” as a tribute to his late brother at the service. During her eulogy of Jackson, Brooke Shields referred to “Smile.”

“There is a line [in the song] that says, ‘Smile when your heart is aching,’ ” Shields said. “And though our hearts are aching, we need to look up, where [Michael] is undoubtedly perched in a crescent moon, and we need to smile.”

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/michael-jacksons-favorite-song-ever-was-co-written-by-a-major-movie-star.html
 
I see that Anna has added the link to the Express to my previous post, so I take that as a sign that it’s ok to post and link positive tabloid articles. The new Express writer currently seems to churn out one or two per day, many of the articles are inspired by MJ’s 2005 Geraldo interview. Here’s another one:


Michael Jackson opens up on REAL reason he welcomed children into Neverland
Callum Crumlish
PUBLISHED: 04:01, Thu, Aug 13, 2020

Michael Jackson fans have long looked up images and stories about his fabled Neverland. Neverland was the King of Pop's iconic home which was acres long, and had a number of theme park rides and a zoo.

Over the years Jackson opened up his Neverland ranch gates to allow a number of children in.

The kids were given almost free reign of the park, and were allowed to enjoy all of the delights of the theme park.

While fans will never truly get to experience why he did this first hand, an interview from 2005 has now offered insight into why he did it in the first place.

Speaking to Geraldo Rivera in 2005, Jackson was asked about what inspires him to show these kids his lifestyle.

Michael Jackson explained he liked to keep the kids happy who haven't been as fortunate

On why he would give his possessions away and allow people into his home, Jackson smiled.

He said: "When I was little stars like Sammy Davis, Fred Estair, Gene Kelly - if I admired something they were wearing and I said 'Wow, I love that shirt you're wearing,' they would give it to me."

"So I was taught that," he added. "That was part of a show business trait. I would hand it over."

Speaking specifically about Neverland, Jackson went on: "I think I've travelled the world over eight times.

Michael Jackson interview neverland

Michael Jackson also spoke about his relationship with his mother

"And I do as many hospitals and orphanages as possible - but I don't do it for coverage.

"I do it for my heart. There are many children in the cities who have never seen mountains, who haven't been on a carousel, who haven't petted a horse or a llama.

"So if I can open my gates and there's that bliss - an explosion of screaming, laughter, and they run past me to the rides, I say 'thank you God'.

"I feel I've won God's smile of approval. Because I'm doing something that's bringing joy and happiness to other people."

Later in the interview Jackson also touched upon how his upbringing from his mother helped this giving nature of his.

"It's important to love your neighbours," Jackson mused.

"I truly think it comes from my mother, and God. The way we were raised, the values my father instilled in us in our youth.

"She [his mother] was always there with the bible teaching us. We'd go to service all the time."

He went on to speak about his routines as a child, adding: "Like four times a week - and I'm so glad we did that, because those values are very important."

Jackson nostalgically added: "I don't know if I could have done as well without them."

The touching interview also saw the King of Pop explaining why he would never put up gold records in his house.

Despite having a huge amount of hits, Jackson explained how he didn't ever want to feel "done" with his work.

https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/1321998/michael-jackson-neverland-ranch-children-interview-geraldo-news-info-song-album
 
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST, Queen's hit by bassist John Deacon, celebrates its 40th anniversary this week, but did you know that Michael Jackson has been credited with influencing the song?

It’s one of Queen’s greatest hits and this week Another One Bites The Dust celebrates its 40th anniversary. The 1980 track features on the band’s eighth studio album The Game and was written by bassist John Deacon. And now Queen’s official Instagram account has paid tribute to the hit song, one that Freddie Mercury and the band have said that Michael Jackson is owed credit for.

The band shared Another One Bites The Dust’s single cover, which features Queen performing.

Freddie Mercury is seen jumping high in the air while wearing a Flash T-shirt, the movie the band wrote the soundtrack for.

The account wrote: “40 Years of Another One Bites the Dust!

“Possibly the best-known Bassline of all time?”

Another One Bites The Dust charted at No 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks.

While also being Queen’s best-selling single with sales of over 7 million.

Back in 1996, Deacon said of the track: “I listened to a lot of soul music when I was in school, and I've always been interested in that sort of music.

“I’d been wanting to do a track like Another One Bites the Dust for a while, but originally all I had was the line and the bass riff.”

Deacon continued: “Gradually, I filled it in and the band added ideas.

“I could hear it as a song for dancing but had no idea it would become as big as it did.

“The song got picked up off our album and some of the black radio stations in the US started playing it, which we've never had before.

“Michael Jackson actually suggested we release it as a single. He was a fan of ours and used to come to our shows.”

While Freddie Mercury once said of Another One Bites The Dust: “Credit for the song should go to Michael Jackson in many ways.

“He was a fan and friend of ours and kept telling me, ‘Freddie, you need a song the cats can dance to.’

“John introduced this riff to us during rehearsal that we all immediately thought of disco, which was very popular at the time.

“We worked it out and once it was ready, played it for Michael.”

Freddie added: “I knew we had a hit as he bobbed his head up and down.”

Jackson said: “That's it, that's the gravy.

“Release it and it will top the charts.”

The Queen singer added: “So we did and it did.”

https://www.express.co.uk/entertain...ary-Michael-Jackson-Queen-bassist-John-Deacon
 
Top 10 Celebrities With Most Beautiful Smile

[…]

1. Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson charmed the world by his excellent performance skills proving the world, no matter whether you are black or white if you have the talent to be the best. No one in this world can stop you from attaining what you are destined for. Supporting him in this cause was his ambiguous smile, which stayed with him till his last breath. Owner of the prettiest smile Mr. Jackson never lost hope, even when he had to go through the hardships in his career, which made him more desired and respected by his fans. Loved by all Mr. Jackson is no more among us but wherever he is, we pray to God that his soul rests in peace.

https://ratedshow.com/top-10-celebrities-with-most-beautiful-smile/
 
Michael Jackson music: Man in the Mirror has PERSONAL connection with King of Pop

Callum Crumlish
11:21, Fri, Aug 21, 2020 | UPDATED: 11:22, Fri, Aug 21, 2020

Michael Jackson fans were devastated when the King of Pop tragically died back in 2009. While fans have been rifling through a number of interviews with the star to see what he was really like, one of them has now shown off the star speaking about his huge hit song Man in the Mirror.

Jackson spoke to Ebony Jet back in 1987 about his upcoming album Bad.

As fans know, the Bad album was one of the most influential albums in his career.

Within this album fans enjoyed the likes of Bad, Smooth Criminal, Speed Demon, and Man in the Mirror.

Man in the Mirror is of course an emotional insight into Jackson's psyche.

Speaking to Ebony Jet, Jackson was quizzed about the lyrics in the song, to which he gave a heartfelt response.

"That is my philosophy too," he revealed. "If you want to make the world a better place you gotta look at yourself and make a change."

He went on to criticise people who didn't work to make themselves and the world better.

He continued: "People don't look at themselves honestly. They don't look at themselves and point the finger - it's always the other guy's fault.

"You should change yourself. Look at yourself, make better of yourself."

Going on to detail his own thoughts on the song, he added: "I'm never truly satisfied. I always wish the world could be a better place.

"Hopefully that's what I do with my music - bring happiness to people, and to bring joy, some peace in their lives."

Later in the interview he confessed: "A lot of people misunderstand me because they don't know me."

Michael also spoke about the true story behind the Bad music video.

He said: "This kid went to school upstate, who is from the ghetto, and he tried to make something of his life.

"He would leave his old friends behind and when he came back on spring break, or whatever - thanksgiving break - his friends became so jealous of him that they killed him."

He went on to detail his version of the story in the music video.

"In the film I don't die of course - but it's a true story that was taken from Time [Magazine] or Newsweek magazine."

He added: "He is a black kid like me. And it's a sad story... something like that is very sad."

He also explained how he works hard to grow a positive life for himself and others.

"If it's all negative it's wrong," he sad. "I think that's life - to wanna grow and become more. Like, you plant a seed and it grows into something beautiful, it never dies really. I think people should be that way."

https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/1325699/michael-jackson-music-man-in-the-mirror-death-dead-interview-connection-news
 
Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson were siblings as well as two of the biggest stars of their era, so it was natural that they collaborated. Their first collaboration was a popular hit from Michael’s seminal album Thriller. Years, later Michael and Janet performed a duet that made musical history.

The original collaboration between Michael and Janet Jackson

Michael and Janet collaborated all the way back in the 1980s. Janet provided backing vocals to Michael’s enduring funk hit “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing).” Janet was not credited as a featured artist on the song. Regardless, Janet was very proud of how her vocals were prominently featured in the final song.

How Janet Jackson brought out Michael Jackson’s competitive side

Years later, Michael and Janet would duet together on a track from Michael’s 1995 album HIStory: Past, Present, and Future Part 1. The song was called “Scream.” According to Dazed, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis produced the song. Jam and Lewis are most known for producing many of Janet’s hits, including “Nasty” and “Miss You Much.” Jam shared an interesting anecdote about what Michael did when he was recording “Scream.”

“Before he sings, he’s just real calm and quiet, ‘Can you turn my headphones up a little bit?,’” Jam recalled. “Then all of a sudden the music comes on and he starts dancing around the room, hitting all his signature moves. When it was over, I swear to God, it was just silence in the room. He said, ‘How was that?’ We’re like, ‘Yeah, that sounded really good.’”

Interestingly, the recording session of the song brought out Michael’s competitive side. When Janet later recorded her vocals for the song in a studio in Minneapolis. Michael heard Janet’s vocals, liked them, and felt he need to go all the way to Minneapolis to try to sound just as good. Regardless, almost all of Michael’s vocals on the final version of the song are from his original vocal session.

How the ‘Scream’ double single made history

According to The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits, Michael released “Scream” as a double single alongside “Childhood,” — a pop ballad Michael performed on his own. Both songs are personal, with “Scream” reflecting on Michael’s tabloid travails and “Childhood” reflecting on his younger years. On an musical level, however, the two songs could not be more different.

“Scream” is an aggressive track that takes influence from industrial music. “Childhood,” on the other hand, is a melancholy song with a much slower tempo. Together, “Scream” and “Childhood” might seem like an odd couple, but they worked together well commercially.

The double single debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 5. This was the highest debut on the chart since the chart began back in 1958. It makes sense that Michael and Janet — a powerhouse musical duo if there ever was one — were able to make chart history.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...net-jackson-duet-broke-a-musical-record.html/
 
Michael Jackson: 'It's a PROTEST' - King of Pop on why he chose to involve Spike Lee

Callum Crumlish
PUBLISHED: 15:00, Sat, Aug 22, 2020

Michael-Jackson-spike-lee-1326123.webp


Michael Jackson fans will know the star's musical backlog like the back of their hands. From Man in the Mirror to Earth Song, the star had a huge amount of hits that were almost unbeatable.

Over the years, Jackson made quite the mark on the music industry by utilising the medium of music videos.

Beginning more or less with the arrival of the incredible Thriller music video, Jackson really used the new form of music to catapult himself onto TV screens.

Going further into his career, Jackson managed to create some extremely memorable videos.

Some even saw famed directors taking on the projects, just like HIStory's They Don't Care About Us.

Jackson's ninth album HIStory included some monumental tracks in the King of Pop's career.

From Smile to You Are Not Alone, Jackson truly continued his mind-boggling legacy with his new music.

However They Don't Care About Us was given a special spotlight, as its music video was directed by none other than prolific director Spike Lee.

Despite this, it has now been revealed Spike Lee was originally interested in directing a music video for another HIStory song: Stranger in Moscow.

Jackson's official Twitter account recently posted: "'Stranger In Moscow' peaked on the Billboard Top 100 today on this day in 1997.

"Did you know the short film for this song was Spike Lee’s original choice to direct, before Michael steered him to 'They Don’t Care About Us' instead?"

Stranger In Moscow tells of a more angry, unbridled Jackson, as his emotional song gets right to his core.

However the director was supposedly urged to go towards They Don't Care About Us instead.

On why Jackson wanted Spike Lee to direct this song, he confessed: "'They Don't Care About Us' has an edge, and Spike Lee had approached me.

"It's a public awareness song and that's what he is all about. It's a protest kind of song ... and I think he was perfect for it."

Speaking to Ebony Jet back in 1997, Jackson revealed some insight into his creation of Man in the Mirror.

He told the publication: "That is my philosophy too. If you want to make the world a better place you gotta look at yourself and make a change."

He added: "People don't look at themselves honestly. They don't look at themselves and point the finger - it's always the other guy's fault.

"You should change yourself. Look at yourself, make better of yourself."

Jackson also spoke about his mark in the world, saying: "I'm never truly satisfied. I always wish the world could be a better place.

"Hopefully that's what I do with my music - bring happiness to people, and to bring joy, some peace in their lives."

https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/1326123/michael-jackson-spike-lee-music-video-protest-they-dont-care-about-us-news-interview

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I know, these articles don’t offer anything new to fans, but please consider clicking through (preferably with ad blocker turned off) to support the author. Frequent positive articles in a UK tabloid! Who would have thought that this was ever going to happen? :)
 
When Michael Jackson visited Hong Kong: 3 weeks dodging paparazzi, riding roller coasters and learning about Chinese culture

Tracey Furniss
Published: 10:00am, 28 Aug, 2020

Midway through the record-breaking Bad world tour, between stops in Japan and Australia, the King of Pop took time out in Hong Kong – eventually passing 3 whole weeks hanging out, visiting famous tourist attractions like Ocean Park and filming at the Shaw Brothers

Michael Jackson, who would have turned 62 this month, visited Hong Kong only once in his lifetime – the autumn of 1987. The King of Pop loved the city so much he stayed for several weeks, arriving on October 21 and leaving for Sydney on November 10.

It was during the singer’s worldwide Bad tour, which kicked off in Japan in September of that year, but left a month off before heading to Oceania.

“I was working at Duddell’s on Duddell Street [a different version to the current restaurant],” says the Moroccan-born entertainer Dr Penguin, who became the star’s minder and friend. His colleague Rick Mayo and the owners of the restaurant knew Jackson’s personal travel agent. One thing led to another and they found themselves in the star’s hotel room in Japan inviting him to visit Hong Kong.

“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,” said Dr Penguin. “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.

“On October 21, Jackson and his entourage arrived on a private jet, and I was in the office when my boss started freaking out,” recalls Dr Penguin, who is now based in Thailand.

“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,” says the magician.

“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,” he continues.

“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.”

One sightseeing trip Jackson enjoyed was Ocean Park. “Michael was looking for a roller coaster to buy for Neverland [his home in California] 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.”

Michael was supposed to come to Hong Kong in the early 1990s to do a concert at Sha Tin Racecourse during his Dangerous tour, recalls Andrew Bull, who was organising the concert. Sadly it was cancelled and Jackson never came back to the city before his death in June 2009.

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3099126/when-michael-jackson-visited-hong-kong-3-weeks-dodging

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Click through for some nice photos. :)


Edit: I doubt that MJ didn’t enjoy his day trip to China. I guess they threw that in because of the whole Hong Kong and China situation. I wish the media would stick to facts.

Another small inaccuracy that I noticed: he didn’t check out the roller coaster for Neverland, because at the time he hadn’t purchased the ranch yet, let alone started building the amusement park.
 
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Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury's electrifying long-lost duets are heart-wrenchingly good

By Giorgina Ramazzotti
28 August 2020, 17:45 | Updated: 29 August 2020, 12:25

Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury recorded a three tracks at MJ's private home studio in 1983.

One was the dramatically charismatic frontman on Queen, the other was known the world over as the King of Pop and together they recorded a handful of duets, only one of which ever made it officially to the light of day.

The two first met when Michael Jackson would come to see Queen perform: "In the early days, three, four years ago, he used to come and see our shows at The Forum in L.A., and I guess he liked us and so I got to meet him,” Freddie told music journalist Lisa Robinson in a 1983 interview.

“He kept coming to see us and then we started talking and, in those days, I think he would actually go out. He’d go out and have dinners. I remember going to dinner with him.”

The friendship continued to grow and was documented in a 1983 Rolling Stone story during one of Jackson’s backstage visits to see Queen. A reporter is said to have blocked his path and asked Michael, “Can I tell my viewers that Michael Jackson is a Queen fan?” he replied back, “I’m a Freddie Mercury fan.”

The Rolling Stone article continued to describe the scene backstage: “The band is merry. Michael is shy, standing quietly at the door until Freddie spots him and leaps up to gather him in a hug. Freddie invited Michael. He has been calling all week, mainly about the possibility of their working together.”

“The two have been friendly since Michael listened to the material Queen had recorded for The Game and insisted that the single had to be ‘Another One Bites the Dust,’” the Rolling Stone piece continues, adding that Jackson then said, “Now, he listens to me, right Freddie?” with Mercury answering, “Righto, little brother.”

“When I’m talking to him, I’m think, my god, he’s 25, I’m 37,” Mercury said of their age difference. “Yet he’s been in the business longer than I have.”

Whilst there is arguments over whether the pair worked on songs for Jackson's forthcoming album, Queen's Hot Space or an album of duets, either way the duo started recording in Michael Jackson's home studio in 1983 and produced demos for three tracks; 'There Must Be More to Life Than This,' 'State of Shock' and 'Victory.'

“They were great songs, but the problem was time, as we were both very busy at that period,” Mercury later said in Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury.

Queen’s manager Jim “Miami” Beach, remembers getting a frantic call from Mercury during the sessions. “Freddie said, ‘You have to get me out of the studio’,” Beach said on the documentary The Great Pretender.

When Jim asked why, Mercury allegedly said, “Because I’m recording with a llama. Michael’s bringing his pet llama into the studio every day and I’m really not used to it and I’ve had enough and I want to get out.”

The three songs were never released as intended, but 'State of Shock' was re-recorded by Michael Jackson and the Rolling Stones and released as single in 1984.

While Freddie Mercury released his own take 'There Must Be More to Life Than This' on his 1985 solo debut Mr. Bad Guy, it wasn't until thirty-three years later in 2014 that Queen finally released the Freddie and MJ version on the compilation album Queen Forever.

The album was a big success, with Brian May saying it was an assortment of “things that we have collected together that are representative of our growth rather than the big hits”.

Producer William Orbit, known for his work with Madonna, was recruited to finish the song, "When I first played it in my studio, I opened a trove of delights provided by the greatest of musicians," he said in a statement.

"Hearing Michael Jackson's vocals was stirring. So vivid, so cool, and poignant, it was like he was in the studio singing live. With Freddie's vocal solo on the mixing desk, my appreciation for his gift was taken to an even higher level."

Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury's friendship's faded as the two superstars started to deal with fame in different ways.

“I think he now just stays at home. He doesn’t like coming out at all,” Mercury said of MJ in the 1983 interview with Linda Robinson.

“He says whatever he wants, he can get at home. Anything he wants, he just buys it," Freddie mused.

“That’s not me, but that’s his bag. I wouldn’t do that. I would be bored to death. I go out every night. I hate staying in one room for too long anyway."

https://www.smoothradio.com/artists/michael-jackson/freddie-mercury-lost-duets-there-must-be-more-life-than-this/
 
NatureCriminal7896;4303008 said:
These notes were supposedly found during the raid of Jackson's home back in 2003.
Click to expand...

Glad to see our new favorite tabloid writer didn’t take The Sun’s bait.
 
Michael Jackson occasionally made rock songs and one of his singles even sampled a classic rock track. Here’s how the band Jackson sampled felt about Jackson’s use of their song. Interestingly, while Jackson’s song wouldn’t exist without the sampled song, the video for it wouldn’t exist without another video.

A Michael Jackson song no one heard until after Michael Jackson died

Rolling Stone reports Jackson recorded a song called “A Place with No Name,” during one of his 1998 studio sessions with producer Dr. Freeze. The session was for the album Invincible, the final album Jackson released prior to his death. Ultimately, “Jackson didn’t include “A Place with No Name” on Invincible.

Following Jackson’s death, his estate released multiple albums of previously unreleased Jackson songs. Jackson’s estate released the most recent of these albums, Xscape, in 2014. “A Place with No Name” became a single from Xscape. The track might sound a little familiar to fans of 1970s rock.

That is because “A Place with No Name” is built around a sample of “A Horse with No Name” by the band America. “A Horse with No Name” has a special place within America’s discography. According to Billboard, it’s the band’s only No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 besides “Sister Golden Hair.”

How America reacted to ‘A Place with No Name’

Sometimes artists dislike when others reinterpret their work. This raises the question — what did the members of America think of “A Place with No Name?” Rolling Stone quoted a statement about Jackson’s song from the two current members of America: Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley.

“We’re honored that Michael Jackson chose to record it and we’re impressed with the quality of the track,” Bunnell and Buckley said in their statement. “We’re also hoping … listeners around the world can hear the whole song and once again experience the incomparable brilliance of Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson really did [‘A Place with No Name’] justice and we truly hope his fans — and our fans — get to hear it in its entirety. It’s really poignant.”

How the video for ‘A Place with No Name’ was created

Jackson is revered not just as a musician but also as a video vanguard. With that in mind, it only felt natural when his estate released a video for “A Place with No Name.” How did they release a video with Jackson in it so long after his death?

According to Rolling Stone, the video for “A Place with No Name” wouldn’t exist without Jackson’s 1990s single “In the Closet.” Samuel Beyer supplemented clips of Jackson dancing on the set of the video for “In the Closet” for scenes in “A Place With No Name.” Other clips of Jackson in “Place” came from behind-the-scenes footage from the “In the Closet” shoot. Between “Place” and its video, Jackson managed to entertain fans years after his death.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...on-song-built-around-a-classic-rock-hit.html/
 
Vogue Paris declares the Halloween season open. ;)

Thriller: 7 secrets behind Michael Jackson's legendary music video

par Floriane Reynaud
1 septembre 2020

Zombies, the red leather jacket, ghostly makeup, the legendary dance… With Thriller, Michael Jackson changed the music industry forever.

In 1983, the already popular Michael Jackson was getting ready to revolutionize the music world with Thriller. The global success surprised everyone — except the singer, who knew he had an ingenious idea when he transformed his song into a horrific short film. Vogue looks back at the story behind the video that made Michael Jackson an unrivaled icon.

A costly production

After seeing An American Werewolf in London in 1981, Michael Jackson contacted the director John Landis about the project for Thriller's music video. Unexcited, the label Epic Records was not thrilled about spending a large sum of money on filming a video (around 1 million dollars for 13 minutes), let them work alone. To afford the titanic cost, they sold a making-of show to a television channel. Michael Jackson, number 1 in sales thanks to his previous album Off The Wall and the already mounting success of Thriller, obtained the necessary funds to finance the short film, which he co-wrote with John Landis. A winning duo — Thriller is seen by many as the most legendary music video in history.

Filming locations

The video is divided into two parts: one scene parodying romance films from the 1950s with a young couple at the cinema; then, Michael Jackson and his girlfriend, played by Ola Ray, come face-to-face with the zombies invading the city. For the cinematic sequence inspired by the 1957 movie I Was a Teenage Werewolf, the production team headed to Palace Theater in the center of Los Angeles. Michael Jackson's fans gather on Union Pacific Avenue to recreate the zombie dance at the Thriller House on Caroll Avenue, where Ola Ray takes refuge to escape them.

An iconic costume

Deborah Nadoolman was in charge of costumes for the video, and most importantly those of Michael Jackson. The girlfriend of John Landis, she designed the outfits for Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark two years before. Now with cult status, the singer's outfit, composed of a leather jacket with shoulder pads and bright red pants, was chosen to contrast the dark decor and nocturnal sky. The garments were both flashy and casual, to allow Michael Jackson to perform his dance moves freely.

Frightening yet magnetic

When Michael Jackson approached John Landis to write and direct Thriller, he also hired his team. Having already collaborated with Rick Baker on An American Werewolf in London, John Landis turned to the makeup artist again for Thriller. In the making-of documentary, Rick Baker can be seen creating a face mold of the singer, to later create the famous werewolf head. The goal? Make Michael Jackson scary, but not ugly. The singer's face transforms into a dark creature, but we're still oddly fascinated. For the zombies' makeup, Rick Baker worked around the artist's face, accentuating the prominent bones (the cheekbones, the nose, the eye sockets…) and darkening the shadowy areas (dark circles, cheek hollows…). This gave a ravishing result, remaining loyal to the singer's features while making them more morbid.

Choreography to wake the dead

Having already worked with Michael Jackson on the hit Beat It, Michael Peters was hired to choreograph the Thriller dance. The zombies' legendary moves were created collaboratively by the choreographer and singer. Michael Jackson confessed that the greatest obstacle was bringing the living dead to life: “How can you make zombies and monsters dance without it looking comical? I teamed up with Michael Peters, and we imagined how zombies move around by grimacing in the mirror. I sometimes used to come to rehearsals in monster makeup, and I loved doing that.” Jazzy steps, a jerky walk, and abrupt movements mixed with the pro accuracy of Michael Jackson, his 18 professional dancers, and 4 pop-lock dancers… Thriller has surprised generations and continues to fascinate fans of modern dance.

His first female interaction

Before Thriller, Michael Jackson had shown very little, if any, interest in including women in his videos. For the first time, his character would feature alongside an actress. The role of his girlfriend was first offered to Jennifer Beals, the star of Flashdance, who declined. John Landis' eyes turned to Ola Ray, a wild-child friend of the singer, who would play the ‘frightened girlfriend’ role to perfection. To satisfy his female audience, Michael Jackson was urged to bring out his sensual side; he improvised provocative dance moves around his on-screen girlfriend. Rumors say that the on-screen chemistry between the co-stars played out in real life.

Why is Thriller such a legendary video?

On top of the media storm surrounding Thriller, still to this day the top-selling album of all time with 105 million copies sold, the video caused shockwaves in the music industry. Michael Jackson succeeded in proving to his critics that Black music had a place alongside white artists. Reluctant to air Beat It, the young channel MTV ended up acquiring the rights to Thriller, and attracted an audience 10 times larger than normal for its 2 December 1983 premiere. Also released on VHS, Thriller sold more than 9 million copies — a revolution for the era. More sophisticated, scripted, complex… Thriller transformed music videos into an industry of their own. In 1984, John Landis' short film won 3 awards from MTV: Viewer's Choice, Best Choreography, and Best Overall Performance in a Video. With even more prestige, the 1985 Grammy Awards gave the clip the Best Video award. Even today, Thriller is a reference point for video scripting and choreography, with more than 674 million views on YouTube alone.

https://www.vogue.fr/fashion-culture/article/thriller-7-secrets-behind-michael-jacksons-legendary-music-video
 
EDITOR’S COLUMN: Childhood Lessons Learned at Playtime with the Jackson 5

D. Kevin McNeir – Senior Editor
September 2, 2020

It’s still hard to believe that Michael Jackson, the undisputed “King of Pop,” has been gone for more than a decade — his sudden death on June 25, 2009, still shrouded in mystery and controversy.

Equally surprising, at least from this writer’s perspective, is the relative silence and limited recognition of Jackson’s birthday which recently came and went last weekend with little or no fanfare on Aug. 29.

However, given the unprecedented events now dominating social media and headline news — from the coronavirus pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests challenging police-involved shootings of Blacks to the upcoming showdown between Trump and Biden for the White House — the mention of Michael Jackson which resulted in little more than a footnote, despite his continued impact on culture and society, may have been expected.

As a Black man-child born in Gary, Ind. just weeks following the onset of the both historic and turbulent decade of the 1960s in Detroit — a city which also became the birthplace of Motown and introduced the world to talents like the Jackson 5 — the songbook they produced has forever maintained a special place in my heart and soul.

Even more, I claim fellowship among a small cadre of Blacks who as children were afforded the unique opportunity to connect with Michael and his brothers on a more intimate level. In fact, I was among a throng of those who sang along with the Jackson 5 to songs like “I Want You Back,” “ABC” and “The Love You Save” during one of their first performances, held on the grounds of the Michigan State Fair in the summer of 1971.

The following afternoon, away from the cameras, I found myself engaged in activities more reflective of the kind enjoyed by children of the era — bowling, swimming, hide-and-go-seek, catch, pool and dodgeball — albeit with a unique twist — the addition of several playmates: Marlon and Michael Jackson.

In those days, Black celebrities lived among “everyday people,” if for no other reason than because Jim Crow and segregation had yet to relinquish its dominance in American society. Safety could best be achieved through greater numbers and in communities where Blacks were living and establishing families.

Like my parents, husband and wife teams were paving the way for themselves and their children including Motown’s quickly emerging legendary singer, Marvin Gaye, who along with his wife, Anna Gordy, a sibling of Berry Gordy, lived just a few short blocks away from my family. The Gaye family and my parents also shared something else in common — both had in their employ the same caregiver who meticulously and lovingly watched each family’s children, along with others.

That’s how I met Michael Jackson, played with him and his brothers and subsequently realized something so profound that I have never forgotten it — how lonely he seemed despite being among the upper echelon of a world which I and many of my childhood friends dreamed about — longing to become part of the normative landscape which was ordinary to the Jackson 5.

Yes, we all wanted to “be like Mike” — not the Michael who would just a few years later emerge as the dominant force on the hardwood floors of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels and soon thereafter on the hallowed grounds of the Chicago Bulls.
Looking back at the mountains which Michael Jackson effortlessly seemed to climb and conquer, I wonder if the sacrifices he made to reach the precipice were worth the valleys that he would eventually encounter and which would swallow one day devour him whole?

One thing I can state with little equivocation — I am the more fortunate between us. After all, even given unprecedented privilege, I believe life with the “silver spoon” afforded Michael far less than it ultimately provided.

https://www.washingtoninformer.com/editors-column-childhood-lessons-learned-at-playtime-with-the-jackson-5/
 
‘I Want My MTV’ Documentary: 5 Key Moments From the Network’s Early Days

Steve Baltin
Sep 8, 2020 10:30am PT

[…]

Michael Jackson’s Arrival

“We built a channel based on radio formats. It was a rock channel, [but] we saw what Michael Jackson was doing with video and we changed the game. Michael Jackson made MTV, he really did. We were playing Prince and other Black artists, but we were waiting for Michael Jackson. We owe so much of our success to when ‘Billie Jean’ came out and later ‘Thriller.’ We knew a few months in advance, but there was some gamesmanship being played by the record company about whether we would air it or not. We put it on instantly. And sure enough, when ‘Thriller’ came out, it broke records. It was the only video we ever scheduled at the top of the hour, every hour.”

[…]

Full article: https://variety.com/2020/music/news/i-want-my-mtv-documentary-1234761617/
 
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