Smooth Criminal live in New York 1988 sung live

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http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=EdSyb4GK1Ak

This is an amature audio recording of Smooth Criminal being sung 100% live. I wish that MJ would have sung this live more often, his vocals are really fantastic.

Infact i think it sounds better live instead of playback
 
Maaan, only Michael could do that. That song is hard to sing. So can you imagine singing it while dancing with that much energy and intracacy? That's crazy! Michael is freakishly talented. He sounded as good as he did on the record while dancing like a demon!
 
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=EdSyb4GK1Ak

This is an amature audio recording of Smooth Criminal being sung 100% live. I wish that MJ would have sung this live more often, his vocals are really fantastic.

Infact i think it sounds better live instead of playback
Michael has been singing since the age of five. if he doesn't preseve his voice he will get the same infection that lots of singers get, or even worse, throat cancer, It is unusual for anyone to sing so often and for that length of time and not do harm to their voice. maybe you should ask michael why he doesn't sing live more often instead of just going on about it.
you try singing live for that kength of time.
 
Yeah, there's no doubt all the singing he did the first 30 or so years of his life contributed to a decline in his voice that we see on the Dangerous and HIStory tours and so on. Same goes for all his dancing and the apparent arthritis he has now.
 
I'm not complaing about the lip syncing, i'm just saying that i prefer to hear him sing live instead of lip sync.
 
This concert clip is not from New York, as MJ used a different stage in both the 1988 and 1989 legs of the Bad Tour in the USA. Cool YouTube clip anyway !

This clip looks like it's from a European date in 1988, or his second visit to Japan in December 1988 as those are the stages he used outside the USA in 1988. Michael also wore trousers with more buckles down the leg when he did the Bad Tour in New York in 1988.

The first clip is from the Bad Tour at Wembley in 1988, where Michael used a stage with lit panels and 3 steps in the center. This stage was only used in Europe and Japan in 1988. And the last two clips are from New York in 1988, where Michael used a more basic stage with out the lit panels with steps. And he also used the more basic stage in the USA on the final leg of the Bad Tour in 1989.









 
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Yes they couldn't use the more extravagant stage in the smaller venues, like the first USA visit (Kemper Arena, MSG etc.) The venues in Europe had much more space to use (Aintree Racecourse a good example).

The clips Birchey used in that SC audio clip are from various places. I think he was trying to match the dance to the relevant audio. (I could be wrong).

But Michael wasn't satisfied with the stage or costume for the first leg at all. They were restricted like the USA venues. Look at the Japanese special / Private Home Movies where he says something like "I only hope I could say the same thing to the stage and wardrobe".
 
In Europe and Japan, Michael performed mainly in large stadiums. But most or all of his USA concerts in 1988-89 were in arenas. I think the Bad Tour was a smaller tour than the Victory Tour as that was mainly a stadium tour in the USA. But the Bad concerts in the USA are more acclaimed than the Victory despite the smaller venues.

Your right that Birchey was trying to match the relevant audio. Despite the photos and video not being Smooth Criminal from New York 1988, the video footage is great.

I'd love too see full footage of Wanna Be Startin Somethin and Smooth Criminal from New York 1988.

I haven't watched the Home Movies for quite a few years (I need to transfer it to DVD, can't be bothered to watch things on video anymore). But if Michael is talking about not liking the costumes and set from the first leg of the Bad Tour, I presume he means the Japan and Australia legs of the Bad Tour in 1987. I always thought of the first leg of the Bad Tour in 1987 as nothing more than a dress rehearsal for Michael, as it was really the same set list as the Victory Tour with only Thriller, I Just Can't Stop Loving You and Bad added to the set list. A lot of stars used to start their tours in Japan, before they were perfect because Japanese critics were seen as not as critical.
 
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You paraphrased that from the Bad Tour programmes and / or Wikipedia, right? Sounds familiar. :)

But yes you are totally right. The first leg was just warming things up, getting used to touring routines, getting used to the crowds, media, etc.

Those USA concerts must have been interesting in terms of fans, demand and Michael's large black audience. I always want to see more of She's out of My Life when the different girls would meet him on stage, their different reactions, etc. More on a psychological level, but I'm interested in that ;)
 
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