The Discussion of MJ's Unreleased Tracks

All of those except for DIG are vocally finished lol. TYLA has very little mumbling at certain parts but other than that it's vocally done.

???? not sure what you're hearing in the songs but lyrically, those aren't complete and still contain mumbles.
 
Oh I see, thanx. Is that also the case with songs written by himself? Since I was under the impression he hummed/sung/beatboxed most of the track (and the music parts) almost immediately on tape
I think it was the general process for a fair percentage of what he recorded. He’d start with the background vocals and chorus harmonies, lay down a scratch vocal, enhance the production, then eventually contribute a lead. Of course some songs break from this standard, but that’s why you’re more likely to hear songs with full choruses and nothing else.
They do have lyrics, they're just hard to understand because of the way MJ sings or because they're LQ. Songs like Cheater, Got The Hots and Serious Effect are certainly vocally completed.
I wouldn’t call “Serious Effect” complete. The verses aren’t fleshed out whatsoever, and it can’t just be in the delivery.
 
I wouldn’t call “Serious Effect” complete. The verses aren’t fleshed out whatsoever, and it can’t just be in the delivery.
The song has a rap verse and those were done only when the song was pretty much developed, right? That probably means that what we hear is how it was meant to be. Maybe it's another reason why the song was shelved and was never brought back for another album.
 
So slightly off topic but what would you all think the verses for 'Deep In The Night' have sounded like? Such a different demo, maybe something like 'Liberian Girl' or 'Monkey Business'?
It has a rolling groove like The Way You Make Me Feel, but it's feel good and seems romantic. Maybe like taking someone out to show them a great time and leave their fear of the outside world.
 
The song has a rap verse and those were done only when the song was pretty much developed, right? That probably means that what we hear is how it was meant to be. Maybe it's another reason why the song was shelved and was never brought back for another album.
“Jam” was only a scratch vocal when Heavy D contributed his raps. Same with LL Cool J turning in a verse for “Truth About Youth,” which apparently doesn’t have any MJ vocals at all. Brad Sundberg also once stated that most of the lead vocals for HIStory were done in the final few weeks of production (March 1995), meaning the rap verses from Shaq and the Notorious B.I.G. had to have been done in advance.

I don’t think the insertion of a rap followed any sort of rhyme or reason—they were done whenever the opportunity occurred.
 
They do have lyrics, they're just hard to understand because of the way MJ sings or because they're LQ. Songs like Cheater, Got The Hots and Serious Effect are certainly vocally completed.
There are several clues in Cheater that suggest that it is not vocally complete. See for instance the bridge and the false start before it.
 
“Jam” was only a scratch vocal when Heavy D contributed his raps. Same with LL Cool J turning in a verse for “Truth About Youth,” which apparently doesn’t have any MJ vocals at all. Brad Sundberg also once stated that most of the lead vocals for HIStory were done in the final few weeks of production (March 1995), meaning the rap verses from Shaq and the Notorious B.I.G. had to have been done in advance.

I don’t think the insertion of a rap followed any sort of rhyme or reason—they were done whenever the opportunity occurred.
I was thinking more about the Invincible demo when the song sounded the same as the released version apart from Fats not recording his verse and about Crack Kills which is vocally complete and is only missing Run DMC's rap verse. I completely forgot about those you mentioned lol.
 
I was thinking more about the Invincible demo when the song sounded the same as the released version apart from Fats not recording his verse and about Crack Kills which is vocally complete and is only missing Run DMC's rap verse. I completely forgot about those you mentioned lol.
Didn’t Run DMC release their verse for Crack Kills on the Tougher Than Leather reissue- called “Crack (demo)”? Pretty sure that’s the same track that was worked on with MJ.
 
Didn’t Run DMC release their verse for Crack Kills on the Tougher Than Leather reissue- called “Crack (demo)”? Pretty sure that’s the same track that was worked on with MJ.
Quote from Run himself about the demo.

"We had only met with Michael for once. We had this crazy idea that reminded me of Force MC's (later became Force MD's) and Dot-A-Rock (Fantastic 5 & Cold Crush Brothers). It sounded like Flash on the beat box and the way Jesse D from the Force MC's would sing like Michael over a fly beat box."

It was never intended for Michael. Run-DMC never even wrote a rap because they were never able to meet again.
 
I'm really interested in Deep In The Night now the demo has leaked in HQ. The LQ didn't do a lot for me to be honest, but now you can hear the groove and make out the lyrics, I really like it.

It feels like a romantic groove. It's interesting that it was on a very early 1990 Dangerous tracklist written by Michael, clearly he likes the song

Hopefully there's a more fleshed out version of that and Man In Black
 
I'm really interested in Deep In The Night now the demo has leaked in HQ. The LQ didn't do a lot for me to be honest, but now you can hear the groove and make out the lyrics, I really like it.

It feels like a romantic groove. It's interesting that it was on a very early 1990 Dangerous tracklist written by Michael, clearly he likes the song

Hopefully there's a more fleshed out version of that and Man In Black
Didn't Damien say that he saw a picture of another list MJ had written and Deep In The Night was written on there? (Could be misremembering this someone correct me if I'm wrong).
 
Didn't Damien say that he saw a picture of another list MJ had written and Deep In The Night was written on there? (Could be misremembering this someone correct me if I'm wrong).
Yeah mate, I remember him saying that too

I was shocked by seeing Deep In The Night, along with a few other titles we'd never heard of before, on that 1990 Dangerous tracklist.

I wonder if the version of DITN we've heard is from the Bad era, and there's a more complete version from the Dangerous era? Wishful thinking on my part admittedly
 
Yeah mate, I remember him saying that too

I was shocked by seeing Deep In The Night, along with a few other titles we'd never heard of before, on that 1990 Dangerous tracklist.

I wonder if the version of DITN we've heard is from the Bad era, and there's a more complete version from the Dangerous era? Wishful thinking on my part admittedly
The date of the file on the laptop leak had the year 1990 on it so it's the Dangerous era version.
 
I'm really interested in Deep In The Night now the demo has leaked in HQ. The LQ didn't do a lot for me to be honest, but now you can hear the groove and make out the lyrics, I really like it.

It feels like a romantic groove. It's interesting that it was on a very early 1990 Dangerous tracklist written by Michael, clearly he likes the song

Hopefully there's a more fleshed out version of that and Man In Black
It wasn't in the items LaToya's husband returned. It would have to be with a collaborator.
 
I understand people hearing Man In Black at seminars were enthusiastic but the instrumental we have now doesn't really live up to the hype right?
It's a funky beat and and okay chorus but nothing more than that imho.. So that is also a reason to believe there are vocals of verses somewhere and that they are pretty good (to compensate for the imo 'underwhelming' chorus). So maybe Bryan Loren does have them and didn't want them to leak yet..?
 
Last edited:
I understand people hearing Man In Black at seminars were enthusiastic but the instrumental we have now doesn't really live up to the hype right?
It's a funky beat and and okay chorus but nothing more than that imho.. So that is also a reason to believe there are voocals of verses somewhere and that they are pretty good (to compensate for the 'underwhelming' chorus). So maybe Bryan Loren has them and didn't want them to leak yet..?
Stuff sounds better in high quality.
 
I understand people hearing Man In Black at seminars were enthusiastic but the instrumental we have now doesn't really live up to the hype right?
It's a funky beat and and okay chorus but nothing more than that imho.. So that is also a reason to believe there are voocals of verses somewhere and that they are pretty good (to compensate for the 'underwhelming' chorus). So maybe Bryan Loren has them and didn't want them to leak yet..?
I think the song is good enough for a re-issue album, I'd be excited if it were to come out on Dangerous 40 or whatever.
 
Back
Top