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The Discussion of MJ's Unreleased Tracks

To recap everything Damien has shared so far (I will edit whenever new info comes about):
  • “11pm” — Instrumental.
  • "Adore You" — Features "some background vocals" and a full choir. No lead vocals.
  • “Bottom of My Heart” — Instrumental. Separate song from “I Have This Dream.”
  • “Boy No” — Scratch vocals. Verses describe “seeing the city lights, being alone, and having nowhere to go.” Chorus lyrics include, “Boy, no / [We/they] ain’t got a place for [you/me] to stay.”
  • “Broken Chair” (working title) — Instrumental.
  • “Butter Funk” — Instrumental. Co-written by Michael Prince.
  • “Changes” — Scratch vocals and choir. Gospel influence.
  • “Children’s Hour” — A children’s song.
  • “D.I.E.” — Instrumental. Described as “epic. Hard hitting drums and bass with really strong strings. It also has these moments where the music stops and a haunting choir type thing comes in creating an ominous build, then the beat drops again.”
  • “Dark Lady / H2O” — Recorded in 2008. Full scratch vocal, recorded in one continuous take. Few ineligible lyrics, but a very refined vocal melody. Both verses open with the words “dark lady.”
  • “Don’t Make Me Stay” — Scratch vocal, recorded a significant distance from the microphone. Only coherent lyrics are the title. Reminiscent of “Runaway” by Janet.
  • “Get Your Weight Off of Me” — Fully finished. Features aggressive verse vocals (similar to “Unbreakable”) and ad-libs, but lighter chorus vocals. Sounds like a hybrid of “Invincible” and “Privacy.”
  • “Green Hornet Groove” — Instrumental. Co-written by Brad Buxer in the mid-2000s as an incidental piece for the Seth Rogan film, The Green Hornet.
  • “He Who Makes the Sky Gray” — Vocals exist, but their extent/completion is unknown.
  • “Hot Fun in the Summertime” — Recorded at Marvin’s Room between 1998 and 2003.
  • “I Have This Dream” (2005) — All-star version fully finished. Ciara, Snoop Dogg, James Ingram, Jermaine, Shirley Caesar, and the O’Jays contribute vocals. R. Kelly is also featured, but MJ allegedly wanted him removed. Leaked demo on YouTube is authentic, though the vocalists are unknown. MJ demo vocals exist, but were to be re-recorded at some point.
  • "I Love You More" — Co-written by MJ, Michael Prince, and Eric Kirkland. Two recordings exist: one sung by Kirkland, another by a female vocalist. The existence of MJ vocals is uncertain.
  • “Innocent Man” — Chorus vocals only. Vocal delivery is “super soft.”
  • “Jungle” — Dr. Freeze demo. MJ likely never recorded vocals.
  • “King Tutankhamen” — Instrumental. Recorded in 2008.
  • “Lady of Summer” — Classical piece. One of two songs played to composer David Michael Frank in spring 2009.
  • “Light the Way” — No MJ vocals. Ballad. Horn section intro, full choir singing the choruses. Lyrics include, “Light the way, let’s pray for peace.”
  • “Michael’s Affirmation” — Spoken word piece dedicated to Roy Horn (of Siegfried & Roy), who was healing from an onstage tiger attack in October 2003. “Photographs” is used as incidental background music.
  • "Monster" – Recorded in 1998. Multi-layered production with dark undertones. Michael Prince arranged the string section, which MJ originally sang in a voicemail. The only lyrics recorded are the chorus, "You created a monster."
  • “Neverland Landing” — Children’s song.
  • “Pajamas” — Instrumental.
  • "Photographs" — Instrumental. Used as incidental background music in "Michael's Affirmation."
  • “Red Eye” — Instrumental. Described as a “guitar track [with] Chinese influence.”
  • “Remember What I Told You” — Same song as “Just Remember.” Recorded at MJ’s Vegas home in 2008. 1:30 in length. Musically comparable to “Speechless”: opens a cappella and “builds into an epic finale.”
  • “Rock Tonight” — Instrumental. Not the same as “Rocker.”
  • “Rocker” (working title) — Reminiscent of “We Will Rock You” by Queen. Aggressive verse vocals and an anthemic chorus. Verses are random phrases and sounds; only the chorus and ending ad-libs have intelligible lyrics. Chorus lyrics include, “The world is one big melting pot of life.”
  • "Shut Up and Dance" — Co-written by MJ, Michael Prince, and Eric Kirkland. Eric sings the demo.
  • “Silent Spring” — Instrumental.
  • "Stand Tall" — Sung by a session singer. Features a chorus and bridge only, in addition to "what sounded like a choir."
  • “Thank Heaven” — Indicative of a “lullaby/nursery rhyme.” MJ delivers a spoken word intro dedicating the track to “[his] son Michael Jackson Jr.,” but a female vocalist and choir sing the actual track.
  • “That” (working title) — Instrumental.
  • "Tomboy" — Instrumental. Reminiscent of Captain EO, with a musical element similar to "Remember the Time."
  • “Walk Away” — Instrumental.
  • "Water" — Recorded between 2006-2009. Includes sound effects of water splashing. Chorus lyrics include, "Inches of water, water, trying to take a piece of my mind / Inches of water, water, trying to take a piece of my time."
  • “What More Can I Give” — The leaked demo, as distributed to the all-star vocalists in 2001, was recorded in 1998.
  • “What You Do to Me” (1985) — Completion is uncertain, but it does feature at least one verse, a chorus, and a bridge. Mid-tempo, similar in tone to “I’m So Blue” and “Free.” Chorus lyrics include, “You just don’t know, you just don’t know, what you do to me, do to me, do to me, do-do-do, do to me.”
  • “What You Do to Me” (1998) — Early version of “The Way You Love Me.” Features scratch chorus vocals and “scatting/yodeling” in the outro.
  • “World of Candy” — Children’s song.
 
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AlwaysThere said:
I noticed Damien has written “children’s song” for at least three tracks so far (“Children’s Hour,” “World of Candy,” “Neverland Landing”) and hasn’t elaborated further. Hopefully that means there are SOME vocals.
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“Neverland Landing”, being one of the songs done for the 1983 Peter Pan movie, should have some vocals, in my opinion. Of course, at this point, nothing is certain regarding the completion of any unreleased material.

It’s unfortunate to hear that so many titles don’t have anything more than rough vocals or no vocals at all. But now it becomes apparent why the Estate hasn’t released more songs and albums in recent times.
 
dethorro said:
“Neverland Landing”, being one of the songs done for the 1983 Peter Pan movie, should have some vocals, in my opinion. Of course, at this point, nothing is certain regarding the completion of any unreleased material.
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Years ago, I spoke with someone who heard it and, according to them, it’s “fairly complete” and has sonic similarities to “Seeing Voices.”
 
ChanceToDance said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1583496335755726848

Oohh, what's this? Dark Lady is actually a releasable song???!! I really hope the Estate decides to release this song one day.

@SmoothMel7 Thank you for asking this, you're the GOAT
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Doesn’t seem it—Damien said there are barely any intelligible lyrics. It just seems to be one of the more refined demos he’s heard. Disappointing; more than one person has insinuated it’s a fantastic track.
 
@AlwaysThere, I just remembered this post from July 2020:

AlwaysThere said:
Some information I've recently become privy to:

- "Boy No" is similar to "Days in Gloucestershire" and "Beautiful Girl," with touches of "Human Nature," in terms of production, with a great melody. Michael only ever recorded a verse and chorus, so the Estate would need to call in a second singer if they ever wanted to release it, but it's apparently quite beautiful.

- "Rocker" is allegedly the most finished post-trial songs: proper vocals all the way throughout (albeit with a somewhat incoherent lyrical narrative) w/ some screaming in the final leg, guitar solo, etc. Parallels have been drawn between it and "They Don't Care About Us."

- "H2O/Dark Lady" has been described as having comeback hit potential, had Michael lived to finish and release it. It's got a characteristically earworm bass riff (evidently comparable to Queen's "Under Pressure"), a wonderful melody with a quasi-Arabic chorus, and modern production with synth orchestra hits. The verses are half-baked but the chorus is releasable as-is, so it could be a strong vehicle for a rapper's album, similar to how Drake flipped "Don't Matter to Me."

- "Remember What I Told You" was recorded around June 19, 2009, and is the last song Michael ever put vocals to. It's reportedly similar to "Speechless" in terms of tone, and only has a short verse and multi-layered chorus. It can't be finished in the same way "Boy No" could, but perhaps (in the words of the wonderful individual who told me) it could be a great intro or interlude on an album.

- There's a song called "She Don't Want Me" that sounds a bit like a modernized "The Way You Make Me Feel." There's only a few lines recorded that presumably would've been the chorus, but the melody is catchy.
Click to expand...

It appears that much of this information was indeed true. Thank you so much for sharing!
 
AlwaysThere said:
Doesn’t seem it—Damien said there are barely any intelligible lyrics. It just seems to be one of the more refined demos he’s heard. Disappointing; more than one person has insinuated it’s a fantastic track.
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Based on this description I suppose its in a similar state to the demo of People of the World.
 
AlwaysThere said:
Doesn’t seem it—Damien said there are barely any intelligible lyrics. It just seems to be one of the more refined demos he’s heard. Disappointing; more than one person has insinuated it’s a fantastic track.
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I was so excited that I read "There are sensical lyrics in the entire song, but the vocal melody is very fleshed out." lol. That's too bad I guess, but that doesn't mean the song isn't releasable still, it just can't be released on an album like Xscape.
 
I'm not an expert in this field so if I'm mistaken here please correct me, but this is copyright office's isn't it?

So in theory could you just have to present a demo or an example of a recording to prove your claim to copyright an idea. So perhaps it would be an artists best interests to hold back from sharing complete works until they were about to be released?

I remember the Estate registering I'm So Blue and Song Groove not long before Bad 25 was released for example.

I know I'm clutching at straws here but it seems difficult to conceive there is such little material left
 
SmoothCriminal1995 said:
I know I'm clutching at straws here but it seems difficult to conceive there is such little material left
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Honestly most of what we've heard from Damien was about songs from the 2000s and it's no surprise that the songs from that era are mostly all incomplete. Maybe if we ask him about songs from other eras we'll get a more optimistic response.
 
AlwaysThere said:
Thank YOU! It’s definitely not 100% given that it’s second and third hand information, but I’m glad that it’s for the most part accurate and that I could contribute in any way:)
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Your contributions are always greatly appreciated!

I do wonder whether there is any truth in the idea that Remember What I Told You was recorded in June 2009. I know Damien wrote that it was done in 2008, but could there have been some changes done to it in June 2009?
 
dethorro said:
Your contributions are always greatly appreciated!

I do wonder whether there is any truth in the idea that Remember What I Told You was recorded in June 2009. I know Damien wrote that it was done in 2008, but could there have been some changes done to it in June 2009?
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It’s entirely possible! MJ was working on music days before he passed, so perhaps he added some vocals or musical elements in June 2009.
 
AlwaysThere said:
To recap everything Damien has shared so far (I will edit whenever new info comes about):
  • “11pm” — Instrumental.
  • “Bottom of My Heart” — Instrumental. Separate song from “I Have This Dream.”
  • “Boy No” — Scratch vocals. Verses describe “seeing the city lights, being alone, and having nowhere to go.” Chorus lyrics include, “Boy, no / [We/they] ain’t got a place for [you/me] to stay.”
  • “Broken Chair” (working title) — Instrumental.
  • “Butter Funk” — Instrumental.
  • “Changes” — Scratch vocals and choir. Gospel influence.
  • “Children’s Hour” — A children’s song.
  • “D.I.E.” — Instrumental. Described as “epic. Hard hitting drums and bass with really strong strings. It also has these moments where the music stops and a haunting choir type thing comes in creating an ominous build, then the beat drops again.”
  • “Dark Lady / H2O” — Full scratch vocal, recorded in one continuous take. Few ineligible lyrics, but a very refined vocal melody. Both verses open with the words “dark lady.”
  • “Don’t Make Me Stay” — Scratch vocal, recorded a significant distance from the microphone. Only coherent lyrics are the title. Reminiscent of “Runaway” by Janet.
  • “Get Your Weight Off of Me” — Fully finished. Features aggressive verse vocals (similar to “Unbreakable”) and ad-libs, but lighter chorus vocals. Sounds like a hybrid of “Invincible” and “Privacy.”
  • “Green Hornet Groove” — Instrumental. Co-written by Brad Buxer in the mid-2000s as an incidental piece for the Seth Rogan film, The Green Hornet.
  • “He Who Makes the Sky Gray” — Vocals exist, but their extent/completion is unknown.
  • “Hot Fun in the Summertime” — Recorded at Marvin’s Room between 1998 and 2003.
  • “I Have This Dream” (2005) — All-star version fully finished. Ciara, Snoop Dogg, James Ingram, Jermaine, Shirley Caesar, and the O’Jays contribute vocals. R. Kelly is also featured, but MJ allegedly wanted him removed. Leaked demo on YouTube is authentic, though the vocalists are unknown. MJ demo vocals exist.
  • "I Love You More" — Co-written by MJ, Michael Prince, and Eric Kirkland. Two recordings exist: one sung by Kirkland, another by a female vocalist. The existence of MJ vocals is uncertain.
  • “Innocent Man” — Chorus vocals only. Vocal delivery is “super soft.”
  • “Jungle” — Dr. Freeze demo. MJ likely never recorded vocals.
  • “King Tutankhamen” — Instrumental. Recorded in 2008.
  • “Lady of Summer” — Classical piece. One of two songs played to composer David Michael Frank in spring 2009.
  • “Light the Way” — No MJ vocals. Ballad. Horn section intro, full choir singing the choruses. Lyrics include, “Light the way, let’s pray for peace.”
  • “Michael’s Affirmation” — Spoken word piece dedicated to Roy Horn (of Siegfried & Roy), who was healing from an onstage tiger attack in October 2003. “Photographs” is used as incidental background music.
  • “Neverland Landing” — Children’s song.
  • “Pajamas” — Instrumental.
  • “Red Eye” — Instrumental. Described as a “guitar track [with] Chinese influence.”
  • “Remember What I Told You” — Same song as “Just Remember.” Recorded in 2008. 1:30 in length. Musically comparable to “Speechless.”
  • “Rock Tonight” — Instrumental. Not the same as “Rocker.”
  • “Rocker” (working title) — Reminiscent of “We Will Rock You” by Queen. Aggressive verse vocals and an anthemic chorus. Verses are random phrases and sounds; only the chorus and ending ad-libs have intelligible lyrics. Chorus lyrics include, “The world is one big melting pot of life.”
  • "Shut Up and Dance" — Co-written by MJ, Michael Prince, and Eric Kirkland. Eric sings on the demo.
  • “Silent Spring” — Instrumental.
  • “Thank Heaven” — Indicative of a “lullaby/nursery rhyme.” MJ delivers a spoken word intro dedicating the track to “[his] son Michael Jackson Jr.,” but a female vocalist and choir sing the actual track.
  • “That” (working title) — Instrumental.
  • “Walk Away” — Instrumental.
  • “What More Can I Give” — The leaked demo, as distributed to the all-star vocalists in 2001, was recorded in 1998.
  • “What You Do to Me” (1985) — Completion is uncertain, but it does feature at least one verse, a chorus, and a bridge. Mid-tempo, similar in tone to “I’m So Blue” and “Free.” Chorus lyrics include, “You just don’t know, you just don’t know, what you do to me, do to me, do to me, do-do-do, do to me.”
  • “What You Do to Me” (1998) — Early version of “The Way You Love Me.” Features scratch chorus vocals and “scatting/yodeling” in the outro.
  • “World of Candy” — Children’s song.
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What does mean scratch vocals i did not u der Stand ?
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/1583532989488967683
Real Water: Recorded in MJ's final years. Production includes water splash sounds. Only lyrics: "Inches of water, water, trying to take a piece of my mind/Inches of water, water, trying to take a piece of my time." Very nice background vocals: "Inches of water, ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo."
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I posted the alleged vocals here a while ago and while I can't exactly remember where I got them from they were half-right lol
"Because it's water, water, trying to take a piece of my mind.
Because it's water, water, trying to take a piece of my time".
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If you ask me I am personally dying to hear the demos of dark lady, rocker, boy no, lady of summer, D.I.E., innocent man, king tuthankamen, red eye, remember what i told you, silent spring, what you do to me, real water and real monster.
 
ChanceToDance said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1583532989488967683

I posted the alleged vocals here a while ago and while I can't exactly remember where I got them from they were half-right lol
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These match what I was told years ago, except “inches of water” was “it’s just the water.” Very interesting nevertheless.
filmandmusic said:
I’m not sure myself. I think he hums most of the lyrics or mixes some words together that don’t make any sense, all of this to create a melody.
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Scratch vocals are early, rough recordings that are used as placeholders. MJ would record a scratch vocal to demonstrate (hence “demo”) the melody, and he and his collaborators would build the instrumental around it. Once the music was to his liking, he would go in and lay down his finished vocals.

Sometimes scratch vocals could be considered finished because MJ had a strong idea of where the song was meant to go and gives a high-level performance; think “Hollywood Tonight” or “I’m So Blue.” Other times he’s still feeling out the melody and lyrics, so he’ll sing nonsense words; think “Free” or “In the Back.”
 
filmandmusic said:
If you ask me I am personally dying to hear the demos of dark lady, rocker, boy no, lady of summer, D.I.E., innocent man, king tuthankamen, red eye, remember what i told you, silent spring, what you do to me, real water and real monster.
Click to expand...
Same here but I don't think the Estate is ever gonna release the songs with no vocals on them, hopefully the instrumentals will be leaked online someday.
 
Do we have any information about „Turning Me Off“? This song kinda has to be finished/mostly finished as it was considered for Xscape, right? I think a tape of it was seen in the documentary of the album.
 
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