The Discussion of MJ's Unreleased Tracks

There was no rhyme or reason for the tracklisting of the Michael album, it was as jumbled and confused as can be. Maybe that or they figured they'd be making an album a year and might as well start preparing now. They reworked Love Never Felt So Good that same year, and it did eventually get put on a record, Xscape.

WALWTG also did, just untouched. The song is underrated to me though. Compositionally, it's actually stronger than many of MJs tunes, with the intense vocal ideas and the really long and extravagant bridge. It just needed to be fleshed out lyrically.

Listening to the demo, this would've worked best on The Jacksons album
 
Bill Bottrell again

I have May 9,10,15,16 for "Children" at Hayvenhurst
No notes on "Loving You". Many songs unidentified.
"Cheater" was pre-H'hurst.
"turning me off" a long time orphan, started tracking Jan 29 1986.
I never recorded lead vocal on TMO. Never got past BGs and tracking. I got sick of that song. (no song)


Oct 30 I was working on "Come Together" by myself.
Maybe the lead voc was done with the "A team".
The song still sucks.


If Brad S. has a DAT
[note: of TMO], it's probably from Westlake.
He had no access to H'hurst until the last day of my employment, when he showed up late at night and took away all the tapes. To go to Westlake.
This is why, on Dangerous, I bought a locker with padlock.


I have Who Is It in my calendar.
Late september 1990. Record One
.
Mind if I ask, what's the source for this one? Interesting he's got dates from his calendar there.
 
Korg Nex put 46 DAT Tracks on sale on ebay for 1million $ Korg Nex is out of his mind once again 😂
Even better that the tracks aren't named. A complete shot in the dark, but for $1M a pristine DAT of "Sex Life" could be in your hands !! And maybe even a session or two of the fabled "angry voice".
 
There was no rhyme or reason for the tracklisting of the Michael album, it was as jumbled and confused as can be. Maybe that or they figured they'd be making an album a year and might as well start preparing now. They reworked Love Never Felt So Good that same year, and it did eventually get put on a record, Xscape.
The first 2/3rds or so consist of material MJ was ostensibly working on at the time of his passing, so they definitely had a design and a through line in place. It’s the last three songs, none of which MJ had looked at in decades (so far as we know), that completely break from that structure.
 
The first 2/3rds or so consist of material MJ was ostensibly working on at the time of his passing, so they definitely had a design and a through line in place. It’s the last three songs, none of which MJ had looked at in decades (so far as we know), that completely break from that structure.
I think he’s talking about the order of the tracklist, not which songs were chosen.
 
All the (then) unreleased song titles MJ was asked during the Mexico deposition, who had provided the list of song titles to the attorneys at first hand?
My first thought is that details were pulled from the Copyright Office, but the vast majority mentioned aren't even registered, or at least not acknowledged in the public database. Always thought that was a bit strange.
 
I think he’s talking about the order of the tracklist, not which songs were chosen.
I think it’s pretty well-organized, to be honest. Nice mix of dance tracks and ballads, arranged well to avoid overloading one end with a certain type/sound of song, and an excellent closer. Not perfect, but I think it’s far more consistent and evenly spread than XSCAPE.
Would anyone even be interested in his early demos from Off the Wall and Thriller era?
Any MJ is worth hearing, but personally, I have zero interest in anything before 1981–and even then, I would rather not hear more Thriller material because that era is very over-emphasized. Anything from 1984-5 onward is up my alley!
 
Even tho the recording quality from the 70s and 80s ain't that good?

Compare these two:



Most of the stuff from the 70s would sound like the first.
Lol. I grew up on the warbled multi-generation VHS tapes and was still mesmerised.

That first clip is nothing.
 
Would anyone even be interested in his early demos from Off the Wall and Thriller era?
I'd wanna listen to everything that's in the vault. Hell if it's MJ coughing into the mic for 6 minutes with the sound of a drum machine I'd still wanna listen to it.

I'm not really interested in songs pre-80's but I wouldn't mind hearing at least one outtake from the OTW era since we have no songs from that period. It's also the era with the least amount of material (there's hardly even a handful of outtakes compared to the dozens and dozens of songs from other albums) so any song from that era would be a true rarity.
Even tho the recording quality from the 70s and 80s ain't that good?

Compare these two:



Most of the stuff from the 70s would sound like the first.
That still sounds better than the average seminar recording.
 
The first 2/3rds or so consist of material MJ was ostensibly working on at the time of his passing, so they definitely had a design and a through line in place. It’s the last three songs, none of which MJ had looked at in decades (so far as we know), that completely break from that structure.
That is true, but the Casios throughout obviously render it neutered.

But even besides that, it misses the mark. Starting off with a basic ballad is a terrible choice, and almost completely anti MJ. That's a huge failure right there. Only the solo Motown stuff does that and it's more excusable then.

Ending on a downer note was also definitely a choice. Not bad persay. But Best Of Joy could've also been a great closer or track before the closer.
Not perfect, but I think it’s far more consistent and evenly spread than XSCAPE.
I think Xscapes tracklisting is pretty underrated also. Makes a disparate collection feel pretty seamless to me.
 
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