The Discussion of MJ's Unreleased Tracks

I would love them to use “Neverland Landing” and “Make a Wish” for the Neverland scenes in the biopic. Do you feel that would be a good use for them? Honestly they are some of my most wanted tracks
1. I totally agree
2. yes, but knowing this estate, that ain't happening
3. Agreed
 
@AlwaysThere Are there any other songs you heard?
Not yet—but I’m trying! I’d like to actually put together a resource for fans like I’ve been trying to and talking about for the last decade haha.
I would love them to use “Neverland Landing” and “Make a Wish” for the Neverland scenes in the biopic. Do you feel that would be a good use for them? Honestly they are some of my most wanted tracks
I think that would be nice! Not sure how “Make a Wish” sounds but I think the movie is probably the only other use for them I can think of in terms of theme.
 
Love eaten alive. If releasesable, would have been perfect on a horror themed album similar to Scream
Or even better Sony/Estate could release it on an album of songs that were previously released by others - similar to what the Prince Estate did few years ago with "Originals".


 
Or even better Sony/Estate could release it on an album of songs that were previously released by others - similar to what the Prince Estate did few years ago with "Originals".


I've thought the same thing. But I can imagine them responding to the idea with, "But other artists have released them. Nothing you haven't heard. It's just Michael instead."
 
That afternoon, Tito’s acoustic guitar and our free-styling lyrics captured an angry inspiration for a song we called ‘What’s Your Life?’. That was how Michael liked to work. When a true experience inspired a song, he liked to get it down on his tape recorder or in the nearest studio. We recorded that song within an hour at Tito’s studio, also in Encino. It went like this:

FIRST VERSE
All my life I’ve been asked such questions
As who I am and what I do
When I tell them, they are happy
’Cause I am rich, it gets me through
If I were a poor boy, would they accept me
Am I rich? What’s it to you?
And what’s your reason for asking?
Is my life one big interview?”

THE HOOK
What’s your life? What you do?
I do this, how ‘bout you?”
What’s your goal in life ’cause
I want tips, to get through
Are you rich? Are you poor?
Are you bold? Are you sure?
Will you bend, do you break?
Are you strong, to endure?
What’s your life? …



Another one I hope to hear. Jermaine and Michael on vocals with Tito on guitar. Recorded between 1982 and 1983
If this song was recorded in 1983 then it's safe to say that it's a Victory outtake, right?

Kinda baffles me how the Jackson brothers have all this unheard material (and that's not including the Michael stuff) to work with but their idea of bonus content for the expanded versions of their albums was to include instrumentals and longer mixes only. Alright that an outtake from one of the Jackson brothers won't have the same appeal as an MJ outtake but they still would be additions that are infinitely more interesting than just new mixes and instrumentals lol.
 
If this song was recorded in 1983 then it's safe to say that it's a Victory outtake, right?

Kinda baffles me how the Jackson brothers have all this unheard material (and that's not including the Michael stuff) to work with but their idea of bonus content for the expanded versions of their albums was to include instrumentals and longer mixes only. Alright that an outtake from one of the Jackson brothers won't have the same appeal as an MJ outtake but they still would be additions that are infinitely more interesting than just new mixes and instrumentals lol.
As far as it being an outtake, it would depend if it was submitted for inclusion. We know it exists since Jermaine confirmed it’s on tape.

We can have so much material but it comes down to all participants agreeing to the release. Estate doesn’t wanna release anything that involves other contributors
 
As far as it being an outtake, it would depend if it was submitted for inclusion. We know it exists since Jermaine confirmed it’s on tape.

We can have so much material but it comes down to all participants agreeing to the release. Estate doesn’t wanna release anything that involves other contributors
This is why I'm mainly referring to songs that we know aren't sung by Michael, like Bad Company and Power for example. They're not going to need the estate's permission to release a song that Michael had nothing to do with it's creation.

It's not highly unlikely that they wouldn't allow the brothers to release duets either, seeing how they allowed Drake and Barry Gibb to release duets of their own. But I bet that if there's any outtake that fully features MJ's vocals they'd most likely want to use it for their own releases, yeah.
 
This is why I'm mainly referring to songs that we know aren't sung by Michael, like Bad Company and Power for example. They're not going to need the estate's permission to release a song that Michael had nothing to do with it's creation.

It's not highly unlikely that they wouldn't allow the brothers to release duets either, seeing how they allowed Drake and Barry Gibb to release duets of their own. But I bet that if there's any outtake that fully features MJ's vocals they'd most likely want to use it for their own releases, yeah.
I spoke to Jackie a few years ago and he said Epic would have to be on board for releasing the music. They’d also have to get with the Estate for approval as well if the song contains any vocals or credits to Michael
 
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I spoke to Jackie a few years ago and he said Epic would have to be on board for releasing the music. They’d also have to get with the Estate for approval as well if the song contains any vocals or credits to Michael
So as I mentioned, if MJ had nothing to do with the creation of said music they won't have to worry about the estate.

Did Jackie elaborate how difficult it would be to get Epic to approve those types of releases? And also, was there anything else he might have revealed in that conversation? I presume you met him in the backstage of one of those The Jacksons shows or did you manage to meet him in some other way?
 
So as I mentioned, if MJ had nothing to do with the creation of said music they won't have to worry about the estate.

Did Jackie elaborate how difficult it would be to get Epic to approve those types of releases? And also, was there anything else he might have revealed in that conversation? I presume you met him in the backstage of one of those The Jacksons shows or did you manage to meet him in some other way?
If they want to release the unreleased records that didn’t involve Michael, they can but it still has to go through Sony/Epic but if we’re talking about a release of a Jacksons album, still have to get approval from the Estate.

He never mentioned anything else. I said to him how I’d love to hear unreleased Victory songs and I named a few and he smiled and said he’d love for the fans to hear them as well but it’s ultimately up to Sony/Epic but he’d have no problem with a remaster of whatever album
 
Off-hand, the only lines I recall clearly are: “Rainbow skies and crystal streams / Butterflies and [something] dreams.” Seems like he was just describing this idyllic scenery.

The snippet was only about 15-20 seconds.

Not sure if it’ll leak truthfully, but given that it was meant for such a niche project and probably doesn’t have much use in any other project, I’d certainly love it to!

It seems to be vocally complete, yes. His voice was double-tracked and there was no mumbling nor humming (at least in what I heard).
Any info on John Barnes playing keys/synth on NL, too?
 
Any info on John Barnes playing keys/synth on NL, too?
All that’s known in terms of collaborators is that Buz Kohan is playing grand piano and there’s a live string section. John’s involvement is definitely possible since the song was recorded between 1983-84, but it’s all just guesses.
 
BLACK&WHITE : It's known that Michael writes a lot of songs every time when he works on an album.For the BAD album he had 80, and for DANGEROUS 60 songs.

Bruce Swedien : True that. Michael always brings new songs to the studio. For HISTORY he wrote 30-ish songs.

BLACK&WHITE : What is happening with the songs, which won't be included?

Bruce Swedien : They are going in the "safe"...

BLACK&WHITE : So, there is a "safe" somewhere, which contains hundreds of songs never heard before?

Bruce Swedien : We have a small one here in New York, but in LA is the vault with all of the Michael titles. What we have in stock is recorded and kept in a computer and there are a hundred songs, or even more than a thousand. Michael writes non-stop, all the time he has ideas for songs.There are hundreds of tapes Michael has something recorded on in our archives. From the small micro tape where is just a melody to the tape on which is the song ready to be released. Most of all there are only demos.

BLACK&WHITE : And what is going on with all of those songs?

Bruce Swedien : They are waiting their turn. One day they will be re worked or left just as they are.
 
BLACK&WHITE : So, there is a "safe" somewhere, which contains hundreds of songs never heard before?

Bruce Swedien : We have a small one here in New York, but in LA is the vault with all of the Michael titles. What we have in stock is recorded and kept in a computer and there are a hundred songs, or even more than a thousand. Michael writes non-stop, all the time he has ideas for songs.There are hundreds of tapes Michael has something recorded on in our archives. From the small micro tape where is just a melody to the tape on which is the song ready to be released. Most of all there are only demos.

BLACK&WHITE : And what is going on with all of those songs?

Bruce Swedien : They are waiting their turn. One day they will be re worked or left just as they are.
so I believe the Estate inherited that vault when he died, right?
 
Bill Bottrell on Buffalo Bill:

No B.B. during Dangerous.
It was worked on very early in Hayvenhurst sessions.
Maybe even earlier. Victory perhaps
Right... John Barnes already said that Buffalo Bill was first worked on at Sound castle studios and was the first song they worked on together.. So 1983, before Victory. And they did most of it in 6 hours. This was all said on the MJCast interview.

Very odd that in 1983, MJ thought it was going to be a hit, and then never got released on any album at all.
 
Right... John Barnes already said that Buffalo Bill was first worked on at Sound castle studios and was the first song they worked on together.. So 1983, before Victory. And they did most of it in 6 hours. This was all said on the MJCast interview.

Very odd that in 1983, MJ thought it was going to be a hit, and then never got released on any album at all.
"I write all the time. I have so many songs and another song will come along and beat it out; not that those aren't good enough to release because I am going to do those in the future, but it's just I get more excited about the next one and then the next one" - Michael 1984

This explains it. He probably got side tracked with another song [Liberian Girl] he thought was better and never got around to finishing BB
 
Right... John Barnes already said that Buffalo Bill was first worked on at Sound castle studios and was the first song they worked on together.. So 1983, before Victory.
This raises the question, where did Bruce Swedien hear Buffalo Bill, if it was never an option for Bad or Dangerous?

Regarding Victory sessions, Bruce wasn't present at Soundcastle. He mixed SoS at Westlake. Bruce also had recorded (and mixed) two MJ songs for Victory at Image Recorders with assistant engineer John van Nest - Be Not Always and an "unknown" song. Was that "unknown" track perhaps BB?
 
This raises the question, where did Bruce Swedien hear Buffalo Bill, if it was never an option for Bad or Dangerous?

Regarding Victory sessions, Bruce wasn't present at Soundcastle. He mixed SoS at Westlake. Bruce also had recorded (and mixed) two MJ songs for Victory at Image Recorders with assistant engineer John van Nest - Be Not Always and an "unknown" song. Was that "unknown" track perhaps BB?
And if the Jacksons also recorded background vocals on Buffalo Bill, I wonder if Buffalo Bill was a last second decision not to include on Victory.
 
And if the Jacksons also recorded background vocals on Buffalo Bill, I wonder if Buffalo Bill was a last second decision not to include on Victory.
Judging by Frank Dileo's statement to RollingStone in Feb'84 I'd say it's possible. When exactly did Jermaine join the brothers on Victory? I wonder if he's contributed BV to BB.
 
Judging by Frank Dileo's statement to RollingStone in Feb'84 I'd say it's possible. When exactly did Jermaine join the brothers on Victory? I wonder if he's contributed BV to BB.
I would think by the time the Jacksons recorded background vocals to BB, Jermaine would've already been with them.
 
This raises the question, where did Bruce Swedien hear Buffalo Bill, if it was never an option for Bad or Dangerous?

Regarding Victory sessions, Bruce wasn't present at Soundcastle. He mixed SoS at Westlake. Bruce also had recorded (and mixed) two MJ songs for Victory at Image Recorders with assistant engineer John van Nest - Be Not Always and an "unknown" song. Was that "unknown" track perhaps BB?
We know Bruce has heard Buffalo Bill by a quote he said about the song. So my guess is this was the other unknown track. Given that Bruce has heard this, he probably did mix it. BB must be very close to being complete.

I wonder if the Jackson brothers providing background vocals on this track is why it hasn't been released yet by the estate. Or, it's a song that might be harder to remix?
 
Bruce Swedien : We have a small one here in New York, but in LA is the vault with all of the Michael titles. What we have in stock is recorded and kept in a computer and there are a hundred songs, or even more than a thousand. Michael writes non-stop, all the time he has ideas for songs.There are hundreds of tapes Michael has something recorded on in our archives. From the small micro tape where is just a melody to the tape on which is the song ready to be released. Most of all there are only demos.
please inform the Estate immediately
they can use any help
 
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