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The Estate should put the 'B-Team' in charge of producing the next posthumous album!

No Ronson or Timbaland. I still hope for Red one track’s someday. I’d be ok with teddy and Rodney finish what they have as well. We won’t get anything until next year if that.
 
You know they're gonna hire Max Martin for at least one posthumous single.
 
SmoothGangsta said:
The original demo is apparently just this instrumental with MJs vocals.

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Greg Philliganes' 1985 released cover version should be pretty close to Michaels 1982 version. At least arrangement-wise. (Production techniques and sound design had changed quite a bit between those years, so Greg probably re-recorded some of the main instruments and drums.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH4qOT_Uaxk
(You can literally hear the MJ feel in some sections, like the bit at the very end.)

Yellow Magic Orchestra are a legendary early electronic music group from Japan (just like Isao Tomita, or Germany's Kraftwerk, which Michael had all reached out to for collabs). Which, at least for me, makes it extra painful to hear some John McClain replacing much of the YMO music with his "faithful" MJ-clishe production.

There's no copy-pasted (slightly off-key) "EEEEee-eh Hee hee" refrain in Greg's version. And you can tell that this was not part of the refrain in Michaels 1982 version, because it's the exact same short 3 second sound bit sampled and repeated over and over again. If Michael had meant this to be part of the refrain like this, it would have been recorded as full track for the full song, or at least start to end for one full refrain, so it would sound less copy-pasted / static. It was probably a part of the ad-lips in the 1982 version and McClain took it from there.

No trace of anything similar also in Eric Claptons 1986 version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_xMJscsw7w
 
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According to co-writer Ryuichi Sakamoto, Michael's original demo of "Behind the Mask" is basically the Yellow Magic Orchestra instrumental with some extra production layers thrown in. So, basically we know what the demo sounds like.

Honestly, I think the remake is far superior to any other version. Both the YMO version and the Greg Phillinganes versions feel so stereotypically '80s, and not in a fun or good way. The McClain version, while far from perfect, is just so damn infectious, especially the saxophone solo.
 
they should just get the original producers and polish/finish the songs - staying close to the intended sound.
while iam interested what ie. Pharrell would do with some demos, the risk is just too high that it gets messed up.

ie.: Timbaland ruining DYKWYCA or his half-assed attempt with STTR. what was he thinking? he could have done better on STTR for sure.
BlueGangsta and Loving You sound great though, exactly what i would expect from a MJ Album in 2014

my top producers for MJ tracks:
- Teddy Riley
- Rodney Jerkins
- Brad Buxer / Michael Prince / Neff-U (!!!!)
- RedOne: only his songs with MJ
I think RedOne+MJ would have been "next level" regarding new sounds. so iam really interested in those.
 
Who said that the Estate is going to release another posthumous album? These kind of topics only generate rumors and false hope among us fans...
 
Much Too Soon is propably my favorite posthomous song. - Absolutely on standard with songs MJ released while he was alive IMO.
 
Electro said:
Yellow Magic Orchestra are a legendary early electronic music group from Japan (just like Isao Tomita, or Germany's Kraftwerk, which Michael had all reached out to for collabs). Which, at least for me, makes it extra painful to hear some John McClain replacing much of the YMO music with his "faithful" MJ-clishe production.
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AlwaysThere said:
According to co-writer Ryuichi Sakamoto, Michael's original demo of "Behind the Mask" is basically the Yellow Magic Orchestra instrumental with some extra production layers thrown in. So, basically we know what the demo sounds like.

Honestly, I think the remake is far superior to any other version. Both the YMO version and the Greg Phillinganes versions feel so stereotypically '80s, and not in a fun or good way. The McClain version, while far from perfect, is just so damn infectious, especially the saxophone solo.
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It's a matter of taste I guess, but I tend to agree with Electro here, I would LOVE to hear the original version and I LOVE this kind of sound, so I feel sort of robbed that we can't hear it. Plus I wouldn't degrade the YMO sound as stereotypical (certainly not much more like the MJ-ish cliches of the McClain version), I think they are amazing.

I enjoy the McClain mix too, it's catchy and addictive, and I would love it as it is if it was a remix next the original. But because it's the only version we have I find some details annoying that I wouldn't mind in a remix: mostly "overdoings" like the crowd sound or the Shanice vocals (nothing really against that either, I would just prefer a version with MJ's vocals only, and have a different remix using the added vocals). I don't mind the hee-hees or the saxophon though.

The Estate could make everyone happy if they released both the demos and the reworked mixes like on Xscape (I know it's practically impossible now after the fiasco with the Michael album). *sigh*

And a question about BTM: we know it wasn't included into Thriller because of royalties disputes (what a pity!), but I can't really see its place on the album. Personally I would switch it with TGIM any day :D, but even I admit that it doesn't seem to fit into the whole concept. Do we have any information regarding that?
 
Behind The Mask always seems to me like it would sit better on Bad than Thriller. It fits more with the overall tone of the record.

I love the song as we have it, hopefully we'll hear a demo of it one day. One thing I love is, the additional background harmony melody on the chorus in the Phillinganes version toward the end of the track, sounds like "whooo do you loooovee" (you can hear it around 6.05 on the 12 inch version) it feels like a layer that was missing on the 2010 version that would have made it sound like even more of "Michael track" but for what its worth, I think McClain did a really great job with the track, it sounds like a Mike track, which is a lot more than I can say for the majority of Xscape
 
Hess said:
Much Too Soon is propably my favorite posthomous song. - Absolutely on standard with songs MJ released while he was alive IMO.
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It's a great song indeed but I prefer the more stripped down/acoustic versions made either from the original 94 demo or from the reworked version with Tommy Emmanuel's additional guitars. Something like these:


 
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I wouldn't say that. Michael was a very smart man. if he couldn't get Q i'm pretty sure he would of got somebody else. through that's not saying Q wasn't good.
 
NatureCriminal7896 said:
I wouldn't say that. Michael was a very smart man. if he couldn't get Q i'm pretty sure he would of got somebody else. through that's not saying Q wasn't good.
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Why? It is completely true. Q brought in Rod Temperton and Siedah Garrett etc etc. Without Q we wouldn't have those 3 albums. We would have had different albums. Both MJ and Q were needed to create what they created.
 
NatureCriminal7896 said:
I wouldn't say that. Michael was a very smart man. if he couldn't get Q i'm pretty sure he would of got somebody else. through that's not saying Q wasn't good.
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Without Q and the others (who were connected to Q) MJ would have continued to work and tour with his brothers throughout the 80s and 90s - probably the 2000s too.


Themidwestcowboy said:
Why? It is completely true. Q brought in Rod Temperton and Siedah Garrett etc etc. Without Q we wouldn't have those 3 albums. We would have had different albums. Both MJ and Q were needed to create what they created.
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Don't forgett to add Bruce Swedien!
 
Themidwestcowboy said:
Why? It is completely true. Q brought in Rod Temperton and Siedah Garrett etc etc. Without Q we wouldn't have those 3 albums. We would have had different albums. Both MJ and Q were needed to create what they created.
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That what i mean. ever think about the what if's? :D he was smart. he would of been okay.
 
As much as I dislike some of the comments Q has made about Michael since his death, we shouldn't underestimate his talent.
Q also brought so many people with him who were crucial for the making of the three albums.
Even if Michael was able to find another producer, the records would have sounded quite different. Plus, Michael's catalog would have lacked so many amazing songs (Human Nature, Thriller, Rock With You, Off The Wall, Man In The Mirror...e.t.c).
 
Michael and Quincy always had problems. the two just put up with it because of business. look what happen when Michael didn't want him to do the dangerous album? Quincy got mad about it and i don't think he ever got over it.

Quincy has talent. that's not saying that. just over the years he really showed how he really are. lying about Michael and saying rude things about him. doing it all for money because he couldn't face the fact Michael want it to move on and try different things to his music.

Let it go Quincy. Michael want it to move on. not sure why he except him to be with him forever because all artists move on and try different things. Q knew Michael made him that money. that why he was so upset about it.

most people don't even know who Q is until they realize he was the one who helped him with 3 albums and at the grammys at 1984. and that's also make Q bitter. which is understandable.

Even if Michael didn't tour he still would of been big because of his short films, albums, etc. Michael only toured for his fans. near the end of his of life his stopped touring anyway due to not liking it, spending time with his kids, donating, and aging.

Michael biggest tours had to been the bad tours.
 
Nobody's saying that Quincy wasn't an integral part in three of the most popular albums in world history. But over the years his attitude and ego have absolutely eviscerated his reputation within the fan community.

It's also worth mentioning that talent CAN degrade. Quincy was delivering home runs in the '70s and '80s, but that was 30-40 years ago. He could have very well lost his touch by now.

Personally, I don't want to see him anywhere near a posthumous album. Controversial for sure, but sometimes attitude is more imperative than talent. There are plenty of producers that can do just as good, if not BETTER, than Quincy Jones. I'd take a John McClain/Brad Buxer/Michael Prince led album over a Quincy Jones one any day of the week.
 
Just let Stevie Wonder handle the music. Brilliant artist, great friend = lots of love for the project
 
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