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The Simpsons - Michael Jackson episode

swirly

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I've just seen this on TV, and I actually think it's quite good, even though I don't really like the Simpsons!

I have a question though; is it REALLY Michael speaking throughout it all? It really sounds like him when he talks, but when he sings Ben it sounds nothing like him so I'm confused lol :(

I believe that 'Lisa, It's Your Birthday' is actually sang by him, so was it him all the way through and he just made his voice sound different??

:)
 
He did the speaking parts but not the singing. That was someone else.
 
When he speaks, it is his voice. But not when he sings due to musical contract.
 
But the Lisa song is his voice though isn't it?

Thanks for the replies, I was trying to argue with my boyfriend about it :lol:
 
^^No, the singing part is not his voice. The person that did that part was done by John Jay smith. Michael couldn't do the sing part because he was not allowed to do so, Sony would not allow him to do so.
 
sweet princess said:
^^No, the singing part is not his voice. The person that did that part was done by John Jay smith. Michael couldn't do the sing part because he was not allowed to do so, Sony would not allow him to do so.
Click to expand...
John Jay Smith was the name MJ used instead of his own for the credits. The guy who did the singing is called Kipp Lennon.
 
Here's the REAL version with Michael actually singing it.
 
Wow, thank you - it's alll confusing! Lol!

Did Michael write the song?? It makes me want to change my name hehe :)
 
Yeah its called Stark Raving Dad, does anybody know where can i download it????



MJ's version of 'Happy Birthday, Lisa' is posted in this topic if you want to download it - http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=59335

yeah i have this one is Michael's original version :)

Here you can watch the episode...

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjY2NDE0MTI=.html


Or on youtube
1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRX2HW34ACs&feature=related

2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjbaV2BZ0Jk&feature=related

3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjbaV2BZ0Jk&feature=related

4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_r9zwfd2Y4&feature=related


Enjoy
Anyway, i dont know where i can found it for myself...



 
Do the Bartman is SOOOOO MJ funky! I actually really like the song! lol
 
It's really him speaking, they just didn't use his real name for the credits
 
Is there any reports or documents from the simpson's team giving an account from there time with Michael when making this episode?
 
Ohhhhh thanks for the information, i will put V.O. the next time that i will see this chapter, in Spain always change the voices.
 
sugarbunny891 said:
Is there any reports or documents from the simpson's team giving an account from there time with Michael when making this episode?
Click to expand...

From Wikipedia (though I believe it is all true):

"Stark Raving Dad" was the final episode in the season two production run, but aired as part of season three, over a year after it was completed. Michael Jackson performed the speaking voice of Leon Kompowsky under the pseudonym of John Jay Smith. Jackson was a fan of the show, and called Matt Groening one night and offered to do a guest spot.[6] The idea for the episode was pitched by James L. Brooks, and the script was written by Al Jean and Mike Reiss. In an early version of script, Homer decided to take Barney Gumble in for rehab, but whilst there Homer began acting crazily so the doctors assumed he was the one to be committed. He also requested several script changes, including that he wanted to have a scene in which he and Bart wrote a song and asked that a joke about Prince be changed to one about Elvis Presley. Jackson pitched several story ideas for the episode, including Bart telling everyone in town that Michael Jackson was coming to his house.

According to executive producer Al Jean, Jackson would not commit to the episode until after a table read of the script was done. The read-through of the script was held at Jackson's manager's house, and Dan Catellaneta was thirty minutes late. Jean recalls that "no one said a word, we just sat there waiting". Following the table read, Jackson stipulated his conditions: he would record his speaking parts but not receive credit, and his singing voice would be performed by a sound-alike. Leon Kompowsky's singing voice was performed by Kipp Lennon, because Jackson wanted to play a joke on his brothers and fool them into thinking the impersonator was him. Lennon recorded his lines at the same time as Michael Jackson, who found the impersonations hilarious. Jackson showed up for the recording session alone and did not use the special trailer that was set up for him. He was directed by James L. Brooks. According to Al Jean, Jackson did record versions of the songs, and while there have been rumors that those tracks were the ones used in the final episode,Simpsons music editor Chris Ledesma says the Lennon versions were used. Leon Kompowsky's normal speaking voice was recorded by Hank Azaria.

Jackson was a huge fan of Bart and, wanting to give him a number one single, co-wrote the song "Do The Bartman" although he did not receive credit for it. Jackson also wrote the song "Happy Birthday Lisa" for the episode, which was later included in the album Songs in the Key of Springfield. A version of the song was reportedly scheduled to be included on a bonus disk in the October 2001 special edition of Jackson's 1991 album Dangerous. However, the bonus disk was eventually dropped from the album.


The producers of the show were legally prevented from confirming Jackson guest starred at the time, although many media sources assumed it was really him. After this episode the producers decided that if a celebrity wished to guest star on the show, they had to be willing to be credited under their real name and not a pseudonym.

Michael Jackson died on June 25th, 2009, and Fox re-aired the episode on July 5 as a tribute to the singer, replacing a rerun of the season 20 episode "Mypods and Boomsticks". The producers had intended to air the episode on June 28, 2009, three days after Jackson's death, but could not resolve issues with syndication rights in time. The music video for "Do the Bartman" was aired on that date instead. The producers screened the episode first, and the only change made, which was unrelated to Jackson, was the blurring of a phone number.
 
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Thanks for this Tom, So it was Michaels choice not to sing then? It was nothing to do with Sony....and also my understanding from reading that, and the secrecy around him appearing in the simpsons, it could of actully been his voice singing we just will never know :eek:)
 
tomthedude said:
From Wikipedia (though I believe it is all true):

"Stark Raving Dad" was the final episode in the season two production run, but aired as part of season three, over a year after it was completed. Michael Jackson performed the speaking voice of Leon Kompowsky under the pseudonym of John Jay Smith. Jackson was a fan of the show, and called Matt Groening one night and offered to do a guest spot.[6] The idea for the episode was pitched by James L. Brooks, and the script was written by Al Jean and Mike Reiss. In an early version of script, Homer decided to take Barney Gumble in for rehab, but whilst there Homer began acting crazily so the doctors assumed he was the one to be committed. He also requested several script changes, including that he wanted to have a scene in which he and Bart wrote a song and asked that a joke about Prince be changed to one about Elvis Presley. Jackson pitched several story ideas for the episode, including Bart telling everyone in town that Michael Jackson was coming to his house.

According to executive producer Al Jean, Jackson would not commit to the episode until after a table read of the script was done. The read-through of the script was held at Jackson's manager's house, and Dan Catellaneta was thirty minutes late. Jean recalls that "no one said a word, we just sat there waiting". Following the table read, Jackson stipulated his conditions: he would record his speaking parts but not receive credit, and his singing voice would be performed by a sound-alike. Leon Kompowsky's singing voice was performed by Kipp Lennon, because Jackson wanted to play a joke on his brothers and fool them into thinking the impersonator was him. Lennon recorded his lines at the same time as Michael Jackson, who found the impersonations hilarious. Jackson showed up for the recording session alone and did not use the special trailer that was set up for him. He was directed by James L. Brooks. According to Al Jean, Jackson did record versions of the songs, and while there have been rumors that those tracks were the ones used in the final episode,Simpsons music editor Chris Ledesma says the Lennon versions were used. Leon Kompowsky's normal speaking voice was recorded by Hank Azaria.

Jackson was a huge fan of Bart and, wanting to give him a number one single, co-wrote the song "Do The Bartman" although he did not receive credit for it. Jackson also wrote the song "Happy Birthday Lisa" for the episode, which was later included in the album Songs in the Key of Springfield. A version of the song was reportedly scheduled to be included on a bonus disk in the October 2001 special edition of Jackson's 1991 album Dangerous. However, the bonus disk was eventually dropped from the album.


The producers of the show were legally prevented from confirming Jackson guest starred at the time, although many media sources assumed it was really him. After this episode the producers decided that if a celebrity wished to guest star on the show, they had to be willing to be credited under their real name and not a pseudonym.

Michael Jackson died on June 25th, 2009, and Fox re-aired the episode on July 5 as a tribute to the singer, replacing a rerun of the season 20 episode "Mypods and Boomsticks". The producers had intended to air the episode on June 28, 2009, three days after Jackson's death, but could not resolve issues with syndication rights in time. The music video for "Do the Bartman" was aired on that date instead. The producers screened the episode first, and the only change made, which was unrelated to Jackson, was the blurring of a phone number.
Click to expand...


Wow thank you!!!

I lvoe that he wanted to play a joke on his brothers... :wub:

Damn, why was Dangerous not a 2-disc album :doh:
 
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