Thriller 40th Anniversary - Songs Discussion

According to Dick Zimmerman, this was the alternate cover to Thriller. I can look at this and picture Hot Street or Carousel on the track list

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That pic of Mike doesn't capture the mood of the record at all, he looks too soft in that photo. Perhaps that's the lighting though
 
the estate should have done a "Welcome 2 America" for the 40th anniversary of thriller instead of what they did, releasing "Starlight" with a tracklist full of outtakes like Sunset driver, Got the Hots, Hot street, WDYK, Carousel, She's Trouble, Niteline and a few slower tracks, would have been much bigger then Thriller 40.
 
the estate should have done a "Welcome 2 America" for the 40th anniversary of thriller instead of what they did, releasing "Starlight" with a tracklist full of outtakes like Sunset driver, Got the Hots, Hot street, WDYK, Carousel, She's Trouble, Niteline and a few slower tracks, would have been much bigger then Thriller 40.
MJ didn't really shelf whole albums like Prince did, outside of Farewell My Summer Love. Maybe the early Invincible tracklisting counts.
 
MJ didn't really shelf whole albums like Prince did, outside of Farewell My Summer Love. Maybe the early Invincible tracklisting counts.
true, but to say "this was the ORIGINAL thriller before it was reworked" would have been really interesting to the public eye, what the biggest selling album COULD'VE sounded like.
 
true, but to say "this was the ORIGINAL thriller before it was reworked" would have been really interesting to the public eye, what the biggest selling album COULD'VE sounded like.
That's a fair point. But idk how you communicate that any more effectively. Than saying Thriller 40. Thriller sells. Starlight... Wouldn't. It's just schematics, you know what I'm saying?
 
That's a fair point. But idk how you communicate that any more effectively. Than saying Thriller 40. Thriller sells. Starlight... Wouldn't. It's just schematics, you know what I'm saying?
if that was the case, the prince estate would have called Welcome 2 America 20Ten 10 or something like that hahah.
 
if that was the case, the prince estate would have called Welcome 2 America 20Ten 10 or something like that hahah.
I think Prince fans, even casual ones, are just more discerning about that than MJ ones lol. I was already hoping for another album of shelved Prince music anyway. Naming Thriller 40 Starlight would make some kids say "They're making a new album of duets with the Weeknd and calling it Starlight?!!" Or something. Idek. Maybe you're right lol.
 
I think Prince fans, even casual ones, are just more discerning about that than MJ ones lol. I was already hoping for another album of shelved Prince music anyway. Naming Thriller 40 Starlight would make some kids say "They're making a new album of duets with the Weeknd and calling it Starlight?!!" Or something. Idek. Maybe you're right lol.
(its ironic that i said 20ten 10 because it turns out there was a scrapped deluxe release for the album back in 2010 hahah. https://princevault.com/index.php?title=Album:_20Ten_Deluxe)
 
Are there any multitracks circulating of any of the Thriller sessions?
 
Are there any multitracks circulating of any of the Thriller sessions?
  • 33-track pack for Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' with unused horn tracks.
  • 48-track pack for Thriller, with several unused takes and a notable lack of horns and Vincent Price's ending line/laugh.
  • Full pack for Thriller. Unleaked at the moment.
  • Full back for Beat It, featuring some unused MJ adlibs. Unleaked at the moment.
  • 38-track pack for Billie Jean with unused adlibs.
  • 38-track pack for Human Nature with unused vocal takes.
  • 40-track pack for P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) with an unused vocal take for Verse 1, unused adlibs, and an unused electric guitar track.
 
  • 33-track pack for Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' with unused horn tracks.
  • 48-track pack for Thriller, with several unused takes and a notable lack of horns and Vincent Price's ending line/laugh.
  • Full pack for Thriller. Unleaked at the moment.
  • Full back for Beat It, featuring some unused MJ adlibs. Unleaked at the moment.
  • 38-track pack for Billie Jean with unused adlibs.
  • 38-track pack for Human Nature with unused vocal takes.
  • 40-track pack for P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) with an unused vocal take for Verse 1, unused adlibs, and an unused electric guitar track.
-WBSS also has a scratch lead vocal track.
-48 Track Thriller basically has all the lead vocal takes that ended up being used for the final lead vocal comp, it's kinda interesting.
-The Billie Jean pack doesn't have anything new, the "unused ad-libs" were actually used in the 12 inch extended mix of the song, so they've been released before.
-Human Nature's has so many alt takes it's insane lmao, iirc the previous packs that leaked before the 38 track one had some alternate tracks too that weren't present in the 38 track one? don't quote me on this, and someone please correct me if i'm wrong.
-Unrelated but there's also a pack that leaked for one of the BJ demos.

Just some curiosities, man i wish Baby Be Mine or TLIML leaked.
 
To me, yep.

What song do you think would've complimented Thriller?
I mean, it’s hard to say because I feel like Thriller is particularly tight due to it not really having any filler material on it. Hot Street is, to me, a song which screams “hit”, though it may not be as adventurous musically or emotionally filled as some of the other material. Carousel is another beautiful track. But Got The Hots is one of the weakest songs in Michael’s discography, to my ears.
 
  • 33-track pack for Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' with unused horn tracks.
  • 48-track pack for Thriller, with several unused takes and a notable lack of horns and Vincent Price's ending line/laugh.
  • Full pack for Thriller. Unleaked at the moment.
  • Full back for Beat It, featuring some unused MJ adlibs. Unleaked at the moment.
  • 38-track pack for Billie Jean with unused adlibs.
  • 38-track pack for Human Nature with unused vocal takes.
  • 40-track pack for P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) with an unused vocal take for Verse 1, unused adlibs, and an unused electric guitar track.
I meant like unreleased songs and demos. And I know TGIM multitrack was circulating a few years ago
 
I meant like unreleased songs and demos. And I know TGIM multitrack was circulating a few years ago
I keep forgetting that Questlove had nearly all the Thriller album minus Baby Be Mine. So The Girl Is Mine could be circulating in a super-tight circle, while the same might be said for Lady In My Life (unless Questlove sealed up all his cracks before it could circulate).
 
I keep forgetting that Questlove had nearly all the Thriller album minus Baby Be Mine. So The Girl Is Mine could be circulating in a super-tight circle, while the same might be said for Lady In My Life (unless Questlove sealed up all his cracks before it could circulate).
I remember when it was rumored that the tapes for Baby Be Mine and LIML were destroyed in a fire until they got remastered last year
 
I remember when it was rumored that the tapes for Baby Be Mine and LIML were destroyed in a fire until they got remastered last year
That's strange. The story I got before the truth came out was that only Baby Be Mine's tape was damaged, and that was why Questlove didn't get it. Now, it could've very well been a precautionary measure by Sony to prevent the entire Thriller album from hitting the black market like Off the Wall and the Jacksons' Triumph.
 
I remember when it was rumored that the tapes for Baby Be Mine and LIML were destroyed in a fire until they got remastered last year
The tapes could still very much be damaged / destroyed, it doesn't mean the estate doesn't have a digitalization of them.
So the multitracks of those two still exist definitely, it's just that the tapes might not.
 
That's strange. The story I got before the truth came out was that only Baby Be Mine's tape was damaged, and that was why Questlove didn't get it. Now, it could've very well been a precautionary measure by Sony to prevent the entire Thriller album from hitting the black market like Off the Wall and the Jacksons' Triumph.
This makes more sense tbh
 
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