About Jamon Bull

Aussie teacher who loves tech, music, film, history and being a dad. I host a Michael Jackson podcast called The MJCast.

Thoughts on Leaks…

 

By late 2002 I’d been a Michael Jackson fan for just one year. His last album of new material, Invincible, was released a year prior. Sadly, this ended up being the first and only time I had the privilege of experiencing the release of a studio album that Jackson himself had given his blessing. The recording sessions for Invincible are rumoured to have been some of the most fruitful of his career, producing dozens of musical pieces, many of which the public are still yet to hear. Due to nefarious actions that are yet to be fully uncovered, one such piece of music, a full and complete song that was not released on the album, leaked to the public. The song was titled Escape. In response, Michael Jackson issued a statement outlining his disappointment with the leak. As much as I loved hearing this masterpiece of a song, its premature release clearly hurt him.

Jump forward five years, and it’s 2008. Michael is beginning the process of working with a range of contemporary producers to potentially flesh out a new sound for his upcoming studio album. Among these producers is the R&B hit-maker Akon. Michael spent weeks in the studio with Akon crafting the sublime ballad Hold My Hand, which would end up having its own sad history despite its uplifting nature. Not only would the song suffer the same fate as Escape and prematurely leak to the public, but it would eventually go on to serve as the lead single from his ill-fated first posthumous album of new material, Michael. Jackson family members and many fans would agree that Hold My Hand was a song Michael cared deeply about. Since then, there have been many more song leaks, some when Michael was alive, but most after his death. These leaks continue to be the source of debate amongst the Michael Jackson fan community.

Today another Michael Jackson song leaked, but this time a piece that was worked on during the Dangerous sessions called Ghost of Another Lover. The leak occurred due to an attendee of a Michael Jackson convention recording the song whilst it was played for the audience by one of Michael’s studio engineers. They did this against the wishes of the convention organisers and the engineer. I won’t name the person who recorded it, the engineer who decided to play it or the event at which it was played, as I don’t think these are crucial elements of the scenario. Like times previous, rich debate is currently taking place within the Michael Jackson fan community around how leaks should be handled, and for good reason.

Seldom does widespread public debate over the ethical nature of something occur when there’s some simple, logical answer regarding the correct way that thing should be. I feel this conflict over leaks acutely as not only am I a Michael Jackson fan who desires to honour and respect Michael’s artistic privacy, but I am also a historian, who recognises the immense cultural value Jackson’s art has, at any stage of completion.

Ultimately, I do feel that if previously unreleased Michael Jackson material is to be played for a paying audience, it should first have the approval of his Estate beneficiaries with the full knowledge and understanding of the risks involved regarding potential leaks. That’s fairly black and white for me. No conflict there. But it’s after leaks happen where things get murky. Michael Jackson’s music grows legs of its own. And with good reason, because it’s usually excellent music. In the age of digital file sharing and social media, there’s no stopping how far and wide this material can reach. In an instance such as today, when a previously unheard Michael Jackson song leaks, I believe that it’s a matter of historical importance that knowledgeable fans, scholars of Michael Jackson, deconstruct and analyse the material so that a historically accurate narrative can be built. As an example, Ghost of Another Lover today leaked with completely the wrong title! A fan uploaded it as Ghost of Another Girl. Knowledgable Michael Jackson fans picked this up swiftly. Not only this, but there’s a certain inevitability to leaked material being discussed. It’s pointless to think it won’t be. Sharing and discussing leaks is inevitable, and both are very, very different behaviours to facilitating or instigating a leak.

Yet at a deeper level, it’s the ethics around actually releasing Michael’s previously unheard work at all that interests me. Earlier I opined that Michael’s estate beneficiaries should have the final say. And this is true for now, especially in our lifetimes where there are many people still alive directly connected to him. Artistic collaborators, close friends, business partners, fans and most importantly…family. Yet Michael is now gone, and it can’t be argued that his art doesn’t have immense historical value, even his unreleased material including demos which serve the purpose of teaching us how he created, flaws and all.

Ethically, at what point does it become acceptable for his unfinished work to actually come out without debate? Would anybody disagree now with an unfinished Michaelangelo piece being displayed in an art gallery for scholarly debate? I don’t think so. A lot of this debate comes from the fact that Michael has so recently passed away and many people in some way feel emotionally connected to him and naturally want to defend or protect his wishes. The MJ fan side of me certainly feels that, but as previously mentioned, the historian in me feels the importance of learning as much about his genius as possible, especially while his artistic collaborators are here to engage in dialogue around his work. Like I said, conflict. There is no easy answer.

There will be more Xscape, Hold My Hand and Ghost of Another Lover moments in the future and opinions will vary around these leaks depending on who you talk to. But suffice it to say, while people are around who are still emotionally connected to Michael Jackson as a person, the best people to judge whether his unreleased art should be seen by the public are those who were closest to him, those whom he left his Estate to, his beneficiaries.

Jamon Bull

053: You Don’t Feel it Coming?

Episode 053 of The MJCast sees Jamon teaming up with co-host Charles Thomson and debut guest host Greg Spinks in Q’s absence. The boys begin the show by discussing follow-up around Paris Jackson’s debut as a television actress on Star and a brief update on the Cascio case. Headline news items include 3T’s retraction of their lawsuit against Radar Online, Jason Malachi’s return to the music scene, Tito Jackson’s new single, Kingvention 2017 and The Jacksons Glastonbury announcement. Jamon, Charles and Greg then discuss Michael’s alleged interest in playing Professor X in the X-Men movies, Paris Jackson presenting at the GLAAD Awards, Charles’ new favourite song by The Weeknd, new footage of Michael Jackson and finally HLN’s Michael Jackson episode of How It Really Happened. The main discussion topic of this episode is Greg Spinks’ history as an MJ fan and the previously untold story of his creation, the greatest Michael Jackson forum that ever was (in Jamon’s estimation), Maximum Jackson. We hope you enjoy this episode of the internet’s premiere podcast on all things Michael Jackson and the Jackson family.

Follow Up
• 
Episode 053 of The MJCast is dedicated to the mother of Taj, Taryll and TJ Jackson, Dee Dee Jackson. Please consider making a donation to the Dee Dee Jackson Foundation in her honour.
• 
Paris Jackson makes her TV acting debut on Star. See a brief interview with her here.
• 
Vera Serova challenges Eddie Cascio, James Porte & Angelikson’s request for reimbursement of their legal fees. Relevant court documents are the March, 2017 docs here.

News
• 
3T retract their lawsuit against Radar Online
• 
Jason Malachi is back on the music scene
• 
Tito Jackson has dropped his new single When The Magic Happens (feat. Jocelyn Brown)
• Kingvention 2017 tickets are now on sale
• The Jacksons expand their U.K. show dates to include Glastonbury festival
• 
Michel Jackson wanted to play Professor X in the X-Men films
• 
Paris Jackson to present at the GLAAD Awards
• 
The Weeknd releases he new Jacksons inspired video for I Feel It Coming (feat. Daft Punk)
• 
Shana Mangatal is releasing rare videos of Michael Jackson on her YouTube channel including videos of Michael with Ryan White, Michael on the Bad World Tour and on the set of In The Closet
• HLN air their Michael Jackson episode of How It Really Happened

Main Discussion Topic
• 
Greg Spinks’ history as a fan and the untold story behind Maximum Jackson

Finds of the Week
• 
Jamon Bull – The Many Typefaces of Michael Jackson
• Charles Thomson – The Jacksons – I’ll Be There (Live in Antwerp, 2012)
• Greg Spinks – Prince Jackson’s new MJ inspired tattoo

Additional Links
• 
Greg Spinks’ FacebookTwitter and Instagram accounts
• 
Charles Thomson’s Facebook, Twitter and website
• Maximum Jackson’s closure announcement and in-depth article
• Paris Jackson: Inside Her Calculated Rise to Fame article
• Miss Castaway and the Island Girls IMDb page
• The Jacksons Night of the Proms full performance live in Antwerp
• 
Footage of Michael Jackson visiting Stan Lee in 1999
• 
The Jacksons – Can You Feel It short film
• The Weeknd – D.D.
• The Prince episode of HLN’s How It Really Happened
• 
Ian Halperin’s Unmasked – The Final Years of Michael Jackson book
• 
Rush Hour 2 on iTunes
• Michael Jackson – You Rock My World video and hilarious review
• Red Dragon special feature with Brett Ratner, Anthony Hopkins and Michael Jackson
• Damien Shields’ website and Xscape Origins book
• 
Alvin and the Chipmunks Billie Jean video
• Nada Basheer’s book review of Michael Bush’s King of Style: Dressing Michel Jackson

Music Breaks & Ads
• 
Michael Jackson – Human Nature (Louis La Roche Remix)
• 3T – Anything (Cool Out Urban Remix)
• Tame Impala – Stranger In Moscow
• Michael Jackson – Who Is It (Divyns Remix)

Connect with Us
• 
TheMJCast.com
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube

If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.comKeep Michaeling!

052: Michael Prince Special

Michael Prince worked with Michael Jackson from the mid 90’s onwards, eventually becoming Jackson’s closest studio engineer, a man whom was trusted to capture the King of Pop’s most personal creative visions. From the HIStory World Tour, to the Invincible album, to the beautiful charity single What More Can I Give and right up until This Is It and the final studio songs Michael Jackson was working on, Michael Prince was involved.

Links
• 
Michael Prince’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
• Legs Diamond’s Facebook and iTunes
• Charles Thomson’s Facebook, Twitter and website
• James Alay’s Facebook and Instagram
• Los Lobos – La Bamba
• Damien Shields’ One Night Only article
• Michael Jackson’s HIStory World Tour live in Munich, Germany
• Michael Jackson’s Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix album
• Michael Jackson’s 30th Anniversary Celebration concert
• Michael Jackson’s I Am A Loser (Demo) and Damien Shields’ article
• Michael Jackson’s A Place With No Name and Damien Shields’ article
• Michael Jackson – What More Can I Give
• Michael Jackson – One More Chance
• Michael Jackson – Hollywood Tonight
• Michael Jackson – Best of Joy (Acapella)
• Michael Jackson’s Hold My Hand (feat. Akon) and Damien Shields’s article
• Michael Jackson – Xscape
• Can’t Get Your Weight Off Of Me leaked snippet
• Michael Prince and LaVelle Smith Jr. on Piers Morgan Tonight

Music Breaks & Ads
• 
Michael Jackson – Blue Gangsta (Demo)
• Michael Jackson – One More Chance (Night & Day Uptempo R&B Remix)
• Michael Jackson – I Am A Loser (Demo)
• Michael Jackson – Hollywood Tonight (Demo)
• Michael Jackson – Best Of Joy (Acoustic) by Nick* and CMCC

Connect with Us
• TheMJCast.com
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube

If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.comMichael On!

Thanks to listener Cody Covington, we now have a full transcript available for this episode. Our deepest thanks and gratitude, Cody.

051: He’s a Lover, Not a Fighter

On Episode 051 of The MJCast, Q and Jamon are flying solo. The fellas begin the show by discussing follow-up around Sky Arts’ decision to pull the broadcast of their Urban Myths ‘MJ’ episode. After this, news galore! Jamon and Q then talk about Janet Jackson’s baby boy, The Jackson’s 50th Anniversary world tour, a wrap up of Brad Sundberg’s 2017 Aussie In The Studio With MJ tour, Ne-Yo’s tribute to Michael Jackson and some new Nick* remixes. This is followed by discussion around Taika Watiti’s new animated film about Bubbles, Navi as Michael Jackson in Lifetime’s new biopic and all kinds of news around Paris, Prince, Marlon, 3T and Tito. With a brief segue into a legal update from Charles Thomson, the boys then wrap the show with discussion around Neverland’s prospective sale, Thriller and Bad’s recertification and the possibility of a new Jacksons TV show. We hope you enjoy this episode of the internet’s premiere podcast on all things Michael Jackson and the Jackson family.

Follow Up
• 
Sky Arts Urban Myths backlash

News
• 
Janet Jackson gives birth to son Eissa Al Mana
• The Jacksons are embarking on a 50th anniversary world tour in 2017 including a Blenheim Palace UK performance with Kool and the Gang
• In the Studio with MJ Australia tour roundup
• Taking the Stage; Ne-Yo’s MJ tribute
• Nick* has dropped a number of new MJ remixes including Billie Jean (Nick* Redux), They Don’t Care About Us (Nick* Crook County Remix) and Man In The Mirror (Stripped Mix)
• Taika Waititi to co-direct a biopic on Michael Jackson’s chimp Bubbles
• MJ impersonator Navi is set to play Michael in a new Lifetime biopic
• Paris Jackson’s new interview with Rolling Stone and an accompanying podcast around the interview experience
• Paris Jackson’s interview in CR Fashion Book 10
• Paris Jackson signs with IMG Models
• Paris Jackson presents at the 2017 Grammy Awards and Prince Jackson releases a video in support of her
• Prince Jackson continues his charity work with Heal Los Angeles
• Taryll Jackson launches a new trailer for his new musical project
• Marlon Jackson takes part in an interview around fears of Trump presidency negative impacts
• 
Jackson Source has launched the 2016 edition of Jackson Magazine, featuring an interview with Tito Jackson and a range of other Jackson family related stories
• 
Tito Jackson drops new music video for his hit single We Made It
• 3T are to perform at We Love the 90’s festival on August 26th in The Netherlands
• Neverland sale price slashed by $33 000 000
• Thriller and Bad re-certified with record breaking sales figures
• Members of the Jackson family partner with Scout Productions

Finds of the Week
• 
Jamon – Michael Lopez’ brave battle with cancer
• Q – Rockabye Baby – Lullaby Renditions of Michael Jackson

Additional Links
• 
The MJCast: Episode 049 – Season Two Mixtape
• The Jacksons: An American Dream
• The MJCast’s Cascio Case legal documents repository
• Charles Thomson’s websiteFacebook and Twitter pages
• Brad Sundberg’s website and his Facebook and Twitter pages

Music Breaks & Ads
• 
Janet Jackson – Rhythm Nation 2017 (Bit Error Remix)
• Michael Jackson – Remember The Time (Human ’86 Remix)
• 3T – Sex Appeal (Organized Playas Remix)
• Michael Jackson – Man In The Mirror (Groovefunkel Remix)
• Invincible Ad Break
• Thriller 25 Ad Break

Connect with Us
• TheMJCast.com
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube

If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.comKeep Michaeling!

050: Tito Jackson Special

Welcome to Season Three of The MJCast. On this episode, hosts Jamon, Q and guest hosts Charles Thomson and Laura Nicholson are joined by none other than Tito Jackson of The Jackson 5, The Jacksons and now a proud solo artist. We kick things off by discussing Tito’s recently released solo album, Tito Time before delving back into the history of The Jackson 5, The Jacksons, his own immediate family and his three boy’s band, 3T. We wrap the show up with a discussion around Tito’s memories around his brother, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson and what’s on the horizon for both him and his brothers.

As mentioned on Jackson Source… “Born the third eldest and second eldest brother, many have credited him for the start of the Jackson musical dynasty after his father caught him playing his guitar as a child. A gifted child at a young age, Tito heralded his talent from his father, Joseph, who was the leader of a blues band, called the Falcons. Tito and his brothers Jackie and Jermaine played with Joseph’s guitar with Katherine’s blessing until Joseph returned home from work. The boys were careful until one time when Tito got used to the guitar that he broke a string. When Joseph went to investigate and found out that his eight-year-old son had been playing with it, he threatened to ‘whup’ him, then changed his mind and got Tito to play for him. Joseph was impressed by Tito’s talents and equally impressed with Jackie and Jermaine’s vocal talents. It was at this point that Joseph began to envision a singing group for his sons.
By 1967, the lineup had included younger brothers Marlon and Michael and they were now known as The Jacson Five. By the time Tito was fifteen, he had moved up from rhythm guitar to lead guitar while Jermaine played bass and sung co-lead with Michael. Tito and his brothers found success after signing with Motown in 1969 and went on to score huge hits from that time on.”

“Around the same time, Tito had fallen for his highschool sweetheart named Delores ‘Dee-Dee’ Martes and the two married in 1972. The couple went on to have three sons: Taj (1973), Taryll (1975) and TJ (1978). Tito was often known as ‘the quiet member’ of the Jackson family and also ‘the most serious’ of the group.”

“Tito remained with the group when they signed with Epic in 1976 and left the Jackson 5 moniker to be simply known as The Jacksons. By the end of their careers together in 1990, Tito settled into his private life but not without divorcing Dee Dee that year after eighteen years of marriage. In 1997, Tito and his brothers were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Around the same time, Tito was managing his three sons’ own music career as they had formed as 3T.”

“For over 50 years, the Jacksons, the first family of pop music, has been charting hits and in 2016 Tito joined his brothers and sisters and scored his first solo hit on the Billboard charts with the single Get It Baby from [his new] album Tito Time, becoming the ninth and final Jackson family sibling to place a solo single on the charts.” We hope you enjoy this interview with the man himself, Tito Jackson.

Links
• 
Tito Jackson’s website and FacebookTwitterInstagram and Soundcloud pages
• The Jackson’s website and Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Soundcloud pages
• Tito’s new album Tito Time as available through Sony Music Japan
• Upcoming tour dates at Love Supreme Festival and Tom Joyner Blues Cruise
• Listen to the entire Tito Time album on Tito’s Soundcloud.
• Tito’s new single Get It Baby feat. Big Daddy Kane on iTunes
• Laura Nicholson’s FacebookInstagramTwitter and YouTube pages
• Charles Thomson’s websiteFacebook and Twitter pages

Music Breaks & Ads
• 
Tito Jackson – We Made It
• The Jacksons – Everybody (Opolopo Extended Disco Tweak)
• Tito Jackson – So Far So Good (feat. 3T)
• Tito Jackson – Get It Baby (feat. Big Daddy Kane)

Connect with Us
• TheMJCast.com
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube

If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.comKeep Micheling!

048: Season Two Christmas Special

Merry Christmas, listeners. Here’s our Season Two Christmas Special. What a year it’s been for all of us here at The MJCast! We can barely believe that we’re at the end of our second season. After two years of podcasting, it’s still shocking to us that our little news and discussion show on Michael Jackson and the Jacksons has been received so well. Thank-you so much to everyone who has made what we do possible. We recently put together this Season Two Christmas Special for MJ fans to enjoy over their holidays. Q and Jamon kick the show off with a year in review discussion around all things 2016 and Q shares his recent experiences at the Dangerous 25 celebrations in Melbourne, Australia. Following this, the boys discuss the major MJ headlines including MJ Beats’ leak of the HIStory World Tour concert in Basel, a new MJ101 book, Janet Jackson’s baby and finally new photos from the You Are Not Alone shoot.

After the news, Jamon and Q then reminisce on the special episodes of Season Two, making sure to play some of their favourite highlight clips. To round the show off, a special audio montage is played which features special guest’s answers to the question how should Michael Jackson be remembered? Next up, our Season Two blooper reel! Finally, Jamon and Q discuss their hopes and dreams for Season Three of The MJCast and give a few special shout outs and thank-yous.

Listeners, have a happy holidays with family and friends. Share love on Christmas Day and be safe. Following this final show for 2016 and Season Two of The MJCast, we look forward to returning in February 2017 with Season Three. Until then, have yourself a merry little Christmas…

Follow Up
• Year in review
• 
Q’s Dangerous 25 experiences in Melbourne

News
• MJ Beats has shared never-before-seen HIStory World Tour footage from Basel, Switzerland.
• Andy Healy’s new book in the MJ101 series; Dangerous 101 is out soon.
• 
Has Janet Jackson had her baby yet?
• New photos of Michael Jackson from the You Are Not Alone shoot have leaked.

Special Highlights
• Episode 026 – Diana Walczak Special
• Episode 030 – Rob Hoffman Special
• Episode 031 – Making Michael Special with Mike Smallcombe
• Episode 033 – Vindication Day Special with Scott Ross
• Episode 034 – June 25th Special feat. Kevin Stea
• Episode 035 – MJ101 Special: The Performances
• Episode 044 – World Music Awards 2006 10th Anniversary Special
• Episode 047 – The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson Special with Elizabeth Amisu and Karin Merx

Additional Links
• Q’s footage from the Dangerous 25 celebration in Melbourne, Australia
• Jackson 5’s Christmas Album
• Michael Jackson’s Dream Lives On podcast web page and iTunes page
• Moonwalk Talks’ websiteTwitter and iTunes pages
• MJ Book Club’s Facebook and Twitter pages
• Michael Jackson Australia’s Facebook page
• Kingvention’s website and Facebook page
• Michael: The Last Photoshoots’ Facebook page
• Kerry Anderson’s Facebook page
• The MJCast’s Cascio Case court documents page
• Daily Michael’s page on the Estate vs. IRS lawsuit
• Pierre et Gilles Wikipedia page
• Michael Jackson – Blood On The Dance Floor (8mm Version)
• Michael Jackson – Blood On The Dance Floor (Refugee Camp Mix)

Music Breaks & Ads
• Disneyland Paris – Magic Everywhere (Christmas Version)
• Michael Jackson – Remember The Time (Funk LeBlanc Remix)
• Jackson 5 – Christmas Medley
• Jackson Source
• Jackson 5 – Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (Stripped Mix)
• Jackson 5 – Give Love On Christmas Day (Group A Capella Version)

Connect with Us
• TheMJCast.com
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube

If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.comMichael On!

047: The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson Special with Elizabeth Amisu and Karin Merx

On this special episode of The MJCast, Jamon and Q interview academics Elizabeth Amisu and Karin Merx on Elizabeth’s new book The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona and His Artistic Afterlife. Topics include their own histories, their roles in The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies and Michael Jackson’s Dream Lives On podcast, Elizabeth’s writing and publication process, Karin’s artistic process in creating the book’s cover (The Michael Jackson Respect Portrait) and of course many topics on Michael Jackson himself.

As explained on Elizabeth’s website, The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson is “the essential companion to Michael Jackson’s music, films and books, this work offers 21 original, academic essays on all things Jackson – from film, music and dance to fashion, culture and literature. It is the ultimate collector’s item for every Michael Jackson fan, student, researcher and academic.”

Overall, Dangerous Philosophies is a phenomenal work on the depth of Michael’s art and person, and a brilliant achievement by Amisu. Whether you’re an academic yourself wishing to enrich your knowledge of Michael Jackson, or perhaps a casual MJ fan wanting to open your mind to the depth of Michael’s work, you can’t go past Dangerous Philosophies. Pick up a copy today!

Links
• The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies website and FacebookTwitter pages
• The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona and His Artistic Afterlife on Online Arts Education (signed copies), Amazon and Apple iBooks
• Elizabeth Amisu’s website and Facebook, Twitter & Instagram pages
• Karin Merx’ website and Facebook, Twitter & Instagram pages
• Michael Jackson’s Dream Lives On podcast web page and iTunes page
• Yuko Watanabe – Smooth Criminal
• Youngest String Quartet Ever – Smooth Criminal
• Patrick Matthias – Smooth Criminal
• 2 Cellos – They Don’t Care About Us
• Peter Bence – Bad
• Elizabeth Amisu’s ‘Throwing Stones to Hide Your Hands’: The Mortal Persona of Michael Jackson article
• Michael Jackson & Prince: Michael Jackson’s Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation
• Introduction to Michael Jackson Studies Online Course: 6-Lesson Online Course with Elizabeth Amisu
• The MJCast’s online repository of Cascio Case court docs
• Joseph Vogel’s Man in the Music, Featuring Michael Jackson and Earth Song books
• Susan Fast’s Michael Jackson’s Dangerous book
• Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk book
• Michael Jackson’s 2001 Oxford Speech
• Margo Jefferson’s On Michael Jackson book
• Armond White’s Keep Moving: The Michael Jackson Chronicles book
• Michael Bush’s The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson book
• Damien Shields’ website and his Xscape Origins: The Songs and Stories Michael Jackson Left Behind book
• Karin Merx’ article on her Michael Jackson Respect portrait
• Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio) Wikipedia article
• Complete work of William Shakespeare book
• The Journal Of Michael Jackson Academic Studies’ interview with Isabelle Petijean
• Michael Jackson’s This Is It film

Music Breaks & Ads
• Maati Baani – Heal The World (Child Prodigy Cover)
• Boyce Avenue – Will You Be There
• Accent – Keep The Faith

Connect with Us
• TheMJCast.com
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube

If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.comKeep Michaeling!

046: Dangerous 25 Roundtable (Part 2)

Welcome to the second and final instalment of our Dangerous 25 Roundtable shows. Sonically groundbreaking, spiritually profound, sexually provocative and socially conscious, Dangerous exploded onto the music market on November 26th, 1991, taking Michael to new global audiences and cementing his position not only as the King of Pop, but an artist willing to illuminate and challenge some of the world’s most important issues. In many ways, the album is relevant now more than ever. To celebrate twenty-five years of this masterpiece, The MJCast has brought together a roundtable panel of authors, academics and researchers – all mega fans.

Q, Elizabeth, Mike, James, Andy & Samar begin the show by discussing Michael’s appearances and performances during the Dangerous era followed by an analysis of Sony’s Dangerous 25 campaign. The panel members also discusses Michael’s style during the period and their favourite Dangerous era memories before closing the show out with a discussion around how the Dangerous album holds up in Michael’s discography today.

Participants
• 
Q, Co-Host of The MJCast.
• Elizabeth Amisu, author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife.
• Mike Smallcombe, author of Making Michael: Inside the Career of Michael Jackson.
• James Alay
• Andy Healy, author of the MJ 101 series.
• Samar Habib, creator of The Michael Jackson Academia Project.

Topics
• Dangerous appearances and performances
• Dangerous style
• Memories from the era
• How does Dangerous hold up today?

Music Breaks & Ads
• 
Michael Jackson – Jam (Nick* Redux)
• Michael Jackson – Give In To Me (Demo)
• Michael Jackson – Who Is It (IHS Mix)
• Michael Jackson – Remember The Time (Nick* 24K Magic Mashup)

Connect with Us
• TheMJCast.com
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube

If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.comMichael on!

045: Dangerous 25 Roundtable (Part 1)

Twenty-five years ago today Michael Jackson released perhaps his most important album… Dangerous. Sonically groundbreaking, spiritually profound, sexually provocative and socially conscious, Dangerous exploded onto the music market on November 26th, 1991, taking Michael to new global audiences and cementing his position not only as the King of Pop, but an artist willing to illuminate and challenge some of the world’s most important issues. In many ways, the album is relevant now more than ever. To celebrate twenty-five years of this masterpiece, The MJCast has brought together a roundtable panel of authors, academics and researchers – all mega fans.

Q, Elizabeth, Mike, James, Andy & Samar begin the show by giving brief introductions as to who they are and their early experiences with the Dangerous album, followed by an exploration into the album’s groundbreaking sound. Next, the panel delves into the album’s masterpiece cover art by Mark Ryden, an analysis of the song and video Black Or White and the lyrical messages within Dangerous. The show finishes up with a discussion around the short films for the album. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this Roundtable as we continue our celebrations of Dangerous 25!

Participants
• Q, Co-Host of The MJCast.
• Elizabeth Amisu, author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife.
• Mike Smallcombe, author of Making Michael: Inside the Career of Michael Jackson.
• James Alay
• Andy Healy, author of the MJ 101 series.
• Samar Habib, creator of The Michael Jackson Academia Project.

Topics
• 
The sound of Dangerous
• The Dangerous album cover
• Black Or White
• The lyrical messages of Dangerous
• Dangerous’ short films

Music Breaks & Ads
• 
Michael Jackson – Remember The Time (New Jack Main Mix)
• Michael Jackson – In The Closet (The Newark Mix)
• Michael Jackson – Black Or White (Immortal Version)
• Michael Jackson – Dangerous (Live From A Night at the Apollo, 2002)
• Jackson Source

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If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.comMichael on!

Episode 044 – World Music Awards 2006 10th Anniversary Special

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When I realised that the 10th anniversary of Michael’s appearance at the 2006 World Music Awards was fast approaching, I contacted Jamon and Q to suggest they include a segment about it in an upcoming episode. They replied suggesting I should make my own stand-alone episode, over which I would have complete creative control. It was a scary prospect – I am far from being the techno-whizz Jamon is, and it’s fair to say my attempts to record and edit his episode have been haphazard. Two interviews had to be completely re-recorded due to technical failures, the causes of which I have yet to discern and doubt I ever shall.

But despite the technological trauma, this has been an exciting project. The awards ceremony – and its aftermath – have troubled me ever since they occurred. A few years ago I told my own story in a blog entry, so with this show I knew immediately what I wanted to do; interview others who attended the ceremony and let them tell their own stories.

For too long, the dominant story about the World Music Awards has been one which was simply not true. The lie that Michael was booed off stage has been immortalised in at least one substantial biography. My hope is that this show might become a reference point for those wishing to write about or investigate the event in the future.

This show retraces my blog entry to some extent, but includes brand new research, as well as excerpts from four exclusive interviews I have conducted in the last month. My interviewees for this show were Michael’s former manager Raymone Bain, his long-time photographer Harrison Funk, and two long-time UK fans, Angela Kande and Greg Spinks.

Each was incredibly candid and generous with their time, for which I am extremely grateful. Some of their revelations and observations are really very poignant – particularly Raymone’s story about trying to find somebody who would present Michael with his award, which paints a truly sad picture of Michael’s post-acquittal existence. A lot of these stories are ones I have never heard told anywhere else. The interviewees do not all share the same recollections on certain matters, but where they contradict one another I have ensured both points of view are reflected.

All four contributors were incredibly engaging and any one of their interviews could have been released in full on its own merit (but for the extensive damage inflicted on the audio by my ham-fisted recording efforts). Some brilliant stories and observations were sadly left on the proverbial cutting room floor, purely because they diverted from the trajectory of the episode (or because I didn’t record them properly).

Perhaps on the 20th anniversary of the ceremony I will release a director’s cut. Or perhaps, as a homage to Sony, I’ll wait and release the 20th anniversary re-release on the 23rd anniversary, with no new content at all, and in inferior audio quality, with all the best bits of Raymone’s interview remixed by Pitbull so they don’t make sense anymore.

I hope you all enjoy the episode. Let’s spread some truth.

Huge thanks to Jamon and Q for this amazing and exhausting opportunity.

Charles Thomson.

Links

Harrison Funk is releasing a 10th anniversary World Music Awards photo box set, containing several exclusive images he took at the ceremony. Anybody wishing to contact him about purchasing one can do so via the email form at www.harrisonfunk.com.

Angela Kande is the author of ‘Legacy’, a spoken word poem about the Michael Jackson fan community, which can be found here.

Charles Thomson’s original blog about the World Music Awards can be read here.

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If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.comKeep Michaeling!

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