148: It’s Been a Minute

In this regular news episode, Q joins host Jamon Bull for a round-up of all the latest news in the world of Michael Jackson. The dynamic duo discuss the Estate’s gradual reveal of bonus tracks on “Thriller 40”, the return of “This Is It” to Netflix, controversial leaked live “HIStory World Tour” vocals, a new podcast series on the Michael Jackson allegations, the new TMZ documentary, “Who Really Killed Michael Jackson”, an MJ connection to the new TV series “The Sandman”, and more. Plus, Friend of the Show Jenny Winings contributes a special report on the MJ birthday events in Las Vegas.

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.

Discussion Topics
• Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” is returning to Netflix for a limited time during September.
• J. Randy Taraborrelli has revealed that CNN is working on a Victory Tour documentary.
• Vincent Paterson’s books “Icons and Instincts” has been released in English.
• Live “HIStory World Tour” vocals have leaked, and we aren’t sharing them.
• Michael Jackson wanted to star as Morpheus in “The Sandman”.
• Roundup of MJ birthday events in Vegas courtesy of Friend of the Show, Jenny Winings. A partial livestream can be seen here.
• The Estate are slowly revealing Thriller 40 bonus tracks before release. So far, “Behind the Mask (Demo)”, “She’s Trouble” and “The Toy”.
• Michael Jackson fans, mother daughter duo Sheryl and June from Virginia, are about to release the “Michael Jackson: Case for Innocence” podcast series.
•  Fox has released a new documentary called “TMZ Investigates: Who Really Killed Michael Jackson”.

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If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, 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.com. Michael On!

146: Cascio Tracks Removal Roundtable

On November 8, 2010, Sony Music and the Estate of Michael Jackson unveiled the first song from their new Michael Jackson album in a worldwide premiere via michaeljackson.com. The song, called “Breaking News,” was said to have been written and produced by Eddie Cascio, James Porte and Michael Jackson. But there was one problem… The Jackson family, several of Michael’s former collaborators, and thousands of fans around the world believed the track was fake, with vocals sung by an impostor.

Five weeks after the premiere, “Breaking News” and two other songs also believed to be fakes were commercially released on the album, simply titled “Michael”. Despite the ongoing protests of fans around the world (including The MJCast), the album would remain commercially available in music stores, via online retailers and on streaming platforms for nearly twelve years. One fan in particular, Vera Serova, filed a class action lawsuit against the Estate, Sony, Cascio, Porte and their production company in 2014, which remains unresolved to this day.

Finally, in 2022, the three tracks in question have been removed from digital platforms.

In this conversation, host Jamon Bull is joined by author and Cascio track expert Damien Shields, studio engineer Dan Villalobos, award-winning journalist Charles Thomson, and Friends of the Show James Alay and Samar Habib. The panel discusses the impact of the Cascio Tracks, the long-running lawsuit to have them removed, emerging news that the songs have been removed, and also a statement from the Michael Jackson Estate’s online team that they have removed the songs from sale not because of their legitimacy, but because they have been distracting fans from buying more posthumous products.

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.

Participants
• Jamon Bull
• Damien Shields
• Dan Villalobos
• James Alay
• Charles Thomson
• Samar Habib

Additional Links
• The MJCast’s Remove the Cascio Tracks Now campaign
• #TheMJCast067: Joseph Vogel Special
• Damien Shields’s website, with a section dedicated to the Cascio Tracks.
• Damien’s upcoming Faking Michael podcast
• Damien’s book, Michael Jackson: Songs & Stories From The Vault

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If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, 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.com. Keep Michaeling!

143: Sonic Fantasy Special with Marcos Cabotá

Marcos Cabotá, film director and massive MJ fan, joins Jamon Bull, Elise Capron, Charlie Carter, and John Cameron to discuss his new documentary film, Sonic Fantasy. Currently debuting at film festivals around the world, Sonic Fantasy tells the story of iconic sound engineer and long-time Michael Jackson studio collaborator, Bruce Swedien, and the making of the Thriller album. The team discusses how Marcos rose up in the world of film, challenges and triumphs around making his documentary, what it was like working with Swedien and other people featured in the film, and his amazing stories as a long-time Michael Jackson fan, who got to meet the King of Pop many times.

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter and Jamon Bull.

Additional Links
• Sonic Fantasy documentary website. (As of our recording, the film is currently screening at film festivals and will be available on streaming services later this year.)
• John Cameron’s Musicology podcast.

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If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, 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.com. Keep Michaeling!

141: Janet Jackson Documentary Roundtable

The team is back for Season Eight of the The MJCast! Host Jamon Bull is joined by Charles Thomson, Charlie Carter, and Courtney Stribling and Cuzin Kam (co-hosts of the Janet Jackson podcast, Janet Today, Janet Tomorrow, Janet Forever) for a Roundtable to discuss the recent multi-part documentary series, JANET JACKSON. In this in-depth, lively chat, the guys and gals dissect their thoughts on pluses and minuses of the series, from the promos, to the rare footage, to representations of Janet, Michael, as well as other Jackson family members, and much more.

The MJCast team has a great season planned. Thank you for joining us!

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.

Additional Links
• 10 things we learned about Michael from the Janet Jackson documentary
• Links to listen to Janet Today, Janet Tomorrow, Janet Forever podcast

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If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, 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.com. Keep Michaeling!

139: Invincible 20 Roundtable

Released in 2001, Invincible was the seventh adult, solo studio album from Michael Jackson. Having released HIStory and Blood on the Dance Floor in uncharacteristically quick succession, Jackson had then largely retreated from the limelight for four years, appearing only at a handful of awards ceremonies and benefit concerts between 1998 and 2001.

Anticipation in the fan community was high. Appearing at the World Music Awards in 2000, to be honoured for his unparalleled success in the music industry, Jackson had teased in his acceptance speech: “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” But whether the eventual album lived up to Jackson’s hype has split fans for the past two decades.

Invincible would be released in 2001 to a lukewarm critical reception, with many reviewers saying the man dubbed the King of Pop for his trendsetting career was now reduced to following trends instead, bringing in younger artists and lending his vocals to their work. With just two entirely self-penned songs on the 16-track album, Jackson seemed to be something of a passenger on his own album.

With his physical appearance attracting more interest than his art, and coverage of the album’s release unfortunately coinciding with the biggest news event of the century – the 9/11 terror attacks – the album charted well upon release but quickly sank, receiving little promotion from either Jackson or his record label.

By summer 2002, artist and label were locked in a vicious battle, with Jackson accusing Sony of sabotaging the project as part of a racist conspiracy, and the label countering that Jackson’s career had been killed by allegations of child molestation.

So what is Invincible’s true place in Jackson’s legacy? Did it deserve the critical pasting it received? Have the songs aged well? Would they have fared better if they had been released at a different time? In what is bound to be one of the most controversial episodes in this podcast’s history, our panellists (Jamon Bull, Shawn Shackelford, James Alay, John Cameron and Charles Thomson) ask and answer these questions, and many more.

This episode was edited by Jamon Bull.

Participants
• Jamon Bull
• Shawn Shackelford
• James Alay
• John Cameron
• Charles Thomson

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If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, 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.com. Keep Michaeling!

137: He Is Not Committed to the Lean

In this regular episode, host Jamon Bull is joined by returning guests Rickey Alexander and Velo Kristina for a big update on news in the world of Michael Jackson. They discuss a restored version of the HIStory album teaser, several upcoming films related to Jackson, including Marcos Cabotá’s greatly anticipated “Sonic Fantasy”, updates on James Safechuck’s lawsuit, a newly released photo of MJ, a new article on Jackson’s time in Bahrain, and much more.

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.

Discussion Topics
• A restored version of the HIStory album teaser is coming.
• A new Netflix documentary on Michael Jackson is imminent.
• The second trailer is out for Jin Chohan’s “Trial By Media” has been released.
• Marcos Cabotá’s has released a trailer for his documentary “Sonic Fantasy”.
• James Safechuck’s lawyer has filed a late appeal.
• Billy Porter and Lang Lang have paid tribute to Michael Jackson at the Global Citizen concerts.
• Glen Ballard is interviewed on working with Michael Jackson.
• A new photo of Michael Jackson, shot by Greg Gorman has surfaced.
• Moonwalkers documentary, now titled The Three Michaels, finally has a theatrical screening date coming up soon.
• A Tokyo baseball team is collaborating with the Estate on merchandise featuring MJ and their team mascot.
• A new article has been released on MJ’s post-trial year in Bahrain.

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If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, 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.com. Keep Michaeling!

133: Vindication Day Special With Carol LaMere

Carol LaMere joins hosts Jamon Bull and Charles Thomson for a special interview as part of the team’s series of Vindication Day episodes, which recognize Michael Jackson’s acquittal from false child molestation allegations on June 13th, 2005.

In this discussion, A-list hair stylist Carol LaMere reveals how she was hired by Michael Jackson after his Pepsi burn, to help create unnoticeable hairpieces that covered his injuries. Jackson’s fear of people finding out he required the hairpieces meant Carol became a secret member of his entourage, travelling separately from everyone else and staying in different locations. The job saw her travel the world with Michael and work on video shoots like “Black or White”, “Remember The Time” and “In The Closet”.

LaMere soon became a regular visitor at Neverland. She witnessed and became involved in – and was ultimately a recipient of – Michael Jackson’s philanthropic work with sick children and their families.

LaMere’s presence in Jackson’s world made her a first-hand witness to behind-the-scenes goings-on in both the Jordan Chandler case and the Gavin Arvizo case. She knew the Arvizos so well that Gavin’s sister used to stay in her house – a relationship which saw her added to the defense witness list. She provided bombshell testimony in two investigation reports.

After the trial, LaMere travelled with Jackson to the Middle East, England and Ireland – a period about which she shares her sometimes sad and shocking memories. She also shares her thoughts on Jackson’s death, and recounts their final conversation around two weeks earlier.

In this fascinating and powerful deep-dive chat, LaMere also speaks frankly about friction in Jackson’s camp, Jackson’s love of practical jokes, and how she is still mourning his death 12 years later.

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.

Sponsors
• MJGivingTree. Authentic jewelry designer recreations of Michael Jackson items made for fans by a loyal fan. Handmade by MJGivingTree with love and a little Michael magic.
• The MJCast’s official shop. Support The MJCast and Michael Jackson all at the same time by buying some of our merchandise.

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If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, 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!

131: A Tale of Two Estates

In this regular episode, host Jamon Bull is joined by regular guest Charles Thomson, Friend of the Show Casey Rain (creator of the Prince-focused YouTube channel, The Violet Reality), and first-time guest, mega-fan Velo Kristina. The team deep dives into all the latest news around the King of Pop, including upcoming auctions of Michael Jackson items, a big update on Wade Robson’s case, recent interviews with Teddy Riley, Michael Bush, and Greg Phillinganes, Howard Weitzman’s passing, re-releases of The Jacksons’ albums, and much more. Plus, the group digs into the question of whether the Prince or Michael Jackson Estates have handled each icon’s legacy most effectively.

Discussion Topics
• The Jacksons continue their run of reissued albums with “The Jacksons Live” on vinyl.
• The Jacksons have released “Can You Feel It (Jacksons X MLK Remix)” as a promo single for their Triumph reissue.
• Remixed by Nick* has released “Give It Up (Nick* Stripped Mix)”.
• A new illustrated anthology, Michael Jackson in Comics, has been released.
• The Sessions Live on Instagram, breaks down MJ tracks in live weekly sessions.
• Howard Weitzman, Michael Jackson’s lawyer, dies at 81.
• Michael Jackson’s bronze statue collection from Neverland up for auction.
• Rob Swinson is auctioning some of his Michael Jackson items.
• Michael Jackson tapes and other items are up for auction.
• New interviews. Teddy Riley, Michael Bush and Greg Phillinganes.
• Wade Robson’s case against Michael Jackson has been dismissed.
• The Violet Reality recently released a video on Prince’s legacy five years after his death. How does the Prince Estate’s new project compare to the Michael Jackson Estate’s efforts?

Post Show
• The Prince vs. Michael Jackson debate.

Sponsors
• Crack Corn. Delicious premium puff corn.
• The MJCast’s official shop. Support The MJCast and Michael Jackson all at the same time by buying some of our merchandise.

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If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, 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.com. Keep Michaeling!

130: An Evening With Charlie and Jamon

It’s been far too long since The MJCast had a good old fashioned Q&A episode, so the team is bringing this format back with host Jamon Bull and everyone’s favorite Brit, Charles Thomson! The guys received over 80 questions, with no topics barred, covering everything from their favorite songs, to fan experiences, to insights on legal proceedings. We so appreciate all of our MJ Fam who submitted questions (and wish we could have gotten to each and every question), and hope you enjoy this fascinating, deep-dive chat about all things MJ!

“The Pale Prince of Peculiarity”
1) Can you tell us what you know about MJ‘s relationship with Sony? What went wrong and why did he hate them so much at the end of his life? It‘s a really confusing topic for me.

Annie
2) If the planet was about to be blown up by an evil super villain, and the only way to save humanity was for Charles Thomson to perform either Heal The World, The Lost Children or I Just Can’t Stop Loving You – which one would he choose?

Neil G
3) There have been reports of a MJ movie in the works. Is this a good idea? If so, who should play Michael?

Tom Rujitermann
4) Do you think it’s possible that Taj’s series could change the minds of many people? Or do you feel Michael has been so dehumanised that people will never be able to see past what the media portrays?

Curtis Roberton
5) Invincible is Michael’s last album and probably worst in eyes of a lot of people. But for me, it’s one of his best. I have friends who aren’t MJ fans and I have shown them the Invincible album and they think it’s amazing and start downloading the album, almost like a lost MJ album. What positives can you say about Invincible?
6) During This Is It, there are moments where MJ looks fragile and ill, like the start of The Way You Make Me Feel. Later on, when MJ is in the blue, he looks on top form, same with They Don’t Care About Us–he looks great and on form? Why is this?

Gillian Rice
7) How often does Charles listen to Michael’s music? And what are his top 3 songs?

Wendy
8) Can you tell us what you know about all of the aftermath of Michael’s injuries during the 1999 concert? Like medically, how was he treated, how did people around him respond to it, and more?
9) Do you think Dan Egghead Reed Is going to make Leaving Neverland 2?

?
10) Do you like John Branca, and tell me all the reasons why not?

Bob
11) Were you surprised that the court dismissed the James Safechuck lawsuit?

Jonny
12) Any idea why MJ used to let Prince have his hair bleached at such a young age? Always wondered and unsure if it has ever been answered. Very young age to colour a child’s hair. Maybe the freedom of expression he allowed his children behind closed doors?

Bella
13) Are you ever going to do the estate roundtable episode you’ve been teasing us with for years?

Genevieve Castello Branco
14) Marcos Cabota’s documentary “Sonic Fantasy” is completed, but he’s facing legal issues to release it. Any details about such legal issues, which probably involve Bruce Swedien’s estate?

Bob
15) Off the Wall or Purple Rain?

Captain Blackthorne
16) Which song has Michael’s most impressive vocal performance? My vote it for Earth Song or Billie Jean.
17) Do we know any details about the “lost classical album” that Michael worked on before his passing?

Marni Cochrane
18) Dear Charles, what is the most interesting or surprising thing you learnt about MJ, his life and/or his work while working on the documentary with Taj and other collaborators, which was totally new to you?

Anita
19) How do we manage that Jamon and Elise will be invited to the next Halloween party hosted by the Jackson family?

Dane Thomson
20) What has shaped your views on life throughout your years?

“Oprah”
21) If MJ Estate approached you with an olive branch and ask for your help and input, what are the top 5 list of things that you like to immediately work on and do?

“Billie Jean”
22) Which MJCast special episode is your favorite why?

Constantinos
23) Top 5 guests who you would love to interview in the near future?
24) Would you like one day to create your own visual documentary to combine all your special interviews?

MJJQ
25) Out of each of Michael’s full length solo albums (OTW, Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, HIStory and Invincible), could you choose 1 track which is your personal favourite, and on the other hand, an unreleased demo or outtake song which could replace your least favourite track on each album – with short explanations as to why.

“James Brown”
26) Does anyone know what happened to the Vogue documentary that had a preview on YouTube and why it was never released?
27) How do you feel about supposed friends of MJ such as Quincy, some of the Ross family, etc, still openly supporting Oprah? Or do you think Oprah is just so big that it’s career suicide to come out against her?

Kieran Kibble
28) What are your top 3 MJ short films and why? Thanks for all the work you guys do in supporting Michael’s legacy.

Ben
29) What motivates you both to still remain active in the MJ fan community all these years later?

Dorsa
30) If you had to choose one documentary/book that captures the whole essence of Michael Jackson, which one would it be?

Suzie
31) If you had a time machine and could make two trips to the past, one to any MJ performance and one to any moment in Michael’s life where you could use your time to speak with him personally (and maybe warn him of certain things), which moments in time would you choose?

Debi T
32) How do you as hosts of The MJCast who have interviewed several members of the Jackson family feel about reports coming from the bodyguards, Randall Sullivan, and others that Michael’s family were a bunch of grifters during his life and after his death?

Mira Kontar
33) What are the best arguments to make when discussing Michael’s status as the greatest entertainer? I see weak arguments like he makes people faint or he can just stand there and entertain us, which doesn’t hold when discussing skill-set. I have my own answer, but I’d like to hear yours.

Dexter Williams
34) Between catching snippets of the Chauvin trial on television, and seeing discourse and comments about it on social media, I’ve wondered what effect having filmed MJ’s 2005 trial would have had. Do you think, in hindsight, that filming/broadcasting the 2005 trial on television would have hurt or harmed MJ’s reputation as far as the general public is concerned?

Shawn Clarence
35) If you had access to Michael’s vault and could release ONE Definitive Project, what would part/parts of Michael would you showcase and why?
36) Jamon, if you could sit in the studio and watch Michael record a song what would it be?

Additional Links
• The MJCast 063: Q Q&A
• The MJCast 069: C Q&A
• The MJCast 074: J Q&A
The MJCast 099: Leaving Neverland Q&A

Sponsors
• Thank you to our anonymous listener, whose donation to The MJCast has allowed us to give back to Children International.
• The MJCast’s official shop. Support The MJCast and Michael Jackson all at the same time by buying some of our merchandise.

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If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, 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.com. Keep Michaeling!

128: An Exotic Location Called Ohio

We’re back for Season Seven of the The MJCast! In this regular episode, hosts Jamon Bull and Elise Capron are joined by mega-fan Rickey Alexander, who was most recently on the podcast for the #History25 Roundtable. In this in-depth discussion to kick off 2021, the team digs into loads of news in the world of Michael Jackson, including the sale of Neverland Ranch, a new podcast by Brad Sundberg, two compelling new MJ books, fan community drama, Superbowl chat, expanded re-releases from The Jacksons, a frustrating John Branca interview, updates on the Cascio Case, and much more. The MJCast team is excited for the season to come. Thank you for joining us!

Discussion Topics
• Neverland Ranch has been sold to Ron Burkle.
• Brad Sundberg has launched his In The Studio podcast.
• We copped some heat on our stance regarding RazörFist and John Ziegler.
• MJNewsDigest has featured The MJCast in his ‘Exposed’ series.
• Talitha Linehan has released her book called ‘Michael Jackson and Me’.
• Aileen Medalla has released her book called ‘The King of Pop and I’.
• Is The Weeknd’s video for ‘Save Your Tears’ a reference to Michael Jackson?
• The Jacksons have released expanded digital versions of their eponymous album, ‘Goin’ Places’ and ‘Destiny’, as well as a vinyl-only re-release of ‘The Jacksons Live’, available for pre-order on Amazon.
• Chinese company PureArts is releasing a crazy-expensive Michael Jackson figurine.
• Tom Mesereau is a featured guest on the legal podcast “Hashing Out the Law” with Arash Hashemi.
• Possible book and documentary coming from Hamid Moslehi?
• New interview with John Branca.
• Michael Jackson Chart Data Year In Review.
• Rickey Alexander’s new essay on Medium, ‘What is Michael Jackson’s Magnum Opus?

Additional Links
• Rickey Alexander’s Twitter page.

Sponsors
• Audible – Great audiobooks. Great a free one-month trial (including one free audiobook) and help support the podcast by using our custom MJCast promo link.
• The MJCast’s official shop. Support The MJCast and Michael Jackson all at the same time by buying some of our merchandise.

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If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, 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.com. Keep Michaeling!