153: Season Eight Christmas Special

Taj Jackson joins Jamon Bull, Elise CapronCharlie Carter, and Charles Thomson to celebrate the holidays and reflect on this past year… Welcome to The MJCast’s eighth annual Christmas special!

The crew discusses loads of news updates and developments in the world of Michael Jackson, including the Thriller Night party at Hayvenhurst, the strange turn John Branca’s social media has taken, the Estate’s hiring of creators such as Lynn Nottage and Nelson George, incredible found footage of Michael Jackson’s Sega game, updates in Taj Jackson’s life and with his docuseries project, and much more. Plus, the team reflects on the year that was at the podcast, and what we have coming up in Season 9.

We want to give a special thank-you to all of our listeners; to the wider MJ fan community; to our amazing fellow content creators (who all do this our of love for MJ’s legacy!); to our long-time back-end team (Q, James Alay, Jason Garcia); to frequent guests on the show who have contributed so much (Shawn Shackelford, Damien Shields, Velo Kristina, and more); to all the guests we’ve had on, including Jackson family members, studio collaborators, and long-time fans; to all of those who have provided logistical and emotional support along the way; and to our families, who put up with the many hours we spend working on this show. And, of course, to the King of Pop, who is the one who brings us all together in the first place. Happy holidays, #MJFam.

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.

Participants
• Taj Jackson (Donate to Taj’s docuseries, Re-Righting HIStory, here.)
• Jamon Bull
• Elise Capron
• Charlie Carter
• Charles Thomson

Discussion Topics
• Thriller Night party. What a night!
• What is going on with John Branca’s new social media presence?
• Lynn Nottage still on the fence regarding Michael Jackson.
• Charlie Thomson’s review of the Broadway show.
• Charlie Thomson’s review of the early showing of Nelson George’s Thriller 40 documentary.
• Incredible lost Michael Jackson Sega game footage uncovered by fans.
• Taj’s updates on life and projects!
• 2022: The year that was, and what we have coming up in 2023.
• Thank yous
• Bloopers

Additional Links
• 100% of The MJCast’s content is, and will remain, free. If you enjoy our show, consider a donation to help support us. All donations go directly towards off-setting our costs of running the show: Website hosting, equipment purchases, and more. You can donate any amount via PayPal. Thank you so much for your support!

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

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!

152: Thriller 40 Roundtable

Michael Jackson’s album, Thriller, is undoubtedly one of the most iconic and important albums in music history. Released 40 years ago, on November 30, 1982, it changed the landscape of pop music, and may have even saved the music industry itself.

In this episode, Charlie Carter hosts a deep-dive fan discussion reflecting on all things Thriller 40. Joining him are guests Damien Shields, Shawn Shackelford, and Paul Black. The guys talk about the continuing influence of Thriller, the bonus tracks included on the 40th anniversary edition, the long-awaited release of the 4K versions of the short films “Thriller” and “Beat It”, the upcoming documentary by Nelson George, and they contemplate what they would have liked to see on their own version of the Thriller 40 release.

This episode was edited by Jason Garcia and Charlie Carter.

Participants
Charlie Carter, Audio Producer of The MJCast
Damien Shields, author of Michael Jackson: Songs & Stories From The Vault, and creator of the podcast series The Genesis of Thriller and the upcoming Faking Michael.
Shawn Shackelford, long-time Jacksons fan and regular guest of The MJCast.
• Paul Black, Sydney-based Film editor, and Friend of the Show (whom we’re happy to have back on after a long absence!)

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

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!

151: Matt Forger Special (Part 2)

Matt Forger, legendary studio engineer and Michael Jackson collaborator, joins co-hosts Jamon Bull and Charles Thomson for Part 2 of an extensive interview in celebration of Thriller’s 40th anniversary, Blood on the Dance Floor’s 25th anniversary, and marking 150 episodes of The MJCast.

Forger is an icon in the music industry. He recorded classic Michael Jackson songs for the albums Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, HIStory, and Blood on the Dance Floor, worked on Captain EO, and much more. Not only was Forger a crucial player in shaping many of music history’s most important tracks, but he worked with the King of Pop during his creative and commercial peak. He also worked closely with other well-known Jackson studio collaborators and innovators such as John Barnes and Brad Buxer. Forger, through his technical wizardry, helped Michael Jackson push the boundaries of pop music, creating songs and experiences that will live on for generations to come.

These are the stories behind the songs.

This episode was edited by Jamon Bull.

Additional Links
• The MJCast 142: Reflections on John Barnes Roundtable
• The MJCast 089: John Barnes Special

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

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!

150: Matt Forger Special (Part 1)

Matt Forger, legendary studio engineer and Michael Jackson collaborator, joins co-hosts Jamon Bull and Charles Thomson for an extensive interview in celebration of Thriller’s 40th anniversary, Blood on the Dance Floor’s 25th anniversary, and marking 150 episodes of The MJCast. This is the team’s first two-part interview, which will be continued in #TheMJCast151.

Forger is an icon in the music industry. He recorded classic Michael Jackson songs for the albums Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, HIStory, and Blood on the Dance Floor, worked on Captain EO, and much more. Not only was Forger a crucial player in shaping many of music history’s most important tracks, but he worked with the King of Pop during his creative and commercial peak. He also worked closely with other well-known Jackson studio collaborators and innovators such as John Barnes and Brad Buxer. Forger, through his technical wizardry, helped Michael Jackson push the boundaries of pop music, creating songs and experiences that will live on for generations to come.

These are the stories behind the songs.

The entire MJCast team would like to thank our listeners, from the bottom of our hearts, for all the support and engagement through 150 episodes of interviews and fan discussion. We could not do this without you, and cherish the community we’ve built, all for honoring the legacy of the King of Pop!

This episode was edited by Jamon Bull.

Additional Links
• The MJCast 142: Reflections on John Barnes Roundtable
• The MJCast 089: John Barnes Special

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

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!

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”.

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

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!

144: We Love All the Charlies

On this first regular news episode of Season 8, Q and Damien Shields join host Elise Capron and Charlie Carter. It’s an old-school MJCast reunion, chock full of good ol’ fan chat around the latest news in the world of Michael Jackson. The team discusses updates on MJ: The Musical, Kingvention, the must-watch YouTube series “Beyond The Saturday Sun”, new(-ish) music from Jermaine Jackson, and, for their main discussion topic, dive into the controversy around the Estate’s handling of the 40th anniversary of Thriller. The team also wants to wish Jamon Bull and his amazing wife, Li, the best of luck as they prepare to welcome their second child. Go #TeamBull!

This episode was edited by Jamon Bull.

Discussion Topics
• MJ The Musical earns ten Tony nominations, and will go on tour in 2023. The opening song has been released via streaming.
• Kingvention is back.
• Manu Bezamat’s docuseries, Beyond the Saturday Sun, has been released on Youtube.
• “New” single from Jermaine Jackson, Save Tomorrow, releasing June 3, 2022.
• It’s the year of Blood on the Dance Floor 25!
• The Estate’s Thriller 40 launch, and response to fans. Plus, fans create their own visions for #Thriller40 packaging.

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

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. Stay Bad!