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On this special episode of The MJCast, Michael’s trusted Technical Director and studio engineer of eighteen years, Brad Sundberg joins Q and Dan Villalobos (a studio engineer himself) to discuss all things Michael, in honour of his birthday. Topics include Brad’s history in the recording industry, his work with Michael as Technical Director and studio engineer and of course his involvement with sound and lighting installations throughout Michael’s Neverland Valley Ranch. We then delve into a fascinating discussion around Brad’s views on how Michael’s art has been handled posthumously and finally the latest chapter in his incredible career, the critically acclaimed In the Studio With MJ seminars.
As mentioned on his official website, “Brad Sundberg joined Michael’s Jackson team during the production of Captain EO in 1985, and remained with Michael as one of his engineers and Technical Director for nearly 18 years. Brad was actively involved in the studio production of four of Michael’s studio albums: BAD, Dangerous, HIStory, and Blood On The Dance Floor. He also worked on remixes and edits for countless singles, short films, and tour preparations associated with these projects.
Beyond the studio, as Michael’s incredible Neverland Valley Ranch grew from dream to reality, he brought Brad in to design and install music and video systems in virtually every corner of the property. In addition to Michael’s personal listening and dance studio systems, Brad created incredible outdoor sound effect systems throughout the grounds with the exact same attention to detail. Michael chose the music, but he trusted Brad’s technical expertise to make it sound great.
Now Brad is sharing these unique experiences with the public through his In The Studio with MJ seminars. The idea was born from the intense desire that people have to know more about how these incredible projects came to life.”
Author Damien Shields discusses one of Brad’s seminars on his website. “The atmosphere in the studio was great. All in attendance had an amazing seat and view of the projector screen, which was quite large; probably six by six feet. You could pay more for a VIP pass, which allowed you priority entry and a seat in the first rows. VIP attendees also had the privilege of spending an additional hour or so with Brad where you could get more information, ask questions and even share Michael’s favourite meal. Fans, of which there were approximately forty in total, were eager, hanging on Brad’s every word. He brought along a fourteen-layer digital multitrack of Bad and spent fifteen minutes playing with it, showcasing Michael singing leads and backgrounds separately. He isolated, the horns and even David Williams on guitar. ‘He created the most amazing remix right in front of your eyes. It was thrilling,’ said one of the attendees.” Whether you’re speaking with Huffington Post journalist Charles Thomson, studio engineer Dan Villalobos or anyone else who has attended Brad’s seminars, their remarks are always the same…In the Studio With MJ is unmissable.
Stay tuned at the end of this show to hear about Brad’s upcoming seminars through the end of 2015 (Chicago – August 30th, Orlando – September 5th and Las Vegas – October 10th) and click here to purchase tickets. Happy Birthday, Michael! We hope listeners of The MJCast enjoy this podcast as much as we did conceiving and recording it.
Links
Brad Sundberg’s website and his Facebook and Twitter pages
Dan Villalobos’ website and his Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud and Instagram pages
Xscape Origins author Damien Shields article on the In the Studio With MJ seminars
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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.com. Michael it’s your Birthday. Happy Birthday, Michael!
I’m enjoying the show guys. You ask AWESOME questions. I really enjoyed this episode. Keep up the good work and PLEASE keep Michaeling ?
This was like a fabulous dessert after attending Brad’s Seminar in Chicago, and Westlake last year. This really fills in the gaps. It was also great to hear more background on Brad’s life as well. Thank you guys for your shows! You really are great interviewers. Great questions, great format.
First, thanks for this informative and fun podcast, excellent work. I knew MJ guitarist David Williams well we had many sessions when I used to visit LA from my home in Tokyo in the 80’s -90’s. Sadly, David died shortly become MJ did. Would love to hear any anecdotes memories. Thank you
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I’ve missed all the “In The Studio” sessions around me and I was very excited to see this episode come up!
Fantastic interview, it’s great to learn about Brad and it’s great to listen to him, he takes his time to answer, he sounds relaxed and happy to share; this is 2020 and I hope he’ll come back to Europe!
Great stories and great appetiser for his sessions!
Alexandre (he/him/his)
Thinking back on Brad saying the Estate didn’t seem interested in the sessions he organises, this ties up with Tom Mesereau’s comment.
The Estate’s business is to run a business and as such, their priority is not only to generate revenue but to make a profit.
I can’t imagine Brad’s sessions fitting into that priority:
First, think about all the costs that must be involved, such as travel, insurance, hotel, event venue, ticket & payment processing, organisation staff, paying himself a minimum wage for all the work involved.
Then – I haven’t had the chance to attend a session, but… – I can’t imagine this being suitable for very large groups, the nº of people attending must be limited in order to make the experience personal and enjoyable, and fit the venues.
And last, you have to price it adequately for people to turn up, it must be somewhat affordable, despite the uniqueness of the experience offered.
So we get this equation:
limited nº of clients x affordable tickets – high costs = no chance of high profit
Going back to Tom Mesereau’s explanation that they are doing a good job at running a profitable business, it makes sense that the Estate wouldn’t be interested.
I disagree entirely with the Estate’s approach, but that’s a different matter 😛
In conclusion: money cannot be the reason for doing this so we are incredibly lucky that Music First and Brad have organised these events and I hope (please please please) that what Brad does inspires other people who worked with Michael Jackson to join and offer similar seminars.
Alexandre (he/him/his)
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