Tag Archives: Come Together

167: Jennifer Batten Special

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Jamon Bull welcomes iconic guitarist, Jennifer Batten, to The MJCast for a long-awaited, deep-dive interview about her amazing career in music, and her years performing with The King of Pop.

Batten, known for her original approach to the electric guitar (and her nearly-as-legendary hair!), rose in the music industry when she was selected to play in Michael Jackson’s BAD tour. She would go on to play lead and rhythm guitar on the Dangerous and HIStory world tours, as well, and joined Jackson for the 1993 Super Bowl halftime show. She also appeared in the “Come Together” segment on “Moonwalker”. For any fan of MJ, both her performances and her striking presence are an unforgettable part of ‘80s and ‘90s-era Michael Jackson.

In addition to her work on stage with Jackson, Batten has had her own vibrant career. She has released three solo albums, worked closely with Jeff Beck for several years, has authored two music books and released instructional DVDs, and did a guitar residency for the Cirque Du Soleil show “Zumanity” in Las Vegas. In 2016, she received the She Rocks “Icon” award, and was inducted into Guitar Player Magazine’s “Gallery of the Greats”. Batten continues to tour regularly, and has shows coming up around the world, including Michael Jackson tribute shows. (Tour link below.)

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.

Additional links
• Jennifer Batten’s website, tour dates, and page in support of Michael Jackson.
• Batten’s Twitter and Instagram.

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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!

119: HIStory 25 Roundtable

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Twenty-five years ago, Michael Jackson released what is arguably his most important, and certainly his most personal album, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. Emerging from the tumultuous mid-90s era, when Jackson was treated more harshly than ever by the media, the album is an explosion of his rage and frustration. It is the most raw of any of his studio work, addressing the media, race relations, and tapping into his personal struggles in a way he never had before. Despite the fact that the album was reviewed negatively by some critics (primarily those who had written him off after the 1993 allegations), it would go on to become one of the best-selling albums of all time, and the bold messaging of the songs would endure. Ultimately, these iconic tracks feel more relevant than ever today.

To celebrate twenty-five years of this masterpiece, The MJCast brings together a roundtable panel of Michael Jackson experts and mega-fans to discuss this landmark album, analyzing it track-by-track, discussing the short films, and exploring its relevance in the 1990s, and today. This discussion is hosted and moderated by James Alay, and includes panelists Rickey Alexander, Maria Paalberg Musoga, John Cameron, and Samar Habib.

Participants
• James Alay, host/moderator.
• Rickey Alexander, author of “A Track-By-Track Synopsis of Michael Jackson’s History 25 Years Later”.
• Maria Paalberg Musoga, creator of a short documentary on the #BlackLivesMatter protests in Sacramento, California.
• John Cameron, creator of the #JCsMusicology podcast.
• Samar Habib, creator of The Michael Jackson Academia Project.

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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!