Episode 020 – Taj Jackson Special

Posted on November 15, 2015 by Jamon Bull — 19 Comments ↓

Welcome to another special episode of the internet’s premiere Michael Jackson podcast, The MJCast. On this milestone 20th episode, Jamon and Q have the absolute honour of speaking with a Jackson family member for the very first time, singer of the hit pop group 3T and star of the new reality show The Jacksons: Next Generation, Taj Jackson.

Tariano Adaryll Jackson II, better known as Taj Jackson, is the eldest son of legendary guitarist of The Jacksons, Tito Jackson and his wife Delores ‘Dee Dee’ Martes. Being born into a musical family of stratospheric fame, Taj along with his brothers Taryll and TJ, began playing instruments from a very young age and showed strong promise as musicians in their own right.

It wasn’t long before the entertainment industry noticed 3T. A record deal was signed and in 1995 their debut album Brotherhood was released…and it took the world by storm. Reaching heights not unlike what their uncle Michael and auntie Janet were accustomed to, Brotherhood sold three million copies worldwide, spawning the hit singles Anything, 24/7, Why?, Tease Me, I Need You and Gotta Be You. It wasn’t long before Taj, Taryll and TJ were household names, with new music by the boys being included on the soundtracks of feature films such as Free Willy and Men in Black.

Roughly ten years after Brotherhood, the world saw the release of 3T’s brilliant sophomore album Identity which features the two singles Sex Appeal and Stuck On You. Following this era, Taj and his brothers continued working on 3T but also engaged in other avenues, with TJ taking on guardianship of his uncle Michael’s three children, Taryll continuing to work with his gift of music production and Taj fighting tirelessly for his family name.

Now, in 2015, after the final episode of 3T’s fantastic new television show The Jacksons: Next Generation, 3T have finally dropped their long awaited third album, Chapter III. Taj has joined us today to speak all about the origins of 3T, their new album Chapter III, their new TV show and of course…thoughts and memories around his uncle, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. We hope you enjoy this special episode of The MJCast!

Links

The Jacksons on The Phil Donahue Show in 1989. Can you spot The Three T’s?
The Jackson’s Victory Tour live in Toronto, Canada.
3T’s debut album, Brotherhood.
3T’s sophomore album, Identity.
Watch episodes of The Jacksons: Next Generation on myLifetime.com
3T’s latest album, Chapter III.
The music video for 3T and Michael Jackson’s Why?
Taj Jackson and his uncle Michael on…a rollercoaster ride?
Janet Jackson’s Unbreakable album.
Tito Jackson’s new song, We Made It.
The Dee Dee Jackson Foundation‘s official website. Purchase a copy of the 3T/Tito Jackson song The Power of Love to help support this foundation and its worthy cause.
The Michael Jackson Trial: One of the Most Shameful Episodes in Journalistic History – A video by TabloidJunk.
3T’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts and their official website.
Taj Jackson’s Twitter and Instagram accounts and his official website.

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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 on!

Episode 019 – Thriller Night Halloween Special with LaVelle Smith Jr.

Posted on October 31, 2015 by Jamon Bull — 7 Comments ↓

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‘Cause this is Thriller…Thriller Night… Happy Halloween, listeners! To celebrate Halloween 2015 we are releasing this special episode with none other than LaVelle Smith Jr.

LaVelle Smith Jr. is one of the entertainment industry’s most decorated and influential dance choreographers. Known for his work with artists such as Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson and Beyoncé Knowles, Smith has won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography five times. In addition to these accolades he is also a two-time recipient of the Bob Fosse Award and Music Video Producers Award for Outstanding Choreography. Smith has been inducted into the DuPont Manuel Hall of Fame and was the youngest inductee into the Millers Gallery of Greats.

Smith’s work with Michael Jackson began in the late 1980s, during the Bad era. Jackson recognised Smith’s unique style and began incorporating his collaborative efforts into works such as The Way You Make Me Feel and other Bad era pieces. Smith also toured with Jackson on The Bad World Tour which sparked a collaborative relationship around live performance that would endure two additional world tours (Dangerous and HIStory), the Michael Jackson and Friends benefit concerts in South Korea and Germany in 1999, and ended with the 2008 private rehearsal sessions for what evolved into Michael’s ill-fated tour, This Is It.

Smith has collaborated with Jackson on most of his dance-heavy music videos, all of his adult solo tours, and a range of other projects including his seminal horror musical film Ghosts. This interview will take you inside the mind of LaVelle Smith Jr. and his collaborative and creative process with the King of Pop. Topics include Smith’s origins in the entertainment industry, his initial work with Michael, their creative process around Ghosts, their work together in the late 2000’s and lastly, Smith’s views on choreography. We also delve into what his hopes and dreams are for the future of his already incredible career. So sit back, relax, and enjoy our Thriller Night Halloween special for 2015!

Links
LaVelle Smith Jr.’s official website and Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Syl Mortilla’s halloween article Visionary: An Article on Michael Jackson’s Long Game
Michael Jackson’s Ghosts
Michael Jackson’s Thriller
Nick*’s Threatened (The Dementor’s Kiss Remix)
Dangerous live. AMA’s 1993, Wetten Das 1995, Munich 1999 & American Bandstand 2002.
Damien Shields article Inside the King of Pop’s 1995 HBO special that never was; ‘Michael Jackson: One Night Only’
Glee’s Thriller/Heads Will Roll video
Michael’s Dream Foundation
VH1’s Making of Ghosts
Michael Jackson’s The Making of Thriller
Jamon’s Halloween movie recommendations. Sinister and The Babadook.

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Episode 015 – Brad Sundberg Special

Posted on August 29, 2015 by Jamon Bull — 7 Comments ↓

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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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Episode 013 – Take a Fire Department to Cool Her Down

Posted on July 25, 2015 by Jamon Bull — 6 Comments ↓

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Q and Jamon discuss Tito Jackson’s latest performance (with a little help from UK journalist Charles Thomson), new footage of Michael Jackson from his The Way You Make Me Feel short film and Triumph Tour, the tragic death of Christian Audigier and Sony Music being sued by the American Federation of Musicians. We also discuss Tavis Smiley’s new book on the death of Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson’s new music video for the single No Sleeep, Katherine Jackson’s upcoming I Just Can’t Stop Loving You charity weekend and the new MJ101 project, HIS2ORY. Finally, we delve into a discussion around the newly leaked MJ song Seeing Voices.

News
Tito Jackson performs at Under the Bridge in London to launch his new album.
New footage of Michael Jackson in his short film The Way You Make Me Feel has leaked.
New footage has leaked of MJ performing on The Triumph Tour.
Ed Hardy designer Christian Audigier has died at age 57. Click here to see Christian Audigier celebrating his birthday in style with the King of Pop and here to learn about his ill fated fashion line with MJ.
The American Federation of Musicians is suing Sony Music over the film, This Is It.
Tavis Smiley is set to release a new book about the last sixteen weeks of Michael Jackson’s life. Click here to watch his discussion around this with Chris Tucker.
The Michael Jackson Story Quilt Project website and Facebook page
A new Janet Jackson video for her single No Sleeep premieres. Also take a look at this behind the scenes video of the shoot!
Katherine Jackson’s upcoming I Just Can’t Stop Loving You charity weekend
The new MJ101 eBook entitled HIS2ORY

Discussion Topic
Michael Jackson’s song Seeing Voices has leaked in full. Read about it here in this Damien Shields article.

Finds of the Week
Q – King of ArtPop. The Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga mash-up album.
Jamon – Harry Coade performs his MJ mash-up of forty songs in three minutes on the Ableton Launchpad.

Additional Links
Michael Jackson’s The Remix Suite on iTunes
The Daft Punk white label remix of Rock With You
The Ummah’s remixes of the song History (The Ummah Radio Mix and The Ummah DJ Mix)
The Blood on the Dancefloor Refugee Camp Mix
Nick*’s website Remixed by Nick*. Check it out for some great MJ remixes!
A Rolling Stone article on Lady Gaga buying Michael Jackson costumes

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Episode 011 – June 25th Special with Darren Hayes

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Jamon Bull — 9 Comments ↓

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On June 25th, 2009 the King of Pop, Michael Jackson tragically and unexpectedly passed away amidst preparations and rehearsals for his final live concert tour, This Is It. Although his passing and our present day lives are separated at this point by six years, for fans around the world the pain associated with this devastating event still lingers on. What a loss it was for the world. It’s clear that the Michael Jackson fan community is still coming to terms with and processing what happened six years ago and how we can move forward in a positive way. During his life, Michael spoke about the concept of love perhaps more than any other topic….love for Planet Earth, love for its children, love for ourselves…and love for each other. So with love in mind, this podcast episode was put together. It’s intention is certainly not to celebrate the occasion, but to reflect on the tragedy that happened and to assist in unifying the community in processing what occurred…but above all else, to remember, honour and reflect on the magical life that was Michael Jackson’s and the love that he gave to the world.

Former member of pop duo Savage Garden and now world renowned multi-million album selling artist in his own right, Darren Hayes, agreed to join us for this significant occasion in honouring and remembering Michael on the sixth anniversary of his passing. Q and I interviewed Darren about his Michael Jackson fandom, his views and thoughts on a range of Michael related issues and about his life as an artist.

Following this, Q and I explore and discuss our own experiences on June 25th, 2009 and how we feel Michael should be remembered, before handing over to some of our listeners to discuss the same topics. Thank-you to all of our listeners who submitted audio for us to consider in playing on this show. It was a pleasure listening to all of the submissions and they certainly had both Q and I reflecting on Michael and his legacy. For those of you who are still emotionally processing Michael’s passing, we hope this episode acts as a way for you to connect with other fans around the world who are as well. In this episode there are moments of joy and moments of sadness, but through it all, remember that we are all fans of Michael. We must carry on his message of love and positivity as a way of honouring his memory and everything that he gave to the world. From the bottom of our hearts, Keep Michaeling!

Links
Darren Hayes’ official website and Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr accounts.
The He Said, He Said Show’s iTunes page.
Michael Jackson’s Bad World Tour live in Brisbane. Look out for a young Darren Hayes in the first ten seconds!
Michael Jackson’s Captain EO on YouTube.
Michael Jackson’s Memorial Service from 2009, at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles.
Amateur footage of Billie Jean live at Michael Jackson’s 30th Anniversary Celebration concerts in 2001.
Michael Jackson’s 1987 Molly Meldrum interview.
Xscape Origins – The Songs and Stories Michael Jackson Left Behind, a book by Damien Shields.
Bad 25 – A documentary on Michael’s ‘Bad’ album, by Spike Lee.
Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean performance on Motown 25. Look out for his first ever moonwalk at the end of Billie Jean!
Darren Hayes’ Secret Codes and Battleships limited deluxe two CD edition on Amazon and iTunes.
The new Savage Garden album The Singles, and the re-releases for Savage Garden and Affirmation on iTunes Australia.

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Episode 009 – Sausage Fest?

Posted on June 5, 2015 by Jamon Bull — 3 Comments ↓

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Jamon and Q discuss a range of exciting issues with guests Jerome Horne and Marni Carlsson. Topics include The Jackson’s recent appearance on American Idol and their upcoming ‘Proms in the Park’ performance, a new Janet Jackson album for 2015 and further discussion on Dimitri Reeves and the Baltimore Riots. We also delve into a fantastic question which was sent in by listener Austin Ernst around what Michael would be doing artistically if he were still alive. Please note, the recording of this show wrapped just minutes prior to Janet Jackson announcing her new album and world tour on the 16th of May, 2015. We’re pretty good at predicting the future though right…?

News
The Jackson’s performance on the American Idol Season 14 finale.
The Jacksons to headline BBC’s Proms in the Park 2015.
New Janet Jackson album coming in 2015?
Revisiting the Baltimore Riots and Dimitri Reeves.

Discussion Topic
Austin Ernst AKA @TheCreativeArtAPE asks on Twitter “If Michael would’ve never passed, where would he be and what do you think he’d be doing right now in terms of the arts?”

Finds of the Week
Q – Le P’s History remix on Soundcloud
Jerome Horne – Best of Billie Jean Live montage on YouTube
Marni Carlsson – S.H. Figuarts ‘Smooth Criminal’ Michael Jackson action figure on Amazon
Jamon – Where Michael Got His Looks: Michael Jackson’s Beautiful Grandmother Crystal Lee King-Jackson. An article by Raven at AllForLoveBlog.

Additional Links
Prince’s song Baltimore on Soundcloud
Marni Carlsson’s ‘MJ 50 Files’ Max Music TV Spot
Damien Shields’ ‘MJ 50 Files’ Max Music TV Spot
Damien Shields‘ Xscape Origins book
Jankins‘ Moonwalk Talks Michael Jackson podcast
Jerome Horne’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts

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Episode 008 – Xscape Origins Special

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Jamon Bull — 7 Comments ↓

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On this special episode of The MJCast, Jamon and Q interview acclaimed author Damien Shields on his new book Xscape Origins. Topics include Damien’s writing process, his collaborative partner James Alay’s contributions to the project, Damien’s experiences talking with Michael’s collaborators, a never before heard story about Damien’s ill fated interview with Michael Jackson himself. We also take the opportunity to capture some of Damien’s fascinating opinions on a range of Jackson related topics. As a special treat for listeners of The MJCast, you will also hear an exclusive audio snippet of an interview Damien conducted with C. J. DeVillar (Michael’s bassist and recording engineer during the early Invincible sessions) and a never before released version of the song She Was Lovin’ Me which was co-produced by Cory Rooney and Taryll Jackson.

As explained on Damien’s website, “Xscape Origins pieces together stories about the real Michael Jackson; the musical genius at work. As told by the songwriters, producers, musicians, and technicians who worked intimately with him in the studio, and featuring a touching foreword written by his longtime engineer Matt Forger, the book takes you inside the recording studio, delivering captivating fly-on-the-wall insights into the creative process of the greatest artistic visionary the world has ever known”. At its heart, Xscape Origins delves into the history of the eight original Michael Jackson songs which were remixed for the 2014 album Xscape, released in partnership between Sony Music and the Estate of Michael Jackson. Reading Damien’s work will give you a level of knowledge that will allow you to appreciate the songs in a much deeper way. If it’s Michael’s artistic process you love learning about, look no further than this fantastic book. It’s undoubtedly the best book on Michael’s art that I’ve ever read.

Links
Get your physical copy of Xscape Origins today at xscapeorigins.com.
Xscape Origins is also on Amazon, iBooks and Google Play as eBooks.
Read Damien’s latest Michael Jackson related articles at damienshields.com.
Joseph Vogel’s book on Michael’s artistry, Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson
Chris Cadman’s book series ‘The Maestro’ Volume’s I and II, excellent reference books on Michael’s creative work.
Keith Murphy’s fantastic Vibe article on Michael’s final (and still mostly unreleased) musical work. Read ‘Redemption Songs’.
Damien’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages

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Episode 004 – That’s Enough Plugging!

Posted on April 4, 2015 by Jamon Bull — 4 Comments ↓

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Author Damien Shields of damienshields.com joins us to discuss the Detroit Mosaic Youth Centre Michael Jackson tribute concerts, his new book called Xscape Origins which can be found at xscapeorigins.com, 3T returning to the stage on June 26^th and 27^th in the Netherlands and a Swedish film director creating a documentary feature film on MJ choreographer ‘Vincent Paterson’. We also discuss new MJ vocals from the Human Nature sessions, a new video of Michael performing Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough ‘live’ and Cirque Du Soleil’s documentary on the Immortal World Tour.

News
The Detroit Mosaic Youth Theatre MJ tribute show called ‘Make That Change’ has been a massive success!
Author Damien Shields has released his new book ‘Xscape Origins’ at xscapeorigins.com. Use offer code FriendOfMine before the 7^th of April for a 15% discount!
3T will be performing on June 26^th and 27^th in the Netherlands.
A Swedish film director is doing a crowd funding campaign to make a documentary about one of Michael Jackson’s choreographers, Vincent Paterson. Pledge $1000 or more to see a private screening of never before seen MJ rehearsal footage!
Kon on SoundCloud has released a Human Nature remix with never before heard studio vocals from the Thriller sessions.
YouTube user 1710barton has uploaded footage of MJ performing Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough in full at a bay area nightclub in 1979.

Discussion Topic
Cirque Du Soleil and the Michael Jackson Estate have released a documentary feature film on the Immortal World Tour.

Finds of the Week
Jamon – Detroit Mosaic Youth Theatre’s ‘Human Nature’ rehearsal footage
Damien – MJ101

Additional Links
Damien Shields’ ‘Hold My Hand’ article
Charles Thomson’s Huffington Post review of Xscape Origins
Chris Cadman’s ‘The Maestro‘ book
Warren Eagles ‘Grading Michael Jackson’ article on the International Colorist Academy website
The Piano Guys’ ‘I Want You Bach’

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Episode 002 – They Turned it Into a Glee Episode

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Jamon Bull — 8 Comments ↓

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Music Journalist Charles Thomson joins us to discuss Detroit paying homage to the King of Pop, Thriller Live extending its booking period into 2016, Michael’s wrongful death lawsuit and its journey to the California Supreme Court, a new MJ music video leaking online and PBS re-airing Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever.

News
The MJCast is now on Apple iTunes. Subscribe and write us a review please!
Michael Jackson’s Music to be Celebrated at Detroit Mosaic Youth Theatre Concerts
Thriller Live extends its booking period into April 2016
Michael’s mother Katherine Jackson is taking her wrongful death suit to the California Supreme Court
New music video for Michael Jackson & Freddie Mercury‘s duet ‘There Must be More to Life Than This’ directed by Dave LaChapelle leaks online. Check out Damien Shields’ story on the topic here.

Discussion
PBS has re-aired Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever. Check out the DVD set here!

Finds of the Week
Jamon – Moonwalk Talks (Another great Michael Jackson podcast)
Q – Uptown Jam (A must listen mash-up of Bruno Mars‘ Uptown Funk and Michael Jackson’s Jam)

Additional Links
Charles Thomson’s ‘One of the Most Shameful Episodes in Journalistic History‘
The Making of the Michael album video by Sony Music
Damien Shields’ article on The MJCast
Janet Jackson’s ‘True You‘ book
Jermaine Jackson’s ‘You Are Not Alone: Michael – Through a Brother’s Eyes‘ book
An interview by Charles Thomson with Jermaine Jackson

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The MJCast

A Michael Jackson Podcast

Tag Archives: Damien Shields

Episode 020 – Taj Jackson Special

Episode 019 – Thriller Night Halloween Special with LaVelle Smith Jr.

Episode 015 – Brad Sundberg Special

Episode 013 – Take a Fire Department to Cool Her Down

Episode 011 – June 25th Special with Darren Hayes

Episode 009 – Sausage Fest?

Episode 008 – Xscape Origins Special

Episode 004 – That’s Enough Plugging!

Episode 002 – They Turned it Into a Glee Episode