Tag Archives: Hayvenhurst

160: Clearing the Runway

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Taj Jackson joins Charles Thomson for a deep-dive discussion around updates in his life and work. The guys talk about developments with Taj’s docuseries on Michael Jackson, “Re-Righting History”, as well as the upcoming MJ biopic, the recent Robson/Safechuck ruling, Leaving Neverland 2, Taj’s insights regarding his interactions with fans, the exciting recent expansion of his family with the birth of his third daughter, and much more.

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.

Additional Links
• You can donate to Taj’s docuseries, and get updates, here.
• Taj’s Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
• If you have the means, consider donating through PayPal to help cover our costs. All proceeds go towards online running costs, upgrading equipment, and charity donations. Learn all about the various ways you can support The MJCast through visiting our website.
• We also have an official merchandise shop. Support The MJCast and Michael Jackson all at the same time by buying some of our fun merch.

Connect with Us
• TheMJCast.com
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Mastodon
• Twitter
• Threads
• 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!

159: E Q&A

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It’s been a minute since we did a Q&A, MJFam! Elise Capron is usually the one asking the questions, but in this episode, she takes a turn in the hot seat, and answers a wide range of questions submitted by listeners, covering everything from her fan history and personal MJ picks, to thoughts on the biopic, Estate projects, her podcast guest wish-list, behind-the-scenes of The MJCast, and much more. Huge thanks to all of you who sent in submissions! It is a reminder of what a great fan community we have.

Questions
Simonpaulwilkie (Instagram)
1) Brave! 🔥 As a long time lover of the show, I’d love to know what it was like going from listener to presenter. Any surprises in how the show is put together and what it takes to make an episode. I couldn’t think of any way to say thank you better than contributing my own time to something I adore so much. Keep it up! ❤️

Xollophoto (Instagram)
2) What are all the Michael Jackson-related places you’ve visited (i.e. Thriller house) and what’s your favorite?

Charlie Carter (Twitter)
3) What is your favourite MJ song and why is it Just Good Friends?

Dane Thomson (Twitter)
4) Why is the Bad era your favourite?

Mumofsuperstars (Instagram)
5) Have you met any of the Jackson family 🙂

Etebeye (Instagram)
6) Elise, which of Michael’s concert tours do you wish to go back in time for and watch live?

Etebeye (Instagram)
7) Which movie character, past or present, would Michael have been a good fit?

Etebeye (Instagram)
8) Was Michael cool or a dud in your school growing up?

Sanja1980 (Instagram)
9) First of all thanks for all your hard work on the show! Questions: who was your favorite special guest so far and who do you wish you could interview for the show in the future?

JayKay0603 (Twitter)
10) Who are some special guests you would like to come on the show in the future, and if given the opportunity who would YOU personally like to interview if they ever came on?

JayKay0603 (Twitter)
11) And another MJ question if that’s okay, if you could be on the set of only ONE of Michael’s short films, which one would it be and why?

Genesta Coleman (Twitter)
12) Love the MJ cast ❤️👑♥️ why you don’t have a live stream ? And a call in show so MJ fans can talk openly about different topics ? 🤗🤗 Thank you so much for coming into my life.

Constantinos Isaias (Threads)
13) With no limitations, which one could have been your favorite special guests that you have like to interview?

Q (Threads)
14) Oh cool! Hello over here on peaceful Threads! I’d like to know what would be your Top 3 dream guests (living or passed.).

Q (Threads)
15) Cheeky second question(s), with talk of a director calling out Captain EO as prime material for a feature film, (I personally don’t see this happening but it could be fun), tell us about your first ever Captain EO experience, and if it ever became available as a physical product (it won’t), what would you include in the package?

Porter Wolff (email)
16) If you had a wish-list for future MJCAST Specials, who would be your top 5? Mine would be Buz Kohan, Freddie DeMann, Gary Hearne, Bill Bottrell and Nick Brandt.

Momowelz65 (Instagram)
17) What is your favourite Michael Jackson estate project, the MJ musical not included?

Xuedan Wang (Instagram)
18) Is the MJ One fan brunch on Michael’s birthday worth going to?

Joshua Klein (email) – Tucson, Arizona, USA
19) Hello Elise and the rest of The MJCast, been binging a lot of episodes for the past year now and I love the show and have been keeping up with new episodes ever since. I’ve heard plenty of discussions around everyone’s feelings towards the MJ estate and in some ways I completely agree with some of the opinions given. But as a casual fan of Michael, is it morally wrong to also buy new products/attend estate hosted events such as the birthday celebrations in Las Vegas? I like Michael and look forward to anything they put out, but sometimes I feel like I’m on a see-saw. Anyways thank you for taking the time to see my question, keep up the amazing work you all are doing and keep Michael-ing!

Porter Wolff (email)
20) If you had creative control of the estate, what would be the one project you would make and what would it include? A new album, short film boxset, album deluxes, a concert release?

Porter Wolff (email)
21) It’s been mentioned that an Estate Roundtable episode has been in the works, any update on if that is still the case?

Porter Wolff (email)
22) Do you know the level of completion for songs like “Buffalo Bill” and “Make or Break”, which are bad era tracks made with John Barnes. What about “Rich Girl”, which was made with Brad Buxer during history.

Porter Wolff (email)
23) You went to a seminar where John Barnes spoke, were there any stories he told there that you were unable to ask during his special episode? (Note to Porter: I fully intend to follow up on this question down the road! -E)

Jace Bain / MixingHistory (Instagram)
24) You’re writing the upcoming MJ biopic; how do you open and w/ what song?

Evaeva7 (Instagram)
25) And how would you close it and with what song?

Sydni Taylor (email)
26) Are you excited for the biopic? As a fan, I fear that the media will mock and pick at it the minute a trailer is released, I also fear that these movements for victims would have something to say, hell I wouldn’t be surprised if people protest against the film when it’s time for theatrical release, people protested against Victor Salva’s film which I understood because he was actually guilty, but MJ isn’t but some people aren’t open to hearing that he’s innocent, I also fear the other film directors will get the idea to make a negative movie about MJ.

Sue Vick Finley (Instagram)
27) Someone just told me MJ had surgery to keep his voice high. I don’t believe that is true, but I didn’t know how to definitively say there is proof.

Sue Vick Finley (Instagram)
28) We just saw MJ the Musical. There was a part where he was signing papers to leverage Neverland against the dangerous tour. Did something like that really happen?

Sue Vick Finley (Instagram)
29) Black Music Archive: the voice the singing the explained Michael Jackson. Have you seen this. Is it a source to be trusted?

Sue Vick Finley (Instagram)
30) Any news on how Taj’s project is coming?

Sue Vick Finley (Instagram)
31) How can I watch Sonic Fantasy? It doesn’t seem to be on any platform for the average person to watch it. Thanks for all the wonderful work you all do on this podcast!

Cindy Messina (Instagram)
32) What are your thoughts on the new MJ podcast called Think Twice?

Sue Vick Finley (Instagram)
33) I recently read that Lisa Marie was a scientologist. Do you know anything about that play a role in their marriage?

Freakinuhmazin (Twitter)
34) Why do you think no one ever talks about how Lisa and Michael kept getting back together and breaking up for four more years after their divorce? I think it’s awesome that they kept clapping cheeks. 😂😁

Gsingh1385 (Instagram)
35) Would it be possible to do a round table on the Living with Michael Jackson documentary?

Sydni Taylor (email)
36) Does anyone know if Prince Jackson is still interested in being a film director?

Also, big thanks to Italian_to_go for questions on the allegations, Andrew for questions on State of Shock, and Heli Tenhunen for question about Michael Jackson’s personal believes. All of these questions were left out of this episode because Elise decided they were either better addressed by another team member, and/or should be saved for a longer discussion on a future episode!

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.

Additional Links
• TheMJCast 063: Q Q&A
• TheMJCast 069: C Q&A
• TheMJCast 074: J Q&A
• TheMJCast 099: Leaving Neverland Q&A
• TheMJCast130: An Evening With Charlie and Jamon
• TheMJCast147: The Big British Q&A

Support Us
• Please consider donating through PayPal to help cover our costs. All proceeds go towards online running costs, upgrading equipment, and charity donations.
• We also have an official merchandise shop. Support The MJCast and Michael Jackson all at the same time by buying some of our fun merch.
• Learn all about the various ways you can support The MJCast through visiting our website.

Connect with Us
• TheMJCast.com
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Mastodon
• Twitter
• Threads
• 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!

153: Season Eight Christmas Special

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Taj Jackson joins Jamon Bull, Elise Capron, Charlie 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
• 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!

142: Reflections on John Barnes Roundtable

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Brad Buxer, Matt Forger, and Brad Sundberg join host Jamon Bull for a very special episode in remembrance of the late John Barnes. From Barnes’s early work with Jackson at Hayvenhurst, to deep-dive discussions around technical recording aspects and some of their collaborative works like the brilliant song “Another Part of Me”, Matt and the two Brads take you inside the studio. Not only did Barnes and Jackson share a deep friendship, but also a unique artistic partnership that resulted in musical masterpieces that will be enjoyed by fans forever.

John Barnes was a force in the music industry for over 50 years, having worked with an extensive list of music icons, from The Miracles, to Marvin Gaye, Lionel Richie, Celine Dion, Diana Ross, and, of course, the King of Pop. His work with the Jackson family started in 1976, and he connected with Michael Jackson in 1982. Barnes and Jackson’s meeting would launch a long and productive professional, creative, and personal relationship that would last decades. The two owned a company together, called Experiments in Sound, and John became a central part of Michael’s creative team. Early on, Barnes worked on the Jacksons’ “Victory” album, and worked extensively on “Captain EO”, including creating sounds for the film and co-writing the song, “We Are Here to Change the World”. His work with the synclavier was considered revolutionary, and was a massively important part of his recording work with Michael Jackson.

During the “BAD” album recording, Barnes worked daily at Hayvenhurst, alongside Bill Bottrell and Matt Forger. While often unfairly dubbed “The B Team”, and noted for creating demos, while Quincy Jones and Bruce Sweden did the main work on this album, the reality was that the Hayvenhust team was central to the creation of the album, producing nearly final versions of many of the songs, such as “Smooth Criminal” and “The Way You Make Me Feel”.

Barnes would also go on to have roles on Jackson’s later albums, as well, including “Dangerous”, “HIStory”, and “Blood on the Dance Floor”. He continued his work with Jackson through the very end of his career, even going to Bahrain in 2006 to work on the still-unreleased charity single, “I Have this Dream”.

Barnes, who passed away after a long illness on March 19, 2022, was not only an amazing musician and visionary, but he was passionate about humanitarian issues. This was a driving force in his close relationship with the King of Pop, and included important creative work, such as co-writing the song, “We Are The World”, which raised $50 million internationally to end hunger in Africa. He was full of genuine passion for his art, sometimes at the cost of not getting the credit he deserved. In this incredible discussion, Barnes’s colleagues and friends share memories and unique stories about him and the moments which made him a true icon.

The MJCast is deeply appreciative to our special guests on this episode, and sends our condolences to John’s family and friends. The world will not be the same without him.

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.

Guests
• Brad Buxer, who worked with Michael Jackson for 20 years, from the “Dangerous” album onwards through “Invincible”, and who became one of Michael’s closest production, music, and songwriting collaborators. He was also Musical Director for both the Dangerous and HIStory World tours. He has a close personal relationship with Michael into the final years of Michael’s life.
• Matt Forger, who worked with Michael Jackson starting with the “Thriller” album, where he was credited as a technical engineer, and continued to work on just about every project Michael did through the rest of his life. He also played a central roll in “Captain EO”. In addition, Matt is well-known for his many years of studio work with the Japanese superstar Yuming.
• Brad Sundberg, who was Michael Jackson’s Technical Director and studio engineer for 18 years, starting as an assistant on “Captain EO”, and also designed and built the extensive sound and lighting installations at Neverland. These days, Brad runs the seminar series, In the Studio with MJ, with events held around the world.

Additional Links
• John Barnes’ official website.
• Articles on the passing of John Barnes by Music Radar, MJWorld and MJVibe.

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!

121: The New Adventures of Charlie Thomson

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Charles Thomson returns to The MJCast, joining Jamon Bull for a massive catch-up on everything the investigative journalist has been up to since the release of Leaving Neverland a year and a half ago. The duo discuss Charlie’s whirlwind year, from winning national journalism awards in the UK while simultaneously losing his job, being hired for a podcast, and unexpectedly becoming the central narrator in Danny Wu’s 1993 allegations documentary, Square One. They cover back-and-forth trips to Los Angeles (featuring a cameo by Helen Mirren!), restaurant-hopping with Tom Mesereau, parties at Hayvenhurst, an HBO court hearing, and much more. And finally, Charlie talks about being hired for a Larry Nimmer documentary, and launching his own true crime podcast, Unfinished: Shoebury’s Lost Boys. It’s been an epic year for Charlie, to be sure.

Discussion Topics
• Leaving Neverland has won a BAFTA.
• Charlie’s amazing year.

Additional Links
• Charlie’s Twitter and website.
• Charlie’s new true crime podcast, Unfinished: Shoebury’s Lost Boys.
• Danny Wu’s documentary, Square One. (You can read The MJCast review of the film and see photos from the LA film premiere here.)

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.

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!

089: John Barnes Special

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The MJCast’s Elise Capron and Jamon Bull are honoured to interview renowned musician, arranger, songwriter and mixer John Barnes, who has worked with an incredibly wide range of the world’s top musicians and entertainers, including, of course, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.

John has been recording music since the early ’70s, and has collaborated with artists such as Marvin Gaye, The Miracles, Lionel Richie, Celine Dion, Diana Ross, and many more. He first teamed up with the Jackson family in the early ’80s, playing synthesizer and handling arrangements on The Jacksons’ Victory album. He also worked independently with Janet and Jermaine during this time.

Captain EO and the Bad album marked the beginning of John’s deep involvement in Michael Jackson’s solo career. While Quincy Jones and Bruce Swedien were working at Westlake, John, Matt Forger, and Bill Bottrell spent their days at Michael’s private home studio at Hayvenhurst, bringing to fruition Michael’s own musical creations. John took on many different roles in the creative process. He was a musician, programmer, and developed ideas from the group up alongside Michael, including co-writing ‘We Are Here to Change the World’.

John worked with Michael in his later years as well, and spent time with him in Bahrain following the 2005 criminal trial in which he was found not guilty. Not only was John a crucial member of MJ’s creative team, but he has also had a major impact on the popular music landscape as we know it, both as a traditional musician and with his revolutionary work with synth sound programming. Today, John continues his work in the music industry as the CEO of Innersound Studios.

Additional Links
• John’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
• Janet Jackson – Don’t Stand Another Chance
• U.S.A for Africa – We Are the World
• Michael Jackson’s Captain EO film
• The infamous 1983 James Brown concert where both Michael Jackson and Prince were called up on stage.
• Michael Jackson – I Have This Dream (Instrumental)

Ad & Music Breaks
• Michael Jackson – Al Capone
• Michael Jackson – We Are Here to Change the World
• Michael Jackson – We are the World (Demo)

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

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.com. Michael on!

Episode 014 – Travelling With a King Special

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Epiosde 014 - Travelling With a King Special YouTube ArtOn this special episode of The MJCast, Jamon and Q interview author of the ‘Michael Jackson travel guide’ book Travelling With a King, Christophe. Topics include the book itself, his working relationship with co-author Antoine Cardinot, his fandom of Michael Jackson and the writing process behind the book. We also talk about Christophe’s French Michael Jackson magazine, MJBackstage, some of the intriguing locations mentioned within Travelling With a King and finally we delve into a discussion around Christophe’s views of places like Neverland and Hayvenhurst being considered tourist attractions.

As mentioned on the book’s official website, “Travelling With a King is the first ever travel guide totally dedicated to Michael Jackson. This fully colored and glossy paper book contains hundreds of places linked to the King of Pop, from studios to houses, venues and statues. You’ll find everything you need to know including historical and geographic details about each location. Travelling With A King – Book 1, is the first part of this totally unique travel guide. Book one contains North, Central & South America and, as bonuses, a few selected places [in] Europe and Asia. Its A5 format and light weight will make it easy to bring it with you every time you travel.”

For purchasing Travelling With a King at a discounted price, make sure to visit this special website which Christophe has created specifically for listeners of The MJCast!

Lastly, stay tuned at the end of this show to hear about various celebrations around the world for Michael’s 2015 birthday on August 29th!

Links
Travelling With a King’s official website, Facebook and Twitter pages
MJBackstage’s official website, Facebook and Twitter pages
Visit this page of Travelling With a King’s website to purchase the book at a discounted price!
Michael Jackson performing Who Is It acapella for Oprah Winfrey
Michael Jackson’s HIStory statue in Best, Netherlands
The house featured in the Michael Jackson short film Thriller.
Michael Jackson shopping at The Regis Galerie in The Venetian, Las Vegas.
LMJ Magazine’s interview with the Christophe and Antoine, authors of Travelling With a King.
The 1980’s unauthorised interview with Michael and La Toya Jackson at Hayvenhurst.
Enola Lee’s website devoted to Neverland, titled Neverland – For Michael, For Love, Forever.
Remember the Time – Protecting Michael Jackson in his Final Days, a book by bodyguards Bill Whitfield, Javon Beard and Tanner Colby
You Are Not Alone – Michael: Through a Brother’s Eyes, a book by Jermaine Jackson.
Information on Michael Jackson’s birthday weekend in Sydney, courtesy of MJ Book Club and the MJ Fans of Melbourne Facebook pages.
The Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace in Sydney is set to celebrate Michael’s birthday with a special screening of Moonwalker!
Walk the World for Michael, an annual charity event on Michael’s birthday which contributes funds by initiatives by the charity organisation, Michael Jackson’s Legacy.
Cirque Du Soleil and Michael Jackson One are set to celebrate Michael’s 2015 birthday in style!
Michael’s birthday celebration in Perth, Western Australia.
Katherine Jackson’s August 21 – 22 I Just Can’t Stop Loving You charity weekend in Gary, Indiana
Footage of Michael Jackson visiting China during the late 1980’s.

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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!