Tag Archives: Shawn Shackelford

154: It’s Really Really Season Nine

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Podcast: Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Brad Sundberg, Michael Jackson’s Technical Director, is celebrating ten years as the host of “In the Studio with MJ“, a touring seminar exploring Michael’s music.

But in January of this year he fell victim to a crime which sent shockwaves through the fan community, when his personal equipment was stolen by a bootlegger, who raided and released the contents.

In his first and only interview about the devastating theft, he speaks to The MJCast co-hosts Elise Capron, Jamon Bull, and guest host Shawn Shackelford.

Kicking off Season Nine of The MJCast, Brad explains for the first time how the thief made off with hundreds of unreleased Michael Jackson songs and videos and the impact that has had on Brad’s personal and professional lives.

He also shares stories from his time working with the King of Pop, explains what it takes to run a touring seminar on the scale of ITSWMJ, and reveals what’s next for Brad Sundberg.

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.

Participants
• Elise Capron
• Jamon Bull
• Shawn Shackelford
• Brad Sundberg

Additional Links
• The “In the Studio with MJ” website and new merch
• Brad Sundberg’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages
• The MJCast 015: Brad Sundberg Special
• The MJCast 142: Reflections on John Barnes Roundtable
• 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
• Instagram
• Mastodon
• Twitter
• 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

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

Podcast: Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

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!

139: Invincible 20 Roundtable

Posted on by — 5 Comments ↓

Podcast: Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Released in 2001, Invincible was the seventh adult, solo studio album from Michael Jackson. Having released HIStory and Blood on the Dance Floor in uncharacteristically quick succession, Jackson had then largely retreated from the limelight for four years, appearing only at a handful of awards ceremonies and benefit concerts between 1998 and 2001.

Anticipation in the fan community was high. Appearing at the World Music Awards in 2000, to be honoured for his unparalleled success in the music industry, Jackson had teased in his acceptance speech: “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” But whether the eventual album lived up to Jackson’s hype has split fans for the past two decades.

Invincible would be released in 2001 to a lukewarm critical reception, with many reviewers saying the man dubbed the King of Pop for his trendsetting career was now reduced to following trends instead, bringing in younger artists and lending his vocals to their work. With just two entirely self-penned songs on the 16-track album, Jackson seemed to be something of a passenger on his own album.

With his physical appearance attracting more interest than his art, and coverage of the album’s release unfortunately coinciding with the biggest news event of the century – the 9/11 terror attacks – the album charted well upon release but quickly sank, receiving little promotion from either Jackson or his record label.

By summer 2002, artist and label were locked in a vicious battle, with Jackson accusing Sony of sabotaging the project as part of a racist conspiracy, and the label countering that Jackson’s career had been killed by allegations of child molestation.

So what is Invincible’s true place in Jackson’s legacy? Did it deserve the critical pasting it received? Have the songs aged well? Would they have fared better if they had been released at a different time? In what is bound to be one of the most controversial episodes in this podcast’s history, our panellists (Jamon Bull, Shawn Shackelford, James Alay, John Cameron and Charles Thomson) ask and answer these questions, and many more.

This episode was edited by Jamon Bull.

Participants
• Jamon Bull
• Shawn Shackelford
• James Alay
• John Cameron
• Charles Thomson

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!

134: My Father Was Ready to Go

Posted on by — 4 Comments ↓

Podcast: Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

In this regular episode, host Jamon Bull is joined by co-founder of The MJCast, our very own Q, as well as first-time guest, mega-fan Shawn Shackelford. The guys cover loads of updates in the world of Michael Jackson, including the Estate’s hiring of Prince Jackson, the return of MJ fan events, including MJ One in Las Vegas and the launch of MJ: The Musical, an honor for Jackson from the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame, updates on Ron Burkle’s purchase of Neverland, and much more. Plus, Shawn tells his amazing fan story, which includes getting to see Michael Jackson in concert during the Triumph, Victory, and Bad tours!

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.

Discussion Topics
• The Jacksons release two music videos for “Can You Feel It” remixes, the “Kirk Franklin Remix” and “Jacksons x MLK Remix”.
• The Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame inducts Michael Jackson.
• Cast changes and merch have come for the MJ: The Musical.
• Events are coming back! MJ One in Las Vegas returns on August 19th, with events planned around Michael Jackson’s birthday. Brad Sundberg has just had his first in-person In The Studio event since COVID started.
• Ron Burkle discusses his plans for Neverland.
• Lil Nas X pays homage to Michael Jackson in a recent performance.
• Prince Jackson officially joins the MJ Estate.
• Michael Jackson has been certified as the biggest selling solo artist of all time
• Tito Jackson new song “Love One Another” is out. The album “Under Your Spell” will be out August 6th.
• Paris Jackson will appear on two episodes of American Horror Stories, a spinoff of the American Horror Story series.
• John’s Cameron’s new episode “Janet Jackson (1996 – 1998)”.
• Shawn Shackelford’s fan story.

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!