MJ RIP-What was your favorite Michael Jackson song?

[diandra]

- Andrew Leonard, Salon Senior Writer -

In the mid-1980s I worked as a disco DJ in Taipei, Taiwan, at a nightclub called the Metro. There were some songs that got all the foreign guys to rush the floor and start behaving like fools, like "Add It Up" by the Violent Femmes. There were some songs that got all the foreign girls swooning off their bar stools, like "I Melt With You" by Modern English. And there were songs that got all the Taiwanese girls in the house up at once, like almost anything by Madonna. (The Taiwanese guys would follow the Taiwanese girls.)

And then there was "Billie Jean."

"Billie Jean" was the song that you saved for when you needed to rejuvenate a dead night; a magic trick that could instantly transform a cemetery into a rave. As the first sinister notes pumped out of the speakers, you could see ears prick up and bodies tense all over the club, as if a meadow full of grazing deer had suddenly caught the scent of a pack of wolves. Except, instead of fleeing in terror, the mass reaction was to surge onto the dance floor.

"Billie Jean" was a song that made everyone feel instantly three times cooler than they had any right to be. The antithesis of a love song -- a man denying paternity! -- it had a mean edge perfect for the Darwinist natural selection of a sexual meat market cruising long after midnight.

Every time I played it, I would stand in my booth and marvel at the ironic perfection of the genius of Michael Jackson. The song demanded that everyone be as sexual as their psyches would allow, while at the same time warning of the dangers of sex, of entanglement with the wrong person, "to be careful what you do, because the lie becomes the truth." Everyone who danced to that song in a seedy disco while dawn waited just around the corner was asking for trouble, whether they knew it or not.

I loved that song.

[apodixis]

Thank you for posting that, Diandra. It is the first attempt here to explain what attraction Jackson had for his fans. The comments about “Billy jean” above apply even more to “Thriller”

Posters here have said WHAT their favorite Jackson productions were. Can you explain, as the article above does, WHY those particular productions, and Jackson in general, have an attraction for you ?

[resigned]

Thank you for posting that, Diandra. It is the first attempt here to explain what attraction Jackson had for his fans. The comments about “Billy jean” above apply even more to “Thriller”

Posters here have said WHAT their favorite Jackson productions were. Can you explain, as the article above does, WHY those particular productions, and Jackson in general, have an attraction for you ?

"Ben", which I really don't think was a production in the same sense has his later material, but it was just a nice, sweet, pop song about a being able to be yourself and being accepted for such....

kind of like " a crooked lid for every crooked pot"...

[osme]

Yeah....Yeah...

Werse #1
I can tell you've been hurt by that look on your face girl.
Someone brought safety to your happy world.
You need love but you're afraid that if you give in,
Someone else will come along and sock it to ya again.

Chorus
One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch girl.
(Ooh. Give me one more try before you give up on love.)
One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch girl.
(Ooh. I don't care what they say, I don't care what you heard.)

Ooooooh....Ooooooh.....

Verse #2
I could make you happy baby and satisfy you too.
How can I? You won't give me a chance to prove my love to you.
Won't you just give me one little chance (One little chance now.)
I'll give you love guaranteed that you won't be hurt again.

Chorus
One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch girl.
(Ooh. Give me one more try before you give up on love.)
One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch girl.
(Ooh. I don't care what they say, I don't care what you heard now.)

Ooooooh.....Ooooooh.....

Verse #3
I've been noticing you baby for a long, long time (long, long time now.)
I'm not ashamed to tell the world that you really messed up my mind.
Girl, to me, you're like a dream come true (dream come true now.)
I'd rather hurt myself then to ever hurt you.

Chorus
One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch girl.
(Ooh. Give me one more try before you give up on love.)
One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch girl.
(Ooh. I don't care what they say, I don't care what you heard now.)
One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch girl.
(Ooh. Give me one more try before you give up on love.)
One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch girl.
(Ooh. I don't care what they say, I don't care what you heard now.)
One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch girl.
(Ooh. Give me one more try before you give up on love.)
One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch girl.
(Ooh. I don't care what they say, I don't care what you heard now.)

One Bad Apple is The Osmond Brothers, not the Jackson 5..
Really it is.

[K Hemingway]

From Couch Sessions

Couch Sessions is the premier online destination for alternative urban music and culture.

A Stranger in Moscow…
Written By : jconda // Comments (1)

It would take a book of sizable portion to truly document the impact of Michael Jackson’s legacy. To quote a very astute and eloquent colleague, “Michael Jackson was not supposed to happen.”

You see, Michael Jackson was a deity. I do not offer that label without thought…in all honesty, people from all walks of life, all races, all nations, all ages, all religious affiliations and all genders worshiped Michael Jackson. They adored his image. They adored his message. They adored his style and grace. They adored his voice. Despite the worst of accusations and the most merciless scrutiny of the international media, he was able to sell out 50 shows at the UK’s O2 Arena, which would equate to about 1 million people from around the world who had made plans to witness the legend for themselves. I question if Michael really wanted this. I ponder whether or not there was a point in his life where he felt things beginning to grow so beyond his human control - a point where a choice had to be made to hold on or let go. Being an individual that believes in an Almighty God, it frightens me to think of the spiritual ramifications of such a decision.

It’s probable that no one knew Michael’s true thoughts or emotions except the man himself. But, occasionally, he allowed his listeners to peek through the window and see the agony of his life and his desire to “trade it all in” for peace. For quiet. For normalcy.

“Stranger in Moscow”, a single released in 1996 from the album HIStory, is such a window.

It took me a moment to get past the pleasant listening experience of the song - it’s downtempo electronica groove, it’s beautiful call and response harmonies, the catchy hook. But it’s Michael’s words and the intensity of his plea that help us to appreciate his supreme artistry.

The song was written, arranged and produced by Michael Jackson. The first thing we notice is the title. There are few places a Black American would feel lost and out of place more so than in the heart of Russia. Well, maybe Bensonhurst, Brooklyn…but that doesn’t have the same universal ring to it. Note to songwriters: choose a good title that sparks a mental image, which will, in turn, affect the emotions of your audience.

The word pictures Michael paints with the verses are so vivid - narrating a life of pain against mental images and feelings of cold war Russia: “Here abandoned in my fame/ Armageddon of the brain/KGB was doggin’ me/Take my name and just let me be”. That last line harmonizes with biographies that state Michael’s loneliness had reached such a point that he would roam the streets to hold conversations with strangers - only to return home unfulfilled. With all of his fame and greatness, he was alone, cold and misunderstood.

In the next few weeks of media coverage we must understand that beneath the internationally deified superstardom, beyond the allegedly ‘strange’ physical transformations and on past our memories of moonwalks and screams – there was a fragile human being. A human being who, when all was said and done, simply longed to be loved.

Remember above all else, love is the greatest gift we could ever receive. And love is the greatest gift we could ever give.

We wish peace and respect be with the Jackson family at this time.

http://www.thecouchsessions.com/author/jconda/

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[Knipoog]

Michael Jackson - She's Out Of My Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF0o-W5u ... re=related

[Schmerty]

Michael Jackson - She's Out Of My Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF0o-W5u ... re=related

Beautiful! Just beautiful!

[K Hemingway]

Michael Jackson - She's Out Of My Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF0o-W5u ... re=related

"She's Out of My Life" is a song written by musical artist Tom Bahler. He wrote the song about Karen Carpenter, who broke up with Bahler after discovering he had fathered a child with another woman. The song has been covered by a variety of artists, including: Michael Jackson, Patti LaBelle, Ginuwine, 98 Degrees, Jon Lee, Barbara Mandrell, Willie Nelson, and Josh Groban.

The song became famous as the fourth single to be released by singer Michael Jackson from his successful Off the Wall album in 1980. It was the first time a solo artist had achieved four top ten hits from one album. Unlike the album's previous singles (which were all dance-oriented funk/disco songs), the "She's Out of My Life" song was an emotional ballad. Jackson's vocals on the record were considered by critics to be some of his best.

A poignant moment in the song occurs near the end when Jackson begins to break down in tears as he sings the word "life". Given the popular response to his emotional rendition, the song remained in Jackson's live set for many years. Although he had attempted to record the song's last few moments with emotional restraint, after numerous tries he continued to end the rendition the same - by breaking down in tears. Producer Quincy Jones subsequently let Jackson's tearful recording stand:

She's Out of My Life - I'd been carrying around for about three years, - you can feel the pain in it you know. And I held on to it and finally something said 'this is the right moment to give it to Michael'.

And when we recorded it with Michael I know it was an experience he'd never even thought about to sing in a song, cause it's a very mature emotion. And, - he cried at the end of every take, you know. We recorded about, I don't know, 8-11 takes, and every one, at the end he just cried, and I said 'hey - that's supposed to be, leave it on there.'

—Quincy Jones, Off the Wall 2001 Special Edition, Quincy Jones Interview 3

[olympic]

A clip of a previously unreleased Michael Jackson song has hit the net, and it feels eerie.

In the song "A Place With No Name," the late King of Pop sings about his desire to travel to a mysterious locale: "Take me to a place without no name."

It is not clear when the song was recorded or if it is referring to a heaven-like utopia or a remote getaway.

The 25-second snippet obtained by TMZ is an interpolation of America's song "A Horse With No Name" that reached Number 1 on The Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1972.

Years ago, America's manager reportedly approved Michael's "A Place With No Name."

Jim Morey, America's current manager who also represented Michael in the late '80s and early '90s, told TMZ that the band supported Michael's rendition. "The band was honored that Michael chose to do their song and they hope it becomes available for all Michael's fans to hear."

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[Obscuregawdess]

I'm so silly... I just recognized the riffs from Horse with no Name.

[olympic]

La Toya Jackson didn't get to share her musical ode to childhood memories with her brother, Michael. Instead, she's doing the next best thing—sharing it with a cause close to her brother's heart.

All proceeds from La Toya's single, "Home," will go to one of the King of Pop's pet charities, AIDS Project Los Angeles, which provides an extensive array of services for people living with HIV and AIDS.

La Toya had originally planned to release a different single to tease her upcoming album, but after Michael's death on June 25, her label approached her about turning "Home" into a tribute.

"We felt that to move forward releasing La Toya's album as planned without recognizing Michael's tragic passing was inappropriate," Bungalo Records president Paul Ring said.

The song, released by Ja-Tail Records and Bungalo/Universal and now featuring a specific shout-out to Jackson (aka "Joker," his childhood nickname), hit iTunes today, and you can sneak a listen right here, as well.

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[olympic]

Michael Jackson's "Thriller
" is set to regain its throne as America's top-selling album of all time.

Even before the King of Pop's untimely death last month, "Thriller" was closing the gap on The Eagles' "Their Greatest Hits," thanks to the 25th anniversary reissue last year and the reworked version of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' " with Akon. As of June, The Eagles, who took over the all-time top spot in 1999, had shipped 29 million units of their compilation, while Jackson had shipped 28 million copies of "Thriller."

After Jackson's
death, sales of "Thriller" have been brisk, even moving 264,000 copies last week, which was more than all new releases. To meet the demand, stores have been clamoring for more copies of "Thriller," which will likely push its shipment totals to 30 million soon. That would mean Jackson would make history once again, becoming the first artist to get a triple-diamond certification.

"Thriller" - which featured seven Top 10 singles, including the No. 1 smashes "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" - is already the top-selling album in the world, with estimated global sales of more than 100 million since its first release in 1982.

[annie13]

Bump ~~~~~ It's hard to believe it's been a year! I plan on watching the specials on about him this weekend. And listening to his music all day.