Michael recorded an album inspired by famous poet Robert Burns before his passing

MsCassieMollie

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MICHAEL Jackson recorded an album shortly before his death which was inspired by the works of Robert Burns.


Jackson’s previously unheard tracks have been offered to the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, Ayrshire.


It has emerged the superstar was a big fan of the Scottish Bard and that the Burns’ spine-tingling masterpiece Tam O’Shanter inspired Jackson’s best-known track, Thriller.


Music producer David Gest, who collaborated with Jackson on the Burns project, visited the birthplace museum recently.


Gest, himself a huge Burns fans, revealed that he and Jackson had turned several of the poet’s works in to show tunes.


In an interview with BBC Alba, Gest revealed: “Both being fanatics, I said to Michael, let’s do a play Burns’s life and he said he would help me with the music.


“Michael believed in the project so much. He said: ‘I’ll give you the studio [in Los Angeles] and I’ll pay for all the music.”


Gest added: “We went to his recording studio at the family house in Encino, where all the Jacksons grew up and we took about eight or 10 of Burns’s poems and we put them to contemporary music, things like A Red Red Rose and Ae Fond Kiss and the story of Tam O’Shanter.


“When you listen to Thriller, you hear a little bit of Tam O’Shanter in there.”


The songs were originally intended to be part of a musical, directed by Gene Kelly and produced by actor Anthony Perkins. The death of both men meant it was never staged.


Gest, a former contestant on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, described Jackson’s recordings of the Burns works as “beautiful”.


He said it was important that they should be heard by the millions of Burns fans that travel to his homeland annually.


Gest also revealed how he and Jackson discovered the works of Burns.


He said: “I remember going with Michael Jackson to an antique book store in LA on Beverley Boulevard. This guy said he had got in a first edition of a Burns book and that it was very expensive.”


Gest admitted: “And so I said, let me see it, because I had no idea who Burns was because Americans are very illiterate as to who Rabbie Burns is.


BURNS_MUSEUM_DPPA15-300x164.jpg



“They sing Auld Lang Syne every New Year’s Eve. And if you ask, out of every 1,000 maybe four people might know who Rabbie Burns is.”


Gest released a film on Jackson’s life last year. In 1996, he staged a show called Red Red Rose, which was based on Burns’s life and starred the actor John Barrowman.

The multi-millionaire also revealed that he tried to sleep in the poet’s bed at Burns Cottage during his recent visit.


He said: “I got to lay in the bed but the alarm went off. It’s a tiny bed but I kinda cuddled up. I thought: I’ve slept in the bed in which Rabbie Burns was born.


“He was so intelligent and so smart. It’s sad that when he died people really realise the greatness and importance, and it took death and a time after that to bring him into his own.


“He’s probably the greatest poet of all time.”


The National Trust for Scotland, which runs the Ayrshire museum, said: “We can confirm David Gest was recently at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum filming.


“We understand there was some discussion about the donation of some musical materials. If it goes ahead it will be an exciting addition.”


The programme, part of the series Cuide Ri Cathy, produced by MNE TV, is due to be broadcast in the spring.
http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2012/01/15/you-know-im-bard-jacko-recorded-a-burns-album/
 
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WHAT. Is this true? Why did he never mention it before??
 
I don't know what to think cuz I don't trust Gest. I wish it was true, listening to real and new music will always make me excited but I doubt it's true.
 
Err when I see David gest name I am done. I don't believe anything from his mouth.
 
David Gest? um~~~I won't get too excited too fast. He tends to exgaerate things. and Gest said they went to Encino to listen to the songs???? How many years did MJ not go back to the Encino house? I really doubt the whole thing.
 
I will belive this when i see it in cd stores..in which i bet will never happen
 
This isnt new it was a tabloid story that was written in 2007- 2008 and was never confirmed by MJ or Gest. The writer re-hashing this story above is mistaken by saying it happened shortly before MJ's death. Gest and MJ didnt have any contact at that time. I believe original tabloid fodder stated in the eighties. I doubt the story is true. Gest would have already presented those songs long before now. Plus there is no Copyright recorded for these songs. I seem to rememeber this story was proven false when we discussed it here before. Need to do some research

Gest released a film on Jackson’s life last year. In 1996, he staged a show called Red Red Rose, which was based on Burns’s life and starred the actor John Barrowman.

If Gest staged this musical above none of the songs or music in it were written by Michael. A very FISHY Story
 
This isnt new it was a tabloid story that was written in 2007- 2008 and was never confirmed by MJ or Gest. The writer re-hashing this story above is mistaken by saying it happened shortly before MJ's death. Gest and MJ didnt have any contact at that time. I believe original tabloid fodder stated in the eighties. I doubt the story is true. Gest would have already presented those songs long before now. Plus there is no Copyright recorded for these songs. I seem to rememeber this story was proven false when we discussed it here before. Need to do some research
Really. Thanks for clarifying.
 
Um. Michael didn't write the song, "Thriller." So, the Burns influence......?
 
David Gest? um~~~I won't get too excited too fast. He tends to exgaerate things. and Gest said they went to Encino to listen to the songs???? How many years did MJ not go back to the Encino house? I really doubt the whole thing.

Yeap is this true. I mean it is 2 years since Michael passed and Thriller was not written by Michael, so how could we hear parts of this poem in it? I am confused. Are we to assume that Michael wrote music in the 80s, Gest has this music, and now he wants to give it away as a gift from him? If this is true, who really owns this music--Michael or Gest? Is this something like the paintings/art that Strong said Michael gave to him and only Strong knew where the art was? It makes you wonder how many things belonging to Michael people have hidden away and whether these objects really belong to them 100%.
 
This isnt new it was a tabloid story that was written in 2007- 2008 and was never confirmed by MJ or Gest. The writer re-hashing this story above is mistaken by saying it happened shortly before MJ's death. Gest and MJ didnt have any contact at that time. I believe original tabloid fodder stated in the eighties. I doubt the story is true. Gest would have already presented those songs long before now. Plus there is no Copyright recorded for these songs. I seem to rememeber this story was proven false when we discussed it here before. Need to do some research



If Gest staged this musical above none of the songs or music in it were written by Michael. A very FISHY Story


Thank you for clarifying this story...I have learned av valuable lesson about music since Michael passed away,...I need proof that the music that people say is Michael's....IS actually Michael. I refuse to get scammed anymore with the "stuff" people say they had packed away,,,or "found" material....done with that crap. Unless people can PROVE that it is Michael....sorry I am not interested.
 
Thank you for clarifying this story...I have learned av valuable lesson about music since Michael passed away,...I need proof that the music that people say is Michael's....IS actually Michael. I refuse to get scammed anymore with the "stuff" people say they had packed away,,,or "found" material....done with that crap. Unless people can PROVE that it is Michael....sorry I am not interested.

^^HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I know what you mean!!!!!!!
 
Hmm...not sure why Gest did not use any of this music when he staged the show in 1996? (Unless MJ didn't want the music used.....)


I found this about the staging starring John Barrowman:

Red Red RoseThe Concert Hall Aarhus, Denmark1996
Role: Robert Burns

In 1996 John traveled to Denmark to portray the poet Robert Burns in David Gest's production of Red Red Rose.

The musical took its title from Burns' famous 1794 song, "My love is like a red red rose" which is often published as a poem.

The show follows Burns' colourful love-life, which in his day did not endear him to the elders of the local church. He fathered a child with his mother's maid, Elizabeth Paton, before having twins with Jean Armour. They were later married. Jean bore him nine children but sadly only three survived infancy.

Red Red Rose won third place in a competition for new musicals which attracted a large number of entries. Excerpts from the final three musicals were performed on the night of the awards in Denmark. John recorded the title song for his CD Reflections from Broadway. It also features on the CD, Musical Winners of 1996. This album also contains other songs from the musical and selections from the other two winning musicals.

http://www.johnbarrowman.com/fanzone/stage/rose.shtml

I found this on a blog:
Red, Red Rose is one of Burns’s best known poems, and has enjoyed popularity for over 200 years. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately if the critics are to be believed) the musical Red, Red Rose was not fated to be so successful. As far as I have been able to discover the musical was only performed once, at the Musical of the Year competition held in Aarhus Concert Hall, Amsterdam in September 1996. Despite winning third place and a prize of £10,000, the reviews were unfavourable and, as far as I know, the musical was never performed again. One reviewer in The Times (London), described the musical as:

… a brash, coarse assessment of the lusty life and wild times of Robbie Burns.

(September 25th, 1996)

while the critic from the Daily Mail, Jack Tinker, said that it was

Ill-advisedly written as an all-American tribute to the Scots lover-poet Robbie Burns [and that it]dredged up every cliche in the musical-biog lexicon…Not even the highly personable John Barrowman, in a swirling kilt, could redeem it.

(September 27th, 1996)

I first became aware of the existence of the musical Red, Red Rose (as well as several other musicals I had never heard of before, thank you SL) when I listened to John Barrowman’s CD ‘Reflections from Broadway’. On the CD he sings the title song from the musical Red, Red Rose. I rather like the song; it’s a pleasant enough tune, and has some pretty flute parts in the accompanying orchestral arrangement. Mr Tinker of the Daily Mail was not so kind, accusing the writers, George Rosie and Paul Alan Johnson, of

rendering the immortal My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose into the kind of Muzak you would walk up ten flights of stairs to avoid hearing in a lift.

(27th September, 1996)

which I thought was a bit harsh, to say the least. Mind you, I have never agreed with anything the Daily Mail has said, so perhaps this is unsurprising.

I would like to be able to listen to the whole musical myself and form my own opinion based on more than just one song and a couple of reviews, but I don’t think that any recordings of the show exist. So, for now (or perhaps forever), I will have to content myself with listening to the song ‘Red, Red Rose’ and only imagining what the rest of the ill-fated musical was like.

http://bookmouse.wordpress.com/2007/01/26/red-red-rose/
 
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Time will tell whether or not this story is true. I hope it is true.
 
I very much doubt these songs exist. to many errors and no mention of these songs other than rehashed Tabloid articles.

10 TOP reasons Why I doubt this story

1.- This article was originally written back in aug of 2008 and still no songs have surfaced from Gest.
2. _Says songs were recorded just before MJ death. ( Gest had no contact with MJ & org said was recorded at Encino 80's)
3._ States Thriller was inspired by Mjs love for Burns ( MJ didnt write Thriller)
4._ Gest did a musical on life of Burns he didnt use these song in it.
5._ There is no record of these song in Michael's catalog
6._ There no copyright has been recorded by Gest or MJ for the songs
7._ Gest knows you need to copyright and MJ always did.
8. _ David Gest is not credible. He sold many stories to tablods after MJ death (did mockery seance)
9._ Michael Jackson has never mentioned Burns or any songs
10._For all purposes the songs dont even exist exept in a Tabloid fairytales - no where else

A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on._ Winston Churchhill

Post any reason why we should believe it.
 
9._ Michael Jackson has never mentioned Burns or any songs

As far as i can remember michael never talked bout robert burns guy....or unless maybe he has and no one remembers??
 
Someone has a link about this story when it emerged in 2008 please? I can't find one....
 
Someone has a link about this story when it emerged in 2008 please? I can't find one....

There were several tabloids copying the story once it was published. I dont know the original source but I think it was the SUN. Ill post some links to some 2008 articles here in this post soon as soon as I find them again. We also have a thread here from 2008 on this story in our MJJC archives.



Here is the thread from 2008 on MJJC
Michael Jackson Records Pop Album of Robert Burns Poems (2008)
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/t...-of-Robert-Burns-Poems?highlight=robert+burns

The story was circulationg in the tabloids in August 2008 -http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/cel...-records-pop-album-of-Robert-Burns-poems.html


If the songs existed David certainly would have mentioned such an IMPORTANT thing in his MJ documentary Plus if MJ wrote the music David Gest would have to go though Estate before he did anything becuase MJ would be part owner.
 
Someone in the area could contact the Robert Burns museum and ask them if they have ever heard about these songs or even been offerered the songs from David Gest _ Im pretty certain they have not.

Robert Burns Birthplace Museum
Murdoch’s Lone
Alloway
KA7 4PQ
Telephone: 0844 493 2601 or +44 1292 443 700 from outside the UK
Email: burns@nts.org.uk
 
I don't remember the specific interview, but this was confirmed false by David Gest himself who said that he had joked to Michael about this story and they had both laughed at it. I believe Gest mentioned in an interview that Michael liked the poetry of Burns, and the story came from that. It is completely false. No such project exists.
 
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