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MJJC Exclusive Q&A with Joe Vogel - Submit your questions

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ivy

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You all know and love Joe Vogel from his masterpiece "Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson". As MJJC we are happy to announce that Joe Vogel has agreed to do a second Q&A with MJJC about his books. This Q&A nicely fits with the e-book release of "Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson" as well us Joe Vogel's upcoming July 11 release "Featuring Michael Jackson" - a collection of articles Joe has written about Michael Jackson (more detail can be found here : http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/t...collecton-quot-Featuring-Michael-Jackson-quot )

So what are you waiting for? Start writing your questions to Joe Vogel about his books & articles.
 
1) What is it about Michael's career that inspired you to write your many articles on his music?
2) Was there any article on Michael's music that was difficult for you to write, whether it be because of your personal feelings, etc.?
3) I read on Twitter that you're aiming to reissue Man in the Music. What can you tell us about that?
4) Which of Michael's collaborators were you most happy to interview for Man in the Music?
5) I know that you're often asked this question, but if you had to name a few unreleased songs from 2005-2009 that are complete enough to be released, which would they be?
6) Just how many unreleased songs by Michael did you hear while researching Man in the Music?
7) What's your favorite song by Michael?
 
Thanks for getting another Q&A with Joe Vogel, I didn't have anything to ask him the first time around. I need to think of some questions, but this is all I have so far.

1. How are the Stranger In Moscow and Scared Of The Moon pieces you are working on coming along? Do you have any idea when they might be released?
 
Cool. I echo the unreleased songs questions. How many are there he thinks that could be releasable (if he knows) and what the titles are?

Also what does he think of Don't be Messin' Around?
and if he plans on writing another book like Man in the Music. Maybe another book covering one of the albums?

Thanks. :)
 
Joe, first and foremost, I wanna to thank you for all your amazing work. You are truly a great asset for Michael Jackson's legacy.

It's just unfortunate that you never got to meet the man & get HIS views on his art.

Here are my questions:

1) what has been the most surprising thing you have learned from your research on MJ?
2) What is your favourite MJ album? Song?
3) I know you started work on Man in the Music before MJ passed, and had a hard time finding publisher. From your recent experience, Have you found publishers to be a bit more receptive to positive books on MJ?
4) Why do you think so many overlook MJ's work after Thriller/Bad?
5) Including unreleased songs you know of, what do you feel was MJ's most prolific era?
6) Will you include new chapters in the paperback version of Man in the Music?
7) Did Buz Kohan go into great details on how "Scared of The Moon" came about? can you share more tidbits that did not make it in the book?
8) Do you know why "Someone Put your Hand Out" was left off Dangerous?
9) Who really wrote "On the line"? Very confusing information Spike Lee said Babyface wrote the song, but Warner/Chappell's website & Ultimate, both list MJ as the writer.
10) After "Featuring Michael Jackson", what should we expect from you?
 
Do you think Michael's artistry and his impact on pop culture will be thoroughly examined by more scholars in the future?
 
Well, I'd like to know

1.- How do you feel about the release of BAD25? Some people say we shouldn't buy it because SONY just wants our money and that Michael would never approve given his turmoils with Tommy Mottola (former head of the company) in the past.

2.-Would you buy it and why? thank you so much for your work!
 
What Joe's future creative plans are (regarding MJ and otherwise).
 
Reserving this space for my questions. I have only just ordered his book, so unfortunately cannot ask any questions related to that.
 
1. Did you interview producers RedOne & will.i.am about their work with Michael? Can you tell us more about those sessions and how much material was actually finished?
2. Are you planning to do an interview with James Porte? He is the guy that should know a lot about Cascio songs and sessions at Cascio house because he was there and he co-wrote those songs. And since Cascios refused to talk to you, he is our only chance to find out more about what happened in that basement.
3. Are you planning to write a book just about Michael Jackson's unreleased material. Since there is so much material it would be an amazing book for all the fans. Your articles about Don't Be Messin' Around & Hollywood Tonight were amazing and very informative.
 
This is great as I missed the first one:clapping:

I cannot think anything at the moment, news about Spike Lees document got my all hyper and drove me overdrive, but I promise I post my questions in next few days.
 
OnirMJ said:
1. Did you interview producers RedOne & will.i.am about their work with Michael? Can you tell us more about those sessions and how much material was actually finished?
2. Are you planning to do an interview with James Porte? He is the guy that should know a lot about Cascio songs and sessions at Cascio house because he was there and he co-wrote those songs. And since Cascios refused to talk to you, he is our only chance to find out more about what happened in that basement.
3. Are you planning to write a book just about Michael Jackson's unreleased material. Since there is so much material it would be an amazing book for all the fans. Your articles about Don't Be Messin' Around & Hollywood Tonight were amazing and very informative.
Click to expand...

2. He also refused to talk to him.
 
OnirMJ said:
3. Are you planning to write a book just about Michael Jackson's unreleased material. Since there is so much material it would be an amazing book for all the fans. Your articles about Don't Be Messin' Around & Hollywood Tonight were amazing and very informative.
Click to expand...

I totally agree. Maybe not a book as detailed and descriptive as Man in the Music, but I would like to see a 50-60 page book about Michael's unreleased material, aiming primarily at post-Invincible creations.
 
Thanks Joe for answering more fan questions. I just love all your work on MJ!

1. Where you surprise that you could not get anyone like Eddie Cascio or James Porte to be interviewed for your book when so many that worked with MJ in the past were more then happy to participate?

2. Did you feel that the book wasn't 100% complete in anyway because there wasn't much to say about the Cascio tracks when they were included in the first post MJ album?

3. Do you plan on still trying to get more info on the Cascio tracks and a interview with those involved?

4. Is there any other artist that you would do a book on their music like you did for MJ?

5. What has been the feeback on your book within the music industry?

6. Have you met any memeber of the Jackson Family? If so have they read your books/articles on MJ?
 
1. How different is the version of Much Too Soon that was released on 'Michael' from MJ's original demo in the early-90's? Did MJ ever revisit the song after recording the vocals in 1994? How different is the guitar and harmonica solos - in fact, was there any harmonica in the original version, and how different was the original guitar parts compared with the guitar's recorded by [FONT=arial, sans-serif]Tommy Emmanuel after MJ passed away?[/FONT]

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]2. Do you know if The Estate have any plans to release DVD's of any concerts from the Victory and Triumph tours? Is there any releasable footage from those tours? We saw some excellent Triumph Tour footage on The One documentary when MJ was still alive. [/FONT]
 
Firstly I want to thank you Joe for writing Man in the Mirror. I got it for Christmas and tried to read it as slowly as possible so I could enjoy it longer:) Now I'm trying to forget that I read it so I can read it again, I throughout loved it.
Also I have read all other articles that you have written, and loved them all.

- You started writing this book before Michael's death and were going to interview him. Did you make any changes to your original plan how you should go with this book, or the book is as it was meant to be?

- Did you have questions prepared that you were going to ask him, and if yes, can you give a few an example questions?

- When you were doing your research for the book, did you come across with something that took you by the surprise?

- Were you as frustrated as fans were for Michael being reduced to tabloid caricature, and his music and achievements was basically dismissed? Do you think the tide is turning and people are finally seeing him as brilliant showman and musician and his music is not dismissible?

- In your book preface, you named two tabloid punditry - Diane Dimond and Nancy Grace. Does it make you angry that Diana is still at it, if you have read her latest piece of garbage you know what I mean?

- What is next in the line for you? I know you have Featuring Michael Jackson coming and I will get that one too, but do you have other plans for new book? I personally would love to read more in depth book about Michael's music videos as they were extensions of his songs and nearly as important as the songs, connection of music videos (mini movies) and songs, how he visualised his song to be in video, interviews with the video directors and other people he worked with and so on. That is my suggestion for your next book:yes:
 
2. What surprised you the most in the rough-cut of Spike Lee's Bad 25 documentary you saw?

3. Would you ever consider writing about Michael's personal life, for example the 1993 accusations, or do you just want to stick strictly to the music? I thought the snippets about Michael's personal life throughout Man In The Music were great and I would love to read more.

4. What is your opinion on a Michael Jackson "hologram" tour or performance? Do you think this should happen and if it did would you be interested in going to see it?

5. What do you think about the Jacksons' Unity Tour? Do you feel it is right for them to perform without Michael and why do you think it has taken so long for them to get back on the road?

6. Why do you think Eddie Cascio and James Porte refused to talk to you for Man In The Music?
 
questions sent from MJ Fan Square

1) Which is the peculiarity of MJ that initially attracted and motivated you to delve into the study of his music? in other words why did you decided to analyze specifically Michael's work rather than any other artist's work? I guess there are many reasons why you appreciate him, many of them you probably discovered during your work, but I'd like to know exactly what was, so to speak, the trigger.


2) In your last piece "The Top Ten Michael Jackson Songs of All Time" you wrote "If I were forced to gather together a group of songs to hold up against the best work of the Beatles or Bob Dylan or Prince, these are the ones I would bring." I'd like to know, if you were asked to put together an album not for the fans, but for people who do not know MJ or have never appreciated his music, which songs would you choose to include in this album to make these people know and understand MJ, the artist and the man, and his music?


3) Do you know if MJ Estate has any plan to release DVD of Victory Tour or Triumph Tour?


4) You wrote a piece for your blog about "Michael Jackson’s Top Ten Non-Studio Album Songs". Any plan to write something about songs not included into albums or collections (like "Blue Gangsta", "Do you know where your children are", "Xcape", etc)?


5) Had you a chance to hear the songs that MJ realized with will.i.am? Did you interview him or have any plan to interview will.i.am about these songs?


6) First question: in your opinion, did MJ’s ambitions to become records’ top seller and hugely popular influence in a negative way his art? In other words, don’t you think that he deliberately chose to sound more conventional than innovative in order to top the charts? Second question: take the “industrial” sounds of Dangerous: they surely are innovative in mainstream music, but are quite conventional compared to some 70’s or 80's music, if you consider bands like Kraftwerk or Chrome or Foetus. Do you think his music innovation was limited to black music and mainstream music or can we say he innovated pop music “tout court”, including alternative music?


7) Some of your most interesting notes about MJ's music state that his work is an original mix (or fusion) of different kind of pop music “like it never happened before”. Here in Italy we discussed a lot about this “controversial” opinion. Considering that some alternative rock musicians like Frank Zappa, the Residents, the Pop Group, The Minutemen (to name a few), used to do that kind of work years before MJ, don’t you think that this statement might be said only thinking about mainstream music?


8) Referring to MJ's music you often use terms like “he re-invented”. That sounds to me like an attempt to state - somehow - he has been the first to create something new in music while you are conscious that some other, although less publicized, musicians already did that before MJ. Is it correct? And if not, why you say he "reinvented" instead of "invented"? Another question: what do you think about those rock journalists who write about “criteria” in music, stating that “innovation” and “influence” are the most important criteria to judge music and according to these criteria don’t consider MJ an important musician in pop history?
 
at this time we are ending question collection and will start on determining the final set of questions.
 
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