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Brunei soundboard recording of Earth Song

It's not live. Clearly lip-synced. The ending when he sings live is awesome though.
 
Still not fully convinced, but see her points.

Has anyone got a download link to the performance please?
 
The ''What about us'' part of the song sounds live to me
 
It's being sung live, listen to the words and how he pronounces them, he even fumbles a little with some of the words...
 
I'd say the only time I've ever heard Michael sing a ballad and sound exactly like the record is on SOOML and IJCSLY. You can clearly tell when it switches over to live even on the soundboard recording.
 
She is wrong... With the exception of the 'tell me what about it' ad-libs at the end (which have never been disputed and are indeed fantastic), everything is lipsynced. To be honest I find it rather surprising that someone could think these vocals are live..

In any case, I made a file with the audio she uploaded panned to the left and the studio acapella (that is, the center channel from the video version on the HIStory Vol II dvd - which explains the LOUD sound effects from the video in it, lol) panned to the right. I just EQ'ed the Brunei audio a bit so that the vocals stand out more. Here it is:

http://www.mediafire.com/listen/qqtp9f7oqu4vofd/escomp.mp3

The vocals are without a doubt the same. The only difference you might hear is some additional reverb in the Brunei audio. The audio files also did not have the exact same tempo. This is likely because of a file or tape conversion. I corrected for this, but did not spend much time on it, so if the two tracks go ever-so-slightly out of sync that's the reason. In any case, there is no doubt that it is playback right until the final 'hoo', which is noticeably different from the previous 'hoo's'. This is, not coincidentally, also exactly where the studio acapella ends.

Some other points:
1. She says she hears differences between the YouTube audio and the audio she uploaded. I'm 99.9% sure both files are the exact same source actually. However, the audio she uploaded is clipping badly (basically, the waveform is distorted because the volume was increased too much). I am almost certain that this is why she thinks she hears more 'raspiness' in her audio. The YouTube audio actually has the same amount of clipping, but because the volume on it is lower and the bit rate a bit lower, this is less noticeable. In other words, the 'raspiness' is the result of the waveform distortion, not a difference between the two sources or Michael's voice being raspier than usual.

2. This soundboard audio is not rare. It has been shared on MJ and bootleg forums for a very long time (pretty sure it's more than 10 years at least). I am happy to upload it if someone wants it, though I would not be surprised if there is still an active link in 2000 Watts.

3. I find it quite strange that she calls her upload 'indisputable evidence'. It proves nothing itself. She has also included an update in which she compares the YouTube audio with the audio she uploaded. I am again not sure what this comparison can prove. I think the only comparison that can prove anything is one between the studio vocals and the Brunei audio, like I posted above. I don't think it leaves room for doubt...
 
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Yeah, it's not live like most songs in that concert. In the other Brunei concert in HIStory tour 1996 the first verse of the song Scream was performed live. And a part of Dangerous was also performed live in Ostende 1997. And on HIStory tour the ending of Beat It and the last lines of Smooth Criminal and Billie Jean. And of course the J5 songs.
 
SoCav said:
2. This soundboard audio is not rare. It has been shared on MJ and bootleg forums for a very long time (pretty sure it's more than 10 years at least). I am happy to upload it if someone wants it, though I would not be surprised if there is still an active link in 2000 Watts.
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Is there any noticeable difference to the video audio?
 
SoCav said:
In any case, there is no doubt that it is playback right until the final 'hoo', which is noticeably different from the previous 'hoo's'. This is, not coincidentally, also exactly where the studio acapella ends.
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Absolutely.
 
Galactus123 said:
Is there any noticeable difference to the video audio?
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You mean between the mp3 files and the audio track of the DVD that has circulated for a long time? I don't think so, I don't have the dvd here at the moment and it's been a long time since I watched it, but I'm pretty sure it is the same. No noticeable difference in quality.
 
I absolutely agree with everything that was said about Michael and lip sync in this article and i couldn't have said it better myself. And that's exactly the reason it doesn't bother me, and I will never understand why some people are giving it such a hard time
 
biggest giveaway is the change in tone when he's doing the ''hoo's'' clearly it was the sound editor who decided when the live vocals should begin at that point, and i do believe Michael was singing live in some form.. but it's definitely not blatant in this recording.. as it was edited for release.
 
Without a doubt, the vocals and playback used were from the studio version, just as when he performed almost every song on the tour.
I will say, I think that Michael is singing under a muted microphone.

But as some have said, it's easy to tell when it's live and when it's not. The switch between playback and live is very obvious in the change in sound and vocals.

Really obvious on amateur concerts.
 
chris123678 said:
Without a doubt, the vocals and playback used were from the studio version, just as when he performed almost every song on the tour.
I will say, I think that Michael is singing under a muted microphone.

But as some have said, it's easy to tell when it's live and when it's not. The switch between playback and live is very obvious in the change in sound and vocals.

Really obvious on amateur concerts.
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tour? the performance being discussed is from Royal Brunei concert...
and yeah, it's obvious when it's playback and when it's live. but as it also says in the article, he wasn't trying to deceive anyone into believing it wasn't playback when it was
 
It's cute that this person wrote up this long article about it, but no.
He was using playback for this song up until the adlibs.

Of course, he COULD sing it live, but he did not.

Also, sidenote, I prefer this performance of the song in general over the actual History tour (and what would have been This Is It) versions with the whole theatrics and stuff.

Having stuff on the screen is cool, but the whole tank and soldiers and bla bla was a bit much.
 
AtlasAir said:
Also, sidenote, I prefer this performance of the song in general over the actual History tour (and what would have been This Is It) versions with the whole theatrics and stuff.

Having stuff on the screen is cool, but the whole tank and soldiers and bla bla was a bit much.
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how can you say it's too much? that part of the performance, had such a powerful and important message. War is what is "too much", and his message about peace and love you say is too much??? it's not. it's what we all need to be reminded off, and it can't be done enough. Michael was all about peace and love, and he did everything he could to get the message out in every way possible. if you don't like that, that's fine, and maybe i'm just being over sensitive here, i don't know. but it's just that he was the one who made me a more understanding and caring person, for people and for the world. it was thanks to him i opened my eyes to how the world really is, and that we all need to do our part to help heal the world. he taught me that. if it wasn't for him, i wouldn't be the caring person that i am. it's probably what i admire him most for, and obviously something i feel very strongly about. and i don't really understand how someone say that something like that is too much....:scratch:
also, i doubt he did it to have "cool stuff" on the scene/screen. maybe some of the other theatrical stuff in his shows, yes. but certainly not this one
 
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AtlasAir said:
Too much.
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I used to agree that it was too much until about six weeks ago (?) I was watching a HIStory clip with the tank on the stage and they showed the audience-and the kids just had tears streaming down their faces-and it dawned on me for the first time, that these kids had probably seen tanks on their own streets just a few years before.

So, I think in a way it was for them specifically, not just a theatrical piece.
 
When I was at the HIStory tour in Dublin Earth Song made me cry (yes I admit it and don't even care how fan-centric it sounds) for the reasons Michaels Lover and Barbee mentioned. It was such a powerful message and really struck a chord. Look what's going on in the world at the moment. The man had an incredible message.
 
For me the ''Tell me what about it'' adlibs beat out the tank everytime. Michael, giving a great vocal performance by himself is much more powerful than some stage prop
 
analogue said:
For me the ''Tell me what about it'' adlibs beat out the tank everytime. Michael, giving a great vocal performance by himself is much more powerful than some stage prop
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The only thing, and it kills me, is that if this were the ending for the entire tour, we would only be able to count on one hand how many times he'd sing as well as he did in Brunei/World Music Awards.... But would still be better than the tank, which I loved in Dublin when I saw it.
 
aazzaabb said:
Look what's going on in the world at the moment. The man had an incredible message.
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he did...and it's such a shame that not only the general public, but even people who are fans, can't see that or appreciate that :(
 
I always skip the tank and crying part. I understand the message but the crying part is too cringeworthy.
 
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