Seeing Voices appreciation thread.

One of my fave things about this song is that it showcases Michael's versatility.
He could sing songs like Morphine, and Dirty Diana AND sing a song like Seeing Voices, yet he wouldn't sound out of his element singing any of the songs.:)
 
MattyJam;4186537 said:
I really enjoy this song, but am curious what it was recorded for? Wasn't this '98 or '99? I somehow doubt it was ever intended for Invincible.

Post 13 (24/7) in this thread explains the background....
I believe that the song was intended as both a tribute and possibly as a fundraiser / awareness raiser for his (Sidney Fine's) son's medical condition, and for those who use sign language in general.

http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/threads/136203-Seeing-Voices-Full-Version?highlight=voices

Here is a biography of the composer:
http://variety.com/2002/scene/people-news/sidney-fine-1117867684/

AY 28, 2002 | 04:44PM PT
Film, TV, legit composer, arranger and orchestrator

Emmy-nommed Sidney Fine, composer, arranger and orchestrator who worked on Broadway and in films, radio and TV throughout the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, died of pneumonia May 20 at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. He was 97.

Fine was nominated for an Emmy in 1956 for his orchestrations of Victor Young’s music for the television series “Medic,” and served as one of the original orchestrators on Meredith Willson’s 1957 Broadway hit “The Music Man.”

Under contract to Revue (later Universal) TV from 1960 to 1971, Fine wrote the scores for dozens of shows including episodes of “Wagon Train,” “Thriller,” “Laramie,” “Frontier Circus,” “Going My Way,” “The Virginian,” “Alcoa Premiere,” “90 Bristol Court,” “Broadside,” “Tammy,” “The John Forsythe Show” and “The Bold Ones.”

Among his feature credits, he served as an arranger on Paramount’s Irving Berlin musical “Blue Skies” in 1946. For Walt Disney Studios, he helped to orchestrate “Victory Through Air Power” (1943), “Fun and Fancy Free” (1947), “Melody Time” (1948) and the 1955 classic “Lady and the Tramp.” He also worked on the daytime “Mickey Mouse Club.”

He was born in Waterbury, Conn., graduated from the U. of Connecticut and did post-graduate work at City College of New York and the Yale School of Music. He played piano in silent-movie theaters in the 1920s and eventually became accompanist for comedian Henny Youngman, who often made jokes about his “cousin Sidney” during appearances in the Catskills and elsewhere.

Fine moved to Los Angeles in 1937, where he studied with composer Arnold Schoenberg. He worked as a pianist and arranger in radio throughout the 1940s, including shows featuring Jack Benny, Dinah Shore, and George Burns and Gracie Allen. In 1950, he returned to New York to arrange for radio’s “Big Show” starring Tallulah Bankhead.

Fine’s last work was a song recorded in 1999 by Michael Jackson (but still unreleased) entitled “Seeing Voices.” Jackson had been a student of Fine’s wife; the song celebrates signing for the deaf and was a tribute to Fine’s son, Peter, who died in 1975 of a rare brain disease that had caused him to lose his hearing.
 
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myosotis;4186551 said:
Post 13 (24/7) in this thread explains the background....
I believe that the song was intended as both a tribute and possibly as a fundraiser / awareness raiser for his (Sidney Fine's) son's medical condition, and for those who use sign language in general.

http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/threads/136203-Seeing-Voices-Full-Version?highlight=voices

Here is a biography of the composer:
http://variety.com/2002/scene/people-news/sidney-fine-1117867684/

AY 28, 2002 | 04:44PM PT
Film, TV, legit composer, arranger and orchestrator

Emmy-nommed Sidney Fine, composer, arranger and orchestrator who worked on Broadway and in films, radio and TV throughout the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, died of pneumonia May 20 at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. He was 97.

Fine was nominated for an Emmy in 1956 for his orchestrations of Victor Young’s music for the television series “Medic,” and served as one of the original orchestrators on Meredith Willson’s 1957 Broadway hit “The Music Man.”

Under contract to Revue (later Universal) TV from 1960 to 1971, Fine wrote the scores for dozens of shows including episodes of “Wagon Train,” “Thriller,” “Laramie,” “Frontier Circus,” “Going My Way,” “The Virginian,” “Alcoa Premiere,” “90 Bristol Court,” “Broadside,” “Tammy,” “The John Forsythe Show” and “The Bold Ones.”

Among his feature credits, he served as an arranger on Paramount’s Irving Berlin musical “Blue Skies” in 1946. For Walt Disney Studios, he helped to orchestrate “Victory Through Air Power” (1943), “Fun and Fancy Free” (1947), “Melody Time” (1948) and the 1955 classic “Lady and the Tramp.” He also worked on the daytime “Mickey Mouse Club.”

He was born in Waterbury, Conn., graduated from the U. of Connecticut and did post-graduate work at City College of New York and the Yale School of Music. He played piano in silent-movie theaters in the 1920s and eventually became accompanist for comedian Henny Youngman, who often made jokes about his “cousin Sidney” during appearances in the Catskills and elsewhere.

Fine moved to Los Angeles in 1937, where he studied with composer Arnold Schoenberg. He worked as a pianist and arranger in radio throughout the 1940s, including shows featuring Jack Benny, Dinah Shore, and George Burns and Gracie Allen. In 1950, he returned to New York to arrange for radio’s “Big Show” starring Tallulah Bankhead.

Fine’s last work was a song recorded in 1999 by Michael Jackson (but still unreleased) entitled “Seeing Voices.” Jackson had been a student of Fine’s wife; the song celebrates signing for the deaf and was a tribute to Fine’s son, Peter, who died in 1975 of a rare brain disease that had caused him to lose his hearing.
THX, so much for the info!:)

Edit: OMG, I KNEW this song sounded very disney-esque.
 
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MJ's vocals are really the only standout part of this track for me. Maybe if we had it in higher quality I'd be able to appreciate it more but the version we have atm sounds kinda crappy quality wise. The lyrics at some points aren't very well written either.
 
I just listened to this again a moment ago and was really struck by how brilliantly understated and on-point his vocal delivery was. I mean, I know it's like calling the Pope a Catholic, but sometimes it hits me all over again, just how incredible this mans voice was.
IKR!
His vocals were amazing and so was how he used them.
Michael was the type of vocalist who's voice couldn't/can't easily be mistaken for anyone else's and who could sing any song/genre and make it obviously and uniquely his.:)

Anyone know if any song(s) both released or unreleased exist that is similar to Seeing Voices?
 
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