How did songs get leaked?

flamyyy

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Where did all the high quality leaks of full unreleased songs (I'm talking about all those Thriller outtakes, I Am A Loser, People Of The World etc, not the stuff from Brad Sundberg seminars) come from? How did people even get their hands on them?
 
Where did all the high quality leaks of full unreleased songs (I'm talking about all those Thriller outtakes, I Am A Loser, People Of The World etc, not the stuff from Brad Sundberg seminars) come from? How did people even get their hands on them?
I can only speak about one leak I personally saw happen. Some guy calling himself Stuart Brawley (sp?), no idea if it was him of course, gave out "Xscape" to several fans back in the MJJForum days. At least in one case he supposedly traded the song for some nudes of a female fan. He sent it to me (statue of limitation is past right? lol) and some one in the MJJF leadership back then. And a few weeks after he/she started handing out the song, it exploded online and everyone had it.
The reason he gave me for sharing the track was that he was so upset about it not being included in Invincible and thinking that it needed to be heard by the world, because Michael loved that song.

But in general you know how it goes. Multitracks get released to people for remixing. Then someone gives it out to someone, accompanied by a dialogue like:
- But promise me, you can't show this to ANYONE.
- Totally.
- No, I mean it. Nobody. At all.
- Yeah, I get it. I swear, nobody is going to get this from me.

And then that person does the same and so on on and so forth.
 
I can only speak about one leak I personally saw happen. Some guy calling himself Stuart Brawley (sp?), no idea if it was him of course, gave out "Xscape" to several fans back in the MJJForum days. At least in one case he supposedly traded the song for some nudes of a female fan. He sent it to me (statue of limitation is past right? lol) and some one in the MJJF leadership back then. And a few weeks after he/she started handing out the song, it exploded online and everyone had it.
The reason he gave me for sharing the track was that he was so upset about it not being included in Invincible and thinking that it needed to be heard by the world, because Michael loved that song.

But in general you know how it goes. Multitracks get released to people for remixing. Then someone gives it out to someone, accompanied by a dialogue like:
- But promise me, you can't show this to ANYONE.
- Totally.
- No, I mean it. Nobody. At all.
- Yeah, I get it. I swear, nobody is going to get this from me.

And then that person does the same and so on on and so forth.

Interesting, I've only been a fan for 3 years so I've only ever witnessed leaks from seminars
 
Interesting, I've only been a fan for 3 years so I've only ever witnessed leaks from seminars
Yeah, it was an interesting time. The medium of choice for that particular leaker was MSN Messenger. :rollin:
 
Xscape leak was terrible. Brawley is scum, he also worked on the Cascio tracks.
 
Xscape leak was terrible. Brawley is scum, he also worked on the Cascio tracks.
So it actually was him? Wow... I had assumed that it probably was someone impersonating him. Seeing as the early 00's were the hayday of online MJ imposters.
 
Was Xscape the first leak of an MJ song online?
I highly doubt that. Other leaked songs were on the internet way before that. I remember when ever seeing a leaked song was even further away than a fantasy. The only source for bootlegs (for me) were specialty stores, traveling CD/Vinyl salesmen on funfairs (I guess that's what they would be called in English). Stuff like the different versions of IJCSLY in French and Spanish and recordings of live concerts and stuff. And those were gems. Real rarities. Even imports from Japan were a big deal. I once traveled over 200km to Frankfurt to shop for Japan imports. Buying the "Instrumental Verions Collection" was such a big deal for me. Or owning a Bad picture disk... Oh Jesus.

And then came the 00's and EVERYTHING was online. Anyone remember the original Napster?
 
Been Told;4231214 said:
I highly doubt that. Other leaked songs were on the internet way before that. I remember when ever seeing a leaked song was even further away than a fantasy. The only source for bootlegs (for me) were specialty stores, traveling CD/Vinyl salesmen on funfairs (I guess that's what they would be called in English). Stuff like the different versions of IJCSLY in French and Spanish and recordings of live concerts and stuff. And those were gems. Real rarities. Even imports from Japan were a big deal. I once traveled over 200km to Frankfurt to shop for Japan imports. Buying the "Instrumental Verions Collection" was such a big deal for me. Or owning a Bad picture disk... Oh Jesus.

And then came the 00's and EVERYTHING was online. Anyone remember the original Napster?

I think you’d have a strong case for either Xs cape or the dangerous special ed being the first real “online” leak of MJ music
 
every song is a little different but it comes down to trusting people that shouldn't be trusted..
 
Some dishonest person gets his/her hands on a long and then feed off the desperation of the fans, by organizing a crowdfunding to release the song or a concert. Or they just leak it on youtube to get some more views and expand their channel. That's how most things get leaked.
 
Was Xscape the first leak of an MJ song online?

"Hold My Hand" leaked, too, when Michael was alive (not sure if that was before or after Xscape??) and the story goes that he was very upset about that happening, which is why he shelved the song.
 
I can only speak about one leak I personally saw happen. Some guy calling himself Stuart Brawley (sp?), no idea if it was him of course, gave out "Xscape" to several fans back in the MJJForum days. At least in one case he supposedly traded the song for some nudes of a female fan.

Eeeeeewww!!
 
Eeeeeewww!!
Yup. 100% sleaze bag.
Are we talking about that 2002 leak of Xscape? Around December if I recall correctly. I remember reading somewhere that this leak had really infuriated Michael
Yes, Michael was very mad about it. I think I was still one of the admins at MJJF at the time, because I seem to remember us getting an e-mail from Michael's people, asking us to tell fans not to share the song. I think they even mentioned that Michael was very upset about it. And it's totally understandable. It's a great song and I'm sure he had some big plans for it which were ruined because of the leak.
This may be a false memory, but I think that, when Xscape and Hold My Hand leaked, Michael supposedly decided to never release the songs. And he never did.
 
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Yup. 100% sleaze bag.

Yes, Michael was very mad about it. I think I was still one of the admins at MJJF at the time, because I seem to remember us getting an e-mail from Michael's people, asking us to tell fans not to share the song. I think they even mentioned that Michael was very upset about it. And it's totally understandable. It's a great song and I'm sure he had some big plans for it which were ruined because of the leak.
This may be a false memory, but I think that, when Xscape and Hold My Hand leaked, Michael supposedly decided to never release the songs. And he never did.

It could actually be that if Xscape and Holdy Hand didn't leak we would have gotten another album
 
Are you allowed to talk about leaked songs on this forum because I never see any topics on leaks.
 
I highly doubt that. Other leaked songs were on the internet way before that. I remember when ever seeing a leaked song was even further away than a fantasy. The only source for bootlegs (for me) were specialty stores, traveling CD/Vinyl salesmen on funfairs (I guess that's what they would be called in English). Stuff like the different versions of IJCSLY in French and Spanish and recordings of live concerts and stuff. And those were gems. Real rarities. Even imports from Japan were a big deal. I once traveled over 200km to Frankfurt to shop for Japan imports. Buying the "Instrumental Verions Collection" was such a big deal for me. Or owning a Bad picture disk... Oh Jesus.

And then came the 00's and EVERYTHING was online. Anyone remember the original Napster?

Omg :D i remember when NOT everything was online in like 2000.. it was very hard to get all those concerts and stuff..
 
It could actually be that if Xscape and Holdy Hand didn't leak we would have gotten another album
If Xscape hadn't leaked, maybe we would have got a new album in 2003, instead of Number ones compilation album.
 
yes but maybe we wouldnt have gotton nothing because 00`years were really weird times with Michael and his Management and close people. You could really see that most people who were close to him only wanted to suck out money. They didnt really have a plan and too many people were involved in his carrier decisions.
 
there were a lot of leaked songs before xscape or hold my hand.. those just got a lot of attention because they were leaked post Invincible.. especially Hold My Hand, everyone was wondering what he'd sound like after the trial
 
Yeah it was entertaining.ill give him that

I remember hearing the leaked hold my hand playing on french radio when on hols there. They didnt seem to realise it was a leak. Sounded good before they changed it
 
It's a big shame that Hold My Hand got leaked, because it would have been on Akon's 2008 album, Freedom. I always wonder, what the public reaction would have been to that song and how it would have done on the charts. Sadly we will never know, because some loser decided to leak it.
 
Yes, Michael was very mad about it. I think I was still one of the admins at MJJF at the time, because I seem to remember us getting an e-mail from Michael's people, asking us to tell fans not to share the song. I think they even mentioned that Michael was very upset about it. And it's totally understandable. It's a great song and I'm sure he had some big plans for it which were ruined because of the leak.
This may be a false memory, but I think that, when Xscape and Hold My Hand leaked, Michael supposedly decided to never release the songs. And he never did.

I just wish people were trustworthy, principled and patient, when it comes to Michael's work. I empathised with his anger, at the time.
It's part of the reason why I still frown upon leaks, copyright breaches, illegal downloading and sharing, etc.


It could actually be that if Xscape and Holdy Hand didn't leak we would have gotten another album

So sad, because then after he passed away, those songs were finished and released without Michael. :cry:
 
Are you allowed to talk about leaked songs on this forum because I never see any topics on leaks.

Well, the owner doesn't mind it, as long as it stays in the 2000 Watts section and as long as it's respectful and topical.
This particular conversation is interesting and appropriate, so it's okay for now.
 
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