Latest on MJJC

OTW 30 - artists to rework classic tracks

vncwilliam said:
well..that's the point. Heath Ledger used makeup in his most impressive role...the joker.

i think we really don't know what MIchael can do, as an actor, until he shows us. i don't think we ought to put the kabosh on the possibility that he can be an actor. it does take talent to act in a musical. and he was rather scary in ghosts. if he wants to be, i think he can be effective. makeup is the key. he's had plenty of practice in that. and the high tech world of hollywood could make him unrecognizeable..yes..even the biggest star in the world. what they need to do is bill him in the beginning of the movie as another name. and when we see the audience's reaction, he can reveal it was him. or he can use his name, and it's up to the public to see who he is playing in the film. he may not play the traditional roles that Duran Duran mentioned..but he can play guys like Edgar Allen Poe, or someone of unique stature. and then again, maybe he can play one of the traditional roles. you never know till you find out. i think he has enough of capability to have a dark side and put it in a role.
Click to expand...

I agree with you. Even more so, I'm convinced Michael would make an excellent actor, if he worked on it. Note that I say he could be good at the craft, I'm not saying he would be successful, that's a different game because he's already such a famous person. But, we all know he has the ability to emote and express emotion well in his music, we also know he can be vulnerable and sensitive and god knows he's had plenty of life experiences to draw upon. Those are the basic ingredients of acting. The only would be to actually work on those, to fine tune them for acting, if he so wishes. The little he already did acting wise was not bad at all, he can immerse himself in a character and storyline.

Also, someone said music videos are not acting. That's not true, they are just as much acting, just in shorter form, and often not as worked out, story-wise. But it's all acting. After all, thanks the Michael, music videos adopted more of a movie concept. :)
 
Sifa_Dias said:
I guess we just don't agree on that part :) I don't think it matters if the album has been released already, it matters how you handle it now. Just look at Hollywood and how they CONSTANTLY re-releasing movies that have already been done (Friday the 13th, Batman, etc. etc.) They do it because it's successful. A lot of general people who are a little younger probably never actually bought Off the Wall, so this might be a good product for them. Thriller 25 did well, they probably take their cues from that too.

Besides, maybe only a few tracks will be redone, like with Thriller. If Michael is working on a new album, this isn't the focal point anyway, it's something that is coming up because of the anniversary and they want to do SOMETHING, but I'm guessing the main focus and efforts are towards an original release.

And I don't think Michael would really wanna go the underground remix kind of direction, he's more inclined to have big names do an alternate version of his songs. But that's just my idea, and I could very well be wrong here. :)
Click to expand...
Well, not underground as in "completely unknown", but use DJs and producers who are truly respected for their craft.

I think if they copy the formula they used for Thriller 25, it's not gonna work IMO

I would love to see this:
Features:
*Remastered and "Remixed" of the Original Album. Remixes in terms of taking the original track and expanding it, and bonus material such as alternate vocal takes, original demo recordings, and previously unreleased songs
*Bonus DVD of previously unreleased performances of songs from the album
*Highlights of the 1981 Diana Ross Television Special and various performances
*Remastered editions of the videos

*New booklet with detailed annotations, rare photos, full lyrics with the original album cover intact
 
mj_brainiac said:
*New booklet with detailed annotations, rare photos, full lyrics with the original album cover intact
Click to expand...
I think the only place you'll ever find an original cover is to buy the record, or perhaps seek out the 8-track or cassette. When it was first released on CD, it did have the whole picture, but it was a foldout, not a booklet.
 
DuranDuran said:
I think the only place you'll ever find an original cover is to buy the record, or perhaps seek out the 8-track or cassette. When it was first released on CD, it did have the whole picture, but it was a foldout, not a booklet.
Click to expand...
Which is why it would be great to see it on the deluxe edition
 
Please note the artists mentiond are just part of a wish-list prepared by Sony Music.

The comments posted here are very interesting.
And, by the way, you've been read by Sony USA and France.
 
Sifa_Dias said:
No I don't think it's enough. Don't people see? The more big names are talking about Michael, the more people are being warmed up to hearing about him again. He's been out of the public eye for quite a while, professionally, the only thing that's pretty much been out there is all the gossip stuff. This will put Michael Jackson the artist back in people's minds. This is PR at work.

And like with Thriller 25, currently relevant artists will put their touch on the songs, and yes that might include T-pain or whatever. Try to remember that the album is not coming out for us die hard fans, but for the music buying public in general. If you would let us fans put together the album we'd get something that's great, huge, and it will probably do horrible in today's industry. Accept it or not, good exposure right now means marketing to the biggest common denominator, which is the popular artist, club hit buying audience, the people that play T-pain, Chris Brown, Timberlake, etc. etc. I think it will also include remastered original tracks, for the people that know them and grew up with them. It will be a similar concept to Thriller 25.

If they are planning to release a new MJ album, they people need to be warmed up to him first, you don't just drop an album out of the cold, without some anticipation build up and exposure, Michael has never done it like that.

When Michael did Thriller he mixed older known styles with new popular music, to appeal to the largest possible audience. This is called knowing how to sell, know an audience. It's marketing. This is not very different. I think any MJ development like this is an positive one.
Click to expand...

You are 1000% right.

Mike has so much negative publicity because the media portray him that way purposefully, and it has been so long since his most successful period that there is no way for the younger crowd to appreciate how good the music was, and even how much of an impact he had on the industry. Younger people don’t realise what Mike achieved and how successful he was, and even older people have a hard time remembering it because it was so long ago and so much has happened since.
Releasing OTW and T25 are great ways to reintroduce Mike’s music to those who don’t remember the good old days and those who never really knew about it in the first place.

Getting successful artists on the album(s) is a great way to introduce Mike’s music to people who may not otherwise give it a chance. BUT perhaps more importantly than releasing the tracks themselves is who he gets to collaborate on them. As we saw with T25, the collaborators (Will, Fergie, Kanye, Akon) were all asked repeatedly during their own promotional tours about the T25 project, their involvement and about Mike himself. I’m sure that their fans pay attention to what they say and I’m sure that there were many who took notice of the good things they had to say about Mike. The same will happen if artists like JT, Rhianna etc are working on an OTW re-release. This is all excellent PR for Mike and it may help to show the younger listeners (and anybody else who happens to see the interviews and promo) that Mike is a great artist and that he is admired among the music industry.

T25 and OTW30 (if it’s really released) are warming up the people for a new MJ album, I’m sure of it. The only downside I can see to this is that IF ITW30 is released this year then I’m 100% sure that a new MJ album won’t drop until next year. We’ve all been waiting so long that that in itself is bad news.
IF OTW30 is released I will buy it (the success of an MJ release is more positive PR) and will be interested to hear the new tracks. But, like the rest of you I do thing that Mike is taking too long with this release – we should be half to the 2nd MJ release since the trial, not still waiting for the first!
 
mjdatabank said:
Please note the artists mentiond are just part of a wish-list prepared by Sony Music.

The comments posted here are very interesting.
And, by the way, you've been read by Sony USA and France.
Click to expand...


Unfortunately there are too many negative views on this (and many more MJ boards) brought about by frustration at the many re-releases over the past few years, but also because of the lack of new MJ material.

IF I'm right and somebody is trying to target specific audiences to warm them up to a new MJ release and make them more receptive to it, then Sony should ignore the negative remarks here.

The artists mentioned here for OTW30 and for T25 are the key to the perfect target audience for the new release. People who enjoy music by Will, Akon, JT, Rhianna, etc are the type of people who are most likely to appreciate a new MJ album.
Amy Winehouse may not necessarily fit into that bracket but she is such a massive MJ fan and has so much success in the last couple of years that it's understandable that they should want her on the album. I'm sure she would jump at the chance too.

If Sony can get them on the album, then they are making the right moves IMO and it's irrelevant what the people here think because you are not the people they are targetting. They know most of you will buy it anyway, but they really want the positive MJ PR and to open up his market to new listeners.

If they wanted to court only the existing MJ fans they would include the stuff that some of you have asked for - unreleased tracks, remixes, cover art etc.
 
I don't get the "IF OTW 30 is released" motto.
It IS going to be released.
 
mjdatabank said:
I don't get the "IF OTW 30 is released" motto.
It IS going to be released.
Click to expand...

We haven’t had any confirmation from Sony that this is being released and until that happens, I will consider it a possibility but not a certainty.
Last year people said that sony had confirmed a February 09 release date and now we are in February 09, they say it has been postponed, but they don’t have an estimated release date.
 
bobmoo79 said:
We haven’t had any confirmation from Sony that this is being released and until that happens, I will consider it a possibility but not a certainty.
Last year people said that sony had confirmed a February 09 release date and now we are in February 09, they say it has been postponed, but they don’t have an estimated release date.
Click to expand...
 
mj_brainiac said:
I would love to see this:
Features:
*Remastered and "Remixed" of the Original Album. Remixes in terms of taking the original track and expanding it, and bonus material such as alternate vocal takes, original demo recordings, and previously unreleased songs
*Bonus DVD of previously unreleased performances of songs from the album
*Highlights of the 1981 Diana Ross Television Special and various performances
*Remastered editions of the videos

*New booklet with detailed annotations, rare photos, full lyrics with the original album cover intact
Click to expand...

Now that is a exactly what a 30th Anniversary edition of the Off The Wall album should contain.

bobmoo79 said:
The artists mentioned here for OTW30 and for T25 are the key to the perfect target audience for the new release. People who enjoy music by Will, Akon, JT, Rhianna, etc are the type of people who are most likely to appreciate a new MJ album.
Click to expand...

Michael Jackson recent greatest hits collections have sold well. I think more people will be put off buying the Off The Wall 30th Anniversary Edition, with artists like Will.i.am, Akon, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna and Amy Winehouse performing cover versions of Michael's songs on his albums.

Unless Michael recored duets of the songs with these acts, such cover versions would be an insult to fans. And also having them doing cover versions of Michael's songs on his albums and appear to be nothing more than desperation for sales, and reaching a much younger audience. Michael also has a lot of teenage fans who have never really experienced a Michael Jackson era, so I'm sure they would want unreleased songs and demos instead of hearing covers of of acts singing Michael's songs.

Anniversary editions of albums are for fans of that specific artist or band who recorded that album. Not for fans of artists and acts who are influenced by that artist or band. I never listen to Kanye Wests remix of Billie Jean, or Fergie's cover of Beat It on Thriller25. And it pains me to listen to Akon sing Wanna Be Startin Somethin, with Michael just singing a few lyrics on his own song. I just hate these cover versions on a Michael Jackson album. Michael and Sony should stick to the Special Edition type of release they did for Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad. Because everything on those albums from demos to interviews with Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton were relevent to what made those albums and eras amazing in the first place. And they gave fans a better understanding of those albums. Thriller25 with it's great updated cover and CD design, and liner notes etc and bonus DVD was brilliant. But the remixes and cover versions are a waste of space.

Anyway let's hope these cover version rumors and just rumors.
 
Last edited:
mjdatabank said:
working date was march. but it's no surprise that it's posponed.
a new date shall be announced soon cause the content is being elaborated as we speak.
Click to expand...

what u mean a "new" date shall be "announced" soon. there was never a date. nothing has been "announced". michaels official pages have no mention of it and theyre still dedicated solely to thriller promo.
 
So the date was February 09, then March and the new date is unknown.
what's the point in having a working date if nobody sticks to it? LOL.

Anyway, I won't hold my breath for OTW30. As I said no information has been officially released yet and IF it OTW30 is eventually released, the release date will be a few months after Sony announces it. So, it won't be very soon.
 
bobmoo79 said:
So the date was February 09, then March and the new date is unknown.
what's the point in having a working date if nobody sticks to it? LOL.

Anyway, I won't hold my breath for OTW30. As I said no information has been officially released yet and IF it OTW30 is eventually released, the release date will be a few months after Sony announces it. So, it won't be very soon.
Click to expand...


When you know about MJ's carrer and projects, you know that projects are more than often postponed, be it a CD, a book etc...

But maybe you never noticed that before ;)
 
mjdatabank said:
When you know about MJ's carrer and projects, you know that projects are more than often postponed, be it a CD, a book etc...

But maybe you never noticed that before ;)
Click to expand...

You are absolutely right. BUT bobmoo79 has a point. These dates there are always postboned are stupid. Give a day and stick to it. !!!

If you know the CD ain't gonna be ready 1.1.2000, then don't say it will!!! Don't give us, the fans, false hope!! Then better just say 1.5.2000 from the beginning, then we know for sure!
 
Hess said:
You are absolutely right. BUT bobmoo79 has a point. These dates there are always postboned are stupid. Give a day and stick to it. !!!

If you know the CD ain't gonna be ready 1.1.2000, then don't say it will!!! Don't give us, the fans, false hope!! Then better just say 1.5.2000 from the beginning, then we know for sure!
Click to expand...


everyone workin on a project need a working date to start with.
You have to start from somewhere, sometime.

I've been used to that since the waiting for the Bad album ! lol
 
benscarr said:
Unless Michael recored duets of the songs with these acts, such cover versions would be an insult to fans. And also having them doing cover versions of Michael's songs on his albums and appear to be nothing more than desperation for sales, and reaching a much younger audience. Michael also has a lot of teenage fans who have never really experienced a Michael Jackson era, so I'm sure they would want unreleased songs and demos instead of hearing covers of of acts singing Michael's songs.

Anniversary editions of albums are for fans of that specific artist or band who recorded that album. Not for fans of artists and acts who are influenced by that artist or band. I never listen to Kanye Wests remix of Billie Jean, or Fergie's cover of Beat It on Thriller25. And it pains me to listen to Akon sing Wanna Be Startin Somethin, with Michael just singing a few lyrics on his own song. I just hate these cover versions on a Michael Jackson album. Michael and Sony should stick to the Special Edition type of release they did for Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad. Because everything on those albums from demos to interviews with Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton were relevent to what made those albums and eras amazing in the first place. And they gave fans a better understanding of those albums. Thriller25 with it's great updated cover and CD design, and liner notes etc and bonus DVD was brilliant. But the remixes and cover versions are a waste of space.
Click to expand...

I can tell you will never work in marketing or sales for any major artist or label. I don't to be mean, but you're approach to his is purely emotional. It's not strange, you are a fan after all. But you have to look at it from the label's/artist's point of view. Only to make sales? hell yes it is, ha ha. Of course it's about selling product. It's always been about that, that's how it works. You need a broad audience, and fans will buy anyway, if they want. The special editions already gave us a lot of demo's, interviews and what not. Why is it never enough?

As a fan, I cannot agree with your sentiment of it being an insult. Why is it an insult? This is not supposed to be a new MJ material project, it's a anniversary of an old album. I don't feel insulted because MJ doesn't release a ton of his demo's and song drafts and what not, most artists don't, and Michael has done some of that already. It makes total sense to me that he wouldn't do that, after all he's a perfectionist, and if it wasn't good enough to end up on the album, why would you think he'd show it to the world now?

In my opinion, people should take this for what it is. An anniversary edition of an older album, because it hit 30 years and something should be done. Not some huge new project that we've all been waiting for. These are NOT made for fans especially, in my opinon, these are to celebrate a wonderful piece of work and share with everyone, fans and non-fans alike.
 
bobmoo79 said:
So the date was February 09, then March and the new date is unknown.
what's the point in having a working date if nobody sticks to it? LOL.

Anyway, I won't hold my breath for OTW30. As I said no information has been officially released yet and IF it OTW30 is eventually released, the release date will be a few months after Sony announces it. So, it won't be very soon.
Click to expand...
the February date could've been like "consumers heads up" date to make people aware that's coming out.
 
And I so thought Michael would invite me to have a remix on that cd. :) Like a fan remix. I thought he would contact me through this forum. lol I think I already have the best MJ remix ever released. And it's from Off The Wall. I just have never played it to anyone...
 
Hess said:
Don't give us, the fans, false hope!! Then better just say 1.5.2000 from the beginning, then we know for sure!
Click to expand...

Erm, dear MJJC user, that's the exact reason why Sony Music HAS NOT YET announced anything about "OTW 30".

Fans only are aware of this because some well informed fans let us know about upcoming releases ;)

So, don't blame anybody.


And as it was already explained, a PROJECT always(!) needs a working date.
 
I don't take the project as an insult to fans so much as I do to the music and to Jackson's legacy.

Benscarr is one of the few people on this thread with a functioning brain. I am convinced that most MJ fans are now living on the rewind, pretending that the new project is "on the way" and that this new OTW 30 campaign is ingenius.

It's not.

It's desperate.
 
OU812 said:
I don't take the project as an insult to fans so much as I do to the music and to Jackson's legacy.

Benscarr is one of the few people on this thread with a functioning brain. I am convinced that most MJ fans are now living on the rewind, pretending that the new project is "on the way" and that this new OTW 30 campaign is ingenius.

It's not.

It's desperate.
Click to expand...

Why because he happens to say something that is according to your own opinion? And so everone else not in sync with that has no functioning brain? Insults are arguments of the weak, instead of insulting other people, why don't you add a post with substance, instead of piggy-backing on the post of another and pigeonholing most fans based on the posts of a few? You can be nicer than that, surely :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top