3-disc Bad album

Mr. Norway

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I have read the story about MJ wanting the Bad album to be a Three-disc-set consisting of 30 songs, but that Quincy advised him to cut it down to one disc. However, I've been wondering which songs that Michael had been wanting to release on this triple album (if true). Therefore, I went through a whole Wikipedia list of unreleased songs of Michael Jackson and wrote down all the song titles of the songs said to be for the Bad album sessions or written around that time. I also added all the songs on Bad 25, in addition to the Bad album itself. All together I got 45 songs. They are:

1. Apocalypse Now

2. Bad company

3. Broken chair

4. Buffalo Bill

5. Changes

6. Cheater

7. Chicago 1945

8. Crack kills

9. Cheat on you

10. Get around

11. Get in to the groove

12. Groove of midnight

13. Get it back on me

14. Hot fun in the summertime

15. I have this love of me

16. King Boy

17. Love is here with me

18. Make or break

19. My mind

20. Rises

21. The hunt

22. The mystery

23. Throwin your life away

24. Thunder

25. Tomboy

26. Turning me off

27. What you do to me

28. Bad

29. The way you make me feel

30. Speed demon

31. Liberian girl

32. Just good friends

33. Another part of me

34. Man in the mirror

35. I just cannot stop loving you

36. Dirty Diana

37. Smooth criminal

38. Leave me alone

39. Streetwalker

40. Don´t be messing around

41. I´m so blue

42. Abortion papers

43. Free

44. Price of fame

45. Fly away

So, if we were to compile the 3-disc Bad album using the song titles that we would guess would be on it, which songs would it be?
 
My own guess:

Disc 1:

1. Bad

2. The way you make me feel

3. Speed demon

4. Liberian girl

5. Just good friends

6. Another part of me

7. Man in the mirror

8. I just can´t stop loving you

9. Dirty Diana

10. Smooth criminal


Disc 2:

1. Apocalypse now

2. Buffalo Bill

3. Cheater

4. Chicago 1945

5. Crack kills

6. Get around

7. Groove of midnight

8. Trowin´your life away

9. Tomboy

10. Turning me off


Disc 3:

1. Streetwalker

2. Leave me alone

3. Dont be messing around

4. I´m so blue

5. Abortion papers

6. Free

7. Price of fame

8. Fly away

9. What you do to me

10. Make or break


What are your guesses? Its just for fun :)
 
You forgot


Alright Now

Scared Of The Moon

Do You Know Where Your Children Are

Loving You

Come Together
 
Other missing songs are "We Are Here To Change The World", "Someone Put Your Hand Out" (written in 1987) and the two versions of IJCSLY in spanish and french (years ago I read somewhere that an italian version was planned too but never recorded).

Anyway I'm glad that it wasn't released ad a 30 songs' album, I think that it is too much.
I would prefer a brand new album instead with these songs:

1. Buffalo Bill
2. Chicago 1945
3. Throwin Your Life Away
4. Groove Of Midnight
5. Crack Kills
6. Tomboy
7. Price Of Fame
8. Al Capone
9. Fly Away
10. Cheater
 
Mr. Norway;4256676 said:
I have read the story about MJ wanting the Bad album to be a Three-disc-set consisting of 30 songs, but that Quincy advised him to cut it down to one disc.

MJ did not really want 3 disc-set of the ‘BAD’ album.

It was just a momentary thought that he made, driven by the excitement of the big amount of the songs that he was recording at that time.

MJ wanted for this time again a tight album (consisted of potential hits only) so as to sell as well as his previous ‘Thriller’ album.

In actual reality, MJ's goal was to surpass the commercial success of the ‘Thriller’ album & he knew that with only a tight album could have managed that.

Jackson Rules;4256708 said:
Anyway I'm glad that it wasn't released ad a 30 songs' album, I think that it is too much.

Even if both MJ & Quincy Jones wanted a 3 disc-set, the record company would have never allowed such a release.

That would have cost the record company a lot of money (for manufacturing 3 disc-set copies), while it would have sold much fewer copies.

The record company knew that a 3 disc-set release would be a guaranteed monetary loss.
 
Mr. Norway;4256676 said:
I have read the story about MJ wanting the Bad album to be a Three-disc-set consisting of 30 songs, but that Quincy advised him to cut it down to one disc. However, I've been wondering which songs that Michael had been wanting to release on this triple album (if true). Therefore, I went through a whole Wikipedia list of unreleased songs of Michael Jackson and wrote down all the song titles of the songs said to be for the Bad album sessions or written around that time. I also added all the songs on Bad 25, in addition to the Bad album itself. All together I got 45 songs. They are:

1. Apocalypse Now

2. Bad company

3. Broken chair

4. Buffalo Bill

5. Changes

6. Cheater

7. Chicago 1945

8. Crack kills

9. Cheat on you

10. Get around

11. Get in to the groove

12. Groove of midnight

13. Get it back on me

14. Hot fun in the summertime

15. I have this love of me

16. King Boy

17. Love is here with me

18. Make or break

19. My mind

20. Rises

21. The hunt

22. The mystery

23. Throwin your life away

24. Thunder

25. Tomboy

26. Turning me off

27. What you do to me

28. Bad

29. The way you make me feel

30. Speed demon

31. Liberian girl

32. Just good friends

33. Another part of me

34. Man in the mirror

35. I just cannot stop loving you

36. Dirty Diana

37. Smooth criminal

38. Leave me alone

39. Streetwalker

40. Don´t be messing around

41. I´m so blue

42. Abortion papers

43. Free

44. Price of fame

45. Fly away

So, if we were to compile the 3-disc Bad album using the song titles that we would guess would be on it, which songs would it be?


some of them i havent even heard of them
 
You forgot


Alright Now

Scared Of The Moon

Do You Know Where Your Children Are

Loving You

Come Together



Thank you for noticing. Of course there are probably many other songs that I have forgotten. I just went through and wrote down all I could find from that Wikipedia page, and these songs were not mentioned there - so even though I know those songs very well I just did not remember them at the time. But of course these songs need to be included to the list. As well as "We are here to change the world" as someone else mentioned. Great, now we have an even bigger list of songs.

BTW, I tried to find out when Alright now was written but I cannot find it.Was it recorded around 1985?
 
Other missing songs are "We Are Here To Change The World", "Someone Put Your Hand Out" (written in 1987) and the two versions of IJCSLY in spanish and french (years ago I read somewhere that an italian version was planned too but never recorded).

Anyway I'm glad that it wasn't released ad a 30 songs' album, I think that it is too much.
I would prefer a brand new album instead with these songs:

1. Buffalo Bill
2. Chicago 1945
3. Throwin Your Life Away
4. Groove Of Midnight
5. Crack Kills
6. Tomboy
7. Price Of Fame
8. Al Capone
9. Fly Away
10. Cheater


- Great selection of songs, Jackson Rules! (even though I, and I would guess you as well, have not heard some of them. But from what I have read they should be great)

I agree with you regarding the album that it would be too much with a triple-disc. However, what he could have done if he really wanted to release more music, and which I guess none of his fans would protest, was to release the Bad album as we know it as the real "album" - but later released a double album with the leftovers from the sessions as a gift to the fans :)

I know I would've loved that :)
 
mj_frenzy;4256719 said:
MJ did not really want 3 disc-set of the ‘BAD’ album.

It was just a momentary thought that he made, driven by the excitement of the big amount of the songs that he was recording at that time.

MJ wanted for this time again a tight album (consisted of potential hits only) so as to sell as well as his previous ‘Thriller’ album.

In actual reality, MJ's goal was to surpass the commercial success of the ‘Thriller’ album & he knew that with only a tight album could have managed that.



Even if both MJ & Quincy Jones wanted a 3 disc-set, the record company would have never allowed such a release.

That would have cost the record company a lot of money (for manufacturing 3 disc-set copies), while it would have sold much fewer copies.

The record company knew that a 3 disc-set release would be a guaranteed monetary loss.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MJ_Frenzy: Yes, you may be right about that it was just a thought but there are places that say that that's what he wanted to do. And on the Wikipedia page about the Bad album it says so. I am fully aware that a Wikipedia page is not always correct, though, so I am not claiming that its true. But just a question: where have you heard that it was just a momentary thought? Since you sound so sure about it, I mean? Has Brad Sundberg or someone else talked about it before and said that it was just a thought? I have been to two of Brad´s seminars myself but I cannot remember he has mentioned this when I attended and I did not ask.
 
I find a 3 disc release back in 1987 very unlikely....even a 2 disc release.
I wish it had happen though.
As a young fan I bought the Bad album on monday 31 august 1987 here in Norway and paid 150nkr
What a great day that was.
Like many others I have made my own 2disc Bad release including all the outtakes we have gotten over the years....but I want more,much more :)
 
Mr. Norway;4256734 said:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MJ_Frenzy: Yes, you may be right about that it was just a thought but there are places that say that that's what he wanted to do. And on the Wikipedia page about the Bad album it says so. I am fully aware that a Wikipedia page is not always correct, though, so I am not claiming that its true. But just a question: where have you heard that it was just a momentary thought? Since you sound so sure about it, I mean? Has Brad Sundberg or someone else talked about it before and said that it was just a thought? I have been to two of Brad´s seminars myself but I cannot remember he has mentioned this when I attended and I did not ask.

It was just a momentary thought that he made (judging also by several reports from that period), but that story has been hugely exaggerated through the years.

It was also typical of him to be momentarily caught up in the excitement while recording many songs for an album.

But, MJ had a very clear vision from the very beginning: to sell 30 million (or more) copies with the ‘BAD’ album & he knew that this was feasible only with 1 disc full of potential hits.

He even used to carry 30 cents in his pocket (during those sessions) for symbolic reasons, because he wanted to match at least the millions of sold copies with that album.

In case you attend such a seminar again, it would be interesting to ask that.

You will surely get confirmation about what I wrote.
 
mj_frenzy;4256774 said:
It was just a momentary thought that he made (judging also by several reports from that period), but that story has been hugely exaggerated through the years.

It was also typical of him to be momentarily caught up in the excitement while recording many songs for an album.

But, MJ had a very clear vision from the very beginning: to sell 30 million (or more) copies with the ‘BAD’ album & he knew that this was feasible only with 1 disc full of potential hits.

He even used to carry 30 cents in his pocket (during those sessions) for symbolic reasons, because he wanted to match at least the millions of sold copies with that album.

In case you attend such a seminar again, it would be interesting to ask that.

You will surely get confirmation about what I wrote.


- Yes, and I agree with you really. I would also think that MJ in real truth did not plan to release a 3-disc-set. Your arguments are absolutely reasonable, and I also think MJ liked having some unreleased material that he could use and work on later. But it would have been exciting if he had done it anyways, and from a fan perspective I guess we all would like it - even if it would not have been a wise thing to do commercially.
 
Thank you for posting this list, some of the song I'd never even heard of before, I'd love to kno more about them and hear them all some day

Also Jackson Rules that track list is amazing
 
I'm happy that you like my list :D
I forgot to put Hot Fever and Pyramid Girl, but honestly I don't know if they are complete (and different) songs/demos considering they evolved into two songs that have made it into the original album
 
Thank you for noticing. Of course there are probably many other songs that I have forgotten. I just went through and wrote down all I could find from that Wikipedia page, and these songs were not mentioned there - so even though I know those songs very well I just did not remember them at the time. But of course these songs need to be included to the list. As well as "We are here to change the world" as someone else mentioned. Great, now we have an even bigger list of songs.

BTW, I tried to find out when Alright now was written but I cannot find it.Was it recorded around 1985?

Yeah, John Barnes said on FB a couple of years ago that they recorded that song in 85 :)
 
I'm happy that you like my list :D
I forgot to put Hot Fever and Pyramid Girl, but honestly I don't know if they are complete (and different) songs/demos considering they evolved into two songs that have made it into the original album

Hot fever is the demo of The Way You Make Me Feel :)
 
I'd be wary about taking any song names from that Wikipedia article as quite a few of them are made up.
 
Hot fever is the demo of The Way You Make Me Feel :)

Yeah, that's why I wrote that it evolved in a song that made it into the album. Same goes for Pyramid Girl, which later became Liberian Girl.
Also is said that Get In To The Groove was the demo for Black Or White.
 
Yeah, that's why I wrote that it evolved in a song that made it into the album. Same goes for Pyramid Girl, which later became Liberian Girl.
Also is said that Get In To The Groove was the demo for Black Or White.

Actually Pyramid girl is an entire different song. I'll try to find the quote but if I recall correctly it was John Barnes who explicated on that song
 
Jackson Rules;4257022 said:
Yeah, that's why I wrote that it evolved in a song that made it into the album. Same goes for Pyramid Girl, which later became Liberian Girl.
Also is said that Get In To The Groove was the demo for Black Or White.


- Yes, and also Al Capone which involved into Smooth Criminal as we all know. I guess that it should be legit though having it on the list, as you have, since it´s that different from SC, and a completely different song. But let me ask this: do you think that Al Capone is different enough to Smooth Criminal so they could both be on the same album or would that be too much?
 
SmoothGangsta;4257005 said:
I'd be wary about taking any song names from that Wikipedia article as quite a few of them are made up.


- Yes, I agree that Wikipedia is not the most trustworthy source. So I know that some of these song titles might be fake. But to try to get back to mu initial intent for making this tread:

OK, now we have concluded that the idea that MJ wanted to release Bad as a 3-disc-set is probably just rumours and not true. But He still did record at least 30 songs for the album, at least if we can believe that information (I read somewhere, don´t remember where but it might also be on Wikipedia, that he wrote 60 songs and recorded 30 for the project). Just playing with the idea that this is true and that he recorded 30 songs for the Bad project, could we together try to find out which 30 songs it was? Would be interesting to discuss. At least we have the released album:

1. Bad
2. The way you make me feel
3. Speed demon
4. Liberian girl
5. Just good friends
6. Another part of me
7. Man in the mirror
8. I just cannot stop loving you
9. Dirty Diana
10. Smooth criminal
11. Leave me alone

I would also assume that these songs would be included:

12. Streetwalker
13. Fly away
14. Price of fame
15. Abortion papers
16. Dont be messing around
17. Free
18. Chicago 1945
19. Buffalo Bill
20. Apocalypse now
21. Tomboy
22. Throwing your life away

Do you disagree with some of the songs in my list being included, in that case why - and which ones do you think would be included instead?
 
Mr. Norway;4257073 said:
- Yes, and also Al Capone which involved into Smooth Criminal as we all know. I guess that it should be legit though having it on the list, as you have, since it´s that different from SC, and a completely different song. But let me ask this: do you think that Al Capone is different enough to Smooth Criminal so they could both be on the same album or would that be too much?

I think they should. they kind of two different songs when you think about it. the beats almost the same but different. i call it Smooth Criminal the prequel/demo which it is anyway. :)
 
It would have been totally epic and I suppose considering the outtakes we've heard it would be his magnum opus.

Was "scared of the moon" recorded after Thriller was released? I always felt like it came from the same sessions that produced" someone in the dark".
 
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It would have been totally epic and I suppose considering the outtakes we've heard it would be his magnum opus.

Was "scared of the moon" recorded after Thriller was released? I always felt like it came from the same sessions that produced" someone in the dark".

It's recorded in 1985.
 
It would of nice if they did this for bad 25. hopefully they will do it for one of bad anniversaries in the future. like bad 35. though it probably be online, stream, first before CD, vinyl, etc. because most people use that more then CDs, vinyls, etc now.
 
The size of Bad is just perfect! :)

I would have switched JGF with Streetwalker, and probably also rearranged the album tracklist.



A1 Bad
A2 TWYMMF
A3 IJCSLY
A4 Speed Demon
A5 Liberian Girl

B1 Streetwalker
B2 MITM
B3 DD
B4 LMA
B5 SC

CD-only APOM
 
I'm sure in the BAD 25 documentary one of his producers or engineers said that there's 60 songs from these years in different stages of progress. Even if they're as incomplete as 'DBMA' I'd still love to hear them and maybe some more studio footage as an accomponymant.
 
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