Momma Shannon
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Opps, no news thread for today - sorry so late 
Michael gets his props for 'Thriller'
By Glenn Gamboa NEWSDAY
Article Launched: 02/20/2008 03:02:16 AM PST
http://www.contracostatimes.com/music/ci_8312891
It should be a no-brainer.
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the biggest-selling album in music history by reworking several of its best-known hits with today's hottest singers and producers should really be a sure thing.
And it would be -- if it didn't involve Michael Jackson.
However, with the high-profile reissue of "Thriller," it appears the King of Pop is ready to recapture his crown, after his acquittal of child molestation charges in 2005 and years of unusual behavior that has eroded his once-mighty fan base.
To attempt this comeback, Jackson has enlisted help from some of today's biggest stars. Kanye West reworked "Billie Jean." Fergie added her vocals to "Beat It." Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am remixed "P.Y.T." and "The Girl Is Mine," replacing Paul McCartney's vocals with his own. And Akon tackled "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" with Jackson, who rerecorded his vocals for the new version. (The "Thriller" reissue also features "For All Time," an outtake from the original album's recording sessions that Jackson recently completed and remixed.) Jackson has also lined up loads of celebrity testimonials to the power of "Thriller" that will be rolled out online in weekly podcasts on iTunes and his Web site (michaeljackson.com) for the next 40 weeks. The series will include interviews with everyone from Chris Brown to rapper DMC to choreographers from "So You Think You Can Dance" that will cover how "Thriller" influenced their careers and their personal lives.
"Whether you was a guy or a girl, you were caught up in the Michael Jackson frenzy -- period," Wyclef Jean says in one of them.
Mary J. Blige says in another, "It was 'Billie Jean' that did it. That was the first time you see Michael dance -- see Michael, not as the Jackson Five, but as Michael Jackson, dance. Oh my gosh, it was electrifying."
By focusing on "Thriller," music's biggest commercial success, Jackson seems to be hoping fans will remember how much they once liked him. After all, there are an awful lot of people who loved "Thriller."
Originally released on Nov. 30, 1982, "Thriller" is the biggest-selling album in the world, with more than 104 million copies sold. (The Eagles' "Greatest Hits" package is the biggest-selling album in America, with sales of more than 29 million, about 2 million more than "Thriller," though that gap could narrow with this release.)
"Thriller" originally spent 37 weeks at No. 1, a total of 80 consecutive weeks in the Top 10. It's also the only album in American history to be the best-selling album for two years. Seven of the album's nine songs hit the Billboard Top 10 -- with "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" both reaching No. 1.
At the 1984 Grammys, Jackson landed a record-setting 12 nominations and won a record-setting eight awards, including album of the year for "Thriller" and record of the year for "Beat It."
Perhaps more important, though, Jackson's work on "Thriller" broke the race barrier on MTV, kicking open the door for African-American artists on the channel. Jackson told Ebony magazine recently that MTV's rejection of his music videos inspired him to make "Thriller" even stronger.
"They said they don't play (black artists)," Jackson said. "It broke my heart, but at the same time it lit something. I was saying to myself, 'I have to do something where they ... I just refuse to be ignored. So yeah, 'Billie Jean,' they said, 'We won't play it.' But when they played it, it set the all-time record. Then they were asking me for everything we had. They were knocking our door down."
Given all the controversies surrounding Jackson in recent years, the music industry isn't exactly knocking his door down at the moment, though that may be changing, with artists inspired by him leading the way.
For years, hip-hop's finest, from Missy Elliott to De La Soul, have given Jackson his props in interviews. One of this year's hottest up-and-coming rappers, Rhymefest, has even issued the underground mixtape "Man in the Mirror," filled with Rhymefest and friends, including Ghostface Killah and Talib Kweli, rhyming over Jackson's music.
Jackson's influence moves beyond hip-hop as well. One of last year's best-received hits, the Grammy-nominated "D.A.N.C.E." from French dance-pop duo Justice, was essentially career advice for Jackson. "Do the D.A.N.C.E. ... stick to the B.E.A.T., get ready to ignite," goes the song's chorus. "You were such a P.Y.T., catching all the lights. Just easy as A.B.C., that's how you make it right."
Perhaps Jackson is taking that advice. Though nothing has been announced, there are rumors of a Jackson Five reunion tour this year. There is also talk about a TV special saluting "Thriller," where Jackson will re-enact his classic performance on the "Motown 25" special where he introduced the world to the Moonwalk. And, of course, Jackson has been working on a new album -- reportedly with will.i.am, Rodney Jerkins and Ne-Yo, among others -- that could be released late this year.
Will all this work? It's hard to predict, but, either way, the answer will become clearer with the reissued "Thriller."
Mentions:
Winehouse, Hancock see post-Grammy bump
Winning a Grammy Award still means quite a bit, at least when it comes to record sales. This week's chart sees a number of Grammy winners/performers zooming up the U.S. pop chart.
Here are the two most notable:
-- Five-time Grammy winner Amy Winehouse rockets up from No. 24 to No. 2 with her "Back to Black," experiencing a 368% sales increase to 115,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, courtesy of Billboard's always informative weekly "Chart Alert" feature. This is a chart and sales peak for the artist, according to Billboard.
-- Herbie Hancock's album of the year-winning "River: The Joni Letters" enters the top 10 this week, soaring up to No. 5 after being docked at No. 159 last week. "River" sold 54,000 copies this week, and had previously peaked at No. 118, according to Billboard.
-- Further down, Kanye West jumps up the chart from 64 to 40, and the Foo Fighters move to 22 from 65, according to Billboard. Elsewhere, Alicia Keys, John Legend and Rihanna all see sales increase of at least 30% due to the Grammys.
-- But the artist who was long-rumored to appear on the Grammys but didn't make it, Michael Jackson, also makes a major impact on this week's charts. The 25th anniversary of his "Thriller" sold 166,000 copies, according to Billboard, and would have kept Winehouse out of the No. 2 post, except it only qualifies for the catalog charts. The "Thriller" re-issue would have fallen second to Jack Johnson, whose "Sleep Through the Static" sold 180,000 copies to hold at No. 1 for a second week. But the Jackson family will be well-represented on the U.S. pop charts soon enough, as Janet will release her "Discipline" on Feb. 26.
(Photo courtesy Associated Press)
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/extendedplay/2008/02/winehouse-hanco.html
Soulful Duffy top of singles chart
15 hours ago
Newcomer Duffy dominated this week's singles chart, shooting straight to the top with Mercy.
The Welsh soul singer-songwriter knocked Swedish DJ Basshunter off the number one spot, back down to number three.
Nickelback held onto to number two with Rockstar and British singer David Jordan's Sun Goes Down climbed one place, to number four.
Meanwhile Adele and Rihanna, last week's three and four, both dropped two places.
And Adele's fall in the singles chart was matched by a fall in the album charts - the soulful London teenager saw her debut offering 19 also drop two places to number four.
But acoustic singer-songwriter Jack Johnson held onto the top spot for a second week running with his album Sleep Through The Static.
The Hawaiian-born musician's latest offering held off Nickelback's All The Right Reasons, which rose one place to number two.
New entrants this week included Michael Jackson, who burst into the album chart at number three with Thriller 25, and the British singer and lyricist Morrissey, whose Greatest Hits album debuted at number five.
Canadian crooner Michael Buble jumped from number 13 to number six, while Amy MacDonald also rose up the charts to from number nine to number seven with This Is The Life.
http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iGylTNCUOPwG9pNuOPUDVew7pyiQ
Today is Wednesday, February 20, 2008
[SIZE=+2]
Today in
Michael Jackson History[/SIZE]
1998 - Michael Jackson got approval from Polish authorities to build a $500 million 222-acre amusement park in Warsaw.
2003 - FOX aired "Michael Jackson Take 2: The Interview They Wouldn't Show You."
[SIZE=+2]Michael Jackson Quote[/SIZE]
People always told me be careful of what you do
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts
And mother always told me be careful of who you love
And be careful of what you do 'cause the lie becomes the truth
- Michael Jackson, Billie Jean
K this was a quick news thread more to come...(after I sing Happy B-day to my own Momma! :lol
Michael gets his props for 'Thriller'
By Glenn Gamboa NEWSDAY
Article Launched: 02/20/2008 03:02:16 AM PST
http://www.contracostatimes.com/music/ci_8312891
It should be a no-brainer.
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the biggest-selling album in music history by reworking several of its best-known hits with today's hottest singers and producers should really be a sure thing.
And it would be -- if it didn't involve Michael Jackson.
However, with the high-profile reissue of "Thriller," it appears the King of Pop is ready to recapture his crown, after his acquittal of child molestation charges in 2005 and years of unusual behavior that has eroded his once-mighty fan base.
To attempt this comeback, Jackson has enlisted help from some of today's biggest stars. Kanye West reworked "Billie Jean." Fergie added her vocals to "Beat It." Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am remixed "P.Y.T." and "The Girl Is Mine," replacing Paul McCartney's vocals with his own. And Akon tackled "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" with Jackson, who rerecorded his vocals for the new version. (The "Thriller" reissue also features "For All Time," an outtake from the original album's recording sessions that Jackson recently completed and remixed.) Jackson has also lined up loads of celebrity testimonials to the power of "Thriller" that will be rolled out online in weekly podcasts on iTunes and his Web site (michaeljackson.com) for the next 40 weeks. The series will include interviews with everyone from Chris Brown to rapper DMC to choreographers from "So You Think You Can Dance" that will cover how "Thriller" influenced their careers and their personal lives.
"Whether you was a guy or a girl, you were caught up in the Michael Jackson frenzy -- period," Wyclef Jean says in one of them.
Mary J. Blige says in another, "It was 'Billie Jean' that did it. That was the first time you see Michael dance -- see Michael, not as the Jackson Five, but as Michael Jackson, dance. Oh my gosh, it was electrifying."
By focusing on "Thriller," music's biggest commercial success, Jackson seems to be hoping fans will remember how much they once liked him. After all, there are an awful lot of people who loved "Thriller."
Originally released on Nov. 30, 1982, "Thriller" is the biggest-selling album in the world, with more than 104 million copies sold. (The Eagles' "Greatest Hits" package is the biggest-selling album in America, with sales of more than 29 million, about 2 million more than "Thriller," though that gap could narrow with this release.)
"Thriller" originally spent 37 weeks at No. 1, a total of 80 consecutive weeks in the Top 10. It's also the only album in American history to be the best-selling album for two years. Seven of the album's nine songs hit the Billboard Top 10 -- with "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" both reaching No. 1.
At the 1984 Grammys, Jackson landed a record-setting 12 nominations and won a record-setting eight awards, including album of the year for "Thriller" and record of the year for "Beat It."
Perhaps more important, though, Jackson's work on "Thriller" broke the race barrier on MTV, kicking open the door for African-American artists on the channel. Jackson told Ebony magazine recently that MTV's rejection of his music videos inspired him to make "Thriller" even stronger.
"They said they don't play (black artists)," Jackson said. "It broke my heart, but at the same time it lit something. I was saying to myself, 'I have to do something where they ... I just refuse to be ignored. So yeah, 'Billie Jean,' they said, 'We won't play it.' But when they played it, it set the all-time record. Then they were asking me for everything we had. They were knocking our door down."
Given all the controversies surrounding Jackson in recent years, the music industry isn't exactly knocking his door down at the moment, though that may be changing, with artists inspired by him leading the way.
For years, hip-hop's finest, from Missy Elliott to De La Soul, have given Jackson his props in interviews. One of this year's hottest up-and-coming rappers, Rhymefest, has even issued the underground mixtape "Man in the Mirror," filled with Rhymefest and friends, including Ghostface Killah and Talib Kweli, rhyming over Jackson's music.
Jackson's influence moves beyond hip-hop as well. One of last year's best-received hits, the Grammy-nominated "D.A.N.C.E." from French dance-pop duo Justice, was essentially career advice for Jackson. "Do the D.A.N.C.E. ... stick to the B.E.A.T., get ready to ignite," goes the song's chorus. "You were such a P.Y.T., catching all the lights. Just easy as A.B.C., that's how you make it right."
Perhaps Jackson is taking that advice. Though nothing has been announced, there are rumors of a Jackson Five reunion tour this year. There is also talk about a TV special saluting "Thriller," where Jackson will re-enact his classic performance on the "Motown 25" special where he introduced the world to the Moonwalk. And, of course, Jackson has been working on a new album -- reportedly with will.i.am, Rodney Jerkins and Ne-Yo, among others -- that could be released late this year.
Will all this work? It's hard to predict, but, either way, the answer will become clearer with the reissued "Thriller."
Mentions:
Winehouse, Hancock see post-Grammy bump
Winning a Grammy Award still means quite a bit, at least when it comes to record sales. This week's chart sees a number of Grammy winners/performers zooming up the U.S. pop chart.Here are the two most notable:
-- Five-time Grammy winner Amy Winehouse rockets up from No. 24 to No. 2 with her "Back to Black," experiencing a 368% sales increase to 115,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, courtesy of Billboard's always informative weekly "Chart Alert" feature. This is a chart and sales peak for the artist, according to Billboard.
-- Herbie Hancock's album of the year-winning "River: The Joni Letters" enters the top 10 this week, soaring up to No. 5 after being docked at No. 159 last week. "River" sold 54,000 copies this week, and had previously peaked at No. 118, according to Billboard.
-- Further down, Kanye West jumps up the chart from 64 to 40, and the Foo Fighters move to 22 from 65, according to Billboard. Elsewhere, Alicia Keys, John Legend and Rihanna all see sales increase of at least 30% due to the Grammys.
-- But the artist who was long-rumored to appear on the Grammys but didn't make it, Michael Jackson, also makes a major impact on this week's charts. The 25th anniversary of his "Thriller" sold 166,000 copies, according to Billboard, and would have kept Winehouse out of the No. 2 post, except it only qualifies for the catalog charts. The "Thriller" re-issue would have fallen second to Jack Johnson, whose "Sleep Through the Static" sold 180,000 copies to hold at No. 1 for a second week. But the Jackson family will be well-represented on the U.S. pop charts soon enough, as Janet will release her "Discipline" on Feb. 26.
(Photo courtesy Associated Press)
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/extendedplay/2008/02/winehouse-hanco.html
Soulful Duffy top of singles chart
15 hours ago
Newcomer Duffy dominated this week's singles chart, shooting straight to the top with Mercy.
The Welsh soul singer-songwriter knocked Swedish DJ Basshunter off the number one spot, back down to number three.
Nickelback held onto to number two with Rockstar and British singer David Jordan's Sun Goes Down climbed one place, to number four.
Meanwhile Adele and Rihanna, last week's three and four, both dropped two places.
And Adele's fall in the singles chart was matched by a fall in the album charts - the soulful London teenager saw her debut offering 19 also drop two places to number four.
But acoustic singer-songwriter Jack Johnson held onto the top spot for a second week running with his album Sleep Through The Static.
The Hawaiian-born musician's latest offering held off Nickelback's All The Right Reasons, which rose one place to number two.
New entrants this week included Michael Jackson, who burst into the album chart at number three with Thriller 25, and the British singer and lyricist Morrissey, whose Greatest Hits album debuted at number five.
Canadian crooner Michael Buble jumped from number 13 to number six, while Amy MacDonald also rose up the charts to from number nine to number seven with This Is The Life.
http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iGylTNCUOPwG9pNuOPUDVew7pyiQ
Today is Wednesday, February 20, 2008
[SIZE=+2]
Today in
Michael Jackson History[/SIZE]
1998 - Michael Jackson got approval from Polish authorities to build a $500 million 222-acre amusement park in Warsaw.
2003 - FOX aired "Michael Jackson Take 2: The Interview They Wouldn't Show You."
[SIZE=+2]Michael Jackson Quote[/SIZE]
People always told me be careful of what you do
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts
And mother always told me be careful of who you love
And be careful of what you do 'cause the lie becomes the truth
- Michael Jackson, Billie Jean
K this was a quick news thread more to come...(after I sing Happy B-day to my own Momma! :lol
