Which songs do you prefer the demo over the finalized version?

ChanceToDance

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IMO the demos of Dangerous, Streetwalker, Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (Demo from 1979) and P.Y.T sound better than the album versions.
 
I'm gonna get a lot of hate for this but I think starlight is a tad bit better than thriller
 
P.Y.T for sure.
The original version of Streetwalker.
The whole of the Xscape album.
(I Like) The Way You Love Me
 
Posthumous released "album" cuts are just remixes, so they're not really comparable.
MJs PYT demo and the album cut by Ingram&Jones are technically two different songs.

That being said, I prefer the earlier cut of APOM (aka Captain EO version) over its final cut on the bad album.
WATW - demo over the all-star version
TGIM - demo over the album version w/ Mccartney
Dangerous - alternate (Bottrell) version over album version
Streetwalker - unreleased album cut over the released Bottrell mix
WBSS - the album version for sure
Starlight/Thriller - without doubt Thriller
Slapstick/Hot Street - while Slapstick has some elements that I really do like, overall it isn't as polished as Hot Street. So it's Hot Street for me.
 
There's elements in Mike's demos that I wish would have been in the final version rather than the demo being better overall, if that makes sense

For instance Give In To Me demo, the line "I might live my life alone girl" should have been in the album version

The longer instrumental break in the WBBS demo, along with MJ singing Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa around 2.50
 
I would also like to add that I prefer the first demo of For All Time over the version from Thriller 25.

And also I prefer the more upbeat sound of the Someone Put Your Hand Out demo.
 
In The Closet

Also, this doesn't really qualify as it's not a demo but I love it anyway so am gonna fling it in. That long studio version of WATW. It seems to be a working session with Michael to allow the studio techs to do various techie things. But I really love it cos there are some live vocals towards the end of the session plus, even better, there's a little bit of acapella about a third of the way in. It's really short, just one line, IIRC, but so fabulous. Anytime I can hear Michael doing acapella, I'm in. I wish there was more acapella stuff. The songs are amazing, they really are, and I love them but I really just want his voice. (The all-star WATW doesn't do anything for me).
 
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I would also like to add that I prefer the first demo of For All Time over the version from Thriller 25.

And also I prefer the more upbeat sound of the Someone Put Your Hand Out demo.

I love the added bridge to For All Time, I do prefer the fast demo of SPYHO
 
Not sure what version of Ghosts it is (think it's an early version that played in the credits of the film) but I wish Michael had included that funky bass line on the album version, even if it stands out from the rest of the track. It's so funky
 
The demo of The Girl Is Mine is so much better than the final version... I always felt the duet approach made it a bit cheesy. The demo is just Michael singing; it's a lovely song that way. The ad libs are great as well...
 
The demo of The Girl Is Mine is so much better than the final version... I always felt the duet approach made it a bit cheesy. The demo is just Michael singing; it's a lovely song that way. The ad libs are great as well...
Yes!! I totally agree :)
 
The Girl Is Mine (which has been said multiple times on this thread haha) and, although a bit of a stretch, Ghosts.
The Ghosts demo with SFX and that amazing bass line wasn't really a demo, but more like an alternative mix, i really wish that version would have been the one chosen for the BOTDF album.
 
is this alternative ghosts mix somewhere available in high quality + uncut?
i remember that bass line, so bad ass.
 
I remember hearing the speed demon demo version. I was shocked how funky that was.
 
Are you talking about this one ?

Wow, that was AMAZING. I've never been fussed on Speed Demon, it's a bit, 'yeah, whatever ... ' for me. But this was like a whole different song. It just rocks! Michael's voice sounds so different here. Loved it. I'm usually quite happy for the demo version and the final version to sit alongside each other but with this one, I really wish it hadn't been changed.

This was so cool. 😊
 
That’s indeed a superb version of ghost. Is it fanmade or by a dj or something? Or is it straight from the studio?
 
Posthumous released "album" cuts are just remixes, so they're not really comparable.
MJs PYT demo and the album cut by Ingram&Jones are technically two different songs.

That being said, I prefer the earlier cut of APOM (aka Captain EO version) over its final cut on the bad album.
WATW - demo over the all-star version
TGIM - demo over the album version w/ Mccartney
Dangerous - alternate (Bottrell) version over album version
Streetwalker - unreleased album cut over the released Bottrell mix
WBSS - the album version for sure
Starlight/Thriller - without doubt Thriller
Slapstick/Hot Street - while Slapstick has some elements that I really do like, overall it isn't as polished as Hot Street. So it's Hot Street for me.
We haven't heard the album mix of streetwalker, right? Only leaks I'm aware of are early demos. Asking purely because if it has leaked I want to hear it lol.
 
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Dangerous
Human Nature (the demo by Toto)
P.Y.T
Slapstick
Stranger in Moscow
 
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