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The Discussion of MJ's Unreleased Tracks

Brian Malouf interview with Mix magazine, 1999

Michael Jackson walked in one day with his brothers, which was a pivotal thing for me, because that’s how I started working with Michael. He came to me on one of their [Victory] sessions and said, “Hey Brian, I want to come back tonight and do my own stuff. Can you do it with me?” And that was the beginning of working with him for a year and a half on the demos that were the beginning of the Bad album. It was pretty heady stuff, very exciting, and it led to lots of other things.
 
Fuzball said:
Brian Malouf interview with Mix magazine, 1999

Michael Jackson walked in one day with his brothers, which was a pivotal thing for me, because that’s how I started working with Michael. He came to me on one of their [Victory] sessions and said, “Hey Brian, I want to come back tonight and do my own stuff. Can you do it with me?” And that was the beginning of working with him for a year and a half on the demos that were the beginning of the Bad album. It was pretty heady stuff, very exciting, and it led to lots of other things.
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This is cool info, do we know what songs were worked on with Brian Malouf?
 
Fuzball said:
I really would like to know what Michael's natural speaking voice sounded like in the early 80s.
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Well, it's not rare but it's 1982 and he was usually pretty relaxed with Ebony Jet. This interview is not one of my faves but he sounds great, imo.

4m 18s

 
SmoothCriminal1995 said:
These new recording dates for the Bad sessions are so interesting to me, when I hear Mike's voice on songs like Cheater and Streetwalker, I picture him looking like this

MJJ_scan_2069.jpg

His voice on them tracks in particular just feels prime Bad era (86-87), not Victory era. It's crazy how much new information we're still discovering
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One other thing that's fascinating to me is that's pretty much how MJ looked like throughout the recording of Dangerous. When I hear the songs from that album I picture Michael looking the way he did on the BOW clip or during the Dangerous tour when he recorded them but he still looked exactly like his Bad era self.

I mean just look at any photo of MJ during 1989-1991, that's literally just Bad era Michael lol

636a5e3c0083acd25f291d4a75c3b0b6.jpg

2cd37c75f3d91c8c984effb4bdc76a34.jpg
 
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SmoothCriminal1995 said:
This is cool info, do we know what songs were worked on with Brian Malouf?
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He has been given engineering credits on Victory (The Hurt) and Bad albums. On the latter one it's not specified on which songs exactly.

As far as for unreleased songs, he's engineered on Abortion Papers.

Since Malouf has worked with Toto on their 1984 album "Isolation", I assume he was the recording engineer on the MJ/Porcaro tracks C45 & Dream Away, too.
 
BlackAnon said:
It was lyrics to the chorus first. The verses were mumbled and the chorus would be fully fleshed and if he liked the chorus, he'd continue working on the song but if he didn't like it, it was discarded.
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Literally discarded. Unwanted lyrics thrown in the bin by studio techs! :(
 
ChanceToDance said:
One other thing that's fascinating to me is that's pretty much how MJ looked like throughout the recording of Dangerous. When I hear the songs from that album I picture Michael looking the way he did on the BOW clip or during the Dangerous tour when he recorded them but he still looked exactly like his Bad era self.

I mean just look at any photo of MJ during 1989-1991, that's literally just Bad era Michael lol

636a5e3c0083acd25f291d4a75c3b0b6.jpg

2cd37c75f3d91c8c984effb4bdc76a34.jpg
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I mean the only thing that changed about him in 1991 was his hair. He straightened it.

It was in 1992 that he really changed again. Clearly things advanced.
 
What was the criteria for the selection of songs Michael had been asked about at the 1993 deposition?
Does any of you have an idea?

  • She’s Not A Girl (recorded - unreleased - demo at the encino home - year unknown)
  • You Ain’t Gonna Change Nothin’ (unreleased)
  • Lucy Is In Love With Linus (unreleased)
  • Who Is The Girl With Her Hair Down? (unreleased)
  • Lonely Man (written by Michael - never released)
  • Goin' To Rio ( Written by Michael - never released - stated before Thriller/Off The Wall)
  • Tomboy (written by Michael - sings part of it- never released - for Bad album/ made after thriller)
  • Buffalo Bill (After Thriller - written after Billie Jean - never released)
  • Al Capone* (Written after Thriller - never released)
  • Michael McKeller (Written but never released)
  • Thank You For Life (before Off The Wall - 73/74 - never released)
  • Much Too Soon* (Written - never released)
  • What A Lonely Way To Go* (Written - sings part of it - before Off The Wall - never released)
  • Who Do You Know* ( never released)
  • You Are A Liar (written - never released)
  • Cry (Written - never released)
  • Crack Kills (written - never released)
  • Free (written - never released)
  • Fly Away* (written - never released)
  • Children’s Hour (Written - never released)
  • Baby Smiles (written - never released)
  • Sister Sue (written - never released)
  • Little Susie* (written- never released)
  • Tragedy Of A Cheerleader (written - never released)
  • Get Around (written - never released)
  • Little Girls (Written - never released )
  • In The Valley (written - never released)
  • Red Eye (written - never released)
  • I Forgive You ( written- never released)
  • Why Shy (written - never released)
  • I Have This Love Of Me (written - never released)
  • Llama Lola (written - never released)
  • California Grass (written - never released)
  • Kentucky (Written - year: 70 something - never released)
  • Someone Put Your Hand Out* (Written - released through Pepsi contest - last year 1992)
  • Do You Know Where Your Children Are* (written - never released)
  • Bad Girl ( Written - never released)
  • Lonely Bird (written - never released)
  • Cheater* (co written - never released)
  • People Have To Make Some Kind Of Joke (written - never released)
  • Love Never Felt So Good* (written w/ Paul Anka - never released)
  • Alright Now (Written with brother - never released)
  • Scared Of The Moon* ( cowritten - never released)
  • Neverland Landing (cowritten - never released)
  • We Are The Ones (written - never released)
  • What’s Your Life (written with Jermaine - never released)
  • Fantasy (cowritten with brother - never released)
  • The Skys The Limit ( cowritten with brother - never released)
  • Saved By The Bell (cowritten with brother - never released)
  • Chicago 1945* (cowritten - never released)
  • Make Or Break (cowritten- never released)
  • Turning Me Off (cowritten- never released)
  • Sunset Driver* (cowritten - never released)
  • Far, Far, Away ( written- never released - doesn’t recall if co written with someone)

*released or leaked after 1993
 
Fuzball said:
What was the criteria for the selection of songs Michael had been asked about at the 1993 deposition?
Does any of you have an idea?

  • She’s Not A Girl (recorded - unreleased - demo at the encino home - year unknown)
  • You Ain’t Gonna Change Nothin’ (unreleased)
  • Lucy Is In Love With Linus (unreleased)
  • Who Is The Girl With Her Hair Down? (unreleased)
  • Lonely Man (written by Michael - never released)
  • Goin' To Rio ( Written by Michael - never released - stated before Thriller/Off The Wall)
  • Tomboy (written by Michael - sings part of it- never released - for Bad album/ made after thriller)
  • Buffalo Bill (After Thriller - written after Billie Jean - never released)
  • Al Capone* (Written after Thriller - never released)
  • Michael McKeller (Written but never released)
  • Thank You For Life (before Off The Wall - 73/74 - never released)
  • Much Too Soon* (Written - never released)
  • What A Lonely Way To Go* (Written - sings part of it - before Off The Wall - never released)
  • Who Do You Know* ( never released)
  • You Are A Liar (written - never released)
  • Cry (Written - never released)
  • Crack Kills (written - never released)
  • Free (written - never released)
  • Fly Away* (written - never released)
  • Children’s Hour (Written - never released)
  • Baby Smiles (written - never released)
  • Sister Sue (written - never released)
  • Little Susie* (written- never released)
  • Tragedy Of A Cheerleader (written - never released)
  • Get Around (written - never released)
  • Little Girls (Written - never released )
  • In The Valley (written - never released)
  • Red Eye (written - never released)
  • I Forgive You ( written- never released)
  • Why Shy (written - never released)
  • I Have This Love Of Me (written - never released)
  • Llama Lola (written - never released)
  • California Grass (written - never released)
  • Kentucky (Written - year: 70 something - never released)
  • Someone Put Your Hand Out* (Written - released through Pepsi contest - last year 1992)
  • Do You Know Where Your Children Are* (written - never released)
  • Bad Girl ( Written - never released)
  • Lonely Bird (written - never released)
  • Cheater* (co written - never released)
  • People Have To Make Some Kind Of Joke (written - never released)
  • Love Never Felt So Good* (written w/ Paul Anka - never released)
  • Alright Now (Written with brother - never released)
  • Scared Of The Moon* ( cowritten - never released)
  • Neverland Landing (cowritten - never released)
  • We Are The Ones (written - never released)
  • What’s Your Life (written with Jermaine - never released)
  • Fantasy (cowritten with brother - never released)
  • The Skys The Limit ( cowritten with brother - never released)
  • Saved By The Bell (cowritten with brother - never released)
  • Chicago 1945* (cowritten - never released)
  • Make Or Break (cowritten- never released)
  • Turning Me Off (cowritten- never released)
  • Sunset Driver* (cowritten - never released)
  • Far, Far, Away ( written- never released - doesn’t recall if co written with someone)

*released or leaked after 1993
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Imo there's a good chance that all of those are songs that were recorded given how nowadays we know at least half of the songs on the list include vocals in some form.

She's Not A Girl - Recorded
Tomboy - Full Vocals
Buffalo Bill - Recorded, uncertain if it has full vocals or chorus vocals with a guide vocal
Al Capone - Full Vocals
WALWTG - Full Vocals
Who Do You Know - Full Vocals
Crack Kills - Full Vocals
Free - Partially Full Vocals
Fly Away - Full Vocals
Little Susie - Full Vocals
Red Eye - Instrumental but not to say there isn't a version with vocals made after the track was copyright registered, similarly with Tomboy
SPYHO - Full Vocals
DYKWYCA - Full Vocals
Cheater - Full Vocals
LNFSG - Full Vocals
Alright Now - Recorded
Scared Of The Moon - Full Vocals
Neverland Landing - Full Vocals
What's Your Life - Recorded with Jermaine
Chicago 1945 - Full Vocals
Make Or Break - Scratch Vocals
Turning Me Off - Scratch Vocals
Sunset Driver - Full Vocals
Far, Far, Away - Either chorus vocals or scratch vocals
 
LucianoWalker said:
Even if it's real it's confusing, where are Rodney's other songs? and because no one on his team like Fred doesn't remember any of these songs
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He lists Chicago 1945 (2001) as Chicago 145. His name also seems to be spelled incorrectly in the scrolling bar. It's possible a lot of these are just instrumentals if they exist at all – I don't see Get Your Weight Off Me, could it be actually named something else to Michael?
 
Excerpt from an interview Brazilian Rolling Stone Magazine did with Brian Malouf in 2021:

I wonder which song Brian's refering to that he had witnessed in the making with Barnes and MJ.





What was it like working with Michael Jackson?
It was magical. I remember the moment I met him in 1983. Michael Jackson was the biggest media star at that time, the biggest pop star on the planet. Suddenly, I saw him walking through the neighborhood and entering the small studio where I worked, in Tarzana, California, with his entire family [ The Jackson 5 ]. We worked on the album Victory (1984) and then I was the sound engineer on Michael 's solo album Bad (1987).
In person, what was Michael Jackson like?
Michael was the sweetest, humblest and kindest person I have ever met in my entire life. At the same time, he was the most musically focused person I've ever met as well.

What is the most nostalgic memory you have of Michael Jackson in your studio?
Once, John Barnes, Michael 's collaborator , sat down at the piano to present an idea. Then, Michael began to hum the bass notes according to what was in his head. He imagined the notes and sang them, making the progression of the song with minor and major notes interspersed with those on the piano. It's a technique that only a composition genius possesses. And Michael owned it.
 
Complete assumption on my part, but I've always assumed that most if not all the songs listed in the 93 deposition have vocals, aside from any classical pieces. Everything we've heard from the list thus far has had vocals of some sort.

I think post 93, Mike became less interested in laying vocals down until he was satisfied with the instrumental.
 
ChanceToDance said:
Imo there's a good chance that all of those are songs that were recorded given how nowadays we know at least half of the songs on the list include vocals in some form.

She's Not A Girl - Recorded
Tomboy - Full Vocals
Buffalo Bill - Recorded, uncertain if it has full vocals or chorus vocals with a guide vocal
Al Capone - Full Vocals
WALWTG - Full Vocals
Who Do You Know - Full Vocals
Crack Kills - Full Vocals
Free - Partially Full Vocals
Fly Away - Full Vocals
Little Susie - Full Vocals
Red Eye - Instrumental but not to say there isn't a version with vocals made after the track was copyright registered, similarly with Tomboy
SPYHO - Full Vocals
DYKWYCA - Full Vocals
Cheater - Full Vocals
LNFSG - Full Vocals
Alright Now - Recorded
Scared Of The Moon - Full Vocals
Neverland Landing - Full Vocals
What's Your Life - Recorded with Jermaine
Chicago 1945 - Full Vocals
Make Or Break - Scratch Vocals
Turning Me Off - Scratch Vocals
Sunset Driver - Full Vocals
Far, Far, Away - Either chorus vocals or scratch vocals
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Do we have any idea of the recording period of "She's not a girl"?
 
Fuzball said:
I really would like to know what Michael's natural speaking voice sounded like in the early 80s.
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What you know is his natural speaking voice, it just varied depending on who he talked to and how he felt. We all talk slightly different according to the situation; to your granny, to your parents, to your baby, to your teenager, to your colleagues, to your friends etc.
 
ChanceToDance said:
MJ also didn't begin writing his own songs until he left Motown in 1976, so the track must have been made between 1976-1988.
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Not true. He said that he wrote many songs, such as "What's Your Life", as early as 1973. One of the main reasons he wanted to leave Motown was that the songs he was writing weren't being recorded. It was only at CBS that "Blues Away" was allowed to be included on an album.
 
robotchicken14 said:
Not true. He said that he wrote many songs, such as "What's Your Life", as early as 1973. One of the main reasons he wanted to leave Motown was that the songs he was writing weren't being recorded. It was only at CBS that "Blues Away" was allowed to be included on an album.
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Ahh okay. From the places I read it made it sound like Blues Away was the very first song the Jacksons wrote and that wasn't made until 1976.

So She's Not A Girl could've been recorded any time between 1971-1988.
 
ChanceToDance said:
So She's Not A Girl could've been recorded any time between 1971-1988.
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True, but from the way MJ talks about a lot of the songs in the 1993 deposition I wouldn't be surprised if most of them date from the period 1973-78. His most common response to a lot of the titles is that they are from "before Off the Wall".

If they are, they certainly wouldn't be of a higher quality than "What A Lovely Way to Go", both in terms of songwriting and production. A song which, ironically, a lot of people here seem to despise. Since WALWTG was considered for "Michael", and eventually released, it can be assumed that it's among the most developed of the 1973-78 songs.
 
Fuzball said:
That's a bold assumption, imo. The song could have been chosen and considered for inclusion as a "filler track".
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If we are to assume that the philosophy behind the "Michael" album was to include songs that MJ was working on in the years preceding his death (hence the inclusion of the Cascio tracks, Hollywood Tonight, Best of Joy etc.) do you not think that the material they worked on from other eras would be exclusively the most developed tracks? Only ten songs were chosen, so you'd think there wouldn't be any filler.

As far as I'm aware WALWTG was the only 70s track worked on for either Michael or Xscape. Do you not think any of the others mentioned in the deposition (Thank You for Life, Kentucky etc.) would have at least been considered if they were in any way complete?
 
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