The Discussion of MJ's Unreleased Tracks

Bill Bottrell:

I did get to my journals.
Dec. 29, 1983
Can Am
7:00 - 1am
Vocs
"Don't Look Any Further"

Only that.

AND:

Jan. 4, 1984
Jermaine
7:00-11:00
Dynamite

On a side note, this is interesting, as I have no recollection of it. "Liberian Girl"?
As far as I remember was fully produced at Hayvenhurst sessions, as documented in my BAD notes, but here is this:

Dec. 21, 1983
Randy
12:00-6:00

Michael
7:00-1:30
Liberian Girl



I'm sure "Liberian Girl" was started fresh at Hayvenhurst with John Barnes, Michael, and me.
So this was an early version completely erased from my memory.
 
The ‘world peace anthem’ type songs mj wrote just seemed to get worse over time imo

Can you feel it - excellent
We are the World
Heal the World
What more can I give
People of the World
I Have this Dream - awful

I know he wrote others but just an example
I like I have this dream's hook more than What More Can I Give's...
 
Bill Bottrell:

I did get to my journals.
Dec. 29, 1983
Can Am
7:00 - 1am
Vocs
"Don't Look Any Further"

Only that.

AND:

Jan. 4, 1984
Jermaine
7:00-11:00
Dynamite

On a side note, this is interesting, as I have no recollection of it. "Liberian Girl"?
As far as I remember was fully produced at Hayvenhurst sessions, as documented in my BAD notes, but here is this:

Dec. 21, 1983
Randy
12:00-6:00

Michael
7:00-1:30
Liberian Girl



I'm sure "Liberian Girl" was started fresh at Hayvenhurst with John Barnes, Michael, and me.
So this was an early version completely erased from my memory.
Essentially confirms that even the earliest documented version of “Liberian Girl” wasn’t titled “Pyramid Girl” as legend claims!
 
The ‘world peace anthem’ type songs mj wrote just seemed to get worse over time imo

Can you feel it - excellent
We are the World
Heal the World
What more can I give
People of the World
I Have this Dream - awful

I know he wrote others but just an example
I always thought What More Can I Give was fantastic, and I enjoy it a lot more than We Are The World.
 
Both are solid, imho. They're not songs I love, but I'd say they're at least okay. Calling them "the worst song recorded by MJ" feels like a stretch, unless the vocal performance in "IHTD" is awful, which we can't really say for sure.
 
Both are solid, imho. They're not songs I love, but I'd say they're at least okay. Calling them "the worst song recorded by MJ" feels like a stretch, unless the vocal performance in "IHTD" is awful, which we can't really say for sure.
Yeah the actual worse song is Whatzupwitu, stupid as all heck and banal. And yet...
 
Bill Bottrell:

I did get to my journals.
Dec. 29, 1983
Can Am
7:00 - 1am
Vocs
"Don't Look Any Further"

Only that.

AND:

Jan. 4, 1984
Jermaine
7:00-11:00
Dynamite

On a side note, this is interesting, as I have no recollection of it. "Liberian Girl"?
As far as I remember was fully produced at Hayvenhurst sessions, as documented in my BAD notes, but here is this:

Dec. 21, 1983
Randy
12:00-6:00

Michael
7:00-1:30
Liberian Girl



I'm sure "Liberian Girl" was started fresh at Hayvenhurst with John Barnes, Michael, and me.
So this was an early version completely erased from my memory.
I'd give my right Kidney to listen to all those songs from 1983. It's crazy how a lot of the songs that are the most sought after by fans, ended up being put on Michael's albums years later or were even being worked on before his death all come from that year in particular. His output was simply insane.

The 1983 demo of Dirty Diana still remains one of my most sought after demos.
 
I'd give my right Kidney to listen to all those songs from 1983. It's crazy how a lot of the songs that are the most sought after by fans, ended up being put on Michael's albums years later or were even being worked on before his death all come from that year in particular. His output was simply insane.
Was there ever confirmation that the Paul Anka songs are from 1980 or 83?

If they're 1983 that just adds to the list
 
Was there ever confirmation that the Paul Anka songs are from 1980 or 83?

If they're 1983 that just adds to the list
The US Copyright Office says they’re from 1980, but a few MJ songs have incorrect dates listed (most notably “In the Back” and “Throwin’ Your Life Away”). I personally think 1983 makes more sense seeing that Anka’s Walk a Fine Line album was released in 1984.
 
Was there ever confirmation that the Paul Anka songs are from 1980 or 83?

If they're 1983 that just adds to the list
From Xscape origins (2018):

"Many years would pass between the
Jackson family's Vegas days and Michael's next meeting with Paul Anka, which would ultimately take place in California in 1980.
Anka invited Jackson to visit as a guest at his Carmel-by-the-Sea home in Monterey County, California. Jackson ended up staying for two weeks, during which time the pair collaborated on a number of work-in-progress song ideas including "Love Never Felt So Good," "I Never Heard"and "It Don't Matter To Me".


In 1983 they had talks again because Michael's team had taken the tapes, Michael apologized for that and after the meeting they registered the songs and six months later Johnny Mathis released LNFSG
 
From Xscape origins (2018):

"Many years would pass between the
Jackson family's Vegas days and Michael's next meeting with Paul Anka, which would ultimately take place in California in 1980.
Anka invited Jackson to visit as a guest at his Carmel-by-the-Sea home in Monterey County, California. Jackson ended up staying for two weeks, during which time the pair collaborated on a number of work-in-progress song ideas including "Love Never Felt So Good," "I Never Heard"and "It Don't Matter To Me".


In 1983 they had talks again because Michael's team had taken the tapes, Michael apologized for that and after the meeting they registered the songs and six months later Johnny Mathis released LNFSG
This is the only chapter in Xscape Origins that I take with a grain of salt, solely because Damien wasn’t able to conduct any actual research beyond publicly-available material. Every other song/chapter had new, detailed input from the engineers and musicians.

Not saying he’s definitely wrong, but I personally feel that 1983 makes more sense given the timeline.
 
This is the only chapter in Xscape Origins that I take with a grain of salt, solely because Damien wasn’t able to conduct any actual research beyond publicly-available material. Every other song/chapter had new, detailed input from the engineers and musicians.

Not saying he’s definitely wrong, but I personally feel that 1983 makes more sense given the timeline.
I've been checking Damien's Original source for this, he's not wrong. I feel that 1980 coincides quite well, the songs are almost in the same line as the home demos he did during the Thriller sessions.

"When I first met Michael Jackson I knew he was immensely talented—this was before Thriller and his huge hits—and I began to think about collaborating with him.
I first sat down with Michael Jackson and talked about collaborating in 1980. We started working together at my house in Carmel. It was a fun place to be—he was using my guesthouse, playing with my girls in the Jacuzzi. He clearly had a real fondness for kids—he was very childlike himself and related to them on their own level"

 
I've been checking Damien's Original source for this, he's not wrong. I feel that 1980 coincides quite well, the songs are almost in the same line as the home demos he did during the Thriller sessions.

"When I first met Michael Jackson I knew he was immensely talented—this was before Thriller and his huge hits—and I began to think about collaborating with him.
I first sat down with Michael Jackson and talked about collaborating in 1980. We started working together at my house in Carmel. It was a fun place to be—he was using my guesthouse, playing with my girls in the Jacuzzi. He clearly had a real fondness for kids—he was very childlike himself and related to them on their own level"

Thank you for sharing this! Genuinely had no idea Anka himself ever provided a timeline. All the interviews I ever saw were more vague.
 
This is really cool! I found a live performance of “I Have This Dream” from the lyricist, I didn't know this was on YouTube.
So we have:
1999-2002 instrumental
The lyrics
A versión by one of the producers
A performance by the songwriter
Literally the whole history about the song

BUT WE STILL DON'T HAVE THE REAL VERSION
 
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