12/1/07: Michael Jackson News & Mentionings ~ Ola Ray Speaks

[Dorothy_Marie]

Good Morning everyone! First of all I would like to say Happy Birthday to my mom!
There is lots of news about the anniversary of Thriller, but there is one article that caught my eye and this one is about Ola Ray apologizing to Michael. There is a video with her talking about Thriller and how it influences her to this day. For more updates please check back daily on the news threads. Thank you.



Michael Jackson News :

http://www.kcra.com/news/14743689/detail.html


Here is the video of Ola Ray's interview: http://mfile.akamai.com/12883/wmv/vod.ibsys.com/2007/1201/14744072.200k.asx


SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- As the music world gears up for the 25th Anniversary of Micheal Jackson's 'Thriller', an actress and a Sacramento DJ reflect on the history.


Disc jockey Doctor Don Sainte-Johnn said the song 'Thriller' captured his heart and that of others like no other.

"Well play it again," Sainte-Johnn said. "I would get like 8 to 9 calls a night saying, 'Are you going to play 'Thriller'? I just played that 30 minutes ago."

Today Ola Ray is a stay-at-home mom in Sacramento, but 25 years ago she did a famous walk for the video 'Thriller'.

"I remember that day like it was yesterday," Ray said. "I am so excited that people are still talking about it, still remembering it."

She has a lot of respect for the man she said made her a part of history.

"I didn't know that I was going to be a part of history, but that is the way it turned out. I'm thankful," she said.

Ray said she wanted to apologize to Jackson because for a long time she thought he failed to pay her for her role in the thriller video.

She said she's since discovered someone else was holding back her money.

Ray plans to come out with a book and start a music career of her own.





http://www.nyjournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071201/ENTERTAINMENT/712010341

Remix to mark 'Thriller' anniversary





Commemorating the 25th anniversary of "Thriller," Michael Jackson and his record label, Epic/Legacy Recordings, are preparing a newly expanded edition of the mega-selling R&B-pop classic.

The CD and DVD package will hit stores Feb. 12 and include music videos, Jackson's landmark 1983 performance on the NBC special "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever" and rare and unreleased material from the "Thriller" era.

The collection also will feature remixes by Kanye West ("Billie Jean") and will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas ("P.Y.T." and "The Girl Is Mine"), while Akon and will.i.am are featured on a new recording of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."

Jackson also has gone back and remastered the track "For All Time," which was recorded during the "Thriller" sessions but left off that album.

"Thriller" is the second-best selling album in U.S. history; its 27 million copies shipped to stores trails only a greatest hits compilation by the Eagles, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. The album held the No. 1 spot on the U.S. sales chart for more than nine months.



http://www.livedaily.com/news/13276.html


Michael Jackson's "Thriller" to get 25th anniversary treatment

November 30, 2007 02:11 PM
By Tjames Madison
LiveDaily Contributor
Michael Jackson [ tickets ]'s 1982 album "Thriller," by most accounts the world's best-selling record of all time, will get an expansive re-release in February for the set's 25th anniversary. The dual CD/DVD "Thriller--25th Anniversary Edition" will include the original album in full, plus eight bonus tracks featuring remixes and unreleased cuts, the original music videos from the album, as well as Jackson's landmark "moonwalk" performance on the 1983 "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever" television special.

Bonus material on the CD portion of the set includes a Kanye West remix of "Billie Jean"; a new 2008 version of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" with Akon and Will.I.Am; and Will.I.Am remixes of "The Girl Is Mine" and "P.Y.T." The set also includes "For All Time," an unreleased track from the original "Thriller" recording sessions, mixed and remastered by Jackson.

The set will hit stores in the US Feb. 12, kicking off the first phase of a "multi-faceted global marketing campaign featuring high-profile television, radio and online events around the world" celebrating the album's anniversary, according to a press release.

Originally released Nov. 30, 1982, the Quincy Jones-produced "Thriller" spent 80 weeks in the Top 10 of Billboard's Top 200 albums chart, and has sold more than 27 million copies in the US alone. The Guinness Book of World Records named "Thriller" the best-selling album of all time in 1985, a distinction it continues to hold. (The Recording Industry Association of America currently recognizes the Eagles' "Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975" as the best-selling album in US history with 29 million copies shipped, 2 million more than "Thriller.")

A little more than a year after the "Thriller"'s release, Jackson held a record-setting 12 Grammy nominations, eventually taking home eight trophies, a record that still stands for most wins by one performer in a single year.

Jackson, who has kept a relatively low profile in recent months, seems likely to participate in an upcoming Jackson 5 reunion, with the band setting up concert dates "sometime in 2008," according to Jermaine Jackson.

"Michael will be involved," MJ's brother recently told the British BBC 6 radio station. "We feel we have to do it one more time. We owe that to the fans and to the public."







Michael Jackson Mentionings:


http://www.gigwise.com/news/39104/new-pharrell-williamsmadonna-album-is-hot


The producer has been recording Madonna'snew album, and Kanye apparently laid down a rap for them after finding himself in the same LA recordings studio due to his own superstar collaboration with Michael Jackson.



http://www.startribune.com/music/story/1581800.html

"Dick Clark's American Bandstand 50th Anniversary" ($180, Time Life) -- Hardly hip, this 12-disc, 201-song collection is your personal jukebox of mainstream hits from 1955 (Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock") to 1985 (Aretha Franklin's "Freeway of Love"). They are thematically/stylistically sorted under such headings as "dance, dance, dance" and "good vibrations." There is also a DVD with "Bandstand" interviews with the Doors, Michael Jackson and others. In the liner notes, Clark admits, "I always secretly liked disco music best." Of course, it had a beat that you could dance to. (J.B.)






Michael Jackson HIStory:

1982 - Michael Jackson's album "Thriller" was released.

 

[whitesocksdancer]

Re: December 1, 2007: Michael Jackson News & Mentionings

Thanks.......

 

[Dorothy_Marie]

Re: December 1, 2007: Michael Jackson News & Mentionings

News thread now updated.

 

[MJsPanda]

Re: December 1, 2007: Michael Jackson News & Mentionings

Thanks for the GREAT News!

 

[Dorothy_Marie]

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/hi...michael-jackson-remember-the-time#postcomment



Michael Jackson: Remember The Time


Posted Fri. Nov 30, 8:33 PM ET by Billy Johnson, Jr. in Hip-Hop Media Training
You can't blame kids for just wanting to download singles for .99 as opposed to buying an entire album. Why bother? They really don't need the other 16 tracks on the CD. They are just filler anyway.
I'm not sure who is at most fault--the artist, label or media--but this whole notion that it is acceptable to deliver an album that is only digestible in small dosages is annoying. Considering the slump in record sales in recent years, it is apparent that the buying public has had enough.
This wasn't the case 25 years ago when Michael Jackson released his classic Thriller album. I'm looking at the track listing and the notes about the performance of each single, and it is actually pretty shocking when compared to contemporary records.
Thiller had just nine songs on it. Of those nine songs, seven reached the top 10. If you break down those seven top 10 tracks, five entered the top five, two of which even hit number one. Talk about getting your money's worth. Soulja Boy has been Yahoo! Music's most searched artist for more than two months, but doesn't the Superman craze stop with "Crank That"?
I am not comparing the artistry of Michael to that of Soulja Boy. I'm just making the point that there is a major difference between the music crazes that consumed 13-year-olds today and 25 years ago. I should know. I was in the 8th grade when Thriller came out. The only song I hated on the album was "Billie Jean" and that's solely because my name is Billy, and all the kids thought it was so funny to call me Billie Jean.
Even as a young teen it was easy to appreciate Mike's good music. For me, it was the pureness in his voice when he sang ballads like "She's Outta My Life" from the Off The Wall album or the way he attacked each syllable on "Beat It." Add to that the production genius of Quincy Jones and all the elements of performance that Mike brings to the table and it was revolutionary. 25 years later it is still relevant.
Eighteen year-old Chris Brown can impress his fans by incorporating a tribute to Mike during his show while more bits of Mike's work can be found in offerings from everyone from Usher to Ne-Yo to Fallout Boy (see Mike influences video show).
A couple more young Mike fans will be paying their respects in an even bigger way. Kanye West, will.i.am, and Akon contribute remixes to Thriller - 25th Anniversary Edition due out in February.
Will.i.am remixes "The Girl Is Mine 2008," "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)," and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," the latter also features Akon. Kanye provides "Billie Jean 2008." These are packaged along with the original track listing, a few previously unreleased songs and a DVD featuring three videos and the classic Motown 25: Yesterday, Today And Forever performance of "Billie Jean" where Michael introduced the Moon Walk.

After the child molestation trial in 2005, I seriously wondered how his catalog would fare after he endured such a turbulent media frenzy. Water cooler talk about the trial had not been in Mike's favor. I got my answer when attending my wife's company's holiday party that year.
While socializing and eating hors d'oeuvres, the deejay started the party, kicking things off with Michael's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." I felt a lump in my throat. I thought, Everyone is sick of Mike right now. No one wants to give him a second thought. The deejay needs to change the song.
But I was wrong. People put down their drinks and packed the dance floor within minutes. It was like it was 1979 all over again.
Watch Michael Jackson's Greatest Hits videos

 

[xo_lola_xo]

Re: December 1, 2007: Michael Jackson News & Mentionings

Thanks for the news and i would also like to wish your mother a happy birthday.

 

[Bee.]

Thanks for posting, DM.

The articles regarding Thriller aregreat, esp. the Yahoo.com one.

Ray said she wanted to apologize to Jackson because for a long time she thought he failed to pay her for her role in the thriller video.

She said she's since discovered someone else was holding back her money.

Ray plans to come out with a book and start a music career of her own.

Interesting that she says that. It looks like she is coming to her senses. Good to know.

 

[tanzotti]

It's so nice to see these kind of articles for a change. Let them keep coming! Thanks for the news. Have a great weekend everyone.

Greg

 

[Dorothy_Marie]

Video about the 25th anniversary of Thriller by a BBC reporter: http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=5257312&ch=4226715&src=news

 

[Born To Love You]

Thanks for the news. I am celebrating by blasting Michael for the whole neighbourhood to hear.

 

[ExoticPrincess]

Thats so great of Ola Ray to apologise to Michael, she realized she was wrong and did the right thing. Now I wish others from Michael's past would follow her lead.

Love the articles about Thriller, especially the one with the Billy guy, I can just imagine how hard it must've been for him to be called 'Billie Jean' at school!lol

 

[Rasta Pasta]

there are more articles on Sony's press release about Thriller.. but I am only highlighting somethings that stood out for me ...

From MTV

Michael Jackson's Thriller, the best-selling album of all time, is getting big love in time for Valentine's Day. In celebration of the release's 25th anniversary.

remixes by Will.I.Am; the rare unissued song "For All Time," a track from the original recording sessions that has been newly mixed and mastered by MJ;

the Jackson action actually starts in December when he releases a new single and launches a new global-marketing campaign. ...
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1575462/20071130/west_kanye.jhtml

From the Befast Telegraph

Thanks to the worldwide success of the album, Jackson remains a musical icon - the Elvis or the Beatles of his generation.

The Thriller LP revolutionised the music industry, raising the importance of the album as a means of musical distribution.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/music-gigs/news/article3210675.ece

 

[Rasta Pasta]

This is also in the Belfast Telegraph

Gennaro Castaldo, head of Press and PR at HMV said: "Thriller is widely recognised as one of Michael Jackson's signature albums and the video is considered by some as the greatest music video of all time. Jackson is often credited with revolutionising the music industry and on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the launch, HMV is expecting a busy weekend in terms of sales of the album."

 

[Rasta Pasta]

I got these from mjnewonline.com

Ne-yo talking about Mike's new album (not Thriller)...at 4:32 you hear him talk about it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3YzKQ-WM4s&feature=related

and Will.i.am alos talks about new MJ music too

On a related note... Will.i.am commented about Michael's album again yesterday when asked by paparazzi:

Q: How's that coming along, Michael's album?

A: Michael Jackson?

Q: Yeah. That's the only Michael I know, brother (laughs).

A: The sh!t is awesome.

[Random chatter about other Michaels in the world

]

Q: When do you think he'll be finished with the album?

A: I don't know. Mike is a, he's a real like, "fine-tuned" King, you know? Whenever he says "go."

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3m...ack_shortfilms

 

[rita.gibson]

Thanks for the news, I'm loving all this talk about 'Thriller' everyone is so not forgeting Michael with all this positive talk.

 

[LUVU4LIFE]

I am loving all this talk about Thriller too...and Ola still looks so good...this is really exciting

 

[hopespringseternal]

Nice news thread today, thanks to all.

 

[classic]

I got these from mjnewonline.com

Ne-yo talking about Mike's new album (not Thriller)...at 4:32 you hear him talk about it


and Will.i.am alos talks about new MJ music too

Speaking of these two contributing to Michael's music . . .

I just listened to an audio of an interview with Teddy Riley. During it, he states that he thinks that Michael seems to be interested in working primarily with the "it" producers of today but that he really needs a more prolific producer--one that understands what will stay in the charts and last versus getting a hit for the moment.

I thought that was an interesting comment and would agree in terms of principle. But, I'm not sure if those such as Will.i.am and Kanye West really don't have such in them; when you are challenged to give such, you tend to rise to the occasion. I really believe that Michael has put such a challenge to all these producers/writers who are talking now about working with him.

He has the same drive to make lasting music and this is evident from his quotes in the recent Ebony article. So, I don't think he would let anyone give him something that he didn't view as having "timeless" potential. I think he sees something in the music or how it can be interpreted in video or performance (so that others see it as he does) that others might miss at first. The same thing with whom he chooses to work.

Listen to the comments of Ne-yo and Will.i.am from their latests remarks. They get that this hasn't been a fly by the pants type of production. Though they can't give details, it is obvious that they have been challenged.

Also, while we know of some of the producers/writers that Michael has worked with for the new album, we have no idea who else he has been working with that may be the "great prolific" producers. I think it will be interesting to see who actually makes the cut.

Any thoughts on what Riley said, keeping in mind that he probably is going off the same media focus of who has worked with Michael thus far that we all have heard?

 

[KOPV]

thank you much

 

[Saghs]

That's a good read. thanks

 

[Ja`]

Very good articles and interviews here. That's the kinda stuff I love to hear/read. But umm, Ed lover needs to STFU with his jokes on Mike's nose. Hell, if someone stepped on his big ass nose, all kinds of **** would shoot out.

 

[wannabestartinsomthin21]

Bout' time Ola apologized, crazy b****, lol. She's sweet though.

You all don't actually believe Jermaine this time, do you? How many times and for how many years has he actually said, "Yes, the J5 are getting back together and yes, Michael is involved."? He's been saying the same jive for about 10 to 15 years now. Michael's a solo artist and has been for 30 years. He said himself recently that he isn't interested in going on long tours. I don't believe Jermiane for a second, lol.

About Teddy Riley, I think what Michael is looking to do by working with these people is, he's looking for a hit. I think he wants to establish himself again with an album that hits strong and once he does that, he can then go in whatever direction he wants. Because he's never been bing on creating music for hits alone, despite what some say, he's always been about the artistic integrity of the thing. But I think Michael probably feels that he needs to right now have a hit album and/or songs just to reastablish himself on the musical scene, to get the music buying public, which is right now mostly kids, interested in what he's doing. Because once he does that, he can then focus on putting out what he wants and having attention payed also to that.

That's just my take.

I think honestly that Michael should eventually produce an album on his own. I feel he can really do that. He's such a killer song writer, composer I mean, and he understands music so well, I would love to see what he can come up with on his own. Plus I know he's interested in classical music and I know that he writes classical compositions, so maybe he's also looking to do that in the furture, which would be amazing I think.

 

[eternitys_child]

Bout' time Ola apologized, crazy b****, lol. She's sweet though.

You all don't actually believe Jermaine this time, do you? How many times and for how many years has he actually said, "Yes, the J5 are getting back together and yes, Michael is involved."? He's been saying the same jive for about 10 to 15 years now. Michael's a solo artist and has been for 30 years. He said himself recently that he isn't interested in going on long tours. I don't believe Jermiane for a second, lol.

About Teddy Riley, I think what Michael is looking to do by working with these people is, he's looking for a hit. I think he wants to establish himself again with an album that hits strong and once he does that, he can then go in whatever direction he wants. Because he's never been bing on creating music for hits alone, despite what some say, he's always been about the artistic integrity of the thing. But I think Michael probably feels that he needs to right now have a hit album and/or songs just to reastablish himself on the musical scene, to get the music buying public, which is right now mostly kids, interested in what he's doing. Because once he does that, he can then focus on putting out what he wants and having attention payed also to that.

That's just my take.

That is what I am thinking too. Thar is what the Thriller this is I think. Link it to something that will get the younger generations attention. Nobody has commented on the fact that both Billy Bush and more importantly Will.i.am referred to Thriller and Off the Wall when they were in the studeo in Ireland. Mike said he hadn't thought about it just like that...... hmmmm.

 

[Cassie]

Thanks for the news.

 

[Linda74]

Thanks fot the news

 

[blacknimproud]

Yes, all the hype is building, slowly, but building... great news to know, Thanks!!

 

[TeharaMJ]

Happy Belated birthday to your mum , Dorothy Marie and Thanks for the news. Great news tit bits. WOW! I was pleasantly surprised seeing Ola Ray...looking good still. Glad she apologised to Michael for the mistake..that sadly is the story with a whole HEAP of those who have worked with Michael thinking he's so shady exploiter...when all the while its some mofo playing MJ out along the way.

 

[whitesocksdancer]

Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' Turns 25

Thriller Dance Still Popular

All Things Considered, December 1, 2007 - Nov. 30 marks the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson's Thriller. Chris Connelly, who first reviewed the album in Rolling Stone, recalls his first thoughts about the songs and the trajectory of Jackson's career since 1982.


_________________________________________________
Read the full text of the first-ever review of Michael Jackson's Thriller. Written by Christopher Connelly, the review appeared in Rolling Stone.

CHRISTOPHER CONNELLY—In the three years since Michael Jackson's first solo album, Off the Wall, sold 7 million copies and spawned four hit singles, black music has veered away from the danceable but ultraslick style that Off the Wall epitomized. From Prince to Marvin Gave, from rap to Rick James, black artists have incorporated increasingly mature and adventurous themes — culture, sex, politics — into grittier, gutsier music. So when Jackson's first solo single since 1979 turned out to be a wimpoid MOR ballad with the refrain "the doggone girl is mine," sung with a tame Paul McCartney, it looked like the train had left the station without him.

But the superficiality of that damnably catchy hit belies the surprising substance of Thriller. Rather than reheating Off the Wall's agreeably mindless funk, Jackson has cooked up a zesty LP whose uptempo workouts don't obscure its harrowing, dark messages. Particularly on Jackson's own compositions, Thriller's tense, nearly obsessive sound complements lyrics that delineate a world that has put the twenty-four-year-old on the defensive. "They're out to get you, better leave while you can / Don't wanna be a boy, you wanna be a man." It's been a challenging time for Jackson — his parents may separate, he's been involved in a paternity claim — and he's responded to those challenges head-on. He's dropped the boyish falsetto that sparked his hits from "I Want You Back" to "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and chosen to address his tormentors in a full, adult voice with a feisty determination that is tinged by sadness. Jackson's new attitude gives Thriller a deeper, if less visceral, emotional urgency than any of his previous work, and marks another watershed in the creative development of this prodigiously talented performer.

Take "Billie Jean," a lean, insistent funk number whose message couldn't be more blunt: "She says I am the one / But the kid is not my son." The party spirit that suffused Off the Wall has landed him in trouble, and he tempers that exuberance with suspicion. "What do you mean I am the one," he quizzically asks his femme fatale, "who will dance on the floor?" It's a sad, almost mournful song, but a thumping resolve underlies his feelings: "Billie Jean is not my lover" is incessantly repeated as the song fades out.

Billie Jean is mentioned in passing in Thriller's most combative track, the hyperactive "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," wherein Jackson also takes on the press, gossips of all kinds and other grief-givers. Here, the emotions are so raw that the song nearly goes out of control. "Somebody's always tryin' to start my baby crying," he laments, and that sense of quasi paranoia yields to near-bitterness in the chorus: "You're a vegetable, you're a vegetable / They'll eat off you, you're a vegetable." It's a tune that's almost as exciting as seeing Jackson motivate himself across a concert stage — and a lot more unpredictable. These lyrics won't keep Elvis Costello awake nights, but they do show that Jackson has progressed past the hey-let's-hustle sentiments that dominated Off the Wall.

The sheer vitality of the musical setting obviates any sense of self-pity. Quincy Jones' production — Jackson coproduced his own compositions — is sparer than usual, and refreshingly free of schmaltz. Then again, he's working with what might be pop music's most spectacular instrument: Michael Jackson's voice. Where lesser artists need a string section or a lusty blast from a synthesizer, Jackson need only sing to convey deep, heartfelt emotion. His raw ability and conviction make material like "Baby Be Mine" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" into first-class cuts and even salvage "The Girl Is Mine." Well, almost.

Maybe the best song here is "Beat It," a this-ain't-no-disco AOR track if ever I heard one. Jackson's voice soars all over the melody, Eddie Van Halen checks in with a blistering guitar solo, you could build a convention center on the backbeat, and the result is one nifty dance song. Programmers, take note.

Jackson's greatest failing has been a tendency to go for the glitz, and while he's curbed the urge on Thriller, he hasn't obliterated it entirely. The end of side two, especially "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)," isn't up to the spunky character of the other tracks. And the title song, which at first sounds like a metaphoric examination of the same under-siege mentality that marks the LP's best moments, instead degenerates into silly camp, with a rap by Vincent Price. (Couldn't they get Count Floyd?)

Jackson has made no secret of his affection for traditional showbiz and the glamour that goes with it. His talents, not just singing but dancing and acting, could make him a perfect mainstream performer. Perish the thought. The fiery conviction of Thriller offers hope that Michael is still a long way away from succumbing to the lures of Vegas. Thriller may not be Michael Jackson's 1999, but it's a gorgeous, snappy step in the right direction. (RS 387)


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16782751

 

[The One.]

Thanks for all the news!

 

[Rasta Pasta]

Speaking of these two contributing to Michael's music . . .

I just listened to an audio of an interview with Teddy Riley. During it, he states that he thinks that Michael seems to be interested in working primarily with the "it" producers of today but that he really needs a more prolific producer--one that understands what will stay in the charts and last versus getting a hit for the moment.

I thought that was an interesting comment and would agree in terms of principle. But, I'm not sure if those such as Will.i.am and Kanye West really don't have such in them; when you are challenged to give such, you tend to rise to the occasion. I really believe that Michael has put such a challenge to all these producers/writers who are talking now about working with him.

He has the same drive to make lasting music and this is evident from his quotes in the recent Ebony article. So, I don't think he would let anyone give him something that he didn't view as having "timeless" potential. I think he sees something in the music or how it can be interpreted in video or performance (so that others see it as he does) that others might miss at first. The same thing with whom he chooses to work.

Listen to the comments of Ne-yo and Will.i.am from their latests remarks. They get that this hasn't been a fly by the pants type of production. Though they can't give details, it is obvious that they have been challenged.

Also, while we know of some of the producers/writers that Michael has worked with for the new album, we have no idea who else he has been working with that may be the "great prolific" producers. I think it will be interesting to see who actually makes the cut.

Any thoughts on what Riley said, keeping in mind that he probably is going off the same media focus of who has worked with Michael thus far that we all have heard?

I agree with you.. also I think it might be hard for Teddy to not be the main producer on this album (less $$) as he was for Dangerous.. remember when he did Dangerous.. he was then the "it" producer.. and suppose someone had made that comment to Michael about him..................Umm?????

Dangerous to many fans.. including myself is a masterpiece.. a wonderful album.. made by the 90's "it" producer... so Teddy.. take your personal feelings out.. and look at the big picture....