Best of Joy - Original Version

[king_of_style]

I can hear in the acapella version of the song at the beginning a violin, I don't know since it's pretty hard to hear. I will give you a timestamp: 0:10 - 0:13

I can hear it too! I wonder if that means that the original version had a violin accompaniment. Forgive my lack of knowledge, but that is a guitar on the Michael version, right?

 

[Derek1984]

Did this song originate as The Toy from 1981? Do we have confirmation of that?

 

[SmoothGangsta]

Did this song originate as The Toy from 1981? Do we have confirmation of that?

Aa far as we know that's the case yeah.

 

[Bobi MJ]

I believe the original version (the one from the 80s - 90s) has full vocals because Michael Prince said that MJ re-sang the full song in 2008.

 

[SolarBear]

I never heard the original version of Best Of Joy, and I have been looking for it everywhere. How on earth did you all find it?

 

[Stefano MJS]

I never heard the original version of Best Of Joy, and I have been looking for it everywhere. How on earth did you all find it?

The right time will come.

 

[AdeZ]

I never heard the original version of Best Of Joy, and I have been looking for it everywhere. How on earth did you all find it?

They were talking about the acapella for Best of Joy, or The Way You Love Me, thats been leaked on the internet for a while now. I was skimming so im not 100% sure which one they were actually talking about.

As of now, you could find the Best of Joy original version on Michael Prince's HDD (if he let you borrow it, of course)

 

[Stefano MJS]

Brad and Neff-U havenÂ’t commented on it, but several fans have heard the original demo and have confirmed that the third verse does indeed exist.

I can 100% confirm that the 3rd verse actually exists.

ALSO, does anyone have the Best Of Joy acapella somewhere? I'm finding only the mp3 version

 

[SmoothGangsta]

I can 100% confirm that the 3rd verse actually exists.

ALSO, does anyone have the Best Of Joy acapella somewhere? I'm finding only the mp3 version

As far as I'm aware it leaked in MP3.

 

[Stefano MJS]

As far as I'm aware it leaked in MP3.

Damn, can't find anything besides that, the 2010 Michael Mix Instrumental also exists, but it hasn't been never leaked.

 

[yallasama]

Great song, as long as it's MJ, I'm good with the released / leaked version as it is.

 

[MJFAN2434]

Fun fact, Best Of Joy IS NOT a 2008-09 song. It was being reworked in 2008 with Brad Bruxer along with other tracks like I Was A Loser & Hollywood Tonight. It's unknown when Best Of Joy was originally recorded, it is speculated that it was recorded in 1989. The song was not meant for This Is It either, it was just a demo that he was adding additional vocals to. The only 2006-2009 song we have on us is Hold My Hand which was recorded with Akon at Palm Studios in 2007. Michael also recorded vocals for WBSS 2008 at Angelikson Studios (Eddie Cascio's basement) in 2007 (the place where he allegedly recorded the Cascio Tracks). Hopefully will.i.am gives the estate some of the songs he worked on with Michael in 2006 such as I'm Still The King, I'm Dreamin', etc.

 

[Anna]

Fun fact, Best Of Joy IS NOT a 2008-09 song. It was being reworked in 2008 with Brad Bruxer along with other tracks like I Was A Loser & Hollywood Tonight. It's unknown when Best Of Joy was originally recorded, it is speculated that it was recorded in 1989. The song was not meant for This Is It either, it was just a demo that he was adding additional vocals to. The only 2006-2009 song we have on us is Hold My Hand which was recorded with Akon at Palm Studios in 2007. Michael also recorded vocals for WBSS 2008 at Angelikson Studios (Eddie Cascio's basement) in 2007 (the place where he allegedly recorded the Cascio Tracks). Hopefully will.i.am gives the estate some of the songs he worked on with Michael in 2006 such as I'm Still The King, I'm Dreamin', etc.

Read the posts from the first page. It was recorded in 2008. You can tell it's a 00's recording from his voice.

 

[AlwaysThere]

^^ Most of this is incorrect.

The released version of “Best of Joy” was recorded in late October 2008. The song itself was originally written and recorded in late 1981 under the working title “The Toy,” and was revised and reworked numerous times over the years. The rumor that it was to be debuted during This Is It is unfounded, but it is indeed a late-in-life recording.

Also, “I’m Still the King” was almost certainly never recorded. “I’m Dreamin’,” “Miss You,” and “The Future” are the only songs with any likelihood of existing in a semi-complete state.

 

[mj_frenzy]

Also, “I’m Still the King” was almost certainly never recorded. “I’m Dreamin’,” “Miss You,” and “The Future” are the only songs with any likelihood of existing in a semi-complete state.

will.i.am stated that all the new songs that he worked on with Michael Jackson (including the finished ones) were kept in Michael Jackson’s personal hard drives, meaning that these songs are now in the Estate’s hands:

“…He had all the hard drives because I didn't want to be responsible for that … I didn't want that responsibility. So he kept all the stuff that we worked on…” (will.i.am)

will.i.am went on saying that at least three of them are finished (‘I’m Dreamin'’, ‘Miss You’, and ‘Still The King’).

 

[Themidwestcowboy]

will.i.am stated that all the new songs that he worked on with Michael Jackson (including the finished ones) were kept in Michael Jackson’s personal hard drives, meaning that these songs are now in the Estate’s hands:

“…He had all the hard drives because I didn't want to be responsible for that … I didn't want that responsibility. So he kept all the stuff that we worked on…” (will.i.am)

will.i.am went on saying that at least three of them are finished (‘I’m Dreamin'’, ‘Miss You’, and ‘Still The King’).

This kinda contradicts what he said throughout the years.

 

[DanGerouS-]

since the estate has the vocals of the will.i.am sessions, does this mean they could release them whenever they want without will.i.am's permission?
i wouldn't mind if somebody else would do the music to these vocals. never been a fan of will.i.am

 

[AlwaysThere]

will.i.am went on saying that at least three of them are finished (‘I’m Dreamin'’, ‘Miss You’, and ‘Still The King’).

Will.i.am is notoriously inconsistent when it comes to the MJ attacks. One day they’re not finished and they’ll never come out, the next they’re mostly finished but still won’t come out, the next he’s trying to shoehorn them onto his own album after calling the Estate leeches for releasing MJ’s unreleased music. Plus, I’m 99% positive he never said “Still the King” was recorded, just that it was worked on.

since the estate has the vocals of the will.i.am sessions, does this mean they could release them whenever they want without will.i.am's permission?
i wouldn't mind if somebody else would do the music to these vocals. never been a fan of will.i.am

No. Since will.i.am coproduced each song and wrote/co-wrote at least two, the Estate would need his permission.

 

[Derek1984]

^^ Most of this is incorrect.

The released version of “Best of Joy” was recorded in late October 2008. The song itself was originally written and recorded in late 1981 under the working title “The Toy,” and was revised and reworked numerous times over the years. The rumor that it was to be debuted during This Is It is unfounded, but it is indeed a late-in-life recording.

Also, “I’m Still the King” was almost certainly never recorded. “I’m Dreamin’,” “Miss You,” and “The Future” are the only songs with any likelihood of existing in a semi-complete state.

Why was "The Toy" never released in 1981? Did it conflict with the Thriller sessions or something? The movie itself was just OK. A Michael Jackson song would've catapulted the movie though.

I remember talking about the Will.I.Am sessions back in 2007 on this forum and yet here we are in 2021, still nothing released, still no clarity.

 

[AlwaysThere]

Why was "The Toy" never released in 1981? Did it conflict with the Thriller sessions or something? The movie itself was just OK. A Michael Jackson song would've catapulted the movie though.

I remember talking about the Will.I.Am sessions back in 2007 on this forum and yet here we are in 2021, still nothing released, still no clarity.

Yup! During a 1984 deposition, Michael said Quincy asked him to drop it because the Thriller sessions were starting to ramp up. I’ve never seen the movie, but I absolutely adore “Best of Joy” and would love to hear the original versions (of which there are at least four).

IÂ’d have no issue with will.i.am choosing not to release the songs if he wasnÂ’t such an inconsistent hypocrite.

 

[femi]

^^ Most of this is incorrect.

The released version of “Best of Joy” was recorded in late October 2008. The song itself was originally written and recorded in late 1981 under the working title “The Toy,” and was revised and reworked numerous times over the years. The rumor that it was to be debuted during This Is It is unfounded, but it is indeed a late-in-life recording.

Also, “I’m Still the King” was almost certainly never recorded. “I’m Dreamin’,” “Miss You,” and “The Future” are the only songs with any likelihood of existing in a semi-complete state.

I could hear that as a song. "I am the toy, your best of toys...." And the We Are Forever part of the song, I'm assuming, would have been in the original, since the lyric relates to toys.

 

[AlwaysThere]

The original opening line was, “I am your toy, I am your boy.” So far as I’m aware, everything else is exactly the same. I’d love to hear Thriller-era MJ sing it (though the 2008 recording is absolutely stunning, especially for a demo).

 

[femi]

The original opening line was, “I am your toy, I am your boy.” So far as I’m aware, everything else is exactly the same. I’d love to hear Thriller-era MJ sing it (though the 2008 recording is absolutely stunning, especially for a demo).

Oh wow I didn't know that, it would be cool to hear that. Thank you.

 

[SmoothCriminal1995]

Yup! During a 1984 deposition, Michael said Quincy asked him to drop it because the Thriller sessions were starting to ramp up. I’ve never seen the movie, but I absolutely adore “Best of Joy” and would love to hear the original versions (of which there are at least four).

IÂ’d have no issue with will.i.am choosing not to release the songs if he wasnÂ’t such an inconsistent hypocrite.

Thanks for the info as always mate.
I've never heard anything about a 1984 deposition. Do we know much about it? Or what MJ was being deposed over?

 

[AlwaysThere]

Thanks for the info as always mate.
I've never heard anything about a 1984 deposition. Do we know much about it? Or what MJ was being deposed over?

Of course! Happy to share whatever I can

It was a plagiarism lawsuit over “The Girl is Mine,” which Michael won. The information I got came from a JET magazine article:

Jackson named other songs he had written that he feels are “just as strong or stronger than the stuff that was on the Thriller album,” including “The Toy.” “Quincy wanted me to write a song for the Richard Pryor movie, The Toy, and it got too close to my doing Thriller. So I canned it, but I did write the song and I did a demo of ‘The Toy.’”

Source: https://books.google.com/books?id=5..."the+girl+is+mine"&pg=PA56#v=onepage&q&f=true page 57, paragraph 3. (Sorry I couldnÂ’t write the link properly, IÂ’m on mobile haha.)

Seems like I was a bit mistaken — Quincy asked MJ to write the song and it seems like it was MJ’s decision to can it. My fault!

 

[SmoothCriminal1995]

Of course! Happy to share whatever I can

It was a plagiarism lawsuit over “The Girl is Mine,” which Michael won. The information I got came from a JET magazine article:




Source: https://books.google.com/books?id=5..."the+girl+is+mine"&pg=PA56#v=onepage&q&f=true page 57, paragraph 3. (Sorry I couldnÂ’t write the link properly, IÂ’m on mobile haha.)

Seems like I was a bit mistaken — Quincy asked MJ to write the song and it seems like it was MJ’s decision to can it. My fault!

Man that's really interesting, thank you for sharing mate

I didn't know MJ get deposed other than 93 and 94. I remembered in the 93 they refer to MJ's answer in a 89 deposition but that's all I knew

 

[Fuzball]

Man that's really interesting, thank you for sharing mate

I didn't know MJ get deposed other than 93 and 94. I remembered in the 93 they refer to MJ's answer in a 89 deposition but that's all I knew

Whoever has leaked the 1984 audio sits on a goldmine. So far only the TGIM segment has leaked.

 

[SeriousEffect.]

Sidenote - anyone who doubts that Will.I.Am and MJ could have made magic together should listen to his album "Songs About Girls" - similar to MJ and Invincible, the record label botched the release and the album largely went under the radar but it's a gem.

The failure of that album is the reason Will.I.Am makes such cliche music these days.

 

[barthard47]

The the girl is mine segments are from the 1993 case right? I don't think anything from the 1984 case has seen the light audiowise

 

[Themidwestcowboy]

Sidenote - anyone who doubts that Will.I.Am and MJ could have made magic together should listen to his album "Songs About Girls" - similar to MJ and Invincible, the record label botched the release and the album largely went under the radar but it's a gem.

The failure of that album is the reason Will.I.Am makes such cliche music these days.

I isn't that where the song Fly Girl ended up on? Also don't forget Will I Am wrote Ordinary People which is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.