Brief live vocals on Jam on the Dangerous Tour

[dam2040]

Which is why I think he should have perhaps focused more on singing and less on dancing during the History tour.

Damned if he did, Damned if he didn't.

MJ dancing is a huge huge part of his show. Let's be honest, [although he should be] people don't really commend Michael as a vocalist. Maybe they would have if he did a 'singing tour' though? Who knows.

 

[BadTour87]

The misconception that MJ sounded horrible for the entirety of the HIStory Tour is just plain wrong. Take a listen to the later 1997 shows (around August/September, really any show post-Munich) and he sounds considerably better than he did prior in the tour.

 

[Nite Line]

Damned if he did, Damned if he didn't.

MJ dancing is a huge huge part of his show. Let's be honest, [although he should be] people don't really commend Michael as a vocalist. Maybe they would have if he did a 'singing tour' though? Who knows.

I know dancing was a huge part of Michael's show and I'm not saying that he should have stopped dancing all together. All I'm saying is that perhaps he should have slightly altered his style on stage to make it more easier for him to sing, as he got older and developed heath issues.

 

[JennieKim]

I'll just add up something about his voice. Michael had better days in singing in the later years of his life, but for the most part, his voice sounded strained, scratchy and out of breath (especially in the MSG concerts). Many factors likely affected his voice, aside from the fact that Michael like any singer had frequent laryngitis (really common but it's short-lived like two weeks maximum) and his chronic lung condition (made him breathless or tired easily). Sleep is a big factor affecting the voice. If one's body is tired, the voice is significantly affected making it sound tired as well. If one sings with a tired voice, it can result to vocal fatigue and will damage the voice permanently in the long run (e.g. "lack of clarity, loss of volume, and diminishing tone quality"). Also, it seemed like Michael had dehydration problems and was hospitalized at least twice because of this (1995 and 2005). Dehydration affects the voice greatly as it irritates vocal cords.

There might be more health issues that we don't know about however these two might seem quite trivial but they have greatly affected his singing voice. If he was in better condition in other days, he can still sing well.

P.S. Medical treatments and drugs affect the voice as well. Asthma puffers, antiseptics, antihistamines, some acne medications and some anti-depressants can dry up vocal cords and affect the surface of the vocal cords.

 

[Hess]

I would have loved MJ to make some concerts - maybe in a Opera Hall with 2-3000 people in the crowd - with focus on his voice.

He could make them theatrical - Smile, Little Susie, Childhood, Human Nature, Stranger in Moscow, Earth Song, You Are not Alone etc. - would work perfect with a huge band - symphony Orchestra - and then MJ and live vocals. - That way he would also have earned more respect as a live singer.

 

[analogue]

I know dancing was a huge part of Michael's show and I'm not saying that he should have stopped dancing all together. All I'm saying is that perhaps he should have slightly altered his style on stage to make it more easier for him to sing, as he got older and developed heath issues.

It would have been impossible for Michael to stop dancing all together. This is the same guy who couldn't resist doing some dance moves on Heal The World. He wouldn't be able to help himself

 

[Hess]

But really - it's sad that we are happy for "Brief live vocals" - during a song at a live concert....

Everything should have been live at a live concert. Some artist have never and will never use play-back, I respect that.

I am aware about health issues etc. and the history tour we have is better than nothing, so I am still happy he did not cancel the tour - especially since I saw him live at the Birthday-concert in Copenhagen. - Still the play-back annoys me more and more the older I get and the more I realize that now there will never be a new tour with live vocals... Just a shame really.

 

[ChrisC]

I said this about 15 years ago. For the people that INSIST Michael had to keep dancing a part of his show, could he not have done an hour of singing live and an hour of doing Dangerous style performances where the focus is on the dance (and done away with the illusion of 'im singing live' when hes clearly not)?

He had to adapt and he didn't. He just removed one of the most integral and crucial elements of a live show (the live part).

But then I think about the utter embarassment of Soultrain and BET when he lip-synched You Are Not Alone and didn't do any dancing.

 

[dam2040]

I said this about 15 years ago. For the people that INSIST Michael had to keep dancing a part of his show, could he not have done an hour of singing live and an hour of doing Dangerous style performances where the focus is on the dance (and done away with the illusion of 'im singing live' when hes clearly not)?

He had to adapt and he didn't. He just removed one of the most integral and crucial elements of a live show (the live part).

But then I think about the utter embarassment of Soultrain and BET when he lip-synched You Are Not Alone and didn't do any dancing.

Remember The Time is another one. Maybe it was a last minute thing and they couldn't prepare a backing track? Either way that is not a performance I watch often. The crowd was great though.

 

[ChrisC]

Remember The Time is another one. Maybe it was a last minute thing and they couldn't prepare a backing track? Either way that is not a performance I watch often. The crowd was great though.

Yeah, cringey.

 

[Krshna28]

People also forget Michael was a perfectionist.

I think he had many anxieties about not being able to perform a song well. I think it came from his terrible childhood.

If you watch the earliest rehearsals for any tour, you can see Michael trying to sing everything. But he knows his limits.

He still tried to put as many live vocals into his shows as he was comfortable with. And he worked hard. I remember someone saying he would lose weight during each concert for the bad tour. And that was because he overworked himself. I also think that by the end of the Bad Tour, decades of overworking had finally caught up and it was affected his health. Add this to having Lupus, the Pepsi incident, and mental health issues. The human body can only take so much abuse. Whilst the World enjoyed the Bad Tour, Michael paid the price.


And besides, he's been singing live since he was like 6. He might of actually done more live shows then any other artist. Certainly by age 35, there as never been another 35 year old who has done that many live performances.


I also think these days, people are too fussy about everything. Nothing is perfect (well except the Bad Tour but that was never gonna last forever).

 

[Nite Line]

It would have been impossible for Michael to stop dancing all together. This is the same guy who couldn't resist doing some dance moves on Heal The World. He wouldn't be able to help himself

But that's the point. He didn't adapt as he got older and his health worsened. By the mid 90s, Michael couldn't sing and dance like he had done his entire career up to that point, so he started to lip-sync, because he didn't have the stamina to sing live anymore. But instead of completely neglecting the live singing, which is an extremely crucial part of a show, he should have split the show in two parts. Like mentioned by ChrisC above, he should have done an hour of just dancing and then an hour of just singing. The dancing part would be completely lip-synced and would featured songs such as Dangerous, Billie Jean, Smooth Criminal, Jam, etc. And the singing part would be completely live with very little or no dancing, and would feature songs such as Human Nature, I Just Can't Stop Loving You, She's Out Of My Life, etc. Something like that would have been better than lip-syncing 90% of the shows, in my opinion.

 

[Themidwestcowboy]

This is an interesting interview from George Michael in 1990 about miming and dancing, it has long been speculated that he was talking about MJ and the Bad Tour.

He starts talking about it at 2:25 mark
[youtube]g8UKPm19vzA&t=202s[/youtube]

 

[ChrisC]

The Way You Make Me Feel, Man In The Mirror and Bad, perhaps.

I think he's mistaken though. The audience weren't responding to a stronger vocal, they were responding to these being among Michael's biggest tracks at the time. That's why they closed the show.

But respect to him for the singing live comment. I saw George live and his voice was flawless.

George has clearly always resented Michael's success. So many digs over the years.

 

[mj_frenzy]

I think he had many anxieties about not being able to perform a song well. I think it came from his terrible childhood.

A terrible childhood?

MJ had nearly everything he wanted (success, fame, luxurious trips all around the world, etc) from a very young age since he was five-year-old.

Things like most kids of his age would never even have attempted to dream of back then.

Judging by various, reliable accounts, MJ also reveled in being the center of attention from such a very young age.

MJ was also privileged in having Joe Jackson, a very disciplined father who imbued him with some valuable traits that eventually made him a very successful performer.

 

[dam2040]

A terrible childhood?

MJ had nearly everything he wanted (success, fame, luxurious trips all around the world, etc) from a very young age since he was five-year-old.

Things like most kids of his age would never even have attempted to dream of back then.

Judging by various, reliable accounts, MJ also reveled in being the center of attention from such a very young age.

MJ was also privileged in having Joe Jackson, a very disciplined father who imbued him with some valuable traits that eventually made him a very successful performer.

You are officially trolling and I can't believe what I've just read. Good lord.

 

[mj_frenzy]

You are officially trolling and I can't believe what I've just read. Good lord.

Whether you can believe what you have just read or not, it is of no importance to me.

But, bear in mind that some aspects about his so-called “terrible” childhood have been exaggerated through the years even by MJ himself.

Generally, artists know that if they project a troubled, difficult, or even a terrible childhood this can work to their commercial career's advantage (because audience tends to relate easier to artists who appear to have an unhappy childhood).

 

[Nite Line]

A terrible childhood?

MJ had nearly everything he wanted (success, fame, luxurious trips all around the world, etc) from a very young age since he was five-year-old.

Things like most kids of his age would never even have attempted to dream of back then.

Judging by various, reliable accounts, MJ also reveled in being the center of attention from such a very young age.

MJ was also privileged in having Joe Jackson, a very disciplined father who imbued him with some valuable traits that eventually made him a very successful performer.

Yes, MJ had a great childhood. I'm sure we all wanted to spend our childhood traveling the world, while performing, rehearsing, recording etc. I'm sure we all wanted a childhood where we got physically and verbally abused by our father. Who cares about going to school, having friends? You know things that every child gets to do and should be able to do. MJ had such a wonderful childhood, while everyone else had a tragic childhood.

Honestly what a joke of a comment.

 

[Themidwestcowboy]

A terrible childhood?

MJ had nearly everything he wanted (success, fame, luxurious trips all around the world, etc) from a very young age since he was five-year-old.

Things like most kids of his age would never even have attempted to dream of back then.

Judging by various, reliable accounts, MJ also reveled in being the center of attention from such a very young age.

MJ was also privileged in having Joe Jackson, a very disciplined father who imbued him with some valuable traits that eventually made him a very successful performer.

I am so disappointed to see this comment come from an MJ fan.

 

[dam2040]

Glad to see I’m not the only one surprised by that ridiculous comment.

Michael in tears at the mere thought of his father shows a fantastic childhood, clearly.

 

[analogue]

I've seen a few people bring up that the brief live vocals for Jam happened at Bucharest, but I heard it at the Oslo concert too. At first I thought it was a mistake at Bucharest, and MJ was singing with the mic off, but someone turned his mic on by mistake for a split second. But after also hearing it in Oslo, it seems it was intentional.

 

[1nn5]

A terrible childhood?

MJ had nearly everything he wanted (success, fame, luxurious trips all around the world, etc) from a very young age since he was five-year-old.

Things like most kids of his age would never even have attempted to dream of back then.

Judging by various, reliable accounts, MJ also reveled in being the center of attention from such a very young age.

MJ was also privileged in having Joe Jackson, a very disciplined father who imbued him with some valuable traits that eventually made him a very successful performer.

[/I]
Yeah, but when MJ said he was sad when he saw children playing and him rehearsing, you could understand what he wanted from a childhood

 

[mj_frenzy]

Yes, MJ had a great childhood. I'm sure we all wanted to spend our childhood traveling the world, while performing, rehearsing, recording etc. I'm sure we all wanted a childhood where we got physically and verbally abused by our father. Who cares about going to school, having friends? You know things that every child gets to do and should be able to do. MJ had such a wonderful childhood, while everyone else had a tragic childhood.

Honestly what a joke of a comment.

I am so disappointed to see this comment come from an MJ fan.

Glad to see I’m not the only one surprised by that ridiculous comment.

Michael in tears at the mere thought of his father shows a fantastic childhood, clearly.

[/I]
Yeah, but when MJ said he was sad when he saw children playing and him rehearsing, you could understand what he wanted from a childhood

You are all so predictable with your responses about that.

It was not a terrible childhood.

I am not going to repeat myself about that here because I have already digressed a lot in this thread.

But, in a word:

Contrary to popular (& mistaken belief), MJ did play when he was a kid.

You can check out what Joe Jackson already said about that (like, on TV One).

Joe Jackson was definitely in a position to know better than all of us.

MJ always played with all his brothers & sisters but also with other kids during his childhood.

Also, according to other accounts, MJ used to dance all the time around the house when he was a kid. He loved dancing more than anything else (studying, going to school, etc).

Ultimately, he did what he wanted to do most when he was a kid.

Back on topic.

I've seen a few people bring up that the brief live vocals for Jam happened at Bucharest, but I heard it at the Oslo concert too. At first I thought it was a mistake at Bucharest, and MJ was singing with the mic off, but someone turned his mic on by mistake for a split second. But after also hearing it in Oslo, it seems it was intentional.

After posing & also without much dancing (but mostly walking on-stage), he should have sung the 'Jam’ song fully live, in my opinion.

Especially, considering that it was the very first song of those shows.

Things have changed since then. Now performers, in many cases, have to stipulate formally & in advance which songs they are going to lip-sync & which not (in their tours).

 

[Robbsaber01]

You are all so predictable with your responses about that.

It was not a terrible childhood.

I am not going to repeat myself about that here because I have already digressed a lot in this thread.

But, in a word:

Contrary to popular (& mistaken belief), MJ did play when he was a kid.

You can check out what Joe Jackson already said about that (like, on TV One).

Joe Jackson was definitely in a position to know better than all of us.

MJ always played with all his brothers & sisters but also with other kids during his childhood.

Also, according to other accounts, MJ used to dance all the time around the house when he was a kid. He loved dancing more than anything else (studying, going to school, etc).

Ultimately, he did what he wanted to do most when he was a kid.

Back on topic.



After posing & also without much dancing (but mostly walking on-stage), he should have sung the 'Jam’ song fully live, in my opinion.

Especially, considering that it was the very first song of those shows.

Things have changed since then. Now performers, in many cases, have to stipulate formally & in advance which songs they are going to lip-sync & which not (in their tours).

But, in a word:

Contrary to popular (& mistaken belief), MJ did play when he was a kid.

You can check out what Joe Jackson already said about that (like, on TV One).

Joe Jackson was definitely in a position to know better than all of us.

MJ always played with all his brothers & sisters but also with other kids during his childhood.

Also, according to other accounts, MJ used to dance all the time around the house when he was a kid. He loved dancing more than anything else (studying, going to school, etc).

Ultimately, he did what he wanted to do most when he was a kid.

At this point you have to be trolling lol.

Did MJ have some fun moments as a kid? Sure. But majority of his childhood was spent working at strip clubs, bars,studio,stage etc. Thats not even mentioning the abuse. Why do you think he made Neverland? Go listen to 'Childhood'. That kills your point right there.

 

[dam2040]

It was not a terrible childhood.

Ultimately, he did what he wanted to do most when he was a kid.

After posing & also without much dancing (but mostly walking on-stage), he should have sung the 'Jam’ song fully live, in my opinion.

Nope. Sorry, actually I’m not sorry because this is ridiculous, but nope.

 

[dam2040]

You can get beat as a child and not have any form of stability but as long as you like singing and dancing and get to do it when you’re older then that’s A-OK.

 

[JennieKim]

My opinion at this is a matter of different perspectives. You can look at his childhood with all the success he went through and see this as a publicity stunt, that's just one perspective. In his perspective, he sees it differently and expressed this in many occassions.

It can also be applied to other celebrities. We see someone really having a good childhood, being wealthy, getting a good education and having the most exciting life as a celebrity at a young age. He/she has a good childhood compared to everyone else, we can say. However, most people didn't know the battles he/she went through in his/her perspective.

 

[Nite Line]

You can get beat as a child and not have any form of stability but as long as you like singing and dancing and get to do it when you’re older then that’s A-OK.

mj_frenzy thinks that MJ had a great childhood, because he had all the wealth and he got to travel the world. As if these are the only things that matter in life.

 

[Themidwestcowboy]

My opinion at this is a matter of different perspectives. You can look at his childhood with all the success he went through and see this as a publicity stunt, that's just one perspective. In his perspective, he sees it differently and expressed this in many occassions.

Publicity stunt? This has been a recurring theme throughout MJ's entire career, not to mention how many times he has talked about this to his close friends, associates etc.

I'm sorry but to say anything else is quite daft.

 

[KOPV]

People can go back and forth about if he had a bad childhood or not but it was both.. Good and Horrible! Life isnt black and white, people can have great experiences (experiences that a person would never want to live without) yet have torment inside from things that happen.. No one can relate to the awesome things he experienced nor can anyone releate to the pressure he had on him as a young child.

For those who simply think he had an awesome child.. MJ_frenzy, take a couple psych classes that have to do with child development. He had way too much responsibility, pressure, and work for someone that was a pre-teen. The human brain develops in stages and he was subjected to a life of an adult very young.. There are parents that lose custody of children that subjected there children to not even 25% of what Michael would because it heavily effects the development of the child and if he/she would be a 'well adjusted' individual as an adult.

* introduced to sex in scaring ways (taken to strip clubs before the age of 9, layed in bed as his brothers would have sex with fans, fans grabbing him/flashing him and more)

* physical abuse (with physical abuse, much mental abuse ties in)

* growing up feeling that he would only be excepting if..... a,b,c...x,y,z

* becoming a teen, getting pimples, changing, being made fun of and having to face the world

* finding value and worth only as far as a contract and agreements would allow... A lot of fake love.

…... I can go on, make a list with 20+ bullet points.. but no one can deny that emotional problems these things cause.. The best way to know if a person had a troubled childhood is how they live out the adulthood. If you tell me that Michael seemed "well adjusted and normal in societies standards" than you can tell me he had a healthy childhood.

PS. before anyone jumps on me for saying Michael is not normal - I never said that's a bad thing. I am so very grateful he was far from normal. Special is unique! though naturally I would never wish the pain on him that put him in that position.
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