Chicago 1945

[Richard76]

I'd love Chicago 1945 released but Thriller 40 is not the place for it, it had nothing to do with it.

A few tracks that are completed that would be great to have released:
- Chicago 1945
- Throwing Your life Away
- Faces (without Mandela's voice that was never recorded)

Faces is not complete. It has only Michael's speech

 

[Victorious]

When I was a kid I thought 2bad was a sequel for bad. It puzzled me though, a sequel to a song?

It kinda is a sequel right, some lyrics even are the same?

 

[AdeZ]

imo this song lacks strings!

Wondering whether Steve had access to the vault at all or if his mix is made from his own copies of tapes/reels (dated to the 1980s).

The estate isn't in possession of the reels, only he is.

 

[AlwaysThere]

Listening again and, while I love it, I wish there was a live horn section. Synth horns just don’t hit the same way. I’m sure Steve was only laying out the concept but I’m hoping that a prospective official release would have live players.

 

[SmoothGangsta]

The estate isn't in possession of the reels, only he is.

Didn't MJ work on the song later on? Wouldn't they have that stuff?

 

[Victorious]

Listening again and, while I love it, I wish there was a live horn section. Synth horns just don’t hit the same way. I’m sure Steve was only laying out the concept but I’m hoping that a prospective official release would have live players.

Yes! I also kinda miss a remarkable bassline (most MJ classics have some unforgettable bass loop)

 

[Hess]

I really love C45 - it's powerful and great.

I would not be against an update/finalizing of the song with a more heavy bassline, live horns and other small changes that could make the song even more crisp and strong.

 

[Mister_Jay_Tee]

The vocal melody is amazing, the melody of the music is just okay. I can hear the potential but the people who uncovered how much it sounded like this type of song:

Was right on the money.

I'd be okay with them completely reworking it, i wouldn't mind them keeping what's already there. Whatever it takes to strengthen that vocal, just go to work.

Didn't MJ work on the song later on? Wouldn't they have that stuff?

There's like no evidence MJ returned to the song in 2001.

 

[SmoothGangsta]

The vocal melody is amazing, the melody of the music is just okay. I can hear the potential but the people who uncovered how much it sounded like this type of song:

Was right on the money.

I'd be okay with them completely reworking it, i wouldn't mind them keeping what's already there. Whatever it takes to strengthen that vocal, just go to work.



There's like no evidence MJ returned to the song in 2001.

I thought it was listed on Rodney's website at some point. Maybe I'm not remembering correctly.

 

[Victorious]

If 'Chicago 1945' was in some way inspired by 'Power Of Love' than it must be recorded in or after 1985; would that make it a Bad Era song after all?

 

[Richard76]

If 'Chicago 1945' was in some way inspired by 'Power Of Love' than it must be recorded in or after 1985; would that make it a Bad Era song after all?

it is from bad era

 

[wonderouzmj]

Chicago 1945 sounds like a victory song for Steve urkel at the end of a family matters episode...& im guessing it's an all around Chicago sound based on the show in Chicago. Guess it makes since. That's just my opinion. It's a cool tune

 

[AlwaysThere]

It seems like the stories are being confused. For the longest time it was recorded in 1984, then all of a sudden it was recorded in early December 1982, shortly after Thriller dropped… only for that story to seemingly be conflated with “Dream Away.”

I would say his voice sounds closer to the Victory era. He’s starting to develop that grit in his higher register that wasn’t there during the Thriller sessions. If I were to put money on it, I’d say this one was from 1983-1984.

 

[Mister_Jay_Tee]

I

If 'Chicago 1945' was in some way inspired by 'Power Of Love' than it must be recorded in or after 1985; would that make it a Bad Era song after all?

Didn't say it was inspired by it; that was just a common sound back then.

 

[Mister_Jay_Tee]

I would say his voice sounds closer to the Victory era. He’s starting to develop that grit in his higher register that wasn’t there during the Thriller sessions.

But the grit was there, if you listen to, say, the Quincy Jones Budlight Festival:

And this was way before Victory. Before Thriller even.

Sunset Driver also has a lot of grit, and most people believed that to be earlier than Thriller.

 

[Fuzball]

It seems like the stories are being confused. For the longest time it was recorded in 1984, then all of a sudden it was recorded in early December 1982, shortly after Thriller dropped… only for that story to seemingly be conflated with “Dream Away.”

I would say his voice sounds closer to the Victory era. He’s starting to develop that grit in his higher register that wasn’t there during the Thriller sessions. If I were to put money on it, I’d say this one was from 1983-1984.

Well, Steve has said C45 was recorded after Thriller was released. He could have meant either the Thriller album or the Thriller single/video. I think it's the latter - which means Dec '83.

 

[Victorious]

I

Didn't say it was inspired by it; that was just a common sound back then.

I know you didn't but after hearing it myself I can imagine him being inspired by it tbh; it does have similarities.. And in that case Chicago 1945 would be recorded after 1985

 

[Victorious]

But the grit was there, if you listen to, say, the Quincy Jones Budlight Festival:

And this was way before Victory. Before Thriller even.

Sunset Driver also has a lot of grit, and most people believed that to be earlier than Thriller.

I hear some grit, but besides that it's very different from his Bad era vocal style, and Chicago 1945 def. sounds more Bad era to me

 

[wonderouzmj]

It seems like the stories are being confused. For the longest time it was recorded in 1984, then all of a sudden it was recorded in early December 1982, shortly after Thriller dropped… only for that story to seemingly be conflated with “Dream Away.”

I would say his voice sounds closer to the Victory era. He’s starting to develop that grit in his higher register that wasn’t there during the Thriller sessions. If I were to put money on it, I’d say this one was from 1983-1984.

When I hear it I think bad era...somewhere around 86.... when free was recorded.

 

[Mister_Jay_Tee]

Well, Steve has said C45 was recorded after Thriller was released. He could have meant either the Thriller album or the Thriller single/video. I think it's the latter - which means Dec '83.

He would probably mean 1984, in the US it was January.

 

[Mister_Jay_Tee]

I hear some grit, but besides that it's very different from his Bad era vocal style, and Chicago 1945 def. sounds more Bad era to me

It only sounds like Bad era on the verses. The hook and the ad libs are peak Thriller era to me. It's subtle but it's really obvious to me. Plus, I just don't wanna give another bone to Bad era.

 

[Mister_Jay_Tee]

I know you didn't but after hearing it myself I can imagine him being inspired by it tbh; it does have similarities.. And in that case Chicago 1945 would be recorded after 1985

That's still just way too late. That song came out in the middle of the year.

 

[NeoGardiV8]

I know, i know... nobody asked for my opinion, but if i had to bet, i would say the vocals sound the closest to Thriller, but due to the "aggressiveness" of the vocals, it does sound way closer to Bad than it actually is, imo the verses sound like pure Victory Tour to me, due to the grit.

 

[Victorious]

It only sounds like Bad era on the verses. The hook and the ad libs are peak Thriller era to me. It's subtle but it's really obvious to me. Plus, I just don't wanna give another bone to Bad era.

I do agree with the verses being Thriller style. So it's an interesting track because of this transitional style. What is your opinion on the Huey Lewis track, I now actually do feel he somewhat was inspired by it lol

 

[Mister_Jay_Tee]

I do agree with the verses being Thriller style. So it's an interesting track because of this transitional style. What is your opinion on the Huey Lewis track, I now actually do feel he somewhat was inspired by it lol

I don't see any connection. Steve Porcaro was a session musician, he definitely heard lots of music like that.

Plus, The Power of Love is just another Huey Lewis track really. It sounds like these songs from their 1983 work:

Both of these date before Thriller was a single in 1984, 1983 in the UK.