Chicago 1945

Was listening to the Brad Buxer MJ cast episode earlier and he mentioned a few unreleased tracks like "Adore You", "Rich Girl" etc. I'm sure there are tracks that we don't know about. Also those gems on the Ultimate Collection should also be officially released.
Alright so TYLA is another song to scratch of the complete list. The vaults are starting to look like a desert to me. The best thing they could do is release already known songs like streetwalker, we've had enough or hot street etc on 1 disc and call it a new album. At least it's better than to have them all scattered across compilations and special editions.
 
I wish we could get someone like Michael Prince, Brad Buxer, or Matt Forger in here for a Q&A session so we could find out, once and for all.

Q&A with Matt would be cool. He could give more accurate answers than anyone else since he digitized all the tapes for the estate.
 
Alright so TYLA is another song to scratch of the complete list. The vaults are starting to look like a desert to me. The best thing they could do is release already known songs like streetwalker, we've had enough or hot street etc on 1 disc and call it a new album. At least it's better than to have them all scattered across compilations and special editions.

Great! Michael left us with so much music that he approved of when he was alive. It wouldn't bother me a single bit if they ever released an unreleased song again. Let's focus on what they DO have and that is concerts!
 
Was listening to the Brad Buxer MJ cast episode earlier and he mentioned a few unreleased tracks like "Adore You", "Rich Girl" etc. I'm sure there are tracks that we don't know about. Also those gems on the Ultimate Collection should also be officially released.

Adore you is also unfinished according to travis3000, the other one I never heard of.
 
I really hope they don't put any effort into concerts. I know I'll be the last man standing in that regard, but I'm more interested in the music. If there's no more music, the Estate should just give it up truthfully.
 
I really hope they don't put any effort into concerts. I know I'll be the last man standing in that regard, but I'm more interested in the music. If there's no more music, the Estate should just give it up truthfully.

Idd you are on your own here, probably :p

My dream is at least 15 different J5/S concerts 1970-1978, preferably one from different tours so we get to hear different setlists. Plus also obviously high quality Destiny/Triumph/Victory concerts plus 1988 USA Bad concert
 
I really hope they don't put any effort into concerts. I know I'll be the last man standing in that regard, but I'm more interested in the music. If there's no more music, the Estate should just give it up truthfully.

For songs that have incomplete vocals, they can always do what they did with Don't Matter To Me and get a contemporary artist as feature.

The Estate aren't gonna give up. They are a business and they will try to make it as much money as they can.
 
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For songs that have incomplete vocals, they can always do what they did with Don't Matter To Me and get a commemorate artist as feature.

This is a dangerous proposition though.

I'm all for it if it's an artist that Michael revered or wanted to work with -- Akon, Stevie Wonder, Gaga, etc. But inevitably they'll go the popular route and select artists that weren't even around when Michael was alive, which is painfully disingenuous. Like, I never wanted to hear Drake featuring Michael Jackson and I never want to hear it again.
 
This is a dangerous proposition though.

I'm all for it if it's an artist that Michael revered or wanted to work with -- Akon, Stevie Wonder, Gaga, etc. But inevitably they'll go the popular route and select artists that weren't even around when Michael was alive, which is painfully disingenuous. Like, I never wanted to hear Drake featuring Michael Jackson and I never want to hear it again.

I can't wait for Justin Bieber featuring Michael Jackson :p
 
I’m up for future duets as long as it’s done right. Love Never Felt So Good with Justin Timberlake is a good example. The song was a big hit and introduced his music to new fans which is always a good thing.
AlwaysThere;4293779 said:
This is a dangerous proposition though.

I'm all for it if it's an artist that Michael revered or wanted to work with -- Akon, Stevie Wonder, Gaga, etc. But inevitably they'll go the popular route and select artists that weren't even around when Michael was alive, which is painfully disingenuous. Like, I never wanted to hear Drake featuring Michael Jackson and I never want to hear it again.
 
This is a dangerous proposition though.

I'm all for it if it's an artist that Michael revered or wanted to work with -- Akon, Stevie Wonder, Gaga, etc. But inevitably they'll go the popular route and select artists that weren't even around when Michael was alive, which is painfully disingenuous. Like, I never wanted to hear Drake featuring Michael Jackson and I never want to hear it again.

I suppose that is down to individual taste.

I don't mind if they select the current popular artists, but only if they are the right ones in my book. Like I wouldn't mind a feature with Bruno Mars or Beyonce. But if they select artists like Drake or Billie Ellish, then there is a problem.. But other fans may love the feature with Drake and want him on another MJ song.

The projects that the Estate have released have always divided opinions, even the very best ones like Bad 25 and Xscape. I can't imagine how divided the fans will about a duets album, if that ever happens.
 
Q&A with Matt would be cool. He could give more accurate answers than anyone else since he digitized all the tapes for the estate.

I attended a seminar with Brad Sundberg and with Michael Prince and Brad Buxer as guests and NOBODY pressed them about any unreleased stuff. And even Joe Vogel was there also. I thought that was his thing lol
 
Damn! I've just read this:cry:

MICHAEL SHERWOOD: I took a gig as the keyboardist with Air Supply. Working with Jimmy Haun from Lodgic, as well as writing with Air Supply’s Graham Russell. Air Supply was a fun group to tour with, since the audience was mostly pretty women. Songwriting was what interested me the most, however, and I continued to hone my craft. Steve Porcaro and I had written a track for Michael Jackson called “For All Time” for the Dangerous album. Michael Jackson wanted another sort of “Human Nature” track, and reached out to Steve Porcaro — but, in the 11th hour, the song was bumped for Michael’s track, “Gone Too Soon.” The thing about “For All Time” is that, in 2007, I got a call from Steve Porcaro saying that Michael Jackson wanted to use the song for the 25th anniversary edition of Thriller! After listening to it we added a few things to the original recording, to update it. Steve and I had a bunch of things in the hopper for Michael’s next project, but unfortunately he had passed.


http://somethingelsereviews.com/2015/04/09/michael-sherwood-toto-xiv-steve-porcaro-michael-jackson/
 
I love gone too soon, one of my fave vocal performances. I'm glad it made the album.
 
I don't know if it has been said on the thread before but Michael Prince said that they are almost 45 songs ready to be released, they're just waiting for the Estate's move.
 
I don't know if it has been said on the thread before but Michael Prince said that they are almost 45 songs ready to be released, they're just waiting for the Estate's move.



I highly doubt that the current estate is gonna release any material in an unaltered state on standalone singles, albums or EPs. I hope to be proven wrong.
 
If I recall correctly he said he'd offered to go through everything he has with the estate but they never got back to him. I don't remember the 45 track thing though. Maybe it's from another interview.
 
I highly doubt that the current estate is gonna release any material in an unaltered state on standalone singles, albums or EPs. I hope to be proven wrong.

Oddly enough, I think the honorable thing to do is to complete the songs. As I said elsewhere, Michael hated when his music was issued before it was finished and was brokenhearted when "Hold My Hand" and "Escape" leaked. Now, I don't mean to "contemporize" or rework the song to any significant degree; just take the original demo and flesh out what's already there (unless the song is finished).

For example, all you need to do with the original version of "Loving You" is replace the programmed drums with a live drum kit (since the programmed drums are already clearly emulating a live performance) and it's ready for release.

Sometimes you may have to do a little more, like with "Do You Know Where Your Children Are" (which was knocked out of the park by whoever produced the leaked version). But stay true to the vision and don't impart your own feelings onto the track.
 
AlwaysThere;4294059 said:
Oddly enough, I think the honorable thing to do is to complete the songs. As I said elsewhere, Michael hated when his music was issued before it was finished and was brokenhearted when "Hold My Hand" and "Escape" leaked. Now, I don't mean to "contemporize" or rework the song to any significant degree; just take the original demo and flesh out what's already there (unless the song is finished).

For example, all you need to do with the original version of "Loving You" is replace the programmed drums with a live drum kit (since the programmed drums are already clearly emulating a live performance) and it's ready for release.

Sometimes you may have to do a little more, like with "Do You Know Where Your Children Are" (which was knocked out of the park by whoever produced the leaked version). But stay true to the vision and don't impart your own feelings onto the track.

We can not know what Michael’s vision was anymore, because he is simply not here. Even his collaborators can’t know what was going on in Michael’s head. To stay relevant and continue his legacy projects like “Xscape” are necessary. Music evolves. Without altering the demo instruments or replacing them the world is never going to embrace that. “Love never felt so good” with Justin Timberlake was a smash hit. I even like it much better than the original. Same goes for all the “remixed” versions of Xscape.
 
Here's every info I compiled on the song according to Damien Shields, people who went to seminars and this thread:

- Written 1 week after Thriller's release and recorded in 1983

- 3 instrumentals were made for the song of which Michael picked one

- First made for Victory

- Song tells the story about three girls who went out at a cold windy night during The World's Fair and went missing in the 1940s

- Makes various Chicago references like The World's Fair, Chicago Tribune (local newspaper), Al Capone, etc.

- 100% complete song with full vocals, complete instrumentation, ad-libs, backing vocals and so on

- Thriller era vocal style

- Vocals are described to be similar to Behind The Mask but not as resonant

- Instrumental is described to be similar to Price Of Fame in certain aspects

- About 4-5 minutes of length

- Uptempo Synth pop with brilliant chord changes

- Constant rhythm played in the 16th note

- Reworked with Rodney Jerkins for Invincible, reworked in 2004 for The Ultimate Collection, planned to be reworked before Michael's death and touched up in 2014 for Xscape

- Considered for Xscape but not released because Porcaro didn't want the song to be remixed, says he wants to have it the way he worked with Michael

- Is currently being considered for Thriller 40

- Song finishes with MJ chanting “Chicago! Chicago!” over and over in a gritty vocal style.


Known lyrics:
“Three girls disappeared on a cold windy night,
never to be found again, never to be found again!” (1st Verse)

“Who solved the mystery late Chicago night?
Ya can’t hide the truth so won’t ya turn on the light?” (Chorus)

"NOBODY CARES! On the cover of the Chicago Tribune, pictures of the world's fair." (?)

“Chicago! Chicago! Chicago!” (Outro)
 
Do we know for a fact that it really is considered for T40?

I must say it sounds promising. - If they really contemporized it for Xscape I hope if they release the version and Porcaro left it, they release it as a single and include all the different versions when it was reworked.

Chicago 1945 Single - Track-list
1. Chicago 1945 - MJ and Porcaro version (the original)
2. Chicago 1945 - MJ & Rodney Jerkins version
3. Chicago 1945 - 2004 version
4. Chicago 1945 - 2014 version
 
Do we know for a fact that it really is considered for T40?
There's no official confirmation until the tracklist is revealed, but there's evidence leading up to it. The Estate changed their statement and said they're including Thriller era songs on the disc 2 of the album (before they used to say only songs worked for Thriller), last time the song was played in seminars was 8 years ago when the song was being worked on behind the scenes, Steve Porcaro wants the song to be released in either deluxe albums or anniversary albums so this is a good opportunity. It's up to the Estate if it comes out soon or not.
 
I just hope The Estate can talk Porcaro into accepting releasing different versions of the song if they include MJ and Porcaros version on the actual album and then the different versions on the single maybe. - Would be great.

I hope Porcaro will not put a stop to this.
 
As much as MJ’s producers say it’s all for love, it’s actually all for money.

Estate could do as many touches as they want if they released along the original like Xscape. But paying for seminars, interviews, books, podcasts, etc >>> song royalties.

Remember when Will.I.Am was MJJC’s darling in 2010 for not wanting to release the songs because Michael didn’t finish them? Same guy tried to release them later on his own album and the estate blocked him (as his greedy ass deserved).

In the end we are in the ones suffering while ALL of them are bathing in money, with the songs released or not.
 
I agree - if the song is finalized back then and was ready to be released - then just release it in it's original form.

MJ's songs have proven to be timeless - the updated versions will maybe sound current the day they are released, but they will age fast and after 10 years they might sound out of style and odd.
 
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