a story by jodi gomes
Jodi Gomes's ( Executive Producer & Director of Jack5ons Family Dynasty on A&E)
I was a young TV producer recording/mixing Voice-over for an animated Nickelodeon series in the early 90’s. We booked a room weeks in advance, but the day of our session were told a client rented the entire facility. Of course, lil miss ambitious, I was beside myself. I pleaded with the management to let us use one room for just an hour, because it was a nightmare rescheduling the child actors. He reluctantly asked the client – and to my surprise the client obliged with two caveats: (1) I had to describe the characters that the kids were voicing - and - I happily did (inaccurately of course because I thought a competitor was in the other room stealing my idea! After all, this is Hollywood!); and (2) we would have to record in the smallest room, of which, the client had equipment and items stored, which we could not touch.
At the end of my rope, I agreed, and got to work. BUT… the room had a smell that we’ll just say, “had the funk of 40,000 years”. There were damp, sweaty, musty, funky, moldy T-shirts & clothes hidden behind a couch in the room. Piled high. Well – this was just too much! I carried on like a fool with the manager, who snickered with laughter. I went on & on about hygiene, “we’re a paying customer too” type stuff – and “you have the nerve to have a large client’s equipment stored in here with this nasty ish”.
GOD’S INTERVENTION: Bruce Swedien walks by. Then Michael Jackson walks by during my rant – of course I shut the heck up and showed respect because I was clearly enamored. We’d met previously and he recognized my face, gave me a huge flirtatious hug and mischievous smile. We exchanged a “where do I know you from” story and had a big laugh about something I can barely remember now.
SIDE NOTE: MJ had a way of making you feel like you knew him for 100 years, and eased your nerves about how HUGE he was.
He said, “so you’re the one recording the animation project?” I said yes and exchanged, “so you’re the big client keeping me out of this joint”. Again, we laughed. He was soooo curious about the animation project and voice over. With the ice broken, I called myself giving the King of Pop a heads up. I informed him that there were DISGUSTING, STANKY clothes in the room where he was storing equipment. He was shocked. He was embarrassed. He wanted to see it. Again, the management smiled a funny smirk and led us to the room. I was being over dramatic covering my nose, preparing for the stench, and of course still carrying on. MJ kept teasing me & laughing, “oh girl stop, it’s can’t be that bad”… and before I could show him where the clothes were hidden, he went right over to the pile!!! He pulled them out and instructed manager to take HIS clothes away! Apparently, Michael liked to dance his little skinny butt off in between recording, and be drenched with sweat. He’d change clothes, and go back to recording…this went on for days! There was no equipment stored in the room – just his clothing. After complete embarrassment and a million apologies from me, he burst out with this huge laugh and said, “my brothers and I used to say, if it don’t stink – it aint funky”. He gave me a big hug and whispered to me, just don’t tell my Mother. I think that album went on to be “Dangerous” – and it definitely was funky!
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