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Is there someone here who can remember the grammy 1988 performance?

filmandmusic

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I have seen so many reaction videos on youtube of the man in the mirror performance and most reactions seem pretty genuine, most people are awe struck by the performance.
I was wondering what the reaction was in the media or on the street the day after, did it make waves like the Motown 25 performance? That billie jean performance basically gave the thriller album a second life as MJ became talk of the town.

So did MITM 1988 made similar waves? I can’t recall this myself as I was too young plus it probably didn’t really reach Europe back then.
 
I watched it on TV that night. It was the first time a pop artist
did a performance with a real Church Gospel Choir. IT WAS AMAZING!!!! 🤗
 
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Judging by media/press reports that came out right after his 1988 Grammy Awards performance, it appears that it did not have the same immediate impact as his Motown 25 performance.

The fact that Michael Jackson did not receive any other Grammy Awards at that night (apart from the best engineered album) overshadowed, in the following days, his performance.

People were also mostly talking about his humiliating failure and its effect on the singer which made him look sad while he was sitting next to Quincy Jones during the 1988 Grammy Awards ceremony.

People were also quick to point out the obvious contrast between the 1984 Grammy Awards (where he won eight awards) and the 1988 Grammy Awards (where he won only one award).
 
Drummer Jonathan "Sugarfoot" Moffett has a hilarious story about this performance (and his part in it). You should listen to the episode of the MJcast with him. It tells a lot about Michaels perfectionism...
 
Piek said:
Drummer Jonathan "Sugarfoot" Moffett has a hilarious story about this performance (and his part in it). You should listen to the episode of the MJcast with him. It tells a lot about Michaels perfectionism...
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Was he involved with this? He wasn't the drummer on Bad Tour.
 
I watched it LIVE on TV that night, an EVERYONE was talking about the performance that night and the next day. Most people were saying that although Michael didn’t win any Grammys that night, He WON because of THAT performance. I remember stars like Little Richard and others raving about the performance. That performance received a LOT of recognition. Of course, the reaction was not the same as the groundbreaking reaction from Motown 25. NOTHING before or since has EVER had the reaction that Motown 25 had. BTW, I also saw the Motown 25 performance LIVE on TV and the reaction was UNPRECEDENTED. It was actually a HISTORIC and CULTURAL moment around the world.
 
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Can someone remember other tv performances' and their impact on charts and sales?
For example Superbowl 93 did it have an effect on dangerous sales? The Oprah interview? The world music awards performance of earth song in 96? The VMA performance in 95?
 
Both his Super Bowl performance and the interview to Oprah Winfrey not only increased sales of his 'Dangerous' album but also they helped the album to climb higher in the charts in the following days.

Especially, it was his a cappella rendition of 'Who Is It' (in that interview) that had a very big, immediate effect on his album.

It has been said that it was so big that impact of that a cappella rendition that they wanted to capitalize more on it by releasing the 'Who Is It' music video in the following days (the version which is a mixture of his career's highlights).

Although not a TV performance, the biggest immediate and positive effect on his 'Dangerous' album had the release of the full version of his 'Black Or White' music video, and in particular the controversy of the Panther Video Segment that literally created an earthquake at that time which in turn helped a lot his newly-released album (sales, charts).
 
mj_frenzy said:
Especially, it was his a cappella rendition of 'Who Is It' (in that interview) that had a very big, immediate effect on his album.
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Wow! I would not have expected that. It was short and tucked in middle of random questions. I guess that speaks for the power of Michael's voice or just his effect on people. I envy those who were part of that era.


mj_frenzy said:
and in particular the controversy of the Panther Video Segment that literally created an earthquake
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Never understood that either. Maybe it is because times have changed. The dance is angry and different and wild, but does not look earthquake magnitude.
 
I think the whole "who is it" impact is a bit overstated. It never reached the top 10 in the charts which I completely fail to understand btw.
 
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As far as I can remember, that show didn't impact Bad sales or Michael Jackson himself as an entertainer (even if he was disapointed) the Bad Tour itself then proved he was already on top concerning the Show Man he was during those days

A lot of emotion that night indeed but keep in mind that Michael was seen as a paroxysm for a lot of media and many artists as well..This is a result of a non stop "Jacksonmania" from 1984 to 88 ! Victory Tour, We are the World, Captain EO..This explains why Michael would remain silent between Bad and Dangerous

I think without that crazy "in between Era" (84-87) Bad album could have sold a lot like Thriller if there were a silent period instead, of course it's my opinion ;-)
 
filmandmusic said:
I think the whole "who is it" impact is a bit overstated. It never reached the top 10 in the charts which I completely fail to understand btw.
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Had Michael toured the US during the Dangerous tour or had Michael performed Who Is It live, it most likely would have reached the top 10.
 
Had the video been stronger for Who Is It or it been performed live on the 92 leg it might have done better.
I do think a problem with the Dangerous material is it wasn't as commercial as previous singles from previous albums. They're great songs but they're long in terms of length

Everyone was blown away with Mike's beatboxing abilities in that interview but it's only really showcased at the start and end of the 6.38 album version of the song
They should have put a single edit of the song were MJ's beatboxing was more prominent in a 3 minute version
 
You know that whole Who is it segment it is not only vocally great but he snaps his fingers and stomps his leg to the beat as well. There is so much rhythm in there. He didn't miss a beat there. Oprah might be a two faced hypocritical bitch but at least we got one off the most brilliant MJ moments captured for the ages thanks to her.

If any critic is willing to put down Michael's input on his own music they just have to be shown this segment and then they can pick up their jaw later on and look ridiculous.
 
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