Chapter 14 was all about how the greatest hits album came about with a name and an album cover.
DB begins the chapter stating 'We all knew Michael as a child', then he goes on to chart the many highs and lows of his career that we were all well familiar with, all the way to the 'sleeplessness' in 2009 and his demise in a 'rented mansion' with a 'rented doctor'. He evaluates how none of us needed to be an 'insider to know his anguish'.
But as 1993 closed no one knew about the further nose dive MJs life would take. DB recalls comments by Larry Stessel from the past, LF had forecasted that MJ would 'take his life' one day as he wouldn't be able to handle becoming irrelevant.
DB recaps the acceptable sales from release of the Dangerous home VHS over the Xmas period at the end of 93.
Around mid November 93, MJ underwent a strip search and released a video stating his innocence. DB elaborates on this video, referring to it as 'powerful and emotional', he describes feeling 'overwhelmed' watching it. The video was recorded in the same dance studio DB and his team had filmed MJ nearly a year ago at the MAW event at Neverland. DB compares how MJ had appeared so 'relaxed' back then, and now appeared 'scared, shaken and desperate' as if 'begging for his life', leaving DB 'heartsick'. Memories of working with MJ seemed distant, and the constant news coverage made him 'shudder'. DB didn't feel he was in a position to contact MJ, and that had he known the situation was going to take a turn for the worse he would've 'packed up and gone home'.
DB recounts how he felt 'stunned' that in January 94 a settlement had been reached. DB questioned how MJ could think that throwing money at the situation could magically resolve the problematic issue of an allegation. He later learnt that MJ was pressured to settle by his lawyers. DB writes about the 'mind-bending' agony that was required to fathom the situation and resolve 'giving Michael the benefit of doubt' while supporting him artistically. However, business was going ahead as usual. DB was assembled as part of a small team to start preparations on a greatest hits album for MJ, an idea from a year earlier. The small team included Joy Gilbert, Scott Spanjich and Lori Lambert.
The greatest hits package was to follow the usual standard formula of including 2 new tracks. DB recalls flying with Dave Glew to see MJ at a recording studio. In the absence of seeing MJ in 6 months, DB was surprised to see an 'almost zen-like' calmness to him and was pleased to see him. MJ played some incomplete songs to DB and DG, and informed them he was working on 5 new tracks. In a bid to encourage MJs creative process, DB and DG did not bring up that the album did not have space for 5 new tracks. Instead they take this discussion to SG, the idea of a double album and selling it for double the album price germinates. DG is particularly excited by this and DB comments how he could see DG internally calculating the revenue. He also states that DG was a strong support to MJ during this time period. They settled on having the greatest hits songs on one disc, and new music on the other disc. DB recounts feeling 'queasy' about how long this project would take, as 'Michael was Michael'.
DB and DG made regular visits to the recording studio to keep tabs on the progress of the album. He remembers that MJ was relaxed and 'free to play' in the collaborative environment of the studio, and it was the ideal place for a 'dreamer' like MJ to get completely absorbed and lost in the creative process, but this came with the added risk of this album being completed 'when he said it was done'.
DB was tasked with commencing the marketing campaign for the 'biggest star' with 'image-imploding accusations' and with the added challenge of a price tag of 'thirty bucks'. However, there was nothing to work with as they didn't have a title/artwork/concept for this album. This caused the marketing team some distress and DB quotes Joy Gilbert about feeling trapped in 'the damn Michael Jackson circus'. DB also pondered on the relevance of a MJ album in an era of Pearl Jam, and whether his fan base still cared. In order to encourage MJ to complete the album DG promised him a thorough 'marketing plan'. DB asked SG if MJ had a title, SG affirmed in the negative and asked the team to come up with one, DB felt this was 'impersonal' and 'ridiculous'.
DB writes how the negative media coverage continued with the widespread use of the term 'wacko *****'. DB informs how the word '*****' had racist connotations as it was cockney slang for 'monkey'.
Polly Anthony, who 'headed Sony's 550 label' was bought in, as she often was where MJ was concerned. She had an established relationship with MJ, and knew SG. PA, DG and himself were the key MJ supporters at the label, as the people who originally bought MJ to Epic had all left. Key figures who were there at Epic during Thriller had also left. DB writes of a sense that MJs music wasn't relevant to their mostly younger workforce with his 'damaged image' further marginalising him . They even kept MJs sky high costs away from younger staff as such spending was considered 'old' and 'obscene' to their minimal palettes in the 90s.
DB narrates how PA inspired DB to come up with clever word play with the title. DB came up with the title while ruminating on the idea that the new songs would tell MJs side of the story from recent events, and the hits would tell MJs musical history, so the title 'HIStory' was born. DB admits he borrowed the idea from when he was working with Cindi Lauper, who wanted to make 'herstory', but this idea had been shelved. DB takes time to thank CL for the idea in the book. Polly and DG are not wholly on board with the title, nonetheless, DB faxed the idea to SG but never heard back.
A couple of weeks after this, DB narrates that DG 'returned in a lather' after hearing many completed tracks from MJ, and orders work on album cover concepts. They have a meeting with Arnold Levine, who was a Sony department head, and they come up with the idea of incentivising creative people within their workforce of coming up with an album cover concept for $1500 to $2500. A month later Nancy (art director) had 60 submissions, and arranged to take them to SGs office to present to MJ.
The day of the presentation arrived and as they unloaded the album concept ideas, someone mentions to DB that Michael has chosen the concept of 'HIStory' from DBs suggestion. He admits to feeling embarrassed about having spent $100,000 on ideas for album concepts when one had already been chosen. They continue with the presentation. DG, SG and Epic colleagues all arrived and sat on seats along the long sides of the table, one end of the table was backed against a wall, and the other end was where the presentation was taking place by Nancy and Arnold Levine. When MJ arrived, there was no seat free for him, DB recollects MJ was 'all smiles' and then climbed on the table and sat on the end against the wall. DB comments how he felt things 'veering out of control'. He notes how MJ said 'hello' to all and then giggled throughout the presentation. MJ expressed his appreciation and enjoyed all 60 concepts and then left without showing any noticeable enthusiasm for any concept in particular, which was unusual for him.
DB narrates that 2 weeks after this, he discovered MJ had 'leaped on an idea for the cover art and ran with it'. In the original fax DB had sent for the HIStory title, DB had suggested iconic MJ images for the cover, such as a sequinned glove, or loafers, or a silhouette. DB made the terrifying discovery that MJ saw 'wars, arms, propaganda' and a 'giant heroic structure '. He notes how the momentum had started and it was too late to stop MJ. DB rationalises that since statues were made to memorialise significant figures, MJ was not entirely 'delusional', as MJs career was huge. DB thought about the issue of the risk of the statue being interpreted as 'megalomania'. DB mentions that MJs usual response to any potential career 'misstep' was 'people know I would never do that' with a sincere belief that 'everyone knew him and trusted him'. Following a meeting with Nancy, a computer animation company was arranged to bring the statue to reality. MJ posed for photos. DB felt 'stunned' and 'disarmed', and went to SG with PA and DG, but MJ was 'locked in and happy' and no one could 'turn the tide'.
Although people felt it was 'ill advised', SG and DG were 'happy' to commence marketing. The album cover and title being resolved, the marketing team worked at 'full throttle', their focus turned to MJ completing the album.
My commentary:
I had so many issues with this chapter!
I did like reading about DBs reaction to the Neverland video following the strip search. I was alarmed that DB showed little concern for MJs personal struggles outside of the marketing issues in the previous chapter, it conveyed how DB saw MJ as a product, and while I can accept that was DBs job role, MJ was also a person he worked with. Most of us naturally feel bad watching colleagues go through a hard time, and I felt this element was devoid in DBs writing. DB reaction to the Neverland video felt like an appropriate response to a colleague in distress, and his comparisons to being in the same dance studio with MJ a year earlier were hard hitting. It felt poignant when DB described seeing MJs 'almost zen-like' calmness. I also appreciated that DB addressed the racist connotations to the offending term given to MJ. The story behind the song title was good too.
My issues start with DBs recount of the JC settlement. There are times I interpret things through a readers perspective, this is when I am responding to the information provided within the book. There are times when I interpret information from a fan perspective, this is where I am responding as a fan with my own knowledge base of the subject. As a reader, my only conclusion from what DB shares about the settlement is the prevalent media narrative of MJ paying off the child to silence him. He criticises MJs decision to settle, suggesting MJ should have proceeded to court. He does assert that this was a decision MJ was pressured into by lawyers. He goes on to comment how money did not resolve such serious allegation claims. From a fan perspective I can see how many holes DB has left in this retell. DB does not clarify that the settlement did not prevent a criminal investigation/trial or prevent JC coming forward, that the strip search/house warrant and existing criminal investigation was not influenced by the settlement, that they didn't find a crime to convict MJ of. I was surprised at how misleading DBs narrative was. He mentions how the settlement required everyone to give MJ the benefit of the doubt, the fact that MJ was strip searched, his residence was searched, that grand jury's would not indict him should have also gone some way towards that. Especially as DB references following the news coverage at this time. The possibility of extortion is totally side stepped. And I question whether he is picking and choosing the parts that suit his version of the retell.
The other part that bugged me was the presentation. DB description of things 'veering out of control' when MJ climbs on the table and sits at the end when there were no chairs for him, felt like an over reaction. As a reader, I see a MJ that took initiative, he could've made a fuss for a chair but didn't. They were all sat down before MJ entered, why did no one manage to do the basic math to notice there was a chair missing for the very person the presentation was for? I felt it was sloppy for DB to overreact to MJs response to a situation they themselves created. I also felt MJs giggling was not clarified, was his giggling conveyed as mocking/embarrassed/ humoured? Once again, the information needed to fully comprehend the situation being described is omitted.
My last gripe was about the statue. As a reader, I noticed so many gaps through carefully worded writing. DB references megalomania but does not directly stipulate if this was a concern addressed with MJ, or one that others shared. There are no dialogues referencing any of this. The dialogue used of MJ referencing how others would not perceive him a certain way is given as a generic response to career missteps, but not as direct response to the issue of the statue. The fact that everyone was happy to proceed suggests DBs concern wasn't shared by others to the same extent. It made me think back to the overreaction to the RTT kiss, to the worries about MJ droning about his childhood, as
@etoile 37 rightly observed was an odd concern to have at the time. And even the redundant panic over the LA Times interview. It all painted a figure of DB with a tendency to disproportionately overreact at times.
As a reader, I was surprised at the return-to-normal feel of this chapter given all the death imagery the last chapter ended on. DB shares his concerns of MJs career being over in a devastating explosion by the end of that chapter. By the end of this chapter, MJ is presenting himself as a statue and in the studio recording new songs when he wasn't required to. While DB admits the statue wasn't a wholly 'delusional' idea, I interpreted the statue as a fitting resurrection to the perceived death of his career from the previous chapter. DB himself acknowledged that MJ faced challenges on a global stage that none of us could relate to, he describes the devastation of a career exploding. Well how does one get back from that state to recording new songs with zen-like calmness? If you have returned from a death like experience you have resurrected and that usually involves taking on something new. DB also comments on how MJ was responding to his critics with his art using the new songs, I think MJ was similarly responding through his art using the statue, my interpretation was that he was presenting himself as indestructible after the horrors he had just experienced. That's the purpose of art, it's subjective, and while megalomania was one interpretation there were others. While I appreciate DB was viewing the situation with his marketing eyes at the time, we are 30 years on, and usually are able to see other perspectives once removed from the particular dysfunction perpetuated by our own profession. DB only seems interested in exploring the aspect that flourishes in the media. As a fan, I linked the statue to MJs comments about wearing a 'suit of armour' to contend with his critics from the Simulchat (95?).
Overall, this chapter felt out of flow with the last chapter, but continues with a fast paced rhythm and is keeping me hooked.
Have included the Neverland footage, as I searched it after reading DBs reaction to it. It was painful to rewatch and I don't know how MJ mustered the strength to sit through it:
variety.com
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