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Off the Wall Reissue: What Would You Have Done?

AO98

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Some fans consider this year's reissue of Off the Wall (packaged with the Spike Lee documentary, Journey from Motown to Off the Wall) to be a flop. If you want me to be completely honest, I actually did not mind the release that much. I still really want Dangerous 25 more, but it was a decent release. You had the original album, you had a Blu-ray or DVD of the documentary (I have both versions), you have some pretty cool packaging and you have a piece of chalk to draw in the case and erase it. It really is a fun, decent release. But as a hardcore MJ fan, it's not something on my wishlist for future projects.

Today I am here to ask you - if you had the chance to create the Off the Wall reissue from scratch, what would you have done differently? What added material would you add?

This is what I would have done:

DISC ONE (Off the Wall):
1. Don't Stop Til You Get Enough
2. Rock with You
3. Working Day and Night
4. Get on the Floor
5. Off the Wall
6. Girlfriend
7. She's Out of My Life
8. I Can't Help It
9. It's the Falling in Love
10. Burn This Disco Out

DISC TWO (Bonus Material):
1. Sunset Driver
2. Ease on Down the Road (from The Wiz) (with Diana Ross)
3. You Can't Win (from The Wiz)
4. Don't Stop Til You Get Enough (original demo version)
5. Rock with You (original demo version)
6. Working Day and Night (original demo version)
7. Off the Wall (original demo version)
8. She's Out of My Life (original demo version)
9. I Can't Help It (original demo version)
10. Rock with You (extended mix)

DISC THREE (Blu-ray / DVD):
  • Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (full documentary)
  • The Jacksons' Triumph Tour: Live in Los Angeles 9/26/1981 (full concert)
  • Don't Stop Til You Get Enough (live from The Jacksons' Destiny Tour - Oakland Arena, 12/16/1979)
  • Don't Stop Til You Get Enough (video)
    [*]    Rock with You (video)
    [*]    She's Out of My Life (video)
The packaging would pretty much remain the same with the chalk, slipcase, etc. However, I would place the two CDs in the Off the Wall case and the Blu-ray/DVD would be placed in its own case instead of being shelved inside the other half of the case like the actual release. In other words, it's like Bad 25. The two CDs were placed in one case, the Wembley DVD in another.

Anyway, that's it.

What would you have done differently with this release? What added material would you include? Or do you like the reissue the way it is?

Leave your thoughts. Thank you :)

4/20/2017 UPDATE: I made a few little changes ;)
 
Last edited:
*looks at thread title*
Chalk, chalk in every color of the rainbow.
KBh2mjXyQaZO.gif
 
AO98 said:
Some fans consider this year's reissue of Off the Wall (packaged with the Spike Lee documentary, Journey from Motown to Off the Wall) to be a flop. If you want me to be completely honest, I actually did not mind the release that much. I still really want Dangerous 25 more, but it was a decent release. You had the original album, you had a Blu-ray or DVD of the documentary (I have both versions), you have some pretty cool packaging and you have a piece of chalk to draw in the case and erase it. It really is a fun, decent release. But as a hardcore MJ fan, it's not something on my wishlist for future projects.

Today I am here to ask you - if you had the chance to create the Off the Wall reissue from scratch, what would you have done differently? What added material would you add?

This is what I would have done:

DISC ONE (Off the Wall):
1. Don't Stop Til You Get Enough
2. Rock with You
3. Working Day and Night
4. Get on the Floor
5. Off the Wall
6. Girlfriend
7. She's Out of My Life
8. I Can't Help It
9. It's the Falling in Love
10. Burn This Disco Out

DISC TWO (Bonus Material):
1. Ease on Down the Road (from The Wiz) (with Diana Ross)
2. You Can't Win (from The Wiz)
3. Sunset Driver
4. Don't Stop Til You Get Enough (original demo)
5. Rock with You (original demo)
6. Working Day and Night (original demo)
7. Off the Wall (original demo)
8. She's Out of My Life (original demo)
9. I Can't Help It (original demo)
10. Don't Stop Til You Get Enough (single version)

HIDDEN BONUS TRACK:
11. Rock with You (extended mix)

DISC THREE (Blu-ray / DVD):
  • Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (full documentary)
  • The Jacksons Triumph Tour: Live in Los Angeles 9/26/1981 (full concert)
  • Don't Stop Til You Get Enough (live from The Jacksons' Destiny Tour)
  • Don't Stop Til You Get Enough (video)
  • Rock with You (video)
  • She's Out of My Life (video)
The packaging would pretty much remain the same with the chalk, slipcase, etc. However, I would place the two CDs in the Off the Wall case and the Blu-ray/DVD would be placed in its own case instead of being shelved inside the other half of the case like the actual release. In other words, it's like Bad 25. The two CDs were placed in one case, the Wembley DVD in another.

Anyway, that's it.

What would you have done differently with this release? What added material would you include? Or do you like the reissue the way it is?

Leave your thoughts. Thank you :)
Click to expand...

This would have been great. I so would love to hear all the demos - especially Get on the Floor. From that remix we have it sounds so cute with MJ's laughter and so great with the extra verse ("There's no satisfaction in words without action."). That demo is definitely high on my wish list.
 
AO98 said:
This is what I would have done:

DISC ONE (Off the Wall):
1. Don't Stop Til You Get Enough
2. Rock with You
3. Working Day and Night
4. Get on the Floor
5. Off the Wall
6. Girlfriend
7. She's Out of My Life
8. I Can't Help It
9. It's the Falling in Love
10. Burn This Disco Out

DISC TWO (Bonus Material):
1. Ease on Down the Road (from The Wiz) (with Diana Ross)
2. You Can't Win (from The Wiz)
3. Sunset Driver
4. Don't Stop Til You Get Enough (original demo)
5. Rock with You (original demo)
6. Working Day and Night (original demo)
7. Off the Wall (original demo)
8. She's Out of My Life (original demo)
9. I Can't Help It (original demo)
10. Don't Stop Til You Get Enough (single version)

HIDDEN BONUS TRACK:
11. Rock with You (extended mix)

DISC THREE (Blu-ray / DVD):
  • Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (full documentary)
  • The Jacksons Triumph Tour: Live in Los Angeles 9/26/1981 (full concert)
  • Don't Stop Til You Get Enough (live from The Jacksons' Destiny Tour)
  • Don't Stop Til You Get Enough (video)
    [*]    Rock with You (video)
    [*]    She's Out of My Life (video)
The packaging would pretty much remain the same with the chalk, slipcase, etc. However, I would place the two CDs in the Off the Wall case and the Blu-ray/DVD would be placed in its own case instead of being shelved inside the other half of the case like the actual release. In other words, it's like Bad 25. The two CDs were placed in one case, the Wembley DVD in another.

Anyway, that's it.

What would you have done differently with this release? What added material would you include? Or do you like the reissue the way it is?

Leave your thoughts. Thank you :)
Click to expand...
I definitely second your ideas. I'd race to the store to buy it.
ONLY thing I'd add is BTS at the studio and video shoots.
 
Besides the original demos, extended versions or alternatives remixes but I pretty much agree with the OP.

Not the crap remixes of the BAD25 kind, obviously.



I'd just ditch the sirens, I like the rest.

 
- CUT THE DOCUMENTARY. Spike Lee's documentary is an absolute dumpster fire as far as I'm concerned. There are very brief flashes of levity and intrigue here and there, but it is almost entirely an amalgamation of current celebrities talking about their favorite tracks and getting more screen time than individuals who actually had a hand in the album's creation. The first half toes the line of "passable"; the second fails completely. I personally feel that everyone would have benefited if the thing didn't come out at all.

- INCLUDE THE ORIGINAL 1979 MASTER. While I've yet to hear this new mastering job, I've heard some mediocre things. The Estate would be best off just dusting off the original masters, doing any absolutely vital touch ups, and giving us that.

- INCLUDE DEMOS + EXTENDED CUTS. As of right now, eight of the ten songs on Off the Wall exist in some sort of alternative version, whether it be a primordial demo recording or a fan-edited extended cut with unheard vocals. ("Girlfriend" and "It's the Falling in Love" are the only hold outs.) There is no reason why these shouldn't have been included.

- INCLUDE UNRELEASED SONGS. There are dozens of titles known to have been written and recorded in the 1977-79 time period, several registered with the US Copyright Office. The Estate's decision to withhold them indicates either that the estate doesn't have access to them, or any of the given songwriters/producers (most certainly Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton) blocked their release.
 
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