Rare: Playback for Black or White fails, and Michael sings the whole song live

[ArchieSmash]

He looked way more confidant of himself in the 80s when james brown and Diana ross called him onstage

Those were scripted. He had a similar amount of confidence during the James Brown performance in 2003.

3.10 that’s confidence, that‘s swagger. How often do you see such spontaneity when an artist goes to collect an award?

He actually danced at the 2002 American Music Awards too. Although admittedly it wasn't quite as spectacular.

Same for the Bambi Awards in 2002.

And the MTV Japan Legend Awards in 2006.

Let's compare times Michael is stuck with music in the background on stage with no direction.

1984
This is a full on dance performance for these back-up dancers and he's thrust into the stage so he just stands there awkwardly in front of the full choreography like "I wrote this song btw lol"

2006
He's just walking on stage with "You Are Not Alone" playing as back-up music essentially. He exudes so much more charisma and he starts singing along to the song and essentially performing it when he doesn't need to at all.
https://youtu.be/cxOl0SIHTQg?t=759

 

[IhateTheMedia]

Those were scripted. He had a similar amount of confidence during the James Brown performance in 2003.


He actually danced at the 2002 American Music Awards too. Although admittedly it wasn't quite as spectacular.

Same for the Bambi Awards in 2002.

And the MTV Japan Legend Awards in 2006.

Let's compare times Michael is stuck with music in the background on stage with no direction.

1984
This is a full on dance performance for these back-up dancers and he's thrust into the stage so he just stands there awkwardly in front of the full choreography like "I wrote this song btw lol"

2006
He's just walking on stage with "You Are Not Alone" playing as back-up music essentially. He exudes so much more charisma and he starts singing along to the song and essentially performing it when he doesn't need to at all.

Over the years it still makes me sad knowing i was a fan of him growing up but still fell for all of the PR bullshit and propaganda about him. Simply because as a kid we just read the news blindly

 

[filmandmusic]

@ArchieSmash

First of all thanks for the links, I haven’t seen any of them before!

I don’t think the James Brown and Diana Ross moments are scripted. I mean he might have known he would be called on stage but that doesn’t mean it was also rehearsed. Especially the Diana Ross moment he seems to relish and if the band hadn’t stopped playing he would have continued his show, upstaging the love of his life in the process
If they were completely scripted (which is possible,I can’t deny that) you still have to go on that stage and do what he did. It’s not as straightforward as it looks imo.

He looked particularly happy and elated in the videos you posted but,his dancing is minimal and less expressive. I do also love his moment with JB in 2003.
For the 1984 video you posted it looks to me like he didn’t want to interrupt the dancers which I find a classy touch

I want to conclude that the JB moments in 1984 and 2003 and Diana Ross in 1980 are some of his best moments captured on cam and I cannot accept that they’re so short. I can only say thanks you JB for encouraging Michael to put up a show!

 

[Mister_Jay_Tee]

I personally like that MJ don't dance when he don't feel like it. He's allowed to just get his award and move on lol. He does not have to sing and dance on demand.

 

[ArchieSmash]

@ArchieSmash

First of all thanks for the links, I haven’t seen any of them before!

Thanks for taking it so well, I was worried I was coming across as confrontational lol.

I don’t think the James Brown and Diana Ross moments are scripted. I mean he might have known he would be called on stage but that doesn’t mean it was also rehearsed. Especially the Diana Ross moment he seems to relish and if the band hadn’t stopped playing he would have continued his show, upstaging the love of his life in the process
If they were completely scripted (which is possible,I can’t deny that) you still have to go on that stage and do what he did. It’s not as straightforward as it looks imo.

The James Brown one was definitely scripted, they had a whole up-tempo version of It's A Man's World ready for it. Whether the every dance move and note was scripted is another story but Michael getting on stage to do it definitely is. I can see the Diana Ross version being unscripted though as his appearance is pretty underwhelming and seems to interrupt whatever false ending they were trying to do. From what I understand, the only instances where Michael was performing completely unscripted (from memory) are:

Opening of the Atlantis Resort (as we have already established)
Michael singing and dancing to what is meant to be the exit theme on the September 7th 2001 concert (some of this is really hard to watch but there are highlights here and there)
We Are The World in 2006 as many backstage accounts and Michael's own word was that there was no performance scheduled that day but his fans kept cheering him to come back even when other artists were performing so he decided to come back just for them.

He looked particularly happy and elated in the videos you posted but,his dancing is minimal and less expressive. I do also love his moment with JB in 2003.
For the 1984 video you posted it looks to me like he didn’t want to interrupt the dancers which I find a classy touch

Well you were talking about confidence particularly, not dancing. Michael is at his most charismatic in 2006-2007 IMO. Every event from that era he just emits this joyful energy everywhere and he's always fun to watch regardless of what he's doing.

The HIStory Tour J5 Medley speeches, particularly in 1997 are really fun too and I wish he had that candidness with the audience in other tours. I don't like to plug myself really but I have a video compiling them that might be worth a watch if you're into that sort of thing. He even sings in Budapest and Tokyo (if anyone can tell me what he's singing in the latter hit me up).

For the 1984 video you posted it looks to me like he didn’t want to interrupt the dancers which I find a classy touch

This is an interesting theory, he still seems awkward as heck though.

 

[filmandmusic]

Thanks for taking it so well, I was worried I was coming across as confrontational lol.

Ofcourse not

The James Brown one was definitely scripted, they had a whole up-tempo version of It's A Man's World ready for it.

Whether the every dance move and note was scripted is another story but Michael getting on stage to do it definitely is.

This is true but it is still unrehearsed. I think the band is just able to read what the singer is going to do. So when MJ puts some force in his voice they know he is going to erupt into dancing. These guys feel all that, they’re pros. But yes I agree he knew he was going to get asked on stage to do something. Prince made a mess of it which proves it is unrehearsed

I can see the Diana Ross version being unscripted though as his appearance is pretty underwhelming and seems to interrupt whatever false ending they were trying to do.

It is my favorite as it feels the most spontaneous. I also love this era of his dance style the most

Michael singing and dancing to what is meant to be the exit theme on the September 7th 2001 concert (some of this is really hard to watch but there are highlights here and there)

Never seen this either, it is awful. He just lost all that spark he had. He appears so washed up and I hate his dancing during this era (basically starting from the Dangerous tour, I know it’s sacrilege but I’m not fond of all those robotic moves)

Well you were talking about confidence particularly, not dancing. Michael is at his most charismatic in 2006-2007 IMO. Every event from that era he just emits this joyful energy everywhere and he's always fun to watch regardless of what he's doing.

That’s possible, I have no idea, I’ll check it out. I wasn’t following Michael much since 1998 or so

The HIStory Tour J5 Medley speeches, particularly in 1997 are really fun too and I wish he had that candidness with the audience in other tours. I don't like to plug myself really but I have a video compiling them that might be worth a watch if you're into that sort of thing. He even sings in Budapest and Tokyo (if anyone can tell me what he's singing in the latter hit me up).

I’ll check these out too, I’ve most likely not seen any of it, except those of the shows I watched live

 

[ArchieSmash]

Never seen this either, it is awful. He just lost all that spark he had. He appears so washed up and I hate his dancing during this era (basically starting from the Dangerous tour, I know it’s sacrilege but I’m not fond of all those robotic moves)

This isn't him "losing his spark" this is due to the fact that he was absolutely schwasted on pain medication for this particular concert and the concert started less than an hour after he had woken up that morning, the Rome 88 concerts were under similar (although not quite as bad) conditions with cold medicine and you can see how off his rocker he is with his sluggish unmotivated dancing. He had his Michael mannerisms and moves down pat for other shows closely preceeding and proceeding this one (the TWYMMF slow intro for the September 10th 2001 concert is perfect imo). Actually, even with a drugged up Michael, the The Way You Make Me Feel, Billie Jean and Beat It performances are really solid imo. There are glimpses where his mental state glimpses through and he misses stuff but if you can look past that there's some really excellent highlights there. Hell, even in that YRMW reprise the "yeah yeah" section sounds really great and the dancing with Chris Tucker is super smooth.

I’ll check these out too, I’ve most likely not seen any of it, except those of the shows I watched live

What shows are those?

 

[filmandmusic]

What shows are those?

Ostend and Amsterdam, though I forgot which date that was, I have the ticket lying around somewhere though

 

[ArchieSmash]

Ostend and Amsterdam, though I forgot which date that was, I have the ticket lying around somewhere though

Lucky guy, those are some of my favourite shows.

 

[IhateTheMedia]

This isn't him "losing his spark" this is due to the fact that he was absolutely schwasted on pain medication for this particular concert and the concert started less than an hour after he had woken up that morning, the Rome 88 concerts were under similar (although not quite as bad) conditions with cold medicine and you can see how off his rocker he is with his sluggish unmotivated dancing. He had his Michael mannerisms and moves down pat for other shows closely preceeding and proceeding this one (the TWYMMF slow intro for the September 10th 2001 concert is perfect imo). Actually, even with a drugged up Michael, the The Way You Make Me Feel, Billie Jean and Beat It performances are really solid imo. There are glimpses where his mental state glimpses through and he misses stuff but if you can look past that there's some really excellent highlights there. Hell, even in that YRMW reprise the "yeah yeah" section sounds really great and the dancing with Chris Tucker is super smooth.


What shows are those?

He was completely fucked on pain medication due to the false allegations and Earth Song disaster in 1999

 

[Mister_Jay_Tee]

He appears so washed up and I hate his dancing during this era (basically starting from the Dangerous tour, I know it’s sacrilege but I’m not fond of all those robotic moves)

You're really not such a bad guy, but there's so many opinions of yours I don't like at all. I actually think they're worse than Frenzy and Richard sometimes.

 

[Blues_Away2023]

Ostend and Amsterdam, though I forgot which date that was, I have the ticket lying around somewhere though

The 97 Amsterdam show was it?

There's really cool pro footage of MJ performing stranger in Moscow and one particular shot it shows MJ doing his circle slide or whatever you call it looking from the back of the stage out to the audience - love it the Amsterdam arena looks so cool

 

[filmandmusic]

The 97 Amsterdam show was it?

There's really cool pro footage of MJ performing stranger in Moscow and one particular shot it shows MJ doing his circle slide or whatever you call it looking from the back of the stage out to the audience - love it the Amsterdam arena looks so cool

I found the ticket, it was 28th September 96
The Amsterdam Arena was brand new in fact, with a roof, so extra loud, I was on tje 2nd ring, loved looking down on a sea of people.

 

[zinniabooklover]

I found the ticket, it was 28th September 96
The Amsterdam Arena was brand new in fact, with a roof, so extra loud, I was on tje 2nd ring, loved looking down on a sea of people.

Where were you in relation to the stage? At the side of the arena? At the back? And how easily could you see the stage and / or the big screens at the side?

 

[Blues_Away2023]

I found the ticket, it was 28th September 96
The Amsterdam Arena was brand new in fact, with a roof, so extra loud, I was on tje 2nd ring, loved looking down on a sea of people.

96? Ohh did he perform there in both 96 and 97 then?

This is the opening shot I was talking about earlier, so cool

 

[filmandmusic]

96? Ohh did he perform there in both 96 and 97 then?

This is the opening shot I was talking about earlier, so cool

Yes 3 shows in 96. Dates 28 and 30 September and 2 Oktober and about 8 months later 2 more dates.

@zinniabooklover
I sat on the highest ring at the side, so I had a side view of the stage with both screens very much in view but it was not necessary as I had a clear view of the stage, I also had binoculars for close ups lol.

Most families with kids sat there and the die hard screamers in front of the stage obviously. It was entirely packed, I remember it looked kind of dangerous actually.

Thinking back on it is actually sad because I don’t really remember all that much just flashes. I have that with all my memories, it’s all so hazy. I’m not sure if that is normal or not.

 

[zinniabooklover]

@zinniabooklover
I sat on the highest ring at the side, so I had a side view of the stage with both screens very much in view but it was not necessary as I had a clear view of the stage, I also had binoculars for close ups lol.
Most families with kids sat there and the die hard screamers in front of the stage obviously. It was entirely packed, I remember it looked kind of dangerous actually.
Thinking back on it is actually sad because I don’t really remember all that much just flashes. I have that with all my memories, it’s all so hazy. I’m not sure if that is normal or not.

Perfectly normal.