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Stranger in Moscow Story

mjawb2009

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A while ago I read online a story of the origins of Stranger in Moscow. It may have been with Brad Buxer? Specifically I remember there was a discussion about MJ creating the whistle sound for the song. Does anyone know where I could find this article?
 
In one of the interviews, Michael was asked which of his songs were autobiographical and he mentioned Stranger in Moscow. He was in Moscow and it was raining, and he felt like, well, a stranger in Moscow :)
This interview @14:00 -
 
Brad Sundberg taught on his seminars, that Michael sat at the piano in Moscow's hotel "Metropol", asked Brad Buxer to come in and "record" or "remember" somehow a melody, played it all, then after a while after Dangerous tour has ended Michael asked Buxer for music sheets or "records", but Buxer said he had lost it or does not have it. Michael got angry on him, but never said a word, recovered it from the scratch himself. As Buxer and Sundberg both say, the song melody has never changed from what was played in mid-September on the piano in Moscow by Michael and what was finally released on HIStory album. In Moscow when you visit hotel "Metropol", they hold an excursion, show the room Michael stood in and show that one exact piano he created Stranger in Moscow on.
 
American composer Brad Buxer provides an interesting story about the creation of the 'Stranger In Moscow' song.

He asserts that Michael Jackson was not the sole writer of it, but he also contributed to it, in terms of songwriting.

"That song, more than anything I've ever done with him, was a true collaboration to say the least…It is absolutely my most important contribution to him…Of course I'm disappointed that I didn't receive a songwriting credit on it. But Michael chose not to credit me" (Brad Buxer)

It appears that Brad Buxer should have received co-writing credits on the song, given also the fact that Brad Buxer was the one who mainly composed the chords for the 'Sonic The Hedgehog 3' video game which was later used as the base for that song.
 
To this day, Buxer getting cheated out of a co-writing and coproduction credit is astonishing to me, and by far the biggest middle finger MJ ever gave another artist.
 
I’m far more astonished that he civilized about it. Good man, admirable.
 
AlwaysThere said:
To this day, Buxer getting cheated out of a co-writing and coproduction credit is astonishing to me, and by far the biggest middle finger MJ ever gave another artist.
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I’ve noticed that buxers story is ever changing. Whenever he recounts this story he always changes or adds something that enhances his role in the creation of the song.
 
Themidwestcowboy said:
I’ve noticed that buxers story is ever changing. Whenever he recounts this story he always changes or adds something that enhances his role in the creation of the song.
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Oh is he that type of guy lol

It is one of his most acclaimed songs, even critics loved it. I guess it is natural, he wants some recognition especially if he really added something vital to the song.

I hope the song will know a renaissance in some form or way some time and gets more widely recognized.
 
filmandmusic said:
Oh is he that type of guy lol

It is one of his most acclaimed songs, even critics loved it. I guess it is natural, he wants some recognition especially if he really added something vital to the song.

I hope the song will know a renaissance in some form or way some time and gets more widely recognized.
Click to expand...
I hope so too, it's easily one of Michael's best songs and one of my personal favorites. Music-wise, lyric-wise, voice-wise... Just everything about it is so, so lovely. And sad, too, but that just adds to the beauty of it.
 
Michael was probably inspired by a chord or something Buxer showed him. Then got inspired and did 90% of the work fleshing it out and building the song into what it became. We know MJ did 100% of the lyrics, and contributed greatly to the production. I don't doubt that Buxer likely had the initial bare bone skeleton of the song done. But MJ was very much territorial of SIM, so obviously he felt the vast majority of the song was his.

Songwriting credits can be tricky, but from all the stories I've heard it appears to be that 90% of this song goes to MJ. It was one of his babies. Some may argue Buxer should have been credited, and that might be a valid argument, or it might not be.
 
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