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The Discussion of MJ's Unreleased Tracks

Pollonio said:
Can someone ask to Damien Shields informations about the 2008-2009 rework of 80s songs : Cheater, Beautiful girl, Scared of the Moon ?
Is Beautiful girl completed ? Is Cheater finished ? With Neff-U ? What about Scared of the Moon ?
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As far as I know, these tracks were ones MJ wanted to complete (as indicated in a few song lists), but he never got around to it. If my memory serves, those tracks appear on one list with the comment, "Finish".
 
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They probably do sound different compared to the versions that got released, you can hear on the interview MJ did with Geraldo Rivera in 2005 that the version they play of Beautiful Girl is slightly different than the one from TUC. MJ could've made some further changes and just wasn't done with changing the song just yet.
 
ChanceToDance said:
They probably do sound different compared to the versions that got released, you can hear on the interview MJ did with Geraldo Rivera in 2005 that the version they play of Beautiful Girl is slightly different than the one from TUC. MJ could've made some further changes and just wasn't done with changing the song just yet.
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Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if he did change some stuff. We all know how long he worked on a song before he considered it done lol.
 
ChanceToDance said:
They probably do sound different compared to the versions that got released, you can hear on the interview MJ did with Geraldo Rivera in 2005 that the version they play of Beautiful Girl is slightly different than the one from TUC. MJ could've made some further changes and just wasn't done with changing the song just yet.
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So cool seeing the master at work.
 
FlyAway0086 said:
As far as I know, these tracks were ones MJ wanted to complete (as indicated in a few song lists), but he never got around to it. If my memory serves, those tracks appear on one list with the comment, "Finish".
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Yes it's on the handwritten list published by TMZ in 2009
But we don't know if verses were written (by Rod Temperton?) and recorded, and with what producer (Neff-U ?)
I'm wondering the same for Cheater and Scared of the Moon
 
AlwaysThere said:
To recap everything Damien has shared so far (updated from October):

GENERAL NOTES:
  • At least three songs written/produced with Neff-U are sonically reminiscent of "The Watcher" by Dr. Dre, though they likely don't feature vocals.
SPECIFIC NOTES:
  • "11PM." Instrumental only/no vocals.
  • "ADORE YOU." No lead vocal. Features "some background vocals" and a full choir.
  • "BOTTOM OF MY HEART." Instrumental only/no vocals. Completely separate song from "I Have This Dream."
  • "BOY NO." Scratch vocals. Completion unclear, but at least one verse and one chorus exist. One of the instruments ("maybe a classical guitar") is reminiscent of "Days in Gloucestershire." Verses describe "seeing the city lights, being alone, and having nowhere to go," while the overall lyrical theme concerns "a vagabond who isn't welcome anywhere." Chorus lyrics variate between "Boy no, we ain't got a place for you to stay" and "Boy no, they ain't got a place for me to stay."
  • "BROKEN CHAIR" (working title). Instrumental only/no vocals. Features "booming digital drums and rock/electric guitar."
  • "BUTTER FUNK." Co-written by Michael Prince. Instrumental only/no vocals.
  • "CHANGES." Scratch vocals throughout. Features a full choir and two "epic vocal solos... from members of the choir." Gospel influence. Only intelligible lyrics: "Can't cope with changes/What are you trying to do to me?"
  • "CHILDREN'S HOUR." Described as "a children's song."
  • "CRAZE." Instrumental only/no vocals.
  • "D.I.E." Instrumental only/no vocals. Described as “epic. Hard hitting drums and bass with really strong strings. It also has these moments where the music stops and a haunting choir type thing comes in creating an ominous build, then the beat drops again.”
  • "DARK LADY/H2O." Recorded in 2008. Scratch vocals throughout: the lead vocal was recorded in a single continuous take, with assorted background vocals added later. Verses are mostly "nonsensical gibberish." Bass line reminiscent of Queen's "Under Pressure." Verse lyrics include: "Dark lady will get what she wants every time/Dark lady don't know what she is [mumbling]." Pre-chorus lyrics include: "She get the right one/She get the right one." Chorus lyrics (sung in falsetto) include: "And you should save me from heaven/Save me from [mumbling]."
  • "DEEP IN THE NIGHT." Appears on a handwritten "to-do" list from 2009.
  • "DON'T BE MESSIN'." Appears on a handwritten "to-do" list from 2009.
  • "DON'T MAKE ME STAY." Very incomplete scratch vocals consisting of "random words and ad-libs... It seems like MJ is just feeling out the vocal melody." Complete instrumental production. Parts of the chorus are reminiscent of "Runaway" by Janet. No coherent lyrics other than the title. Recorded a significant distance from the microphone.
  • "GET YOUR WEIGHT OFF OF ME." Vocally and musically complete. Features aggressive verse vocals and ad-libs, but "lighter" chorus vocals (similar to "Unbreakable"). Sounds like a hybrid of "Invincible" and "Privacy."
  • "GREEN HORNET GROOVE." Instrumental only/no vocals. Co-written by Brad Buxer in the mid-2000s as an incidental piece for the Seth Rogen film, The Green Hornet.
  • "HE WHO MAKES THE SKY GRAY." Vocals exist, but their completion is unknown.
  • "HOT FUN IN THE SUMMERTIME." Recorded at Marvin's Room in Hollywood between 1998-2003.
  • "I HAVE THIS DREAM." All-star version vocally and musically complete. Appearances by Ciara, Snoop Dogg, James Ingram, Jermaine Jackson, Shirley Caesar, the O'Jays, and R. Kelly (who MJ sought to have removed). Leaked demo on YouTube is authentic. MJ demo vocals exist, but were intended to be re-recorded.
  • "I LOVE YOU." Written by Taryll Jackson and originally recorded for an unfinished 3T album in the late 1990s/early 2000s. MJ, who helped produced the album, wanted to use it for his own solo project.
  • "I LOVE YOU MORE." Written by MJ, Michael Prince, and Eric Kirkland. Two recordings exist: one by Kirkland, one by an unknown female vocalist. The existence of MJ vocals is uncertain.
  • "INNOCENT MAN." Chorus vocals only. Vocal delivery is "super soft."
  • "IS SHE COMING BACK." Written by Dr. Freeze. Seems to be among the several demos Freeze submitted for MJ's consideration in 2008. Appears on several handwritten "to-do" lists from 2009.
  • "JUNGLE." Dr. Freeze demo from the Invincible sessions. MJ likely didn't record vocals, though this could not be definitively confirmed.
  • "KING TUTANKHAMEN." Recorded in 2008. Instrumental only/no vocals.
  • "LADY OF SUMMER." Classical piece. One of two songs discussed with composer David Michael Frank in spring 2009.
  • "LIGHT THE WAY." Full choir singing the choruses, but no lead vocal. Ballad with a brass section intro. Lyrics include: "Light the way, let's pray for peace."
  • "MICHAEL MCKELLAR." Circa 2009, "there was a CD with what appeared to be 'McKellar' written on it in MJ's handwriting."
  • "MICHAEL'S AFFIRMATION." Spoken word piece. "Photographs" is used as incidental background music. Dedicated to Roy Horn (of Siegfried & Roy), who was healing from an onstage tiger attack in 2003.
  • "MONSTER." Recorded in 1998. Multi-layered production with "dark undertones." Michael Prince arranged the string section, which MJ originally sang to him in a voicemail. The only existing vocals are the chorus: "You created a monster."
  • "NEVERLAND LANDING." Described as "a children's song."
  • "PAJAMAS." Instrumental only/no vocals.
  • "PHOTOGRAPHS." Instrumental only/no vocals. Used as incidental background music in "Michael's Affirmation."
  • "RED EYE." Instrumental only/no vocals. Described as a "guitar track [with] Chinese influence."
  • "REMEMBER WHAT I TOLD YOU." Alternatively titled "Just Remember." Recorded in 2008 at MJ's Vegas home. Scratch vocals throughout. Sonically "comparable" to "Speechless," in that "it starts acapella, but MJ asks for playback" and eventually "builds into an epic finale." Features a piano, layered harmonies, and finger snaps. Around 90 seconds in length. Lyrics include, "Remember what I told you, and remember for all time."
  • "ROCK TONIGHT." Instrumental only/no vocals. No relation to "Rocker."
  • "ROCKER" (working title). Recorded "sometime before the end of 2004" in a bathroom at Neverland Ranch. Scratch verse vocals consist of random phrases and sounds, while the "anthemic" chorus is "close to complete." Chorus lyrics include, "The world is one big melting pot of life."
  • "SATURDAY WOMAN." Appears on a handwritten "to-do" list from 2009.
  • "SHE DON'T LOVE ME." Recorded in 2008. Chorus vocals only. Sonically reminiscent of the Timbaland remix of "Do You Know Where Your Children Are," in that "both sound like computer-generated video game music." Chorus lyrics include: "She don't love me/She don't want me/She don't need me/She doesn't care/She doesn't care."
  • "SHUT UP AND DANCE." Written by MJ, Michael Prince, and Eric Kirkland. Kirkland features on the demo; MJ never recorded vocals.
  • "SILENT SPRING." Instrumental only/no vocals.
  • "STAND TALL." Sung by an unknown male vocalist. Contains only a chorus and bridge, in addition to "what sounded like a choir."
  • "THANK HEAVEN." Sung by a session singer and full choir, though MJ appears in a spoken-word intro dedicating the song to "[his] son, Michael Jackson, Jr." Musically reminiscent of a "lullaby/nursery rhyme."
  • "THAT" (working title)." Instrumental only/no vocals.
  • "THINK TWICE." Instrumental only/no vocals. Features "synthesized electric guitars."
  • "THROWING YOUR LIFE AWAY" (2010 Remix). Produced by Neff-U for MICHAEL. Neff-U didn't have access to the multitrack, so strings and guitar were overdubbed on the original recording.
  • "TOMBOY." Instrumental only/no vocals. Sonically reminiscent of Captain EO, with a musical element similar to the "I bet you remember" melody from "Remember the Time."
  • "WALK AWAY." Instrumental only/no vocals.
  • "WATER." Recorded between 2006-2009. Features sound effects of splashing water. Chorus lyrics include: "Inches of water, water, trying to take a piece of my mind/Inches of water, water, trying to take a piece of my time."
  • "WHAT MORE CAN I GIVE." The leaked demo was recorded in 1998.
  • "WHAT YOU DO TO ME" (1985). Vocal completion is uncertain, but at least one verse, a chorus, and bridge exist. Mid-tempo, tonally reminiscent of "I'm So Blue" and "Free." Chorus lyrics include: "You just don't know, you just don't know what you do to me, do to me, do do do do to me."
  • "WHAT YOU DO TO ME" (1998). Early demo of "The Way You Love Me," with rough production and a scratch chorus vocal. "MJ is scatting/yodeling at the end."
  • "WORLD OF CANDY." Described as "a children's song."
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Thank you 🙏🏼

It is sad that a lot of these songs are instrumentals with no vocals. The ones with vocals only feature scratch vocals. Quite disheartening, I must say.
 
filmandmusic said:
Malachi has job certainty for life
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That thought is even more depressing than a lack of MJ vocals.

I will say, though, as much as MJ's vocals add to (and in many cases really define) his tracks, I often find myself studying the intricacies of the music itself, through multiple listens. With that in mind, even a track without his vocals piques my interest, as it is just as much his artistry and vision.
 
Lotfi11k said:
Is that real?
Ashes to Ashes"†Michael Jackson
Nicholas Pike
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I saw that title registered on BMI, at one time. I believe it is correlated with the Ghosts short film. In other words, a part of the soundtrack.

No relationship to Blood, at all.
 
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AlwaysThere said:
  • "BOTTOM OF MY HEART." Instrumental only/no vocals. Completely separate song from "I Have This Dream."
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About Bottom of my heart, i think there is a confusion.

MJ firstly work on From the bottom of my heart with lots of other singers, in august-september 2005. But, after, in the last months of 2005, he decided to re-write the song, give the production to R Kelly and limit the featurings on the songs to 5 6 singers, including James Brown. They are some articles (on MTV and Rolling stones) which related that.

Maybe Bottom of my heart is this second version. But we have no informations about the first version, "From the bottom of my heart".

Also, i remember an article about the unreleased songs in 2009/2010, and it mentions 2 caricative songs. The first is I have this dream, so the second is likely From the bottom of my heart.

So, in conclusion, i think there are a version of From the bottom of my heart recorded
 
Pollonio said:
About Bottom of my heart, i think there is a confusion.

MJ firstly work on From the bottom of my heart with lots of other singers, in august-september 2005. But, after, in the last months of 2005, he decided to re-write the song, give the production to R Kelly and limit the featurings on the songs to 5 6 singers, including James Brown. They are some articles (on MTV and Rolling stones) which related that.

Maybe Bottom of my heart is this second version. But we have no informations about the first version, "From the bottom of my heart".

Also, i remember an article about the unreleased songs in 2009/2010, and it mentions 2 caricative songs. The first is I have this dream, so the second is likely From the bottom of my heart.

So, in conclusion, i think there are a version of From the bottom of my heart recorded
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There’s a lot of confusion and misinformation going around concerning these songs. The full picture only started clearing up in the last year or so.

“I Have This Dream” was originally recorded in April 1999 for Invincible, but wasn’t completed in time to make the album. MJ resurrected it in 2005 as a charity benefit single that, despite being fully finished, also never made it to the public. Around 2006-2007, MJ started work on a separate song titled “Bottom of My Heart,” which Damien Shields points out has no connection to “I Have This Dream.” (I’m thinking it’s a “Streetwalker”/“Dangerous” situation, where one inspired the other but there’s no obvious link between them.)

“I Have This Dream” was never called “From the Bottom of My Heart,” at least not as far as any source has said. Seems like that was a rumor that gained traction.
 
AlwaysThere said:
There’s a lot of confusion and misinformation going around concerning these songs. The full picture only started clearing up in the last year or so.

“I Have This Dream” was originally recorded in April 1999 for Invincible, but wasn’t completed in time to make the album. MJ resurrected it in 2005 as a charity benefit single that, despite being fully finished, also never made it to the public. Around 2006-2007, MJ started work on a separate song titled “Bottom of My Heart,” which Damien Shields points out has no connection to “I Have This Dream.” (I’m thinking it’s a “Streetwalker”/“Dangerous” situation, where one inspired the other but there’s no obvious link between them.)

“I Have This Dream” was never called “From the Bottom of My Heart,” at least not as far as any source has said. Seems like that was a rumor that gained traction.
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What songs Michael worked for movie peter pan
 
"Michael made a full orchestral demo of 'Make A Wish' and sang it and then sent it to Steven [Spielberg]. We also wrote a song called 'Neverland Landing' which was done completely, and there is a demo with piano that I played at the house. I have it somewhere but can't put my hands on it immediately." (Buz Kohan in Making Michael)

"He had a depth of instinct. He knew orchestration, he knew what he wanted to hear. For one of the songs, he had a thirty-piece orchestra come to the studio. He really wanted to express his vision for the piece before he sent it to Spielberg." (Buz Kohan in Man In The Music)
 
FlyAway0086 said:
"Michael made a full orchestral demo of 'Make A Wish' and sang it and then sent it to Steven [Spielberg]. We also wrote a song called 'Neverland Landing' which was done completely, and there is a demo with piano that I played at the house. I have it somewhere but can't put my hands on it immediately." (Buz Kohan in Making Michael)

"He had a depth of instinct. He knew orchestration, he knew what he wanted to hear. For one of the songs, he had a thirty-piece orchestra come to the studio. He really wanted to express his vision for the piece before he sent it to Spielberg." (Buz Kohan in Man In The Music)
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Do you have more info about others like this from the book man in music .about I'm peter pan and happy song or other
 
Lotfi11k said:
Do you have more info about others like this from the book man in music .about I'm peter pan and happy song or other
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MJ started work on them after the Motown 25 performance. They were written with Buz Kohan, and intended for a collaboration with director Steven Spielberg. The film never materialized, as Spielberg took on other business ventures, so the tracks were shelved. The above quotes are all I know, as far as completion/sound of the tracks. No idea on the state of the vocals, but one could assume "Make A Wish" has a demo vocal, at the very least.
 
@Lotfi11k

I'm not gonna try to give you a hard time. Just hear me out.

I think I can speak for the majority here when I say we all want to learn about unreleased music. We share the information we know, and try to be as accommodating as possible, for everyone. However, there are some things that we simply don't know. That includes Damien, as well.

I'm happy for you if you can find a sense of purpose in the community, but please try to refrain from asking the same questions multiple times, as it can be stressful on other members. I'd suggest taking notes on songs and other things you want to remember. That's what I do.
 
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Mister_Jay_Tee said:
Is it time for our weekly gang up on Lotifi11k?
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LOL. Nah, it's just that starting to become bothersome when you take your time to give him info in plenty of occurrences but then he still goes around the next day asking the same question over and over again like he didn't even bother to assimilate what you told him, even Damien is a victim of this lmao.
 
ChanceToDance said:
LOL. Nah, it's just that starting to become bothersome when you take your time to give him info in plenty of occurrences but then he still goes around the next day asking the same question over and over again like he didn't even bother to assimilate what you told him, even Damien is a victim of this lmao.
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Damien deserves it. We don't. Or maybe we do.

Truth is, there isn't that much going on anyway. I want another new song man.
 
Bassouille"Michael Jackson
Bruce Swedien
  • Written and recorded in 1994
  • Failed to make the HIStory album
  • A fully complete version is known to exist
  • Also known as "Basszouille
 
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