The M25 rehearsal footage shows the brothers there so I think they knew what was happening. I don't think I've heard a Billie Jean performance where Michael didn't sound winded and I think it would've been the same case especially since he performs it right after a high energy performance with his brothers
I think he could have sounded a lot better that night than on his tours. The song was always late in the set.
A 1983 live version would've been a good move but I think Michael was set back by wanting everything to sound perfect. He could've did pre-recorded vocals like his brothers but that probably felt unnecessary for a one-off performance
Till this day...I still can't understand for the life of me why we don't have that in full!
Because Motown ain't giving up those rights. They're still sitting on hundreds of J5 unreleased materialTill this day...I still can't understand for the life of me why we don't have that in full!
I thought the mj estate blocked them from showing it?
more than likely the case but Motown owns the footage, not the Estate
Guess they waiting on m100
michael was advised to mime to the original recording because the orchestra would not be able to replicate it in a decent way. the j5 medley was also prerecorded musically, and vocally. only michael sang live. jermaine had to share his mic during ‘I’ll be there’. had ‘billie jean’ gone that same route, it might’ve sounded like the pepsi version. which I don’t think would have been suitable for a special event like that..
I don’t recall michael discussing the motown 25 performance at all in the (now deleted) ‘lost tapes’. the majority of the performance seems improvised, except for the midsection which contains the moonwalk and the opening. michael had been practicing the moonwalk years before that. he was actually supposed to debut it on the ‘triumph’ tour during ‘don’t stop til you get enough’, according to jeffrey daniels, who was one of the people who taught it to him.
Ooh nice info, I wonder when he would do the moonwalk during the DSTYGE performance! He already did the toe stand then so it is no surprise he also was able to moonwalk around 1981.
Well he was wearing the glove on the destiny & triumph tour but it didn't get paid any attention until m25 so...idk lol
He probably would’ve did it during the portion where he’s freestyling.
unless it was televised, it probably would have had a far less impact if he did the moonwalk on the ‘triumph’ tour. motown 25 proved to be a much bigger platform. the move itself probably wasn’t as impressive at that point, if he didn’t have the confidence to unveil it to the public.
I wonder why he didn't moonwalk in any video until captain eo
I think the Triumph tour would have been extended due to high demand But yes the impact would have been far less for sure.
imagine the uproar if Michael performed BJ on tour without the moonwalk. I think everybody was waiting for it on This Is It and then it never happened
Can’t see him moonwalking in Beat It or Thriller.
I found the article stating that michael rehearsed ‘billie jean’ in full costume with the moonwalk. that was how he persuaded the executives to allow him to perform a non motown song.I think the Triumph tour would have been extended due to high demand But yes the impact would have been far less for sure.
I don’t think it was a matter of confidence to be honest. I think Michael was waiting for the right moment to showcase the move, he always knew how to get the maximum result out of something.
imagine the uproar if Michael performed BJ on tour without the moonwalk. I think everybody was waiting for it on This Is It and then it never happened
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That kinda ruined the surprise & the fact that he had to prove to them that hard to do it after they claimed they begged him. These stories don't add up. I just don't see him doing a full dress rehearsal & he didn't even know he was wearing his mother's jacket... my brain is going into overload. I need a minI found the article stating that michael rehearsed ‘billie jean’ in full costume with the moonwalk. that was how he persuaded the executives to allow him to perform a non motown song.
But that delicate game of politics was upended when Mischer witnessed Jackson’s rehearsal for his “Billie Jean” performance. “I think Linda Ronstadt was there, Smokey Robinson was there, Diana Ross was there, but the place was empty, basically,” Mischer said. “So we watched ‘Billie Jean’ for the first time, the whole thing, the hat, the socks, the moonwalk — after that was over, we just knew this was incredibly specialWhy Michael Jackson's 'Motown 25' moonwalk almost didn't happen 40 years ago: 'After that was over, we just knew this was incredibly special'
Jackson’s actual moonwalk was surprisingly brief: It lasted only two and a half seconds. But like most myths, it has evolved exponentially over the years.
