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Was In The Back originally supposed to be on Blood On The Dance Floor

The MJJ Library

7even's HIStory Corner
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In The Back tends to go back to 1989 according to the U.S. Copyright Office. I read somewhere that In The Back was reworked and was supposed to be on Blood On The Dance Floor, but is there any confirmation to this claim. I read that In The Back was printed on early promo stuff for the album, just the title tho, just a claim tho.
 
The 1989 date of creation is a weird one.

MJ came up with the bass line of “In the Back” at the end of the HIStory sessions, and did the existing demo with Brad Buxer in early 1997. It was considered for Blood on the Dance Floor, but it was too incomplete and required too much work in comparison with other tracks.
 
AlwaysThere said:
The 1989 date of creation is a weird one.

MJ came up with the bass line of “In the Back” at the end of the HIStory sessions, and did the existing demo with Brad Buxer in early 1997. It was considered for Blood on the Dance Floor, but it was too incomplete and required too much work in comparison with other tracks.
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What's the source of your statement
 
The MJJ Library said:
What's the source of your statement
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"In the Back" was one of the coolest things that we have ever written. I think it started at the end of the HIStory project with Michael Boddicker, but very briefly. When I came in to take it over, there was only a bass line, just three notes, but they never changed. It was A, C, D, A, C, D. I think I started working on the bass part some time late in the HIStory Tour, and it ended coming out on The Ultimate Collection.
- Brad Buxer, Book on the Dance Floor, p. 100

With limited time on his side, Michael chose to finish four of his favorite songs which had failed to make the previous two albums, Dangerous and HIStory, rather than write and record completely new material from scratch.
- Mike Smallcombe, Making Michael

[Instead of "In the Back"], Michael chose to include the sexual "Superfly Sister," which was recorded with Bryan Loren during the Dangerous sessions. Another option was "Seven Digits," also created with Loren, but it was still in a very incomplete state. Loren resumed work on "Seven Digits" at Michael's behest, but with the tight time restrictions they chose "Superfly Sister" as it needed the least amount of work.
- Mike Smallcombe, Making Michael

The 1997 demo [of "In the Back"], recorded in Switzerland, was released on Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection in 2004.
- Joe Vogel, Man in the Music (2nd edition), p. 450

Admittedly there's no definitive confirmation that "In the Back" was kept off Blood on the Dance Floor because of its completion; I shouldn't have said so with any certainty. However, given that four of the five songs that made the album were mostly finished beforehand, and that two of the three known outtakes only had scratch vocals, I think it's a safe assumption to make.
 
Certain sources state that Michael Jackson began writing 'In The Back' in 1994.

The song was meant for inclusion on at least three albums ('HIStory', 'Blood On The Dance Floor' and 'Invincible').

The working sessions of this song took place in 1994-2004.

Epic Records initially advertised the 'Blood On The Dance Floor' album with 'In The Back' in the album's track list.

Michael Jackson reportedly reworked the song again (in 1999) for the 'Invincible' album.

It is a rather complex song with a completely turned around structure, as American composer Brad Buxer said.

This also seems to explain why it took Michael Jackson an entire decade to complete it with a result that it eventually satisfied him.
 
Does a more complete version than the TUC-version exist?

Do we know for sure if MJ worked on the song again after the TUC-release?

Same question for Beautiful Girl - do we know if MJ worked more on the song after the TUC-release? - I would love to hear a more complete version of that song. The melody, the prduction, the vocal harmony - everything is great. So if some actual verses were ever made it could be an amazing song.

I actually never really liked In The Back that much...
 
Hess said:
Does a more complete version than the TUC-version exist?
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It is believed so. For instance, Billy Preston was asked to perform organ on this song. His tracks were recorded but left off in TUC mix.
 
AlwaysThere said:
[Instead of "In the Back"], Michael chose to include the sexual "Superfly Sister," which was recorded with Bryan Loren during the Dangerous sessions. Another option was "Seven Digits," also created with Loren, but it was still in a very incomplete state. Loren resumed work on "Seven Digits" at Michael's behest, but with the tight time restrictions they chose "Superfly Sister" as it needed the least amount of work.
- Mike Smallcombe, Making Michael
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I wonder if Superfly Sister was built from Seven Digits or the opposite. Seven Digits almost sounds like a bare version of Superfly Sister.

Not really a unique thing though, since most of Loren's material sounds very similar
 
mjjcn1432 said:
It is believed so. For instance, Billy Preston was asked to perform organ on this song. His tracks were recorded but left off in TUC mix.
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It has been said the best versions of tracks were selected for TUC, and they listened to everything MJ had in order to make these decisions. So I personally doubt there is a more complete version of ITB from before TUC. Was it worked on after? Doubtful but entirely possible. I doubt MJ would have added any new vocals had he went back to work on it though, as he seemed to only do that once the song was further along most of the time.
 
Pentum said:
I wonder if Superfly Sister was built from Seven Digits or the opposite. Seven Digits almost sounds like a bare version of Superfly Sister.

Not really a unique thing though, since most of Loren's material sounds very similar
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Pretty sure Superfly Sister was much further along with just some instrumental stuff needing re recorded. That's why it was chosen over Seven Digits for BOTDF.
 
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It's always been assumed the version of ITB we have, is the most complete one.

I remember someone on here, said Brad Sundberg played a finished version in one of his seminars over the summer. I'd love to know who heard it and if that's true
 
SmoothCriminal1995 said:
It's always been assumed the version of ITB we have, is the most complete one.

I remember someone on here, said Brad Sundberg played a finished version in one of his seminars over the summer. I'd love to know who heard it and if that's true
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Yeah, I think a few of us have asked again about that and gotten no response. I guess it was someone trolling or something.
 
I remember the day BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR was announced in the spring of 1997. I remember the original tracklist showing IN THE BACK as track 3. It was even on the old EPIC website at that time. During the time the announcement was made and release date for the release the track changed to SUPERFLY SISTER but I always clearly remember IN THE BACK in the original announcement and press release.
 
jaorecords said:
I remember the day BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR was announced in the spring of 1997. I remember the original tracklist showing IN THE BACK as track 3. It was even on the old EPIC website at that time. During the time the announcement was made and release date for the release the track changed to SUPERFLY SISTER but I always clearly remember IN THE BACK in the original announcement and press release.
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You have a good memory
 
Yes, I was in high school at the time and I went to the library at lunch and logged on the internet which was new to my school back then and saw the news that MJ was releasing this new disc. That was the same day the single premiered and the that night on Entertainment Tonight they showed the first preview of the video for "Blood On the Dance Floor". It was March 21st, 1997. The album came out on May 20th so in those 2 months that track changed.
 
I also remember Ghosts/Munich VHS double pack around that time too
 
jaorecords said:
I remember the day BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR was announced in the spring of 1997. I remember the original tracklist showing IN THE BACK as track 3. It was even on the old EPIC website at that time. During the time the announcement was made and release date for the release the track changed to SUPERFLY SISTER but I always clearly remember IN THE BACK in the original announcement and press release.
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Or Mandela effect :D
 
I think all of us who were around in the 90s remember in the back as part of the BOTDF tracklist.

I have always been curious about why MJ as a perfectionist was ok with including 2 clearly unfinished songs on the ultimate collection (Beautiful girl, in the back) especially so when two songs sound really promising and special.
 
filmandmusic said:
I think all of us who were around in the 90s remember in the back as part of the BOTDF tracklist.

I have always been curious about why MJ as a perfectionist was ok with including 2 clearly unfinished songs on the ultimate collection (Beautiful girl, in the back) especially so when two songs sound really promising and special.
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Turns out MJ had little to no involvement with what material landed on TUC. Sony worked with Brad Buxer and Michael Prince and selected a handful of songs that they felt were release-worthy. Sort of makes sense given that MJ was undergoing trial prep throughout 2004, and that he was still actively working on those songs after they’d come out.
 
AlwaysThere said:
Turns out MJ had little to no involvement with what material landed on TUC. Sony worked with Brad Buxer and Michael Prince and selected a handful of songs that they felt were release-worthy. Sort of makes sense given that MJ was undergoing trial prep throughout 2004, and that he was still actively working on those songs after they’d come out.
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“Just a box set” I’m sure he said, or something similar
 
AlwaysThere said:
Turns out MJ had little to no involvement with what material landed on TUC. Sony worked with Brad Buxer and Michael Prince and selected a handful of songs that they felt were release-worthy. Sort of makes sense given that MJ was undergoing trial prep throughout 2004, and that he was still actively working on those songs after they’d come out.
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It does not turn out that Michael Jackson had little to no involvement with that box set.

This is just some fans' speculation that you keep perpetuating.

He did spend time working on it and he kept reviewing material presented to him for inclusion.

Matt Forger, for example, stated that the singer reviewed material that had been assembled and he gave final approval to that project.

The glossy packaging shows that he also cared about how this box set would look.

Also, it was never in his nature to just throw some random material into his official releases.

He was also emotionally very connected to this box set until his death (even in his very final days he had it in his hands).
 
mj_frenzy said:
It does not turn out that Michael Jackson had little to no involvement with that box set.

This is just some fans' speculation that you keep perpetuating.

He did spend time working on it and he kept reviewing material presented to him for inclusion.

Matt Forger, for example, stated that the singer reviewed material that had been assembled and he gave final approval to that project.

The glossy packaging shows that he also cared about how this box set would look.

Also, it was never in his nature to just throw some random material into his official releases.

He was also emotionally very connected to this box set until his death (even in his very final days he had it in his hands).
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Michael Prince said MJ was not involved beyond looking at the tracklist and giving it the ok as he was very busy with other obvious matters. He did not choose anything that went on there as far as we know.
 
mj_frenzy said:
It does not turn out that Michael Jackson had little to no involvement with that box set.

This is just some fans' speculation that you keep perpetuating.

He did spend time working on it and he kept reviewing material presented to him for inclusion.

Matt Forger, for example, stated that the singer reviewed material that had been assembled and he gave final approval to that project.

The glossy packaging shows that he also cared about how this box set would look.

Also, it was never in his nature to just throw some random material into his official releases.

He was also emotionally very connected to this box set until his death (even in his very final days he had it in his hands).
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“speculation that you keep perpetuating…” Even though years ago I was adamant that MJ must’ve been involved. Suuuuuuuuure.

MJ looking at the track listing in the middle of the worst period of his life and saying, “Whatever,” is not the same as him actively considering and approving material. Also, in what world does good packaging equate to MJ’s involvement? Bad 25 had excellent packaging—did he approve that?

For someone who consistently posts incorrect information, you sure have a huge attitude.
 
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