Was the YouTube version of the Blood On The Dance Floor music video released physically?

[DuranDuran]

It actually did work great, and had huge potential. It was a good format.

What potential? DVDs still outsell Blu-Ray & 4K discs put together & DVD is the older format. SACDs, DVD audio, & Blu-Ray audio never caught on either. Napster & MP3 was the beginning of the general public losing interest in music CDs altogether. Metallica trying to sue file sharers did not help either. Then there was the IPOD and you don't need a dualdisc for that. They don't even put CD players in new cars anymore and newer PCs/laptops often don't have a disc drive. So it was obsolete when it was introduced, whether or not it worked well.

 

[Spaceship]

It flopped apparently because it was not promoted as a single there.

A song doesn't need heavy promotion to be a hit. It was released on the radio, so if people really liked the song, then they would have requested the pop or R&B stations to play it. And if it's highly requested on the radio, then more people would buy the single and request that its video be played on TV networks like MTV. It's not even like the song went totally unnoticed; on the Hot 100, it peaked at no.42, which is just two positions away from qualifying as a hit. The reason it didn't chart any higher was because it wasn't appealing to the American public. In 1997, MJ just wasn't as popular.

 

[mj_frenzy]

A song doesn't need heavy promotion to be a hit. It was released on the radio, so if people really liked the song, then they would have requested the pop or R&B stations to play it. And if it's highly requested on the radio, then more people would buy the single and request that its video be played on TV networks like MTV. It's not even like the song went totally unnoticed; on the Hot 100, it peaked at no.42, which is just two positions away from qualifying as a hit. The reason it didn't chart any higher was because it wasn't appealing to the American public. In 1997, MJ just wasn't as popular.

The reason it did not chart any higher (in America) was also because the 'Blood On The Dance Floor' song was a new jack swing song.

American listeners had been exposed to that genre since mid '80s, and that genre there was on the decline from 1995 onwards.

 

[DuranDuran]

The reason it did not chart any higher (in America) was also because the 'Blood On The Dance Floor' song was a new jack swing song.

American listeners had been exposed to that genre since mid '80s, and that genre there was on the decline from 1995 onwards.

NJS was starting to lose popularity around 1992 in the USA. That's what the Wyclef remix was for, it wasn't NJS. The Fugees (with Wyclef) were huge in the USA around that time period. Lauryn Hill only released 1 solo album (unless you count the MTV Unplugged) and it's still talked about today.

 

[R1chard]

Re-releases of the singles were never going to crack the top 10....unsure why anybody thought this.

Earth Song was a Christmas #1 and sold over a million copies. With a comprehensive, definitive version, you'd have a major hit. How do you mess up a re-release of that?!

Also you really think any of what you said was an actual viable release at the time?

Most of it already existed at the time, as this thread proves. Strange that on this board we like to make a big deal about MJ winning all those Grammies, and yet none of us own an official release that shows him actually collecting a trophy. It's a simple 30 second clip that is easy to add, but which would distinguish the release.

Like, it's called a purchase incentive. Why else would you expect people to buy something again? When The Godfather first came out on DVD, they made a big deal about giving you the Oscar acceptance speech.

Looking at other artists at about that time, just picking random names, Wet Wet Wet, Smashing Pumpkins, Oasis and Placebo all had commentaries on their greatest hits. It literally takes 90 minutes.

There wasn't any creativity going into anything.

And that's my point.

Thank you.

I don't know anyone who has ever said "gee really wish I had an audio commentary of every Michael Jackson music video"

And yet people have unanswered questions all the time. Literally several times a week on this board there are people asking about artistic details, technical details, etc.

What potential? DVDs still outsell Blu-Ray & 4K discs put together & DVD is the older format.

The format had the advantages of the universal compatibility of CD, combined with the higher quality and bonus features of DVD.

We know MJ loved to use new technology. This was a golden opportunity.

Napster & MP3 was the beginning of the general public losing interest in music CDs altogether.

So why release Visionary then??

Like, go back to 2006. CD was still the dominant format at the time. According to the RIAA, people bought 619 million CDs, totalling perhaps 7 billion songs. In the same year, people downloaded... 586 million songs digitally.

 

[DuranDuran]

Like, go back to 2006. CD was still the dominant format at the time. According to the RIAA, people bought 619 million CDs, totalling perhaps 7 billion songs. In the same year, people downloaded... 586 million songs digitally.

Records, cassettes, 78s, & even 8-track tapes are still produced today. That has nothing to do with what the general audience does, which is streaming. If the majority of people cared about physical music products then the RIAA & Billboard would not now count a certain amount of streams as a sale of an album. When nobody bought anything. They don't even have to listen to the entire album, just 1 song. Songs couldn't become hits because of going viral on TikTok. Streaming is how Drake currently has over 300 songs that made the Hot 100, which is more than anyone else on any singles chart. You said dualdisc had great potential, today's music market proves otherwise. Streaming is also a reason most non-superhero movies don't make much money at the box office today. They go to streaming in a few weeks and a lot of people wait for that rather than spending $20 on a movie ticket and $10 popcorn.

People on this site keep talking about releasing concerts on home video. The general public are more likely to buy a Michael Jackson Funko Pop. People can watch concerts for free on Youtube, a lot of them shot on audience cell phones.

 

[R1chard]

That has nothing to do with what the general audience does, which is streaming.

Forget what people do in 2024. Forget your hindsight. Read the thread again.

Visionary is a 2006 product. I'm judging it by 2006 standards. It was a great idea, but a poorly executed product when it was released.

Back to this thread, we could have had both BOTDF videos on the same disc. Sony decided they didn't want that to happen.

 

[wonderouzmj]

"Blood on the Dance Floor" was released as a single in the US. It just flopped because the song didn't appeal to an American audience.

I don't think that's the reason. It just sounded dated af by 97. The song itself should've been on dangerous in 91 when it was recorded. & so should have superfly sister,which I think could've been 2 smashes released as singles. Don't get me wrong but I think jam replacing one of these two soulful tracks as a single instead would've worked especially with new jack swing as a highlight era. Njs really was Over & done with by 95 so yeah. It's just sounds dated for that period.

 

[Spaceship]

I don't think that's the reason. It just sounded dated af by 97.

The worldwide success of the song suggests otherwise. America just wasn't interested in MJ's music at the time.

 

[DuranDuran]

The worldwide success of the song suggests otherwise. America just wasn't interested in MJ's music at the time.

Was New Jack Swing that popular outside of the USA? Well it started around 1985 in the US. It got oversaturated on the radio and people eventually got tired of it, just like with glam metal (aka "hair metal"). A lot of New Jack songs sound alike, there wasn't that much variety in the style. You Are Not Alone was a really big hit in the US. So why would people all of a sudden get tired of Mike a year later? The difference is that R. Kelly was in at the time and NJS was out. Teddy Riley wasn't doing New Jack Swing anymore in 1997. Most artists that were just New Jack Swing only released 2 or 3 albums before the labels dropped them. They had no longevity. The ones that survived changed their sound like TLC & Keith Sweat.

 

[Spaceship]

"You Are Not Alone" was released in 1995, two years before "Blood".

The genre's popularity or lack thereof had no bearing on the song itself as it was a worldwide smash. It only flopped in America and that's because the public wasn't interested in MJ's music. His previous two singles "They Don't Care About Us" and "Stranger in Moscow" didn't do well in the country, either, despite being successful elsewhere.

 

[DuranDuran]

"You Are Not Alone" was released in 1995, two years before "Blood".

The genre's popularity or lack thereof had no bearing on the song itself as it was a worldwide smash. It only flopped in America and that's because the public wasn't interested in MJ's music. His previous two singles "They Don't Care About Us" and "Stranger in Moscow" didn't do well in the country, either, despite being successful elsewhere.

Many radio stations in the US refused to play They Don't Care About Us because of certain words & the protests by Jewish groups. Just like more recently Kanye West lost some endorsement deals because of saying things about Jewish people.

 

[DuranDuran]

What is popular in one place has little to do with another. Garth Brooks has 9 diamond (10 million sold) albums in the US. Neither The Beatles or Michael Jackson has done that. I understand that Garth (or country music in general) is not that popular outside of the USA. But is Garth promoted that heavily internationally to get that popularity? In the same way Kylie Minogue only has 2 or 3 big hit songs in the USA.

 

[mjfanboy27]

I found it very disappointing that the blood version on the box version was unfortunately only a remix

 

[Spaceship]

Kylie isn't popular in America hence not many hits there

Likewise MJ wasn't popular in America in 1997 hence his album and song that year flopping.

 

[DuranDuran]

 

[Spaceship]

Lil bro really out here trying to blame it all on some Jewish cats

 

[Fuzball]

Yeah, but again, the phrase "Collector's Edition" literally does not mean anything. It's definitely not a synonym for "really shitty edition", and yet that's what we got.

iirc each box was individually numbered

 

[R1chard]

The worldwide success of the song suggests otherwise. America just wasn't interested in MJ's music at the time.

To be honest, I was slightly surprised when it got to #1 in the UK, and I figured most of the time the first single from an album often does well when it comes out before the album.

It was a success in a lot of countries though.

Was New Jack Swing that popular outside of the USA?

New Jack Swing is unknown outside the USA. Most MJ fans have never heard of it. It's not a real genre. It's just dance music, but the producer is desperate to distinguish himself from other producers so he uses a different word.

iirc each box was individually numbered

Yeah, they were, I got a few of them. And all that means is that they stamped a number on the box. That's literally all it means. It's not an indication of quality. It's not an indication of rarity. It's not an indication of value. When something is "limited edition", the only thing it means is that they called it a "limited edition".

I'll let you into a secret - EVERY CD ever released is actually limited edition. Every single one.

 

[Spaceship]

To be honest, I was slightly surprised when it got to #1 in the UK, and I figured most of the time the first single from an album often does well when it comes out before the album.

There's no correlation.

The song did well worldwide because it appealed to listeners outside of the US. That's all there is to it.

New Jack Swing is unknown outside the USA.

It's well-known. Many of the New jack swing songs that did well in the US also did well in other countries. Bobby Brown wasn't only popular in America. Many of Janet's hits in the 80s and 90s were also New jack swing.

It's not a real genre. It's just dance music, but the producer is desperate to distinguish himself from other producers so he uses a different word.

Except the term was coined by a journalist for the Village Voice in 1987.

You could argue that any genre is fake when it's all just music at the end of the day. But New jack swing is defined as a combination of hip hop, R&B, and dance.

 

[R1chard]

There's no correlation.

Huh?

I'm only speaking for the UK, but yeah, it's a definite phenomenon, for MJ and for lots of other artists, in the 80s, 90s and 2000s. The only #1 from Bad was the first one, the only #1 from Dangerous was the first one, and the only #1 from BOTDF was the first one. Same pattern with Janet. Same pattern with Foo Fighters. Same pattern with Queen. Same pattern with U2.

The song did well worldwide because it appealed to listeners outside of the US. That's all there is to it.

Agreed.

It's well-known. Many of the New jack swing songs that did well in the US also did well in other countries. Bobby Brown wasn't only popular in America. Many of Janet's hits in the 80s and 90s were also New jack swing.

I'm not saying they don't like it or buy it. I'm saying they don't know what it is. It's just dance music. Stores don't have a "new jack swing" section. There aren't "new jack swing" TV shows. It's not a phrase that people know or use.

 

[MonkeyCheater]

Re-releases of the singles were never going to crack the top 10....unsure why anybody thought this.

Also you really think any of what you said was an actual viable release at the time? Michael had checked out at this point, he owed Sony a set amount of releases and he was checking them off a list. There wasn't any creativity going into anything.

I don't know anyone who has ever said "gee really wish I had an audio commentary of every Michael Jackson music video"

Absolute nonsense, sorry.

I mentioned on a previous thread I was in the music industry for the first few years of the millennium and marginally worked on the UK/European campaign for Invincible. I was not at all involved in the Visionary campaign but, as a fan, kept an eye on it. I have some insights into the whole campaign as it was a UK initiative….. Anyway, I will limit myself right now to pointing out that the campaign was significantly motivated by the HUGE success of reissues.

Just the year prior, Elvis had 18 Top 5 hit singles with reissues over an 18 week period (his 18 UK number one singles).
Further, Iron Maiden had 2 Top 5 hits with the reissue of two of their classic singles.

So, the idea that this reissue campaign was never going to see big UK chart success is widely off the mark. I know expectations were for all the reissues to hit at least Top Ten!
Sadly, due to some stupid decisions (in my opinion), the campaign was quite the flop with only BJ being a semi-hit during the whole campaign (hitting number 11).

 

[DuranDuran]

Lil bro really out here trying to blame it all on some Jewish cats

I'm pretty sure if you go and watch the music video right now, those words are bleeped out. If a person does not have the original pressing of HIStory, they're bleeped out too. That happened because of the protests and Mike issued an apology to the Jewish community. It's like when a lot of country radio stations banned the Dixie Chicks music because lead singer Natalie Maines said she was ashamed to come from the same state as George W. Bush. The reason that parental advisory stickers are put on albums is because of Tipper Gore & the PMRC in the 1980s. She heard her then teen daughter listening to Darling Nikki by Prince & The Revolution. Ozzy Osbourne and his record label was sued in the 1980s because the parents of a child who committed suicide blamed it on his music. That's how the USA has always been.

 

[Spaceship]

I'm only speaking for the UK, but yeah, it's a definite phenomenon, for MJ and for lots of other artists, in the 80s, 90s and 2000s. The only #1 from Bad was the first one, the only #1 from Dangerous was the first one, and the only #1 from BOTDF was the first one. Same pattern with Janet. Same pattern with Foo Fighters. Same pattern with Queen. Same pattern with U2.

There are plenty of lead singles that flop altogether. A song won't do well just because it's the first to be released from its album.

 

[R1chard]

There are plenty of lead singles that flop altogether. A song won't do well just because it's the first to be released from its album.

I don't know what point you're trying to force.

Like, you don't get to tell me if I'm surprised or not!! Fact is, I was slightly surprised when the song got to #1, but then, in my mind, I quickly wrote it off as being perfectly believable that an MJ song that wasn't on an album would do well.

That really is all there is to it.

 

[Mister_Jay_Tee]

New Jack Swing did hit it's apex at 95. It wasn't as popular, in North America after that. It gave way to straight hip hop and R&B with straight hip-hop influence. And R.Kelly essentially did change the sound of music there.

That's not entirely relevant to why the HIStory campaign wasn't as successful for MJ.

I think albums just stopped being able to be stretched out for 2, 3, years.

That was MJs format, one album, for essentially half a decade. Before Thriller he had the Jackson's to basically be records between records. After Bad it was just him.

1978-1984 is essentially a full Jackson Renaissance.

 

[touchthesky]

This version was eventually released as the music video for the Tony Moran Switchblade Remix:

Is that the real video or is it fanmade? Does anyone have a better copy?

 

[Spaceship]

New Jack Swing did hit it's apex at 95. It wasn't as popular, in North America after that. It gave way to straight hip hop and R&B with straight hip-hop influence.

The term is "Hip hop soul"

And R.Kelly essentially did change the sound of music there.

lol let's not be silly

That's not entirely relevant to why the HIStory campaign wasn't as successful for MJ.

It wasn't as successful because of the scandal in 1993 and subsequent payoff in 1994, obvs

 

[DuranDuran]

It's just dance music.

Pretty much anything is dance music. People dance to classical music (ballet, waltz), country (square dance, clogging, line dancing), hip hop (breakdance, popping, locking, running man, twerking), jazz (charleston, swing dancing), etc.

 

[Mister_Jay_Tee]

lol let's not be silly

I'm not being silly, it's silly to deny it.