Was there ever planned to create a video clip for Smile from History album? And if there was, why it was cancelled?

Richard76

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Because there was a photoshot for this song, Michael was even dressing up like a Charlie Chapling...He looked awesome, by the way... And i find it strange, that there is no promo video for this song...:/
 
I think there was something in the pipeline for it.

I remember back in the late 2000s there was a Smile promo vinyl (with a sticker) circulating online that should've been released in Germany (after a Wetten Dass performance?). It sold with 3000-5000$ on eBay.
 
Michael Jackson even began shooting the 'Smile' music video.

He plays the Charlie Chaplin's Tramp character (with the appropriate disguise and pantomime).

But two obstacles arose:

It has been written that the Charlie Chaplin Estate did not want the Tramp character to be given another interpretation.

Also, he reportedly wanted a budget of two million dollars for making the music video, but Sony refused to spend such a lot of money in that music video for fear of not recouping the money later from sales of the single.

So, the singer had to cancel that particular plan (although some promo singles had already been released).
 
I actually think I have a CD single of Smile...
 
The physical single was pressed/printed in very limited copies, so some do exist.

It was scrapped because Blood on the Dance Floor released.
 
I actually think I have a CD single of Smile...
Lucky you! One of the most wanted collector pieces. Not the most rare, but the smile releases are among the most expensive. There are promos and cancelled regular releases. There's a white promo which is quite regularity on offer. It's hard to get your hands on one with the Chaplin cover.
 
Michael said this in a interview:

Then Michael turns the pages and stops of the Collectibles page and sees a picture of the Smile single and asks whether it came out in Europe:
BW: no, the single has been cancelled, it never came out…
M: mmh! – Sighing
BW: Did you want it to come out?
M: Sure! Sony should have had that single come out! – Saying this Michael has an upset expression on his face

 
I'm pretty sure there's a very small clip where Michael is dressed as Chaplin around the HIStory era, in Private Home Movies.
Potentially that was from the cancelled short film
 
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