“We took Sony 50 songs, and this [I Never Heard aka This Is It] was the best of all of them."

Fuzball

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Mr. Anka said that Mr. McClain told him: “We took Sony 50 songs, and this was the best of all of them. My thought was that this one sounded different. Now I know why.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/arts/music/13anka.html


This was in 2009. Let's assume Anka had told the truth. What other 49 songs the Estate had access to back in 2009 where the songs were A) lyrically complete and B) "weaker" than INH/TII
 
Fuzball;4290524 said:
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/arts/music/13anka.html


This was in 2009. Let's assume Anka had told the truth. What other 49 songs the Estate had access to back in 2009 where the songs were A) lyrically complete and B) "weaker" than INH/TII

I believe this not to be true considering the songs we have heard post This Is It. The more plausible explanation is that they just wanted to have a song tie in with the theme of “This Is It”.
 
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Considering that John McClain seems to be a very nostalgic producer (he's only worked on songs from pre-1987 that we know of), I wouldn't at all be surprised if he truly felt that "This Is It" was the best of the bunch.

Honestly, it's definitely in the upper area of the posthumous release rankings. Simple, but hugely effective.
 
imo Much Too Soon is the best song that has been released post-2009. Such a beautifully sad song.
 
Well, I have to respectfully disagree. This Is It is a fine song but there are quite few songs that have come out after it, which are better. I would say Best of Joy, Much Too Soon, Hollywood Tonight, Hold My Hand, Behind The Mask, Price of Fame, Al Capone, Xscape, STTR, Blue Gangsta are all better songs than This Is It.
 
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For the movie This Is It was perfect. - it was never hit material IMO. - But a song does not need to be so to be a great song.

Actually I like Paul Ankas duet version a lot - it's a little faster and more uplifting.
 
I have to completely disagree here. This was the biggest opportunity for the MJ Estate and they completely blew it because he said the word this is it in the song.

It was the only time post MJs death he got a huge radio premiere and the song was so disappointing it never happened again.

We’ve gotten better songs. A new killer truly authentic Michael Jackson record to coincide with the movie would’ve done huge numbers. This is It flopped given circumstances.
 
dam2040;4290615 said:
I have to completely disagree here. This was the biggest opportunity for the MJ Estate and they completely blew it because he said the word this is it in the song.

It was the only time post MJs death he got a huge radio premiere and the song was so disappointing it never happened again.

We’ve gotten better songs. A new killer truly authentic Michael Jackson record to coincide with the movie would’ve done huge numbers. This is It flopped given circumstances.

They should have better released „Best of Joy“.
 
One thing I think ruined the song a little was they sold it as a NEW MJ song for the This Is It tour... - at least that's how I remember it.

Maybe it had been smart to release a song that was actually new so people got a chance to see MJ still had it.
 
Hess;4290618 said:
One thing I think ruined the song a little was they sold it as a NEW MJ song for the This Is It tour... - at least that's how I remember it.

Maybe it had been smart to release a song that was actually new so people got a chance to see MJ still had it.


Should’ve been Best of Joy in my opinion
 
mjfan_93;4290616 said:
They should have better released „Best of Joy“.

dam2040;4290626 said:
Should’ve been Best of Joy in my opinion

While I think Best of Joy is a gorgeous song, I think the song they should have released to go with This Is It film should have been an uptempo song. Something like Hollywood Tonight, Xscape or Price of Fame.
 
They weren't honestly clear about this song...the fact Michael said "this is it" had nothing to do with the film. It invited questions. And it turned out the song was very old and had been released already by another artist.

Plus yeah, lyrically not very complete and fairly weak. I do really like the version Paul Anka took on the road though - with the alternate vocals.
 
Wow. I didn't know this is it was song by other people. wow. Michael should of watch his unreleased tracks. hearing this is it was my first time hearing Michael singing it. in my opinion I love it.

true this is it was about saving the planet and earth and all. it was also about showing Michael still had it. (people saying money was involuted too but i'm still trying to dig deep in that.)

I haven't watch the movie because one Michael look so sick in it and didn't want to do it. (as i heard a lot of times.)

maybe what they should of done if Michael want it was to release this is it with "new" songs. i think that would made the album better. not sure why people expect there was gonna be a pack full of songs on the album because Michael pass. everyone is different so we don't know what Michael really had plan for this album and tour.

we only guess now. but yeah. i love the song this is it. :)
 
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Nite Line;4290633 said:
While I think Best of Joy is a gorgeous song, I think the song they should have released to go with This Is It film should have been an uptempo song. Something like Hollywood Tonight, Xscape or Price of Fame.

Price of Fame would have been absolutely amazing. MJ just died preparing 50 concerts, died like Elvis. - He paid the ultimate price of fame.

So Price of Fame would hands down have been the best choise - BUT... This went really fast. I simply don't think they knew what was in the vault.
Maybe they did not know of Price of Fame back then - or knew of it but not where the tapes where...

I really hope Price of Fame will be released on the next new MJ album. - Maybe a litte update on the production - by the original producers to stay true to MJ's vision.
 
Whilst "This Is It" isn't a particularly strong song, in terms of lyrics and other criteria, Michael's vocal tone on it is absolutely beautiful. I think it was a perfect choice for the credits of the TII film....that's how it was used best, IMO. I don't think anyone expected it to go all gangbusters as a hit single, or anything....a little ripple in the nostalgia market, perhaps, but that's all.
 
Fuzball;4290524 said:
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/arts/music/13anka.html

This was in 2009. Let's assume Anka had told the truth. What other 49 songs the Estate had access to back in 2009 where the songs were A) lyrically complete and B) "weaker" than INH/TII

I think perhaps John McClain was stroking Paul Anka's ego a little when he told him that TII was the best song out of 50 they had, in those very early days after MJ passed away. "The best song" could mean a lot of things - the best song that could be ready very quickly, with little polishing necessary; the best song that had lyrics and tone in keeping with what they wanted to use it for; the best song that had the words "this is it" in it (most likely, it's the only song) and so on and so forth. Obviously there are many other songs that have been released since, that are much better than TII, in every way imaginable, but I do think that they have had to search high and low and work hard to bring forth the songs they have released so far. I do not believe that "the vaults" are brimming with hundreds of amazing, almost complete demos, in the way that some fans believe.
 
I think we' be lucky of there's 10 more almost completed songs in the vaults. This includes possible solo versions of songs like "muscles" "eaten alive" or "centipede".

This is it to me is a very mediocre song, I never listen to it. In fact the song versions we got still sounds half arsed imo. Still very demo like.
 
Most the times I listen to This Is It - I hear the version released on Paul Ankas duets. - That's a very good version IMO.
 
Hess;4290714 said:
Most the times I listen to This Is It - I hear the version released on Paul Ankas duets. - That's a very good version IMO.

Is that similar to the one he plays live?
 
I do like This Is It. I love the Spike Lee video

Doubt there is much more, if any music left to put out. Will.I.Am has already said he will not be releasing the work they did together because he feels it would be disrespectful without MJ's permission.

I know Michael said he had loads of songs back in the middle of the last decade but, the way I look at that is one of two ways:
1. The songs were in his head and he never got to put them down on tape.
2. He was talking crap, like the "my financial situation is great, I just wrote a cheque for 500 million dollars"

Either way, we're not gonna find out until all the legal stuff is over
 
MOR316;4290808 said:
I do like This Is It. I love the Spike Lee video

Doubt there is much more, if any music left to put out. Will.I.Am has already said he will not be releasing the work they did together because he feels it would be disrespectful without MJ's permission.

I know Michael said he had loads of songs back in the middle of the last decade but, the way I look at that is one of two ways:
1. The songs were in his head and he never got to put them down on tape.
2. He was talking crap, like the "my financial situation is great, I just wrote a cheque for 500 million dollars"

Either way, we're not gonna find out until all the legal stuff is over

There is :) That's a fact not a rumor.
 
Fuzball;4290524 said:
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/arts/music/13anka.html


This was in 2009. Let's assume Anka had told the truth. What other 49 songs the Estate had access to back in 2009 where the songs were A) lyrically complete and B) "weaker" than INH/TII

THIS IS IT was chosen as single only for MARKETING purposes. MJ was singing the "tour name", in a old song, by chance.
It was, simply, a commercial operation, but they were forced to find a good "reason" to introduce the project to the public...
 
I absolutely think Best Of Joy would of been the best choice to be released to promote the movie. It was one of his absolute last songs and could of been used as a ‘farewell’ to his fans. I think it also should of been released as a single and promoted heavily as one of his last tracks. Could of been a big hit.
 
The ‘This Is It’ song melodically is very weak, uninspired and prosaic, it is also unpolished and it sounds a lot like a demo.

The ‘This Is It’ song is also not a really representative song of his career because Michael Jackson was a pop artist with mostly up-tempo songs.

But it was an intentional, strictly strategic move on their part to release the ‘This Is It’ song right after his death because of its title and its lyrics that thematically fitted his comeback shows, and not because it was the best of all those 50 songs.

“The [‘This Is It’] song was picked because the lyrics were appropriate because of the name Michael gave his tour” (Michael Jackson Estate Statement)

They also chose to release that particular song because of its profound catatonic and sad feeling that also fitted the fact of his death at that time.
 
mj_frenzy;4303222 said:
The ‘This Is It’ song melodically is very weak, uninspired and prosaic

Speak for yourself!


For me it's quite the opposite. I love how the vocal melodies are composed and beautifully flowing. So damn catchy, while not being simplistic or repetitiv. The class of Paul Anka is definitly present.
 
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nextbigthing56;4303163 said:
I absolutely think Best Of Joy would of been the best choice to be released to promote the movie. It was one of his absolute last songs and could of been used as a ‘farewell’ to his fans. I think it also should of been released as a single and promoted heavily as one of his last tracks. Could of been a big hit.

I disagree, good song but not single worthy. Some of the song sounds odd to me. They should have picked a uptempo song to celebrate MJ. They had to have one close to complete that he intended to release. Instead they picked a 30 year old mediocre song that had never any intention of being released. TII could have been much better imo.
 
Electro;4303250 said:
Speak for yourself!


For me it's quite the opposite. I love how the vocal melodies are composed and beautifully flowing. So damn catchy, while not being simplistic or repetitiv. The class of Paul Anka is definitly present.

i love it too. beautiful song.
 
Smooth72;4303257 said:
I disagree, good song but not single worthy. Some of the song sounds odd to me. They should have picked a uptempo song to celebrate MJ. They had to have one close to complete that he intended to release. Instead they picked a 30 year old mediocre song that had never any intention of being released. TII could have been much better imo.
I agree 100%. It was odd & off...totally a demo & to me it didnt even sound remastered. The noise is very loud in the song. Alot of songs that came about/leaked in 06-08 was heavy on my playlist already. I was so disappointed in 2014 with xscape & still no inclusion of the authentic "joy" & I was like....smh i listen to these on a daily.but i loved "lovin you, chicago & xscape remix". It was only 3songs i had never heard. & like the bad 25 unreleased tracks....i was blown away & most weren't even finished. Idk if im so blue chorus was supposed to have lyrics on the chrous but dammnit it sound so good! & free is my favorite! I love the vocals on that. Wish I had those acapellas to that track!
 
nextbigthing56;4303163 said:
I absolutely think Best Of Joy would of been the best choice to be released to promote the movie. It was one of his absolute last songs and could of been used as a ‘farewell’ to his fans. I think it also should of been released as a single and promoted heavily as one of his last tracks. Could of been a big hit.
I agree. In contrast to This Is It/I Never Heard it was actually one of the last songs he worked on, and the ethereal "we are forever/I am forever" coda would have made for a crushing but fitting, bittersweet ending to the film. To me the song is a lot stronger too.
 
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