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Hot topic What unreleased demos and remixes do you think will be on Thriller 40 Disc 2?

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AlwaysThere said:
The longer I think about it, the more I feel that the estate should’ve done Thriller: Diamond Edition instead of Thriller 40. Make it a definitive, one-stop shop for everything that’s been released from the Thriller era thus far. Something like:
  • CD1: Original album, remastered from the original analog tapes with world-class equipment.
  • CD2: “From the Vault 1981-82.” Outtakes and material recorded in the lead up to Thriller (including music that wasn’t necessarily intended for the album, but came from contemporaneous recording sessions).
  • CD3: Demos and alternate takes of songs from the original album (e.g., “Starlight,” the full version of “The Lady in My Life,” the lower key version of “Human Nature”).
  • CD4: Single edits, 7” mixes, and various other rarities and extras (including all of the material from previous Thriller reissues, like “Carousel” and “Got the Hots,” and “Someone in the Dark”).
  • 4K/Blu-Ray: Thriller documentary, all three of the era’s short films upgraded to 4K, and a newly assembled music video for “The Girl Is Mine” featuring the previously unseen studio footage.
Outfit it like the Paul McCartney Archive Collection projects: a hardcover book with previously unpublished photos, recording session notes, a few essays, lyric sheets, etc., and you’ve got the last Thriller reissue we’ll ever need (at least until 2032, when they reissue it with more materials for Thriller 50). I’d pay a lot for something like this.
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This certainly would not be a profitable move for the Estate.

Such a release would cost the Estate a lot of money (in terms of manufacturing/production costs), while it would aim only at his die-hard fans.

Considering that his die-hard fans are just a fraction of his overall fans, this would also mean fewer sales of that costly release.

Not to mention that the higher price of that release would even discourage many of his die-hard fans from buying it.
 
mj_frenzy said:
This certainly would not be a profitable move for the Estate.

Such a release would cost the Estate a lot of money (in terms of manufacturing/production costs), while it would aim only at his die-hard fans.

Considering that his die-hard fans are just a fraction of his overall fans, this would also mean fewer sales of that costly release.

Not to mention that the higher price of that release would even discourage many of his die-hard fans from buying it.
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Probably as they're winding down from physical releases is when such an offering of a product would be made, when the profit loss is negligible and it's a purely cosmetic offering. More around Thriller 50 time.
 
Hulkamaniac said:
No, AI would ruin it. 1080p is perfectly fine if that's all 16mm can give.

I mean, it'd still be a thousand times better than what we've seen since it was released.
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The least they could do is recalibrate the color. I don't wanna see the clip in crispy 480i. MJs Beat It jacket is orange, can you at least just recalibrate the color? I don't know the technical jargon, but just, do it already, Branca.
 
mj_frenzy said:
This certainly would not be a profitable move for the Estate.

Such a release would cost the Estate a lot of money (in terms of manufacturing/production costs), while it would aim only at his die-hard fans.

Considering that his die-hard fans are just a fraction of his overall fans, this would also mean fewer sales of that costly release.

Not to mention that the higher price of that release would even discourage many of his die-hard fans from buying it.
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Sure, but wouldn’t that also be a factor for any legacy artist releasing projects of that magnitude (e.g., Prince, McCartney)? I’d argue that MJ is significantly more popular than either, and while sales may not be stellar, I can’t imagine it’s unfair for him to receive the all-star treatment if those beneath him also get it.
 
The idea that the Estate shouldn’t spend any money or time to appease hardcore fans is a joke.

Not everything is going to be a public stopping smash sale monster.

There’s lots of material that would serve as a brilliant release for the more hardcore fan but it just gets overlooked completely, because they’d rather put out another rehash of existing material!
 
AlwaysThere said:
The longer I think about it, the more I feel that the estate should’ve done Thriller: Diamond Edition instead of Thriller 40. Make it a definitive, one-stop shop for everything that’s been released from the Thriller era thus far. Something like:
  • CD1: Original album, remastered from the original analog tapes with world-class equipment.
  • CD2: “From the Vault 1981-82.” Outtakes and material recorded in the lead up to Thriller (including music that wasn’t necessarily intended for the album, but came from contemporaneous recording sessions).
  • CD3: Demos and alternate takes of songs from the original album (e.g., “Starlight,” the full version of “The Lady in My Life,” the lower key version of “Human Nature”).
  • CD4: Single edits, 7” mixes, and various other rarities and extras (including all of the material from previous Thriller reissues, like “Carousel” and “Got the Hots,” and “Someone in the Dark”).
  • 4K/Blu-Ray: Thriller documentary, all three of the era’s short films upgraded to 4K, and a newly assembled music video for “The Girl Is Mine” featuring the previously unseen studio footage.
Outfit it like the Paul McCartney Archive Collection projects: a hardcover book with previously unpublished photos, recording session notes, a few essays, lyric sheets, etc., and you’ve got the last Thriller reissue we’ll ever need (at least until 2032, when they reissue it with more materials for Thriller 50). I’d pay a lot for something like this.
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mj_frenzy said:
This certainly would not be a profitable move for the Estate.
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Personally, I think the Estate could try a bit harder to balance projects which will be 'blockbusters' and other projects which are more niche.
 
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AlwaysThere said:
Sure, but wouldn’t that also be a factor for any legacy artist releasing projects of that magnitude (e.g., Prince, McCartney)? I’d argue that MJ is significantly more popular than either, and while sales may not be stellar, I can’t imagine it’s unfair for him to receive the all-star treatment if those beneath him also get it.
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dam2040 said:
The idea that the Estate shouldn’t spend any money or time to appease hardcore fans is a joke.

Not everything is going to be a public stopping smash sale monster.

There’s lots of material that would serve as a brilliant release for the more hardcore fan but it just gets overlooked completely, because they’d rather put out another rehash of existing material!
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Amen to all of this.

I've lost track of the number of releases from other legacy artists that are fabulous. The Paul McCartney book is probably the best example but there are others. This year Bryan Ferry and Joan Armatrading have both had books of their lyrics published. I'm not even suggesting that as an MJ project. Michael is not here to provide any annotations or any personal input so maybe that particular thing wouldn't work. The McCartney one was fabulous bc not only did you have his written notes about each lyric but there were photos contemporary to the time of the song being written. Sometimes pop lyrics can look a bit basic on the page but Michael was a great storyteller and many of his lyrics are intelligent and empathic. I'm sure a bright, creative brain could figure out a way to present his lyrics so as to be interesting even to a general reader but definitely to his fanbase. But, yeah, with Michael not being here, maybe that would not work so well. Brad Buxer, Bill Bottrell etc can give us great insight into Michael's songwriting process, even the studio peeps he worked with can offer insights on that. But I'm not sure who could adequately comment on his lyrics besides himself.

But I'm really just making the point that their thinking seems to be a bit too limited, imo. They always seem to be so focused on commercial blockbuster type projects. I'm sure there are other things that could be done. I've seen some good suggestions here on the board. I think there are many, many things that could be done and all at different price points.
 
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mj_frenzy said:
This certainly would not be a profitable move for the Estate.

Such a release would cost the Estate a lot of money (in terms of manufacturing/production costs), while it would aim only at his die-hard fans.

Considering that his die-hard fans are just a fraction of his overall fans, this would also mean fewer sales of that costly release.

Not to mention that the higher price of that release would even discourage many of his die-hard fans from buying it.
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According to me, a Super Deluxe release of Thriller is still commercially justifiable. But don't wait another 10 years! In the case of Michael Jackson, the fan base and potential market is considerable enough. We're not talking about a niche thing here, even to Sony Music Entertainment standards, even if the release would be exclusive and pretty expensive and even considering our digital age of music streaming. Make it a US domestic release if an international release/distribution is an issue. Put it out around Christmas. But this isn't the Estate's decision. The record executives at Sony Music will have to raise their thumbs and put aside this pervert long term vision of milking a brand eternally. On the other hand, physical product has indeed become a challenge. But in the case of "Thriller" any reluctance is laughable and incomprehensible. Again, IMHO.
 
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I think the Estate should follow two paths. One path to keep Michael in the limelight and imo they’re doing this fantastically already with stuff like the broadway show, thriller 40, the upcoming movie, documentaries etc
The other path should be for us the hardcores, throw tracks at us, concert footage, studio footage, rehearsals, video footage that was cut from the actual videos, bloopers, whatever anything. This path they just neglect completely so far.

If they are to follow the path of single releases every few months then they need to update the sound with modern remixers but they should not forget about us either and accompany those singles with original demos, alternate takes, maybe studio footage if available, liner notes, the background of the song etc . Present the entire package as a limited EP (many fans are collectors) and throw the remixed track to the radio stations and streaming services.

If they keep following the path of albums then I think we are almost done. This seems the most illogical thing to do due to a lack of finished or almost finished songs but what they did with Xscape for example has my approval.
 
filmandmusic said:
The other path should be for us the hardcores, throw tracks at us, concert footage, studio footage, rehearsals, video footage that was cut from the actual videos, bloopers, whatever anything. This path they just neglect completely so far.
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It is not profitable to them since they refuse to do anything that can't be a potential blockbuster.
 
MJbr2 said:
It is not profitable to them since they refuse to do anything that can't be a potential blockbuster.
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They have to realize a new album release will never be a potential blockbuster anymore, that ship has sailed.
The final blockbuster experience that is coming is the biopic. This is going to be huge with enormous media attention and possibly big box office results. Fans and critics everybody will have their opinion on it, it will get controversial but overall the attention could be huge.
 
This would be the ideal deluxe reissue to me (limited if they don't want to spend much work and/or money on it):

CD 1: The Album
CD 2: Unreleased Songs
DVD 1: Victory Concert (yeah yeah I know we live in a HD era but do you think they would release a Blu ray, sourced from film? no right? DVD sourced from an SD master tape is enough)
DVD 2/Blu ray: Documentary

Bonus: 4K videos on YouTube

That's something I'd buy
 
MJbr2 said:
I'd pass on the Victory DVD. Tour is quite trash.
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Yeah, I’m not buying that if it ever comes out. It barely qualifies as a Victory tour, much less a Thriller tour. I’m here for MJ, not the brothers.

Give me a 4K disc with Making Michael Jackson’s Thriller and the three restored short films, and put the documentary on streaming, and I’m set.
 
There are certain other tours that can easily be called trash but lets not get into that, it is like beating a dead horse.
 
Nite Line said:
It isn’t trash at all. It’s pretty good actually.
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People say Bad sounds dated, but Victory has the cheapest sounds ever. If they ever do release it, they better re-record stuff like they did for Wembley.
 
filmandmusic said:
I think the Estate should follow two paths. One path to keep Michael in the limelight and imo they’re doing this fantastically already with stuff like the broadway show, thriller 40, the upcoming movie, documentaries etc
The other path should be for us the hardcores, throw tracks at us, concert footage, studio footage, rehearsals, video footage that was cut from the actual videos, bloopers, whatever anything. This path they just neglect completely so far.

If they are to follow the path of single releases every few months then they need to update the sound with modern remixers but they should not forget about us either and accompany those singles with original demos, alternate takes, maybe studio footage if available, liner notes, the background of the song etc . Present the entire package as a limited EP (many fans are collectors) and throw the remixed track to the radio stations and streaming services.

If they keep following the path of albums then I think we are almost done. This seems the most illogical thing to do due to a lack of finished or almost finished songs but what they did with Xscape for example has my approval.
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Time is not our friend!!
 
MJbr2 said:
People say Bad sounds dated, but Victory has the cheapest sounds ever. If they ever do release it, they better re-record stuff like they did for Wembley.
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What did they re-record for Wembley?
 
MJbr2 said:
People say Bad sounds dated, but Victory has the cheapest sounds ever. If they ever do release it, they better re-record stuff like they did for Wembley.
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Yeah. For sure the band was not tight and the soundbanks they used for their synthesizers were terrible, even for 80s standard, but Michael brought his A-game. Michael at his peak imo and I would be over the moon if we got a properly mixed victory tour using the multitracks.
 
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