Why MJ never gave an intimate, fully live performance?

[mj_frenzy]

Why MJ never gave an intimate, fully live performance with no spins, moonwalks, energetic dance routines & fireworks at all?

I am referring to those performances that include slow/mid-tempo songs (& love ballads) & take place in an intimate environment along with a live orchestra while they are professionally being filmed for commercial use (TV-broadcast, stand-alone DVD, for example).

By all accounts, ‘1995 HBO Special’ was not meant to be such a performance & the same goes with a few performances that MJ gave for special occasions, or for paying respect to certain people (‘Elizabeth Taylor 65th Birthday Gala’, ‘Sammy Davis Jr. Tribute’, for example).

I know of course this question sounds a bit theoretical & thus it probably cannot be answered for sure.

Anyway, a few possible reasons unavoidably come to my mind regarding this issue, like:

- Was MJ unsure about his vocal abilities during a show that would have lasted probably over one & a half hour?

- Was MJ recording songs continuously so a possible, fully live show would have looked (physically) impossible?

- Had MJ high, theatrical expectations about his concerts to such an extent that a fully live performance (comprised of slow/mid-tempo songs & ballads) would have been perceived as unexciting?

- Was MJ overly sensitive to possible negative reviews/critics in regard to his vocal performance?

- Was MJ afraid of damaging his vocal cords & thus putting in jeopardy subsequent world tours?

- Were there any possible legal issues (contractual agreements, for example) that kept MJ off from such a performance?

- Was MJ totally uninterested at all in giving such a fully live, intimate show?

(I do not want this thread to turn into a thread about lip-syncing during his world tours)

 

[InvincibleMJ]

Why MJ never gave an intimate, fully live performance with no spins, moonwalks, energetic dance routines & fireworks at all?

Because he was Michael Jackson, not Leonard Cohen.

 

[Galactus123]

There were some like She's Out of My Life. I don't remember any dance moves.

 

[MJInTheMirror]

I thought about two of the reasons you mentioned. You said he was recording songs continuosly so it wouldn't be possible and that MJ had bigger expectations for his performances. He always wanted to do everything bigger, I think that is the main reason.

 

[HIStory]

Because he was Michael Jackson, not Leonard Cohen.

:rollin:


Perfect.

 

[SmoothMJ]

Michael was the ultimate showman. He loved the visuals, as well as the music.

If people want to hear just great singing, there were/are plenty of artists who will sit on a stool for three hours singing songs, without any theatrics.

Personally, if that was all I wanted, I would stay at home and put on a CD.

 

[mj_frenzy]

:rollin:


Perfect.

Get a life!

 

[HIStory]

Get a life!

I have one. Thank you.

 

[Psychoniff]

Because to MJ, just singing or releasing compilations was just 'boring'. I would've love to of seen the following clips for a whole MJ show though. Something of the 'unplugged' variety.

Michael Jackson,
making b****es wet between the knees since 1964.:big_boss:

 

[barbee0715]

If I had to venture a guess, based on the performers that Michael admired, and the concerts, artists he talked about competing with, and tours that he himself went to see and talked about how great they were, I'd go with the following two reasons:

- Had MJ high, theatrical expectations about his concerts to such an extent that a fully live performance (comprised of slow/mid-tempo songs & ballads) would have been perceived as unexciting?

- Was MJ totally uninterested at all in giving such a fully live, intimate show?

Although I would be the first one in line to buy a ticket, or first one slammed in front of the TV to watch an intimate show.

 

[Gatesy2006]

He should have stripped everything down for TII. A 50 year old Michael Jackson could not have done 50 shows in the classic MJ style of singing and dancing. He could have done it for maybe 10 shows but it would have taken its toll.

Had he instead stripped it all down, sang slower songs or even instrumental songs of his rock songs like Beat It, GITM etc it would have been brilliant.

Or he could have mixed it up and stripped it away down and still had one or two of the classic MJ formula songs like BJ and Smooth.

I always wished he did a show like this. Nirvana did it and it showcased Cobain's immense talent, and I think Guns did it too (could be wrong here?). Would have been brilliant.

 

[KOPV]

What about even "You were There" and "Elizabeth I love you"? ... He's done it, and I would have liked to see it more but in the end of the day Michaels 'act' was larger than life and he liked presenting that... But intimate is for sure refreshing... Knowing what I know about his personality too, I'd guess he felt a little vulnerable, especially if it were like an unplugged show.. Which would have been AWESOME!!! I mean, if he liked keeping his glasses in and did a lot to make sure people can't look into his eyes.. I could only guess it would be emotionally difficult to open himself up that way... Oh how beautiful it would have been though!!

 

[Themidwestcowboy]

I love this performance but just look at mike, he could help himself to get up and just move and groove. He just loved to put on a complete show

[youtube]_NAGhYdgXQM[/youtube]

 

[HIStory]

 

[mj_frenzy]

I thought about two of the reasons you mentioned. You said he was recording songs continuosly so it wouldn't be possible and that MJ had bigger expectations for his performances. He always wanted to do everything bigger, I think that is the main reason.

If I had to venture a guess, based on the performers that Michael admired, and the concerts, artists he talked about competing with, and tours that he himself went to see and talked about how great they were, I'd go with the following two reasons:

The fact that MJ had high, theatrical expectations about his concerts seems to have played a crucial role regarding that matter.

Michael was the ultimate showman. He loved the visuals, as well as the music.

If people want to hear just great singing, there were/are plenty of artists who will sit on a stool for three hours singing songs, without any theatrics.

I think that a two-hour (or three-hour) intimate performance without theatrics at all would not have confused people about his on stage image.

On the contrary, it would have offered a different, but still appealing, aspect of his on stage personality.

I suspect Michael actually would have liked to have done something like this, but he felt a certain amount of pressure to deliver a big production, the dance moves, the costumes etc, giving people what they came to see. MJ often said he would like to perform a new routine for Billie Jean but he didn't know if the fans would go for it. I think he was afraid of disappointing people.

And you have to take into account that his confidence and self-esteem must've taken a seriously knocking in the last 15 years of his life. I think he was beginning to build back his confidence with TII, after over a decade of hardly performing and being treated like a pariah by the media and the industry.

The chance of presenting something new to the audience/fans should be seriously taken into account.

As a result, I agree that the idea of an intimate show probably did not look as the best opportunity for his specific desire.

MJ’s confidence & self-esteem is another consideration.

During that period you mentioned, MJ seemed to have a really difficult time even when he was about to perform his classic dance routines that people loved to see, let alone when it came to a different, theatrically naked performance.

 

[innuendo141]

I think the o2 was about as intimate as we were going to get. Maybe in his later years he might have done smaller shows, playing several nights at arenas, or even do that Vegas thing that other people are doing. It was all kind of part of the magic with Michael. He didnt want to do what others were doing. If there was something worth doing, it was worth being remembered. He was going all out for the o2 by the looks of things.

 

[mj_frenzy]

Judging by the following responses, it seems that there are fans who would have really loved to see such an intimate, theatrically naked production.

For me, this is completely understandable.

I would've love to of seen the following clips for a whole MJ show though. Something of the 'unplugged' variety.

Michael Jackson,
making b****es wet between the knees since 1964.:big_boss:

Although I would be the first one in line to buy a ticket, or first one slammed in front of the TV to watch an intimate show.

He should have stripped everything down for TII. A 50 year old Michael Jackson could not have done 50 shows in the classic MJ style of singing and dancing. He could have done it for maybe 10 shows but it would have taken its toll.

Had he instead stripped it all down, sang slower songs or even instrumental songs of his rock songs like Beat It, GITM etc it would have been brilliant.

Or he could have mixed it up and stripped it away down and still had one or two of the classic MJ formula songs like BJ and Smooth.

I always wished he did a show like this. Nirvana did it and it showcased Cobain's immense talent, and I think Guns did it too (could be wrong here?). Would have been brilliant.

But intimate is for sure refreshing... Knowing what I know about his personality too, I'd guess he felt a little vulnerable, especially if it were like an unplugged show.. Which would have been AWESOME!!! I mean, if he liked keeping his glasses in and did a lot to make sure people can't look into his eyes.. I could only guess it would be emotionally difficult to open himself up that way... Oh how beautiful it would have been though!!

I love this performance but just look at mike, he could help himself to get up and just move and groove. He just loved to put on a complete show

 

[ChrisC]

I think there was definitely some insecurity there once he became huge.

MJ wouldn't have been so heavily reliant on lip-synching otherwise.

 

[barbee0715]

I think that a two-hour (or three-hour) intimate performance without theatrics at all would not have confused people about his on stage image.

On the contrary, it would have offered a different, but still appealing, aspect of his on stage personality.


The chance of presenting something new to the audience/fans should be seriously taken into account. .

The more I read about it, the sadder I feel that the HBO show at the Beacon never happened and wasn't rescheduled. And it's also too bad that it was turning into something more and more theatrical too.

THAT would have been the perfect timing and venue to put on a totally intimate, personal show.

 

[Psychoniff]

I feel like MJ was never really relatable after Triumph. He was so stubbornly obsessed with becoming a mythical figure that any kind of 'intimate' show would have been very unlikely.

 

[InvincibleMJ]

I feel like MJ was never really relatable after Triumph. He was so stubbornly obsessed with becoming a mythical figure that any kind of 'intimate' show would have been very unlikely.

You may say it was one of his goals but in my opinion you're in no place to say he was "obsessed" with anything.

 

[myosotis]

Hard to squeeze nearly 1 million fans into an intimate venue. The only way big stars can usually do these (at least in London) is if they are totally unannounced ie they turn up at a pre-booked venue as an un-announced performer. Could be physically dangerous otherwise...look at the crowds he attracted even just going shopping. Potentially dangerous for him and dangerous for the venue / audience. Hard enough to get him away from large concert venues safely afterwards.

 

[ChrisC]

Hard to squeeze nearly 1 million fans into an intimate venue. The only way big stars can usually do these (at least in London) is if they are totally unannounced ie they turn up at a pre-booked venue as an un-announced performer. Could be physically dangerous otherwise...look at the crowds he attracted even just going shopping. Potentially dangerous for him and dangerous for the venue / audience. Hard enough to get him away from large concert venues safely afterwards.

An invitation only event in a gorgeous little theatre and televise it?

 

[Doo Doo Head]

The Destiny, Triumph, Victory, and Bad Tour (1st leg) are fully live. I'm not sure why he should have done a concert with only slow songs, since his title is 'the King of Pop', not 'the King of standstill Ballads'.

 

[InvincibleMJ]

The Destiny, Triumph, Victory, and Bad Tour (1st leg) are fully live. I'm not sure why he should have done a concert with only slow songs, since his title is 'the King of Pop', not 'the King of standstill Ballads'.

To impress some snobs, obviously.

 

[myosotis]

An invitation only event in a gorgeous little theatre and televise it?

I don't think that would be either 'intimate' ( with all the cameras, lighting and production crew) or , er..... 'fully live'???

 

[barbee0715]

An invitation only event in a gorgeous little theatre and televise it?

Ah, that would be perfect and I'd be thrilled to watch that.

 

[mj_frenzy]

The Destiny, Triumph, Victory, and Bad Tour (1st leg) are fully live. I'm not sure why he should have done a concert with only slow songs, since his title is 'the King of Pop', not 'the King of standstill Ballads'.

A concert with only slow songs would not have given to him the title 'King of standstill Ballads', neither would have changed his original title. This is too naïve to believe it.

In any case, only because you sound so interested in titles, I have to remind you that his title was ‘King of Pop, Rock & Soul’. So, even if such a concert (with only slow songs) had taken place, it would not have been against his title.

 

[HIStory]

A concert with only slow songs would not have given to him the title 'King of standstill Ballads', neither would have changed his original title. This is too naïve to believe it.

In any case, only because you sound so interested in titles, I have to remind you that his title was ‘King of Pop, Rock & Soul’. So, even if such a concert (with only slow songs) had taken place, it would not have been against his title.

Well, it was Liz Taylor who called him that once, but MJ only used the KoP title which is more appropriate than the others. I love MJ but he wasn't a rock musician, nor strictly a soul musician, so how can he be the King of Rock or King of Soul? King of Pop is pretty undisputable but the rest isn't. Let's not be greedy.

BTW, I did not get the impression that Doo Doo Head is "so interested in titles". She simply tried to point out that maybe MJ just wasn't interested in sitting on a stool and singing slow ballads. Maybe that just wasn't him as a performer. And BTW that is what the Leonard Cohen comment was about at the beginning of the thread too. That is someone like Leonard Cohen, but MJ's show is a different kind of show.

Do we ask why Leonard Cohen or Eric Clapton never dances on stage and whether they should give a show where they do? No.

Sure it would have been interesting if MJ had shown another side of his, and I am sure he could have pulled it off very well as well, after we DID see him sing acoustic ballads from time to time and they were amazing, but I guess he was over that. (During the Jacksons period they had a couple of intimate shows like that. Although not quite MTV Unplugged types, because dancing was always a part of it. But some of the Jacksons shows were rather intimate compared to the big stadium/arena shows later.)

Eg.

[video=youtube;ZAIj63XOYao]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAIj63XOYao[/video]

[video=youtube;KjnwR8FZ8iI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjnwR8FZ8iI[/video]

 

[barbee0715]

Well, it was Liz Taylor who called him that once, but MJ only used the KoP title which is more appropriate than the others. I love MJ but he wasn't a rock musician, nor strictly a soul musician, so how can he be the King of Rock or King of Soul? King of Pop is pretty undisputable but the rest isn't. Let's not be greedy.

Ha. I don't think it's greedy. I love the full title. It's more than appropriate.