Why was the initial bonus content of Thriller25 discarded?

[dethorro]

A well done Thriller25 special by Richard Lecocq & MJStreet. It gives some insight to Thriller25's developing process and reveals what initially planned bonus tracks were rejected by MJ.



Video is narrated in French (English subtitles are available)

Awesome video! Thank you for sharing.

I agree that the original Thriller 25 proposal was far better than what we got in the end.

Btw Q is so wrong in that interview :laughing:

 

[SmoothGangsta]

The whole Michael hates remixes has been over exaggerated by fans over the years. Mj may have said he hated remixes but his actions as being the one to orchestrate their inclusion on many projects would say otherwise.

 

[Lil Ced]

Actually to be fair, I think Q is correct in that interview. If you watch the Dangerous Tour rehearsals, you’ll hear Michael singing the PYT “demo” and someone asks him what it is. He goes on to say “something I wrote that I haven’t recorded.” Just a thought..

 

[SmoothGangsta]

Actually to be fair, I think Q is correct in that interview. If you watch the Dangerous Tour rehearsals, you’ll hear Michael singing the PYT “demo” and someone asks him what it is. He goes on to say “something I wrote that I haven’t recorded.” Just a thought..

I always assumed mj just got it in his head and couldn't figure it what it was. He definitely sounds thriller era on the demo.

 

[AlwaysThere]

Quincy, per usual, just comes off like a cranky prick in the EPK video (which I’ve never seen before). Will.i.am calmly explained, “There’s a different version of the song MJ wrote himself,” and Quincy wouldn’t have it. It seems like Quincy takes every opportunity to belittle or dismiss MJ.

 

[SmoothGangsta]

Quincy, per usual, just comes off like a cranky prick in the EPK video (which I’ve never seen before). Will.i.am calmly explained, “There’s a different version of the song MJ wrote himself,” and Quincy wouldn’t have it. It seems like Quincy takes every opportunity to belittle or dismiss MJ.

Yes, it's a shame that quincy is seemingly so bitter when mj had nothing but nice things to say about him.

 

[dam2040]

This is awesome! Thanks for sharing!

The initial Thriller 25 proposal was so good. Sad that the final project was so mediocre.

Also, Michael is the one who pushed to include remixes over unreleased tracks? That sort of flies in the face of the idea that Michael hated remixing his music, doesn't it?

Unfortunately the video isn't working for me, what was the original proposal?

 

[Moromete]

Unfortunately the video isn't working for me, what was the original proposal?

That's for All Time (For All Time)
Got The Hots
Hot Street
She's Trouble
Nightline
Thriller 2007 Remix

 

[Hess]

The initial Thriller 25 proposal was so good. Sad that the final project was so mediocre.

Also, Michael is the one who pushed to include remixes over unreleased tracks? That sort of flies in the face of the idea that Michael hated remixing his music, doesn't it?

Not really. - If MJ still worked - or wanted to work with the unreleased songs later on, he would not want them on an anniversary album not many would buy/hear. Maybe he wanted to be able to put the songs on a new album.

That's for All Time (For All Time)
Got The Hots
Hot Street
She's Trouble
Nightline
Thriller 2007 Remix

Would have been amazing. - swap Thriller 2007 remix with Behind the Mask - then T25 had been a perfect anniversary release. - but it needed a great doc like BAD25. - imagine if a T25-doc had been released while MJ was still alive and could contribute. - Would have been amazing. A MJ doc with focus on the music, the creative proces - not all the tabloid stupid stuff - that would have been great.

 

[Hess]

Also - just to release remixes didn't require much from MJ. - other people remixed them and everything.

If unreleased songs was to be released, maybe MJ should help finalize them somehow... - but most of all I think MJ wanted to save the songs for later releases.

 

[kai]

"there is another version..."

"nonono... thats ficition"

WTF?

 

[83magic]

there was a 'thriller 25th anniversary' book that I used to have. I remember it stating that it was Michael's decision not to include the likes of 'hot street'. never explained why..

would have loved to have heard the 2007 remix of 'thriller' - as long as it wasn't a duet.

I enjoy this version of 'billie jean' that was available on the digital release. despite it being a bit on the long side..

 

[Albion]

Regarding the lack of new releases, I always felt the estate was planning to release an album in 2019 but the controversy over the documentary ended that. Now with the court cases going on the estate may not want to release anything until after it is over. If they are trying to claim damages for loss of earnings it would weaken their case if they have just released a hit Michael Jackson album.

 

[Electro]

Wasn't the alternative P.Y.T. demo recorded at Havenhurst? It's not impossible then that Quincy never heard it or just couldn't remember it in 2008, if his "Team A" never worked on it. To me his reaction seems genuine in that interview.

Also, Michael is the one who pushed to include remixes over unreleased tracks? That sort of flies in the face of the idea that Michael hated remixing his music, doesn't it?

I think Michael disliked the dance remixes, that are really mash-ups, replacing all of the original music with some standard cookie-cutter type of House beat, as it was done on tons of remixes for the Dangerous and HIStory singles. From an artist point of view that's really understandable.

Those remixes on Thriller25 are more musical tributes to the original as a whole.

 

[Petarkco]

I think Michael disliked the dance remixes, that are really mash-ups, replacing all of the original music with some standard cookie-cutter type of House beat, as it was done on tons of remixes for the Dangerous and HIStory singles. From an artist point of view that's really understandable.

They pretty much did just that with the Thriller Megamix on King of Pop.

 

[Fuzball]

Wasn't the alternative P.Y.T. demo recorded at Havenhurst? It's not impossible then that Quincy never heard it or just couldn't remember it in 2008, if his "Team A" never worked on it. To me his reaction seems genuine in that interview.

Didn't Michael wrote in 'Moonwalk' Q didn't like his mid-tempo PYT demo?

 

[ScreenOrigami]

Didn't Michael wrote in 'Moonwalk' Q didn't like his mid-tempo PYT demo?

No. MJ doesn’t mention his demo version in Moonwalk at all.

The story is told in Joe Vogel’s book, but he doesn’t seem to mention a source, as far as I can see.

 

[dethorro]

Michael talks about the original P.Y.T demo in the Mexico deposition (2:57:10):

However, he doesn't actually mention presenting it to Quincy.

 

[ScreenOrigami]

Michael talks about the original P.Y.T demo in the Mexico deposition (2:57:10):

However, he doesn't actually mention presenting it to Quincy.

Oh, right, forgot about that!

Yeah, the part that’s confusing is how we know that Q rejected MJ’s version. Joe Vogel seems to be confident about it, and it seems to be the generally accepted version of events. But what’s the primary source?