You can release ONE previously unreleased track. Which one do you choose?

[mj_frenzy]

Adrian Grant heard the song on March 20th 1990. I highly doubt that they were already making an entire new album at that point. I think they scrapped the idea for Decade in around June 1990.
It is also possible that they kept on working on Man In Black until the end of 1990/start of 1991 when Teddy Riley came on board.

They were already making an entire new album at that point (March 20th, 1990).

The ‘Decade’ project had already been abandoned by late November/early December (1989).

Press reports that circulated at that time also confirm that.

Bryan Loren, who is the key factor here, has to clarify when they exactly started recording the ‘Men In Black’ song.

Bryan Loren said in his interviews that he was working with Michael Jackson since 1989 until the very final recording sessions that took place in October (1991).

If they started recording the ‘Men In Black’ song earlier than late November/early December (1989), then the song was meant for the ‘Decade’ album.

But if they started recording the song later than late November/early December (1989), then the song was meant for the ‘Dangerous’ album.

Given that Michael Jackson is not alive, only Bryan Loren can solve that mystery.

 

[SoCav]

The full list of then-unreleased songs addressed during the 1993 deposition (with relevant quotes) are as follows:

1. "She's Not a Girl" ("It was recorded but never released. It's a demo I did, I think at the Encino house.")
2. "You Ain't Gonna Change Nothin'"
3. "Lucy is in Love with Linus"
4. "Who is the Girl With Her Hair Down"
5. "Lonely Man"
6. "Going to Rio" ("[I wrote it] before Thriller, before Off the Wall")
7. "Tomboy"
8. "Buffalo Bill"
9. "Al Capone"
10. "Michael McKellar"
11. "Thank You for Life" ("[It] was written... boy, way before Off the Wall... '73, '74, something like that.")
12. "Much Too Soon"
13. "What a Lonely Way to Go" ("[It was written] before Off the Wall.")
14. "Who Do You Know"
15. "You Are a Liar"
16. "Cry"
17. "Make a Wish"
18. "Crack Kills"
19. "Free"
20. "Fly Away"
21. "The Children's Hour"
22. "A Baby Smiles"
23. "Sister Sue"
24. "Little Susie"
25. "Tragedy of a Cheerleader"
26. "Get Around"
27. "Little Girls"
28. "In the Valley"
29. "Red Eye"
30. "I Forgive You"
31. "Why Shy"
32. "I Have This Love of Me"
33. "Llama Lola"
34. "California Grass"
35. "Kentucky" ("I wrote that one... [in] '70-something. I don't remember exactly.")
36. "Someone Put Your Hand Down"
37. "Do You Know Where Your Children Are"
38. "Bad Girl"
39. "Lonely Bird"
40. "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) [Original Version]"
41. "People Have to Make Some Kind of Joke"
42. "Love Never Felt So Good"
43. "Alright Now"
44. "Scared of the Moon"
45. "Neverland Landing"
46. "We Are the Ones"
47. "What's Your Life?"
48. "Fantasy"
49. "The Sky is the Limit"
50. "Saved by the Bell"
51. "Chicago 1945"
52. "Make or Break"
53. "Turning Me Off"
54. "Sunset Driver"
55. "Far Far Away"

When asked by an attorney how many of these songs were in cassette form, Michael said, "Most of them are on cassette." However, if you skim through the list, you'll see finished songs (e.g., "Do You Know Where Your Children Are," "Crack Kills," "Chicago 1945") and incomplete demos (e.g., "Free," "P.Y.T. [Original]," "Al Capone"). So there's no telling exactly what state most of these songs are in -- a cappella concepts, instrumentals, half-finished demo tracks, finished songs, etc.

Even so, there are 55 titles here, 45 of which we've yet to hear -- and most of THOSE are completely non-existent in terms of back story. I'm fascinated in learning more about them.

Exactly. They are probably largely rough ideas and works-in-progress, but that does not matter - they're fascinating because we know next-to-nothing about them.

The late 70s to mid 80s seems to have been MJ's most productive time as a songwriter. It seems like he was churning out demos left and right, much more so than in the 90s and 00s. I think the biggest surprises will turn out to be from that era.

 

[JichaelMackson]

Let's not forget that the period from 1994 till 2009 will also have a fair bunch of unreleased material.

Still makes me wonder why the 2 posthumous albums only had up to ten tracks.

I'd love it if they go the Bob Dylan route and release a series of albums like Dylan's Bootleg series. Live albums, vault tracks, alternate tracks etc

Perhaps Brad from the seminars knows more about it but from the reviews I read it's only rarely that an unheard track is played in his seminars

Anyway apart from the couple of tracks Travis3000 talked about I'm probably most excited for anything pre off the wall because we basically have nothing from this period.

 

[SmoothCriminal1995]

I must admit I'm still really curious about the unreleased RnB style Dangerous era track (somebody mentioned on this forum) that Brad played at one of his seminars
The person who mentioned it (I'm sorry I can't remember who) said it was a great dance track and it had suggestive lyrics and it sound pretty complete.
I don't think they mentioned the title, but it was a great description and it was really kind of them to share that info with us.

 

[NatureCriminal7896]

The late 70s to mid 80s seems to have been MJ's most productive time as a songwriter. It seems like he was churning out demos left and right, much more so than in the 90s and 00s. I think the biggest surprises will turn out to be from that era.

Anyway apart from the couple of tracks Travis3000 talked about I'm probably most excited for anything pre off the wall because we basically have nothing from this period.

I agree.

 

[wonderouzmj]

i must admit i'm still really curious about the unreleased rnb style dangerous era track (somebody mentioned on this forum) that brad played at one of his seminars
the person who mentioned it (i'm sorry i can't remember who) said it was a great dance track and it had suggestive lyrics and it sound pretty complete.
I don't think they mentioned the title, but it was a great description and it was really kind of them to share that info with us.

whaaaaaat??

 

[VitalyVlogs]

I want "On the Line" to be released as a actual song on spotify

 

[AlwaysThere]

I must admit I'm still really curious about the unreleased RnB style Dangerous era track (somebody mentioned on this forum) that Brad played at one of his seminars
The person who mentioned it (I'm sorry I can't remember who) said it was a great dance track and it had suggestive lyrics and it sound pretty complete.
I don't think they mentioned the title, but it was a great description and it was really kind of them to share that info with us.

Was it "Throwin' Your Life Away" per chance? I believe that was played once.

 

[Electro]

I'd love to have a "dub mix" of Ghost Of Another Lover. Pretty much the only unreleased (I know of) that gets me excited.

Throw all that unfinished verse vocal mumbling out and just release that great beat with the refrains in it.

 

[dam2040]

I want an up-tempo killer dance track. There must be one!

 

[SmoothCriminal1995]

Was it "Throwin' Your Life Away" per chance? I believe that was played once.

I wish I could remember my friend. Someone on this forum who went to a seminar, mentioned the song but not the title, I don't think it was Throwin' Your Life Away, but I could be wrong. I remember them mentioning it was a Dangerous era track and it was a great dance track with suggestive lyrics also it was complete

 

[dethorro]

Was it "Throwin' Your Life Away" per chance? I believe that was played once.

AlwaysThere, do you know by any chance when Throwin' Your Life Away was recorded? I've heard people say February or September 1988.
That track sounds to me more like something from the 85'/86' Hayvenhurst sessions tbh.

 

[AlwaysThere]

AlwaysThere, do you know by any chance when Throwin' Your Life Away was recorded? I've heard people say February or September 1988.
That track sounds to me more like something from the 85'/86' Hayvenhurst sessions tbh.

I'd put my money on September 1988 for two reasons:

1. It was registered with the US Copyright Office on September 26, 1988, and has 1988 listed as the year of creation.
2. There was a two-week hiatus from the Bad tour in mid/late September 1988, and Michael spent some of that time at Westlake working on demos, including a piano/vocal take of "Earth Song."

 

[mj_frenzy]

AlwaysThere, do you know by any chance when Throwin' Your Life Away was recorded? I've heard people say February or September 1988.
That track sounds to me more like something from the 85'/86' Hayvenhurst sessions tbh.

I'd put my money on September 1988 for two reasons:

1. It was registered with the US Copyright Office on September 26, 1988, and has 1988 listed as the year of creation.
2. There was a two-week hiatus from the Bad tour in mid/late September 1988, and Michael spent some of that time at Westlake working on demos, including a piano/vocal take of "Earth Song."

‘Throwin' Your Life Away’ was not recorded in 1988.

‘Throwin' Your Life Away’ was already finished by the time the ‘BAD’ album came out in 1987.

It has been described by various sources as an outtake from the ‘BAD’ album (more specifically, the song was recorded during the early ‘BAD’ album recording sessions).

It did not make the ‘BAD’ album because they eventually found the song as not strong enough for inclusion on the album.

 

[dethorro]

I'd put my money on September 1988 for two reasons:

1. It was registered with the US Copyright Office on September 26, 1988, and has 1988 listed as the year of creation.
2. There was a two-week hiatus from the Bad tour in mid/late September 1988, and Michael spent some of that time at Westlake working on demos, including a piano/vocal take of "Earth Song."

I know that that Earth Song demo was recorded on September 20th 1988. So, the September 26th date makes perfect sense.
Thanks for the answer!

 

[AlwaysThere]

‘Throwin' Your Life Away’ was not recorded in 1988.

‘Throwin' Your Life Away’ was already finished by the time the ‘BAD’ album came out in 1987.

It has been described by various sources as an outtake from the ‘BAD’ album (more specifically, the song was recorded during the early ‘BAD’ album recording sessions).

It did not make the ‘BAD’ album because they eventually found the song as not strong enough for inclusion on the album.

Could you provide those sources? I may very well be wrong!

 

[ScreenOrigami]

Just an idea, but how about starting a Google Sheet for all songs, with all the recording & mixing dates and their respective sources, so it’s easier to figure out what makes sense because it has been confirmed by a credible source and where there are contradictions etc.? Everyone editing it could choose a different text-color. Could be a fun little community project.

 

[mj_frenzy]

Could you provide those sources? I may very well be wrong!

Hard-core fans who have access to some more information about that song have asserted that ‘Throwin' Your Life Away’ was recorded in the initial recording sessions (1985-1986) of the ‘BAD’ album.

These fans have described also ‘Throwin' Your Life Away’ as an outtake, which means that a finished version of it already existed before the album came out in 1987.

Australian author Damien Shields also has implied that ‘Throwin' Your Life Away’ is an outtake from the ‘BAD’ album (that was recorded around 1986) because he puts the song in the same category as the ‘Don't Be Messin' 'Round’ song which is also an outtake (recorded in 1986, as well) from that album.

 

[Electro]

Hard-core fans who have access to some more information about that song have asserted that ‘Throwin' Your Life Away’ was recorded in the initial recording sessions (1985-1986) of the ‘BAD’ album.

So hear-say you presented as fact.

These fans have described also ‘Throwin' Your Life Away’ as an outtake, which means that a finished version of it already existed before the album came out in 1987.

It depends on how one interprets and uses the word "outtake". You just called "Don't Be messin' Around" an outtake, but that clearly is just an early super rough demo. (Unless there actually is a finished version of it, that they keep hiding.)

 

[NatureCriminal7896]

1990

Oh. i wonder how the song sound like.

 

[Themidwestcowboy]

So hear-say you presented as fact.



It depends on how one interprets and uses the word "outtake". You just called "Don't Be messin' Around" an outtake, but that clearly is just an early super rough demo. (Unless there actually is a finished version of it, that they keep hiding.)

The way bruce swedien and other of MJ's collaborators talks about Messin Around makes me believe that there is another complete version of it. They have lauded it as being a masterpiece and a classic. Also there was some notes from the Dangerous Sessions in 91 one that read "Teddy, do overdubs on Messin Round"

 

[Fuzball]

Hard-core fans who have access to some more information about that song have asserted that ‘Throwin' Your Life Away’ was recorded in the initial recording sessions (1985-1986) of the ‘BAD’ album.

These fans have described also ‘Throwin' Your Life Away’ as an outtake, which means that a finished version of it already existed before the album came out in 1987.

Australian author Damien Shields also has implied that ‘Throwin' Your Life Away’ is an outtake from the ‘BAD’ album (that was recorded around 1986) because he puts the song in the same category as the ‘Don't Be Messin' 'Round’ song which is also an outtake (recorded in 1986, as well) from that album.

And? That still doesn't mean September 1988 is wrong. MJ could have reworked it during his BWT break, thus would indeed make 09/88 as the creation date of the deposited tape.

 

[Fuzball]

The way bruce swedien and other of MJ's collaborators talks about Messin Around makes me believe that there is another complete version of it. They have lauded it as being a masterpiece and a classic. Also there was some notes from the Dangerous Sessions in 91 one that read "Teddy, do overdubs on Messin Round"

I remember someone saying here DBMA was briefly reworked during history sessions. Probably it was also a candidate for Thriller25.

 

[dethorro]

The way bruce swedien and other of MJ's collaborators talks about Messin Around makes me believe that there is another complete version of it. They have lauded it as being a masterpiece and a classic. Also there was some notes from the Dangerous Sessions in 91 one that read "Teddy, do overdubs on Messin Round"

This is it, I believe:

So, it looks like Ghosts was written/recorded during the Dangerous sessions. (Edit: I just realised that the track may be Ghost Of Another Lover, not Ghosts).
Do we have any information on Call It Off and Verdict?
I find it funny how Michael wanted a better dance song than Janet's The Knowledge. :rofl: That one was one of his favourite Janet songs.

 

[Jackson Rules]

What does "MA & MJ duet" stand for on that note?