West Coast Connection Forum
DUBCC - Tha Connection => Outbound Connection => Topic started by: Sikotic™ on December 17, 2004, 04:59:57 PM
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http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041218/ap_en_mu/michael_jackson
Michael Jackson Greets Kids at Neverland
5 minutes ago
By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent
LOS OLIVOS, Calif. - An ebullient Michael Jackson (news) greeted about 200 children who were brought Friday to the fairy-tale theme park at his countryside ranch — and looked at one point like he might even stay to play.
"I hope you have a wonderful day. Merry Christmas. I love you," the pop singer called out from the driveway of his estate.
When one of the youngsters shouted, "We love you!" Jackson replied "I love you more" before putting an umbrella over his head and walking back toward his house.
In his brief appearance, Jackson smiled, waved and at one point looked as if he would come back and play with the children, but instead got into a vehicle that took him off the property.
Spokeswoman Raymone K. Bain said Jackson chose to make the unusual personal appearance as a surprise for the last group of children touring Neverland before the Christmas holiday.
Santa Barbara County authorities have charged Jackson, 46, with molesting a boy, conspiracy and administering an intoxicating agent, alcohol, to his alleged victim. His trial is set for next year.
Investigators have carried out raids at the ranch, and in a recent court filing that seeks to introduce evidence of other purported crimes that went uncharged, prosecutors described the estate as "a veritable paradise" for children.
Bain said charitable and civic groups bring children to Neverland at least three times a month; the estate contains streams, waterfalls and a lake, and the grounds are decorated with bronze statues of children at play.
On Friday, two elephants, a camel, a baby llama and flamingos were on hand. The estate provided lunch, candy canes, popcorn and a Santa Claus. The children could also play in a video arcade with unlimited games.
"Generally Mr. Jackson is not here all the time," Bain said. "There are events here daily. He wanted to surprise the kids. He has given his whole life to children and charities."
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funny
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There's plenty to learn from Michael, he has nothing to learn from the circumstances he's in. I don't blame him... as a matter of fact, I might step it up a little bit just to piss the media off when I get aquitted of all wrongdoing.... He should go down and volunteer at Big Brothers, Big Sisters or something, lol... file paperwork to adopt another child... announce plans to make an animated children's movie... I'd be doing all kinds of things like that, to show anyone and everyone I don't change my innocent lifestyle just because I'm accused of something taboo.
What would really be a shame is if Michael turned cold and stopped his philanthropic work with children's hospitals and schools in the urban areas around his home. He's done more charitable works in his lifetime then this entire board combined would be able to accomplish.
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What would really be a shame is if Michael turned cold and stopped his philanthropic work with children's hospitals and schools in the urban areas around his home. He's done more charitable works in his lifetime then this entire board combined would be able to accomplish.
I agree
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lol @ him not givin a shit ...and still lettin the kids on his lot...it proves...he didnt do it..anybody else would atleast tried to avoid the shit..hell when r.kelly got busted..he started id'in everybody that even looked fuckable
the i dont give fuck mike is slowly but showly comin out
im waitin on him to run a five on five t-shirt vs skin pick up game with the lil fuckaz...
propz to thriller
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There's plenty to learn from Michael, he has nothing to learn from the circumstances he's in. I don't blame him... as a matter of fact, I might step it up a little bit just to piss the media off when I get aquitted of all wrongdoing.... He should go down and volunteer at Big Brothers, Big Sisters or something, lol... file paperwork to adopt another child... announce plans to make an animated children's movie... I'd be doing all kinds of things like that, to show anyone and everyone I don't change my innocent lifestyle just because I'm accused of something taboo.
What would really be a shame is if Michael turned cold and stopped his philanthropic work with children's hospitals and schools in the urban areas around his home. He's done more charitable works in his lifetime then this entire board combined would be able to accomplish.
Co-sign! I've said that for a long time though ;)
lol @ him not givin a shit ...and still lettin the kids on his lot...it proves...he didnt do it..anybody else would atleast tried to avoid the shit..hell when r.kelly got busted..he started id'in everybody that even looked fuckable
the i dont give fuck mike is slowly but showly comin out
lol maybe he'll one day start rapping and diss the shit out of all his enemies ;D
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as long as his dick stays in his pants, and his barely legals stay hidden, let him play with the kids
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Da Brat claims that she worked with Michael on his Invincible album, and that they rapped a couple tracks together. Everyone associated with Michael verifies that it did happen, but the songs have never leaked. He also worked with Will Smith around that time too...
Plus, there's "DS" the song he recorded on history where he disses the same District Attorney that's prosecuting him right now. That's part of the reason the DA has been so vicious against Michael (trying to deny bail, etc.) because Michael dedicated an entire song to comparing the guy to the KKK and everything else.
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Da Brat claims that she worked with Michael on his Invincible album, and that they rapped a couple tracks together. Everyone associated with Michael verifies that it did happen, but the songs have never leaked. He also worked with Will Smith around that time too...
Plus, there's "DS" the song he recorded on history where he disses the same District Attorney that's prosecuting him right now. That's part of the reason the DA has been so vicious against Michael (trying to deny bail, etc.) because Michael dedicated an entire song to comparing the guy to the KKK and everything else.
That's some interesting stuff, lol ;D It's a shame we've never heard him try rapping, could be interesting. At least he'll be better than what we've heard from Britney rapping ;D
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Well, 'we' haven't heard Britney rapping, lol... I wouldn't even attempt to listen to anything like that. A lot of Michael's music is similar to rap, just a little slower. I think he could do it, the guys more talented then probably any musician alive.
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Isnt it true that he turned down a neptunes beat for his album that flopped? lol
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Isnt it true that he turned down a neptunes beat for his album that flopped? lol
i think it is. didnt justin timberlake get them?
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I think he could do it, the guys more talented then probably any musician alive.
Quincy Jones wrote thriller, and everything Michael has put out other then that has been average
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*sigh Quincy Jones didn't write shit. He doesn't write.
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ok he didn't "write" it, he produced it. he had the vision for the final outcome of the songs.
michael is an entertainer, not a musician
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::)well let's see,
for Thriller Michael wrote and produced:
- Wanna be startin' somethin'
- The girl is mine
- Beat it
- Billie Jean
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MJ's verses on Tabloid Junkie are pretty much rap.. Keak Da Sneak style
I think he could be a really dope rapper
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^cosign, he will have this smooth crazy flow
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fuck michael jackson, he needs to be locked up
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That song called "Money" he raps in, too, in a real soft voice.
Money
Money
Lie for it
Spy for it
Kill for it
Die for it
So you call it trust
But I say it's just
In the devil's game
Of greed and lust
They don't care
They'd do me for the money
They don't care
They use me for the money
So you go to church
Read the holy word
In the scheme of life
It's all absurd
They don't care
They'd kill for the money
Do or dare
The thrill for the money
You're saluting the flag
Your country trusts you
Now you're wearing a badge
You're called the "Just Few"
And you're fighting the wars
A soldier must do
I'll never betray or deceive you my friend but...
If you show me the cash
Then I will take it
If you tell me to cry
Then I will fake it
If you give me a hand
Then I will shake it
You do anything for money...
Anything (singing now)
Anything
Anything for money
Would lie for you
Would die for you
Even sell my soul to the devil
Anything
Anything
Anything for money
Would lie for you
Would die for you
Even sell my soul to the devil
Insurance?
Where do your loyalties lie?
Is that your alibi?
I don't think so
You don't care
You'd do her for the money
Say it's fair
You sue her for the money
Want your pot of gold
Need the Midas touch
Bet you sell your soul
Cuz your God is such
You don't care
You kill for the money
Do or dare
The thrill for the money
Are you infected with the same disease of lust, gluttoney and greed?
Then watch the ones
With the biggest smiles
The idle jabbers...
Cuz they're the backstabbers
If you know it's a lie
Then you will swear it
If you give it with guilt
Then you will bear it
If it's taking a chance
Then you will dare it
You do anything for money...
Anything
Anything
Anything for money
Would lie for you
Would die for you
Even sell my soul to the devil
Anything
Anything
Anything for money
Would lie for you
Would die for you
Even sell my soul to the devil
Anything
Anything
Anything for money
Would lie for you
Would die for you
Even sell my soul to the devil
Anything
Anything
Anything for money
Would lie for you
Would die for you
Even sell my soul to the devil
You say you wouldn't do it
For all the money in the world
I don't think so
If you show me the man
Then I will sell him
If you ask me to lie
Then I will tell him
If you're stealing with God
Then you will hell him
You do anything for money
Anything
Anything
Anything for money
Would lie for you
Would die for you
Even sell my soul to the devil
(Repeat 8 times)
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Well, 'we' haven't heard Britney rapping, lol... I wouldn't even attempt to listen to anything like that. A lot of Michael's music is similar to rap, just a little slower. I think he could do it, the guys more talented then probably any musician alive.
Am I the only one who heard Britney "bust" a freestyle with Busta Rhymes on MTV like... almost a year ago? The wackiest freestyle ever heard lol, her flow is bollox but it was a good laugh ;D
And about Michael... I wonder where's it going wrong with his career at the moment because it's true that he's probably the most talented out there. He needs to stay somehow keep track of the evolutions in music and do his own thing, 2004/2005 style. I could just see him doing a song with Jadakiss, and it wouldn't be bad.
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I think he could do it, the guys more talented then probably any musician alive.
Quincy Jones wrote thriller, and everything Michael has put out other then that has been average
It wasn't Quincy it was Rod Temperton. Temperton also wrote 'Rock With You', 'Baby Be Mine', 'The Lady In My Life' and 'Off The Wall' for MJ albums. By write I mean he wrote the lyrics and composed the music. Quicy produced them with help from Jackson and they basically chose the instruments and the tone (stuff like that). The core of these songs were done by Temperton.
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I think he could be a really dope rapper
funny
Funny
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Well, 'we' haven't heard Britney rapping, lol... I wouldn't even attempt to listen to anything like that. A lot of Michael's music is similar to rap, just a little slower. I think he could do it, the guys more talented then probably any musician alive.
Am I the only one who heard Britney "bust" a freestyle with Busta Rhymes on MTV like... almost a year ago? The wackiest freestyle ever heard lol, her flow is bollox but it was a good laugh ;D
And about Michael... I wonder where's it going wrong with his career at the moment because it's true that he's probably the most talented out there. He needs to stay somehow keep track of the evolutions in music and do his own thing, 2004/2005 style. I could just see him doing a song with Jadakiss, and it wouldn't be bad.
Michaels problem, in my opinion, is that he doesn't have the right people around him. He's out of touch with the real world. He keeps hiring the wrong people, from management all the way down to producers. He's extremely talented, but he needs someone to tell him "no, Michael, we don't need a children's choir and a 190 piece orchestra on this song, it's overproduced"... or "Michael, you've cried in 20 records already, just sing this one straight", or "Michael, if you called Beyonce I'm sure she'd be glad to have you sing a duet with her on her new album, it would be great for your career". He needs someone around him that isn't just a yes man.
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all charges ARE GONNA GET DROPPED I can se it already
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Well, 'we' haven't heard Britney rapping, lol... I wouldn't even attempt to listen to anything like that. A lot of Michael's music is similar to rap, just a little slower. I think he could do it, the guys more talented then probably any musician alive.
Am I the only one who heard Britney "bust" a freestyle with Busta Rhymes on MTV like... almost a year ago? The wackiest freestyle ever heard lol, her flow is bollox but it was a good laugh ;D
And about Michael... I wonder where's it going wrong with his career at the moment because it's true that he's probably the most talented out there. He needs to stay somehow keep track of the evolutions in music and do his own thing, 2004/2005 style. I could just see him doing a song with Jadakiss, and it wouldn't be bad.
Michaels problem, in my opinion, is that he doesn't have the right people around him. He's out of touch with the real world. He keeps hiring the wrong people, from management all the way down to producers. He's extremely talented, but he needs someone to tell him "no, Michael, we don't need a children's choir and a 190 piece orchestra on this song, it's overproduced"... or "Michael, you've cried in 20 records already, just sing this one straight", or "Michael, if you called Beyonce I'm sure she'd be glad to have you sing a duet with her on her new album, it would be great for your career". He needs someone around him that isn't just a yes man.
Well since I have no idea what really goes on in the studio I won't say you're absolutely right, but this is probably what's going on. He might purposely not care how his music is received and just release it the way he wants to, but I could see you being right here. In the beginning he had Quincy and Sony making sure everything he did was great for business and business first. Whether it was Quincy picking the right songs or Sony making sure Rick James and Price didn't get as much air time on MTV as they could have gotten. Michael's career was protected and promoted to extremes. Now Sony doesn't intervene as much as guiding him because they probably see him as a lost cause who could never go back to what he was in the public eye.
Personally I think it's time he dropped the act. He should start talking and singing in his real voice, and paint the whites parts of his skin the same color as his real skin tone (and if they saved his real nose I wouldn't mind seeing it put back in place). He should come out with some more mature records and really explore his talents both musically and lyrically. He won't sell as much as he did in the 80s, but he'd get his cred back and we'd probably here some really good music. I wouldn't recommend Beyonce since she's more for the younger crowd and pushed to be bigger than she really is. Alicia Keys or Norah Jones would make a nice "grown up" duet and I'd take out all the digital shit. Give Mike a 4 or 5 piece band and let him shine. This Peter Pan complex he's got going on is either an act that needs to be given the boot or a problem he needs to resolve because it isn't going to work. If it's an act then it's just plain stupid. If it's real, which I highly doubt, then a grown man who thinks he's a child has no business raising children. He an still help kids with out being eccentric. Steven Seagal has given millions of dollars and spent countless of hours with sick children. No one has ever accused him of molesting them. Why? Because no one knows he does it. Mike makes it a spectacle and attracts attention to it. Well, with e good attention comes the bad attention.
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How old are you? Just curious... because you have this whole pretentious vibe that reminds me of myself when I was about 16.
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How old are you? Just curious... because you have this whole pretentious vibe that reminds me of myself when I was about 16.
Wasn't I agreeing with you? I may have had slightly different views on what he should be doing with his career, but for the most part we were on the same page. I was hardly trying to express my way as the better way. I would just rather hear a mid 40s man write lyrics and music that suit his age, instead of doing songs with Beyonce and others like her. It would make him look like a guy desperate to get back in the pop scene. To an extent so would dueting with Alicia Keys, but Norah Jones would fit. I'd say Mariah or Whitney would too but that would just appear like the insane people are getting together and would not be good for business.
To answer your question, I'm 22. I do how ever find it funny that you claim to have had a pretentious vibe at 16 implying that it isn't with you now. I just form opinions and state them. Sometimes I try and show other perspectives. You on the other hand take the false authority role.
I bash Michael, you insult me. I praise Michael's abilities, you still insult me.
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^ I don't hand out opinions on people based on whether we agree or not, I just gave you my honest opinion of your posts, I didn't say you were disagreeing with me or anything.
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I agree with both Trauma and Shallow.
Im probably the biggest MJ fan you'll find and I also believe that Mike needs to quit with all the eccentric acts and just get back to doing great music again. A duet with Alicia Keys would be great in my opinion. Honestly speaking MJ will never be as big as he was during the "Thriller" era because that's a once in a lifetime thing. But i do believe that with the right people around he can put out an excellent album that will prove to the haters that he's still got it.
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I think he could be a really dope rapper
funny
Funny
Funny it is. MJ Rapping... ;D Honestly, I think the music he's done is great, but him rapping? Come on...
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^ I don't hand out opinions on people based on whether we agree or not, I just gave you my honest opinion of your posts, I didn't say you were disagreeing with me or anything.
Yes, but your remark to my post could have just easily been in respond to yours. Your post was just as if not more pretentious than mine.
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Well, that's your opinion, and I told you mine. Merry Christmas!
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doesn'tsnt sell because of his image. To sell huge amounts in todays word its all down to image. Youngsters who buy albums and push them to multi platinum sales see Michael as a strange guy who is accused of molesting children. That don't sell records. Todays music buying public don't see him as a guy who changed music and is basically a living legend.
I personally thought invincible was a great album but it wasn't promoted correctly, compare it to say Alicia keys album with similar ballads and slow songs. That album was met by the media as a great album and sold well, MJ releases an album just as good, even better but is slated in the press. Basically because the press hate him.People read these reviews and wont buy the album.
I would love to see MJ sell huge amounts again but sadly i cant see it happening.
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Well, that's your opinion, and I told you mine. Merry Christmas!
and Happy New Year!"
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doesn'tsnt sell because of his image. To sell huge amounts in todays word its all down to image. Youngsters who buy albums and push them to multi platinum sales see Michael as a strange guy who is accused of molesting children. That don't sell records. Todays music buying public don't see him as a guy who changed music and is basically a living legend.
I personally thought invincible was a great album but it wasn't promoted correctly, compare it to say Alicia keys album with similar ballads and slow songs. That album was met by the media as a great album and sold well, MJ releases an album just as good, even better but is slated in the press. Basically because the press hate him.People read these reviews and wont buy the album.
I would love to see MJ sell huge amounts again but sadly i cant see it happening.
I dunno what people are expecting, he sold 2 mill in a couple months, that's good by anybody's standards. I think the album did like 8 mill around the world last I heard, it's impossible to sell 50 million like Thriller did with illegal downloads now. I think it was a successful album.
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It also doesn't help that albums cost between two and three times more than they did in the early 80s. I had bought my first Thriller for 5.99 Canadian in '87. It as billed at around 4.99 in the states. I bough Born in The USA for 5 bucks in Buffalo. If either were 15 dollars I would not have bought them. And it's not like the economy has skyrocketed since then. In the Reagan years everything was booming until the crash and even then it was like it never happened.
Jackson will always do a few platinum world wide because of his fan base. Same goes for Em or Madonna if she took a long hiatus. The problem with the MJ Cd is that it cost so much to make and promote. I don't think it broke even, and that was the problem. I mean look at the first video. Brando, Tucker and Madsen don't come cheap. Then after bad initial sales he wanted Mel Gibson to star in a video and bring in some more big name directors. I do not blame Sony for cancelling promotion. It would have been very stupid to spend more money.
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Well, 'we' haven't heard Britney rapping, lol... I wouldn't even attempt to listen to anything like that. A lot of Michael's music is similar to rap, just a little slower. I think he could do it, the guys more talented then probably any musician alive.
Am I the only one who heard Britney "bust" a freestyle with Busta Rhymes on MTV like... almost a year ago? The wackiest freestyle ever heard lol, her flow is bollox but it was a good laugh ;D
And about Michael... I wonder where's it going wrong with his career at the moment because it's true that he's probably the most talented out there. He needs to stay somehow keep track of the evolutions in music and do his own thing, 2004/2005 style. I could just see him doing a song with Jadakiss, and it wouldn't be bad.
Michaels problem, in my opinion, is that he doesn't have the right people around him. He's out of touch with the real world. He keeps hiring the wrong people, from management all the way down to producers. He's extremely talented, but he needs someone to tell him "no, Michael, we don't need a children's choir and a 190 piece orchestra on this song, it's overproduced"... or "Michael, you've cried in 20 records already, just sing this one straight", or "Michael, if you called Beyonce I'm sure she'd be glad to have you sing a duet with her on her new album, it would be great for your career". He needs someone around him that isn't just a yes man.
Thats very true, I recently read an article in the Vancouver Sun about this Canadian person who used to work for Michael Jackson, I believe he was hired right before the Bashir documentry. He basically said that Mike is a nice guy but he surrounds him self with the wrong people and is out of touch with reality. People around him are just yes-men and do whatever he wants. He also said that Michael would always tell everyone to bring him "good news" and he never wanted to hear the bad news. He seriously thought that Michael Jackson actually has little or no idea about how the world and the media really view him, because he simply doesn't want to hear it, he just wants to hear good news. Oh and he quit his job, the main reason was that after the N.O.I got involved Michael went a little weird and beleived everything they said. They had basically convinced him that his room was bugged and would tell him to get these "jews" out of the room and they can't be trusted (some of his employees) and some white devil crap. This is what he said, not me by the way, and I think he's going to write a book about it or something. So yeah, although I personally think that hes should keep doing many of the same things (like invite kids over to neverland etc), he should also accept reality instead of running away from it. Hire some real honest unbiased people, find out what's really going on and try to embrace this whole thing with a more mature and clear perspective.
-b[X]
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It also doesn't help that albums cost between two and three times more than they did in the early 80s. I had bought my first Thriller for 5.99 Canadian in '87. It as billed at around 4.99 in the states. I bough Born in The USA for 5 bucks in Buffalo. If either were 15 dollars I would not have bought them. And it's not like the economy has skyrocketed since then. In the Reagan years everything was booming until the crash and even then it was like it never happened.
Jackson will always do a few platinum world wide because of his fan base. Same goes for Em or Madonna if she took a long hiatus. The problem with the MJ Cd is that it cost so much to make and promote. I don't think it broke even, and that was the problem. I mean look at the first video. Brando, Tucker and Madsen don't come cheap. Then after bad initial sales he wanted Mel Gibson to star in a video and bring in some more big name directors. I do not blame Sony for cancelling promotion. It would have been very stupid to spend more money.
Again, you're talking about something you dont' know about. Michael footed the bill for the CD, Sony didn't pay 1 penny to produce it, Michael paid for all of it out of his own pocket. He owns the masters to all his music, and as a stipulation of that agreement, pays to have the records recorded on his own. Why else do you think it cost 50 million to record? Sony never would have spent that much.
The real reason Sony isn't promoting Michael? So he'll default on his loan leveraged against the Beatles catalog, and the ATV catalog he owns half of. It kills Sony that they were stupid enough to sign a deal, giving Michael ownership of half of their LIVING catalog! Something like 8 of the top 10 country songs this year were all part of Sony/Atv publishing, which Michael owns half of. In their greed to get a portion of his Beatles catalog, they signed away the farm, and now they're resorting to sabotaging his career, so he won't be able to pay them back a 200 mill. loan he took out a few years back, and they'll be able to reclaim their catalog as payment. THAT'S why Sony isn't promoting anything he does. They contractually were obligated to release a box set, and a greatest hits album, so they did both with little promotion. Unfortunately for them, his greatest hits album has been a huge success around the world, and he'll likely be able to pay the loan off when it's due in 2005.
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It also doesn't help that albums cost between two and three times more than they did in the early 80s. I had bought my first Thriller for 5.99 Canadian in '87. It as billed at around 4.99 in the states. I bough Born in The USA for 5 bucks in Buffalo. If either were 15 dollars I would not have bought them. And it's not like the economy has skyrocketed since then. In the Reagan years everything was booming until the crash and even then it was like it never happened.
Jackson will always do a few platinum world wide because of his fan base. Same goes for Em or Madonna if she took a long hiatus. The problem with the MJ Cd is that it cost so much to make and promote. I don't think it broke even, and that was the problem. I mean look at the first video. Brando, Tucker and Madsen don't come cheap. Then after bad initial sales he wanted Mel Gibson to star in a video and bring in some more big name directors. I do not blame Sony for cancelling promotion. It would have been very stupid to spend more money.
Again, you're talking about something you dont' know about. Michael footed the bill for the CD, Sony didn't pay 1 penny to produce it, Michael paid for all of it out of his own pocket. He owns the masters to all his music, and as a stipulation of that agreement, pays to have the records recorded on his own. Why else do you think it cost 50 million to record? Sony never would have spent that much.
The real reason Sony isn't promoting Michael? So he'll default on his loan leveraged against the Beatles catalog, and the ATV catalog he owns half of. It kills Sony that they were stupid enough to sign a deal, giving Michael ownership of half of their LIVING catalog! Something like 8 of the top 10 country songs this year were all part of Sony/Atv publishing, which Michael owns half of. In their greed to get a portion of his Beatles catalog, they signed away the farm, and now they're resorting to sabotaging his career, so he won't be able to pay them back a 200 mill. loan he took out a few years back, and they'll be able to reclaim their catalog as payment. THAT'S why Sony isn't promoting anything he does. They contractually were obligated to release a box set, and a greatest hits album, so they did both with little promotion. Unfortunately for them, his greatest hits album has been a huge success around the world, and he'll likely be able to pay the loan off when it's due in 2005.
So was it Sony's money paying for promotion or was it Michael's? Since Michael complained Sony was sabotaging him I think it was Sony's. Videos are included in promotion and Mike always spends too much on that. Mike really spent 50 mil to erecord? What an idiot. Why would it posibly cost that much? Mike really goes insane with this shit. Jack White pulls out 5 star albums in a weekend using equipment from the 60s, I'd like to think Mike can tone it down at least a bit.
Now lets do the math here and go back and figure it all out. Let's say you were correct in saying it sold 8 million world wide even though I think that's a bit high. 8 million times the overhead of artist and record company combined which goes about as hiogh as 4 dollars. So 8 times 4 equals 32 million. Already it's a 18 million dollar loss. Now when we add all the costs outside of recording, then who knows how much this thing really did lose. There was nothing Sony could do to make this a hit since it would have meant it would have to have gone 15 to 20 platinum just to turn a profit. Bad and Dangerous couldn't do that so how could Invincible? Jesus Christ himself couldn't have gotten that many people to buy Invincible. When the public rejects something you can't do much else. The MTV crowd didn't want to see the 10 minute video so MTV was forced to bump it off rotation. Michael has to realize he can't buy back hiss success. Will he ever be big time a gain? Who knows? but one thing is for sure, he isn't big time right now. He should learn to make money outside of record selling. Touring is always an option and it makes a lot more than record sales.
The bottom line is that Invincible was a failure.
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Michael spent 50 million of his own money to make the album. It was a quality album, certainly (I think you'll even agree) much better quality than most R&B albums produced today, many songs had the potential to be a hit, and to be a single. Michael's previous albums had had many singles released from them, pushing sales. Dangerous alone had what, "Dangerous", "Black Or White", "Heal The World", "Remember the Time", "Jam", "Will you Be There", "Who is It?", and "Give Into Me" released as singles, with full videos. This is how Michael Jackson is accustomed to working.
History was a DOUBLE album, and still sold very well. It had videos for "Scream", "You Are Not Alone", "Earth Song", "Come Together" (an old video), "Stranger In Moscow", "They Don't Care About Us", and "Childhood". That's 6 new videos and one old one released.
Along comes Invincible, Sony releases 1 video, and pulls the plug on the album.
If you don't see that as innapropriate, I dunno what the fuck is wrong with you. A significant part of Michael's gig is making expansive music videos, with famous directors and actors and such, like he's always done, and then mounting a huge world tour... this is how the Michael Jackson machine works. Sony shut it down as soon as the album was released (the video was shot before the album launch date).
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Oh, by the way, the same thing happened to Mariah Carey, after her divorce from Sony president Tommy Motolla. After the same happened to Michael, Michael bitched so much, Sony's shareholders fired Motolla. This is huge stuff, it's not just Michael got fucked, it's more like Michael owns half the company and got fucked, so now he's fucking back.
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But Dangerous and and Bad were initial hits, and even I bet they didn't make much money thanks to super high production costs. Bad made a lot of money because of the tour but that had a lot to do with the tour and the fact that he never had a big tour for Thriller. Dangerous probably didn't make that much in the end due to how much it cost for videos and such. I never liked big budget shit in any form of media. Look at movies like Water World and Alexander. They spend all these hundreds of million and only make back a fraction of what it cost. Then you take movies like Passion of the Christ or Blair Witch and you break even in the first weekend. That's how you do business. The shit MJ and Sony were doing was basically getting a name out there for nothing. I wouldn't be surprised if Sony made more money from Born in the USA than they did from Thriller.
Sure one is 25 million copies and the other is 50 million, but the 50 million copy album cost millions to make and millions to promote. It also cost money to bring in an outside song writer, and outside big name producer. Let's not even get into the Thriller video and how much that must've cost. Bruce had his band, his manager and a no-name co producer. He had generic backing vocalists and videos that can be done on today's camcorders. That's good business.
As for Invincible; well compared to other recent RnB albums I guess it is pretty good, but that doesn't mean it good and certainly not great. I liked the first single and felt it stood up with his other singles. I only really like a handful of songs; Unbreakable, Invincible, Break Of Dawn (sort of), Speechless, The Lost Children, and the single. 2000 Watts I liked at first but grew tired of it quickly. I can't imagine Sony promoting more of it and turning a profit. At best this album could matched Dangerous sales. So at best we add what 7 to 8 million more records sold? That only leads to about 30 mil, which would be more than spent up on promoting the 5 or 6 more videos you'd want to see. I wouldn't have spent the money and neither would you, unless you wanted to lose your job. Sometimes you just have to cut your losses. Sure you have to spend money to make money, but when you spend more than you make you're just plain stupid.
I'm sorry did you say Mike owns have the company and now he's fucking back? Give me a break. Michael could never even bruise Sony. Sony makes more in a fiscal quarter than Michael has made in his career. TV, DVDs, CDs (Sony owns the rights to every CD ever made). Mike owns part of a Beatles catalog, big deal. Sony Playstation made way more money than the Beatles. Sony is a conglomerate. Nothing Michael Jackson could ever do will change that.