Saturday, October 31, 2009

แสนเสียดาย This Is It

This Is It เป็นเบื้องหลังที่ทีมงานของไมเคิล แจ็คสันถ่ายทำไว้ระหว่างซ้อมคอนเสิร์ต ที่กำหนดจะจัดขึ้นในปี 2009 นี้ ่น่าเสียดายที่ไมเคิล แจ็คสันเสียชีวิตไปเสียก่อน

เรื่องราวเบื้องหลังที่นำเสนอทั้งหมด ทำให้เห็นถึงการทำงานแบบทุ่มเทของทีมงาน โดยเฉพาะตัวไมเคิลเอง เปิดนำด้วยบทสัมภาษณ์ของแดนเซอร์ที่ถูกคัดเลือกให้ร่วมแสดงในคอนเสิร์ตครั้งนี้ ได้เห็นการคัดตัวแดนเซอร์จำนวนหลายร้อยคนที่มาจากหลากหลายประเทศ แต่สุดท้ายที่ได้รับเลือกจริงๆ แค่ 10 คนเท่านั้นเอง

หลังจากนั้นก็จะเป็นเรื่องราวเกี่ยวกับเพลงแต่ละเพลง ตั้งแต่การเตรียม MV ประกอบสำหรับบางเพลง การเตรียมนักดนตรี จังหวะการร้องการเต้น จังหวะของเอฟเฟ็คต่างๆ โดยไมเคิลจะเน้นการซ้อมทุกเรื่องแบบเป๊ะๆ แทบไม่ให้อะไรหลุดจาก concept ที่ตัวเองต้องการ ดูแล้วเหมือนคนที่จู้จี้กับทุกๆ เรื่อง แต่แปลกที่ไม่่รู้สึกรำคาญ กลับรู้สึกชื่นชมเอามากๆ ว่าคนอะไรไม่รู้ ทำไมถึงเข้าถึงอารมณ์ดนตรีได้ลึกซึ้งแบบนั้น และสิ่งที่เขาพูดย้ำอยู่เสมอเวลาที่งานไม่ได้ดังใจคือ “ผมติเพื่อก่อนะ” และ “เราถึงต้องซ้อมและซ้อมยังไงล่ะ”

ยิ่งดูยิ่งเสียดายว่างานที่เตรียมอย่างดีขนาดนี้ กลับไม่มีโอกาสนำเสนอต่อสายตาคนดูอย่างที่เขาหวังและตั้งใจไว้ ในเรื่องของการร้องเพลงต้องบอกว่า “ไมเคิลยอดเยี่ยมที่สุด” เพลงเร็วก็สนุกจนแทบอยากลุกไปเต้นตาม ส่วนเพลงช้าก็เพราะเหลือใจ โดยเฉพาะเพลง You are not alone และ Earth song

ในการร้องเพลง Earth song ทางทีมงานได้เตรียม MV ประกอบว่าด้วยเรื่องของการอนุรักษ์ป่าและสิ่งแวดล้อม มีคำพูดของไมเคิลช่วงหนึ่งน่าสนใจ เขาบอกว่า ทุกวันนี้เวลาเราพูดถึงปัญหาสิ่งแวดล้อม เรามักจะลงเอยด้วยคำพูดที่ว่า เดี๋ยวรัฐบาลก็เข้ามาดูแลเองแหละ หรือ เดี๋ยวเขาก็จะเข้าไปแก้ปัญหาเองแหละ ไมเคิลบอกว่า “เขา” น่ะใคร มันน่าจะเป็น “เรา” มากกว่า เพราะปัญหาทุกอย่างที่เกิดขึ้นบนโลกใบนี้ล้วนเกิดขึ้นด้วยน้ำมือของ “เรา” ถ้า “เรา” ไม่ช่วยกันแก้ไข แล้วใคร (เขา) จะเป็นคนแก้ (เป็นคำพูดที่ถูกใจมาก)

และด้วยความที่ผู้เขียนเป็นผู้หญิง จึงอดชื่นชมสาวๆ ที่จะร่วมขึ้นคอนเสิร์ตกับไมเคิลไม่ได้ ไม่ว่าจะเป็นมือกีตาร์ corus และสองแดนเซอร์สาว (หุ่นสุด perfect) คิดว่าช่างเป็นผู้หญิงที่ “เจ๋ง” จังเลย ที่มีโอกาสได้ร่วมงานกับนักร้องระดับโลกแบบนี้ เสียดาย…เสียดาย…อีกหลายๆ ครั้ง ที่ไม่มีโอกาสได้ชมคอนเสิร์ตจริง

ยังไงก็ตาม…ในโลกของความเป็นจริง ไมเคิลก็จากไปแล้ว นอกจากคำพูดว่า This Is It แล้ว ยังมีคำพูดอีกคำหนึ่งที่เขาฝากไว้ นั่นคือ ไม่ว่าอะไรจะเกิดขึ้น “ความรักเท่านั้นที่จะคงอยู่ชั่วนิจนิรันดร์” (Love lives forever)

ขอให้พระคุ้มครองค่ะ…

Salon NOTEBOOK: About Legacy

Salon NOTEBOOK: About Legacy, October 26, 2009
by Zachary Whittenburg

Three passages this summer darkened careers in dance that were guiding lights for artists the world over. Palliating the loss and making sense of their absence, thankfully, is the sizable legion of collaborators, students and scholars each was surrounded by – at the Museum of Contemporary Art, representatives of this group offered insight and remembrance for those curious and concerned about life without Merce Cunningham, Pina Bausch or Michael Jackson. Click here to read the entire article at www.chicagodancemakers.org

 

Thursday, October 29, 2009

"This Is It" arrecada U$ 2,2 milhões em primeira noite nos EUA

‘This Is iT’ filme que conta os bastidores daquele que seria o grande retorno de Michael Jackson aos palcos arrecadou em suas primeiras horas de exibição, nos EUA ,cerca de U$ 2,2 milhões . Na segunda noite, os números dobraram, US 4,4 milhões.

O filme estreiou em 99 países e se expande para 110 territórios em todo o mundo neste fim de semana. Na noite de terça-feira, a Sony Pictures e Sony Music realizaram 18 preems quase simultânea em todo o mundo.

Assim, a Sony começa a ver o retono dos 60 milhões de dólares que pagou pelos direitos de distribuição da produção e mais de 100 horas de filmagem.

Abaixo, o horário das  sessões de This Is It em algumas cidades brasileiras:

  • São Paulo
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Brasília
  • Curitiba
  • Belo Horizonte
  • Porto Alegre
  • Recife
  • Manaus

Leia Mais

  • Rei do pop no MTV Music Awards 2009

Adriana Chaves

JUKEBOX OF THE DEAD "FAME" PODCAST - Episode V : This is It

My head is pounding as I write this… I’m not sure what’s happening to me. I have a new aversion to sunlight and have a desperate need for air.

I sleep inside of an oxygen tank now. Little children are afraid of me.

It’s almost getting to that… point. Where I feel like… I feel like this is… this is really it…

EPISODE 1 – NEVERLAND
EPISODE 2 – HERE’S JOHNNY!
EPISODE 3 – THE MAN IN THE MIRROR
EPISODE 4 – THE CHOICE OF A NEW GENERATION
EPISODE 5 – THIS IS IT (new this week)

See you on Saturday. I hope.

Pray for me.

***

If you missed it the first time, catch Steve Damien’s expansive Retrospective on the 13-year history of Detholz! which answers burning questions like, “what is the VORTECS Corporation?” And, “what the heck is ‘Behold the Man’ about?” If you find yourself nagged by questions like this, then this is the show for you :

Click here to download Steve Damien’s 2009 Retrospective on Detholz!

And remember to tune into http://www.wluw.org every Tuesday at 10 AM for the Retrospective! Or download episodes any time at
http://www.ilike.com/artist/Retrospective
Also:

Beware – take care! Beware… It’s TAPEBOX OF THE DEAD – the definitive Detholz! Halloween collection on two cassettes, featuring an array of unreleased material – is now available for online order from our pals at Plustapes! Visit http;//www.plustapes.com to order!

And now, for a word from our sponsor:

Detholz! are pleased to announce the 10th Anniversary Halloween Jukebox of the Dead cover show has been confirmed. Buy tickets early and often as this show usually sells out. And, for all of you younger, sprightlier Detholz! fans, the show is 18 and up!

DETHOLZ! present:
JUKEBOX OF THE DEAD X
“FAME”
w/special guests BOBBY CONN & THE LOTO BALL SHOW with DJ sets by ONLY CHILDREN!
October 31, 2009
Lincoln Hall
2424 Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL
TICKETS ON SALE NOW @ http://www.lincolnhallchicago.com !

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Dancefloor Black Magic

In homage to all you ghastly and ghoulish party ponies, Blurrb has shortlisted our favourite 10 tracks to inspire murder on the dancefloor this All Hallow’s Eve.  Enjoy the countdown with some black magic techno voodoo, disco gorefests, eerie rhythms and macabre beats, creepy house, a dash of comedy-horror and some slightly disconcerting,off-kilter action….

Just A Spoonful - Voodeux

Zombie – Methusalem

Tenebre - Goblin

Suspiria – Goblin

Horror Disco – Bottin

Thriller – Hindi Version….!

Evil Woman - Electric Light Orchestra

Lost Again – Yello (Greg Wilson Remix)


Warriors Theme – Les Edits Du Golem


Hurt – Teifschwarz feat. Seth Troxler (Jamie Jones Remix)


DJ Jazzy Jeff & Michael Jackson-He's the King, I'm the DJ (mixtape)

“After Mike passed, I really started digging, and I found a bunch of stuff that I didn’t know Mike had, especially with the Jackson 5,” Jeff told MTV News. “He had a whole bunch of albums that go completely past people. I think people just go for [popular songs like] ‘I Want You Back,’ ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’ — and there was a bunch of obscure albums that all had really good stuff on them. Then it was hard, because I wanted to keep it one CD and not make it a Mike anthology. I wanted to just make it something that was entertaining, that you could just play from the beginning to end.”

The 49-song mixtape is sponsored by Undcrwrn apparel and will be available for free download on their site starting Monday (October 26), on the eve of premiere of the concert documentary, “Michael Jackson’s This Is It.” The mixtape cover, featuring an illustrated take on Jeff and Smith’s album He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper, is also printed on a T-shirt from Udrcrwn, retailing for $32.

Jeff said he was inspired to do the mixtape after fellow DJ Mick Boogie suggested putting his playlist together as a proper release.

“I did it exactly as I would play it out live,” Jeff explained. “I kind of wanted to give a feel like you heard it in a club. I didn’t necessarily want to go in a certain order, ’cause everybody in the world plays certain Michael Jackson songs. And I wanted to play songs that not everyone plays, play some obscure album cuts. And if you listen to it, I have some a capella and versions of songs that not everyone had heard. So, I kind of wanted to mix it up and keep people off guard. Just give them an example of all that Michael was like.”

The set features a range of MJ music, from classics like “Human Nature” and “Billie Jean” to not-so-familiar remixes, including a Pete Rock take on the Jackson 5’s “2-4-6-8,” featuring CL Smooth, and mix of “Rock With You,” featuring Fela Kuti.

“He just has a lot of good songs,” Jeff said. “That’s what I really wanted to focus on. You can go to any club in the world and hear ‘Billie Jean,’ you can hear ‘Beat It,’ you can hear ‘Wanna Be Starting Something’ — those are his main staples that an Eskimo in Alaska knows.”

 

RIP to the greatest entertainer ever. Be on the lookout for the official T-shirt from UndrCrwn. Download below

DJ Jazzy Jeff & Michael Jackson-He’s the King, I’m the DJ (mixtape)

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Thriller! Over 6000 Michael Jackson Fans Attempt World Record At LA Live In Los Angeles

L.A. LIVE (October 24, 2009) – Over 6,000 enthusiastic and mostly made-up and costumed fans converged upon Nokia Plaza L.A. LIVE at 5:30 PM tonight to participate in a world record attempt for most people simultaneously dancing the Thriller routine.
 
Inspired by the upcoming release on Wednesday, October 28 of the feature film “Michael Jackson’s This Is It,” hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide are expected to have participated in this attempt to pay tribute to the King of Pop Michael Jackson and his iconic dance featured on the Thriller video.
 
Thousands of the participants at L.A. LIVE wore a specially created event t-shirt designed and distributed free to all fans on-hand by event sponsor TapouT.  Fans also have the opportunity to purchase the official shirt at TapouT.com with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the City of Hope.  The event was also sponsored by Clear Channel Radio Los Angeles which include stations, 102.7 KIIS-FM, 104.3 MYfm, Hot 92.3 and KOST 103.5 FM and hosted by a variety of their most popular on-air personalities and featured performances by popular recording artists Beach Girls 5.
 
Nokia Plaza L.A. LIVE made perfect sense to be the west coast headquarters for the stunt as it was across the street at STAPLES Center where Jackson rehearsed the final time before his untimely passing.  It was also at STAPLES Center where the globally broadcast memorial tribute to Jackson was held on July 7.
 
The world premiere of “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” will take place at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE this Tuesday, October 27th at 6:00 PM with the first public showings of This Is It taking place on all 14 screens of the new Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14 theatre beginning at 9:00 also on the 27th.

BEYONCE, MAXWELL AND KERI HILSON LEADS SOUL TRAIN NOMINATIONS....

Chaka Khan via last.fm

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) – With four nominations each, Beyonce,Keri Hilson and Maxwell head the list of nominees for the Soul Train Awards.

The awards ceremony, hosted by actors Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, will be the first special aired on BET’s recently launched CENTRIC Network.

Taping November 3 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, the “CENTRIC Presents: 2009 Soul Train Awards” will premiere on both CENTRIC and BET in a special simulcast on November 29 at 9 p.m.

In addition to awards presented in various categories, the show will salute the careers of Chaka Khan, Charlie Wilson, Antonio “L.A.” Reed and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. The Soul Train Awards will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of Motown Records and honor the late Michael Jackson with the Entertainer of the YearAward.

Scheduled performers include Toni Braxton, Trey Songz, Chrisette Michelle, Ledisi and Melanie Fiona.

Courtesy of Reuters

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Tribut adus lui Michael Jackson

Filmul “Michael Jackson Asta-i tot” promite sa dezvaluie portretul intim al Regelui muzicii pop Michael Jackson, asa cum nu a fost cunoscut niciodata de catre fani. Filmul va oferi fanilor lui Michael Jackson si iubitorilor de muzica din lumea intreaga o rara perspectiva de culise asupra felului in care megastarul crea si se pregatea pentru concertele pe care urma sa le sustina, cu casa inchisa, in vara aceasta, la Arena O2 din Londra.

 

Redand cronologic perioada aprilie – iunie 2009, filmul este realizat din peste o suta de ore de inregistrari brute, de la repetitiile lui Michael Jackson pentru concert. Publicul va avea posibilitatea de a vedea din interior evolutia acestui cantaret, dansator, regizor, arhitect si geniu in timp ce isi crea si stiliza spectacolul final.

 

Filmul “Michael Jackson THIS IS IT” va fi difuzat in intreaga lume, exclusiv pe o perioada limitata de doua saptamani, incepand de vineri, 30 octombrie, si va fi regizat de Kenny Ortega, partenerul artistic al lui Michael Jackson pentru seria de concerte THIS IS IT. Filmul prezinta imagini care ofera o introspectiva intima si exclusiva in lumea creatoare a unui geniu.

Lansarea filmului va avea loc pe data de 28 Octombrie 2009. This is it – este ultima melodie repetata de Michael inainte de deces.

A Message to Judith

Heal the World

Hello Judith,

I’m not sure if you’re aware of it quite yet, but you’re standing on the sea of greatness! Believe it.

If I may, just one word of caution though. Back when MJ’s, “Thriller” and “Off the Wall” were on top of the charts for seemingly a generation, the music industry was much different. The focus then was on longevity. The thought was, the longer an artist could sustain his/her career, the more lucrative for everyone. Gradually, and for a variety of reasons, the focus began to shift. Instead of supporting one artist for as long as they could, a belief that it’s more beneficial to recruit and “push through” a larger quantity of artist began to evolve.

And so today we see many artist, some very talented, and some not so talented, caught up in the waves of artist that roll in with the tide, and then out again. If they’re lucky, they may tread water long enough to land a reality show.

You Judith, are one with overflowing talent. Talent that can become a tidal wave for the entire industry, one that can return a meandering industry to one that values superior talent, and long-lived careers.

I’m certain that many are approaching you now with promises of grandeur, and encouraging you to take advantage of the opportunity that now presents itself. They are correct, when opportunity come ashore, you have to ride it. Now is precisely the time that you’ve prepared yourself for. Just remember that there are an infinite number of waves that will continue to roll in. Don’t rush yourself on the first one, to the point that you loose your focus and wash out.Trust your judgment. Only one person can keep you afloat, only one person can insure that you’re in the right position for the next wave. That person is you, Judith Hill. If you start to feel rushed or like you’re being encouraged to compromise your musical philosophy, take a step back, and stay true…to you.

Your association with MJ has brought the sands of good fortune to you, but it is only your talent and pursuit of “Judith’s” music that will keep them from slipping through your grasp.

I look forward to the tidal wave that is Judith Hill.

Peter Hester

www.judithhillmusic.com

www.facebook.com/peter.hester
www.twitter.com/paritrooper

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Free To Be You and Me (105/365)

It’s my birthday! And it’s a BIG one, too! 30!

I cannot begin to explain how freaked out about aging I was in my early to mid 20’s, but really now I guess I’m at peace with it and don’t see what the big deal is. I’m actually welcoming the newness of this age bracket. “Good riddance” to the total chaos, confusion and angst of my 20’s and “Hello” to starting to live life a bit more serene and fulfilled.

For my birthday, I want to post Michael Jackson and Roberta Flack’s song from 1974’s “Free to Be You and Me” called “When We Grow Up”:

If you want to watch the whole show, click the following Youtube and then click the subsequent ones when it gives you the option after it’s done, but I’m not posting all seventeen of them in this entry

I never saw this when it aired on TV, but I remember watching it as a teen when my mom checked it out from the library for my little sister.

From Wikipedia:

The television special first aired March 11, 1974, on ABC, earning an 18.6 rating/27 share and went on to win an Emmy. 16 mm prints of the special were also struck, and some schoolchildren from the 1970s and 1980s remember seeing the television special projected in schools in that period.

The special appeared occasionally on HBO in the 1980s. It was also seen on the cable channel TV Land, but has not been seen on any network since.

How to Moonwalk Like MJ

Step 1

Keep left leg bent with heel planted. Put your weight on that leg.

Step 2

Slide right leg backward by pulling from the hips, keeping that knee locked and that foot flat on the ground. Swing left arm forward at the same time.

Step 3

When right leg is behind you, shift your weight onto it while bending right knee and lifting right heel. Straighten left leg, then pull it backward from the hip. Meanwhile, swing right arm forward.

Step 4

Repeat. Grab crotch (optional). Exclaim: “You’ve been struck by a smooth criminal! Hooo!” (not optional).

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Michael Jackson

At this stage, I am truly sick and tired of possibly the longest death after party ever. I have absolutely nothing at all against Michael Jackson. He was a brilliant, true, beautifully souled man, who had a unique voice for those who had none.

But now nearly, half a year later, we are still hearing about film releases, new singles, merchandise and goodness knows what else. I know his family are trying to their best for Michael and all of his fans, but really now it is getting annoying. I keep seeing his head pop up here, there and everywhere. Normally people are supposed to rest in peace. This is something I think has lost its purpose.

But one other thing that makes me fell ill at ease. The fact that there may be a reality TV show featuring his kids. This is obviously not what Michael would want. A private man, if still living, might have even disapproved to their appearance at his memorial service.

So, in a nutshell, the internet and the media, please hold back on Michael. Do it for him.

The Frailty of Life: Our Eternal Destiny

Life is short. One never really knows what day or hour one is going to die. Death is something that comes to us all. With the most recent deaths of not only Michael Jackson, age 50, but also of Billy Mays (the Oxi-clean guy) who’s ALSO age 50, it only serves to remind me about how short life is and how we have to be grateful for every moment of life that we have.

Looking back, as a Christian, I wish I would’ve prayed more for Michael Jackson and Billy Mays to believe and call upon the name of Jesus. Their respective fates are now sealed for eternity (be it heaven or hell) and there’s no turning back. Many people say that God won’t send people to hell or that Jesus isn’t the ONLY way to heaven. But they are wrong. It clearly states in the bible in John 14:6 [gospel of John, chapter 14, verse 6] “I [Jesus Christ] am the way, the truth, and the light. No-one comes to the father [heaven] except by me [Jesus Christ]“

So really, it’s that simple. All one has to do to get into heaven is BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus Christ with all their hearts and that he died on the cross over 2,000 years ago to save mankind from sin and ask the Lord Jesus to forgive them of their sins, get baptized in Jesus’s name, repent of their sins, and they’re SAVED and assured a permanent spot in heaven. Just like that.

It’s SO easy and SO simple that people often overlook it and think there’s some type of hidden catch…..that they also have to live like Mother Teresa or something. But alas, there’s no hidden catch. That’s just it. God reaches out to ANYBODY and EVERYBODY who will listen. It doesn’t matter WHAT a person has done in their life up to that point; they can STILL be saved in the name of Jesus Christ!

All people who have ever lived on the Earth will someday face the Judgment Seat of God. And as each person stands before God and is forced to give a full account of their lives, what will they say? If the Lord asks them “why should I let you live with me in heaven?”, how would they respond?

For those who die without giving their hearts to Jesus, the Judgment Seat of God will be terrifying. But for those who put their faith, trust and love in Jesus Christ, the Judgment Seat of God will be glorious, as they shall receive eternal rewards in heaven & will receive the full “get out of hell free card”.

Some people may say that it’s “cruel” for such a “loving” God to send people to hell for not believing in him. But truth be told, the Lord gives people many, many, MANY chances, miracles and circumstances throughout one’s lifetime to come to a saving knowledge of him; even sending some people back to life after dying, in order to give certain people a 2nd chance to believe in him.

So IF, after giving the sacrificial form of himself in human form [Jesus Christ] over 2,000 years ago as a “payment” for people’s sins, and IF after giving people many, many, MANY chances to believe in him, a person still chooses not to believe, then that is not God’s fault, (God tried millions of times to get through to that particular person, right?) as God is a righteous judge and righteous God. He tried to save that person but that person refused to listen or be saved.

Think about it this way. Jesus Christ is like the person who comes into the heavenly court room to pay our “fines” so we don’t have to. All WE have to do is give a grateful and humble “thank-you” and that’s it, we get off scot-free and don’t have to worry about “doing the time”/going to hell. But if we DON’T accept his payment of our “fines”, then we have no choice but to go to prison [hell] for our mis-deeds.

Then again, God is not this hail, fire and brimstone God that people try to make him out to be. He’s a just and loving God. That’s WHY he gives so many chances, miracles and circumstances in people’s lives for them to come to a saving knowledge of him. Some people ask “well, if Jesus already payed the price for my sins, why should I have to worry about going to hell?” Well, think of it THIS way: Jesus Christ is like an eternal “Christmas present” that God gives to each and every person on the planet.

All WE have to do is pick up the present and say “thank-you God, for presenting the gift of Jesus to me”. Because if we don’t ever pick up our present and say “thank-you”, then how can we ever receive our present? Our “present” of heaven & eternal life; our “get out of hell free” card. All just for believing in Jesus Christ as Lord & savior, repenting of our sins and praying for forgiveness of our sins. It’s SO simple. Yet, SO overlooked in today’s world.

I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that God will bless each and every single one of you today & open up your eyes & heart to his eternal truth & show you that what I’m saying is true. Amen.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Akon Remembers His 'Cool, Funny' Friend Michael Jackson

Akon has recorded tracks with some of the biggest and brightest stars in music. But there’s one star who was bigger and brighter than all the rest: Michael Jackson.

In 2007, Akon spent time in a Las Vegas studio with the King of Pop, writing and recording songs for what Jackson intended to be his comeback album. Nearly three years later, only two of those songs have surfaced: a remix of Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” that appeared on the 25th anniversary edition of MJ’s Thriller album and “Hold My Hand,” a track featuring both artists (but written by Claude Kelly), that made the file-sharing rounds last year.

And after Jackson’s death in June, who knows when more of the tracks will see the light of day? Akon said that he and Jackson recorded “days” of material, most of which never made it past the demo stages. And, really, he’s not that concerned if they are ever released, because, in the wake of Jackson’s passing, Akon would prefer to reminisce about the man, not the music.

“My favorite moment was the day we actually met, because I didn’t expect him to be that cool,” Akon said in MTV’s “Michael Jackson’s Human Nature” special, which aired over the weekend. “I expected him to be this diva — just hard to deal with, rarely speaks, got to send his message through someone else, you know? Because these are the stories you hear.”

Before they recorded a note of music, Akon had a sitdown meeting with Jackson, one that began predictably — and seemed to confirm the producer’s worst fears — but quickly became a life-changing event.

“So I’m going upstairs [to meet him], I knock on the door, his bodyguard opens and says, ‘OK, he’s waiting to meet you.’ I walk in and [Michael's] in this spinning chair, but it’s facing backwards, so I walk in the room, but his back is turned, and the guard says, ‘Hey, Mike, Akon’s here.’ So he spins around, like it was choreographed — so right away I was like, ‘Oh boy,’ ” he laughed.

“But as soon as he turns around, gets up, ‘Yo, what up, man?!’ and I was like, ‘What up, Mike?’ and he gave me a pound, we hugged each other. He’s like, ‘Yo, I’ve been waiting to meet you for so long, this is a great honor, thanks for showing up, thanks for making the time.’ And in my mind I’m like, ‘You know, I should be thanking you for making the time.’

“It was the craziest thing, because we sat down, we talked about Africa, we talked about my foundation [Konfidence], we talked about the music, we talked about girls. We had a great, incredible time that day,” he continued. “He was extremely funny, he told jokes, and he liked to have fun.”

#34. Flair Chops IV ?

More wrestling related, next time I’m in Atlanta…

Abdullah The Butcher House of Ribs

ChopnotSlop.com

Swishahouse.biz

#34. Flair Chops IV ?

  1. Weezer – Say It Ain’t So
  2. Busta Rhymes – Pass the Courvoisier freestyle ft. Mike Jones
  3. Blindcyde – Oh Boy freestyle ft. Magnificent
  4. Big Tymers – Still Fly
  5. Scarface – My Block
  6. DJ Dirty – Pour Out a lil’ Liquor ft. Tupac
  7. Lil’ Flip – The Way we Ball
  8. John Mayer – Waiting on the World to Change
  9. 50 Cent – Tia Told Me
  10. Michale Jackson – Dirty Diana
  11. Michael Jackson – I’ll be there
  12. Michael Jackson – Man in the Mirror
  13. Michael Jackson – Earth Song
  14. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – Thuggish Ruggish Bone
  15. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – Ghetto Cowboy

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Zagat: India - The results are in

India’s Zagat street side vendor winners have been announced. Once again theseguysblog.wordpress.com are the first with the results.

Best Barber: Harkirishna Gupta

When your payout is the tightest Guido fade imaginable then sometimes it’s worth being cut up by rusty unsterilized razors. Harkrishna Gupta is his name and all day long the Gupster (Goop-ster) hooks brothers up with the fade that’s ganna get you laid. I can’t even count how many times he gave me a tight ceaser dew which resulted in a morning trip to planet parenthood.

Harkrishna Gupta on the job

Guppy (Goop-ey) has been cutting hair ever since he saw Barbershop 2, staring Ice Cube … classic. The Gupster refined his skills at Blaine Beauty School in Waltham, Ma. He graduated second out of his class of 15, edged out by none other than Papa Lote (Grande Ligas – Framingham, MA).

Best Shoe-shiner: Suneet Mehta

Shining shoes aint no walk in the park, the amount of forearm strength required to buff out a pair of alligator oxfords is insurmountable.

Suneets mother was a dirty Mongol and his father was a shiesty shoe salesman who often worked long hours. Their house was constructed solely out of shoeboxes; in fact Suneets crib, as a child, was composed out of an air force one shoe box (white on whites of course).

Suneet the shiner

After watching the Karate Kid on loop for four straight years, little Suneet had perfected the wax on wax off motions. When he hit puberty Suneets forearm strength tripled … for obvious reasons.

He has beaten Mariusz Pudzianowski, Ving Rhames and Sanjays moustche in best of five arm wrestling matches.

To this date, Suneet has yet to have an unsatisfied customer.

Additional info: Suneet moonlights as the owner of a roadside Z-Job factory.

Best Sauce: Dees Ahswhol

Dees Ahswhol sucked at pretty much everything when growing up … completely inadequate at life. He was terrible at basic math, hopeless at making friends and had the tiniest penis. Fortunately he was lucky enough to land a gig clipping Julia Child’s toenails.

The best sauce

While working with Julia he stole one of her famous sauce recipes and moved back to India. Now every day Dees sells roughly 70 gallons of his sauce. He has the tastiest sauce in Delhi, his sauce is so good, the best sauce a man could wish for, you must taste his sauce. His sauce is kept extra warm in his stainless steel canister.

Misc/random MJ Stuff (99/365)

I don’t usually do current news, but there are a few MJ things I’m looking forward to reading/seeing, so I’m just going to put together a “misc” entry containing the info along with other random tidbits.

-The MJ poll is ~*officially*~ closed! Thanks to those who participated I’ll work on an entry this weekend to discuss the results.

-Dancing With the Stars will be honoring Michael with a ballroom dance tribute on next Tuesday’s show. The program airs Tuesday at 9 p.m. Eastern on ABC.

-I don’t usually pull a whole lot from TMZ for this blog, but I did think what was posted over there the other day was cute:

An auction of MJ memorabilia took place yesterday in L.A., including his 1976 high school yearbook from Cal Prep in Encino, CA. In the yearbook, Michael was voted pretty much what everyone would have expected — best dressed, most creative, shyest — but NOT most likely to succeed.

That honor was reserved for one Scott Ashdown — who’s probably a perfectly nice person, but we’ve never heard of him.

-Haha, I have no idea what this photo is from, but since this is a random MJ entry, I figured it belonged here:

-As a comic book lover, I’m pretty excited about what I read here:

“In the business of making deals, one book generating lots of conversation is a graphic novel project by the King of Pop. Yes, you read that correctly. Apparently Michael Jackson was working on a comic book for years with friend (and son of Deepak) Gotham Chopra and now Random House’s Villard imprint is prepping to release the fruits of this seemingly unlikely collaboration. The book, Fated, is about a Jackson-esque pop icon named Gabriel Star whose fame has left him isolated and emotionally cut-off. After a suicidal swan dive from his hotel one night, Star survives only to see his celebrity grow and discover that he’s becoming, per the publisher, “something not quite human.” No word yet from Random House on foreign sales, but we hear the house is showing bits of the book to foreign houses. The title’s slated for a June 2010 hardcover U.S. release—the art’s black and white and the book is small format—and Mukesh Singh is illustrating.”

-Rolling Stone will be selling a hardcover tribute book on November 3rd. You can pre-order it here.

-There are a few updates on the Opus book which are making me really contemplate ordering one after all. What to do?!

Check them out:

Michael instructed friend and artist Nate Giorgio to depict him as a comic book superhero, as can be seen from this spread from the Opus.

On the left hand page, you can see a handwritten note by Michael to Nate.

We currently have a team of researchers going through the vast archives relating to Michael Jackson’s life and work and preparing exclusive content for the Opus.

Michael Jackson was accompanied by artist and friend Nate Giorgio on his 1988 BAD tour in Italy. After one of the concerts, picking up Nate’s sketch pad, Michael drew this face in pen.

The image is from Michael’s 7th grade yearbook, when he was approximately 13 years old, from the Walton School in Van Nuys CA (1971). Drawn in protest at the Vietnam War, it shows a figure with arms outstretched in front of a battle scene complete with bombers, machine-gun posts and a helicopter under the slogan “stop the war”. Photo credit: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library.

More to come here online and, of course, in the Official Michael Jackson Opus.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

What We Did Behind The Scenes: Blues Brothers 2000

Flashback! If you didn’t know, I was in the hit movie Blues Brothers 2000. Shout out to the great Toronto talent! I’m in the GREEN pants and tie…

Summertime Heat

Man, were those suits HOT. We’d be dripping after each take and would need to immediately stand in front of the air conditioner when they yelled “CUT!”. Didn’t help that we filmed in the middle of summer.

And check out those crazy church hats on the ladies… you better WORK girls!

Superstar Choreography

Barry Lather the choreographer (Janet Jackson, Usher, AMA’s) made sure to put us to work. A mix of hip hop, poppin’ and character work.

Barry is truly an awesome dude, I worked with numerous times at Canada’s Wonderland and in another movie. Barry, drop me a line! =D

“Sweet” Times Behind The Scenes

This church tent revival scene was set up at Showline Studios in Toronto, with Pastor James Brown. Starring John Goodman, Dan Aykroyd Mia Peeples, Joe Morton Aretha Franklin and tons more artists made it a crazy fun film to work on.

Behind the scenes, James Brown would tell us stories of Michael Jackson, and showed us “The Bicycle” which was the original Moonwalk 20 years BEFORE the King of Pop learned it from him. Friggin’ sweet.

When we weren’t shooting, we’d eat, laugh, socialize. And eat more. Lots of sweet snacks on movie sets. Yes we need that energy, but sometimes it isn’t such a good thing for the waistline!

John Landis (director, who also directed MJ’s Thriller) pays tribute to a similar scenein his original Blues Brothers. Fun times.

What you think?

- SB

www.ShawnByfield.com

MADONNA SEES HERSELF IN LADY GAGA

When Madonna gave a tribute to Michael Jackson at the VMA awards, critics in Hollywood said, “there were too many me, me, me’s and I, I, I’s in Madonna’s comparative speech to the King of Pop.”

Well…. in Rolling Stone magazine, here’s what Madonna says about Lady Gaga.

“I see myself in Lady Gaga. When I saw her, she didn’t have a lot of money for her production. She’s got holes in her fishnets, and there’s mistakes everywhere. It was kind of a mess, but I can see that she has that it factor. It’s nice to see that at a raw stage.“

How sweet of Madonna, not to throw Lady Gaga any money to fix that holey stockings situation, but yest still cash  in on Lady Gaga’s success in her latest Rolling Stone interview. Madonna is unreal and self-centered, but we still love her.

If Madonna was white chocolate, we know she’d try and eat herself! And we also wonder why vampires are all the rage in Hollywood. Madonna is Lady Gaga’s vampire, but… they feed on each other for fans’ attention, so it’s all good. They call it sharing music markets or keeping America entertained between each other.

posted by Horiwood.Com October 14th

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Noul single MJ nu este deloc atât de nou

Ce înseamnă să faci bani de pe urma oamenilor morţi?

See for yourself!


Noul single MJ – This is it lansat zilele trecute


“I Never Heard” compus de către Michael Jackson şi Paul Anka în 1983, lansat în 1991 de către Sa-Fire, după acceptul compozitorilor.

Versurile sunt aceleaşi, acordurile sunt aceleaşi, singurele lucruri care diferă sunt efectele de bass şi backing vocals-urile pe care “This is it” le are in plus.

via mediafax

A.F.
afir@live.com

A-B-C, easy as Rac-is-m

The Jackson Five

I was perusing the internet (something alleged that it’s all I do at work, but, if it was  I feel like I’d have more ideas to post and, therefore, would be able to post more often) and I came across a story about the late  Michael Jackson.

No, it wasn’t another conspiracy website about where his body is, an ambulance license plate, or why his doctor wasn’t administering appropriate care. No Joe Jackson promoting his record label or the ”mother of his children” indirectly demanding money from him; just Michael…and Tito…and Jermaine.

Apparently, there is an Australian version of “America’s Got Talent” where Harry Connick, Jr. replaces the Hoff as the bad ass judge. Well, apparently Mr. Connick was offended when a group of five Australians, donning 1960s garb, black faces, and Afros, re-enacted a Jackson 5 skit from the same time period. This skit was, to Connick, racist, offensive, disgusting, and, most importantly, un-American.

While I do agree that Harry Connick Jr. is the Australian equivalent of the Hoff (see below), I felt that his reaction to it was, well, a bit much.

While I do understand the racist implications of white men painting themselves black and imitating the Jackson 5, I don’t remember Mr. Connick saying anything about Tropic Thunder  (irony or coincidence that Downey’s character playing a character was also Australian?) or the Wayans Brothers.

However, I do believe that he did have a point in being offended by the white man painting his face white in order to imitate the King of Pop; if they wanted to be realistic, that person would have been under five feet tall and darker, just like Michael was back then. While it is unfortunate that Michael Jackson did lose his pigment, Harry Connick Jr. might have had a better argument to complain and be offended by that.

And, if this doesn’t offend you in any way, there’s always Mel Gibson.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Smack Talking of the Day: $ Cash Battle $

Facts of the BFG: Let's Do This

In 1985 or there close within, a young rapper named LL Cool J burst onto the scene with his fresh, innovative, and ultimately brash single, “Rock the Bells” under the label Def Jam. Who could possibly forget such classic lines as, “You bring the woodpecker, I will bring the wood”? Our favorite line from the single, however, would be that of, “I will battle anybody, I don’t care you tell…” And with such a boast, LL reigned supreme for years with Earl, the DJ whose hand was like a shark’s fin on the wheels of steel.

There has been enough smack talking from the likes of many platinum heavyweights to last a lifetime, and frankly, Universal Artists, International and Joe Stern-McGovern, global agent and President of the company, have decided it’s time to call all bluffs, to stop those who would deal from the bottom of the deck, to prove their own worth, and to reign supreme, just as their ancestor, LL Cool J, did in the mid-80s. With an eye towards cornering the rap market by somewhere around 2014, Universal Artists, International has announced to the world, “You think you can touch this, you talkin’ to me, well then let’s cash battle, sucker DJs”*.

Joe Stern-McGovern: A Challenge for Charity

Beginning January 2010, Universal Artists, International’s heavyweights, Black Flock Gang aka BFG from the self-titled smash CD, BFG, and their oft featured artists, Christian Levi and Ms. Kesha Lee, will set out on the road to battle all comers to prove their dominance in the highly competitive world market. Sucker DJs globally, be prepared to be shut down, to have your mama thoroughly disrespected, to bow your heads in shame, and to wipe those saline tears of miserable failure away as you have your proverbial asses handed to you Dirty South Style courtesy of the BFG.

DO: Ain't No Other

Is this a claim on behalf of the notorious, infamous, and supreme BFG that the South trumps east, west, and midwest? Certainly not. Why might one ask? Simply said, with the versatility of the BFG, they consider themselves masters of every variation, bringing due respect and paying homage to each in their own way. Not only will the Black Flock Gang break out in verse to make the hardest of the Eastern seaboard suffer whiplash, they will rock the richter scale until California falls off and into the ocean as the next largest island of the world. If they fail to show restraint, California might entirely become the next Atlantis.

Fans Awaiting the BFG Concert

Sucker DJs of every realm, bow down in reverence as the kings who came to save the game pass before your mortal eyes. You name the place, you name the date, you name the style, and watch yourselves stepped on like a petulant red ants on a picnic blanket. The BFG will demand nothing short of your full measure of respect. Show them a line and they will cross it in a minute. If you can see them, it’s too late to run.

The Honorable Hood Shuttlesworth

“Disciples of soul, godfathers of rap, our rhythm is down as your mama is whack,” claims Japan’s lead envoy for Universal Artists, International. Yes, the BFG have already made their way overseas and leveled the best the Japanese market has to offer in exhibition shows against some of the greatest styles in the manner of Ludacris, Lil’ Jon, Slim Thug, Ice Cube, and even the tattoed poet himself, Lil’ Wayne.

No one can bring the energy of the BFG, no one can match their verbal skills and delivery. The BFG will make a grown man cry to any of the numerous beats by Tiptonville, Tennessee’s own A-Dub, conqueror of crunk and his cohort, 731 joker of Lake County and pop’s answer to the age old question of the chicken and the egg, Lil’ J.

A-Dub & Lil' J: I Been On

Is this challenge by Joe Stern-McGovern of Universal Artists, International belligerent? Not at all, it simply underscores the supremacy and dominance of the BFG for any of the unenlightened, ill spoken, disrespectful, or simply “act a fool” MC. Like Hammer said in his time, “Can’t touch this,” and from the likes of Public Enemy, “Don’t believe the hype,” and Vanilla Ice…well, let’s not even go there…

In words of caution from those under the Shaka Productions camp in Birmingham, Alabama, “Man up, fool, check your D, because you’re ’bout to feel the fury of the BFG, B!”

In a quote from Joe Stern-McGovern, he summarizes his own take on the legends come to be publicly, collectively, and individually as the BFG,

“You cannot hold down the human spirit any easier than you can surpress the intellect. Give it some time, and it’s certain to rise to the surface and beyond your wildest dreamsn and expectations”.

When asked about the BFG and their lyrics, methods, and take on life, the company’s President, Joe Stern-McGovern, gave the following response,

“When I was a youth myself, we realized we were doing many sectors and slices of society a disservice, socially and politically speaking. These children were fed on the lies, corruption, and propaganda of forces supposedly larger than themselves, but they’ve risen, risen from the plumes with a message which won’t be swept beneath the carpet.” 

Joe Stern-McGovern: President of Universal Artists, International

Joe Stern-McGovern continued to state,

“Their lyrics are a social commentary, a take on their lives in a society which has tried to mold them into what they wanted them to be, pawns and worker ants to the queen, but they have a message to send with their own take on the turn fate has handed them.

If the world, let alone any invidual has taken up issue with the BFG? In a quote from Joe Stern-McGovern,

“Society has made their bed, now they can lie in it. If the powers that be cannot deal with the indignance of the disenfranchised who refuse to be categorized or smothered by sweeping generalizations, let them do better next time, and try harder with future generations”.

Lo of the BFG: The Usual Suspect

In a quote from Joe Stern-McGovern,

“The dye is cast with this lot, and now society will face their full fury, as well as their sometimes poetically beautiful take on the human condition.”

In one word from one journalist, “Wow!”

The black flock gang has arrived, and will continue to reign supreme as long as they care to carry their message, and once having done so in a manner of haughty arrogance coupled with humility, the saviors of the hustle many call rap will pass on the torch to their own sons and daughters for millions to thrill to in future battles. 

Mouf Piece of Da City: In the Penthouse

For more information about the Black Flock Gang, please visit them at www.myspace.com/blackflockgang or www.universalartists.net.

To book the BFG, either nationally or internationally, contact Joe Stern-McGovern’s assistant at joe@universalartists.net.

For more information on the BFG’s favorite charitable organization, please write to universalartists@myspace.com or blackflockgang@myspace.com.

For information regarding retail distribution or wholesale of BFG CDs and merchandise, please write to payments@universalartists.net.

*All cash battles are for purposes of charity.

Michael, Farrah, Swayze e Carradine em South Park

De acordo com a Folha Online, o episódio de “South Park” que foi exibido na noite da última quarta [07.10.2009] nos Estados Unidos, relembrou várias celebridades que morreram este ano, como Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Patrick Swayze e David Carradine, entre outros:

Intitulado “I See Dead Celebrities” (eu vejo celebridades mortas, em tradução literal), o episódio mostra os famosos no purgatório, de acordo com um resumo divulgado pelo jornal britânico “Guardian”.

South Park: I See Dead Celebrities

Segundo o jornal, o personagem Ike é possuído pelo espírito de Michael Jackson, mas é salvo quando Kyle, Cartman, Stan e Kenny o levam a um concurso de beleza infantil.

A nota e a foto foram encontradas neste link.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

"This is it", el tema póstumo de Michael Jackson

Este lunes debuta la nueva canción de Michael Jackson.

El tema es parte del soundtrack del filme documental que se estrena en los cines el 27 de octubre y estará incluido en un disco doble que se lanza ese mismo día.

Justo cuando sean las doce de la noche de este lunes “This is it” hará su estreno en sociedad. Se trata de la nueva canción de Michael Jackson, llamada igual que el filme documental que registra sus últimos ensayos y que es el primer tema inédito que se lanza desde su repentina muerte el 25 de junio.

La canción, que será estrenada mundialmente en la web oficial del rey del pop www.michaeljackson.com, es el primer single del disco doble que será lanzado junto a “This is it” el 26 de octubre e incluye coros de los hermanos de Michael.

EL DISCO DOBLE

El track list del CD 1 está compuesto por los masters originales de los hits de Jackson, ordenados en la misma secuencia que aparecen en el filme y termina con dos versiones de “This is it” que, según la revista Rolling Stone, fue grabada durante el registro del disco “Dangerous” de 1991.

El listado completo de las canciones es el siguiente: “Wanna Be Startin´ Somethin´,” “Jam,” “They Don´t Care About Us,” “Human Nature,” “Smooth Criminal,” “The Way You Make Me Feel,” “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground),” “I Just Can´t Stop Loving You,” “Thriller,” “Beat It,” “Black or White,” “Earth Song,” “Billie Jean,” “Man in the Mirror,” “This Is It” y “This Is It (versión orquestada).”

El CD 2 contendrá versiones inéditas de algunos de los éxitos de Michael Jackson, como “She´s Out of My Life,” “Wanna Be Startin´ Somethin´” y “Beat it”, quien también aparece en el track list con un poema hablado titulado “Planeta Tierra”.

Además, el arte del álbum incluirá un libro de 36 páginas con fotos exclusivas del último ensayo del artista.

Fuente: Terra

Suben a la web un adelanto de la nueva canción de Michael Jackson.

Son cuarenta segundos. Un tentempié de lo que será estrenado este lunes a la medianoche en todo el mundo… La web japonesa de Sony Music (www.sonymusic.co.jp) subió un adelanto de “This is it” el nuevo tema inédito de Michael Jackson, el primero publicado tras su repentina muerte el 25 de junio.

La canción se llama igual que la película que se estrenará en los cines el 27 de este mes y que mostrará los ensayos que el rey del pop realizaba de cara a iniciar su serie de conciertos de regreso Londres.

“This is it” cierra los créditos del filme y aparecerá también en el disco doble con la banda sonora del filme. Este lunes a la medianoche el tema completo podrá ser escuchado en www.michaeljackson.com

Fuente: Terra

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Saia justa no Mais Você ! Ana Maria braga em mais uma gafe.

Ninguém avisou Ana Maria Braga que não pode mais chamar a filha de Zezé de Wanessa Camargo. A cantora tem dito insistentemente na mídia que agora é só Wanessa.

Mesmo assim, ao anunciar a participação dela no programa, Ana Maria falou nome e sobrenome em alto e bom som.

- Hoje quem vem tomar café com a gente é WANESSA CAMARGO.

A menina não gostou.

South Park returns with "Dead Celebrities"

Matt and Trey are my heroes and after watching tonight’s mid-season premiere of “South Park” I’m ready to get a shirt made that says just that.The premiere episode entitled, “Dead Celebrities” focuses on Kyle’s little Canadian brother Ike, who is being haunted by the ghost of television infomercial demigod, Billy Mays and a slew of others. Now that seems like an entire world of possibilities but that was only the tip of the iceberg. This episode was entirely devoted to showcasing EVERY celebrity that died this summer, and because they create the episodes so quickly no one is exempt, not even “Point Break’s” own freshly laid to rest Patrick Swayze or MTV’s DJ. AM. However, it was the ghost of Michael Jackson and his shrill cries of “you’re ignorant” and “tee hees” that made my eyes rain.

With a brilliant subplot tying together ‘mexican food to-go superking’s’ Chipotle and Billy Mays’  newest product “Chipotl-Away“, they took no prisoners. I cried with laughter because I can never believe how unbelievably outrageous Matt and Trey are willing to take things. The pop culture commentary is hit on the nose in ways that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert will never be able to replicate. It’s gauche and in poor taste and so perfectly executed. Do yourself a favor and head over to southparkstudios.com and see what you’re missing.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

El rey del pop

Hemos creado un blog de música en el que escribimos tanto de cantantes mundialmente conocidos como de otros que no lo son tanto. Es por ello por lo que me parece oportuno nombrar al rey del pop. Qué menos que hablar de la persona que siendo tan solo un niño revolucionó el mundo de la música y que precisamente este año, desafortunadamente, ha fallecido.

Michael Jackson comenzó como vocalista de “The Jackson Five” a la temprana edad de 5 años sustituyendo a su hermano Jermaine. Este salto a la fama desde tan jóven redució su círculo de amistad a las personas con las que trabajaba.

La carrera en solitario de Michael comenzó cuando tenía 14 años sacando al mercado el álbum “Got to be there”, no obstante no dejó de lado el ”The Jackson Five” hasta los años 80.

Got to be there

Un nuevo trabajo de Michael vio la luz en 1979. Llevaba el nombre de “Off the wall” y con el tema “Don’t stop ’til you get enough” ganó su primer Premio Grammy al mejor cantante de rhythm & blues.

En 1982 publicó su exitoso álbum al que tituló “Thriller”, uno de sus mejores y más famosos trabajos. Fue éste el que le llevó a ser una megaestrella al convertirse en el disco más vendido de la historia.

Estrella de Michael Jackson

Parte de este éxito lo tiene el videoclip que se trata de un cortometraje del mismo título que el álbum. Recogidas en ese mismo CD estan otras canciones dignas de nombrar como son “Beat it” o “Billie Jean”. Es de esta última el videoclip que me he permitido poner a continuación.

Este vídeo junto con el correspondiente a “Beat it” le abrieron camino hacia el famoso canal de televisón MTV. Se trataba del primer cantante afroameriano que lo conseguía.

Un nuevo disco de Michael Jackson salió en 1987, “Bad”. Y es que tras el disco venía un nuevo y gran éxito. En cuanto a la portada de este nuevo disco, el cantante aparecía ya con un tono de piel pálido evidenciando el cambio físico al que se había sometido.

"Bad" de Michael Jackson

Canciones que se deberían destacar de este entonces nuevo trabajo son la titulada “Bad” al igual que el disco, “Smooth criminal”, “Man in the mirror” o “Leave me alone”.

Otro trabajo del rey del pop que fue acogido con gran furor tuvo por nombre “Dangerous”, disco que contiene su famosa canción “Black or White” en la que participaron Slash y Macaulay Culkin. El videoclip de esta, al igual que el de “Thriller”, se trata de un cortometraje, hasta la fecha el más caro de toda la historia.

Con la salida al mercado de “Invincible”, en 2001, comenzó a notar las repercusiones de las acuaciones por abuso a menores que había recibido en 1993. Vendió menos número de copias y suspendió la gira que tenía prevista. Dichas acusaciones las lanzó uno de los niños a los que había acogido en su Rancho Neverland, convertido en un refugio, en el que construyó un zoo y varias atracciones de feria. Sólo después de su muerte, el niño que le había acusado confesó haberselo inventado todo con el fin de conseguir ganancias económicas, pero ya era demasiado tarde.

Después de aquello se publicó un recopilatorio con sus mejores singles y en el 25 aniversario de “Thriller” sacó una edición especial que incluía 6 canciones más, además de las 9 que componían el álbum original, una actuación en directo y diferentes vídeos.

El último álbum que llegó a sacar a la venta fue el titulado “King of pop”. Recogía las canciones de Michael tanto en solitario como las de su etapa en “The Jackson Five” elegidas por los fans mediante votación.

Por último, el 5 de marzo de 2009 anunció su vuelta a los escenarios con una nueva gira bajo el título “This is it” que sería su última actuación en Londres, pero se quedó tan solo en un objetivo ya que su muerte se produjo el 25 de junio de 2009.

Con este nombre se estrenará, no sólo la película de Michael Jackson, que refleja los últimos días de la vida del cantante, sino también un tema que sacará Sony y un nuevo álbum.

Escreva algo que preste, pô - parte 125

O sr. Ben Presley, filho de Lisa Marie Presley e neto de um certo Elvis Aaron, que por sua vez é sogro de um tal de Michael (que fez uma música xará dele), hrRrRecebeu uma proposta de 5 milhões de dólares da gravadora Universal (do grupo GE, portanto, por enquanto, uma empresa do Ben, digo, do bem) para gravar até 5 álbuns (fuente – e mais outra, com fueto)

Segundo o que Ben 10, digo, diz, o som não será, no entanto, parecido com o de Elvão do Sanduba (tô lendo muito Blog do Paulinho) – é que ao contrário de mim, que nasci quando Elvis ainda estava gravando álbuns e tudo lá em Memphis, ele nasceu 15 anos depois que Elvis morreu.

Não sei por quê, eu vi nas entrelinhas que provavelmente BP, se não for o novo Elvis, será o novo Michael Jackson, pelo menos, ainda mais com um pagamento tão caro, e por CINCO albuns (o Tio Michael já tinha seis álbuns gravados quando lançou Thriller.)
Além de me parecer uma espécie de “chupa, seus compartilhador de emepetrêis”, por tentar lançar alguma coisa que parece ser absolutamente nova no mercado para, possivelmente, tentar recuperá-lo aos moldes antigos. Será? Espero estar certo, no que se refere à qualidade sonora do rapaz. Ladies and gentlemen, Ben Presley has left the building!…
“Escreva algo que preste” -  Tá legal, desta vez não consegui.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

This is It

Se acerca el día, exactamente el 28 de este mes se estrena This is It. Posiblemente se vera como en realidad no estaba tan mal y tal como había dicho antes de la autopsia, fue asesinado. Es cierto, se esta aprovechando mas de su muerte que de cuando estaba vivo pero seguro que nadie me negara que tras enterarse de la muerte escucharon sus canciones y ahora verán su película aunque no sean fan. Creo que el ser humano es curioso de naturaleza y todos querremos saber como fueron sus últimos días.

Michael Jackson: Los Hijos del Cantante se Ajustan Bien a su Nueva Vida

Los tres hijos de Michael Jackson parecen ajustarse bien a una nueva vida bajo la custodia de su abuela, declaró el viernes un juez
Mitchell Beckloff, de la corte superior de Los Angeles, dijo que estaba “muy satisfecho” con los contenidos de una investigación que detalla cómo los hijos se están ajustando a la realidad apenas tres meses desde la muerte de su padre.

“Parece que los niños están muy bien con su abuela como guardián”, dijo Beckloff durante breves comentarios sobre el informe en una audiencia.

Prince Michael, de 12 años, Paris de 11 y Prince II de 7, han sido mantenidos bajo el cuidado de Katherine Jackson desde que su padre murió a finales de junio.

Beckloff nombró a Katherine Jackson como la guardián permanente de los niños en agosto y pidió que se le informara sobre la condición de éstos.

En su testamento elaborado en 2002, el llamado Rey del Pop designó a su madre como responsable de sus hijos en caso de que él muriera.

Beckloff selló el informe y dijo que no necesita más actualizaciones. Cada mes unos 60 mil dólares del patrimonio de Jackson son usados para la manutención de los niños.

El juez también aumentó el poder de decisión de dos administradores del patrimonio del cantante – el abogado John Branca y el ejecutivo John McClain – debido, en parte, a la gran deuda que dejó el músico.

Ambos pueden realizar negocios siempre y cuando Katherine Jackson no se oponga a ellos sin la aprobación de Beckloff y pueden representar el patrimonio del cantante en casos judiciales pendientes contra Jackson antes de que éste muriera.

Muchas personas han interpuesto quejas contra Jackson por facturas que quedaron sin pagar. Incluyen un estilista, empresas de seguridad y los abogados del cantante que le defendieron en un caso de abuso infantil y ganaron.

Hasta el viernes, nadie podía aceptar o rechazar las quejas de acreedores contra Jackson, quien murió dejando una deuda de 400 millones de dólares.

Paul Gordon Hoffman, un abogado de Branca y McClain, dijo que hay varias personas que no han reivindicado dinero porque técnicamente no había nadie que pudiera aceptar las reclamaciones.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Experiencing Grief, Joy and Community in Live Music

 

There’s two things that have been brewing in my mind lately.

And I’ve been buzzing to share them with you:  

1) The Community of Cathartic Mourning

and

2) Building Relationships in Live Music 

The Community of Cathartic Mourning

A good friend of my wife and I shared this Bonnie Raitt Star Tribune review  with me a few weeks ago (the video above is one she excitedly posted on Facebook before the concert). 

I share this review with you because it was one of my favorite reviews I’ve read this year.  And when I finished reading the review I thought about something very important that happened to me when our friend sent me the link.

My life changed. 

I was transported straight to the heart of Raitt’s palpable concert atmosphere.

I read the review and I felt rushes of  joy, sadness, hope and an overwhelming sense of cathartic connectedness with the fans at the concert that captured the essence of live blues so beautifully. And this review represented one of the aspects of live music I love the most:

I love how live music can be an unexpected yet appropriate environment for group mourning (just like it was for fans at Rock the Bells after Michael Jackson died). 

And it goes both ways.

Because live music can be just as cathartic for the artists as it can be for the fans. 

The review writer/reporter, Jon Beam, didn’t say it overtly, but because of the way he wrote the review and captured the emotional intensity of the moment, I could feel that he too was traveling through and expressing his own version of cathartic mourning.  I could feel the emotion in the words as he took me step by step through the emotional progression of the show.

And the progression allowed me to travel though my own internal emotions from the past. 

As I read the review, I recalled similar emotionally intense situations were I’ve been ambushed by grief at concerts. One that always stands out is Lollapalooza 2007,  where I unexpectedly mourned a friend who died.  That friend loved Modest Mouse and specifically their song Float On. During that song I welled up and had a moment of grief that was unexpected and somewhat undesired (like most of us I’m still working on expressing sadness and grief among strangers). 

When you read the Lolla 2007 review you’ll see that I didn’t mention the Modest Mouse moment because I wasn’t quite sure how to make it appropriate for the review.

But nonetheless that moment was good for me. 

And I’ll never forget that moment.  Ever.

Judging by Beam’s review, I imagine Raitt did her own mourning during the show as she mourned her brother Steve who recently died of cancer. 

And I know, too, by reading the fan comments after the review, that other fans at the show were mourning in a similar way like I did at Lollapalooza 2007. 

Which brings me to my second reason for this post: connecting with others during the live music experience.

Building Relationships in Live Music

Recently my friend Benjamin Slayter–who I had the pleasure of meeting at Rothbury this summer–asked me in a Facebook comment how I write my live concert reviews. This was the first time any body had ever asked me.  It was a honor to answer Benjamin’s questions and a pleasure to share what I’ve learned about writing live music reviews. So I gave him a short version of my approach which led me to write a more fleshed out and formal rundown that I’ll be sharing with you in a future post.

The reason I mention Ben’s request is because meeting him at Rothbury was one of many relationships and connections I’ve made over the last year with other music writers, photographers, business owners and fans. And lately, I’ve been really excited as I think about how cool it is when relationships and community can be built because of live music.

So what I did was compile a list of people I’ve connected with over this last year or so because of live music.  The list is in no particular order and is a mix of artists I’ve interviewed on-site; writers and photographers I’ve met and had great chats with in the media tent; vendors and PR I’ve connected with at concerts. I’ve included links to their online work so you too can enjoy their words, music, photos, businesses and daily experiences as much as I have.

If I’ve forgotten anybody I do apologize. It’s not because I’m a jerk. It’s because I suffer from the occasional brain fart. So by all means feel free to send along your link so I can add it to this post. 

As always,  thanks for reading. And I hope to see you at a show, or talk live music with you very soon! 

 

Ann Teliczan: photographer, artist at Michigan Sweet Spot

Greame Flegenheimer: writer at Brooklyn Vegan

Mike: writer, editor at Sound Citizen

Garret Woodward: writer at State of Mind and RFW

Jesse Borrell: writer at  Jam Base

The crew at Rock for Kids

Lewis Cooper: writer, photographer at Gonzo Shots

Photographer Leigh Ann Hines

The crew Arts of Life

Dan Hyman writer at Popmatters

Jules at Earphoria

Chicago emcee, producer, activist, poet FM Supreme

Jamie Ludvig editor, writer at Alarm Press

Jen Cray: writer, photographer & editor at Ink19

Steve Wienberger: author of No Air Guitar Allowed

Chicago producer and beatmaker Radius

The crew at Pitch Perfect PR

The crew at Madison House

Sgt Tibs at GoWhereHipHop

The Crew at Future of Music Coalition

The Crew at Cornerstone Promotions

Drew Fortune: writer, editor at Popmatters

emcee, poet, activist Saul Williams

Ben Slayter: photographer, designer

Frank Krolicki writer, blogger at Windy City Rock

Jason Petros editor, writer at Chicago Independent Music Review

The crew at I Pledge Eco

 

Those crazy fans!

I mentioned yesterday that I was working on a longer entry, but I still haven’t finished it. I’m not going to keep mentioning it until it’s done, either because that would get annoying, so I’m just going to move on.

——-
Now, I’m an MJ fan, don’t get me wrong, but I know I can’t be the only fan who gets a kick out of seeing other MJ fans at their craziest. You know the ones I’m talking about? The ones that faint in front of him or can’t utter a word in his presence.. only scream when they see him face-to-face.

Here’s a Youtube of a crazy fan who decided to run up the ramp and get on the lift with Michael during a performance of “Earth Song”. There is nothing that can be done until the lift is lowered and the staff take the boy away. I’m not sure how high the lift went, but Michael felt he needed to hold onto the guy to keep him safe from falling.

Here’s another video of a fan FREAKING OUT and literally having to be physically dragged into the arms of Michael Jackson. My favorite part is when Michael’s hugging her and starts laughing about the position of the gorilla’s leg and then he realizes that he’s supposed to be comforting a fan and he’s like, “Oh sorry, it’s just this gorilla’s leg. Are you okay?” At the end she says, “Am I dreaming?” and the man says something like, “It’s a dream come true, for sure” (I think).