Behind the Scenes of Michael Jackson’s Album

Sony and the Michael Jackson Estate Foundation have shared the story of how the new album “Michael” was made, in the words of the production team: Michael Jackson passed away while his new album was being produced. With every ounce of effort, he was working on songs he wanted to share with his fans. These tracks could easily have been left behind and forgotten—simply becoming part of the rich, unreleased legacy of one of the greatest artists in music history. But it became clear to the Michael Jackson Estate and to Sony Music that not only the fans, but Michael himself were committed to ensuring these incredible songs would not be forgotten. It was decided that the album would be properly completed and released in a thoughtful, fitting way—worthy of Michael’s legacy. Michael wasn’t here to complete the songs in the way only he could. But he had left a roadmap in the form of writings and notes for those who were his collaborators—or who would decide to work with them in the future—helping everyone involved in producing this album to follow his way and finish it. For them, it was a chance to honor the person who had inspired them throughout their lives. How “Michael” Was Produced “Michael” was produced the way a Michael Jackson album should be produced. In 2004, with the help of his lawyer, John Branca, Michael ended his relationship with Sony Music and its then-CEO, Tommy Mottola. [During the making of his last studio album, Invincible (2001), Michael had run into problems with Sony. At that time, Mottola had only limited involvement with Michael on this album. Later, Michael said he was not happy working with Mottola, calling him a racist and a devil.] In those years, Michael was working on his new album. He was organizing his schedule, building the foundation of the songs. Around the same time, Sony’s management system changed, and Michael developed a good relationship with its executives. In 2008, he collaborated with Sony on the album trailer 25. Michael was happy that, personally, at an event held by Sony Music in February 2009 in Los Angeles, he would receive multiple platinum pages. Much of Michael’s work on his new album was done away from public view. In an interview, Akon said that after Hold My Hand leaked due to a security hole, he and Michael were extremely careful in choosing where they worked, to prevent a repeat of that unpleasant incident. Akon: “He said he wouldn’t work in the studio anymore.” Neffew (whose real name is Tron Feemster, one of the producers of the Michael album) said that before Michael’s death, he had witnessed Michael’s work and saw in him a new excitement and passion for creating songs and sharing them with people around the world. Neffew: “He used to say we had to give a gift to the world. We had to give these songs to them.” Neffew describes the process: “He would say, ‘How are you doing?’ I’d say, ‘I’m good—how about you?’ He’d say, ‘I’m good too. Let’s see what happens.’ The heater was always on—even in summer. The atmosphere was very pleasant. I would play something and he would hum. Then the lyrics would come from him, and he would bring his song forward and develop it. Many people—including Neffew, Eddie Casio, and Michael’s program manager at the time of his death, Frank Dileo—knew his plan to continue recording the songs after returning to London and setting up what would become the This Is It tour at the O2 Arena. The rehearsals for this tour were captured in the This Is It film. Eddie Casio: “The plan was for recording to continue in London. He wanted a studio in his home in London. He made this clear to everyone. He wanted me to be with him so we could keep working on the music. He truly intended to entertain his fans again with his music.” After the Estate prepared a list, it was decided that Michael’s works would be completed in a way worthy of them. Help was sought from many producers and talented people who worked with Michael—or whom he had intended to work with later. Using the roadmap Michael had placed in front of them with the help of his notes, his voice, and his creative ideas, they produced the tracks and finished the album. For Akon, an opportunity arose to complete Hold My Hand, which had still not been finished at the time it leaked. Akon: “The time for this song finally came. It’s an amazing, beautiful, hymn-like track. I’m very proud that I had the chance to work with Michael—one of the idols of my entire life.” In an interview, Akon said he felt a responsibility to bring this song to the world and release it through the right channels. “More than anything else, I wanted his children to benefit from this, because he wanted that too. And for his family to say that he left something for us that we can use and cherish.” “I haven’t heard any complaints from people involved in this, and I think everything will go as planned. It feels good that his works now will have the chance to shine in the way they’re supposed to. It’s an incredible feeling. It gives me the best feeling. I know they’re now being presented to the people of the world in a proper way.” The Casio Family Michael had a long-standing friendship with the Casios. Dominique, the father of the family, was one of the managers of the Helmsley Palace hotel, where Michael usually stayed during his time in New York. To find peace from his busy life as a superstar, he would seek refuge at Dominique and Connie’s home for dinner, and Eddie and Frank—music teachers for the family’s sons—became the ones with talent in this area. In 2007, Michael and his children spent four months living in the Casios’ home in Bergen County, New Jersey. In the home studio, Breaking News – Monster and Keep Your Head Up were recorded. Michael’s manager, Frank Dileo, confirmed that while Michael was staying with the Casios, he spoke with him several times by phone, and Michael told him he was excited and thrilled by his music and his fresh experience. Quality of the Songs While Michael’s vocals are in demo form (test versions), this in no way diminishes their quality or credibility. In fact, when it was announced that the song Monster would be on the album, Curtis Jackson (50 Cent) called and said that Michael had intended to work with him on this track. He wrote on his Twitter page: “Before he passed away, Michael personally called me to work on this song. This is the best thing for me. He’s the one who gave us our ideas.” Later, in an interview, he said: “Michael told me he had a song he wanted me to hear because it was perfectly suited for our collaboration. I wanted to do it. I told him I would work with him.” Also, Teddy Riley—who had collaborated with Michael on the albums Dangerous, History, and Invincible since 1991—was well acquainted with Michael’s way of working. Before doing the work and completing the Michael album, he listened to the tracks and produced two of the three Casio songs: Monster and Breaking News. When he heard the songs, he knew they were his friend’s voice. And “the finisher,” as Michael affectionately called him, did what he had done on other Michael projects. Teddy Riley: “I don’t have to say it—months and months in the studio together. The times I’ve spent with Michael are very important, dear, special, and full of learning experiences. From day one, I studied Michael Jackson and everything he did. I know Michael’s voice across all ranges. I’ve examined Michael’s vocal range from baritone and tenor to alto and soprano. Over the years, I’ve heard his voice change up or down. My opinion about the credibility of the vocals on this album—which is another masterpiece of his—is that every track was sung by him, in different places and in different climates. The vocals are very polished, tuned, and worked on. I have no doubt that these are Michael’s vocals. Song Timing While most of the album’s tracks come from new work and inspirations Michael was creating alongside other artists, some of them are older songs that had been waiting for years to find their right home. Much Too Soon and Behind the Mask are in this category, and they finally found their place on the Michael album. In fact, it was John McClain (the head of the Estate and a producer, and the discoverer of the This Is It song that emerged last year and was also shown in the highly praised This Is It film.) who decided to personally work on these two tracks. Much Too Soon was written during the Invincible trailer album period, but Michael never found the right place to release it. Behind the Mask also has roots in the 1980s—when Michael heard the Yellow Magic Orchestra and called Ryuichi Sakamoto to ask for permission to write lyrics for this song. Credibility of Three Songs The release of Breaking News—one of the three songs Michael recorded at the Casios’ home—caused some people to question the credibility of the album’s tracks. The fuse for attacks and bizarre theories was lit by attention-seekers and those who claim to have knowledge of a major conspiracy. A London tabloid newspaper wrote, quoting an Italian impersonator of Michael Jackson, that after receiving an order from a man who he believed was from Bahrain, he secretly recorded the songs in a studio in Switzerland and received 2,000 euros for each track. Considering the importance of Michael’s legacy and the value he placed on his fans, both Sony and the Michael Jackson Estate conducted extensive checks on the tracks before even making the decision to release them public. As the Estate’s lawyer, Howard Weitzman, had previously said in a statement: * Six producers and sound engineers who had worked with Michael over the past 30 years—Bruce Swedien, Matt Forger, Stuart Brawley, Michael Prince, Dr. Freeze, and Teddy Riley—were invited to listen to the vocals on these tracks. All of them listened to the instrumental-free versions, and all confirmed that the voice belonged to Michael. * The musical director and pianist with a 20-year history of working with Michael, Greg Phillinganes, played an instrument on one of the Casio tracks that appears on the album and said it was definitely Michael’s voice. * Doreen Hall, who has been the stage sound director for more than 20 years on Michael’s solo tours (including the This Is It tour) and is also seen in the This Is It film, listened to the Casio tracks and said the main voice belonged to Michael. * All of these people are producers and musicians who worked with Michael on the Bad, Invincible, History, and Blood on the Dance Floor tours or in the studio—along with the tracks—and all of them again confirmed that the voice belonged to Michael. * Two of the most expert sound analysts in the United States independently listened to the tracks using sound-testing tools, and both confirmed Michael’s voice. * The tracks were also played for two of the most prominent people in the music industry, who played key roles in Michael’s career, and they said the voice belonged to Michael. In the end, Sony decided: “Based on the evidence and the investigations, and on their testimony from being in the studio with Michael, the credibility of the tracks is fully confirmed.” The tracks were finalized, and the album was prepared for release with a cover design by C. D. Kadir Nelson. The design tells the story of Michael Jackson’s life and also looks at the people and events that influenced his path. Michael Album Tracks: (For more ads click) Hold My Hand was written by Alion Tiam, Giorgio Tuinforth, and Claude Cly, produced by Akon, Giorgio Tuinforth, and Michael Jackson, and is the first single from the new album. The track was recorded in Las Vegas and leaked in 2008 before it was completed. This year, Akon finalized the song, and the video created for it will premiere on December 9. Hollywood Tonight was written by Michael Jackson and Brad Buxer. The song’s spoken section was written by Teddy Riley. The track is produced by Michael and Teddy Riley, with Neffew as the assistant producer. Michael wrote this song during the Invincible album era, and in 2007 he pulled it out of his vault to work on it with Neffew. Keep Your Head Up was recorded in the summer of 2007 in New Jersey at the Casios’ home. The song is written by Michael, Eddie Casio, and James Porte (Bobby Ewing), and is produced by Tricky Stewart, Angelixson, and Michael Jackson. I Like The Way You Love Me was written by Michael and produced by him and Neffew. The song was released as a demo in the early stages of production in 2004 on the Ultimate Collection album. Michael loved this song, and before his death he was busy finalizing it in Los Angeles. Monster is a track by Michael, Eddie Casio, and James Porte. The rap lyrics were written and performed by Curtis Jackson (50 Cent). The producers of Michael Jackson’s Monster are Teddy Riley and Angelixson. For this track, Michael recorded his voice from inside a “PVC pipe.” Best Of Joy is written by Michael. The song is produced by Neffew and Michael Jackson, and Brad Buxer is the assistant producer. This was one of the tracks Michael had been working on before his death, and it was planned that after going to London to perform the tour, he would continue working on it. Breaking News was also recorded at the Casios’ home. Michael, Eddie Casio, and James Porte wrote the track. In addition to Michael, Teddy Riley, Eddie Casio, James Porte, and Angelixson are involved in the song’s production. I Can’t Make It Another Day was written and produced by Lenny Kravitz, with Michael as assistant producer. The demo of this track was made during the Invincible album era, and its first leak in 2008 encouraged Kravitz to complete the song. Behind The Mask was written by Michael in collaboration with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Chris Mazdell. Michael heard the song being performed by the Yellow Magic Orchestra and called Sakamoto to ask him to create the lyrics. The track has recently been finalized by John McClain. Much Too Soon was written by Michael during the Invincible trailer album period. The song is produced by him and John McClain. David Campbell contributed on guitar and arrangements. Conclusion: What valuable place will the other unheard Michael Jackson songs have in the future? The immediate goal of the Estate and Sony was to complete the album Michael intended to release. Also, to choose the tracks in a way that would best showcase the fresh creativity and the old styles that Michael wanted to blend together. While it’s too early to announce future plans, it should be said that, given the value Michael placed on his fans, the selection and release of his work will be done in a way that honors his legacy in the best possible manner. Source: eMJey / Official Online Team of the MJ Estate ~ Official Online Team of the MJ Estate