I’m sick of Michael Jackson coverage. I didn’t want to post anything about his passing, but HearYa Live Session producer, Steve Shirk, is off in Cambodia or Laos or some such humid location and made time to send me a great link. A group of producers are sharing memories from days working with Michael and I found it fascinating. Much better than the shit on television. There’s no denying that the man was a genius. Here is a snippet from one of the members of the online forum:
One morning MJ came in with a new song he had written overnight. We called in a guitar player, and Michael sang every note of every chord to him. “here’s the first chord first note, second note, third note. Here’s the second chord first note, second note, third note”, etc., etc. We then witnessed him giving the most heartfelt and profound vocal performance, live in the control room through an SM57.
He would sing us an entire string arrangement, every part. Steve Porcaro once told me he witnessed MJ doing that with the string section in the room. Had it all in his head, harmony and everything. Not just little eight bar loop ideas. he would actually sing the entire arrangement into a micro-cassette recorder complete with stops and fills.
At one point Michael was angry at one of the producers on the project because he was treating everyone terribly. Rather than create a scene or fire the guy, Michael called him to his office/lounge and one of the security guys threw a pie in his face. No further action was needed . . .
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
GREAT link, guys. This is the best MJ discussion I’ve seen so far.
“Michael called him to his office/lounge and one of the security guys threw a pie in his face”… Hilarious!
The biggest disappointment regarding all the coverage? i’ve seen barely a handful of truly tasteless jokes about his death. That’s the real injustice.
Thanks for the heads up Shirk! I liked reading Rob’s full post about his 3 years working with MJ. I grew up a Michael Jackson fan. I had HIStory on my iPod, so I made Oz put it on the day he died while we ate dinner. Even our 14 month old was bopping and shimmying in her high chair.
That was nice to read. Shirk might be interested in reading Juan Cole’s delightful eulogy on Michael Jackson here: http://www.juancole.com/2009/06/michael-jackson-islam-and-middle-east.html
Juan Cole is an expert on middle east policy..
Here’s my favorite Michael Jackson moment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMYoUVrkFYE
How that video is not over 1 million views is beyond me.
And also, did Mr. T really say “absoludicrous?”
Great Point…..
A person should be remembered in ways that they effected you personally. The effects of media can be distorted and toxic and unless you know someone based on the experiences you personally share you shouldn’t judge. I only know this person because I enjoy his music and love to dance to his songs……..and that makes me happy.
M.
F*ck Michael. I am good at my job as well but I sure as hell know I wouldn’t get no pass if I pulled any of the crap he has pulled over the years. Everybody is talking about this and that about his music, but the questions remains – would you leave your kids alone with him? Aboslutely f*cking not.
Oz – I think Mr. T said “absoludacrisp”.
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