AN IMMERSION IN GHOSTS

Posted on November 13, 2014 by jrling

“When one person believes in something it’s a dream. When two persons share the same dream it’s a beginning of a new reality.”

Michael Jackson

“I want to tell people not to judge a person by what you hear or even what you read…unless you hear it from the person himself.”

Michael Jackson

“Are you the ghost of jealousy?” In 1995, the media deemed Michael Jackson’s career over, saying he would never sell another record. Seemingly taking a quote directly from the false accuser who plotted to finish Michael and make millions of dollars in the process, once again the media got it all wrong. Record companies, who encourage performers to simply put out compilations and greatest hits albums, also got it all wrong. Instead, Michael transfused the pain and anger and disillusionment into astounding new music. (Man in the Music) Michael Jackson’s History Album compiled 15 hits from his catalog…and then, included Disc II…15 releases never heard before…13 original compositions by the artist. To this day, it is the biggest selling double disc album of all time. On Disc II, the listener meets an Angry Michael Jackson, genius coming off every track, visual work taken to another level. So much for never selling another record.

1997 BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR is released in the UK, storming straight to number one. It becomes the biggest selling remix album of all time, once again proving critics all wrong. Work on the album took place all over the world, as Michael had been touring on his HISTORY WORLD TOUR.

GHOSTS premiers at the 50th Cannes Film Festival May 8, 1997.

“There is real pain and pathos in these new songs. In keeping with Michael’s darker mood the music has grown more angry and indignant, with beats clashing like metal sheets and synthesizer sounds hissing like pressurized gas, this is industrial funk. Creatively, Michael has entered a new realm.”

Neil Strauss New York Times 1997

Man in the Mirror describes GHOSTS as Michael’s assessing a world of fear, corruption and confusion, holding up a mirror to its grotesqueness, society might actually see itself for what it is…and change. Part of Michael’s genius was his ability not only to understand the history of the Gothic tradition, but also to reappropriate it in new and interesting ways.

With increasing numbers, academia focuses on Michael Jackson’s legacy. Articles and books concentrate on the artistry, rather than the myth, authors offering their perceptions. However, the ultimate authority is the man.

MAKING OF GHOSTS

Michael Jackson

“We wanted to do a film that’s very scary, but it should be a roller coaster ride with peaks and valleys, all kind of emotions. You know, there’s some pathos in it…I insisted on it.

Well, here’s a guy, that I’m playing…he really doesn’t like to hurt anyone or offend anyone. But, they find him to be strange and eccentric and weird, the older people do, the grown-ups, because they’re kind of bigoted. But, when they start to challenge me, they make me territorial and I start to challenge them back. I do all these wonderful things that is like magic, cuz I’m really trying to scare this mayor, who is a creep. He’s really a creep and I don’t like him. I play this fat, grotesque, ridiculous mayor, and I say that because those kind of people who are stubborn, they just don’t see the beauty inside a person. (Stan Winston, “He’s right wing, he’s very establishment. He’s ‘Mr. If You’re Not Like Me, You’re Not With It’. And he’s the guy, I’m sorry, that none of us like.)

I said to Stan, I don’t want to do another scary short film. I wanted to present something that’s never been seen before. If its an effect, it should be something brand new, it should have meaning.

It’s special effect orientated and it must be the best Hollywood has to offer. I love pioneering. That’s what’s exciting to me, with a new idea, if we can present something that is fresh and innovative. That’s what I want to do. I don’t like repeating myself at all.

The art of dance is mainly interpreting through bodily movement the sounds in the accompaniment of a composition. One moves according to the sound. The body moves according to the sound and character of the instrument.

It’s just pretty much knowing what you want to do and having a will of iron.

Today’s cutting edge is tomorrow’s classic.

If the whole world says ‘NO’, you say ‘YES!’

I hope you enjoy it. I hope it’s inspiring to a lot of people, and I hope it scares you. I hope it makes you laugh and I hope it makes you cry. That’s all I want to achieve…just some real entertainment.”

Michael said that the idea for the short film…“started with the Addam’s Family, they wanted a theme song (IS IT SCARY) for their film and I didn’t want to do it. So, eventually we got out of it…I ended up making the short film.” In the early 90’s, Michael wrote an early version with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, however, he wasn’t satisfied with the cut and continued to mold it and ‘let it speak to him’ the following years. Man in the Music The finished version not only adds some of the song’s most important lyrics, but also gives it the necessary atmosphere, drama and passion to allow the real pathos and pain of the lyrics to resonate.

“The history of American entertainment and Michael’s own place in that history, is never far from Michael’s mind.”

D. Yuan

“The film once again demonstrates Michael’s substantial ability as a conceptualist in all forms. In GHOSTS, he not only acted multiple parts (the five lead characters), he also co-wrote the screenplay, composed the music, choreographed and directed and performed the dances.”

MAN INTHE MIRROR

“It started out being 12 to 15 minutes long, but as we were shooting it grew in power and length.”

Stan Winston Director

MICHAEL WANTED SOMETHING THAT WOULD SHOCK THE WORLD.

GHOSTS and BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR take us right out of our comfort zones, stretching our minds and assaulting our senses…Michael’s Social Justice Activism at its finest.

“Hate never has dispelled hate…only love can do that.”

An IMMERSION in GHOSTS is an exploration into moral decay, presented with astounding composition and important lyrics…and choreography that surpasses our wildest imaginations. With it, Michael invented a new genre for popular music: Gothic Pop.

“Are you scared yet?”

HISTORY…A THEATRICAL MASTERPIECE

Posted on September 6, 2014 by jrling

“I’m not planning to write another book anytime soon, If you want to know how I feel, you can check out HIS tory. It’s a musical book.”

Michael Jackson

“His tory is Michael Jackson’s most personal album. From the impassioned rage of SCREAM to the pained vulnerability of CHILDHOOD, the record was, in Jackson’s words, ‘a musical book.’ It encompassed all the turbulent emotions and struggles of the previous few years. It was his journal, his canvas, his rebuttal.”

MAN IN THE MUSIC

Joseph Vogel

“At our house, we host MICHAEL MARATHONS. Friends come to spend days, evenings and even stay for sleep-overs. Marathons include short films, listening and dancing pleasures and CONCERTS…EVERYTHING MICHAEL. Michael’s HIS tory World Tour is the most requested.

Jude Ling

There is truth in the capacity for enthusiasm being a sign of a healthy spirit and heart. Michael Jackson’s creative enthusiasm knew no limits, bursting into world attention with intention, purposing musical history. With unparalleled work ethic, a peerless imagination, and his pioneering, legendary visions, Michael sought perfection and greatness with each and every project he did. A voice that vigorously trained, Michael’s compositions offered a vehicle for sounds the ear had never heard before. Quite simply, he maintained his vocal gifts and worked to make them even better. Michael’s HIS tory double album is among the most magnificent work I have ever heard from this massively talented artist. I am not one to quantify and compare songs and albums, performance and designs. When asked what is my favorite Michael art, I simply say that to choose one would be like choosing my favorite breath I’ve taken. Truly, I love EVERYTHING. I turn to the HIS tory album for diversity and boldness…an honesty and power that grabs me and doesn’t let go. Michael angry ignites my fuse. Michael lonely, searching, is somewhere beyond powerful to me. I learn about sampling to drive home message. I feel desperate when hearing Little Susie’s plight. I fall in love all over again with YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I sing at the top of my lungs with Michael’s cries against social and media injustice, greed and lies. And EARTH SONG is absolutely Michael’s magnum opus…the most brilliant work of artistry written to save a dying planet. Rather than simply putting out a greatest hits album, Michael selected some of his Number Ones and then set about writing new material. He never believed in doing the ordinary. It wasn’t a part of who he was. Soundscapes require multiple listenings to begin to grasp all that is recorded…the material is simply too rich to take in all at once. Michael’s short films for the album show a genius at work. Each is art incarnate…being so far from typical pop genre video. One must take the time to study each…SCREAM, THEY DON’T REALLY CARE ABOUT US (two separate short films done), STRANGER IN MOSCOW, CHILDHOOD, YOU ARE NOT ALONE, COME TOGETHER, AND, EARTH SONG. This art could come from no one else but Michael Jackson.

“Whatever one makes of the hoopla surrounding the album, one can scarcely ignore its amazing production values and the skill with which truly vast musical resources have been brought to bear upon the project. Where most popular music makes do with the sparse instrumentation of a working band fleshed out with a bit of synth, HIS tory brings together such renowned studio musicians and production talents as Slash, Steve Porcaro, Jimmy Jam, Nile Rodgers, plus a full sixty piece symphony orchestra, several choirs including the Andrae Crouch Singers Choir, star vocalists such as sister Janet Jackson and Boyz II Men, and the arrangements of Quincy Jones and Jeremy Lubbock. Indeed, the sheer richness of the instrumental and vocal scoring is probably unprecedented in the entire realm of popular recording.” Daniel Sweeney

And then, we come to the stage production of the History World Tour, with its 82 shows performed for 4,145,000 Fans, in 58 cities, 35 countries, on five continents, a duration of 404 days…the tour reaching 1,000,000 more fans than Michael’s Dangerous World Tour. Michael again brought THEATRE to the stage. The sheer massiveness of staging, lighting, wearable art innovation, and set pieces which included a spaceship and a tank…INCREDIBLE. And for the Ladies, let’s not forget the golden suit…Oh, Dear, where was I! Oh, yes, THEATRE. MICHAEL MADE HISTORY! With each world tour, Michael’s well-crafted, innovative approach to contemporary performance moved up a notch. Far beyond other artists, Michael brought drama and theatre to audiences, using his storytelling artistry and his music to delight all the senses, appealing to all ages, colors, cultures. Each stage progressively got bigger…the History stage gave Michael a great area to OWN IT. A true artist owns his stage and MICHAEL JACKSON IS A TRUE ARTIST! Michael believed in bringing his audiences every bit of blood, sweat and God-given talent he had in him. HE DID THAT FOR 82 SHOWS. Theatricality went to the 10th power during Michael’s performances of SCREAM, THEY DON’T REALLY CARE ABOUT US, IN THE CLOSET, SMOOTH CRIMINAL, THRILLER, EARTH SONG AND HISTORY. Billie Jean was magnificent along with all Michael’s other classics. DANGEROUS brought theatre reminiscent of SMOOTH CRIMINAL…only, more so. And then there is EARTH SONG…theatre and opera all in one. STUNNING. For those who come to our MICHAEL MARATHONS, many who have never seen Michael in concert…to a person, marvel at the energy Michael gives…from INTRO TO OUTRO and everywhere in between. The History World Tour also offers powerful messages for audiences to ponder long after they exit the stadium. The tribute to each country hosting the tour is powerfully done as the show concludes and Michael’s massive sampling aired from the song History. There is so much to see, to hear, to enjoy, to ponder! During this same time frame, Michael wrote, choreographed and performed/filmed GHOSTS, wrote and produced the BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR album and worked tirelessly on humanitarian efforts…and, he became a FATHER. HIS story captured the emotional turbulence of living. It is art at its finest. Performance Art in both short films and live stage shows showed Michael’s passionate commitment to his music and to the quality, professionalism, energy and perfection he gave his entire lifetime.