Today in MJJ HIStory

1971 - The first of two appearances of the Jackson 5 on the Flip Wilson Show was broadcast. They performed a medley of hits I Want You Back / ABC / The Love You Save/ Never Can Say Goodbye

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1972
- The Jackson Five appeared on "Soul Train." performing That's How Love Goes, I Want You Back, Corner Of The Sky, Daddy's Home, Lookin' Through The Windows


The Jackson 5 on their first European tour in Munich, Germany.

1977 - Michael attends Andre McArdle's birthday party.

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1979 - The Jacksons perform Destiny tour in Detroit, Michigan

1995 - Michael Jackson premiered his single "Earth Song" on the German game show "Wetten Dass?".

1996 - Stranger In Moscow was released as the fifth and final single from Michael's album HIStory.


Michael Jackson announced that he and a friend, Debbie Rowe, were expecting a child, but he denied that the couple had used artificial insemination and that Rowe had been paid to carry the baby.

News broke that Debbie Rowe is carrying Michael's first child. [Liz Smith reported in her column in the San Francisco Chronicle as follows: "Congratulations and good luck to Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe, the woman who is reported to be carrying his first child."]

1999 - The Court of Appeals of Milan has rejected the appeal of Italian songwriter Albano Carrisi, and confirmed the lower court's judgment in favor of Michael Jackson and Sony Music, in a lawsuit involving Jackson's hit song "Will You Be There." Al Bano claimed that Jackson copied his song "I cigni di Balaka" (The Swans of Balaka). In November of 1997, the Tribunal of Milan ruled that there was no plagiarism, and Al Bano appealed.

2001 - HITS magazine featured Michael on their cover.

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2004 - Jackson issues a message gratitude to his fans on his official website, for their support throughout the attempts of defamation made against him by means of the child abuse charges from December, 2003. The message states: “To my loyal fans and supporters, I would like to sincerely thank all those who have spoken out and taken action against the most recent attempt to defame me as a person and an entertainer. My team has told me of the thousands of calls that have been made and the thousands of emails that have been sent by you, on my behalf. I am so grateful and inspired by you all. To my fans in the UK, I want to you to know how touched I was to hear about the demonstration in London that took place on October 31st and the thousands of people that attended. I am so overwhelmed by these beautiful expressions of love from my fans. Thank you. Recently, I have been informed that there is an event being planned for me, by the fans, to take place in New York very soon. I wanted take this opportunity to thank these fans from the bottom of my heart for your love and support. As always, I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR NOT BEING AFRAID TO SPEAK OUT. God Bless, Michael Jackson”.

Filed under  //   1971   1972   1977   1979   1995   1996   1999   2001   2004  

Today in MJJ HIStory

1971 - LOVE CALL Song recorded by the Jackson 5 for Motown – test pressings known to exist, but remains unreleased.

1979 - The Jacksons perform Destiny tour in Philadelphia [US].

1984 - The Jacksons perform at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois [USA] attending 40,000.

1985 - Diana Ross' single "Eaten Alive" hit #77 in the U.S. The song was co-written, co-produced and co-vocalized with Michael Jackson and Barry Gibb.

1987 - Michael performs BAD tour at Osaka Stadium in Osaka, Japan.

A Open Letter from Michael Jackson to his critics:

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Volume: 28 Issue: 15 of the People magazine [US] featured Michael on their cover story MESSAGE FROM MICHAEL
'I was sent forth for the world, for the children. But have mercy, for I've been bleeding a long time now.'

In the Midst of a World Tour, the Astonishing Star Breaks His Four-Year Silence to Issue a Cry of Pain from Japan.
He sat down at the desk in his room at the Capitol Tokyu Hotel in Tokyo and, on the back of a piece of hotel stationery, wrote what he said would be his only only discussion of his private life. "Like the old Indian proverb says," wrote Jackson, "do not judge a man until you've walked 2 moons in his moccosins." The singer's two-page missive reveals him to be a complex mix of boy and man whose personality matches the themes of Bad, an album so full of bright, catchy dance tunes that it's easy to overlook the lyrics that express dark fantasies and hyper-romantic dreams. Jackson offers forgiveness to the rumormongers who have upset him: "Animals strike, not from malice, but because they want to live, it is the same with those who criticize, they desire our blood, not our pain." At the same time, he expresses himself with the desperate tone of a child who has been unfairly punished: "I cry very very often because it hurts.... Have mercy, for I've been bleeding a long time now." His casual spelling and punctuation speak of backstage tutors and self-teaching, but his expression of pain is clear.
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The stage life of the world's most popular rock star: glitter, fame, excitement and wealth. Real life is, of course, another matter. Having said no more than a few words to the press since 1983, Jackson left it to his stogie-chomping manager, Frank Dileo, to explain away his plastic surgeries (just the nose and chin were done, he said) and his attempt to purchase the bones of the Elephant Man ("Well, everyone has a skeleton in their closet," Dileo told PEOPLE). Probably the tall tales only enhanced sales of Bad, which has already zoomed to the top of the charts in at least eight countries. But the rumors' effect on Jackson, 29, has been anything but salutary. "It's really horrible to have these lies printed about me," he says. "It hurts."

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If Jackson does at times resemble a child, it may be because he identifies so closely with children. Quietly he has given rafts of free concert tickets to handicapped youngsters, visited Japanese schools and sent condolences and $20,000 to the family of 5-year-old Yoshiaki Ogiwara, an Osaka boy who was kidnapped and murdered recently. At one concert he dedicated his tour to the boy, a gesture that brought tears to the eyes of adoring fans. "People just don't have a realistic picture of who Michael is," says makeup artist Karen Faye. "He's innocent and inspiring without being preachy—and a lot of fun to be around."

To his public, however, Jackson remains an enigmatic figure, and his handwritten message from Japan will do little to change that. Given his near total blackout on personal press, one can only assume he wants it that way: Anonymity serves his stagecraft.

The effect was stunning, Olympian: A god had come and gone. Offstage and out of costume, the Michael Jackson who was "sent forth for the world, for the children" could hardly help feeling chagrined that his stage persona is only an act. Gods, after all, do not feel pain.
Source: people.com

1993 - Michael performs Dangerous concert at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina attending 70,000.

1997 - Michael performs HIStory concert at Johannesburg Stadium in Johannesburg, SA attending 39,000.

1999 - Michael Jackson's HISTORY: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE BOOK I was certified at 7 times Platinum by the RIAA.

2002 - As a personal acknowledgement of the gallantry and sacrificial services made by the military in his community, Jackson invites over 200 U.S. Air Force members from "Team Vandenberg" – then recently returned from overseas deployments – and their families to spend the day at Neverland.

2004 - In an interview with Steve Harvey Morning Radio Show, Michael Jackson said that he was angry over the depiction of him in Eminem's video for the song Just Lose It and calls the Morning Radio Show to ask TV networks not to air the new video which makes fun of him. BET accepts but not MTV which creates a new controversy.

2005 - Michael takes Prince, Paris & Blanket to Harrods where they are greeted by owner Mohamed Al Fayed.

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Michael raced around the posh London store – owned by Mohammed Al Fayed – on Wednesday (Oct 12), and reserved two watches worth £55,000 and £30,000.

His children Prince Michael, eight, Paris, seven and Prince Michael II, three, then descended upon the toy department.

An insider said: "He was only in the store for about 30 minutes. His kids had a fantastic time in the toy department. They fell in love with this gigantic toy Hummer".

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"After spending thousands of pounds on gifts for them, including life-size teddy bears, Michael signed autographs for fans."

Michael’s spokesman said: "Last time he came to London he went to Hamleys - but he loves the cuddly toys at Harrods."

2009 - A never-before released song from Michael Jackson, a single entitled This Is It, premiered on Michael's official website MichaelJackson.com, on October 12, 2009, at midnight.

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This It It, the first song from the Michael Jackson music documentary Michael Jackson's This Is It which plays during the closing sequence and included on the companion two-disc CD set. The unreleased single features backup vocals by Michael's brothers, The Jacksons.

The CD features original album masters of some of MJ's biggest hits, including Thriller and Billie Jean, which are in the same sequence as they appear in the film.

Filed under  //   1971   1979   1984   1985   1987   1993   1997   1999   2002   2004   2005   2009  

Today in MJJ HIStory

1969 - The Jackson 5's debut single for Motown, I Want You Back, was officially released on October 7, 1969, and would become the first of four number one hit singles in a row. A lively and deceptively sophisticated pop tune, Michael's performance was strong and memorable, guaranteed to charm the most reluctant audience.

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I Want You Back was produced and written by Berry Gordy’s new writing team, The Corporation™ (made up of Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonzo Mizell and Deke Richards). It was The Jackson 5’s first song recorded at Motown’s L.A. studios and originally intended for Gladys Knight.

The song became a massive hit — thanks in large part to the quintet's pint-sized dynamo of a lead singer, then 11 years old Michael. the song hit #1 spot on both Hot 100 & R&B charts as the group's first of four #1 hit singles in a row. It peaked #2 in the UK, earning the J5 their first Platinum record as well the Silver Award. The single sold over 6 million copies globally, a key force in driving their total worldwide sales past 90 million.

Accolades:
  • In 1999, I Want You Back became the first Jackson 5 single inducted into the "Grammy Hall of Fame".
  • In MTV’s millennium poll, I Want You Back was voted the #9 'Greatest Pop Song of all time'.
  • In 1999, I Want You Back ranks #9 on Rolling Stone's list of the '100 Greatest Pop Songs since 1963'
  • In 2006, I Want You Back ranked at #2 on Pitchfork Media's list of the '200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s'
  • In June 2009, The Daily Telegraph named I Want You Back as the Greatest Pop Record of all time.

1971 - Michael’s first ever solo single, Got To Be There, was released on October 7, 1971, in advance of his debut solo album of the same name, which would come out early the following year.

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The single made #4 on both the Hot 100 and R&B chart, and sold an impressive 1.6 million copies in U.S. It also hit #3 in neighbouring Canada and #5 in the UK. By this time, Michael had eight chart topping singles and six albums with his brothers.

Got To Be There was originally intended for the Supremes, then was planned as a Jackson 5 release. Indeed, Michael’s brothers do feature on backing vocals, as they would continue to do on
many songs credited to Michael alone. It was a soulful love song that showed off thirteen year old Michael’s amazing vocal ability.

Got To Be There: The album had a beautiful mix of ballads and up tempo numbers perfectly suited to Michael’s range and style. Young Michael had shown that he could carry a full album all on his own. The album charted at number 14 in the US and number 37 in the UK. “Got To Be There” generated 3 more singles. “Rockin’ Robin” hit number 2 in the US and number 3 in the UK. “I Wanna Be Where You Are” hit number 16 in the US and “Ain’t No Sunshine” was a European only release that reached number 8 in the UK.
In releasing it, Michael broke a Motown tradition, as he became the first Motown artist to go solo whilst still an active member of a group (Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson and David Ruffin all had to leave their respective groups before becoming solo artists).

1979 - The Jacksons perform Destiny tour in Louisville [US].

1984 - The Jacksons perform Victory tour at Canadian National Exhibition Stadium in Toronto, Ontario [Canada] attending 35,000.

1993 - Michel arrives in Buenos Aires with Frank & Eddie.

1995 - Michael graced the popular German Game show Wetten Dass? (Wanna Bet?) with his live appearance.

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In addition to his immaculate Dangerous routine, executed with the same precision and finesse as at the MTV Music Video Awards in September, Michael also performed Earth Song in public for the first time, a real coup for Wetten Dass?
When aired on November 04th, the show attracted 18 million viewers, breaking German viewing records with 25 million tuning in to watch Michael’s guest spot – far and away the highest German TV audience of 1995.

1996 Michael played a historic concert at El Menzah Stadium before 60,000 people in Tunis, capital of Tunisia. The performance marked the first time Jackson performed in the continent of Africa. Four days prior to the concert, speaking via Kingdom International, Michael said:
This concert will be of special significance for me because it will be my first in Africa and the Arab world. The people and nations of both regions have always held a special place in my heart and I always wanted to perform for them.
Michael further announced all proceeds from the concert would be donated to The National Solidarity Fund, a Tunisian charity dedicated to fighting poverty.

This concert was aired on September 18, 2010 by the Nessma TV channel in Tunisia. Before then, only parts of this concert were shown on television as well as a very poor quality amateur-filmed far from the stage. The broadcast ended at "Heal The World", cutting off the final number, "HIStory". The quality of the broadcast was rather average as the entire concert was on a VHS, and a red ball (Nessma TV's logo) occasionally rolled across the screen as a means of copyright protection. The concert broadcasted twice, with the red ball appearing in different places in both broadcasts.

2005 - Michael is at The Power House Studios, working on a charity song, From The Bottom Of My Heart, to help the victims of hurricane Katrina.

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The working title of the Hurricane relief song penned by Michael is, "From the Bottom of My Heart," which was supposed to be released on 2 Seas Records, owned by Prince Abdullah Hamad Alkhalifa of Bahrain.

Fundraising Project titled: "From the Gulf to the Gulf" is in response to the widespread devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina, and because of the human suffering taking place in the Gulf Region of his country.

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"It pains me to watch the human suffering taking place in the Gulf Region of my country. My heart and prayers go out to every individual who has had to endure the pain and suffering caused by this tragedy. I will be reaching out to others within the music industry, to join me in helping to bring relief and hope to these resilient people who have lost everything." Michael said.
Within 24 hrs from the devastation, Mr. Jackson penned the song and has reach out to artists who would like to work with him in this project, some of the enlisted celebrity friends, including R. Kelly, Ciara, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, James Brown, Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige, which he humbly hopes will make a tremendous difference to all individuals who have been affected by this tragedy.
Filed under  //   1969   1971   1979   1984   1993   1995   1996   2005  

Today in MJJ HIStory

1971 - Goin' Back to Indiana, a live/soundtrack album by The Jackson 5 for Motown Records, was released.

The album features tracks from J5's September 16, 1971 ABC TV special of the same name. It also featured tracks recorded by the J5 during their May 29 "homecoming" concert in Gary, Indiana (hence, both the show title and name of 1970 song that appeared on Third Album). The album went on to sell 2.6 million copies worldwide and reached #5 in R & B, and #15 overall in Billboard.

The album contains new versions of I Want You Back and Maybe Tomorrow, the second part of the album features a live performance of the Jackson 5, so-called performance recorded during their visit to Gary, May 29, 1971.
*Serious doubts are regularly raised as to the reality of this information. Indeed, May 29, 1971, the J5 were not Gary, but in Indianapolis. It could be that the concert was recorded in Indianapolis, but Motown, to maintain the myth of the great return to Gary, would simply deliberately erroneous information.

1979 - Off The Wall (LP) enters the Top 60 albums chart in UK peaking at #5 and remains on the charts for an astounding one hundred and seventy-three weeks!

1984 - The Jacksons performs Victory tour at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia [Pennsylvania, USA] attending 60,000 fans.

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Hey magazine[Turkey] featured Michael on their cover.

1986 - A new line of Michael Jackson children's clothes is launched at the Palladium nightclub in New York. Manufactured by Entertainment Properties Inc. all the clothes carry the MJ monogram.

1987 - Rock & Pop magazine[Argentina] featured Michael on their cover.

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1994 - Michael Jackson's album "Thriller" was certified 24 times Platinum, the album "Bad" was certified 8 times Platinum and the album "Dangerous" was certified 6 times Platinum.

2001 - Entertainment Weekly magazine featured MJ on the cover.

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Are You Ready For Jacko?
The King of Pop is Back - And as wacko as ever!
Inside his New York concerts: The music and the madness!
2006 - Michael & Debbie have reached a confidential settlement over their 3 years long dispute regarding Debbie's visitation rights on Prince & Paris & money compensation.

Michael who is still in Ireland with Grace & the kids has recently met with hip hop producer Ron Feemster & his uncle/manager Charles Stanton to discuss possible collaboaration on his his album.

He also asked Teddy Rilley and Will I AM from the Black Eyed Peas to work on new songs for him.

Filed under  //   1971   1979   1984   1986   1987   1994   2001   2006  

Today in MJJ HIStory

1970 - Motown announced that the Jackson 5 had sold a million records in the last nine months.

1971 - The Jackson 5ive perform two shows at Baltimore, Maryland on their first national tour.

1973 - Get It Together performed by the Jackson 5 in the States on The Bob Hope Special (an alternate version), was aired on NBC TV in the States.

1979 - The Jacksons perform DESTINY tour at Los Angeles, California.

1981 - The Jacksons' Triumph tour ended ten weeks later on September 26, 1981, with the last of a record-breaking four sold-out shows at the Forum in Los Angeles. A live album, called The Jacksons Live, was recorded and released the following year.

Again, Michael expressed his desire to stop touring when it was all over. Although he would be coaxed back on the road three years later, the Triumph tour marked the end of the Jacksons as a cohesive group of relative equals, as Michael’s own star power was about to rise higher than anybody in history.

1987 - Hitkrant magazine[Nederland] featured Michael on their cover.

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Michael performs BAD tour at Yokohama Stadium in Yokohama [Japan] attending 38,000 fans. Yokohoma concert filmed and televised in Japan by Nippon TV.

Michael Jackson's album BAD hit #1 in the U.S.

Bad enters the Top 100 singles chart in UK peaking at #3 and remains on the charts for fourteen weeks. A limited edition red vinyl 12" is also released.

1988 - Michael performs BAD tour at Civic Arena in Pittsburg [Pennsylvania, USA] attending 16,230 fans.

1992 - Michael performs Dangerous tour at Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon [Portugal] attending 64,000 fans.

1993 - Michael performs Dangerous tour at Santa Cruz De Teneriffa in Tenerife [Canary Islands] attending 20,000 fans.

1996 - tele swiat magazine(Russia) featured MJ on the cover.

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2001 - Michael Jackson's video clip for You Rock My World premièred on TRL in the U.S.A.

Filed under  //   1970   1971   1973   1979   1981   1987   1988   1992   1993   1996   2001  

Today in MJJ HIStory

1971 – Jackson 5ive Mom and Pop featured on the cover of Life Magazine with the story Rock Stars at Home with Their Parents. The spiral staircase in the Jackson family's Hayvenhurst was made famous in the iconic cover where they are posing on stair steps with their parents standing at the bottom of the staircase.


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1987 - Rolling Stone magazine feature Michael on their cover with the story Michael Jackson in Fantasyland.

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1993 - Michael arrives in Tenerife with the Cascios to perform a concert on September 26.

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While in Tenerife, Michael Jackson visited the Clinical Hospital, where he presented toys and gifts to the children.

1996 - Michael perform HIStory tour at La Romareda stadium in Zaragoza [Spain] attending 45,000 fans.
A shocking episode for Michael was when he sang She’s Out of My Life and the public started to the sing Ay, ay, ay, ay… Cielito lindo…

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During his stay in Zaragoza, Michael visits hospitals, sign autographs.

2008 - The fan-voted album King of Pop was released in Japan.

On July 18, the Japanese edition "キング・オブ・ポップ-ジャパン・エディション" (King of Pop - Japan version) was announced with fans picking from a selection pool of 120 tracks. Out of tune with other versions, the compilation was released on September 24 by Sony Music Japan.

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Tracklist:
01. ビリー・ジーン / Billie Jean (Single Version)
02. マン・イン・ザ・ミラー / Man In The Mirror (Album Version)
03. スムーズ・クリミナル / Smooth Criminal(Radio Edit/ Album Version)
04. スリラー / Thriller (Single Version)
05. 今夜はビート・イット / Beat It (Single Version)
06. バッド / Bad (Album Version)
07. ブラック・オア・ホワイト / Black Or White (Album Version)
08. ヒール・ザ・ワールド / Heal The World (7”Edit)
09. ロック・ウィズ・ユー / Rock With You (Single Version)
10. ヒューマン・ネイチャー / Human Nature (Album Version)
11. ウィ・アー・ザ・ワールド (デモ・ヴァージョン) / We Are The World (demo)
12. セイ・セイ・セイ / Say Say Say (Album Version)
13. スクリーム / Scream (Album Version)
14. リメンバー・ザ・タイム / Remember The Time (Album Version)
15. オフ・ザ・ウォール / Off The Wall<bonus tracks="">
Bonus: ベン / Ben (Single Version)
スリラー・メガミックス (ラジオ・エディット) / Thriller Megamix (Radio Edit)
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</bonus>
<bonus tracks=""></bonus>
Filed under  //   1971   1987   1993   1996  

Today in MJJ HIStory

1981 - A video of the Jacksons' "The Triumph (Can You Feel It)" was aired on "American Bandstand."

1971 - Filmed on 9/10th July, the Jackson 5’s first TV special Goin Back To Indiana, was aired in the States on – appropriately – ABC-TV.

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The hour long show, with guests comedians Bill Cosby (as roving reporter Scoop Newsworthy) and Tommy Smothers, singers Bobby Darin & Diana Ross, American footballer Roosevelt ‘Rosey’ Grier, Ben Davidson, and pro-basketball stars Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor & Elvin Hayesand, was an enjoyable mix of music and comedy sketches.

It also featured tracks recorded by J5 during their May 29 "homecoming" concert in Gary, Indiana (hence the show title).

Diana Ross made a brief cameo appearance, and footage from the Jackson 5’s triumphant homecoming to Gary, Indiana in January 1971, was screened.

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No longer limited to guest appearances on other people's shows (a regular practice during this point in their career), the brothers were now a big enough name to draw their own audience, who tuned in as enthusiastically to the special as they did to the new Jackson 5ive Saturday morning cartoon that also made its debut in September.

1984 - OK! magazine [France] featured Michael & La Toya on their cover.

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1986 - America's National Enquirer ran a cover story 'Michael Jackson’s Bizarre Plan to Live to 150'. Pictured, Michael apparently sleeping in an oxygen chamber, fanning the already rampant rumors of his eccentric and puzzling lifestyle.

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The photograph showed the singer, then aged 28, in a striped shirt, dark trousers and white socks, lying on his back with his eyes closed in a hyperbaric chamber of the type used to treat victims of serious burns, embolisms and carbon monoxide poisoning. Something, so the story claimed, Michael did every night as he believed it would prolong his life expectancy!

Such a machine typically consists of a steel and glass or Perspex cylinder inside which the patient is sealed while pure oxygen, under considerable pressure, floods damaged flesh, thus preserving circulation and maintaining tissues essential to the healing process.

Here you can read a comment on that topic by Michael himself (Taken from the Interview "MJ Talks To Oprah", 1993):

Oprah: OK, but you are in something there, there's a picture of you, where did that come from? How did it get started?

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MJ: That's... I did a commercial for Pepsi and I was burned very badly and we settled for 1 million dollars and I gave all the money...like, we built this place called the Michael Jackson Burn Centre and that's a piece of technology used for burn victims, right. So I'm looking at the piece of technology and decide to go inside it and just to hammer around, somebody takes the picture, when they process the pictures the person who processes the picture says. "Oh, Michael Jackson". He made a copy and these pictures went all over the world with this lie attached to it. It's a complete lie... It's crazy. Why would I want to sleep in a chamber?

Oprah: The rumour was that you were sleeping in the chamber because you didn't want to grow old.

MJ: That's stupid. It's completely made up. I'm embarassed. I'm willing to forgive the press, or forgive anybody, I was taught to love and forgive, which I do have in my heart, but please don't believe these crazy, horryfying things.

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In Michael's "Leave Me Alone" video he lashes back the publisher as "National Intruder". And one of the many bizzar newspaper headlines reads "Michael Sleeps In Hyperbaric Chamber", with an identical photo shown to the one that was attached to the stories, which showed Michael lying in a glass box.

1987 - CIAO 2001 magazine [Italy] featured Michael on the cover.

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1992 - Michael performs Dangerous tour at Stade Municipal, Toulouse [France] attending 40,000.

1996
- Russian Mayor Meeting: Michael meets Moscow's mayor Yuri Luzhkov - Monday.


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Michael was a presented a Russian folk handcraft plate depicting Moscow's coat of arms; Gzhel depicting a horseman with a spear in his hand slaying a basilisk and is identified with Saint George and the Dragon.
Michael's arrival in Russia is such a success that MJJ Productions issue the following press release:

'Calling it a 'great gift to Moscovites for him to be here' Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov officially welcomed Michael Jackson to the city with a ceremonial reception at the city government's White Hall.

Flanked by other government officials, Luzhkov called Jackson 'a great talent and an outstanding artist' before presenting him with a replica of an official Russian plate from which he said. 'the people's predecessors took their food'. 'Michael Jackson gives himself to all people' said Luzhkov, 'you can sense the warmth. We love classic music and modern music and Michael Jackson is the best as far as modern music is concerned.'

Filed under  //   1971   1986   1987   1992   1996  

Today in MJJ HIStory

1971 - The animated Jackson 5ive TV series began airing on Saturday mornings on ABC.

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A fictionalized portrayal of the careers of the adventures of Motown's hit sibling group, The Jackson Five. The 5 got into wacky situations each week, usually instigated by young Michael. Each episode was highlighted by a musical video sequence in the trippy style of "The Yellow Submarine." The show was produced by Rankin/Bass.

The series was animated mainly in London at the studios of Halas and Batchelor, and some animation done at Estudios Moro, Barcelona, Spain. The director was Spanish-American Robert Balser

Jackson 5 was only the second animated series to feature black characters (basketball legends the Harlem Globetrotters starred in the first).
Jack Davis, of ‘MAD’ fame, was responsible for the character designs. Michael and his brothers were far too busy to contribute dialogue themselves, but all the songs featured were Jackson 5 originals – providing the group with a useful vehicle for promoting not only their hits but lesser known album cuts as well.
Mama’s Pearl opened the shows, and sixteen episodes of the first cartoon series were aired weekly, starting 11th September 1971:

1988 - Biggest concert of the Bad tour was staged at Liverpool's Aintree Racecourse (home of the famous Grand National steeplechase) attending 125,000.

Michael was really gearing up for: his September 11 date at Liverpool’s Aintree Racecourse, the final show of his European tour.

It was Michael’s wish to play Liverpool. "I have always considered Liverpool the home of contemporary pop music by virtue of its being the birthplace of the incomparable Beatles," he told the press.

Making his Liverpool date loom even more significant was his announcement that it would be his last European show ever, and that he intended to quit doing live performances completely following his world tour.
While I didn’t believe for a minute that Michael would never perform again, I did think it was conceivable that he would take a break from performing so that he could pursue other interests.

As it turned out, the Aintree Racecourse concert drew the largest crowd, by far, on Michael’s world tour: one hundred thirty-three thousand Liverpudlians.
When I scanned the crowd from the side of the stage before Michael went on, I was astounded by the sight of people, people, and more people everywhere.

Unfortunately, the night also made news because it was marred by violence and injuries.

We had been warned about Liverpool. "You have to careful there," we were told. "A lot of people are out of work, and they’re uptight."

Sure enough, thousands of people without tickets tried to crash the concert,
eventually breaking down the makeshift walls that had been erected around the racecourse. Dozens of police on horseback attempted to keep them back, and the scene resembled a battle zone. Inside the track, meanwhile, several thousand people were treated for fainting and minor injuries, a result of all the shoving and jockeying for position among the incredible mass of people.

Violence even erupted in the lighting and sound booth, high above the crowd. The local security people had taken themselves to seat their friends in the choice seats there, seats that had been reserved for Michael’s V.I.P. guests.
When one of Michael’s security people asked them to leave, a handful of the Liverpool security people jumped him. The police had to be called in, and they ordered everyone down from the booth except for Michael’s technicians.

Because of the cold weather I remained on one side of the stage, so I didn’t see the brawl. But the fighting affected me, too, in that, for security reasons, I was asked by Michael’s people to join his V.I.P. guests in making an early exit from the show aboard a bus. I wound up missing the last half of the concert.

Michael didn’t learn about what had happened in the crowd and the lighting booth until after the show. Pleased as he was with his show and the reception he’d received from the mammoth crowd, he was quite upset by the injury report and, especially, the violence. If there is anything that Michael abhors, it’s violence.
~My Family The Jacksons (Katherine Jackson)


1993 - Michael Jackson's Will You Be There hit #7 in the U.S. It was the first release from his MJJ label.

Michael performs Dangerous tour second concert at Fukuoka Dome, Fukuoka [Japan] attending 30,000.

1994 - The Sunday magazine featured MJ on the cover with the caption The Girl Is Mine - Full Jackson Wedding Album Inside.

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Filed under  //   1971   1988   1993   1994  

Today in MJJ HIStory

1971 - The Jackson Five’s ABC album rules the Billboard R&B chart summit, one of three LPs by the group that spend a total 31 weeks at the top in 1971.

1972 - The Jackson 5 single "Lookin' Through The Windows" hit #16 in the U.S. Lookin' Through the Windows was the title track as well as the second single off J5's fifth studio album on Motown. The album would go on to sell 3.5 million copies worldwide while the single went to number five in R&B.

Single Details:
Composed by: Clifton Davis
Lead Vocals : Michael Jackson
Background Vocals : The Jackson 5
Arranged by John Bahler & James Carmichael
Vocal Arrangement : John Bahler
Produced by Hal Davis
Executive Producer : Berry Gordy
Recorded at the Motown Recording Studio, Los Angeles, California.

US single released June 23, 1972
# 5 RNB, #16 Pop, #9 UK
Sales : 1 534 827 (World), 581 426 (USA)

Lyrics
Lookin' through the windows
The window to your heart
Oh baby, yeah
I can see it's cloudy
The rain's about to start

Lookin' through the windows
It seems I caused your fears
And that little doubt, girl
And now it's bringing tears

Just remember whatever makes you feel that way
Don't you worry 'cause I'm gonna stay
Right by your side
To keep on lookin' through the windows
Lookin' in your eyes

Looking through the windows
Seems like the only way, yeah
I can't know your feelings
If you still love me today

Just remember whatever makes you feel that way
Don't you worry 'cause I'm gonna stay
Right by your side
To keep on lookin' through the windows
Lookin' in your eyes


All Music Review: Starting with the arresting strings-dominated accents that are similar to the ones found on the ending riffing section of Issac Hayes' "Shaft," the Jackson 5's "Lookin' Through the Windows" stands as one of the group's most intricately arranged sides, robust with striking vocal harmonies, dazzling counterpoint, and energetic time changes. The title refers to the lyrical theme which revolves around the "eyes are the windows to the soul." The song was written by Clifton Davis who also wrote their airy 1971 number one R&B hit "Never Can Say Goodbye."
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Also on the same day, Michael perform at the 1972 Forum show, Saturday night, August 26, 1972, Michael was three days from his 14th birthday. Motown had launched him as a solo artist the year before and he already had three hit singles on his own; by this concert “Ben” was the current release. He gets a significant solo spot in the show, made all the sweeter with his brothers’ harmonies backing him up on each song.

This spectacular version of “Got To Be There” is one of six solo MJ songs perform live at the forum. Man, he gets up there strong.
Source: j5live.tumblr.com

1981 - The Jacksons perform Triumph tour at Milwaukee Arena, Milwaukee, USA.

1984 - The Jacksons perform Victory tour at Rich Stadium, Buffalo, New York, attending 47,000 fans.

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1988 - Michael perform the 6th of seven sold out Wembley shows of the Bad tour at Wembley Stadium, London, England.

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1992 - Michael perform Dangerous World tour at Prater Stadium, Vienna, Austria attending 50,000 fans.

1993 - The scheduled concert on the 25th in Thailand, during the Asian leg of the Dangerous tour, was cancelled and rescheduled for the 26th. The concert was again cancelled because Jackson had not fully recovered from dehydration and stress pertaining to the allegations. Jackson released an audio-taped message to his fans saying "I promise all my fans to perform at the National Stadium in Bangkok on August 27. I will see you Friday. I love you all."

1997 - Michael perform HIStory World tour at Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland.

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2003 - It was announced the Michael Jackson would open his Neverland Ranch to people for a "once in a lifetime" event for $5,000. The invited guests would get a tour of the grounds and eat two meals on September 13.

Filed under  //   1971   1972   1981   1984   1988   1992   1993   1997   2003  

Today in MJJ HIStory

1971 - The Jackson 5 song Maybe Tomorrow hit #20 in the U.S.

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Single Details:
"Maybe Tomorrow" was released in June, 1971 from the Jackson 5's album of the same title. The ballad was originally supposed to have been sung (possibly in a different production) by Sammy Davis, Jr. but for various reasons, the entertainer could not get on the schedule to do the song and the song was then given to the Jackson 5.
Lead vocals : Michael Jackson, Second verse sung by Marlon Jackson
Written & Produced by : The Corporation (Berry Gordy, Jr./Alphonso Mizell/Freddie Perren/Deke Richards)
US single released July, 1971
#3 R&B, #20 Pop
Sales : 1 089 365 (World), 830 794 (USA)

While many young kids were playing with their GI Joes, Michael Jackson was arguably Motown's best messenger of romance, heartbreak, and all the heavy stuff. This led off the 1971 album of the same name. While the Corporation was inexplicably saddled with the bubblegum tag, this track proves how people of all ages could identify with the lyrics. This was a perfectly constructed song. Throughout this, a myriad of emotions are displayed with Jackson seemingly with a grasp on all of them. Musically the song is all heartache yet resiliency. The love sung about here seems at once fortifying and yet troubled. It's enough to boggle the mind of an experienced romantic, let alone a kid whose pastime was giggling with his brothers. Recorded at the underrated and crystal clear Motown Studios in L.A., this was arranged by the Corporation and Gene Page. Despite it's skill and classic status, "Maybe Tomorrow" was the first Jackson 5 single to only reach the Top 20. This is one instance where chart placement has nothing to do with quality. ~Allmusic

1988 - Michael Jackson performs Bad World Tour at Talavera Wiesen staduim, Würzburg, West Germany.

1990 - Michael confirmed Sandy Gallin of Gallin-Morey Associates – who already represented the Pointer Sisters, Dolly Parton and Whoopi Goldberg, to name but a few as his new managers– was stepping into Frank Dileo’s shoes.

1994 - The Jacksons, minus Randy, performed at a U.K. Scientology fund-raiser "For The Children Of The World."

1995 - "You Are Not Alone" released in UK, enter in chart at number 3. The week later it'll reach the top of the chart.

2001 - According to Rolling Stone, the King of Pop won't be appearing on rapper Jay-Z's upcoming CD 'Blueprint,' as has been previously reported. In order to make the September 18 release date for the album Jay-Z had to put the finishing touches on it by this Wednesday and Michael won't be able to make it to the rapper's studio until next week. Don't worry though. Michael will appear on a future remix of the song 'Girls, Girls, Girls.' And a sample of the J5's 'I Want You Back' was used for the song 'Izzo (H.O.V.A.)'.

2009 - Michael's Longform Videos certified Multi-Platinum by RIAA:
Live In Bucharest 6x Platinum
Number Ones 13x Platinum
HIStory On Film 6x Platinum
Dangerous - The Short Film 3x Platinum

On the same day, the following albums were also received Multi-Platinum certificates:
The Essential Michael Jackson 2x Platinum
Off The Wall 8x Platinum
Thriller 29x Platinum
Number Ones 3x Platinum

Filed under  //   1971   1988   1990   1994   1995   2001   2009  

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