|
Post by Russg on Aug 9, 2017 16:03:41 GMT
One thing that has always frustrated me from HIStory on was the lack of interest in promoting the album further in the US after late 95. It still baffles me to this day why Sony US thought it was a good idea not to release Earth Song Stateside.
|
|
|
Post by jaywonder on Aug 10, 2017 1:03:21 GMT
One thing that has always frustrated me from HIStory on was the lack of interest in promoting the album further in the US after late 95. It still baffles me to this day why Sony US thought it was a good idea not to release Earth Song Stateside. I understood it. I don't think US radio would've warmed up to it. They made This Time Around a promo single here but what should've been done is made it an official single with a video I think him doing a show or two in mainline United States would've helped as well. It kind of felt like he gave up on the US market or focused on the international fans after 1992
|
|
|
Post by Russg on Aug 10, 2017 6:22:25 GMT
I understood it. I don't think US radio would've warmed up to it. Why on earth not? I don't understand it. Now I'm European, so maybe I don't understand US radio, but Earth Song is one of the greatest songs he ever wrote and was one of the biggest hits of his career in Europe. Why do people think it wouldn't have worked Stateside? Do they not recognise a great song when they hear one?
|
|
|
Post by jaywonder on Aug 10, 2017 8:27:48 GMT
I understood it. I don't think US radio would've warmed up to it. Why on earth not? I don't understand it. Now I'm European, so maybe I don't understand US radio, but Earth Song is one of the greatest songs he ever wrote and was one of the biggest hits of his career in Europe. Why do people think it wouldn't have worked Stateside? Do they not recognise a great song when they hear one? I've always felt that the UK and Europe in general (as well as Japan and Australia) were more open to songs like Earth Song and others. US radio was pretty much hip hop, rock, and hip hop infused R&B in '93-98 so Earth Song may have been out of place on playlists. This Time Around, on the other hand, with the right promotion could've gotten a lot of airplay
|
|
|
Post by dancingmjsdream on Aug 10, 2017 8:59:42 GMT
Earth Song and They don't care about us are MJ's biggest hits here in Germany. They play them more often than Billie Jean etc. I really think some countries are way more open. We have a very famous magazine for teenagers called 'Bravo' and they have always been supportive even after the allegations.
|
|
TonyR
The Legend Continues
Posts: 8,413
|
Post by TonyR on Aug 14, 2017 16:18:45 GMT
You have to give credit to Michael's balls.
Don't think I've ever written that before.
Maybe after the You Are Not Alone video.
Anyway, what I mean is, he could have gone away after 1993 or he could have come back with a safe pop record avoiding all talk of the allegations. But to come back with a total FUCK YOU record like HIStory that not only addresses the allegations head on, but does so in almost every track, making it a concept album.
It's hard hitting, personal, heart-breaking. It's the most we ever get to knowing the real Michael Jackson.
The anger & vitriol in Scream & TDCAU. The anguish & angst of SIM The sorrow, dispair and mournful longing of Childhood The hatred in D.S.
Not to mention Money, TTA, TJ
Then the masterpiece, and masterpiece is the right word of 'Earth Song'.
Honorable mention for possibly his most overlooked work in the fan community - Little Susie
The beauty & quiet splendour of Smile paradoxically ending an album that starts with a Scream - perfect.
Is HIStory perfect? No, not when compared to Bad maybe where every song is probably a 9 or 10 out of 10. Did it need Come Together - maybe not. And TTA, Money, DS are not his best, but I'd argue are part of HIS story at the time therefore deserve their place.
Argh, writing threads like this make me miss him so and also frustrate me when his 90s work is overlooked. I was just in the US and as usual looking through MJ CDs in a store (why do I keep doing this, even at home - am I expecting to see a full MJ album I never knew about from 1990 or something?), anyway looking at the tracklist in The Essential, only YANA represented HIStory. How crazy is that? I mean, people are getting hung up on Trump possibly starting a nuclear war, but this really got me upset.
Anyway, to sum up...HIStory - fucking brilliant.
|
|
|
Post by respect77 on Aug 14, 2017 18:49:08 GMT
Earth Song and They don't care about us are MJ's biggest hits here in Germany. They play them more often than Billie Jean etc. I really think some countries are way more open. We have a very famous magazine for teenagers called 'Bravo' and they have always been supportive even after the allegations. I am not German but Eastern European and we grew up with BRAVO Magazine as well. This inspires me to post some BRAVO Magazine stuff in the newspapers, magazines thread.
|
|
TonyR
The Legend Continues
Posts: 8,413
|
Post by TonyR on Aug 21, 2017 10:13:42 GMT
Another post got me recalling this particular era in MJ history (pun intended).
It was a weird time as I recall as at that time you could barely find a positive word in the press and yet the album was still majorly successful (straight in at #1, biggest selling double album ever etc.)
The start in the UK was a little dodgy as the short film for Scream was delayed so the track on TV only had clips to accompany it, which I think impacted it first week sales, it only got to #3 (behind Robson & Jerome & ironically Pulp's Common People from memory!)
Then YANA was massive, and then Earth Song was MJ's biggest selling single ever & a Christmas #1.
TDCAU hit #1 midweek but was #4 in the official chart.
SIM was also Top 10 as I think was the HIStory remix.
Plus BOTDF/Ghosts #1 after as well.
Unfortunately, the campaign fizzled out and Smile was never released.
So at this time it really was a paradoxical situation, the music was massive but it defintely wasn't cool to like him (admittedly this started weaning during Dangerous - only because it is always cooler to like less popular artists - but people still bought the album & dug him.
I went to the US for a few months after HIStory hit & that was even weirder, the press there seemed to hate him. But again it was strange. You had the great VMA performance. Scream was the highest debut ever at #5 and then YANA was the first to enter the chart at #1, so there was still appetite for MJ, so I don't get why HIStory fizzled out so soon. The performance of those 2 songs showed people still wanted him. Why no Earth Song next?
What do people recall about this era? Or want to ask if they weren't around then?
|
|
|
Post by dancingmjsdream on Aug 21, 2017 11:21:09 GMT
What was it like being an MJ fan during History era? Even now I don't tell everyone that I am an MJ fan because many people still have some prejudices against him. But History must have been hell for fans, I recall one fan telling me that she got bullied even after school.
|
|
|
Post by dancingmjsdream on Aug 21, 2017 11:31:46 GMT
I didn't grow up during History, but History MJ will always be my MJ. My first song and music video was They don't care about us, the songs from the album were always present here in Germany (TDCAU, YANA, Earth Song...) etc. When I think of MJ, I have History MJ in mind lol
|
|
TonyR
The Legend Continues
Posts: 8,413
|
Post by TonyR on Aug 21, 2017 11:38:02 GMT
What was it like being an MJ fan during History era? Even now I don't tell everyone that I am an MJ fan because many people still have some prejudices against him. But History must have been hell for fans, I recall one fan telling me that she got bullied even after school. Well I was 22 by then (fucking hell!) so I was past caring & absorbed with peer pressure.
But I don't think he was an artist that kids would say they liked. This wasn't unusual to MJ mind you, I don't think by 1995 a kid would say they liked Madonna for example.
Like I've said before 'familiarity breeds contempt' so by the time an artist gets to a certain level, it's not trendy to say they like them. I don't think may teens now for example would say they were a fan of Ed Sheeran or Adele? I may be wrong.
Of course it was worse for MJ fans as they had the constant jokes. From my experience,I don't think many people really believed the rumours, but it was the surgery stuff that was harder to justify. Also, I don't think the single releases from HIStory were very 'trendy' if that makes sense? Which is fine by me! Quality lasts & trends don't.
But kids are supposed to be about rebellion & You Are Not Alone doesn'treally personify that. Ironically there is more angst, turmoil and rebellion on HIStory than any bloody grunge album.
|
|
|
Post by dancingmjsdream on Aug 21, 2017 11:44:41 GMT
I imagined that many fans had to hear his music in secret and that they couldn't just show off their concert tickets etc. And they couldn't talk randomly about him because every mention of MJ would turn into a discussion lol
|
|
TonyR
The Legend Continues
Posts: 8,413
|
Post by TonyR on Aug 21, 2017 11:52:32 GMT
I imagined that many fans had to hear his music in secret and that they couldn't just show off their concert tickets etc. And they couldn't talk randomly about him because every mention of MJ would turn into a discussion lol Ha! Don't think it was as bad as that! But it wasn't quite like ten years earlier when everybody loved him.
That's why HIStory was so good & clever, we knew how we felt about MJ & the difference to 10 years ago and then to press play & hear Michael singing 'swift & sudden fall from grace'.....heartbreaking.
|
|
|
Post by dancingmjsdream on Aug 21, 2017 11:55:32 GMT
It's interesting though, I assume y'all didn't really have all the facts etc. Back then, was it all trust?
I mean History album is like a testament to his innocence but before? I guess many people were curious and wanted new music but didn't know what to think about his private life. I really respect all the fans who didn't jump to early conclusions.
|
|
TonyR
The Legend Continues
Posts: 8,413
|
Post by TonyR on Aug 21, 2017 11:59:31 GMT
It's interesting though, I assume y'all didn't really have all the facts etc. Back then, was it all trust? I mean History album is like a testament to his innocence but before? I guess many people were curious but didn't know what to think about his private life. I really respect all the fans who didn't jump to early conclusions. I've said before, for me when the album came out it really almost proved to me his innocence (which I was pretty sure of anyway!). If the man was guilty he was very unlikely to put a dedication to children on the cover as well as songs like the ones below which I very doubt could have been written or sung with so much passion had he been guilty.
TDCAU (I know was written pre-allogations) Money D.S. This Time Around Stranger In Moscow
|
|