MICHAEL JACKSON. 2014
XSCAPE. LP (EU)
Epic – 88843053661, MJJ Productions – 88843053661
Barcode (String): 888430536616
Matrix / Runout (Side A): 88843053661-A
Matrix / Runout (Side B): 88843053661 B
Vinyl, LP, Album, Gatefold, Foil Sleeve
Country: Europe
Записан / Выпущен: 1982—2001, 2013—2014 / 6 июня 2014
Жанр,стиль: Electronic, Funk / Soul, Pop, Synth-pop, Funk,
mp3 320 кбит/сек. 312 Mb
Продолжительность: 38:11
TRACKLIST:
SIDE A
01. LOVE NEVER FELT SO GOOD (Michael Jackson, Paul Anka) - 03:55
Originally recorded with music veteran Paul Anka (best known for his work with Frank Sinatra) in 1983, "Love Never Felt So Good" was produced for this album by estate co- executor John McClain. Says McClain of the song: "Michael sounds incredible on this track ust like he always does. There was never a day when he was anything other than great. He is immortal. And the song is great. Paul Anka is one of our finest writers." McClain notes Jackson and Anka's shared love for "melodies and real music…That's what we need right now. It was an honor to work on a track that is both Mr. Anka's and Michael's." McClain collaborated with talented classical composer Giorgio Tuinfort (who previously worked with Jackson
and Akon on "Hold My Hand") on the string arrangement and production. The result is "a magic combination of the new and the original production" that retains the track's analog, early-80s feel, while also sounding right at home with the disco-soul inflected music of today.
Written by Michael Jackson and Paul Anka. Published by Mijac Music (BMI) administered by Sony/ ATV Songs LLC/ Paulanne Music Inc. (BMI). Produced by Michael Jackson, John McClain, Giorgio Tuinfort and Paul Anka. Recorded by Paul Power at Power Sound Studio's Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Assisted by Rutger "Rutti" Kroese. Orchestra Arrangement written and conducted by Franck van der Heijden. Orchestra: Violin by Arlia de Ruiter, Sara Koch, Vera van der Bie, Vera Laporeva, Herman van Haaren, Elisabeth Liefkes, Pauline Terlouw, David Peijnenburg, Wim Kok. Aliviolin; Mieke Honingh, Norman Jansen, Julia Jowett; Cello by Bastiaan van der Werf, Annie Tangberg; Bass by Arend Liefkes. Original Piano by Paul Anka. Additional Piano by Giorgio Tuinfort. Guitars by Kevin Hissink. Bass by Marcel Schimscheimer. Percussion by Jeroen de Rijk.
Drum Programming by Giorgio Tuinfort and Rutger "Rutti" Kroese. Mixed by Dave Pensado at Oasis Mastering in Burbank, CA. Assistant Engineers: Cole Nystrom and Alex DeYoung.
02. CHICAGO (Cory Rooney) - 04:06
Michael Jackson fell in love with "Chicago" (a/k/a "She Was Lovin' Me") the first time he heard it. Written by songwriter, producer and former Sony VP Cory Rooney, a scratch demo was sent to Jackson in Los Angeles in 1999 Within days, Jackson was on a flight to New York City, ready to record the song at The Hit Factory in midtown Manhattan. Jackson sings in his lower register in the verses over an ominous beat, slowly painting a story of an illicit affair, before unleashing a torrent of pain and regret in the chorus. The song has often been referred to as "Chicago" (likely due to the lyric, "I met her on my way to Chicago," though it is not to be confused with Jackson's unreleased Bad session recording "Chicago 1945").
Written by Cory Rooney. Published by Mijac Music
(BMI) administered by Sony/ATV Songs LLC/ Sony/ATV Songs LLC (BMI). Vocals Produced by Michael Jackson for MJJ Productions, Inc. and Cory Rooney. Produced by Timbaland for Timbaland. Productions and Co-produced by Jerome "Jroc" Harmon for Bronze and Brainz and Timbaland. Productions. Recorded by Chris Godbey for SIDE BY SIDE/JVU ENT at The Hit Factory, assisted by Perry Jimenez. Guitar by Dan Warner. Mixed by Chris Godbey for SIDE BY SIDE/ JVU ENT at Jungle City, assisted by Matt Weber.
(BMI) administered by Sony/ATV Songs LLC/ Sony/ATV Songs LLC (BMI). Vocals Produced by Michael Jackson for MJJ Productions, Inc. and Cory Rooney. Produced by Timbaland for Timbaland. Productions and Co-produced by Jerome "Jroc" Harmon for Bronze and Brainz and Timbaland. Productions. Recorded by Chris Godbey for SIDE BY SIDE/JVU ENT at The Hit Factory, assisted by Perry Jimenez. Guitar by Dan Warner. Mixed by Chris Godbey for SIDE BY SIDE/ JVU ENT at Jungle City, assisted by Matt Weber.
03. LOVING YOU (Michael Jackson) - 03:16
A breezy, mid-tempo groove, "Loving You" was written and produced by Jackson and original ly recorded at Red Wing Studio in the San Fernando. Valley during the early Bad sessions. "Some times he got a song idea, and he just wanted to test it out before going to Westlake, recalls Jackson's long time recording engineer, Matt Forger. "He'd sneak away to these smaller studios and it would just be a place where he could work and experiment and add different layers. After his home studio was renovated, Jackson continued work on the track at Hayvenhurst. With its charming Motown-like vibe and effortless vocal, the song takes the listener back to an earlier era, offering another gem from one of the most prolific periods in Jackson's career.
Written by Michael Jackson. Published by Mijac Music (BMI), administered by Sony/ATV Songs LLC. Vocals . Produced by Michael Jackson for MJJ Productions, Inc. Produced by Timbaland for Timbaland Productions and Co- produced by Jerome "Jroc" Harmon for Bronze and Brainz and Timbaland Productions. Recorded by Chris Godbey for SIDE BY SIDE/JVU ENT at Thomas Crown Studios, assisted by Paul Bailey. Mixed by Chris Godbey for SIDE BY SIDE/ JVU ENT at Jungle City, assisted by Matt Weber.
04. A PLACE WITH NO NAME (Dewey Bunnell, Dr. Freeze, Michael Jackson) - 05:38
A creative re-imagining of America's 1972 classic, "A Horse With No Name, Jackson's adapted " A Place With No Name" tells a story about a man whose car breaks down in the desert and is led by a mysterious woman to an utopian city where "no one is in fear" and "no people have pain." Jackson original ly worked on and recorded the song with Elliot Straite (better known as New Jack Swing producer Dr. Freeze) at Record Plant Recording Studios in 1998. Freeze described the song, with its vivid imagery and lush harmonies, as "a kind of escape, a song where you just close your eyes to find yourself instantly transported into a wonderful world." In a statement, America band members Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley said of Jackson's adaptation: "We're honored that Michael Jackson chose to record it and we're impressed with the quality of the track… Michael Jackson really did it justice… It's really poignant."
Written by Dewey Bunnell, Michael Jackson and Dr. Freeze. Published by WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)/ Mijac Music (BMI) administered by Sony/ATV Songs LLC/ Sony/ATV Songs LLC/Uncle James Music (BMI). Vocals Produced by Michael Jackson for MJJ Productions, Inc. and Dr. Freeze for Rhythm Section, LLC. Produced by Stargate for 45th & 3rd Music LLC. Recorded by Mikkel S. Eriksen at DownTown Studios, New York, NY and Jungle City Studios. Mixed by Phil Tan at Ninja Club Studios, Atlanta, GA. Additional/ Assistant Engineering by Daniela Rivera. All Instruments by Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Hermansen. Contains a portion of the composition, "A Horse With No Name, written by Dewey Bunnell, published by WB Music Corp. (ASCAP).
SIDE B
05. SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM (Babyface, Daryl Simmons, Kevin Roberson, L.A. Reid) - 04:15
Originally recorded during the Dangerous sessions in 1991 with L.A. Reid and Babyface, "Slave to the Rhythm" is a taut robo-pop rhythm track in which Jackson narrates a story about a woman trapped in stifling circumstances. At home and work, the protagonist is compelled to "dance" to the needs of controlling men, while her own desires are ignored. In a brief moment of respite, she escapes and "dance[s] to the beat of her own." Jackson tells her story in a passionate vocal, capped by his trademark syncopated beat-boxing and grainy ad libs.
Written by L.A. Reid, Babyface, Daryl Simmons and Kevin Robertson. Published by AX 5 Songs, LLC (BMI)/Sony/ ATV Songs LLC (BMI)/Sony/ATV Epic Solar/Ecaf Music (BMI)/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp o/b/o itself and Boobie And DJ Songs Inc. (BMI)/Sony/ATV Songs LLC/Sony/ATV Epic Solar/Ecaf Music (BMI). Vocals Produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface. Produced by Timbaland for Timbaland Productions and Co-produced by Jerome "Jroc" Harmon for Bronze and Brainz and Timbaland Productions. Recorded by Chris Godbey for SIDE BY SIDE/JVU ENT at The Hit Factory, assisted by Perry Jimenez. Strings Arranged by Larry Gold. Copyist and Assistant to Larry Gold: Steve Tirpak. Engineering by Jeff Chestek at MilkBoy the Studio, Philadelphia, PA. Assistant Engineering by Karl Petersen. Violins by Emma Kummrow, Luigi Mazzocchi, Charles Parker, Dayna Anderson, Tamae Lee, Eliza Cho, Michelle Bishop, Carlos Rubio, Blake Espy and Erica Miller. Violas by Davis Barnett, Jonathan Kim and Renee Steffy-Warnick. Cello by Jennie Lorenzo, Mark Ward and Jesus Morales. Bass by Ranaan Meyer. Mixed by Chris Godbey for SIDE BY SIDE/JVU ENT at Jungle City, assisted by Matt Weber.
06. DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILDREN ARE (Michael Jackson) - 04:37
Written and produced by Jackson, "Do You Know Where Your Children Are" was first recorded during the Bad sessions and further developed during the early Dangerous sessions. The title derives from a popular public service announcement that ran on American television from the 1960s through the 1980s, often just before the nightly news. In a note discovered by Jackson's Estate, Jackson writes of the inspiration for the song: "Song is about kids being raised in a broken family where the father comes home drunk and the mother is out prostituting and the kids run away from home and they become the victims of rape, prostitution and the hunter becomes the hunted. So they are out on the street. Do you know where your children are? It's twelve o'clock. They are somewhere out on the street. Just imagine how scared they are. It's about the runaway problem we have in America. They become the victims of prostitution, of selling their bodies. This updated take accentuates the song's driving riff with radiant synths, punctuated by a soaring guitar solo.
Written by Michael Jackson. Published by Mijac Music (BMI) administered by Sony/ATV Songs LLC. Vocals. Produced by Michael Jackson for MJJ Productions, Inc. Produced by Timbaland for Timbaland Productions and Co-
produced by Jerome "Jroc" Harmon for Bronze and Brainz. and Timbaland. Productions. Recorded by Chris Godbey for SIDE BY SIDE/JVU ENT at Thomas Crown Studios, assisted by Paul Bailey; and Demacio "Demo" Castellon for the Demolition Crew at The Hit Factory, assisted by Vadim Chislov. Guitar by Dan Warner. Original Guitar Solo by David Williams. Strings Arranged by Larry Gold. Copyist and Assistant to Larry Gold: Steve Tirpak. Engineer ing by Jeff Chestek at MilkBoy the Studio, Philadelphia, PA. Assistant Engineering by Karl Petersen. Violins by Emma Kummrow, Luigi Mazzocchi, Charles Parker, Dayna Anderson, Tamae Lee, Eliza Cho, Michelle Bishop, Carlos Rubio, Blake Espy and Erica Miller. Violas by David Barnett, Jonathan Kim and Renee Steffy-Warnick, Cello by Jennie Lorenzo, Mark Ward and Jesus Morales. Bass by Ranaan Meyer. Mixed by Chris Godbey for SIDE BY SIDE/JVU ENT at Jungle City, assisted by Matt Weber.
07. BLUE GANGSTA (Dr. Freeze, Michael Jackson) - 04:15
"Blue Gangsta" was one of three songs Jackson worked on with Dr. Freeze during the early Invincible sessions in 1999 (the other two being "A Place With No Name" and "Break of Dawn," the latter of which was featured on Invincible). "Blue Gangsta" is a sequel of sorts to the film noir gangster classic, "Smooth Criminal. Jackson was fascinated by the gangster figure in film and folklore, from Al Capone to Legs Diamond (in his planned 2009 concert series, This Is It, he in corporated a scene from the 1946 film, Gilda, in which he stood in for Humphrey Bogart). Many of the unique features of the original version of the recording are retained here, including the big cinematic brass and accordion (perhaps a tip of the hat to The Godfather). Timbaland accentuates the track's dark tension with a foreboding soundscape, rapid-fire snare percussion and pounding beat, over which Jackson delivers alternately aggressive verses and plaintive chorus cries.
Written by Michael Jackson and Dr. Freeze. Published by Mijac Music (BMI), administered by Sony/ ATV Songs LLC/ Sony/ATV Songs LLC/Uncle James Music (BMI). Vocals Produced by Michael Jackson for MJJ Productions, Inc. and Dr. Freeze for Rhythm Section, LLC. Produced by King Solomon Logan for Royal Court Music Productions and Daniel Jones for Uncle Junior Music. Produced by Timbaland for Timbaland Productions and co-produced by Jerome "Jroc" Harmon for Bronze and Brainz and Timbaland Productions. Recorded by Perry Jimenez and Brandon Jones at The Hit Factory. Strings Arranged by Larry Gold. Copyist and Assistant to Larry Gold: Steve Tirpak. Engineering by Jeff Chestek at Milk Boy the Studio, Philadelphia, PA. Assistant Engineering by Karl Petersen. Violins by Emma Kummrow, Luigi Mazzocchi, Charles Parker, Dayna Anderson, Tamae Lee, Eliza Cho, Michelle Bishop, Carlos Rubio, Blake Espy and Erica Miller. Violas by Davis Barnett, Jonathan Kim and Renee Steffy-Warnick. Cello by Jennie Lorenzo, Mark Ward and Jesus Morales. Bass by Ranaan Meyer. Original Horns by Jerry Hey, leader. Mixed by Chris Godbey for SIDE BY SIDE/JVU ENT at Jungle City, assisted by Matt Weber.
08. XSCAPE (Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels, Michael Jackson, Rodney Jerkins) - 04:05
"Wait until the world hears 'Xscape' " Michael Jackson declared to producer Rodney Jerkins. "MJ loved everything about it," recalls Jerkins, "The energy, the lyrics. It's kind of a prophetic song. Listen to the bridge. MJ says, 'When I go, this world won't bother me no more.' It's powerful." In another verse, Jackson sings of escaping from the surveillance of "electric eyes." Jerkins first presented an early demo without lyrics to Jackson in 1999 over the phone. The pair continued to work on the track up until the release of Invincible (and even a litle bit after). When Jerkins came in the studio to update the song over a decade later, he says, "it was really important for me to kind of like zone out and think as if Michael was sitting right next to me-what he would be telling me and what I would be telling him. I knew that the times have changed sonically. I would've been saying to Michael, 'It's 808s now, the 808s are prevalent now, we gotta make sure they're in it.' And I know Michael would say, "but make sure it stays funky. It's gotta be funky." And I would tell Michael live horns and live strings are a feel-good element again in music today and the rhythm guitars. Michael loved guitars…When I was working on it-it sounds insane-but was really trying to make sure I was kind of communicating with MJ, what I felt MJ would be telling me if he was right there working with me." Of the final result, Jerkins says, "When I listen to it, I'm proud. It feels like what we did yesterday, it feels like what we would do today, and it feels like it could still work tomorrow. That was always the goal with us."
Written by Michael Jackson, Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins Ill and LaShawn Daniels. Published by Mijac Music (BMI) administered by Sony/ATV Songs LLC/ Rodney Jerkins Productions, Inc. (BMI) all rights administered by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC./Freddie Jerkins Publishing (BMI)/Lashawn Daniels/EMI April Music (ASCAP). Vocals Produced by Michael Jackson for MJJ Productions, Inc. and Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins for Darkchild.com. Produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins for Darkchild. com. Recorded by Rodney Jerkins at Sony Studios, New York, NY and Wake Up & Work Studios, Hidden Hills, CA. Mixed by Rodney Jerkins, Trehy Harris and Jaycen Joshua at Wake Up & Work Studios, Hidden Hills, CA and Larrabee Sound Studios, North Hollywood, CA. Backgrounds by Michael Jackson and Lashawn Daniels. Additional Vocal Edits and Engineering by Mike Donaldson. Break Edits by Greg Morgan. Sound Design by Greg Morgan for Darkchild.com Horns by MO HORNS. Guitar by Fredrik Strand Halland. Strings Arranged by Larry Gold.
09. LOVE NEVER FELT SO GOOD (MICHAEL JACKSON & JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE) (Michael Jackson, Paul Anka) - 04:07
Written by Michael Jackson and Paul Anka. Published by Mijac Music (BMI) administered by Sony/ATV Songs LLC / Paulanne Music Inc. (BMI). Vocals Produced by Michael Jackson for MJJ Productions, Inc. and Paul Anka. Produced by Timbaland for Timbaland Productions, Jerome Jroc" Harmon for Bronze and Brainz and Timbaland Productions and Justin Timberlake. Recorded by Chris Godbey for SIDE BY SIDE/JVU ENT at Chalice Studio and Sonar Sound Studios Zurich, Switzerland, assisted by Calvin Bailiff; and Demacio "Demo" Castellon for the Demolition Crew at The Hit Factory, assisted by Vadim Chislov. Guitar by Dan Warner, Mike Scott and Elliot Ives. Bass by Adam Blackstone and Mike Scott. Percussion by Terry Santiel. Strings Arranged by Larry Gold. Copyist and Assistant to Larry Gold: Steve Tirpak. Engineered by Jeff Chestek at MilkBoy the Studio, Philadelphia, PA. Assistant Engineering by Tommy Joyner and Cody Cichowski. Violins by Emma Kummrow, Dayna Anderson, Charles Parker, Tamae Lee, Blake Espy, Jennifer Lee, Guillame Combet and Michael Jorgersen. Violias by Davis Barnett, Jonathan Kim and Nina Cottman. Cellos by Jennie Lorenzo, Glenn Fischbach. Horns by Kevin Williams, Leon Silva and Sean Erick. Mixed by Demacio "Demo" Castellon for the Demolition Crew at The Hit Factory, Assistant Vadim Chislov, and Chris Godbey for SIDE BY SIDE JVU ENT at Jungle City, Assistant - Matt Weber. Justin Timberlake appears courtesy of RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment.
Xscape — второй посмертный альбом-сборник Майкла Джексона выпущенный 13 мая 2014 года. 1 апреля Xscape стал доступен для предзаказа на iTunes и Amazon.
В пластинку под названием Xscape вошли восемь ранее неизданных песен музыканта, которые продюсеры звукозаписывающей компании Epic Records отобрали из архива записей Майкла Джексона.
Над новым альбомом певца работали несколько именитых продюсеров: исполнительный директор звукозаписывающего лейбла Epic Records Эл Эй Рейд, Тимбалэнд, а также Родни Джеркинс — продюсер последнего прижизненного студийного альбома Джексона Invincible, принимавший участие в создании песни «Xscape», титульного трека новой пластинки.
Альбом поступил в продажу в двух вариантах. В обычную версию вошли песни в современной переработке продюсеров, в делюкс-издании их дополнили оригинальные демоверсии и два видеоролика. Для продвижения Xscape распорядители наследием Майкла Джексона заключили контракт с производителем смартфонов Sony Xperia Z2. 13 мая, в день релиза альбома, треки с пластинки станут бесплатно доступны владельцам новых мобильных устройств. 2 мая 2014 года на церемонии вручения наград «IHeartRadio Music Awards» состоялась премьера первого сингла из альбома. Им стала «Love Never Felt So Good», оригинальная демоверсия которой была записана Джексоном в 1983 году. Для церемонии был подготовлен хореографический номер-трибьют Майклу Джексону с участием певца Ашера. Песня получила доброжелательные отзывы от музыкальных критиков. Рецензенты Rolling Stone оценили трек положительно, хотя и отметили, что он не стоит на одном уровне с лучшими работами Джексона. В Los Angeles Times «Love Never Felt So Good» назвали золотым образцом диско-соула и написали, что песня с её «плавающими клавишными и искромётными ударными» могла легко попасть на прижизненные альбомы Джексона: Off The Wall или Thriller. Xscape стал вторым посмертным альбомом певца (после вышедшей в 2010 году пластинки Michael). .....
Album Producer/Curator: Antonio "LA" Reid. Executive Producer: Timbaland. Executive Producers on behalf of The Michael Jackson Estate: John Branca and John McClain. Associate Producer: John Doelp. Project Supervising Executive on behalf of the Michael Jackson Estate: Karen Langford. Mastered by Brian "Big Bass" Gardner at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, CA.
A&R: Aaron Reid and Shalik Berry. A&R Coordination: Heather Santos and Jeff Juin.
A&R Operations: Marisa Pizarro. A&R Administration: Dalia Glickman. Business Affairs: Heath Kudler and Stephanie Yu. Marketing: Scott Seviour, Scott Carter, Jay Krugman. Strategic Marketing: Alla Benyatov. Publicity: Lauren Ceradini and Diana Baron.
Art Creative Director: JP Robinson. Art Direction and Design: Mat Maitland at Big Active.Imagery: Mat Maitland at Big Active. Poster Artwork: Mr. Brainwash.
Photograph used for Illustration and Poster Artwork: Bill Nation, Photographer. Liner Notes: Joe Vogel. Project Art Direction: Fuko Chubachi. Video Creative Director: Sam Lecca. Production Coordinators: Big Rick Frazier, Mike "Daddy" Evans and Cheryl Banks. Management of the Estate of Michael Jackson: John Branca and John McClain.
Estate of Michael Jackson legal counsel: Ziffren Brittenham LLP (David Byrnes/Karen Langford) Greenberg Traurig LLP (Joel "Roosevelt" Katz) Kinsella, Weitzman, Iser, Kump & Aldisert, LLP (Howard Weitzman). Estate of Michael Jackson accountants: Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co., LLP (Michael Kane) Estate of Michael Jackson public relations: D. Baron Media Relations Inc. (Diana Baron) Sitrick & Company, Inc. (Mike Sitrick; Jim Bates)
Special Thanks to Diana St. Amand, Kevin Antunes, Marty Bandier, Miko Brando, Michael Bush, Jeryll Cohen, Lindsay Cole, Sarah Copas, Marquis Davis, David Dunn, Matt Forger, Jarrod Gilbreath, Justine Grant, Paul Hoffman, Jeft Jampol, Craig Johnson, Jamie King, Zia Modabber, Victor Murgatroyd, Jon Nettlesbey, Frank Patterson, Stefanie Roos, Stephen Rosenbaum and the entire KOPP Team, Gary Stiffelman, Rich & Tone Talavega, Evvy Tavasci, John Textor, Alicia Yaffe and the entire Team MJ for their continued support and hard work.
Special Thanks to the Sony Music Team: Doug Morris, L.A. Reid, Sylvia Rhone, Scott Seviour, John Doelp, Richard Story, Edgar Berger, Julie Swidler, Heath Kudler, Traci Adams, Dave Bell, Alla Benyatov, Adam Block, Lorenzo Braun, Scott Carter, Lauren Ceradini, Jason Cohen, Lisa DeLuca, Chelsea Donnarumma, Leah Ducey, Anthony Ellis, John Fleckenstein,Todd Glassman, Dalia Glickman, Lynn Hazan, Lisa Kasha, Lyn Koppe, Jay Krugman, Sam Lecca, Liberty Lucken, Joseph O'Connell, Jim Parham, Marisa Pizarro, Benny Pough, Alexandra Robertson, JP Robinson, Heather Santos, Max Sholl, Darren Stupak, Scott van Horn, Stephanie Yu. To all of Michael's Fans around the world we thank you for your loyalty and endless support for Michael's legacy. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the most sensational performer of all time, the KING OF POP MICHAEL JACKSON. Your talents, generosity and groundbreaking gifts to the world are second to none.Thanks for being you. And to all the talented songwriters, producers, musicians and background singers who firelessly gave your all to make this album possible. This album is dedicated to Michael's children, Prince, Paris and Blanket, and his mother, Katherine Jackson.
When it came to his music, Michael Jackson was never one to play it conservative. Each new album was a chance to surprise people: to introduce new sounds, new production, new collaborators. "I always want to do music that inspires or influences another generation, said Jackson in his last major interview in 2007 “You want what you create to live. It is in this forward-looking spirit that Epic Records, in conjunction with the Estate of Michael Jackson, approached putting together a new album of previously unreleased songs by the King of Pop, entitled XSCAPE. A project overseen by music legend and current Epic Records Chairman and CEO LA. Reid and carried out by world-class producers, including renowned studio veterans Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, John McClain and Stargate, the goal was bold, but straightforward: take some of Jackson’s best and most complete unreleased music and make it feel as new, as current, as fresh as if the artist was still with us. Jackson had a habit of over-recording for albums; oftentimes this meant outstanding songs were left on the cutting room floor (“Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin,” for example, was originally recorded during the Off The Wall era, but saved for Thriller’ “They Don't Care About Us” and “Earth Song” were originally recorded during the Dangerous sessions, but saved for HiStory). For Jackson, there could be a variety of reasons for leaving a song off a final tracklist. Sometimes he still wanted to let the song “speak to him” and try out different elements; sometimes, even though he loved the song as it was, he didn’t feel it worked with the rest of the material on an album; and sometimes it was just a practical matter of what could fit on a record or CD. Tracklist decisions were always difficult for Jackson and almost always came down to the last minute. Jackson, however, frequently returned to tracks he liked on later projects, sometimes finding a “home” for them decades after they were first written and recorded. With this process in mind, Jackson's Estate began combing through the artist's vast vault in late 2012, looking for some of the strongest material the artist left behind. Working with longtime Sony A&R man, John Doelp, they eventually narrowed in on about two dozen tracks that spanned over two decades of Jackson's career After this preliminary pull, L.A. Reid listened to the material, often blown away by the quality of what he heard. For XSCAPE, Reid determined to only use songs that seemed mostly complete and that contained Jackson’s vocals from top to bottom. This was not merely a practical decision. Since Jackson often waited until the very end of a song's creative process to lay down vocals, a complete vocal signaled to Reid that Jackson must have really loved these particular songs.
As strong as the songs were however, Reid believed that they deserved to be heard by more than just Jackson's most die-hard fans and began considering ways that would allow them to reach an even wider, contemporary audience. The album’s lead producer, Timbaland, was one of a handful of producers Reid believed had the gravitas, depth and range to creatively engage with Jackson’s work. Additional producers include John McClain, Rodney Jerkins, Jerome Jroc” Harmon and Stargate.
The result of these posthumous “collaborations’-XSCAPE—features some of Jackson's strongest unreleased work, dusted off and polished with state-of-the-art production. For the serious Michael Jackson fans, the Estate of Michael Jackson and Epic Records offer a deluxe edition of the album, which includes a collection of the original recordings. The primary vision for XSCAPE, however, was to “make it new” (to adopt the modernist credo) to accentuate the music’s relevance to the here and now.
The decision to “contemporize” Jackson's music is not only based on the artist's desire to remain on the cutting-edge, but also on the premise that one way to keep great art alive and relevani-from adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays to hip hop samples of James Brown~is by creatively connecting it to the present.
Posthumous albums, of course, are different than albums an artist finishes and releases while at the helm. Michael Jackson's official canon—the albums, performances and short films he oversaw and realized during his lifetime—is complete. That catalog remains one of the most impressive and durable in the history of music, still inspiring new generations of fans and artists alike.
“Contemporizing” Jackson's songs, then, is a kind of parallel track in keeping Jackson's legacy thriving. It is not about replacing what Jackson left behind or even about finishing a specific blueprint; without the artist here, that is impossible. Rather, it is about creatively connecting with his work, about finding new and compelling ways to capture the essence, the excitement and the magic that is Michael Jackson.
The title XSCAPE was chosen for numerous reasons: 1 it continues Jackson's tradition of giving albums one-word titles {i.e. Thriller, Bad, Dangerous), 2) it shares its name with a song on the album, and 3} it communicates something important about the content of the album. Throughout his career, Jackson frequently used the term escape” and escapism” to describe his art. It was a term critics offen misunderstood as meaning superficial entertainment detached from real-world problems. Yet for Jackson, as the songs on this album (and the rest of his catalog) indicate, it was not an aesthetic of evasion. Very few popular artists have tackled the range of subject matter of Michael Jackson. Escape, for Jackson, was about transporting his audience (and himself) into different stories, different spaces, different sounds and emotions; it was about drawing contrasts between the way things are and the way things could be, between our realities, fears and desires. This was the great adventure, as Jackson put it in one of his final rehearsals for This Is Itin 2009 that escaping into great art and entertainment invited. With one of the highest grossing tours of all time (Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil) and the hottest residency show in Las Vegas {Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil}, Michael Jackson's popularity shows no signs of diminishing. The current musical landscape is a veritable homage to the King of Pop, from Pharrell Williams to Bruno Mars to Justin Timberlake to Daft Punk. Now, with XSCAPE, music fans around the world will get to hear eight brand new, fully updated songs from the artist who inspires them all.
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