Galactus123
Proud Member
Which one of the 2001 concerts did you see? 7th or 10th September? How was it?
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I have no other TII inside information, unfortunately. The only other "inside" thing I've had access to (post MJ's death), was being able to listen to "Hot Fun in the Summertime." I posted about that a while back. I love that song so much and I REALLY hope it gets released. Not a ton of MJ on it, but it's awesome when he is there. I doubt it will get released if they still following the "multiple takes" rule set forth by LA Reid.Do you have any other inside information about the time we might not know?
I share your feelings about TII and seeing more footage. I saw the film in cinema and cried all the way through.
Yes, looking back, it must have been the opening night. Again, I was quite young, so my memories are more "flash points" than having a full recollection of the entire thing. I don't remember the creatures or spider specifically, but I do recall something terrible happening to him and being so upset that he had been "taken." So maybe that was it? I should rewatch the tour at some point and see if more comes back to me. I was just very happy that MJ got to sing songs from Thriller...I didn't care at all about J5 stuff. At the time, I loved "Beat It" more than anything...even Billie Jean. So I was so happy to see/hear that. I REALLY wanted MJ to throw his hat at me at the end of Billie Jean, but he didn't throw it at all! So I was really let down. I think my parents told me he would throw his hat into the audience, so I was determined I would have that. LOL@Spidey was it the opening night of the kansas city ‘victory’ concert that you saw?
how did you react to the kreton creatures vs the spider that ate michael?
were there any songs that you were looking forward to hearing, but weren’t performed?
Thank you for your comments. Connecting with Michael Jackson for most of my life has definitely shaped me as a person. I'm an artist myself (artwork and photography/film), so I always follow Michael's example of trying to learn from the best and trying to not only do my best in everything, but do it better than people before me. I'm not MJ, so that doesn't always work out. LOL. But I've also tried to follow his example of being true to who you are as a person. Not being afraid to show your true self, no matter what people think. And trying to be kind to everyone. And I've also found it natural to remain connected to my "inner child" in terms of my perspective on life and enjoyment of things. I've also found myself following MJ's example of finding and trusting in certain collaborators or partners and sticking with them for as long as it makes sense. I definitely see Michael Jackson as a teacher/role model in many ways and wish he was still around to continue to provide new influences.I really enjoy reading your Q&A and i am thrilled you are talking about your memories @Spidey especially the Victory tour bit. I was not there for that bit. [Or the BAD bit] so everything is appreciated.
Here is a question... though, you don't have to answer if you deem it too personal of course. i say it, [with the love!]
Do you think that supporting m for over 4 decades shaped your mind,thoughts, values & core beliefs /how you are as a person? Did you see him as a teacher of sorts'/? ...If so , what did he teach you that perhaps other artists at that time couldn't?
You have kept him in your heart for so very long and i think that is charming & i couldn't resist asking this .. and I dearly LOVE that you were around his energy / met him. I love it.
What was it like holding Invincible in your hands on release day?For those of you wanting to know what it has been like following Michael Jackson since his Thriller days, ask away..
My pleasure. I think this is a beautiful reply @Spidey many thank you's for answering so diligently and it is very true we sort of do become our role models in the end , especially if we have kept them in our hearts for so long and they were with us all through childhood/ beyond. A part of them never really leaves us. and that inner child thing? ...It's a special kind of taught knowledge, essence ,and vibe that only MJ fan's know. I really thank you for sharing your journey and i am looking forward to reading much more.Thank you for your comments. Connecting with Michael Jackson for most of my life has definitely shaped me as a person. I'm an artist myself (artwork and photography/film), so I always follow Michael's example of trying to learn from the best and trying to not only do my best in everything, but do it better than people before me. I'm not MJ, so that doesn't always work out. LOL. But I've also tried to follow his example of being true to who you are as a person. Not being afraid to show your true self, no matter what people think. And trying to be kind to everyone. And I've also found it natural to remain connected to my "inner child" in terms of my perspective on life and enjoyment of things. I've also found myself following MJ's example of finding and trusting in certain collaborators or partners and sticking with them for as long as it makes sense. I definitely see Michael Jackson as a teacher/role model in many ways and wish he was still around to continue to provide new influences.
That's a fabulous one @Hot_StreetWhat was it like holding Invincible in your hands on release day?
This is awesome! Happy to provide some insight.i came across this thread on google and made an account especially to ask you questions, ive always wanted to ask someone who was alive at the time what it was like!!
i was born in 2003, so i missed basically every major michael jackson moment unfortunately. i hope you don't mind how many questions i ask!
on the day he released his albums, what was it like at record stores? were there long lines of people waiting to buy it?
how would you watch his music videos whenever you wanted to back then? did you have to just wait until it came on tv or could you buy them like a dvd?
what was the energy like when he first came onstage during his concerts?
was there any particular michael music video that stood out to you more than any other at the time?
were there any fanclubs for him in person? if so, did you attend and what were they like?
when a new michael jackson video came out, was it like an event where everybody you knew was talking about it?
what did you think of invincible when it was released, and what was the energy surrounding the whole release like?
thank you if you answer any of these!
I was there on opening night, Sept 7th. That's one of the best MJ moments in my life. I took my mom and we drove 8 hours to NYC.Which one of the 2001 concerts did you see? 7th or 10th September? How was it?
Sorry I missed this question. It was cool! I enjoyed all the different colors. And I loved the inner sleeve with those awesome shots of Michael Dancing. I really love the cover to that one. It was a good feeling. But my favorite album to hold/look at was Bad. That cover is just so awesome. Especially the Bad single cover. And I love the inner sleeve images of Michael in the Bad album. I can't describe the feeling of holding Bad in my hands because it was so awesome.That's a fabulous one @Hot_Street
Thanks so much for the informationOh man. I have literally followed Michael Jackson daily for at least 35 years. For TII, I was following him HOURLY. I was lucky because I had a friend in LA at the time (I am on the East Coast) who was in the Hollywood industry, so he had some inside information he would pass along to me. For example, he knew when he was rehearsing in the Staples Center before it hit the media and also knew about Lou Ferrigno helping to train MJ. TMZ and the like were ALL over him every day. You would often see videos of him leaving Klein's office or out shopping. Once, he was in a wheelchair in PJ's wearing a dreadlocks wig and the press jumped all over that. He would occasionally speak to the camera or the fans waiting for him. But I felt like something was wrong. The rumors were that he was sick...and I couldn't help but wonder that when I saw how slowly he sometimes moved or spoke. I was really worried about him. But then, I watched the TII announcement....MJ was soooooo late....(now we know why). Since I had seem him in NYC in 2001 at the opening 30th Anniversary concert, I knew to be patient with Michael for momentous events. But the TII announcement was really cool, despite the tardiness. I knew at that moment that it was going to happen. I had my tickets (for my birthday) and was so excited. It felt like MJ could finally redeem himself. Up until that announcement, there were so many horrible rumors about him in the American press (even that he can cancer or had only a few months to live). And of course, he had been through the trial that nearly killed him just a few years before. But here, at this announcement, he looked excited, looked like he was healthy, and looked like he still had that magic. I remember participating in the fan "song vote" and that was fun. One of the coolest things (as a fan) was the auction of all the stuff in Neverland. A digital catalogue came out and it was so cool to see all the things that were part of Michael life (even though I felt guilty for looking at those things knowing the sale wasn't happening for the best reasons). That wasn't really related to TII, but it was all part of that build up and excitement. When I saw TII in theaters, I cried all over again as if he had just died. It was so sad to see what could have been. And the reasons he was doing this concert. It made the cancelation that much harder to bear. I don't think I want to see any more footage knowing all the horrible things he was going through at the time. All the health stuff, the anxieties, the abuses, the stresses. I just can't enjoy that footage. And I know how much of what we ultimately have seen was manipulated. So I don't want to revisit that.
Lucky!!!!!I have even been around him physically twice. Once, he actually knocked me down to the ground by accident, which is an amazing story in and of itself. The other time was outside a recording studio in Virginia Beach in the late 90s.
Can you tell us about the time he knocked you down?I have even been around him physically twice. Once, he actually knocked me down to the ground by accident, which is an amazing story in and of itself. The other time was outside a recording studio in Virginia Beach in the late 90s.
Bet me to it love hahaCan you tell us about the time he knocked you down?
Yes, I’d love to hear that story too!!Can you tell us about the time he knocked you down?
How do you cope with fake Michael Jackson songs? Like ... you know.
Cautiously optimistic. I know I am not the target market, I have not decided if I will watch it. I want it to be like Jacksons An American Dream, as in a neutral way for Gen Z and Gen Alpha to find out about Michael. Theres now a generation who have grown up without him in this world, and are not tainted by first hand experiences of the mainstream bias against him from the 190's and 2000's.What are your thoughts and your feelings towards the biopic in progress?
It was amazing. I was the typical MTV kid, that was my main source of music information. I also bought all the music magazines each week, Smash Hits and Just 17. Back then I could only get albums for birthdays and Christmas so I had to wait until Christmas for the album. It was never out of my cassette walkman for months. I carried it everywhere.How did you feel when m released Dangerous? Did you see a huge change/shift art/ thought wise?
I watched that on tv and taped it on VHS. I watched it over and over and I think I still have the VHS video somewhere. I found it amazing, it was the first time I saw Neverland, and I loved hearing him speak and in his home. At the time I was just focused on him, but it was only years later, that I started to realise just how wrong and inappropriate that whole thing was.Thoughts on when he let OW in his home?
I had a huge Black or White promo poster on the back of my door, the one with him posing with the panther. I didnt have much money to buy things, so most of my posters came from Smash Hits magazines. I bought a lot of books from second hand book shops. At that time the paperback Moonwalk was one of my main books.Any MJ posters that you recall being a fave? books etc.
I loved it and it was a birthday gift, as I didnt have the money to buy it. I loved it and still have my original copy.Thoughts on when m released Dancing The Dream ?
I have the original first pressing of Bad on cassette, so I have the spoken into version to IJCSLY. To a young teen, that was justBest song from Bad?
As a teen growing up in Ireland I would say Bad Tour to Dangerous Tour. Bad tour in Ireland was just something else, the hype the mainstream media, everyone talking about it. Then the momentum kept rolling with MTV. They did Michael Jackson weekends, had tour documentaries and so much more. The songs were on mainstream radio and tv. We had the weekly UK Top of The Pops on Thursdays, Saturday morning kids tv shows, music magazines. He was everywhere. Basically the way Taylor Swift is now, but Michael did it without the internet and all with analogue TV and radio and print magazines.1- When would you say MJ was at his most famous? Was it during the Thriller days, the Bad days or around the Super Bowl performance?
Absolutely not. My thoughts about the post death fans and the hype in 2010, 2011 are for a different day and different thread.2- Was the fame that MJ had back when he had just died comparable to the fame he had in the early 90's, or even the 80's?
In Ireland and I guess Europe in general, while Thriller was epic in every way, it was BAD that made him a global megastar. It was BAD that give him mainstream success in Europe.3- Back when the Bad album came out did people think it was a worthy successor to Thriller or did people think it was a downgrade?
I have posted in other places about meeting Michael and talking to him. For those who dont know4- Are you able to talk more about the times you met Michael? Do you remember how the conversations went and if there are photos from those days?
I was so upset about not going to Bad tour. My parents said I was too young. I wasnt even brought to the area to experience the atmosphere, even though we were only about 2 hours drive away. That was the first time I realized that my parents had no understanding about how much he meant to me.Do you regret not attending the Bad Tour?
It felt like it was his turn to shine again. I was at the press conference in London at The O2. I remember getting text messages that he was coming to London and it wasnt just like previous visits, that he would be announcing something. It felt like finally we can put the negative issues in the past, that he was back in the news for the right reasons and that the main stream world would once again see him as the global superstar.Thoughts on MJ during TII preparations ?
Any specific memories ?
Would you like to see more footage?
Many thanks
Do you think that supporting m for over 4 decades shaped your mind,thoughts, values & core beliefs /how you are as a person? Did you see him as a teacher of sorts'/? ...If so , what did he teach you that perhaps other artists at that time couldn't?
You have kept him in your heart for so very long and i think that is charming & i couldn't resist asking this .. and I dearly LOVE that you were around his energy / met him. I love it.
Do you have any other inside information about the time we might not know?
It was seeing your comment that made me log in and answer some of the questions.i came across this thread on google and made an account especially to ask you questions, ive always wanted to ask someone who was alive at the time what it was like!!
i was born in 2003, so i missed basically every major michael jackson moment unfortunately. i hope you don't mind how many questions i ask!
The big one that comes to mind was Invincible. That was the first one that I was part of the fan community for.on the day he released his albums, what was it like at record stores? were there long lines of people waiting to buy it?
I would have a blank VHS video tape beside the tv the whole time. I would tape things onto video and watch them over and over. MTV would have videos in constant rotation. Then the local tv stations had weekly music shows where they would play the videos. Saturday morning kids programs also showed the videos.how would you watch his music videos whenever you wanted to back then? did you have to just wait until it came on tv or could you buy them like a dvd?
Oh my goodness, just takes your breath away. I can still hear the sreams in my head, that butterfly in the stomach feeling. The air changes, its something so hard to describe.what was the energy like when he first came onstage during his concerts?
Billie Jean has always been my favourite video, it was on such heavy rotation on the TV. Then Smooth Criminal. This is back before Dangerous era, so there wasnt as much videos available.was there any particular michael music video that stood out to you more than any other at the time?
Yes there were many fanclubs. In Europe almost every country had a fan club and they became really big and popular during History tour.were there any fanclubs for him in person? if so, did you attend and what were they like?
Yes, basically. At that time Top of The Pops was THE music show that everyone watched. They had all types of music genres as it was the official announcement of the top selling albums and songs in the UK. To preform on TOPT was the main goal for any singer or band, and also to have your video premiere on TOPT was also the main goal. It would be kinda like how the Superbowl ads are such a big thing for companies and every watches just for the ads and then its all over the internet, and everyone talks about them.when a new michael jackson video came out, was it like an event where everybody you knew was talking about it?
It was insane. It was the first album release I was part of the fan community for. I would spend hours in interent cafes every day after work, on all the forums.what did you think of invincible when it was released, and what was the energy surrounding the whole release like?
Which one of the 2001 concerts did you see? 7th or 10th September? How was it?
Amazing. I was with friends and we bought our albums at HMV Bond Street, at the end of Oxford Street London. We then went to Hyde Park, across from The Dorchester Hotel and put the albums in our cd walkmans, sat on the grass and listened to the album.What was it like holding Invincible in your hands on release day?
Thanks for starting this thread. I hope you dont mind me jumping in and answering the questions too. Reading your replies, its like going back in time for me, so very similar but at the same different.For those of you wanting to know what it has been like following Michael Jackson since his Thriller days, ask away.
Like many, I've been there for the ups and downs, peaks and valleys. And I've had the unique American perspective of seeing his rise and fall (and rise and fall again) in popular culture.
I've been following Michael Jackson daily (first through newspapers, magazines, and books, and then through the internet), been there for same-day album drops since Thriller, and seen him perform live twice (Victory Tour and 2001 MSG).
I've been there for the extremely negative press fallouts from the accusations, baby dangling, Martin Bashir, and the incredibly momentous occasions like music video releases, Super Bowl performance, album releases, etc. And also for the in-between constant media activity like the ever persistent tabloid headlines.
I have even been around him physically twice. Once, he actually knocked me down to the ground by accident, which is an amazing story in and of itself. The other time was outside a recording studio in Virginia Beach in the late 90s.
For those of you wondering what it has been like to be a fan for so longer, ask away...happy to answer any questions and give honest opinions.
I’ve been a fan since Bad came out (but have some Thriller era memories too, just wasn’t a fan yet back then because I was too young) , so been a fan fir almost 37 years by now. Fun thread!!! I’ll answer on my part but that will take a while because it’s so much to type!! Feel free to add questions if you like and I’ll try to answer!! I’ll be back!!!
I was a child, so it was especially magical. I saw him in Kansas City. I was only about 6 years old, so my memory has "burned in" images of Michael Jackson. My parents took me because they knew how much I loved Thriller. I would stare at that album the entire time we played it. The Victory concert was my first time experiencing Michael Jackson as something other than human. The recordings can't/don't capture the aura and magic that came from him and the crowd around me. The whole thing gave off an energy that kept me a fan for life. From that moment on, I was captive by anything related to Michael. The theme for me for that show was "light." Michael seemed to glow and stand out so much from his brothers. Even though it was a packed arena and I was far away, it felt as if I was the only one there because I was held so captive by the performance. And so much of it came full circle when I saw some of the same songs/dances in 2001.
I do remember there was one part where I was legit terrified. It looked/sounded like a monster took Michael Jackson into darkness. I don't remember if it was Thriller or what. But my parents actually took me out of the stadium for a little while to calm me down. But I insisted on going back to make sure he was okay. And when I got back, he was singing Beat It with the jacket, so I was extremely happy again. For some reason, Beat It stands out to me more than Billie Jean. I guess because I was so happy that he was okay. LOL.
Heeeeey girl!!!!!!!!! SOOOOO GREAT to see you here after all these years!!!!! Always so comforting to see familiar faces from way back when, especially the ones I met during MJ travels, still around!!! We really had the BEST time, didn’t we?!!! Such wonderful, wonderful memories!!! The lack of sleep…having no voice from having chanted and screamed so much…but being OH SO HAPPY every single time we had seen Michael!! Miss those times SO MUCH! The happiest I have ever been!A name from the past, so nice to see other old school fans joining in with their memories
Wonderful stories.Ah the old school days of yesteryear where we sat in front of tv for hours with our finger ready on the record button of our video player to record MJ videos. I accumulated a full vhs tape of MJ videos that way.
Each first single release was special, radio and tv stations would advertise an entire week when they were going to debut the song/clip.
I remember setting my alarm clock at 8am because all radio stations simultaneously would play Blood on the dance floor and your rock my world for the first time. This was an ungodly hour for me in the weekend but I stood up anyway lol
I also vividly remember the debut of the give in to me videoclip. Me and my parents were away from home and I was very nervous about potentially missing the debut on tv but we got home in time. I have similar memories for TDCAU, scream and YRMW
Each morning the radio was playing in our house during the Dangerous years and I remember heal the world playing each morning when I brushed my teeth.
Here are some little stories of my fave memories:
- My fave memory is when my dad brought me to school one morning and told me he found an old MJ song on a mix tape he made. I was ecstatic and kept throwing titles at him for the entire ride but he said nope that’s not it. It was the longest school day I experienced, I kept thinking about the potential song all day. When I finally got home it turn out the song was One Day In Your Life, I did not know it but I fell in love with it immediately. This was probably somewhere in 1992.
- The first time I heard Earth Song on the radio was after school in 1995 when my uncle picked me up. He had to go to a shop before we drove home so I waited in the car when the DJ debuted Earth Song. It was magic, pure magic. Nobody made such epic songs according to my young ears
- The first time I heard Will You Be There on the radio was in 1993. It was Sunday and I was at my grandparents house. I was sitting in the sofa all by myself watching people outside (they had a small business so it was always lively at the weekends). The song started playing and they played it in its entirety. I had no idea what he was singing about but I felt it was special and meaningful and it is the first time I ever cried while listening to a song. It just felt so comforting. I had goosebumps during the gospel part but then the tranquil outro section ending with spoken word was unheard of to me. I think my heart rate just dropped like a stone, it felt very comforting. At that time (early 90s) it felt like each MJ song was an adventure, I never knew what to expect and it often blew my mind musically, visually and vocally. It’s wrong to call it just pop music, it was an experience.
Back to you @Spidey sorry to hijack your thread but it feels like the right place to post it.
Ah the old school days of yesteryear where we sat in front of tv for hours with our finger ready on the record button of our video player to record MJ videos. I accumulated a full vhs tape of MJ videos that way.
Each first single release was special, radio and tv stations would advertise an entire week when they were going to debut the song/clip.
I remember setting my alarm clock at 8am because all radio stations simultaneously would play Blood on the dance floor and your rock my world for the first time. This was an ungodly hour for me in the weekend but I stood up anyway lol
I also vividly remember the debut of the give in to me videoclip. Me and my parents were away from home and I was very nervous about potentially missing the debut on tv but we got home in time. I have similar memories for TDCAU, scream and YRMW
Each morning the radio was playing in our house during the Dangerous years and I remember heal the world playing each morning when I brushed my teeth.
Here are some little stories of my fave memories:
- My fave memory is when my dad brought me to school one morning and told me he found an old MJ song on a mix tape he made. I was ecstatic and kept throwing titles at him for the entire ride but he said nope that’s not it. It was the longest school day I experienced, I kept thinking about the potential song all day. When I finally got home it turn out the song was One Day In Your Life, I did not know it but I fell in love with it immediately. This was probably somewhere in 1992.
- The first time I heard Earth Song on the radio was after school in 1995 when my uncle picked me up. He had to go to a shop before we drove home so I waited in the car when the DJ debuted Earth Song. It was magic, pure magic. Nobody made such epic songs according to my young ears
- The first time I heard Will You Be There on the radio was in 1993. It was Sunday and I was at my grandparents house. I was sitting in the sofa all by myself watching people outside (they had a small business so it was always lively at the weekends). The song started playing and they played it in its entirety. I had no idea what he was singing about but I felt it was special and meaningful and it is the first time I ever cried while listening to a song. It just felt so comforting. I had goosebumps during the gospel part but then the tranquil outro section ending with spoken word was unheard of to me. I think my heart rate just dropped like a stone, it felt very comforting. At that time (early 90s) it felt like each MJ song was an adventure, I never knew what to expect and it often blew my mind musically, visually and vocally. It’s wrong to call it just pop music, it was an experience.
Back to you @Spidey sorry to hijack your thread but it feels like the right place to post it.