XSCAPE Presseberichte - Keine Diskussion

[Lena]

Mache mal einen Thread zu Presseberichten rund ums Album auf, die hier gesammelt werden. Hier dann bitte nur Info und keine Diskussion. Dazu bitte in den Thread wechseln.




http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...253182181.html
NEW YORK, March 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 13, Epic Records, in conjunction with the Estate of Michael Jackson, will release [lexicon]Xscape[/lexicon], an album of new music by the internationally beloved music icon and King of Pop, Michael Jackson. The project features eight new tracks, which the world will be hearing for the very first time on the new album. For the ultimate fan experience, [lexicon]Xscape[/lexicon] will also be available in a Deluxe Edition, which includes all of the sourced Michael Jackson recordings in their original form. The [lexicon]Xscape[/lexicon] standard and Deluxe Edition'sare available for pre-order beginning April 1 on iTunes.com/MichaelJackson and elsewhere, and available at all retailers worldwide on May 13.
Das Projekt beinhaltet 8 neue Tracks, die die Welt erstmals mit dem neuen Album hört. Für das ultiamitve Fan-Erlebnis wird Xscape auf einer Deluxe-Edtion erhältlich sein, die alle Michael Jackson-Tracks in der original unbearbeiteten Form enthält.
[lexicon]Xscape[/lexicon] is executive produced by Epic Records Chairman and CEO L.A. Reid, who, after an initial mining of Jackson's archives by the Estate, was granted unlimited access to the treasures representing four decades of material on which Jackson had completed his vocals.
Reid curated the final list of recordings to deliver to the producers, who retooled the production to add a fresh, contemporary sound that retains Jackson's essence and integrity. It's a process Reid calls "contemporizing." 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 global hitmakers Rodney Jerkins, Stargate, Jerome "Jroc" Harmon and John McClain.
Reid kuratierte die endgültige Liste der Aufnahmen zu den Produzenten, die die Produktion bearbeitet haben um einen frische, modernen Sound, der Jacksons Wesen und Integrität behält hinzufügen. Es ist ein Prozess den Reid als "contemporizing." bezeichnet. Der Album Lead Producer Timbaland war einer von einer Handvoll Produzenten wo Reid geglaubt hatte das er die Würde, Tiefe und Reichweite hat um sich kreativ mit Jacksons Arbeit zu engagieren. Weitere Produzenten sind Rodney Jerkins globalen Rocker, Stargate, Jerome "JROC" Harmon und John McClain.

"Modern music and artistry would look and sound completely different if not for the groundbreaking contributions Michael Jackson gifted to the world," remarked L.A. Reid. "Michael left behind some musical performances that we take great pride in presenting through the vision of music producers that he either worked directly with or expressed strong desire to work with. We are extremely proud and honored to present this music to the world."
"Moderne Musik und Artistik würde ohne die talentierten, bahnbrechenden Beiträge von Michael Jackson völlig anders auf die Welt aussehen und völlig anders klingen", bemerkte LA Reid. "Michael hinterließ einige musikalischen Darbietungen, die wir sehr stolz sind mit der Vision von Musikproduzenten zu präsentiere mit denen er entweder direkt arbeitete oder den starken Wunsch geäußert hat mit zu arbeiten. Wir sind sehr stolz und geehrt, diese Musik der Welt zu präsentieren."The title of this album honors Michael's album naming process. He always chose a song from the album to name his projects and, beginning with THRILLER, used only one word titles, each with an edgy quality to them. This is true of the new project. Written by Michael Jackson and Jerkins, and produced by Jackson and Jerkins, "[lexicon]Xscape[/lexicon]" has further significance in that it is the one track on the album that was 'contemporized' by the producer who recorded it originally in the studio with Michael.
John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of the Estate of Michael Jackson said,
"Michael was always on the cutting edge and was constantly reaching out to new producers, looking for new sounds. He was always relevant and current. These tracks, in many ways, capture that spirit. We thank L.A. Reid for his vision."

Der Titel dieses Albums ehrt Michael Vorgehen der Albumsnamensgebung . Er wählte immer ein Lied aus dem Album , um seine Projekte zu benennen und , beginnend mit THRILLER , verwendet er nur ein Wort als Titel , jeweils mit einem kantigen Qualität zu ihnen . Das gilt auch für das neue Projekt. Geschrieben von Michael Jackson und Jerkins , und von Jackson und Jerkins produziert hat " Xscape" weiter die Bedeutung , dass es weiter auf dem Album, " zeitgemäß " durch den Produzenten weiterentwickelt wurde, der es ursprünglich im Studio mit Michael aufgezeichnet hat .
John Branca und John McClain , Co- Vollstrecker des Estate of Michael Jackson sagten:
"Michael war immer auf dem neuesten Stand und schaute sich ständig um, um um neue Produzenten zu erreichen auf der Suche nach neuen Klängen . Er war immer relevant und aktuell. Diese Tracks verfolgen in vielerlei Hinsicht, diesem Geist. Wir danken LA Reid für seine Vision . "



[lexicon]Xscape[/lexicon] is a long awaited collection of exciting new music that will thrill the legions of fans of one of the world's most revered and best-selling artists, as well as attract a whole new generation discovering his artistry for the first time. In conjunction with the release of [lexicon]Xscape[/lexicon], Epic / Sony Music will launch an unprecedented global campaign with the One Sony sister companies, Sony Corporation, Sony Mobile Communications, and Sony Network Entertainment International drawing from all of Sony's strengths and consumer reach.
"Michael has long been a treasured member of the larger Sony family," said Kazuo Hirai, President and CEO, Sony Corporation. "Starting with the release of 'Off The Wall' in 1979, Sony Music Entertainment has since released all of Michael's recordings. We are thrilled and privileged to be collaborating as One Sony to celebrate Michael's latest legacy, and bringing his fans an exclusive experience through our upcoming initiatives with our products and services."

Album-Teaser

[Lena]

Eine Legende stirbt nie -Neues Album von Michael Jackson

http://www.n24.de/n24/Nachrichten/Panora…el-jackson.html

Der "King of Pop" ist immer noch für neue Songs gut - auch wenn er eigentlich seit über vier Jahren tot ist: Im Namen von Michael Jackson
erscheint am 13. Mai "Xscape". Auf der Platte finden sich acht unveröffentlichte Lieder.
Michael "King of Pop" Jackson (1958 - 2009) veröffentlicht ein neues Album - nach seinem Tod bereits das zweite. Es heißt "Xscape" und soll am 13. Mai auf den Markt kommen, wie auf "michaeljackson.com"
zu lesen ist. Auf der Platte finden sich acht unveröffentlichte Songs, welche von erfolgreichen Musikproduzenten neu aufgenommen wurden.
Darunter die beiden Grammy-Gewinner Timbaland (42, "Shock Value") und Rodney Jerkins (36) sowie das Songwriterteam "Stargate".

"Moderne Musik und Kunst würden vollkommen anders klingen und aussehen, gäbe es nicht Michael Jacksons wegweisende Beiträge, die er der Welt vermachte",
betont Musikproduzent L.A. Reid (57), der das Projekt leitet. "Michael hat einige Musikstücke hinterlassen, welche wir voller Stolz von Produzenten bearbeiten lassen, mit denen er entweder direkt zusammengearbeitet hat oder es vorgehabt hätte."Der Track "Xscape", nach dem das Album benannt ist, wurde eigentlich 2001 für Jacksons Album "Invincible" aufgenommen, schaffte es allerdings nie auf die Titelliste. Wer zudem die unbearbeiteten Originalsongs hören möchte, muss sich die Deluxe-Edition kaufen. Beide Versionen von Jacksons postumer Platte sind schon ab dem 1. April vorzubestellen.

[Lena]

Good Morning America-

Austral. TV

[Lena]

Michael Jackson's XSCAPE Set To Be Biggest Selling Album of 2014
by Michael West | 01 April 2014

Michael Jackson's XSCAPE is likely to sell over a million copies this year.
Michael Jackson's new album XSCAPE is the odds-on favorite to become the biggest selling album of 2014 in the UK. The record - co-produced by Timbaland - is set for release on May 13, via Epic Records.

Bookmakers William Hill are offering odds of 1/10 to sell a million by the end of 2014 and 1/4 that it will become the biggest selling album of the year. One area that it could fall down is in generating the year's biggest selling single of the year - with Pharrell Williams' Happy looking set to bag that accolade with odds of 2/1. Any song from Xscape can be backed at 5/1.
"This will undoubtedly be the most hotly anticipated release of the year and we fully expect it to be the biggest selling album of 2014," said William Hill spokesman Joe Crilly.

According to a statement, the combination of Jackson's material with revamped contemporary production adds a "fresh sound" that retains Jackson's essence and integrity. Epic Records Chairman L.A Reid was reportedly granted unlimited access to the four decades of Jackson's vocal only material. He then teamed up with Timbaland and other producers to "contemporize" the songs
"Michael left behind some musical performances that we take great pride in presenting through the vision of music producers that he either worked directly with or expressed strong desire to work with," Reid said in a statement.

"Michael was always on the cutting edge and was constantly reaching out to new producers, looking for new sounds. He was always relevant and current. These tracks, in many ways, capture that spirit. We thank L.A. Reid for his vision," said John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of the Estate of Michael Jackson.
Since his death in 2009, Epic Records has continually released Jackson's material, including a reissue of Bad, a remix album titled Immortal and several posthumous compilations, including This Is It.
A post on Michael Jackson's official Twitter page read: "New @MichaelJackson album! XSCAPE, comprised of previously unreleased songs, out May 13th! More at http://www.michaeljackson.com #MJXSCAPE"

http://www.contactmusic.com/article/...-album_4134654

[Lena]

Michael Jackson Is Still Alive Online

Added by Katie Sevigny on April 3, 2014.
Michael Jackson is still alive in the hearts of many. Five years after his unfortunate passing, a new album will be released by the King of Pop entitled [lexicon]Xscape[/lexicon]. The online world is buzzing with news about the new record which will drop May 13th 2014.
Michael Jackson ist immer noch in den Herzen vieler lebendig. Fünf Jahre nach seinem unglücklichen Tod , wird ein neues Album des King of Pop mit dem Titel [lexicon]Xscape[/lexicon] freigegeben werden. Die Online-Welt brummt mit Nachrichten über das neue Album, dass am 13. Mai 2014 veröffentlicht wird .

The new album cover is absolutely stunning and simple. Jackson gives off a stare that peeks out of his futuristic see-through glittered outfit, the look in those eyes, it is an intense glare which says “I’m still here” and ”I’m not going anywhere.” Hard to believe even five years later that Jackson is no longer here performing.
Das neue Album-Cover ist absolut atemberaubend und einfach. Jackson gibt einen Blick, der aus seinem futuristischen glitzernden Outfit späht , der Blick in diese Augen , es ist eine intensive Blendung, die sagt: "Ich bin immer noch hier " und "Ich gehe nirgendwo hin . " Kaum zu glauben, auch fünf Jahre später, dass Jackson nicht mehr da ist um zu performen.

Jackson son is more than just a musical icon, he is a force which everyone will never forget. His range was like no other and his dancing was insanely original for its time. His music spanned generations and infected pop culture with its hauntingly good vocal work.
Jackson ist mehr als nur eine musikalische Ikone ,eine Kraft, die nie vergessen sein wird. Seine Spannbreite war wie keine andere und sein Tanz war wahnsinnig originell für seine Zeit. Seine Musik überspannt Generationen und infizierte Pop- Kultur mit ihrer betörend guten Gesangsarbeit .


When Elvis passed away there were many fanatics hoping he never really died. Maybe they thought he just took a vacation or went into hiding. It gave birth to the slogan “Elvis Lives,” and as Jackson’s fans gear up for the release of these eight new songs re-worked by L.A. Reid, perhaps a new slogan will be born. Thanks to Reid, it’s as though Jackson never really left, that he is still here fighting for love and for the love of making music for the world. In many ways, Jackson is still alive. Online, and in the memories and hearts of the people who loved him.
Als Elvis starb, gab es viele Fanatiker- Hoffnungen, dass er nie wirklich gestorben ist. Vielleicht dachten sie, er nahm einfach einen Urlaub oder ging in den Untergrund. Es war die Geburtsstunde von dem Motto " Elvis lebt", und als Jackson -Fans sich rüsten für die Freigabe dieser acht neuen Songs, die von L.A. Reid überarbeitet wurden wird vielleicht ein neuer Slogan geboren werden . Dank Reid ist es als ob Jackson uns nie wirklich verlassen hat , er ist immer noch hier kämpfend für die Liebe und für die Liebe , Musik zu machen und für die Welt zu kämpfen. In vielerlei Hinsicht ist Jackson noch am Leben . Online und in den Erinnerungen und Herzen der Menschen , die ihn liebten .

Reid had an exclusive grab of Jackson’s musical archives. Songs which never got released. Only eight songs were re-worked with a handful of hit making producers to help Reid design a new modern sound to Michael’s vocal work. Only eight. Imagine the gold mine of other secret tracks available to only a few ears? This begs the question: How many songs are in the archives to keep Jackson’s legacy going?
Reid hatte einen exklusiven Zugriff in Jacksons Musikarchiven. Songs , die nie veröffentlicht wurden . Nur acht Songs wurden überarbeitet, mit einer Handvoll Hit-Produzenten um Reid bei der Gestaltung eines neuen modernen Sounds zu Michaels Vokalwerk zu helfen . Nur acht. Stellen Sie sich vor die Goldmine von anderen geheimen Spuren stehen nur ein paar Ohren zur Verfügung. Es stellt sich die Frage : Wie viele Lieder sind in den Archiven um Jacksons Vermächtnis weiterzutragen ?

Music in an intangible and everlasting source of joy for many. Jackson set out to write songs which not only hit the top of the charts, but moved people, gave people a sense of belonging, or comfort. Hopefully the new album will hold the same purpose in at least some of the tracks.
Musik in einer immateriellen und immerwährenden Quelle der Freude für viele. Jackson schrieb nicht nur Songs, die die Chartspitze eroberten, sondern auch die Menschen bewegte , gab den Menschen ein Gefühl der Zugehörigkeit oder des Wohbefindens. Hoffentlich wird das neue Album den gleichen Zweck erfüllen mit nur einigen der Tracks.

Two songs fans can look forward to hearing on the new album are the title track,Xscape and Chicago, produced by Timbaland. Reid calls the re-tooling of the album a “Contemporizing” new take on Jackson’s original ideas.

These days, people talk about stories “breaking” the internet. Jackson broke the charts with recording [lexicon]Thriller[/lexicon], the highest selling album of all time. The video forThriller was one of the most influential music videos ever in terms of creativity and slick choreography.

It is too bad there will not be any new videos featuring Michael Jackson to go along with the new music. Those would have been something to see! Jackson took pride in being a perfectionist who delivered the whole package, not just the songs. However, there is nothing to complain about now that word of the new album has come out online. More than just promotional material has popped up, but stories about [lexicon]Why[/lexicon] Jackson’s music still matters to the world. It’s through these shared stories that will help keep Jackson alive forever.

Es ist zu schade, es wird keine neuen Videos mit Michael Jackson mehr gehen zusammen mit der neuen Musik. Da wäre etwas zu sehen gewesen ! Jackson war stolz darauf ein Perfektionist zu sein der das ganze Paket, nicht nur die Songs geliefert hat . Allerdings gibt es nichts zu jammern bis jetzt, als das Wort über das neue Album sich online breit gemacht hat. Mehr als nur Werbematerial ist aufgetaucht , sondern auch Geschichten darüber, warum Jacksons Musik immer noch wichtig ist für die Welt. Es sind diese mitgeteilten Geschichten , die helfen, das Jackson für immer lebendig sein wird .

Opinion By Katie Sevigny New York Daily News

Source: http://guardianlv.com/2014/04/michae...-alive-online/

[Lena]

Michael Jackson
Timbaland ließ Songs auf "Xscape" bearbeiten

Im Mai erscheint posthum Michael Jacksons neues Album „Xscape“ – seine Erben verdienen wie nie zuvor. Es ist der Star-Produzent Timbaland, der die Songs bearbeiten ließ.

Star-Produzent Timbaland hat die Songs von Michael Jackson auf dem neuen Album "Xscape" bearbeiten lassen, das neu im Mai erscheinen soll. „Michael Jackson hat der Welt bahnbrechende Musik geschenkt“, sagt Epic-Chef L. A. Reid, auf dessen Label das Album erscheint. Wirklich „geschenkt“ bekommen Fans hingegen nichts. Bei iTunes kann „Xscape“ ab sofort für 16,99 Dollar vorbestellt werden – das ist deutlich mehr, als andere Alben kosten. Das ist irgendwie authentisch, denn schon zu Lebzeiten verstand es Michael Jackson besser als jeder andere, sein Werk finanziell auszuschlachten. Seine Nachlassverwalter stehen ihm heute in nichts nach.

Die Songs von Michael Jackson für das neue Album "Xscape" wurden in den Archiven des King of Pop gefunden

Acht neue Songs gibt es auf „Xscape“. Reid hat sie in Jacksons Archiven gefunden und von Star-Producer Timbaland und einigen anderen bearbeiten lassen. Letztlich sollte das neue Album „contemporary“ klingen – also topaktuell, möglichst der Zeit ein wenig voraus, ganz wie Michael Jackson selbst immer arbeitete. Mit Timbaland werkelten J-Roc und Stargate an den Songs, dazu Rodney Jerkins, der schon 2001 auf „Invincible“ mit Jackson zusammenarbeitete und zuletzt für Justin Bieber und die gesamte amerikanische R-&-B-Riege an den Hebeln saß. Den Titelsong „Xscape“ schrieb Jerkins gemeinsam mit Jackson.

Ausschnitte der von Timbaland bearbeiteten Songs von Michael Jackson wurden noch nicht veröffentlicht

Ausschnitte aus dem neuen Album wurden bisher nicht veröffentlicht, und auch sonst gibt es nur spärliche Details. Nur das: „Xscape“ soll in zwei Versionen veröffentlicht werden. Die eine enthält die acht fertig produzierten Songs, auf einer Deluxe-Version gibt es zudem die Originalversionen, die Jackson archivierte. Darunter soll zumindest ein atemberaubendes Solo sein: Michael Jacksons Stimme und ein Klavier, ungewohnt schlicht und daher auf jeden Fall vielversprechend. Die intimen Aufnahmen, die Starproduzent Rick Rubin teilweise posthum von Johnny Cash veröffentlicht hat, gehören immerhin zu dessen besten Werken. Vielleicht bringt auch das Material auf „Xscape“ eine ganz neue Seite des King of Pop ans Licht.

Michael-Jackson-Fans haben überwiegend enthusiastisch auf die Ankündigung reagiert. Auf iTunes hat das Album – auch ohne eine einzige Hörprobe – schon glatte fünf Sterne. In Online-Foren wird der King gepriesen und seine Rückkehr sehnsüchtig erwartet. „Popmusik war nicht dasselbe ohne Michael Jackson“, schreibt einer, und ein anderer bangt: „Hoffentlich ist das kein April-Scherz.“ Zumindest darauf können sich Fans verlassen: Reid und sein Produzententeam haben vier Jahre lang an „Xscape“ gearbeitet. Im Mai ist das Album nun auf dem Markt.


http://www.tagesspiegel.de/weltspiegel/m…en/9702660.html

[Lena]

Michael Jackson's Xscape: Lovingly restored material brings back the King Of Pop

http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/michael-jacksons-xscape-lovingly-restored-3332961

Largely comprised of songs recorded in the 90s and early 2000s, [lexicon]Xscape[/lexicon] is a more cohesive album in comparison to 2010 offering "Michael."

Eight previously unreleased songs have been (in the words of Executive Producer L.A Reid) 'contemporized' by the likes of Timbaland, Stargate and Rodney Jerkins. And whilst the fresh 2014 production enhances that trademark MJ vocal, it doesn't detract from the original song and the genius of Michael's songwriting vision.

As the album begins, you're immediately transported back to the [lexicon]Thriller[/lexicon] era, thanks to an amazing 1983 disco groove called "Love Never Felt So Good". With its soulful vocal, infectious baseline and orchestral strings, it's a song that screams 'Jackson classic' and it says a lot about influence when you consider that it wouldn't sound out of place on the latest Pharrell album.

I challenge anyone not to experience goosebumps after hearing "A Place With No Name" a song layered with lush harmonies believed to have been recorded in 1998 and a song that deserves to played by radio stations worldwide.

Potential single "Slave To The Rhythm" is a floor-filler for a new generation whilst 1999's RnB soaked "She Was Lovin' Me" (originally considered for the 2001 [lexicon]Invincible[/lexicon] album) has echoes of "[lexicon]The way you make me feel[/lexicon]."

Two other songs, "Chicago" and "Blue Gangster" will also remind you of previous Jackson offerings but both tracks benefit from newly enhanced production and remind us of the fact that Michael was keen to remain relevant to the emerging hip-hop generation.

But one of the outstanding cuts on the "[lexicon]Xscape[/lexicon]" album is a song called "12 O'Clock" or "Do You Know Where Your Children Are" in which an emphatic Jackson discusses family values and child abuse over a pulsating bass line and guitar riff. Whilst I'm not convinced the new production has added anything to the original, it's still a song that will get everyone talking.

And as the album concludes with title track "[lexicon]Xscape[/lexicon]" a sonic slice of noughties electro-pop, I'm left satisfied that Michael's legacy will endure thanks to a collection of carefully selected material, lovingly re-engineered for millions of fans and new fans alike. There's a reason he was called The King of Pop after all.



Michael Jacksons Xscape: Liebevoll restauriertes Material bringt den King Of Pop zurück

Weitgehend von Songs in den 90er Jahren und Anfang der 2000er Jahre aufgenommen hat [lexicon]Xscape[/lexicon] mehr Zusammenhaltals im Vergleich zum 2010 Album " Michael ".

Acht bisher unveröffentlichte Songs (in den Worten von Executive Producer LA Reid ) " zeitgemäß " von Leuten wie Timbaland , Stargate und Rodney Jerkins bearbeitet . Und während die frische Produktion 2014 hervorhebt MJs Markenzeichen -Stimme ,, es lenkt nicht vom Original- Song und Michaels Songwriting-Genie und Visionen ab.

Wenn das Album beginnt werden sie sofort wieder in die [lexicon]Thriller[/lexicon] -Ära transportiert , dank eines erstaunlichen 1983 Disco Groove namens " Love Never Felt So Good " . Mit seiner gefühlvollen Stimme, ansteckende Bassline und orchestralen Streicher , es ist ein Lied, das nach " Jackson Klassiker" schreit , und es sagt viel über den Einfluss , wenn man bedenkt , dass es nicht auf dem neuesten Pharrell Album fehl am Platz klingen würde .

Ich fordere jeden heraus keine Gänsehaut zu bekommen nach dem Anhören des Liedes von " A Place With No Name " einen Song mit üppigen Harmonien der im Jahr 1998 aufgezeichnet wurde geschichtet und ein Lied, das von Radiostationen weltweit gespielt zu werden verdient.

Potenzielle Singles wie " Slave To The Rhythm" ist ein Boden -Füller für eine neue Generation , während 1999 der RnB weicht "She was Lovin 'Me " ( ursprünglich für das Album [lexicon]Invincible[/lexicon] 2001 berücksichtigt) hat Anklänge an "[lexicon]The way you make me feel[/lexicon] ".

Zwei weitere Songs , "Chicago" und "Blue Gangster " wird auch an frühere Jackson -Angebote erinnern , aber beide Titel profitieren von neuen, verbesserten Produktionen und erinnern uns an die Tatsache, dass Michael unbedingt relevant für die aufstrebenden Hip-Hop- Generation bleiben wollte.

Aber einer der herausragenden Schnitte auf dem " [lexicon]Xscape[/lexicon] "-Album ist ein Song namens " 12. o´clock" oder "Do You Know Where Your Children Are" ", in dem ein emphatischer Jackson die Werte der Familie und Kindesmissbrauch diskutiert über einer pulsierenden Basslinie und einem Gitarren -Riff . Während ich nicht davon überzeugt bin, das die neue Produktion etwas auf das ursprüngliche hinzugefügt hat , ist es denoch ein Lied über das alle reden werden.

Und wenn das Album schließt mit dem Titeltrack " Xscape " eine Schall--Nummer Elektro-Pop , ich bin zufrieden , dass Michaels Vermächtnis dank einer Sammlung von sorgfältig ausgewählten Materialien weitergetragen wird , liebevoll für Millionen von Fans und neue Fans gleichermaßen re-engineered. Es gibt schließlich einen Grund, warum er der King of Pop genannt wird.

[Lena]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=280956182064165

Zurück von der Xscape-Preview in Paris. Ich kann es nicht besser in Worte fassen. Erleichtert.
Sie spielten die 8 überarbeiteten Songs, nicht die Demos. Einges der Arbeit ist großartig,
besonders weil einige der Orignal-Producer die Songs überarbeiteten die sie mit Michael auf-
genommen haben. Wie ein voller Kreis. Du kannst die neuen Versionen lieben oder hassen,
die gute Nachricht ist wir haben die Demos davon. Es ist Win-Win-Material, meiner Meinung nach.

[Lena]

Umfrage von der Grammy-Webseite:

Was ist derzeit am meisten angesagt in Musik?

[Lena]

Hier noch eine Zusammenfassung der bisherigen Information von Damain Shields in seinem Blog. Sorry ist mir zu lang zum Übersetzen, daher diesmal nicht.
Sozusagen eine Song für Song-Vorgehensweise.

http://www.damienshields.com/xscape-reviewing-the-reviews-and-analysing-the-clues-regarding-the-new-michael-jackson-album/

XSCAPE: Reviewing the reviews and analysing the clues regarding the new Michael Jackson album

by Damien Shields Posted on April 2, 2014






Reviews of the new Michael Jackson album ‘XSCAPE’ have begun emerging online today following a secret playback session hosted by BBC Radio DJ Trevor Nelson in the downstairs area of a posh west London hotel.
Although the album’s track list has not yet been officially announced by The Estate of Michael Jackson or Epic Records, music journalists who were privileged enough to have received L.A. Reid’s exclusive and mysterious email invitation to the event have since reviewed the set.
In these reviews, which I will touch on in my own review, eight song titles have been identified. However, some of the journalists who published reviews have caused a tad of confusion among fans. The track list I attempted to predict two days ago cites eight titles - see here. The titles revealed by journalists (who were asked not to reveal titles) were identical to my list. One problem; my list was not 100% correct. You’ll understand what I mean about “confusion” by the time you’ve finished reading.
As I have not yet heard all of the new album’s new remixes, I will draw on the comments of the journalists who have. I will also drawn on details featured in a series of articles previously published here at damienshields.com to give a little bit of background information on some of the tracks and their origins.
Additionally, I’ll give my two cents on the choice of cover-art used to promote the album, Sony’s marketing campaign, and the reception among Jackson’s loyal fan base.
I’ll kick it off with a song-by-song review in order of appearance, as best derived from the comments given by those who heard the album at the playback session. Trying to figure out the order was no mean feat; the journalists in attendance were not informed of the song titles, and as a result some contradictory recollections have occurred regarding the recordings. I’m still not 100% confident that I’ve got the order correct, but I’ve given it a decent crack.
1. Love Never Felt So Good
“Love Never Felt So Good” originates from collaborative sessions Jackson held with legendary songwriter, Paul Anka, in the early-80s.
Touted by Mirror reporter Kevin Hughes as “an amazing 1983 disco groove” with a “soulful vocal, infectious baseline and orchestral strings,” this track would apparently not sound out of place on a Pharrell album. Lewis Corner of Digital Spy says that the track comes complete with 1980s “disco beats and crisp finger clicks,” adding that “the groove of the track is soaked in nostalgia.” The finger snaps are all present on the original demo of the track, but a 1980s disco beat is not. In fact, the demo, which will appear in the Deluxe Edition of ‘XSCAPE’, has only one instrument; a piano.
This remix will certainly be an interesting listen.
2. She Was Lovin’ Me (aka Chicago)
“She Was Lovin’ Me” is an ‘Invincible’ era track written and produced by Cory Rooney. Jackson recorded his vocals at The Hit Factory in New York in late-March of 1999.
“The second song – possibly called Chicago and cited by Timbaland as a future single – falls into the former camp, with Jackson utilising a harder vocal delivery that’s encased in a big industrial melange of jackhammer beats,” recalls The Guardian journalist Michael Cragg. “Jackson practically gave birth to the genre ‘dirty-pop’, and track two throws back to that period when you wouldn’t see him on stage without bolshy bass and hip-pop beats, ‘She lied to you/ She lied to me,’ he proclaims in his trademark growl,” adds Lewis Corner.
Kevin Hughes reported that the: “RnB soaked ‘She Was Lovin Me’ (originally considered for the 2001 Invincible album) has echoes of ’The Way You Make Me Feel’.” Hughes is not the only journalist to cite a similarity to Jackson’s 1987 hit, with The Telegraph’s Bernadette McNulty stating that: “When one of the songs directly recalls the bassline from The Way You Make Me Feel it seems like a step too far.” Whether McNulty is referring to “She Was Lovin’ Me” or another song altogether is not specified in her comment.
“She Was Lovin’ Me” is one of two tracks on the album that have not leaked publicly (the other title remains unknown) meaning, unlike the other six tracks on the album, fans have never heard it. I, however, was lucky enough to have listened to the track last year during preparations for an article I wrote and released for Michael’s fans on what would have been his 55th birthday (August 29, 2013). What I find interesting about the brief reviews of this track in particular, are the comparisons to “The Way You Make Me Feel”. I can tell you right now, the original version of “She Was Lovin Me” sounds absolutely nothing like “The Way You Make Me Feel”. If anything, it reminded me of elements present in “Morphine”, “D.S.” and “Another Day”. Rooney himself draws this comparison: “The song goes from him singing really low in the verses to singing really high in the choruses, so it’s two different types of vocals. It’s like Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’ voice and his ‘Dirty Diana’ voice in one record.”
Jackson delivers an emotionally powerful vocal on the track, packed with pain and frustration. The verses gently tell the intimate story of Jackson’s encounter with a woman whom he believes was attracted to him, before unleashing a rage of guitar-infused fury in the choruses.
“I met her on the way to Chicago, and she was all alone, and so was I so I asker her for her name. She smiled and looked at me, I was surprised to see, that a woman like that was really into me,” sings Jackson in the first verse, before things take a turn for the worse in the second.
UPDATE: This, indeed, is the track that Timbaland referred to as “Chicago” in an interview with Revolt TV last year. The title has caused some confusion among fans, including myself, which I will address further on in this article.
Click here to read my extensive article on “She Was Lovin Me”
3. “80s-tinged mid-tempo” (Title unknown)
This one is practically impossible for me to discuss because I was not in the playback session, and have never heard the song, therefore I cannot detail its origins with complete certainty. But here’s what we deduce from online reviews and comments from those in the know.
“The third song played is another Off the Wallesque, mid-paced love song with a youthful, almost naive-sounding vocal. It feels very much like a song that didn’t make it on to an old album, and while the production is good – there’s an amazing rolling beat throughout – it still feels slight,” reported Michael Cragg, while Lewis Corner described it as a flowing ’80s-tinged serenade with orchestral bursts and choral harmonies. Joseph Vogel, author of ’Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson’, noted on Twitter that this track was a mid-tempo from the 1980s and not a song that people have heard.
Because this is the only track on the album that I have not heard, it’s naturally the one I’m most curious about.
4. A Place With No Name
“A Place With No Name” is a track written by Elliot Straite, aka Dr. Freeze. It is a lyrically re-written cover of the 1972 hit “A Horse With No Name” by the band America. Jackson recorded his vocals at Record Plant Recording Studios in September 1998.
“I challenge anyone not to experience goosebumps after hearing ‘A Place With No Name’,” reported Kevin Hughes, adding that the song deserves to played by radio stations worldwide.
One thing that can’t be denied about this track is Jackson’s vocal. “When he came into the studio to record, he stood before the microphone and set fire to the song,” recalls Dr. Freeze of the recording session. “As he left, the studio was in ashes and our jaws on the floor. It was really impressive to see.”
Click here to read my exclusive article; ‘Michael Jackson’s “A Place With No Name” – The Story Behind The Song’.
5. Do You Know Where Your Children Are (aka 12-O’Clock)
This track could be titled one of two things: a) “12 O’Clock” or b) “Do You Know Where Your Children Are”. The latter is the authentic title of the song, as cited by Jackson in a 1993 court deposition. The track was originally recorded during the ‘Dangerous’ album sessions.
All reports so far have cited this one at the album’s peak. “The fifth song we were played opens with computerized synths as the star’s iconic ad libs of ‘hee-hee’ and ‘aaaow’ smack you with excitement,” writes Lewis Corner, adding: “Echoed snare beats and a storming rawk guitar solo make it one of the stand-out tracks. It’s: ”One of the outstanding cuts on the ‘Xscape’ album,” agrees Kevin Hughes. “An emphatic Jackson discusses family values and child abuse over a pulsating bass line and guitar riff.” Michael Cragg called the track “a proper, undeniably amazing hit” before going into a little more detail. “Opening with a delicate flurry of cascading 80s synths, it feels like the perfect embodiment of the old and the new, with some vintage “hee hee” ad-libs peppering the sophisticated mesh of electronics. It also features a typical Jackson pre-chorus section that then opens out into the album’s best chorus, before a great false stop moment heralds an even more bonkers final third, with Jackson hee-heeing and ow-ing his head off.”
While I can deal with the possibility of Epic Records opting to change the actual title of this song from “Do You Know Where Your Children Are” to “12 O’Clock” for the sake of avoiding the potential criticism and narrow-minded controversy the lengthy original may cause, there is one thing I hope they don’t mess with; the lyrics Jackson delivers vocally on the track.
First of all, before I explain what I mean, let me put this into context: To me, Michael Jackson is a real life superhero. Not only did he moonwalk, morph into black panthers, zombies, robots and cars, and fly off the edge of the stage, out over the audience using a jetpack at the end of his ‘Dangerous World Tour’ concerts, but he, like all great superheroes, actually wanted to save the world and the people in it. This was just who he was. Katherine Jackson, Michael’s mother, remembers Michael as a little boy seeing the starving children in Africa on television with flies around their mouths. “One day I’m gonna do something about that,” he’d tell her. And he did. He raised hundreds of millions of dollars for dozens of charities around the world. Michael Jackson truly cared for humanity. He cared for people of all cultures, races, ages and walks of life. He cared for equality and human rights. This is evidenced in his songs, such as “Heal The World”, “Earth Song”, “Man In The Mirror” and “Why You Wanna Trip On Me”. He was so often the voice of the voiceless; take “The Lost Children” or “They Don’t Care About Us” for example.
Now, “Do You Know Where Your Children Are” discusses child abuse. In the song, Jackson sings about a girl who has run away from home, leaving behind a letter to her mother: “She wrote that she was tired of step-daddy using her. Saying that he’ll buy her things while sexually abusing her.” The song then follows the girl to Hollywood, where she winds up letting her hair down and “selling her body hard” under the guidance of a man she met at the train station. In the choruses, Jackson asks the listener: “Do do you know where your children are? Because it’s now twelve-o’clock, and they’re somewhere out on the streets. Just imagine how scared they are!” At the end of the third and final verse Jackson chillingly proceeds to put the entire debacle into perspective, revealing the girl’s doomed fate by singing that the police were: “Arresting this little girl that’s only twelve-years old!”
The reason I am concerned about the censoring of Jackson’s lyrics stems from the last posthumous album Epic Records and The Estate released – 2010′s ‘Michael’ album. On that album there is a song called “Hollywood Tonight” – a similar theme to “Do You Know Where Your Children Are” – about a girl who has left home and gone to Hollywood. Jackson had been working on “Hollywood Tonight” for a decade, carefully tweaking and perfecting the music while working on the lyrics. He had laid down vocals for two verses and the choruses prior to his death, with a sketch of the bridge and partial third verse as well. One thing is clear; he had a specific vision to tell the untold, tragic story of childhood runaways. In the second verse, Jackson sings: “Westbound Greyhound to Tinsel Town just to pursue her moviestar dreams. She’s giving hot tricks to men, just to get in. She’s taught that that’s not clean, because she’s only fifteen.” However, the words: “because she’s only fifteen” were removed by producer Teddy Riley and replaced with a line from the first verse: “She’s headed for the big sign that means.” This takes the context away from the song completely. This is the moment the seriousness of the matter becomes apparent.
So, back to the positives. The journalists who heard “Do You Know Where Your Children Are” have called it the album’s highlight and a potential radio hit. I hope the song, which is one of my all-time favourite Jackson tracks, is released as a single. I also hope that the remix stays true to Jackson’s vision and message.
6. Slave To The Rhythm
“Slave To The Rhythm” was written by L.A. Reid and Babyface and recorded by Jackson during the ‘Dangerous’ album sessions. The track has since appeared online in a number of forms; once in 2010 – remixed by Tricky Stewart, once in 2013 – remixed by Max Methods and featuring Justin Bieber, and now as part of the Sony Xperia Z2 / ‘XSCAPE’ album cross-promotional commercial series – remixed by Timbaland.
“Track number six – which we identified as ‘Slave to the Rhythm’ – begins with a massive string-led swoosh of scenic proportions, before it completely drops into glitchy electronics and rattling beats. Its shuffling groove marks it as classic MJ, making it yet another highlight,” wrote Lewis Corner. Michael Cragg reported that the Timbaland remix features: “Lashings of beatboxing in the intro, loads of vocal tics throughout, big spidery bassline,” adding that, “as with some of his other songs on Xscape, barely any space for the song to breathe. Thankfully Slave to the Rhythm is strong enough to fight its way through the clutter.” Kevin Hughes labeled the track as a potential single and “floor-filler for a new generation.” All journalists were pleased to announce that Justin Bieber does not feature on this version.
To hear a 30-second sample of Timbaland’s brand new remix of “Slave To The Rhythm” and see L.A. Reid in the studio, bopping along while pimping the new Sony Xperia Z2 mobile phone, check out the below video:

Some background info on how Justin Bieber came to be on the track back in 2013: Tricky Stewart, who had previously remixed the track in 2010 to be considered for the ‘Michael’ album, got Justin Bieber to record the track. Stewart was, at the time, the President of A&R at Epic Records, working under L.A. Reid (who wrote the track). He then gave Jackson’s existing vocal and Bieber’s brand new vocal to a DJ signed to his Red Zone Ent record label, Max Methods, and asked him to re-produce the track. On August 16, 2013 it leaked via SoundCloud and YouTube. Click here to read more about that fiasco.
7. Blue Gangster
“Blue Gangster” is another track written by Dr. Freeze. The track was recorded during the same sessions as Freeze’s other track – “A Place With No Name” – in late 1998.
Reviews of this track have been mixed. “Song number seven – which might be called ‘Blue Gangsta’ – opens with Bond Theme-styled strings and tinned beats, before hearing Michael complain: ‘Look what you’ve done to me/ I can no longer smile’” writes Lewis Corner, adding that the album’s “overarching narrative is what we’ve always loved about Jackson; the superstar who is unlucky in love, but never doubts its power.” As cited in my “Chicago” segment, Kevin Hughes reported that ”Blue Gangster” (and “Chicago”) will: “Remind you of previous Jackson offerings but both tracks benefit from newly enhanced production and remind us of the fact that Michael was keen to remain relevant to the emerging hip-hop generation.” Michael Cragg was less than impressed with the song, stating that it was: “The album’s only true lowpoint,” that “feels like about three different songs fighting for attention.”
“For ‘Blue Gangsta’ I wanted to make a new ‘Smooth Criminal’,” recalls Dr. Freeze of his inspiration when writing the track. “Something more modern and rooted in the 2000s.” The track was considered for the 2010 ‘Michael’ album but was ultimately not selected. Freeze stated that the version that leaked online is not the newest version he has. “I’ve updated it a bit, the song is completed, ready to go. It will be completely different from the version leaked on the net. It is perfectly calibrated to enter a nightclub. It sounds very European in style productions Kraftwerk.”
The version that will appear on ‘XSCAPE’ will be different yet again. Freeze was not involved in the production of the new remix.
8. Xscape
“Xscape” is a track co-written by Fred Jerkins III, Rodney Jerkins, and LaShawn Daniels, produced by Rodney Jerkins, and recorded by Michael Jackson during the ‘Invincible’ sessions.
“It’s the only track which has been re-worked by its original producer, and hears turn-of-the-millennium Jackson snarl over a mix of ’70s disco and ’90s R&B. Its potential for some other-worldly choreography is palpable, which provokes a sad tinge of what could’ve been,” reports Lewis Corner, while Michael Cragg states that: “The only song that sounds like a bit of a struggle vocally, with Jackson’s various vocal tics becoming a bit of a hindrance rather than something more carefree.” Kevin Hughes deduces: ”As the album concludes with title track ‘Xscape’ a sonic slice of noughties electro-pop, I’m left satisfied that Michael’s legacy will endure…”
Check out a 15-second snippet of the brand new Rodney Jerkins remix of “Xscape” below:

Many of Jackson’s collaborators believed that “Xscape” was one of the strongest tracks on offer during the ‘Invincible’ sessions. Few could believe that it was never released, along with another Jerkins production called “We’ve Had Enough” (which eventually came out on 2004′s ‘The Ultimate Collection’). Unfortunately, in early 2003 “Xscape” leaked on the internet. Although Jackson, at that time, still had plans to utilize the track, the leak caused the cancellation of those plans. Still, those involved have fond memories of the creative process. “God is good,” said LaShawn Daniels. “I had the opportunity to work with and befriend the greatest artist of all time MICHAEL JACKSON … on the last studio album he recorded while he was alive. I wrote the title track ‘INVINCIBLE’, which became the album title, as well as ‘You Rock My World’ which was his first single ALONG WITH 6 other songs on that album. Now years after his death I am fortunate enough to be apart of another one of his albums with an original song never heard before that I co-wrote. This song serves as the album title as well as first single; XSCAPE. Although I’m sad because he’s not here to see the world respond to this great song and body of work, I am extremely proud to be apart of his legacy and record shattering career,” continues Daniels. “I remember singing on the demo for ‘Xscape’ after writing it,” recalls Fred Jerkins III. Now, finally, “Xscape” will have it’s moment to shine – more than a decade after fans heard it for the first time – with this commanding new remix. “What a blessing to have the title track,” adds Fred.

One of the slogans being used to promote the new album is “The best you’ve never heard”. This refers, obviously, to the album including the best songs that the public has not yet heard. While many of Jackson’s most dedicated fans have heard up to six of the eight tracks on this album, they must consider that the ”best you’ve never heard” slogan is not targeted at them.
The real target audience here are the millions of casual MJ fans around the world. People who like his work and will take an interest if the music sounds good. Hence L.A. Reid’s wise decision to use the BEST they’ve never heard, as opposed to the “rarest MJ’s very small, hardcore, online fan base has never heard” (which would, at this point, comprise of mostly incomplete demos and sketches due to the lack of complete, unleaked resources).
Judging by the general consensus of the journalists who attended the exclusive playback session yesterday, this decision has paid off. Many of the reviews feature overwhelming praise of the compilation.
“Xscape feels like an album created to showcase a handful of Jackson songs that on the whole deserve to be heard,” writes Michael Cragg. “You get the immediate sense that a lot of time (and money) has been spent on these songs and that care’s been taken to show the songs off in the best light possible. While some of them are very obviously album tracks at best, there are flashes of genius that haven’t been diluted or watered down. In fact, Xscape manages to bring most of them to life.”
Xscape at least sounds more like a labour of love and with only eight songs, a judiciously edited and cohesive album rather than an endless memory-stick jumble of offcuts. Former US X Factor judge LA Reid has overseen the process, working his way through four decades of unused recordings that Jackson has left behind. Employing a premier league team of top name pop producers, Reid has called the reboot ‘contemporizing’ Jackson’s songs,” writes Bernadette McNulty. “But the balance often feels quite subtle and even-handed between the original song and the new styles of orchestration and production.”
“From fashionable-again orchestral disco and propulsively lithe electro to Rodney Jerkin’s trademark militarised beats, you can still hear fully-formed Jackson songs there – even more striking in an age where RnB and pop has largely become a collage of chants and breakdowns. I just haven’t hadn’t heard this many words in a pop song for ages, let alone proper verses, bridges and choruses.”
“I’m left satisfied that Michael’s legacy will endure thanks to a collection of carefully selected material, lovingly re-engineered for millions of fans and new fans alike,” concludes Kevin Hughes. “There’s a reason he was called The King of Pop after all.”
He’s certainly the King of Pop, but also the King of Hype. Sony Music plans on honoring Jackson with an all-out marketing blitz that will ensure no eardrum goes without hearing their latest Jackson offering – be it voluntarily or forcefully.
“In conjunction with the release of XSCAPE, Epic / Sony Music will launch an unprecedented global campaign with the One Sony sister companies, Sony Corporation, Sony Mobile Communications, and Sony Network Entertainment International drawing from all of Sony’s strengths and consumer reach,” reads the official announcement on michaeljackson.com
We’ve already seen traces of their marketing, from the Sony Xperia Z2 (look at me continually promoting it without meaning/wanting to) mobile phone which will come equipped for a FREE download of the full ‘XSCAPE’ album, stickers and posters around major cities, and now even giant billboards (see below).

While we’re looking at the billboard, I’ll quickly make a comment on Epic’s choice of album cover-art (see top of article). I like it, but I can see why others don’t. Art, like music, is based on personal taste. Some will like it and some won’t. It’s impossible to please everyone and that’s just the way it is.
The Chicago Debate

I want to address the issue that seems to have become The Chicago Debate, with fans going back and forth as to whether “She Was Lovin Me” and “Chicago” are one and the same.
Many fans, myself included, try to predict certain things before they happen. For example: “How many songs will be on the album?” or “What will the lead single be?” or “What is your ideal track list?” It’s a bit of fun and adds to the excitement of anticipating a new Michael Jackson release. Fans did the same thing when he was alive and they’ll continue to do it forever and a day.
The foundations of this debate actually date back to August 2013, when Timbaland revealed that he had been invited by the head of Epic Records, L.A. Reid, to work on a new album of unreleased Michael Jackson material.
“LA Reid came to me like, to my house, like, ‘I got something big I wanna do … How would you feel about doing Michael Jackson?’”
Timbaland, who never had the chance to work with Jackson during his life, said: “Of course I’ll do it,” while acknowledging that re-producing and releasing the music of deceased artists is not an easy thing to do: “It’s hard to bring anything out because now you’re just going to hear my music with his voice over it.”
The producer also announced the title of his preference for the project’s lead single: “I can tell you the first single is gonna be the song ‘Chicago’ … I think it should be, because ‘Chicago’ sounds like today.”
Most fans immediately began speculating that “Chicago” might be “Chicago 1945″. Meanwhile, a minority of fans thought that maybe, just maybe, Timbaland meant “She Was Lovin Me” based on lyrics I published online as part of this article: Exclusive Story: Michael Jackson’s “She Was Lovin’ Me”
Are you with me? Yes! Okay, good.
Yesterday, Joseph Vogel, author of ‘Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson’, tweeted that the song “Chicago” was, indeed, Cory Rooney’s 1999 track “She Was Lovin Me”. As in, the song goes by both titles.
“I will say: I listened to “Chicago (She Was Lovin’ Me)” twice and couldn’t get it out of my head for days,” read the tweet, which certainly got Jackson fans talking.
And so began the debate re-ignited.
After a series of questions directed at Vogel, he re-confirmed his earlier statement, tweeting: “For those asking: Chicago and She Was Lovin’ Me are the same song. Recorded in 1999. Produced for the new MJ album by Timbaland… Chicago 1945 is from the 1980s (early Bad sessions); Chicago (She Was Lovin’ Me) is from 1999 (early Invincible sessions)… It goes by both names. There’s a lyric in it about Chicago. This is the song Timbaland referred to months ago.”
Vogel is 100% correct in stating that “She Was Lovin Me” has the lyric “Chicago” in the song. As detailed in my “She Was Lovin Me” article the opening lyrics to the songs are as follows:
“I met her on the way to Chicago, and she was all alone, and so was I so I asked her for her name. She smiled and looked at me, I was surprised to see, that a woman like that was really into me.”
However, fans became engulfed in a debate over whether Vogel was right or not after journalists who had attended an album playback session started publishing reviews online.
When reviewing the album, some journalists listed song titles. Kevin Hughes, well-known as a major Jackson enthusiast, recalled eight individual titles, including both “She Was Lovin Me” and “Chicago” – separately – as two unique songs. If they were, in fact, the same song, that would mean either: a) The journalists in the playback session only heard seven songs, not eight; or b) There is an 8th track that was incorrectly identified by name as “Chicago” due to the assumption that “She Was Lovin Me” was to be called “She Was Lovin Me”.
About the songs: “She Was Lovin Me”, although it makes mention of “Chicago” once in the opening line of lyrics, has absolutely nothing to do with Chicago. The location itself, Chicago, is of absolutely no relevance throughout the song. The lyrics: “She was lovin me” do, however, make repeated appearances in the choruses. Therefore it would make sense, in my opinion, to call the song “She Was Lovin Me” – as Cory Rooney did when he wrote it for Jackson in 1999.
The song “Chicago 1945″, on the other hand, which was often referred to by Michael Jackson simply as “Chicago”, is about Chicago – the location. The entire song tells the story of Chicago. The World’s Fair (which visited Chicago), The Chicago Tribune (local newspaper), Al Capone (of ‘The Chicago Outfit’ fame), and so on. “Who solved the mystery late Chicago night? Ya can’t hide the truth so won’t ya turn on the light,” sings Jackson in the chorus, before launching into a flurry of high-pitched “hoo-hoo” and “hee-hee” ad libs. The track then finishes with Jackson chanting “Chicago! Chicago!” over and over in his trademark, gritty (slightly angry) vocal-style. The track was constantly on Jackson’s mind over the course of his career, and was worked on during the ‘Invincible’ sessions and again at Neverland in 2004.
So which is it?
a) ”She Was Lovin Me” really does also go by the title “Chicago” and there is one song on the album that has yet-to-to identified.
b) ”Chicago” is “Chicago 1945″ as recorded in the mid-1980s. Or;
c) ”Chicago” is neither “She Was Lovin Me” nor “Chicago 1945″ and is actually a completely different track, coincidentally called “Chicago”.
The answer is… a) “She Was Lovin Me” really does also go by the title “Chicago” and there is one song on the album that has yet-to-to identified.
“They have always called it by that title (Chicago),” Cory Rooney explained to me about L.A. Reid and Timbaland, adding that he doesn’t know if they’ll actually use the “Chicago” title or stick with the authentic “She Was Lovin Me” when the album comes out. Rooney also told me he hasn’t heard Timbaland’s remix yet.
That does however beg the (now irrelevant) question of why Kevin Hughes, an MJ fan, cited “Chicago” in his review right after citing “She Was Lovin Me” separately, in the previous paragraph? Hughes was there, in the room, listening, after all. Perhaps he identified “She Was Lovin Me” upon hearing it, and identified six of the seven other songs by their distinct, previously-leaked titles, concluding that perhaps “Chicago” was the title of the one track he had not yet identified? That’s what I did when trying to guess the track list earlier this week. The only difference is that I hadn’t just listened to the album when making my predictions.
Hughes has since edited his review, removing all citations of song titles – something Sony requested of all journalists present at the playback session to begin with.
I also spoke to a couple of fans who attended a private playback session in France. Both made the same assumption that Hughes appears to have after identifying the other seven tracks by name (including “She Was Lovin Me”) - concluding that the eighth (unidentified) track must be “Chicago” as referred to by Timbaland last year.
I asked both fans if they recall Jackson singing the word “Chicago” in the unidentified track they’d deemed to be “Chicago”. Both said no, and that they’d just assumed it was the track being touted as “Chicago”.
I then asked them to describe the track. Both said it was a mid-tempo song about a girl. This matches with the comments made by Michael Cragg, Lewis Corner and Joseph Vogel regarding the only-remaining unidentified song on the album:
“The third song played is another Off the Wallesque, mid-paced love song with a youthful, almost naive-sounding vocal. It feels very much like a song that didn’t make it on to an old album, and while the production is good – there’s an amazing rolling beat throughout – it still feels slight,” reported Michael Cragg, while Lewis Corner described it as a flowing ’80s-tinged serenade with orchestral bursts and choral harmonies. Joseph Vogel, author of ’Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson’, noted on Twitter that this track was a mid-tempo from the 1980s and not a song that people have heard.
So I guess that’s that? Whatever the reason for the initial title confusion, and subsequent debate among fans, I hope that this article has helped answer the questions some of you had regarding the issue.
“She Was Lovin Me” and “Chicago” are one and the same, and there’s an eighth track on the ‘XSCAPE’ album that has yet-to-be identified. The fun continues!
Is “Hot Fun” the bonus track?

Finally, let’s get to the issue of that sneaky bonus track The Estate and Epic Records seem to have sprung on fans. When viewing the ‘XSCAPE’ Deluxe Edition on iTunes, now available for pre-order, you can see that there are 17 tracks listed. Assuming that the eight remixes detailed above are the eight tracks that make up the Standard Edition, and the Deluxe Edition will include the original, unedited Jackson recording for each of those as well. Eight plus eight equals 16 tracks. Some more simple math will reveal that if you have 17 Michael Jackson songs and you subtract 16 Michael Jackson songs, you’ll be left with one Michael Jackson song. So there is one yet-to-be-announced Michael Jackson track – or is there?
Today, Jesse Johnson, a prolific guitarist/producer, announced via Facebook that he is part of an all-star lineup of artists, producers and musicians who are set to feature on a new track with Michael Jackson.
Johnson’s announcement was somewhat cryptic. The headline reads: “Michael Jackson & D’Angelo + Mary J Blige” with a sub heading that makes you guess what many believe will be the title of the song. The clue: ”H** ** *** *********e”.
The track has been produced by D’Angelo and features Michael Jackson, D’Angelo and Mary J. Blige on vocals. If THAT is not vocal heaven then I don’t know what is!
But the stars don’t stop at the vocals. D’Angelo has contributed the keys, Johnson the guitars, Questlove is on drums, Pino Palladino on bass Eric Leeds on horns. Are you still with me? Good! The track has been engineered by Russ Elevado and Ben Kane, with John McClain serving as Executive Producer.
So the big question is, what does the above clue tell us? I can only come up with one viable possibility: “Hot Fun In The Summertime” (with the three asterisks representing the word “fun” accidentally left out?)
Now, I wouldn’t come up with this possibility without having some information to back it up. So here’s what we know:
“Michael Jackson had favorite songs, or songs that were works-in-progress,” revealed Michael Prince in a conversation I had with him a few months ago. “Once Neff-U took over from Brad Buxer (when Brad started flying again in 2008), Michael brought out some songs, including “A Place With No Name”, and said, ‘Here, work with this song. See what you can come up with for this song.’ So the vocals were always pretty much the same, but Neff-U would put new music on them.”
How is this relevant to “Hot Fun In The Summertime”? Read on…
“Neff-U had originally worked with Michael, Brad Buxer and I long before 2008,” continued Prince. “He originally came to Brad’s house years earlier and worked on some stuff that never came out, like ‘Hot Fun In The Summertime’ – the 1969 Sly Stone song. I think MJ only sang a tiny bit on that one, but they were trying a bunch of stuff. Neff-U is very talented.”
This, by the way, is not the first time fans had learned that Jackson had recorded “Hot Fun In The Summertime”. In July 2010 CNN put together one of the best-sourced articles of that time available regarding Jackson’s unreleased music. The article talks about hard drives packed with unreleased music being discovered after Michael’s death. The article reads as follows:
“A producer told CNN that he was surprised to find a large cache of forgotten Michael Jackson music files stored on a hard drive at a Hollywood studio in the months after Jackson’s June 25, 2009, death.”
“When he turned the recording device on to start a session, he heard Jackson singing ‘Hot Fun in the Summertime’. The 1969 hit by Sly & the Family Stone is part of an extensive music catalogue that Jackson bought.”
So this confirms, through multiple sources that a) Jackson recorded “Hot Fun In The Summertime” and b) that Jackson’s estate was given a copy. Not-so-coincidentally, John McClain, who serves as Executive Producer on the new all-star remix, is also a co-Executor of The Estate of Michael Jackson. Fancy that! All the dots seem have been connected. Oh, I forgot one more important piece of info: Jesse Johnson commented on his Facebook announcement/status stating that the song in question would be released on May 13th – the same day Jackson’s ‘XSCAPE’ comes out! There are too many facts piling up for them all to be coincidences, surely?
Also, the fact that Michael Prince only recalls Jackson singing a little bit of the song might also explain why McClain has brought in D’Angelo and Mary J. Blige to contribute additional vocals. This is in the style of the “duets” concept that Teddy Riley discussed back in late-2010 – where singers would come in and complete tracks on which Jackson had only recorded portions – a verse and a chorus but no second verse or bridge, for example. Whatever the reason for D’Angelo and Mary J’s presence, I’m not complaining. On paper it has the makings of a worldwide smash hit!
Now the only question is this: Will this be the 17th bonus track? Or were “Chicago” and “She Was Lovin Me” really the same song, meaning “Hot Fun In The Summertime” could actually be part of the eight foundation tracks. “Hot Fun” was not played for journalists at the playback session, so you’d think it’s an outsider. If it’s an outsider, perhaps its only shot at glory is that currently-vacant bonus track slot.
Time will tell one way or the other!
What do YOU think about all of this? The XSCAPE reviews? The marketing campaign? Chicago vs. She Was Lovin’ Me? Hot Fun In The Summertime? Do you agree with my conclusions? Or am I wrong about everything?

[Dreamerdancer]

http://www.ampya.com/news/Aktuell/Michael-Jackson-Familie-zweifelt-an-Xscape-SN108022/

Alle Welt freut sich auf das neue Album des verstorbenen King of Pop Michael Jackson. Seine Familie blickt dem Release von "Xscape" mit gemischten Gefühlen entgegen.
Im Juni jährt sich Michael Jacksons Todestag zum fünften Mal. Ein paar unveröffentlichte Perlen gibt es aber noch in der musikalischen Schmuckschatulle des verstorbenen King of Pop – acht Songs werden auf dem posthum erscheinenden Album "Xscape" zu hören sein. Ein komisches Gefühl, das bei den Hinterbliebenen sicherlich einen schalen Beigeschmack hinterlässt. Gerade erst haben sich die großen Wogen um den Gerichtsprozess gegen *****s Konzertveranstalter AEG gelegt, seine Familie konnte zur Ruhe kommen, da steht das nächste Großereignis kurz bevor: Das Release von "Xscape" ist für den 13. Mai geplant.
"Ich habe gemischte Gefühle – als Künstler einerserseits und als sein Neffe andererseits", sagte TJ Jackson in einem Interview mit der Sun. "Ich weiß, dass er gerne selbst noch einmal alles durchgehört hat, bevor irgendwas von ihm veröffentlicht wurde." Am Ende sei Michael Jackson immer noch sein Onkel und auch über seinen Tod hinaus, wolle TJ Jackson nur das Beste für ihn: "Ich möchte, dass alles, was mit ihm in Verbindung gebracht wird, von Erfolg gekrönt ist."
Das das unter anderem von Timbaland produzierte Album "Xscape" zumindest an den Kassen ein voller Erfolg werden wird, lässt sich allein am großen Interesse rund um die Scheibe gemessen, mit ziemlicher Sicherheit vorhersagen. Ob das Endergebnis jedoch auch Michael Jacksons ästhetisch-musikalischem Anspruch genügt, wird wohl niemand mehr erfahren. So oder so: Alle *****-Fans freuen sich dennoch riesig, wieder die Stimme ihres großen Idols auf Platte gepresst zu hören – mit ganz frischen Songs.

[Lena]

http://www.jackson.ch/xscape-erste-reviews/

«Xscape» – erste Reviews, Pre-Order und Tracklist!

1. April 2014

Vergangene Nacht wurde auserwählten Journalisten das neue MJ Album vorgespielt. «Scharfe Beats und klare Vocals», so eine Reaktion. Im Gegensatz zum «Michael» Album schaffe «Xscape» die Welt an die Passion des King of Pops zu erinnern, «deine Füsse zum klopfen , deinen Kopf zum nicken und deinen Körper zum tanzen zu bringen.»

Um sicher zu stellen, dass keine illegalen Tonaufnahmen gemacht wurden, zog man vergangene Nacht in dem Londoner Hotel sämtlichen Journalisten die Mobiltelefone ein. Das neue Michael Jackson Album «Xscape» wurde via Xperia Z2 Soundystem von Sony Mobile abgespielt. Erwerber von Sonys Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet and Xperia M2 werden ab Release-Datum, dem 13. Mai 2014 , mehrere Wochen die Möglichkeit haben, das posthume Michael Jackson Album gratis herunterzuladen.

Klingt das Album überproduziert, nur darauf bedacht den aktuellsten Trends Rechnung zu tragen? «Mixmag – the world’s biggest dance music and clubbing destination» gibt Entwarnung: Zwar beginne ein Song mit einem Vocoder, doch der sei nur beim Intro eingesetzt worden. Das Album habe durchgehend «scharfe Beats und klare Vocals». Obwohl «Xscape» aus acht unveröffentlichten Songs besteht, die Michael Jacksons zu Lebzeiten nicht veröffentlicht hatte, klinge das Album nicht nach einer Ansammlung von halbguten Songs. Das Produzententeam habe es geschafft, die Songs so auszuwählen und auf dem Album zu platzieren, dass dieses wie ein fliessendes Werk mit «funky, disco-pop und modernen R’n'B» Songs klinge.

Einige der Titel würden vertraut klingen, so habe einer eine ähnliche Basslinie wie Leave Me Alone, und der Song «Gangster» erinnere an die für Michael Jackson typischen «voiced beats and harmonies» à la Beat It. Dann klinge das neue MJ Album mehr wie eine Kollektion von B-Sides des Off The Wall Albums als ein Nachfolger von Invincible, Michael Jacksons letztem Studioalbum aus dem Jahr 2001. Abgesehen davon, dass das Album recht kurz sei, habe das MJ Estate einen viel symphatischeren Job gemacht, die Welt an die Passion des King of Pops zu erinnern, «deine Füsse zum klopfen , deinen Kopf zum nicken und deinen Körper zum tanzen zu bringen.» Das Onlineportal Mixmag meint, man müsse das Album wie folgt betrachten: «Eine Kollektion von unentdeckten Juwelen in einer Art präsentiert, die alle Generationen der Fans schätzen wird.»

Auch die Journalistin des britischen Telegraphs findet, dass «Xscape» im Gegensatz zum «Michael» Album an die Qualitäten erinnert, die Michael Jackson zum King of Pop gemacht haben. Sie zeigt sich insbesondere von der makellosen «front and center» Präsenz von Jacksons Stimme in den Mixen beeindruckt. Trotz modischem orchestriertem Disco, antreibendem, geschmeidigem Elektro bis zu Rodney Jerkins typischen militärischen Beats, höre man doch vollständig geformte Jackson Songs. Im Vergleich zum aktuellen RnB und Pop habe sie schon seit einer Ewigkeit nicht mehr soviele Worte in einem Pop Song gehört wie in den neuen MJ Songs, «echte Strofen, Bridges und Refrains.» Das Album schaffe es, die gutgelaunten Jackson 5 Funk-Disco Grooves, die schüchternen, einfühlsamen Balladen und die wütende und verzweifelte Seite von MJ zu vereinen.
«Aber es war noch immer eine Art von Wunder diese Mann-Frau Stimme zu hören, so absolut unvergleichbar, rau mit Dynamik und Power, durch die Oktaven fliegend, gleichzeitig mit diesen einzigartigen Schreien und Jauchzern auf den Punkt bringend. Und die Produzenten scheinen auf eine Art zu antworten, indem sie ihre glänzendsten Beats und Loops erschufen, um Jacksons Gesang zu polieren und auszuschmücken.»
Folgende Songs sind auf dem neuen Album enthalten: Auffallend viele Invincible-Outtakes.

Love Never Felt So Good (Thriller Outtake)
A Place With No Name
Slave To The Rhythm
She Was Lovin’ Me
Chicago
Blue Gangsta
Do You Know Where Your Children Are (Dangerous Outtake)
Xscape

Neben dem Hauptproduzent Timbaland haben auch Rodney Jerkins, Stargate, Jerome ‘J-Roc’ Harmon und John McClain an den Produktionen mitgewirkt. Rodney Jerkins hatte bereits die Originalversion von Xscape mit Michael Jackson geschrieben und produziert. Nun durfte er dem Song nochmals einen neuen Sound verpassen.

Die Nachlassverwalter John Branca and John McClain hatten foglendes Statement veröffentlicht: “Michael was always on the cutting edge and was constantly reaching out to new producers, looking for new sounds. He was always relevant and current. These tracks, in many ways, capture that spirit. We thank L.A. Reid for his vision.”

Die Deluxe-Version des Albums (2 CDs), inklusive den Original-Edits der acht Songs, kann hier bei CeDe.ch oder bei Amazon.de vorbestellt werden.
In einem neuen Werbespot spricht der Executive Producer von «Xscape» und CEO des Epic Labels, L.A. Reid, über das Album:

[Lena]

Gestern auch Pre-Listening für die Journalisten in Amerika

https://twitter.com/Epic_Records/status/453723165299335169/photo/1

--------------------
Instagram
thenext2shine

https://twitter.com/Epic_Records/status/453723165299335169/photo/1

28 minutes ago
Sneak peek into the new #MichaelJackson #XSCAPE album



-------------------------
Offensichtlich die Rückseite vom Album







-----------------------------------------

arthurdoelp Arthur Doelp

#michaeljackson #xscape #imlovinit





Epic Records ✔ @Epic_Records
Follow
This @michaeljackson quote inspired title of new album Xscape, out 5.13.14 #MJXSCAPE #NYCListeningEvent #BeEpic
4:36 AM - 9 Apr 2014

Von einem Journalisten:

Skip Dillard @mixcom 3h
So they took our phones but Michael Jackson's xscape was a nice listen! 2 solid radio singles and plenty for MJ fans to savor!
So sie nahmen unsere Phones aber MJs Xscape war ein schönes Anhören! 2 solide Radio Singles und eine Menge für MJ-Fans zum sichern!

Skip Dillard @mixcom 3h
8 songs, two solid radio singles and a STRONG effort from #LAReid #Timbaland & #Rodney Jerkins. It's for real!
8 Songs, 2 solide Radio-Singles und ein starke Anstrengung von #LAReid #Timbaland & #Rodney Jerkins. Es ist eine wirkliche Sache!

Skip Dillard @mixcom 2h
Congrats @LA_Reid on #MJXSCAPE & thank U and your staff the hospitality! Album makes me miss MJ more! Great work!
Gratulation an LA Reid für MJXSCAPE und danke an das Personal für die Betreuung! Das Album lässt mich MJ mehr vermissen! Gorßartige Arbeit!

@michaeljackson #xscape Listening Party The King Is Resurrected Shout Out 2 @Timbaland & @LA_Reid 4 Keeping The Legacy Alive ♥ Xcspae
Xscape- Listening Party. Der König ist wieder auferstanden. Lob an @Timbaland & @LA_Reid dafür, dass sie sein Vermächtnis am Leben erhalten ♥ Xcspae

[geli2709]

Hier mal ein Artikel, der etwas kritischer und nachdenklicher ausfällt und zur Vorsicht mahnt:


[THE WEEKLY READ]
Leave Michael Jackson Alone

Michael Arceneaux says the upcoming project 'from' the late singer
sounds like a recipe for legacy tarnishing

By Michael Arceneaux Writer, 3.4.2014


In a combination of greed and not knowing when to leave well enough alone, Epic Records has announced that they will soon release a new Michael Jackson album entitled Xscape. You would think that a record label owned by Sony would know damn well to not release anything called Xscape that didn’t include Kandi, Tiny, LaTocha, and Tamika, but I guess they’re point of view is, “Screw it. Kandi ain’t trying to sing with Tamika ever again. Might as well give to MJ.” Fair enough, but do you really think a perfectionist like Michael Jackson would want people toying with the vocals he left by the wayside over the years?

The label sure thinks so per the announcement posted on Epic’s Web site. It appears that Epic CEO L.A. Reid “was granted unlimited access to the treasures spanning four decades of material on which Jackson had completed his vocals. Reid then teamed up top producers to ‘contemporize’ the songs while retaining Jackson’s essence and integrity, creating the best music you’ve never heard.”

The list of producers include Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, Stargate and Michael Jackson estate executor, John McClain. Since the announcement, there’s been word that D’Angelo and Mary J. Blige will appear on the album. You can’t see me, but I’m rolling my eyes at the same speed of Naomi Campbell moved her hips in the “In The Closet” video.

I love Mary J. Blige like our cousins love dark meat and the new Popeye’s Pay Day special, but I just can’t see those two on the same track. Ditto for D’Angelo, who seems to be able to sing with the dead but refuses to give his fans a new damn album after a 100 years of, “Baby, wait on me. I’m coming. I promise.” Yeah, I’m bitter.

In any event, while I admit to being somewhat curious of how these songs will sound, do we not remember the ruckus that happened with that other posthumous Michael Jackson release? La Toya Jackson along with a few of her nephews all disputed with the label over the authenticity of the vocals featured on Michael.

Even so, no matter who is singing these unearthed songs, it’s pretty apparent why they were buried in the vault with the rest of MJ’s things (shiny gloves, monkey food and tuxedos, etc.): they are terrible. Like, Michael Jackson’s first three albums are the finest of meats while these “new” old tracks are along the lines of the mystery meat you order at the take out place you always question of being one food inspection away from permanent shut down. Do not treat the King of Pop like he’s Terence Trent D'Arby.

Michael, like many of his peers, went through an exhaustive recording process that yielded a lot of misses until he created the true gems. The released material was what Michael wanted us to hear. That ought to be respected.

See, “Remember The Time.” Wait, y’all got the urge to drop down and get your shamon on, huh? Fine, go on, get your dance on. This copy will be here when you get back.

Ready? Okay. As I was saying, Michael agonized over his work so I highly doubt he’s keen on the idea of a bunch of people he isn’t able to supervise and collaborate with taking his vocals and “contemperizing” them. That’s not to say he probably wouldn’t want to work with Future, Sage The Gemini, or Rihanna, if he were alive, but he ain’t. He’s dead and I know as I went to the funeral and prayed for Mariah Carey after her not fantastic performance (love you, MIMI!).

The problem with posthumous releases is that they don’t often honor the person we left behind -- you know, trying to “contemporize” them and all. It would be different if Quincy Jones was at least a part of this project, but as I’ve read on Al Gore’s Internet, the estate owes him money. This just seems like a bad idea is all.

I can’t help but think that somewhere, 2Pac is serving Michael Jackson KFC, Pepsi, and hair grease as he tries to explain to him just how bad his legacy is about to be screwed over thanks to his label’s plans for posthumous releases. Lord knows all 8000 of 2Pac’s post dead albums haven’t been hitting on nothing. Sure, they made money, but the fans are still singing “Dear Mama,” “I Get Around,” and “Rather Be Ya N***a” when it gets down to it.

In sum, this is stupid and y’all need to be spending these resources on rescuing Janet Jackson from obscurity. Buy her a new knee, some Pharrell and Detail beats, and get mama back on top of the charts. Michael would want that instead of y’all dropping duds he left in his audible trashcan.


Michael Arceneaux is the author of the “The Weekly Read,” where tough love is served with just a touch of shade. Tweet him at @youngsinick.

http://www.ebony.com/entertainment-culture/the-weekly-read-leave-michael-jackson-alone-032#.U0TiUO0azCQ

[Dreamerdancer]

Michael Jackson Gets New Life On 'XSCAPE': Listen Now
The King of Pop resurfaces on new Rodney Jerkins-produced single off upcoming posthumous album.

When Michael Jackson died in 2009, he left an enduring legacy and some unreleased tunes as well. On Wednesday (April 9), one of those unreleased gems, "XSCAPE," found its way onto the Internet.

The upbeat pop track starts with a brief six-second skit, which is made to sound like someone (presumably Michael) has escaped from a prison. "He's gone," someone says before we hear an alarm go off and a gun cock back.



The track is the title song off of MJ's upcoming posthumous album XSCAPE. Jackson wrote the song with Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, who produced a chunk of the King of Pop's last proper LP, Invincible, in 2001.

"XSCAPE" features many familiar MJ themes. The upbeat drum roll and static synth line give way to Jackson's patented grunts, moans and signature wails. "Everywhere I turn, no matter where I look, the system's in control, it's all run by the book," a distrustful Mike sings before coming to the conclusion: "I got to get away, so I can free my mind."

For much of his career, MJ battled with the pressures of fame, often expressing feelings of being trapped. In the song's second verse, he turns his attention towards his impossible love life. "I tried to share my life with someone I could love, but gaining money is all she ever thought of," he sings.

Last month, Timbaland teased another XSCAPE track called "Slave to the Rhythm," which had a drastically different feel thanks to Timbo's striking violins and festive bells and whistles.

In addition to Jerkins and Timbaland, Mary J. Blige and D'Angelo are also expected to be part of the album, which drops on May 13.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1725756/michael-jackson-xscape-song.jhtml