March 05, 2010, (Sawf News) - One year ago today Michael Jackson announced his 'This Is It' concert run in a press conference at London's O2 arena. To mark the anniversary, Charles Thomson sat down with Jackson's long-serving guitarist Jennifer Batten, who told us what it was really like behind the scenes on a Michael Jackson tour.
Jennifer Batten... It might not ring any bells at first, but you'd probably recognize her if you saw her. She's not really a household name but she's an icon nonetheless.
Throughout the eighties and nineties she played in sold out stadiums all around the world. Her image was beamed into sitting rooms to audiences totaling several billion. Young girls everywhere wanted to be Jennifer Batten.
If you ever went to a Michael Jackson concert, watched his performances on TV or bought a ticket for Moonwalker then you'll know Jennifer Batten. She's Jackson's tall, slender, arresting guitarist, perhaps best known for her enormous mane of bright white hair.
"It was Michael's idea to have my hair turned snow white and big," Batten once said. "Often all you can see in the photos is Michael Jackson and my hair!"
Batten was Jackson's lead guitarist for a decade, accompanying the star on all three of his record-breaking world tours. At 29 years old she was plucked by the King of Pop from complete obscurity. Despite announcing to her mother at age 12 that she would become a professional guitarist, before Batten joined Jackson her touring experience was limited almost exclusively to a brief spell with an Elvis impersonator.
"We played down in American Samoa of all places," she laughs. "He had a brother that was a missionary on the island, so he set up the gig. Then we did another stint in Colorado because he had a brother there too. That was it."
Inspired by blues legends like BB King and Brownie McGee, Batten began playing guitar at the tender age of eight. As a young woman she attended the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles.
"I was the only woman with 60 guys," she says. "I didn't have a problem with it. I could go practice in the bathroom because you get the natural reverb in there and I knew I wouldn't be bothered."
Audition for Bad Tour
After the Elvis gigs she lived for several years in San Diego, playing in cover bands. But soon she grew restless so she upped sticks and moved to Los Angeles in search of success on the music scene. It wasn't long before she fell into teaching at her former school, the Musicians Institute, and it was there - on one fateful day in 1987 - that Michael Jackson's representatives called asking for musicians to attend tour auditions.
"They were auditioning about a hundred people so it was pretty intense," she recalls. "When I went, there was just a video camera, no band. The only guidance I was given was to play some funk rhythm stuff so I did that, then I finished off with the Beat It solo because I had been playing that for years in cover bands. I think ultimately that's what got me the gig."
Winning her place on Jackson's Bad Tour in 1987 changed her life, she says. "It was like a paid vacation. I had been teaching and gigging pretty much seven nights a week and all of a sudden I'm on the biggest tour in the world making ten times the money and only working two or three days a week!"
Michael Jackson and Jennifer Batten performing during the Bad Tour. Photo Credit: Sawf News
Bad Tour Rehearsal
Rehearsals began almost immediately and they were punishing; seven days a week for two solid months. For the first month the band, singers and dancers rehearsed separately. For the second they converged in a production studio, where every element of the show came together. It was here that Batten first met Michael Jackson.
"We heard that if he liked the music he'd start dancing and he did as soon as he walked through the door. We stopped and people who hadn't met him before were introduced to him. I remember seeing his manager Frank Dileo come in with the ponytail and the cigar. It was kind of surreal seeing the two of them together. I just remember Michael looked gorgeous close up. He was just beautiful.
"He was very much hands on and he was an extremely hard worker. By the end of rehearsals we were running the show a minimum of once a day, sometimes twice. I would say that's the number one thing I learned from him: the value of rehearsing that much and that intensely, because by the time we hit the stage everybody was relaxed."
Bad Tour
Opening night in Tokyo, she says, was 'very, very exciting'. "I'd never played for that many people before. On the road Michael took it up another notch. I mean, he was pretty full out at the last rehearsals anyway but that extra excitement of knowing there are people going nuts watching you... There's an extra amount of fire that you can feel onstage with everybody doing their best and trying to give 110%."
But soon after hitting the road, Batten discovered a more sinister side to working with Michael Jackson. "I was approached in the beginning by somebody who said I could make a lot of money by talking to the National Enquirer," she reveals. "I was just appalled. I thought 'that is just sick', you know? I just got this great gig. Why would I sabotage it like that? It seemed like a really evil thing to do."
Michael Jackson's Isolation
Batten grew to feel sorry for Jackson, who she says was trapped by his celebrity.
"If he wanted to go anywhere he had to alert the security and he had to really have it planned in advance. If he wanted to go to a store they would have to be called and shut it down for him. He was a prisoner of the hotel room, really."
Jackson compensated for this, she says, by treating himself and his entourage to special excursions. Sometimes he had theme parks closed to the public so that he and his team could enjoy them without being hounded.
"He did it first at the Tokyo Disneyland. That was just unbelievable. We would go on the rollercoaster rides and when we were done they would just ask us, 'Do you want to go around again?' We were very, very spoiled."
Michael Jackson and Jennifer Batten performing during the Bad Tour. Photo Credit: Sawf News
Post Bad Tour
The Bad Tour wound up in January 1989 and the group disbanded. In later years Sheryl Crow, a backing singer on the tour, would make several disparaging remarks about Jackson during interviews publicizing her own material. She said he was a diva, never bothering to learn people's names.
Batten refutes this. "I think singers in general are just nuts and ultra-sensitive. One night Michael called Sheryl 'Jennifer'," she giggles, "and I know that pissed her off. But it's like, so what? I mean, you got the biggest gig in the world and it's not like Michael was unaware of who was onstage with him. We were with him for a friggin' year and a half."
When the Bad Tour ended, Jackson retreated to the studio to begin work on the Dangerous album. Batten used this time to capitalize on the exposure that Jackson had given her, beginning work on her debut album.
Produced by Stevie Wonder alumnus Michael Sembello, 'Above, Below and Beyond' was released in 1992.
Dangerous Tour
In the same year, Batten was called back to work on Jackson's Dangerous Tour, giving her a perfect platform to market her solo work.
Despite widespread debate about his appearance and wellbeing, Batten says Jackson seemed like 'the same Michael', if slightly more fatigued.
"I noticed that he was busier and I remember that one time he came to rehearsals and just apologized for not having been there the last few days. He said, 'I was just showered with meetings' and he just repeated it with emotion, 'meeting after meeting after meeting'."
Jackson's heavy schedule dictated that he was 'limited in his rehearsal time', meaning that much of the set list was simply carried over from the Bad Tour. This was 'kind of disappointing' says Batten, because 'we all wanted to play the new stuff'. One of the few new tracks - Remember The Time - was cut from the show after a wardrobe malfunction.
"They had Egyptian costumes and the male dancers had these skirt kind of things. The first time we did it one of the dancers' costumes fell off," she cackles. "That was a little disturbing to Michael."
Michael Jackson and Jennifer Batten performing during the Dangerous Tour. Photo Credit: Sawf News
The wardrobe malfunctions weren't limited to rehearsals, either. On tour Batten would appear every night wearing an enormous fibre-optic headdress. "At the end of Beat It everybody would run out on the stage," she remembers. "Invariably, I would be running at full force and somebody would step on my fibre-optic cable - it would pretty much knock my head off. That was kind of a drag."
At the end of each show, Jackson would exit the stage on a jet pack, floating over the audience's heads.
"He wanted to come out with the biggest show on earth," says Batten. "He wanted it to be like Christmas for people. His imagination was like a creative tornado. He would come up with his wildest dreams and then hire people to carry it out. It was really amazing to be a part of that."
Super Bowl performance
In January 1993 Batten accompanied Jackson for his legendary Super Bowl performance, which was watched by 1.5 billion people.
"I'll tell you, it was the only time I ever saw Michael nervous. It's live and there's only the time of a couple of potato chip commercials to get the stage out into the field. There's one scene where I'm on the corner of the stage with Michael and there's so much fog coming out that we both get lost for a second, but that's the beauty of live gigs. You never know what's going to happen. That was one of my favorite times because it was a one-off special thing that will never be repeated."
Michael Jackson and Jennifer Batten performing during the 1993 Super Bowl performance. Photo Credit: Sawf News
Child Molestation Allegations
After the Super Bowl there was a long break before the second leg of the Dangerous Tour. Batten got antsy and left to pursue personal projects. It was during the second leg that allegations of child abuse were leveled at Jackson.
"I figured it was an extortion case, which I still figure it is," she says matter-of-factly. "Everybody was concerned about him. I think it pains all of us that he was so attacked and so unfairly. Most artists are sensitive and he was talented times ten, so ultra sensitive, and to be slung that kind of stuff... I mean, you can hear it in his lyrics. It's a real drag because you wonder what kind of music he would have come up with if people weren't attacking him like that."
The media, says Batten, has a lot to answer for over its coverage of the 1993 allegations.
"Honestly, I think it would have been considered uncool amongst the press to take Michael's side. I think it would take a brave soul to do that, which is really sad. Really pathetic. Even at the 2005 trial... I know people who were inside the courtroom and then they would watch the news at night and it was complete lies."
HIStory Tour
The case was settled in January 1994 and Jackson began work on his HIStory album. In 1996 Batten was brought back onboard for the accompanying HIStory Tour, although she recalls that it was 'very last minute':
"I got hired a week before I was supposed to start rehearsals, which was a real scramble. It was just nuts. I had to cancel some work."
The tour brought with it more costume problems for Batten, who describes her black latex get-up as 'just dreadful'.
"That mask I had to wear was just ugh... ghastly. Somebody had shown Michael an art book that was kind of S&M based and all the paintings looked really beautiful. So he had that in mind but when it came to real life it wasn't too beautiful anymore," she laughs. "I just had to remind myself that it was all about the theatre, you know? It's not just about the music."
Indeed, the tour provoked criticism from some fans who said that there was too much emphasis on theatre and not enough on the music, with much of each concert appearing to be lip-synched.
Fans' explanations have ranged from nodules to laryngitis, but while she won't be drawn on the subject of miming, Batten says she never heard anything about Jackson suffering from any throat problems.
"In fact," she adds, "every night he'd be warming up with his vocal coach. You could hear him doing arpeggios from his dressing room."
Michael Jackson and Jennifer Batten performing during the HIStory tour. Photo Credit: Sawf News
Michael's on stage appearances with children
Batten says that initially she was alarmed by Jackson's decision to end each concert flanked on either side by young children.
"At the end of the show he would disappear down an elevator in the stage with a little boy and a little girl. At first I thought, 'God, because of the allegations you'd think he wouldn't do that'. But then I thought, 'You know what, he hasn't done anything wrong so why the hell should he change his life?' I think that was a little bit of giving a finger to his critics."
The HIStory Tour lasted into the Summer of 1997 and would mark the end of the pair's working relationship, but Batten says she never felt disappointed that he didn't bring her back.
"I would just go off and work on my own career. If he calls, great, and if he doesn't, great. It's been a great ride with him anyway."
Michael Jackson and Jennifer Batten performing during the HIStory tour. Photo Credit: Sawf News
Michael's Death
Batten says she was out driving on June 25, 2009 when an acquaintance called to tell her about rumors of Jackson's death.
"I didn't really believe it when he told me because I had heard so many rumors about Michael over the years, false alarms about everything. I thought, 'Yea, right'. I saw it was true when I got home and I had mixed feelings. I was sad but in a way I thought power to him for going to the other side, because of all the torture that had come at him. I just can't imagine living with that."
In the weeks after Jackson's death Batten says she was unable to watch the media coverage, knowing how much of it was false.
"They were respectful for about two or three hours and then they turned it into a tabloid festival," she laments.
"I just couldn't watch it. There were a lot of specials on about him and once in a while I would turn one on and it was just sh*t. I guess it makes money to just bring up negativity and stir up controversy but it's pathetic and I just can't watch it. It's all about money now, not about truth. People can be very cold."
This Is It movie
But unlike some of Jackson's friends, Batten says she was able to bring herself to watch This Is It, even if she did have mixed feelings about it.
"I hadn't seen any video of him for years and just to see his talent, even when he wasn't going full out, the way he sang Human Nature was just chilling. The way his body moves - there was just no other dancer in the world that was like that. So I enjoyed it."
But thanks to a close friendship with Jackson's make-up artist Karen Faye, who worked with the star during his This Is It rehearsals, Batten says she's able to see the other side of the coin. Since Jackson's death Faye has written on her facebook page that Jackson was frail, cold to the touch and losing weight rapidly.
"She was closer to Michael than anyone," says Batten, "She warned people that he was not well but everybody ignored her. You didn't see it on the screen because they took every day that he rehearsed and pieced together the best bits. You didn't see him when he was struggling up a ramp because he didn't have any energy and he hadn't eaten for two days. They're not going to put that in the film. I mean, one of the songs he was wearing four different costumes. That just tells me that he never sang the song fully through."
Nowadays Batten is focusing on her own career. As well as writing new music ("I'm getting into acoustic stuff, which I haven't done since I was 14") she has spent much of 2010 touring the world with her pioneering one-woman multimedia show. Last month she performed all over the UK and she's currently on the road in Japan.
Michael Jackson and Jennifer Batten. Photo Credit: Sawf News
Batten post Michael Jackson
"I've been doing a multimedia tour for a couple of years now where all of my tracks are cut to film," she explains. "I thought about what it would take to get a band together and the expense involved. I thought, 'Well, there's got to be a way I can do this myself'. So I came up with the idea of film. If people want to just watch my fingers then fine but it's not all that entertaining for 90 minutes.
"I had four filmmakers contribute films and that's it. One of them showed me how to do it myself and now most of the films are ones that I've made. So I've been really obsessed with that part of it as well."
When she's not overseas Batten has taken to exploring territory closer to home. "I bought a motor home so I can travel around America doing my show," she says. "I've got 40,000 miles on it already and it's kind of cool to see my own country for a change.
"I'm just taking things into my own hands and not waiting for the phone to ring. I'm having a ball!"
http://www.sawfnews.com/Entertainment/62954.aspx
mercoledì 10 marzo 2010
Michael Jackson had girlfriends, wanted a normal life, bodyguards claim
Michael Jackson's bodyguards in the last years of his life describe the pop icon as a prisoner of fame who enjoyed going through the fast-food drive-through and just wanted to go to a bar and order a beer like anyone else, according to ABC's Ashley Banfield, who spent three days with the men. (The men were not paid for the interview, Banfield makes sure to say, but they are angling for a book contract.)
The men say that Jackson, acquitted in 2005 of molestation, was not a pedophile -- "Being a father myself and being a man, men know men," guard Bill Whitfield says. "He had desires for women" -- and that, in fact, he dated at least two women, making out with them behind a curtain in the backseat of his car. Well, either that, Whitfield says, "or chewing loud gum."
They described Jackson's three children, Prince, Paris and Blanket as smart and exceedingly well-mannered, and says Jackson hid the "Wacko Jacko" headlines from them as best he could. When Banfield asks whether Jackson considered his own behavior "weird," Whitfield says, "Different. I'd use the world different. Weird, no."
http://www.nj.com/entertainment/celebrities/index.ssf/2010/03/michael_jackson_had_girlfriend.html
The men say that Jackson, acquitted in 2005 of molestation, was not a pedophile -- "Being a father myself and being a man, men know men," guard Bill Whitfield says. "He had desires for women" -- and that, in fact, he dated at least two women, making out with them behind a curtain in the backseat of his car. Well, either that, Whitfield says, "or chewing loud gum."
They described Jackson's three children, Prince, Paris and Blanket as smart and exceedingly well-mannered, and says Jackson hid the "Wacko Jacko" headlines from them as best he could. When Banfield asks whether Jackson considered his own behavior "weird," Whitfield says, "Different. I'd use the world different. Weird, no."
http://www.nj.com/entertainment/celebrities/index.ssf/2010/03/michael_jackson_had_girlfriend.html
Michael Jackson’s Bodyguards: Singer Had Girlfriends, Was An ‘Awesome’ Dad
LOS ANGELES, Calif. --
Three of Michael Jackson’s former bodyguards are speaking out about the late pop star’s private life and revealing details about his girlfriends and what kind of father he was.
Mike Garcia, Bill Whitfield and Javon “BJ” Beard appeared on “Good Morning America” on Tuesday and called Jackson – who died on June 25 – an “awesome” dad.
“The kids were constantly saying, ‘I love you, Daddy…They were like four buddies,” Garcia said, explaining that one of the activities that Jackson loved to do was take his three kids – Prince Michael, Paris and Blanket – to fast food drive-throughs. The guards said the singer would often get a kick out of ordering himself.
Whitfield described Jackson’s three children as “polite” and “well mannered”
Beard noted that Jackson and his kids were very isolated, explaining that at the kids’ birthday parties, no other children were present and only Jackson, the nanny, the teacher and the bodyguards would attend.
Beard described some of the isolated moments of Jackon’s life as “sad.”
The three men were asked if they believed Jackson was as pedophile, to which all three said, “No.”
“Being a man…men know men…and we [were] around him long enough to know…he was a man,” Whitfield said.
Garcia said the singer had “desires of women like we do. He had lovers.”
According to the guards, Jackson had two girlfriends from 2007 to 2009 and they often witnessed the pop star being romantic with them.
“In the cars that we had, we had a curtain that covered the back seat…you couldn’t see in the back seat. They talked back there…they didn’t do nothing out of bounds…you can hear the kissing,” Whitfield explained.
http://www.accesshollywood.com/_article_29929
Three of Michael Jackson’s former bodyguards are speaking out about the late pop star’s private life and revealing details about his girlfriends and what kind of father he was.
Mike Garcia, Bill Whitfield and Javon “BJ” Beard appeared on “Good Morning America” on Tuesday and called Jackson – who died on June 25 – an “awesome” dad.
“The kids were constantly saying, ‘I love you, Daddy…They were like four buddies,” Garcia said, explaining that one of the activities that Jackson loved to do was take his three kids – Prince Michael, Paris and Blanket – to fast food drive-throughs. The guards said the singer would often get a kick out of ordering himself.
Whitfield described Jackson’s three children as “polite” and “well mannered”
Beard noted that Jackson and his kids were very isolated, explaining that at the kids’ birthday parties, no other children were present and only Jackson, the nanny, the teacher and the bodyguards would attend.
Beard described some of the isolated moments of Jackon’s life as “sad.”
The three men were asked if they believed Jackson was as pedophile, to which all three said, “No.”
“Being a man…men know men…and we [were] around him long enough to know…he was a man,” Whitfield said.
Garcia said the singer had “desires of women like we do. He had lovers.”
According to the guards, Jackson had two girlfriends from 2007 to 2009 and they often witnessed the pop star being romantic with them.
“In the cars that we had, we had a curtain that covered the back seat…you couldn’t see in the back seat. They talked back there…they didn’t do nothing out of bounds…you can hear the kissing,” Whitfield explained.
http://www.accesshollywood.com/_article_29929
A Message from one of Michael's techs on TII..
"Hi,
My name is jhon. I will spare a second name as i do not want any lawsuits brought against me by AEG or any company affiliated with them.
I worked as part of the technical team on Michaels This is it production.
Firstly let me just say, Michael was a good man, i bare him no ill will or malice, but the reason for this posting is for a few simple reasons--I am publicly not permitted to talk about any aspect of the this is it production. Everyone who worked on that has been told not to give any kind of public statement, only officials or people who are granted permission by AEG are allowed to discuss publicly about the production. People who are allowed are the obvious ones, such as directors(Kenny etc.) Dancers, a few people from production(set, costume designers), musical director etc, the dancers etc...
Understand this...everything that is being said by these people has been vetted and checked. They are told which details to reveal.
MY main anger and point of this article is 3 main things, that i witnessed but did not see in the dvd movie(that my nephew purchased)
1. Many of the vocals used in this is it movie are not the vocals i heard. Please hear me out.
I heard Michael sing ALL of his songs without playback, in the rehearsals we NEVER USE PLAYBACK. When i was younger and starting out i got a job on Michaels earlier tour in 1991. I worked as a junior in productions, and i witnessed 2 rehearsal sessions.--there was no playback, even though when he had taken the show out of rehearsals and onto the road there was a playback. I am sure you can find rehearsals from an earlier tour on the INTERNET--just look into it-he never uses playback on rehearsals-it is pointless because there is no audience .
Basically from my experience with Michael, he never uses playback in rehearsals.--it is a waste, as there is no audience.
I am unhappy that Kenny did not show Michaels real voice on a few songs.
2. My second problem is that some performances from Michael has been left out. He turned up for around 3 rehearsals a week, out of a 6 day week. And in the end had done around 4 full rehearsals before june 25th.
How it worked was like this---Michael spent time learning the moves with his choreographer, and would come in and rehearse with the dancers on average 1-2 times a week, the 3rd day when he was at rehersals he looked into productions and had costume fittings etc.. When Michael was absent there would be a double, just to step in(so the dancers could rehearse). I blatantly saw this double in the movie, in the Smooth criminal performance. You see, that background(with the towers and building)was fully completed after his death. Any footage of him in-front of those building in smooth criminal is not him, HOWEVER IT IS MICHAEL WHEN THE BACKGROUND IS WHITE. That particular scene was confusing, as they mixed the 2 footages together-the footage of the buildings is used with a Michael step in( a double), and when he is in-front of a white screen that is him.-confusing but watch that scene again and you will know what i mean.--it is him when he says POW and he is in front of a WHITE screen, BUT IT IS THE DOUBLE WHEN HE IS IN-FRONT OF A 3D BACKGROUND OF BUILDINGS.
Other performances that, after researching it, has been denied. MICHAEL did perform dirty Diana--it was a masterpiece.---granted Michael did not sound all that good, it was only rehearsal.--he did it twice. The set up was excellent.---why AEG are denying it had taken place i do not know.
We are the world was also performed, and heal the world and a few others.
iNFACT IF YOU LOOK HARD ENOUGH ON THE INTERNET YOU WILL FIND FANS THAT HAVE RECORDED HIM PERFORMING DIRTY DIANA(ON THERE PHONES OUTSIDE STAPLE CENTRE), BUT KENNY HAS DENIED THAT HE PERFORMED IT.
I just wanted to let you guys, the real fans, that there is the real footage out there somewhere and one day you will hopefully get to see it.
3. MY third problem with the movie is it did not address the health concerns that we all saw. Not the thinness, Michael, if my memory serves me well has always been thin-this was not a problem. The problems that i saw, was basically Michael had some problem with his feet. After his rehearsal with the dancers, he would usually be in a great deal of pain, from his feet. I don't know if any one can shed some light on this, but someone on set said his skin on his feel tears easily and has become very sensitive-after years of putting them to use i guessed-this is why Michaels dancers were going to do a large number of the heavy routines, with Michael only participating in a few dance routines(such as beat it the way you make me feel), the rest of the time he would be just walking around stage, filling the room with his presence
He was also in great pain from his back. Although this is not in the movie, but on days that Michael was not there randy, don't know his second name but from my understanding at the time, he was the man who was funding this elaborate show, randy was always talking to Kenny about Michaels and his worries about him not completing 50. Randy and Kenny were talking a lot, and made alot of plans in-case his health fails, Randy also hired a doctor for Michael.
Kenny, as instructed by Randy, always made sure the camera's were rolling on the days mj turned up for rehearsals, although he denies this, but these film footages were made as a guarantee, that if something happened he would have something get his investment back on. I don't know if you fans know this, or whether it is common knowledge or not, but Kenny and Randy are cousins(i think distant)
In fact we were all told that if we saw Michael and his entourage we were to send word to Kenny immediately so as he could instruct the camera men to film.
Well i have said my peace...
http://www.michaeljackson.com/us/node/645790
My name is jhon. I will spare a second name as i do not want any lawsuits brought against me by AEG or any company affiliated with them.
I worked as part of the technical team on Michaels This is it production.
Firstly let me just say, Michael was a good man, i bare him no ill will or malice, but the reason for this posting is for a few simple reasons--I am publicly not permitted to talk about any aspect of the this is it production. Everyone who worked on that has been told not to give any kind of public statement, only officials or people who are granted permission by AEG are allowed to discuss publicly about the production. People who are allowed are the obvious ones, such as directors(Kenny etc.) Dancers, a few people from production(set, costume designers), musical director etc, the dancers etc...
Understand this...everything that is being said by these people has been vetted and checked. They are told which details to reveal.
MY main anger and point of this article is 3 main things, that i witnessed but did not see in the dvd movie(that my nephew purchased)
1. Many of the vocals used in this is it movie are not the vocals i heard. Please hear me out.
I heard Michael sing ALL of his songs without playback, in the rehearsals we NEVER USE PLAYBACK. When i was younger and starting out i got a job on Michaels earlier tour in 1991. I worked as a junior in productions, and i witnessed 2 rehearsal sessions.--there was no playback, even though when he had taken the show out of rehearsals and onto the road there was a playback. I am sure you can find rehearsals from an earlier tour on the INTERNET--just look into it-he never uses playback on rehearsals-it is pointless because there is no audience .
Basically from my experience with Michael, he never uses playback in rehearsals.--it is a waste, as there is no audience.
I am unhappy that Kenny did not show Michaels real voice on a few songs.
2. My second problem is that some performances from Michael has been left out. He turned up for around 3 rehearsals a week, out of a 6 day week. And in the end had done around 4 full rehearsals before june 25th.
How it worked was like this---Michael spent time learning the moves with his choreographer, and would come in and rehearse with the dancers on average 1-2 times a week, the 3rd day when he was at rehersals he looked into productions and had costume fittings etc.. When Michael was absent there would be a double, just to step in(so the dancers could rehearse). I blatantly saw this double in the movie, in the Smooth criminal performance. You see, that background(with the towers and building)was fully completed after his death. Any footage of him in-front of those building in smooth criminal is not him, HOWEVER IT IS MICHAEL WHEN THE BACKGROUND IS WHITE. That particular scene was confusing, as they mixed the 2 footages together-the footage of the buildings is used with a Michael step in( a double), and when he is in-front of a white screen that is him.-confusing but watch that scene again and you will know what i mean.--it is him when he says POW and he is in front of a WHITE screen, BUT IT IS THE DOUBLE WHEN HE IS IN-FRONT OF A 3D BACKGROUND OF BUILDINGS.
Other performances that, after researching it, has been denied. MICHAEL did perform dirty Diana--it was a masterpiece.---granted Michael did not sound all that good, it was only rehearsal.--he did it twice. The set up was excellent.---why AEG are denying it had taken place i do not know.
We are the world was also performed, and heal the world and a few others.
iNFACT IF YOU LOOK HARD ENOUGH ON THE INTERNET YOU WILL FIND FANS THAT HAVE RECORDED HIM PERFORMING DIRTY DIANA(ON THERE PHONES OUTSIDE STAPLE CENTRE), BUT KENNY HAS DENIED THAT HE PERFORMED IT.
I just wanted to let you guys, the real fans, that there is the real footage out there somewhere and one day you will hopefully get to see it.
3. MY third problem with the movie is it did not address the health concerns that we all saw. Not the thinness, Michael, if my memory serves me well has always been thin-this was not a problem. The problems that i saw, was basically Michael had some problem with his feet. After his rehearsal with the dancers, he would usually be in a great deal of pain, from his feet. I don't know if any one can shed some light on this, but someone on set said his skin on his feel tears easily and has become very sensitive-after years of putting them to use i guessed-this is why Michaels dancers were going to do a large number of the heavy routines, with Michael only participating in a few dance routines(such as beat it the way you make me feel), the rest of the time he would be just walking around stage, filling the room with his presence
He was also in great pain from his back. Although this is not in the movie, but on days that Michael was not there randy, don't know his second name but from my understanding at the time, he was the man who was funding this elaborate show, randy was always talking to Kenny about Michaels and his worries about him not completing 50. Randy and Kenny were talking a lot, and made alot of plans in-case his health fails, Randy also hired a doctor for Michael.
Kenny, as instructed by Randy, always made sure the camera's were rolling on the days mj turned up for rehearsals, although he denies this, but these film footages were made as a guarantee, that if something happened he would have something get his investment back on. I don't know if you fans know this, or whether it is common knowledge or not, but Kenny and Randy are cousins(i think distant)
In fact we were all told that if we saw Michael and his entourage we were to send word to Kenny immediately so as he could instruct the camera men to film.
Well i have said my peace...
http://www.michaeljackson.com/us/node/645790
The Real "This Is It"
martedì, novembre 03, 2009
Read this, you all- The REAL This is It
The Real "This Is It"
My Conversation With Someone Who Was There
Yesterday I had the amazing chance to speak to someone who worked on This Is It. This person has worked with Michael in the past, I've seen him before on TV close to Michael, and I also saw him in the movie and his name appears at the end. He is here in Miami on vacation with family and a good friend of mine knows him. I begged him to let me meet him and he was the sweetest person, and he loved Michael.
He gave me the ok to share with you what he told me, however with the condition that I would name provide his name. He is under contract with AEG/Sony and is only allowed to officially talk good about the movie and the concert. As he told me "hey, I also gotta pay my bills, so I have to do what they say."
However, at the same time he told me to "share with fans what I said, because it is important that some things are known."
He has great respect and admiration for Michael and has known him for over 20 years.
Here's the most important things he told me:
- Michael has always been a very sweet, humble person, since the first time they met 20 years ago, however he noticed that during these rehearsals, he looked even more humble than usual, to the point that he actually felt Michael was incredibly insecure this time around, he saw him very vulnerable and everyone automatically tried to make him feel ok, everyone wanted to bring the spark in him that old Michael Jackson had. According to this person a combination of the 2005 trial and the long absence from the spotlight made Michael feel very insecure.
-Michael did not get along at all with Randy Phillips. Everyone knew it, even Phillips knew it. Phillips had a very arrogant way of dealing with Michael, he was terrified that Michael would not get ready for the shows and AEG would lose a lot of money. According to this person, Phillips made it clear to several people that these concerts had to happen, no matter what, because he "had to personally convince everyone at AEG that this was a good deal" therefore his job was at risk if anything went wrong. On many occasions Phillips would go to Michael's house with Ortega and Travis Payne whenever Michael would not show up. At times they would come back with him, at times no. The official explanations to the crew was "Michael is not feeling well today," "Michael rehearsed at home" or "Michael is rehearsing with his vocal coach."
At first the crew believed it, but after a few weeks everyone started realizing something was up because even though Ortega and Payne would say everything was fine, it was obvious that they were very frustrated and nervous, and there were several heated discussions between Ortega, Phillips and Payne, but what exactly was being discussed was not clear since they always ade sure they would be far enough for anyone to hear. During these conversations one of them would always be on a cellphone, and then the would pass it aroud to themselves. This person believes they were talking to Michael.
-Michael, and this is shown in the movie, did not want to wear the ear monitors. As this person told me, "look at any footage from Michael in concerts in the past, and you will never find him wearing ear monitors, he did not like them, did not need them." According to him, Ortega got upset at one time at Michael, and in front of everyone told him "you have to understand that here you do not have an option, you have to wear them, this is going to be a closed arena, not an open stadium, and the sound is different." He said his tone was very nasty and everyone was shocked, especially since Michael looked very upset, but mostly hurt, by it.
Interestingly, yesterday Karen Faye wrote on her facebook that Michael always complained to her that he did not like ear monitors, and asked her to tell Ortega. According to her, she did and Ortega told her "well, he has to wear them!"
-This is very interesting. According to this person, there was absolutely no way the concert was going to be ready for opening night on July 13th, and everyone kenw it. He asked me the following "when you saw the movie, you do realize right that they had to show the best scenes, the best performances, right ?" I said "yes, of course" to which he replied "so do you realize that what you have seen, most of it came from June 24th, 23rd and 22nd ? Based on what you saw, did it feel as if everything was going to be ready in 2 weeks ?" He said that Michael did not have his clothes ready, and that there was "pathetic" @#$%$ing around from different stylists that were trying to come up with ideas. But nothing was ready, no clothes, not even for the dancers. Michael wanted Michael Bush, but Travis Payne brought in that Zaldy guy, and AEG was behind Zaldy, rather than Michael Bush.
The opening number for the concert was only done on the computer, just like we saw in the movie. It was never rehearsed, and the robot that Michael would have come out from was not ever ready. Also the closing of the show was just a concept.
He also confirmed that they never had a full rehearsal. In other words, they never practiced the whole concert, it would always be a few songs on several days, but it was never put all together, therefore they were also very concerned that once everything was gonna put together, it would take much longer that the 2 hours originally planned. This was going to be a huge problem for AEG and the O2 arena, because of an agreement they had with time. Also, Michael did not want to have long shows, for obvious reasons.
Also, they never rehearsed with implementing the videos for Smooth, Thriller and Earth as we saw in the movie, those were edited in the movie, but they never rehearsed using them, and it was still unclear how they would be used with the songs, especially Smooth Criminal.
-For the most part, Michael looked well, however this person did unfortunately confirm to me that there were days that something was "wrong" and everybody knew it. He worked with Michael in the past and Michael never wore sunglasses while rehearsing the dark like that, especially since Michael in the past would always want to see how the lights looked and for that reason did not like using shades. But he said "don't expect them to talk about it on tv of course, same with me, I won't and I can't." He said that at first everybody thought Michael was just eccentric and stuff, especially the dancers, they were just excited to see him, but he said for those who knew him for many years, including him, started realizing alarming signs.
However, he said, this just shows how vulnerable Michael was and he does not like how people associate this behavior with something negative. He said "he went through so much poor thing, I perfectly understand why this was happening." Oh and btw, he said that some of the crew members started checking TMZ with their IPHONES to find out whether or not Michael had seen Dr. Klein during the day. It would usually warn them on what to expect when he showed up.
-Michael had fun when performing, it appeared as if it was what he needed, however off stage Michael did no look happy, he rarely interacted with the crew, other than Karen Faye and at times with Michael Bush. According to this person, Michael stayed as far as he could from Ortega, Payne and Phillips off stage, because he always felt he was being chased by them to do more, perform more and give more. He said that the crew in general felt Ortega was being too demanding, especially when it was obvious nothing was ready on time. But they mostly felt Ortega was being pressured by Phillips, and that it was Phillips who was just going crazy because was in a position of losing everything with these shows.
-The day after the news came out that some fans claimed Michael told them he did not want to do 50 concerts, everyone was instructed not to talk to anybody from the media, not to let in anyone who was not authorized to attend rehearsals, especially fans. When Michael came in that day, the atmosphere was tense and he did not look happy at all. Before working that day, Phillips and Ortega met with Michael and, interestingly, with his bodyguards. They spoke for about 20 minutes, but once again this person could not hear what was being said. However everyone had the feeling Michael indeed did not want to do 50 shows and believed Michael did talk to those fans.
This is pretty much it. This guy said that it is a shame that Michael died while being extremely stressed out. He said that a lot of pressure was put on Michael, but the truth is that the concerts were not going to be ready not because of him, but because the there was simply not enough time to accomplish all they had planned. He said he is sure Michael would have been 100% ready by July 13th, because "he did those songs hundreds of times before during his career, he knew exactly what to do" but everything else around was not ready.
He also says he personally felt Michael sometimes did not show up because he knew things were moving slowly and sort of felt disappointed. He was a perfectionist, and when things were obviously not going in the right direction, he would get frustrated and sort of lose interest, instead of becoming upset at someone. Yet they made him believe it was him, that things were moving slowly because of him. But this person told me that Michael had nothing to do with all the technical stuff, like lighting, fireworks etc, therefore it was not his fault, but he was the easy target.
According to him, if the concerts were not going to be ready, it would have been easier for AEG to blame it on Michael, than blame themselves and their lack of timing skills.
Once again, do not ask me for his name, I will never tell, not even via PM. He was brutally honest with me and I will honor his request.
A lot of things make sense now, especially the concerts not being ready based on what we saw in the movie. No way in two weeks they were going to be ready. Also, he said, don't forget that a lot of days would have been lost during the move to London and setting up the stage there and get adjusted to the arena.
This is very sad, especially to think that Michael was somehow made feel responsible for this.
Source : Mrfuture@Kop Board
Read this, you all- The REAL This is It
The Real "This Is It"
My Conversation With Someone Who Was There
Yesterday I had the amazing chance to speak to someone who worked on This Is It. This person has worked with Michael in the past, I've seen him before on TV close to Michael, and I also saw him in the movie and his name appears at the end. He is here in Miami on vacation with family and a good friend of mine knows him. I begged him to let me meet him and he was the sweetest person, and he loved Michael.
He gave me the ok to share with you what he told me, however with the condition that I would name provide his name. He is under contract with AEG/Sony and is only allowed to officially talk good about the movie and the concert. As he told me "hey, I also gotta pay my bills, so I have to do what they say."
However, at the same time he told me to "share with fans what I said, because it is important that some things are known."
He has great respect and admiration for Michael and has known him for over 20 years.
Here's the most important things he told me:
- Michael has always been a very sweet, humble person, since the first time they met 20 years ago, however he noticed that during these rehearsals, he looked even more humble than usual, to the point that he actually felt Michael was incredibly insecure this time around, he saw him very vulnerable and everyone automatically tried to make him feel ok, everyone wanted to bring the spark in him that old Michael Jackson had. According to this person a combination of the 2005 trial and the long absence from the spotlight made Michael feel very insecure.
-Michael did not get along at all with Randy Phillips. Everyone knew it, even Phillips knew it. Phillips had a very arrogant way of dealing with Michael, he was terrified that Michael would not get ready for the shows and AEG would lose a lot of money. According to this person, Phillips made it clear to several people that these concerts had to happen, no matter what, because he "had to personally convince everyone at AEG that this was a good deal" therefore his job was at risk if anything went wrong. On many occasions Phillips would go to Michael's house with Ortega and Travis Payne whenever Michael would not show up. At times they would come back with him, at times no. The official explanations to the crew was "Michael is not feeling well today," "Michael rehearsed at home" or "Michael is rehearsing with his vocal coach."
At first the crew believed it, but after a few weeks everyone started realizing something was up because even though Ortega and Payne would say everything was fine, it was obvious that they were very frustrated and nervous, and there were several heated discussions between Ortega, Phillips and Payne, but what exactly was being discussed was not clear since they always ade sure they would be far enough for anyone to hear. During these conversations one of them would always be on a cellphone, and then the would pass it aroud to themselves. This person believes they were talking to Michael.
-Michael, and this is shown in the movie, did not want to wear the ear monitors. As this person told me, "look at any footage from Michael in concerts in the past, and you will never find him wearing ear monitors, he did not like them, did not need them." According to him, Ortega got upset at one time at Michael, and in front of everyone told him "you have to understand that here you do not have an option, you have to wear them, this is going to be a closed arena, not an open stadium, and the sound is different." He said his tone was very nasty and everyone was shocked, especially since Michael looked very upset, but mostly hurt, by it.
Interestingly, yesterday Karen Faye wrote on her facebook that Michael always complained to her that he did not like ear monitors, and asked her to tell Ortega. According to her, she did and Ortega told her "well, he has to wear them!"
-This is very interesting. According to this person, there was absolutely no way the concert was going to be ready for opening night on July 13th, and everyone kenw it. He asked me the following "when you saw the movie, you do realize right that they had to show the best scenes, the best performances, right ?" I said "yes, of course" to which he replied "so do you realize that what you have seen, most of it came from June 24th, 23rd and 22nd ? Based on what you saw, did it feel as if everything was going to be ready in 2 weeks ?" He said that Michael did not have his clothes ready, and that there was "pathetic" @#$%$ing around from different stylists that were trying to come up with ideas. But nothing was ready, no clothes, not even for the dancers. Michael wanted Michael Bush, but Travis Payne brought in that Zaldy guy, and AEG was behind Zaldy, rather than Michael Bush.
The opening number for the concert was only done on the computer, just like we saw in the movie. It was never rehearsed, and the robot that Michael would have come out from was not ever ready. Also the closing of the show was just a concept.
He also confirmed that they never had a full rehearsal. In other words, they never practiced the whole concert, it would always be a few songs on several days, but it was never put all together, therefore they were also very concerned that once everything was gonna put together, it would take much longer that the 2 hours originally planned. This was going to be a huge problem for AEG and the O2 arena, because of an agreement they had with time. Also, Michael did not want to have long shows, for obvious reasons.
Also, they never rehearsed with implementing the videos for Smooth, Thriller and Earth as we saw in the movie, those were edited in the movie, but they never rehearsed using them, and it was still unclear how they would be used with the songs, especially Smooth Criminal.
-For the most part, Michael looked well, however this person did unfortunately confirm to me that there were days that something was "wrong" and everybody knew it. He worked with Michael in the past and Michael never wore sunglasses while rehearsing the dark like that, especially since Michael in the past would always want to see how the lights looked and for that reason did not like using shades. But he said "don't expect them to talk about it on tv of course, same with me, I won't and I can't." He said that at first everybody thought Michael was just eccentric and stuff, especially the dancers, they were just excited to see him, but he said for those who knew him for many years, including him, started realizing alarming signs.
However, he said, this just shows how vulnerable Michael was and he does not like how people associate this behavior with something negative. He said "he went through so much poor thing, I perfectly understand why this was happening." Oh and btw, he said that some of the crew members started checking TMZ with their IPHONES to find out whether or not Michael had seen Dr. Klein during the day. It would usually warn them on what to expect when he showed up.
-Michael had fun when performing, it appeared as if it was what he needed, however off stage Michael did no look happy, he rarely interacted with the crew, other than Karen Faye and at times with Michael Bush. According to this person, Michael stayed as far as he could from Ortega, Payne and Phillips off stage, because he always felt he was being chased by them to do more, perform more and give more. He said that the crew in general felt Ortega was being too demanding, especially when it was obvious nothing was ready on time. But they mostly felt Ortega was being pressured by Phillips, and that it was Phillips who was just going crazy because was in a position of losing everything with these shows.
-The day after the news came out that some fans claimed Michael told them he did not want to do 50 concerts, everyone was instructed not to talk to anybody from the media, not to let in anyone who was not authorized to attend rehearsals, especially fans. When Michael came in that day, the atmosphere was tense and he did not look happy at all. Before working that day, Phillips and Ortega met with Michael and, interestingly, with his bodyguards. They spoke for about 20 minutes, but once again this person could not hear what was being said. However everyone had the feeling Michael indeed did not want to do 50 shows and believed Michael did talk to those fans.
This is pretty much it. This guy said that it is a shame that Michael died while being extremely stressed out. He said that a lot of pressure was put on Michael, but the truth is that the concerts were not going to be ready not because of him, but because the there was simply not enough time to accomplish all they had planned. He said he is sure Michael would have been 100% ready by July 13th, because "he did those songs hundreds of times before during his career, he knew exactly what to do" but everything else around was not ready.
He also says he personally felt Michael sometimes did not show up because he knew things were moving slowly and sort of felt disappointed. He was a perfectionist, and when things were obviously not going in the right direction, he would get frustrated and sort of lose interest, instead of becoming upset at someone. Yet they made him believe it was him, that things were moving slowly because of him. But this person told me that Michael had nothing to do with all the technical stuff, like lighting, fireworks etc, therefore it was not his fault, but he was the easy target.
According to him, if the concerts were not going to be ready, it would have been easier for AEG to blame it on Michael, than blame themselves and their lack of timing skills.
Once again, do not ask me for his name, I will never tell, not even via PM. He was brutally honest with me and I will honor his request.
A lot of things make sense now, especially the concerts not being ready based on what we saw in the movie. No way in two weeks they were going to be ready. Also, he said, don't forget that a lot of days would have been lost during the move to London and setting up the stage there and get adjusted to the arena.
This is very sad, especially to think that Michael was somehow made feel responsible for this.
Source : Mrfuture@Kop Board
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