Wednesday, July 30, 2014

The Michael Jackson Estate Addresses The Sale of Neverland

You will soon be reading news reports stating that Colony Capital has decided to sell Neverland. As the property manager, they have the right to do this. The Estate has issued the following statement in response to a media request for comment:



Message from The Estate of Michael Jackson.

We are saddened at the prospect of the sale of Neverland which, under the agreement negotiated during Michael's lifetime, Colony has the right to sell. The Estate will maintain Michael's family home in Encino, including its iconic recording studio there. We continue to build upon Michael's legacy as an artistic genius and humanitarian through his music and new projects such as the Michael Jackson ONE show in Las Vegas.

We hope and trust that any new owners of Neverland will respect the historical importance and special nature of this wonderful property. Michael's memory lives on in the hearts of his fans worldwide.

It is also important to the Estate that Michael's fans understand that although the Estate has no right to stop or obstruct the sale, The Estate did explore a number of potential options for Neverland with Colony but zoning, financial and land use restrictions limited the alternatives and ultimately Colony made the decision to sell.


MJOnline
The Official Online Team of The Michael Jackson Estate™

Friday, July 25, 2014

Audien remixes Michael Jackson's 'Slave to the Rhythm'



Audien, a 22-year-old EDM producer and DJ from Mystic, Conn., has already met a host of famous people, including Armin Van Buuren, Tiesto, Nicky Romero and Hardwell. "They're all my friends," he says.

But this year, he got his biggest dose of celebrity yet. Sort of. He was asked to remix Slave to the Rhythm, a track off Michael Jackson's posthumous album Xscape.

"I've always been a huge fan of him. He's the king of pop," says Audien, whose real name is Nate Rathbun. "When I first heard the song, it sounded really cool and fresh. I had ideas about it instantly. It took me about a month to remix it. I had to do it twice because the first version didn't go over so well."

USA TODAY.


Slave to the Rhythm Audien Remix is released on MJ's Vevo Youtube

Music video by Michael Jackson performing Slave to the Rhythm. 
(C) 2014 MJJ Productions, Inc.

Download "Slave to the Rhythm" Audien Remix on Beatport  July 28


Download the Xscape album on Amazon: 
 http://amzn.to/1pGZyoR

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Michael Jackson continues his Top 20 chart success with Xscape


Michael Jackson's Xscape Keeps Its Slot In Top 20



Now in the album's ninth week of availability, Michael Jackson continues his Top 20 chart success with Xscape. The album sold 12,619 units this week, a four percent decrease in sales from last week's 13,083 copies sold last week.

Overall, Xscape has sold 364,656 units. In June, Forbes reported on the success Michael Jackson's work has had since the singer's passing. "Add up the earnings of Jay Z, Taylor Swift and Kanye West since 2009, and the total is $544 million,"  Forbes said . "It’s an astounding sum, but Michael Jackson has earned more than all three—combined—since his death five years ago."

Xscape only helps that figure grow.


Source: hiphopdx.com







MICHAEL JACKSON ONE CELEBRATES THE KING OF POP’S BIRTHDAY

Hi MJ Fam:
The Estate and Cirque du Soleil are thrilled to announce the return of the MJ ONE celebration of Michael's birthday. Las Vegas is the place to be August 29. More details about the specific activities (including new events just added this year) will be revealed in the coming weeks.

You can start making reservations to attend now at this link: http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/mjbdayy.

We'll see you in Las Vegas!

Cheers, MJOnline
The Official Online Team of The Michael Jackson Estate™




MICHAEL JACKSON ONE
Celebrate Michael Jackson’s Birthday on August 29th as special performances of Michael Jackson ONE have been added on Friday, August 29, 2014 at 7:00pm and 9:30pm.

To commemorate the special day:
  • There will be a special Michael Jackson ONE Commemorative Ticket for these shows that guests will be able to keep as a souvenir
  • A Birthday Gift Bag will be available upon hotel check-in at Mandalay Bay when guests checks in under offer code P4MJBDAY.
  • An exclusive Meet & Greet will be held for guests that check in under offer code P4MJBDAY
More surprises for events at Mandalay Bay during the day to celebrate Michael will be announced soon.

Preview Trailer

MANDALAY BAY RESORT & CASINO

Michael Jackson's Birthday
Enjoy this exclusive offer from Mandalay Bay.

Reserve your stay and receive:
  • Up to 15% off Room Rates
  • Receive a complimentary VIP gift bag
Book Now or call Mandalay Bay Room Reservations at 877.632.7800 and ask for offer code P4MJBDAY.

Promotion Runs: August 29, 2014 - August 31, 2014
Offer Expires: August 30, 2014

Read More : http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/mjbdayy

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Interview: L.A Reid Reveals 2nd single for Xscape Album in interview with Matt Lauer.

Matt Lauer recently interviewed La Reid chairman of Epic records and his wife Erica. Below is an excerpt from  the article where they discuss the success of Michael Jackson's New Xscape Album and L.A. reveals 'A Place with no name' as the 2nd single to be released in August. You can read the rest of the interview on the Hamptons Magazine website listed below ~Qbee


L.A. and Erica Reid Talk Michael Jackson and Family Life with Matt Lauer


Epic Records chairman and CEO, L.A. Reid, recently scored big with Xscape, a posthumous Michael Jackson album comprising eight previously unreleased songs from the King of Pop. Its lead single, “Love Never Felt So Good” featuring Justin Timberlake, has topped charts throughout the world—and it is Michael Jackson’s first Top 10 hit in the US since 2001.

The success of such a massive undertaking is exhilarating for L.A., who is now spending the summer season at his house in Sagaponack with his family. He and his wife, Erica, cherish their time here (“It’s a quick and easy paradise just a two-hour drive from Manhattan,” Erica says), as it gives them time to reconnect with each other and their two children, Arianna, 13, and Addison, 11. For the Reids, family bonds and thoughtful parenting are essential. Erica wrote about her full-time dedication to her kids in her 2012 book The Thriving Child and credits the lifestyle in the Hamptons for helping to achieve a positive environment for her kids.

Today show host Matt Lauer, a close friend of the Reids, spoke with the couple to find out more about how they balance a demanding schedule with the necessities of good, old-fashioned family time.

Matt Lauer: L.A., let’s talk about Xscape and how that album came to be. What was the idea behind it?
L.A. Reid: It was my being at Epic Records and trying to find something magnificent to work on. Epic is a label we literally started almost from scratch, so we were trying to find something big. I spoke to John Branca, who runs the Michael Jackson estate, and asked him to let me into the archives to see what we could find. We found about 20 songs and picked 10 of them to work on, and it’s worked out really well. Then I brought in Justin Timberlake to feature on the first single, “Love Never Felt So Good.” Justin was my ambassador, which has led to worldwide sales of more than 2.5 million copies.

ML: Were you surprised by what was in that archive or were you expecting a gold mine?
LAR: I didn’t really know what to expect—I went into it open-minded. But I was surprised by how much was there because I knew Michael, and he didn’t record a lot of music that he didn’t release. Some artists record endlessly; Michael recorded purposefully to release music, so I was surprised to find as much. And recently I found more, like some Michael Jackson-Queen music that’s pretty unbelievable.

ML: Erica, are you the type who likes it if L.A. brings some of his work home? Does he bring a CD home and say, “You gotta hear this?”
Erica Reid: I get to hear it first. I love to listen to what he is working on and be a part of it that way. It’s fascinating and, more than anything, it’s fun. It’s great music for the home.

ML: L.A., I’ve watched some of these meetings where guys like you get around the table and play music and everybody decides if there is the potential for a hit. Does Erica have the “hit ear”?
[Erica laughs]
LAR: No, but she has a good “hit eye.” When I was going through cover comps for Xscape, I would bring the artwork home. I had no idea the one that ended up being the cover was as good as it was, but when I showed it to Erica, she said, “This is the one!”—and it ended up being the one. So she actually did participate in arguably the most important part of the project because it was the visual that got everyone’s attention. She was very helpful.

ML: “Love Never Felt So Good” is a hit around the world. Could it have been a hit before, years ago?
LAR: Oh yes, it would have been a much bigger hit. I don’t know that it would have measured up to Michael Jackson’s Thriller, but it was an outtake from Off The Wall so it could well have worked on that album.

ML: What is the follow-up single?
LAR: A song called “A Place With No Name” that was originally recorded by the group America and that Michael redid. We’re hoping to release it on August 11.



Read more at http://hamptons-magazine.com/personalities/articles/la-reid-and-wife-erica-talk-family-epic-records-and-work-with-today-show-host-matt-lauer#ErH15D2CoXd1hXEy.99




Michael Jackson's Xscape

A Place with no name, revealed as next single
A creative re-imagining of America's 1972 classic, "A Horse With No Name," Jackson's adapted "A Place With No Name" tells a story about a man whose car breaks down in the desert and is led by a mysterious woman to an utopian city where "no one is in fear" and "no people have pain." Jackson originally worked on and recorded the song with Elliott Straite (better known as New Jack Swing producer Dr. Freeze) at Record Plant Recording Studios in 1998. Freeze described the song, with its vivid imagery and lush harmonies, as "a kind of escape, a song where you just close your eyes to find yourself instantly transported into a wonderful world." In a statement, America band members Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley said of Jackson’s adaptation: "We’re honored that Michael Jackson chose to record it and we're impressed with the quality of the track...Michael Jackson really did it justice...It's really poignant."

Friday, July 11, 2014

Spike Lee's BAD 25 Documentary July 13 at Linwood Dunn Theater Hollywood, California

 The Academy awards July Events is featuring  'By Any Means Necessary: A Spike Lee Joints Retrospective.'  A compilation of films showing the development of the work of Spike Lee. This will include, Michael Jackson's Bad 25 Documentary which will be shown Sunday, July 13 at the Linwood Dunn Theater.  Hollywood, California



By Any Means Necessary:
A Spike Lee Joints Retrospective


This critically acclaimed documentary takes a 25th anniversary look at Michael Jackson's blockbuster 1987 album BAD.


BAD 25, 2012
Lee had directed the video for Jackson’s “They Don’t Care About Us” and made the posthumous “This Is It” video, and his exhaustive exploration of Jackson and his music includes behind-the-scenes footage of Bad’s recording, along with extensive interviews with many of Jackson’s musical collaborators, including Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder and Sheryl Crow (then a backup singer on Jackson’s Bad tour), as well as with Martin Scorsese, editor Thelma Schoonmaker and writer Richard Price, who teamed up with Jackson for the “Bad” music video.


2012, 132 minutes, black and white/color, DCP | Documentary



Event Information

Sunday, July 13 at 2:30 p.m.

Linwood Dunn Theater 1313 Vine Street Hollywood, California

TICKETS

$5 general admission

$3 Academy members and students with a valid ID.


Order Tickets Online 



Linwood Dunn Theater
Completed in 2003, the Linwood Dunn Theater is the Academy’s newest theater. This state-of-the-art screening facility holds 286 seats and was named in honor of visual effects pioneer Linwood Dunn. The screening room is designed to provide reference standard presentation of 16, 35, and 70mm motion picture formats for both image and sound quality. The theater is also equipped for digital presentation. In addition, the theater serves as a venue for lectures, panel discussions and Academy forums on a variety of subjects.


By Any Means Necessary: A Spike Lee Joints Retrospective

She's Gotta Have It - Fri. July 11 at 7:30 pm
Bamboozled - Fri. July 11 at 9:00 pm
Bad 25 - Sun. July 13 at 2:30 pm
Malcolm X - Fri. July 18 at 7:30 pm
4 Little Girls - Sun. July 20 at 2:30 pm
Inside Man - Fri. July 25 at 7:30 pm
Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads - Fri. July 25 at 9:45 pm
Mo' Better Blues - Sun. July 27 at 2:30 pm

    BAD, 25 Anniversary Album

    Friday, July 04, 2014

    Sony to issue bridging single "Loving You" from Xscape, until 2nd official single and video are released in August.


    Until  the 2nd single and video come out for Xscape in August, Sony is releasing a bridging single "Loving You" to radio, to help keep the momentum going.  A lot of effort is said to be going into the official second single from ‘XSCAPE’, with plans for the video already under way.  As for which track will be the second single, Sony is not divulging. What is a bridging single you ask? So did I. Damien explains that iand more in his latest article, re blogged below ~ Qbee


    Sony to issue “Loving You” as ‘bridging single’ while preparing music video for official second single

    By Damien Shields

    " Loving You" 3rd track on Xscape Album.


    Following the success of the lead single, “Love Never Felt So Good”, Sony Music have picked the track they’ll launch as the second worldwide single from the ‘XSCAPE’ album. The track will be serviced to radio stations around the world and a music video will be released on the official Michael Jackson VEVO channel to support the track. The current goal is to action the plan around late August.

    In the meantime Sony Music has decided to offer up “Loving You” as a ‘bridging single’. A bridging single is a song that is not officially considered to be a single, but is sent to radio stations in the hope they’ll give it some airtime and promote the album from which it comes. Bridging singles do not have music videos (some have low-budget lyric videos though) and are not supported by record label-funded advertising campaigns. Artists like Pink and Rhianna have had great success with bridging singles in the past, but a posthumous release is a bit more risky being that the artist is not alive to promote the track themselves.

    Sony Music branches around the world will have the choice as to whether they service the track to local radio stations to tie audiences over until the next official single is ready for release. There will also be room for negotiation regarding possibly bridging with a track other than “Loving You”. “Chicago” is one track that was considered as an alternate option to bridge with, while “Slave To The Rhythm” is currently being used in some Asian markets.

    The UK market is almost certain to receive “Loving You” before the second official single is released. Radio/showbiz identity Kevin Hughes recently tweeted that the track would hit the UK market on August 11. This could be even sooner as airplay for “Love Never Felt So Good” continues to taper off.

    The concept of a bridging single has also been offered to markets other than the UK, including the U.S. and Australia, but there is a feeling of hesitance surrounding issuing a track to radio that will not be supported by an advertising campaign or music video.

    Radio spins and streaming statistics are equally as important components in the overall success and longevity of singles as digital downloads. “Love Never Felt So Good” benefited from massive streaming stats when the video featuring Jackson and Justin Timberlake hit VEVO. This, combined with strong iTunes sales thanks to heavy promotion from Timberlake himself, resulted in a huge jump on the charts and helped the track with its countdown radio presence as it cemented spots in the Top 20 in markets all around the world.

    If a track does not catch on with radio audiences the label faces the likelihood of stations not wanting to take any additional singles in the future. For example, if “Loving You” is issued worldwide as a bridging single and fails to make an impact on radio it could mean the forthcoming official second single, with planned video and marketing campaign, may be rejected without consideration. That is a risk many countries are not willing to take, therefor will not be using bridging singles at all and will instead wait for the official second single to arrive.

    As for which track the second single is, Sony are remaining tight-lipped. When asked by a reporter a number of weeks ago what the second single would be, Epic Records chief LA Reid said that the fans would be choosing the track. So far no official polls or surveys have been conducted, however I did run a poll here on damienshields.com regarding what fans would like to see released as the second single. Over 3,000 votes have been cast. The results, in order of most popular to least popular, as they currently stand, are below:

    1. A Place With No Name (28% of votes)
    2. Chicago (23%)
    3. Slave to the Rhythm with (20%)
    4. Loving You (12%)
    5. Xscape (8%)
    6. Do You Know Where Your Children Are (5%)
    7. Blue Gangsta (3%)

    A lot of effort is said to be going into the official second single from ‘XSCAPE’, with plans for the video already under way.

    Despite there being no real promotion of ‘XSCAPE’ since the Billboard Awards on May 18, the album continues to sell at a steady rate. 15,000 copies were sold in the U.S. both this week and last, with 25,000 copies per week being sold in the two weeks before that. The album, which is currently in its eighth week on the market, is yet to drop out of the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and has sold 339,000 copies there in total. The album’s worldwide sales figures currently stand at 1 million copies sold.

    If the album can maintain its presence on the charts for 6-8 more weeks, the second single may well inject a new lease of life into its sales figures. But 6-8 weeks is a long time in music and there is every chance the album will be off the charts completely by then. Sony might have left their run too late with this second single. Time will tell!