SickthingsUK

excerpt from http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbe ... mID=122616

Alice Cooper: "Michael Jackson was easily as influential as James Brown, and that's saying a lot. We had Vincent Price in common. I used him first on 'Welcome To My Nightmare' in 1975, and he later used him on 'Thriller'. Nobody moved like Michael, he was truly the King of Pop."

I dont think he was the "King of Pop" at all.

The Jackson 5 had a phenomenal run of number ones and Michael Jackson had a few but they were all nothing special except for one, Billie Jean.

That was his "School's Out" if you will. I could name a dozen more artists that could wear that moniker more accurately.

Be interested to see your nominations.LOL. What the hell is the " King of Pop " anyway?

Parish wrote:I dont think he was the "King of Pop" at all.

The Jackson 5 had a phenomenal run of number ones and Michael Jackson had a few but they were all nothing special except for one, Billie Jean.

That was his "School's Out" if you will. I could name a dozen more artists that could wear that moniker more accurately.

This has got to be one of the most stupid things I have ever read.

Are you for real?

Just a few number ones as a solo artist?!

Try 13 number one singles in his solo career—more than any other male artist if you discount the double A sides that Elvis had at number 1.

750 million records worldwide, making him the world's best selling male solo pop artist including the biggest selling album of all time in Thriller estimated at around 60-65 million sales worldwide.

13 Grammy awards.

Then if you look at him as a live performer and what he did with video he was undoubtedly a genius in a world where that word is overused.

You say 'Billie Jean' was the only special song he ever recorded , what about 'Got To Be There', 'Ain't No Sunshine', 'One Day in Your Life', 'Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough', 'Rock With You', 'Human Nature', 'Man In The Mirror', 'I Just Can't Stop Loving You' to name just some.

Then look at the stuff he recorded with his brothers
'I Want You Back', 'ABC', 'The Love You Save', 'I'll Be There', 'Never Can Say Goodbye', 'Lookin' Through the Windows', 'Doctor My Eyes', 'Show You the Way to Go', 'Blame It on the Boogie'.

Think the King Of Pop title is merited don't you!

Yes he was the King Of Pop in my eyes.
Just like Alice is the King Of Shock.
But you cant say Elvis insn't the King of anything.
Because he was the KING of everything...and still reining !

I was quite sad after reading news about his death. I am not a huge fan but he had some great pop songs and you can't deny he was phenomally succesful artist who was also forerunner when it comes to music videos. Probably the second most succesfull artist right after The Beatles. Many of his songs are covered to death by countless artists.

I still think he had quite a personal style to make pop music. Nobody sounds like Micheal Jackson except when bands try to cover his songs. Today's pop scene is definately horrible. Artists sell more albums by their looks, tits and a huge marketing machine than their actual music. Just look Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue at the top of the charts. The whole scnene lacks every nuance originality.

I personally prefer Elton John as a pop genious. But I have nothing against calling Michael Jackson the king of pop bacause he has undoubtedly achieved alot.

Whatever your feelings towards the bloke, it seems to me that he did have personal deamons he was battling, I think the tragic thing is now we'll be witness to the inevitable 'vultures gathering' with untimely haste becasuse the cash cow has gone.

Jacknife_Johnny wrote:Whatever your feelings towards the bloke, it seems to me that he did have personal deamons he was battling, I think the tragic thing is now we'll be witness to the inevitable 'vultures gathering' with untimely haste becasuse the cash cow has gone.

The " cash cow " is just beginning. He will be worth more dead than alive.

Regardless of what your or MY opinion of Michael Jackson was (and I freely admit: mine isn't kind)... Alice put it 'kindly'. Maybe he KNEW the guy - or not...- I didn't at any rate....

I prefer to leave it that way.

Rest in peace.

BD

they also had slash in common! michael used him on "give in to me",and I know I don't need to list alice's tracks with him on there.

At first I was shocked and a little sad, my first reaction was all the crap that he had from the media probably took its toll. THEN, I learned that he owed $500m, had blown about a billion dollars on material posessions, could not function as a being unless he was drugged up to the eyeballs and all this whilst he sang about what a bad place the world was - I have diminished respect.

With respect to his music; he was talented and good dancer etc...but in my opinion was overrated. His music never exactly 'broke new ground' did it? People make people like this 'Gods' and not only does it destroy the artist, but it is a sad reflection on how little is in their own lives!

The guy had natural rhythm, could write a good dance/pop tune, could sing well..the rest is just nonsense!!! You hear about how he invented video etc...but wasn't 'Elected' the first promo..and how many people need to find out that he got the idea of using Vincent Price from 'Welcome To My Nightmare'???

Gunner wrote:At first I was shocked and a little sad, my first reaction was all the crap that he had from the media probably took its toll. THEN, I learned that he owed $500m, had blown about a billion dollars on material posessions, could not function as a being unless he was drugged up to the eyeballs and all this whilst he sang about what a bad place the world was - I have diminished respect.

With respect to his music; he was talented and good dancer etc...but in my opinion was overrated. His music never exactly 'broke new ground' did it? People make people like this 'Gods' and not only does it destroy the artist, but it is a sad reflection on how little is in their own lives!

The guy had natural rhythm, could write a good dance/pop tune, could sing well..the rest is just nonsense!!! You hear about how he invented video etc...but wasn't 'Elected' the first promo..and how many people need to find out that he got the idea of using Vincent Price from 'Welcome To My Nightmare'???

I think The Beatles doing " Rain " is regarded as the 1st promo video. I believe it was shown on Ed Sullivan along with another song that escapes me.

>I think The Beatles doing " Rain " is regarded as the 1st promo video. I believe it was shown on Ed Sullivan along with another song that escapes me.

I don't want to go too far away from the subject, but just as promotional films existed before "Elected", I think they also existed before "Rain" as well. There were short films made by jazz artists in the thirties and forties, for example. I think the significance of "Elected" was that it may have been the first promotional film to have something resembling a story - line, as opposed to being a film of a performance, or footage which had nothing to do with the song. Also, some might argue it predicted the very fast edits you saw in later promotional films and videos on MTV (with MTV being, apparently, an influence on "Miami Vice", for example).

pitkin88 wrote:

Gunner wrote:At first I was shocked and a little sad, my first reaction was all the crap that he had from the media probably took its toll. THEN, I learned that he owed $500m, had blown about a billion dollars on material posessions, could not function as a being unless he was drugged up to the eyeballs and all this whilst he sang about what a bad place the world was - I have diminished respect.

With respect to his music; he was talented and good dancer etc...but in my opinion was overrated. His music never exactly 'broke new ground' did it? People make people like this 'Gods' and not only does it destroy the artist, but it is a sad reflection on how little is in their own lives!

The guy had natural rhythm, could write a good dance/pop tune, could sing well..the rest is just nonsense!!! You hear about how he invented video etc...but wasn't 'Elected' the first promo..and how many people need to find out that he got the idea of using Vincent Price from 'Welcome To My Nightmare'???

I think The Beatles doing " Rain " is regarded as the 1st promo video. I believe it was shown on Ed Sullivan along with another song that escapes me.

It was "Paperback Writer"!

I was never a fan of Michael Jackson, but just the same, condolences to his family. 50 isn't very old in the overall scheme of things.

Ironic "The Beatles" have been brought up when Michael Jackson owns a huge chunk of "The Beatles" songs/publishing rights. Something like 200+ songs I had heard.

I suppose 'Rain' (Beatles) was the first promo in a way, but pop video evolved and you have to say that if we are talking about developing 'visuals' in pop/rock then Alice Cooper HAS to be pretty much at the top in terms of influence. The 'Elected' film was innovative, I suppose the next one was 'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen, but to call 'Jackson' creator of pop video is inaccurate propaganda and we all know that here.

WickedYoungMan wrote:Ironic "The Beatles" have been brought up when Michael Jackson owns a huge chunk of "The Beatles" songs/publishing rights. Something like 200+ songs I had heard.

Yes, ironic and very interesting too. Even if this is a bit off Topic, some clarification is always useful, and you may like to read more about it here;-

http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/jackson.asp

A_MichaelUK wrote: Also, some might argue it predicted the very fast edits you saw in later promotional films and videos on MTV (with MTV being, apparently, an influence on "Miami Vice", for example).

I would agree that, on re-watching the video, I get a sense of a very modern (or 'current'even), style of camera editing. The kind that keeps you 'wanting' by showing very short but interesting clips in fast succession.

It seems certain to me that it was way ahead of its time in that regard, anyway.

What, you mean like the trailers for X-Factor and movies etc?? Oh, how I detest that bombardment of images in quick succession - edited with images out of context to play with your mind and make you think what they want you to think!!

Gunner wrote: What, you mean like the trailers for X-Factor and movies etc??

Possibly, but I don't think that particular style is at all limited to just those applications.