Michael Jackson - Earth Song

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Loufoque

Loufoque

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Let's rate the most overblown song of all time

 
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Personally, I think it's one of the greatest songs ever released. It's something only Michael Jackson could have done, and only in the 90s, in the aftermath of the Free Willy-Jumanj wild animal phenomenon.

I think Gaga saw herself as being this generation's overblown, socially-conscious pop star (in the Mercury-Jackson mould). Shame it never took.
 
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I quite literally never listen to it now. Even Billie Jean gets played more often. It was a true 10/10 moment for me at the time and my instant album stand out in 95.

The production is top notch but I was a little disappointed after hearing bass player Guy Pratt's recollection of the recording session. ALTHOUGH, it was great hearing that he was hired for the job purely on the basis of what he did on Like A Prayer.
 
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From his book which I saw recollected in his stand up routine. Just disappointed how uninvolved MJ was in this part which totally contradicts stuff said by other musicians on other albums. With HIStory being such a personal album it was a let down as he has sole producing credit on that song:



"Two days later I was summoned back. Again Michael had ‘just left’. Bill went through my various takes with me, explaining how Michael had liked this bit, wasn’t sure about that bit, wondered if I could do something that was a cross between this bit and that bit, etc., etc. So I had a few more goes and left. This happened again a couple of days later, and I was starting to think, if Michael could just bloody well be there for once he could tell me exactly what he wanted, then I could do it for him, and that would be that. My next visit was different. Michael had allegedly ‘just left’, but there was a weird vibe in the room and a lot more people, including a rather surly heavy- set ‘engineer’. I got started and almost immediately things became strange. The ‘engineer’ said, ‘I don’t think Michael would like that,’ with great certainty. At first I thought, Fair enough, but then when I asked him if one particular idea was worth trying, he seemed to lean over before giving me a reply, as if he was listening to someone. Someone hiding under the mixing desk. That was it. Someone was hiding under the desk, telling the ‘engineer’ what Michael would or wouldn’t like. I couldn’t believe it, and it was all I could do not to fall apart in a mixture of hysteria and confusion. This was too, too strange. MichaelJackson was hiding under the desk telling his engineer to tell me what he wanted me to do. Once I’d got my head round the idea it became hilarious. I’d try to get to the other end of the desk to get an ashtray or whatever, only to find three people blocking my path. I started playing ludicrous things, like the melody of ‘Worker’s Playtime’ you know, der di der der, der di der der and then asking the ‘engineer’ if Michael would think it appropriate. No matter how absurdly I played, he’d have to lean over, pause and then say, ‘No, I don’t think Michael would like that.’ I tried to convey my astonishment to Bill, but he was avoiding eye contact, or so it seemed. I later found out the cause of the great man’s monumental shyness. Apparently he was on nose job number twelve, or thereabouts, and his attempt at a button- like proboscis had pretty much collapsed. No plastic surgeon in LA would have any more to do with it and apparently it looked truly awful. One can only suppose that he went to Costa Rica or some other nip/tuck haven to get it sorted. But that wasn’t all. At the same time there was apparently a big triangular flap of skin hanging off under his right eye, which would jiggle alarmingly when he danced, inducing those with even the strongest of stomachs to vomit. When Michael’s next album came out, the track we’d worked on was nowhere to be seen, or heard, rather, so I just thought, Ho- hum and forgot about it, until several years later when a friend phoned to tell me I was on HIStory , as he’d seen my name in the credits. I checked it out and, lo and behold, there I was, steaming my way through ‘Earth Song’, which subsequently went on to be Mr Jackson’s biggest- ever single in Europe, not to mention the highlight of Jarvis Cocker’s career when he wiggled his arse to it at The Brits. I’m very proud to be on it, it’s a great song and I think I did a great job, even if it was the most bizarre session I’ve ever done."
 
I remember when I was 9 the video genuinely moved me to tears. WHAT ABOUT THE ELEPHANTS? :(

Nowadays I see it for the comedy classic it really is, but as a song it's still a total 10.

Also that story is jaw dropping. :D (No pun intended)
 
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Donna Winter said:
If it was ANYONE ELSE you WOULD NOT BELIEVE IT :D
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IKR :D

Wacky really was the BEST. There will truly NEVER be another.

The stories of Mariah having her assistant pour white wine into her empty ginger ale cans so she can start drinking at 10am really pale in comparison.
 
:D What a story!

As for the song, it's good, but never was one of my favourite MJ tracks.
 
I find it massively difficult to be objective about the song.
 
Because of everything that surrounds it. The messiah like grandiosity and pompousness of it all. The video, the Brits performance, the trite lyrics. In some ways I find it horrific and want to give it a 2. But then sometimes I can see past that at this massive COLOSSUS of a pop song which I don't think is ever my taste enough to warrant a 10, but I can appreciate on its own merits.
 
lolly said:
Because of everything that surrounds it. The messiah like grandiosity and pompousness of it all. The video, the Brits performance, the trite lyrics. In some ways I find it horrific and want to give it a 2. But then sometimes I can see past that at this massive COLOSSUS of a pop song which I don't think is ever my taste enough to warrant a 10, but I can appreciate on its own merits.
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I think I can resonate the most to this view regarding the song.
 
I discovered last night that, if you're with the right crowd (aka late 30-somethings), this song absolutely SLAYS at karaoke :D
 
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Ellie said:
From his book which I saw recollected in his stand up routine. Just disappointed how uninvolved MJ was in this part which totally contradicts stuff said by other musicians on other albums. With HIStory being such a personal album it was a let down as he has sole producing credit on that song:



"Two days later I was summoned back. Again Michael had ‘just left’. Bill went through my various takes with me, explaining how Michael had liked this bit, wasn’t sure about that bit, wondered if I could do something that was a cross between this bit and that bit, etc., etc. So I had a few more goes and left. This happened again a couple of days later, and I was starting to think, if Michael could just bloody well be there for once he could tell me exactly what he wanted, then I could do it for him, and that would be that. My next visit was different. Michael had allegedly ‘just left’, but there was a weird vibe in the room and a lot more people, including a rather surly heavy- set ‘engineer’. I got started and almost immediately things became strange. The ‘engineer’ said, ‘I don’t think Michael would like that,’ with great certainty. At first I thought, Fair enough, but then when I asked him if one particular idea was worth trying, he seemed to lean over before giving me a reply, as if he was listening to someone. Someone hiding under the mixing desk. That was it. Someone was hiding under the desk, telling the ‘engineer’ what Michael would or wouldn’t like. I couldn’t believe it, and it was all I could do not to fall apart in a mixture of hysteria and confusion. This was too, too strange. MichaelJackson was hiding under the desk telling his engineer to tell me what he wanted me to do. Once I’d got my head round the idea it became hilarious. I’d try to get to the other end of the desk to get an ashtray or whatever, only to find three people blocking my path. I started playing ludicrous things, like the melody of ‘Worker’s Playtime’ you know, der di der der, der di der der and then asking the ‘engineer’ if Michael would think it appropriate. No matter how absurdly I played, he’d have to lean over, pause and then say, ‘No, I don’t think Michael would like that.’ I tried to convey my astonishment to Bill, but he was avoiding eye contact, or so it seemed. I later found out the cause of the great man’s monumental shyness. Apparently he was on nose job number twelve, or thereabouts, and his attempt at a button- like proboscis had pretty much collapsed. No plastic surgeon in LA would have any more to do with it and apparently it looked truly awful. One can only suppose that he went to Costa Rica or some other nip/tuck haven to get it sorted. But that wasn’t all. At the same time there was apparently a big triangular flap of skin hanging off under his right eye, which would jiggle alarmingly when he danced, inducing those with even the strongest of stomachs to vomit. When Michael’s next album came out, the track we’d worked on was nowhere to be seen, or heard, rather, so I just thought, Ho- hum and forgot about it, until several years later when a friend phoned to tell me I was on HIStory , as he’d seen my name in the credits. I checked it out and, lo and behold, there I was, steaming my way through ‘Earth Song’, which subsequently went on to be Mr Jackson’s biggest- ever single in Europe, not to mention the highlight of Jarvis Cocker’s career when he wiggled his arse to it at The Brits. I’m very proud to be on it, it’s a great song and I think I did a great job, even if it was the most bizarre session I’ve ever done."
Click to expand...
Jesus fucking Christ at this story :D
 
adele-come-back.gif

10 for giving us the Rita enters ASFM meme
 
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