Specials – The MJCast

Michael Jackson collaborator and studio engineer Rob Hoffman joins us for a conversation on this special episode of The MJCast. Rob is a producer, songwriter, musician and recording engineer who has collaborated with some of the most iconic individuals in popular music. From ground-breaking artists such as Michael and Janet Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds and P Diddy, Rob has worked with the best. And not just the best artists and musicians either, Rob has had the honour of collaborating with fellow engineers and producers such as Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Quincy Jones and Bruce Swedien.

But it was through his work at New York City’s The Hit Factory studios where he first met recording legend Bruce Swedien, who would go on to become Rob’s long-time mentor. This relationship made possible a four-year period as one of Michael Jackson’s core team members; working on the HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I and Blood on the Dancefloor: HIStory in the Mix studio albums, the HIStory World Tour, the ill fated HBO special Michael Jackson: One Night Only and Michael’s seminal film, Ghosts.

Rob had an incredibly important relationship with Michael, allowing him to express himself artistically and creatively with a level of freedom that resulted in some of Michael’s most innovative, creative and complex music.

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If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at [email protected] or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Keep Michaeling!

Welcome to The MJCast’s first special episode for Season Two, a conversation with none other than filmmaker, artist and Michael Jackson collaborator, Diana Walczak. Before working with the King of Pop, Diana first came to the technology and entertainment industry’s attention when pioneering computer generated imagery in the late 1980’s for Marvel Comics. Following this, Diana began innovating through creating some of the first CGI humans in live action films.

It was in 1994 that Diana had the opportunity to work as a sculptor for Michael Jackson himself when Sony commissioned her to create what has now come to be known as the iconic HIStory Statue. This amazing sculpture of Michael features on his seminal 1995 album, HIStory – Past, Present and Future, Book I and depicts him in his opening pose from the Dangerous World Tour. The statue itself has come to represent Michael’s glory as the King of Pop not only in our hearts as fans, but in physical locations around the world where ten metre versions of the statue from the HIStory era still stand today.

In this conversation you will hear all about Diana’s life as an artist and filmmaker, her work with Michael Jackson and her current artistic and philanthropic endeavours. This truly is a masterclass in Diana’s artistic endeavours and her own HIStory as a Michael Jackson collaborator. We also discuss her official product line, The Diana Walczak Collection from which 60% of proceeds are being put aside for a permanent Michael Jackson HIStory monument for fans all over the world to visit. Please take a moment to explore Diana’s official product line, there you will find a the HIStory police embroidered patch which is inspired by the patch Michael is wearing on his right arm in the HIStory statue and the stunning heather HIStatue t-shirt! Make sure to get your hands on these limited edition products to support Diana and her vision to further Michael’s legacy through her own art. We hope you enjoy this special episode of the internet’s premiere podcast on all things Michael Jackson and the Jackson family.

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If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at [email protected] or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Michael on!

Merry Christmas, listeners. What a year it’s been for The MJCast! It astounds us to think how much success we’ve had over this past twelve months. We’d never have guessed our little Michael Jackson podcast would have been received so well. Thank-you from the bottom of our hearts. We recently put together this Christmas Extravaganza episode for everyone to enjoy over their holidays. With such a long running time (over five hours), we’d suggest you listen to it in portions rather than in one sitting. Though if you want to binge out on The MJCast, feel free to do that as well! In this episode, Jamon and Q kick things off with a brief discussion around the latest MJ news, including Thriller achieving 30x multi-platinum status, a possible new biopic on Michael Jackson (but this time from the point of view of Bubbles the chimp) and Spike Lee’s new artwork for his upcoming documentary, Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall. Following this, Jamon and Q reflect back on the year that’s been through taking the listener on a journey through some of their favourite clips from each of the previous twenty-two episodes. They follow this up with a chat around their favourite MJ and the Jacksons related products from the year before closing out the show with their hopes and wishes for 2016. Keep your ears open for the post show Season One gag reel after the outro music!

Honestly though…thank-you for making this show what it is. The MJCast wouldn’t have come as far as it has without the support of the listeners and guests. We are committed to honouring and furthering Michael Jackson and his family’s impact and legacy and look forward to an even more amazing second season in 2016 with extensive commentary on all things MJ and interviews with more special guests. Keep an eye on our social networks, as we will still be very active on them keeping our audience informed of any developments in the MJ world. From everyone here at The MJCast…best wishes for your holiday season. Stay safe, look out for each other and spread L.O.V.E. and happiness wherever you can.

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If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at [email protected] or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Michael on and merry Christmas!

Welcome to another special episode of the internet’s premiere Michael Jackson podcast, The MJCast. On this milestone 20th episode, Jamon and Q have the absolute honour of speaking with a Jackson family member for the very first time, singer of the hit pop group 3T and star of the new reality show The Jacksons: Next Generation, Taj Jackson.

Tariano Adaryll Jackson II, better known as Taj Jackson, is the eldest son of legendary guitarist of The Jacksons, Tito Jackson and his wife Delores ‘Dee Dee’ Martes. Being born into a musical family of stratospheric fame, Taj along with his brothers Taryll and TJ, began playing instruments from a very young age and showed strong promise as musicians in their own right.

It wasn’t long before the entertainment industry noticed 3T. A record deal was signed and in 1995 their debut album Brotherhood was released…and it took the world by storm. Reaching heights not unlike what their uncle Michael and auntie Janet were accustomed to, Brotherhood sold three million copies worldwide, spawning the hit singles Anything, 24/7, Why?, Tease Me, I Need You and Gotta Be You. It wasn’t long before Taj, Taryll and TJ were household names, with new music by the boys being included on the soundtracks of feature films such as Free Willy and Men in Black.

Roughly ten years after Brotherhood, the world saw the release of 3T’s brilliant sophomore album Identity which features the two singles Sex Appeal and Stuck On You. Following this era, Taj and his brothers continued working on 3T but also engaged in other avenues, with TJ taking on guardianship of his uncle Michael’s three children, Taryll continuing to work with his gift of music production and Taj fighting tirelessly for his family name.

Now, in 2015, after the final episode of 3T’s fantastic new television show The Jacksons: Next Generation, 3T have finally dropped their long awaited third album, Chapter III. Taj has joined us today to speak all about the origins of 3T, their new album Chapter III, their new TV show and of course…thoughts and memories around his uncle, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. We hope you enjoy this special episode of The MJCast!

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If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at [email protected] or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Michael on!

‘Cause this is Thriller…Thriller Night… Happy Halloween, listeners! To celebrate Halloween 2015 we are releasing this special episode with none other than LaVelle Smith Jr.

LaVelle Smith Jr. is one of the entertainment industry’s most decorated and influential dance choreographers. Known for his work with artists such as Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson and Beyoncé Knowles, Smith has won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography five times. In addition to these accolades he is also a two-time recipient of the Bob Fosse Award and Music Video Producers Award for Outstanding Choreography. Smith has been inducted into the DuPont Manuel Hall of Fame and was the youngest inductee into the Millers Gallery of Greats.

Smith’s work with Michael Jackson began in the late 1980s, during the Bad era. Jackson recognised Smith’s unique style and began incorporating his collaborative efforts into works such as The Way You Make Me Feel and other Bad era pieces. Smith also toured with Jackson on The Bad World Tour which sparked a collaborative relationship around live performance that would endure two additional world tours (Dangerous and HIStory), the Michael Jackson and Friends benefit concerts in South Korea and Germany in 1999, and ended with the 2008 private rehearsal sessions for what evolved into Michael’s ill-fated tour, This Is It.

Smith has collaborated with Jackson on most of his dance-heavy music videos, all of his adult solo tours, and a range of other projects including his seminal horror musical film Ghosts. This interview will take you inside the mind of LaVelle Smith Jr. and his collaborative and creative process with the King of Pop. Topics include Smith’s origins in the entertainment industry, his initial work with Michael, their creative process around Ghosts, their work together in the late 2000’s and lastly, Smith’s views on choreography. We also delve into what his hopes and dreams are for the future of his already incredible career. So sit back, relax, and enjoy our Thriller Night Halloween special for 2015!

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If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at [email protected] or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Michael On!

On this special episode of The MJCast, Michael’s trusted Technical Director and studio engineer of eighteen years, Brad Sundberg joins Q and Dan Villalobos (a studio engineer himself) to discuss all things Michael, in honour of his birthday. Topics include Brad’s history in the recording industry, his work with Michael as Technical Director and studio engineer and of course his involvement with sound and lighting installations throughout Michael’s Neverland Valley Ranch. We then delve into a fascinating discussion around Brad’s views on how Michael’s art has been handled posthumously and finally the latest chapter in his incredible career, the critically acclaimed In the Studio With MJ seminars.

As mentioned on his official website, “Brad Sundberg joined Michael’s Jackson team during the production of Captain EO in 1985, and remained with Michael as one of his engineers and Technical Director for nearly 18 years.  Brad was actively involved in the studio production of four of Michael’s studio albums: BAD, Dangerous, HIStory, and Blood On The Dance Floor. He also worked on remixes and edits for countless singles, short films, and tour preparations associated with these projects.

Beyond the studio, as Michael’s incredible Neverland Valley Ranch grew from dream to reality, he brought Brad in to design and install music and video systems in virtually every corner of the property. In addition to Michael’s personal listening and dance studio systems, Brad created incredible outdoor sound effect systems throughout the grounds with the exact same attention to detail. Michael chose the music, but he trusted Brad’s technical expertise to make it sound great.

Now Brad is sharing these unique experiences with the public through his In The Studio with MJ seminars. The idea was born from the intense desire that people have to know more about how these incredible projects came to life.”

Author Damien Shields discusses one of Brad’s seminars on his website. “The atmosphere in the studio was great. All in attendance had an amazing seat and view of the projector screen, which was quite large; probably six by six feet. You could pay more for a VIP pass, which allowed you priority entry and a seat in the first rows. VIP attendees also had the privilege of spending an additional hour or so with Brad where you could get more information, ask questions and even share Michael’s favourite meal. Fans, of which there were approximately forty in total, were eager, hanging on Brad’s every word. He brought along a fourteen-layer digital multitrack of Bad and spent fifteen minutes playing with it, showcasing Michael singing leads and backgrounds separately. He isolated, the horns and even David Williams on guitar. ‘He created the most amazing remix right in front of your eyes. It was thrilling,’ said one of the attendees.” Whether you’re speaking with Huffington Post journalist Charles Thomson, studio engineer Dan Villalobos or anyone else who has attended Brad’s seminars, their remarks are always the same…In the Studio With MJ is unmissable.

Stay tuned at the end of this show to hear about Brad’s upcoming seminars through the end of 2015 (Chicago – August 30th, Orlando – September 5th and Las Vegas – October 10th) and click here to purchase tickets. Happy Birthday, Michael! We hope listeners of The MJCast enjoy this podcast as much as we did conceiving and recording it.

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If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at [email protected] or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Michael it’s your Birthday. Happy Birthday, Michael!

On this special episode of The MJCast, Jamon and Q interview author of the ‘Michael Jackson travel guide’ book Travelling With a King, Christophe. Topics include the book itself, his working relationship with co-author Antoine Cardinot, his fandom of Michael Jackson and the writing process behind the book. We also talk about Christophe’s French Michael Jackson magazine, MJBackstage, some of the intriguing locations mentioned within Travelling With a King and finally we delve into a discussion around Christophe’s views of places like Neverland and Hayvenhurst being considered tourist attractions.

As mentioned on the book’s official website, “Travelling With a King is the first ever travel guide totally dedicated to Michael Jackson. This fully colored and glossy paper book contains hundreds of places linked to the King of Pop, from studios to houses, venues and statues. You’ll find everything you need to know including historical and geographic details about each location. Travelling With A King – Book 1, is the first part of this totally unique travel guide. Book one contains North, Central & South America and, as bonuses, a few selected places [in] Europe and Asia. Its A5 format and light weight will make it easy to bring it with you every time you travel.”

For purchasing Travelling With a King at a discounted price, make sure to visit this special website which Christophe has created specifically for listeners of The MJCast!

Lastly, stay tuned at the end of this show to hear about various celebrations around the world for Michael’s 2015 birthday on August 29th!

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If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at [email protected] or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Michael on!

On June 25th, 2009 the King of Pop, Michael Jackson tragically and unexpectedly passed away amidst preparations and rehearsals for his final live concert tour, This Is It. Although his passing and our present day lives are separated at this point by six years, for fans around the world the pain associated with this devastating event still lingers on. What a loss it was for the world. It’s clear that the Michael Jackson fan community is still coming to terms with and processing what happened six years ago and how we can move forward in a positive way. During his life, Michael spoke about the concept of love perhaps more than any other topic….love for Planet Earth, love for its children, love for ourselves…and love for each other. So with love in mind, this podcast episode was put together. It’s intention is certainly not to celebrate the occasion, but to reflect on the tragedy that happened and to assist in unifying the community in processing what occurred…but above all else, to remember, honour and reflect on the magical life that was Michael Jackson’s and the love that he gave to the world.

Former member of pop duo Savage Garden and now world renowned multi-million album selling artist in his own right, Darren Hayes, agreed to join us for this significant occasion in honouring and remembering Michael on the sixth anniversary of his passing. Q and I interviewed Darren about his Michael Jackson fandom, his views and thoughts on a range of Michael related issues and about his life as an artist.

Following this, Q and I explore and discuss our own experiences on June 25th, 2009 and how we feel Michael should be remembered, before handing over to some of our listeners to discuss the same topics. Thank-you to all of our listeners who submitted audio for us to consider in playing on this show. It was a pleasure listening to all of the submissions and they certainly had both Q and I reflecting on Michael and his legacy. For those of you who are still emotionally processing Michael’s passing, we hope this episode acts as a way for you to connect with other fans around the world who are as well. In this episode there are moments of joy and moments of sadness, but through it all, remember that we are all fans of Michael. We must carry on his message of love and positivity as a way of honouring his memory and everything that he gave to the world. From the bottom of our hearts, Keep Michaeling!

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If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at [email protected] or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. We hope you enjoy this special episode of our Michael Jackson podcast, The MJCast. Keep Michaeling!

To mark this important occasion, the 10th anniversary of Michael Jackson’s acquittal from false child molestation allegations on June 13th, 2005, we are releasing this special episode. The MJCast’s Legal Correspondent Charles Thomson along with regular hosts Jamon Bull and Q interview Thomas Mesereau, one of the foremost criminal defence attorney’s in United States legal history. Mesereau served as Michael’s principal attorney during his mid 2000’s criminal trial around false child molestation allegations and continued representing Jackson and his affairs for a time afterwards. Ten years ago today Jackson was acquitted of all fourteen charges brought against him by the Arvizo family and their prosecuting lawyer, Santa Barbara Country District Attorney Tom Sneddon. In addition to Michael’s obvious innocence, his vindication and exoneration are also due to the professionalism and efforts of Tom Mesereau and his then legal partner Susan Yu. Topics of discussion include Mesereau’s childhood, his history as a lawyer, what it was like working with Michael Jackson and also the trial itself. We then delve into a dialogue around Jackson’s posthumous legacy, the legitimacy of his Estate executors, the events surrounding his death and what Michael Jackson’s victory in 2005 has meant for his legacy long term.

The MJCast would also like to thank friend of the show Dan Villalobos who has worked so hard on composing and producing our new intro music, which can be heard for the very first time on this episode! Dan is a phenomenal sound engineer, music producer and MJ fan from London, England who has worked with artists such as Maddison Wilson, Robyn Sherwell and has had his work featured on BBC Radio. Check him out at www.danvillalobos.com, and make sure to visit his Soundcloud, Twitter and Instagram accounts. Thanks Dan and we can’t wait to have you on the show.

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If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at [email protected] or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. We hope you enjoy this special episode of our Michael Jackson podcast, The MJCast. Keep Michaeling!

On this special episode of The MJCast, Jamon and Q interview acclaimed author Damien Shields on his new book Xscape Origins. Topics include Damien’s writing process, his collaborative partner James Alay’s contributions to the project, Damien’s experiences talking with Michael’s collaborators, a never before heard story about Damien’s ill fated interview with Michael Jackson himself. We also take the opportunity to capture some of Damien’s fascinating opinions on a range of Jackson related topics. As a special treat for listeners of The MJCast, you will also hear an exclusive audio snippet of an interview Damien conducted with C. J. DeVillar (Michael’s bassist and recording engineer during the early Invincible sessions) and a never before released version of the song She Was Lovin’ Me which was co-produced by Cory Rooney and Taryll Jackson.

As explained on Damien’s website, “Xscape Origins pieces together stories about the real Michael Jackson; the musical genius at work. As told by the songwriters, producers, musicians, and technicians who worked intimately with him in the studio, and featuring a touching foreword written by his longtime engineer Matt Forger, the book takes you inside the recording studio, delivering captivating fly-on-the-wall insights into the creative process of the greatest artistic visionary the world has ever known”. At its heart, Xscape Origins delves into the history of the eight original Michael Jackson songs which were remixed for the 2014 album Xscape, released in partnership between Sony Music and the Estate of Michael Jackson. Reading Damien’s work will give you a level of knowledge that will allow you to appreciate the songs in a much deeper way. If it’s Michael’s artistic process you love learning about, look no further than this fantastic book. It’s undoubtedly the best book on Michael’s art that I’ve ever read.

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If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at [email protected] or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Keep Michaeling!