R.E.M.
(Micky Mouse (left) and Michael Jackson)
Right, the world is still going crazy over Michael Jackson so I'm going to jump on this sinking ship which seems like it's going on floating on forever. I'm going to tell you my dear journal reader all about my Micheal Jackson (what he means just to me, not everyone else). To start with I'm going to say nothing about the circus since his death, but all I'll say is I never brought his music when he was alive because the money would go to support a life style that was just, well... what one word could possibly sum up what his life turned into when he was alive? or what is now referred to as his final years?
I think you know what I'm talking about even if you are a really big fan. There are a lot of “What If's” flying around him but I put this to you dear journal reader: What if he continued making music like other big names from the 80's eg: U2, Madonna, Prince, Depeche Mode, Kylie Minogue, R.E.M., Metallica etc (maybe they're not as big as in their hey day but have continued to make new music). Of course some other big names have just faded away never to comeback. Michael was doing a comeback but if Jackson continued making music and releasing an album every couple of years (even if it was great, good, bad or even just ugly music) it would have been a positive “The Music” to all the negative “The Press”. Some fans didn't really care they just wanted him anyway he was coming, or should I use the word going now.
Micheal Jackson has passed away which I really wish he could “Rest In Peace” but it seems he can't, or wouldn't because of who he was when he was alive. I'm not going to buy his music now because it's really turned into just a monster money making machine for a lot of other people. Where or who is it all going to now? Or do I really want to know anyway. Now it seems “The Record Company” is releasing, or reissuing anything they can get their hands on and it will go to number 1. Which is I guess what happens but you are the customer and don't have to buy it like everyone else seem to be.
I would love to have a copy my favorite album of his which is Off the Wall. Which to me is the Micheal Jackson classic album even if other albums are higher sales, or whatever. The music press has been mixed up. Mojo magazine had a write up about “remember him this way” focus on his early 80's which was nice, I guess. Q magazine had a horror photo cover feature and NME and Rolling Stone and many others had theirs too but I have to say again I didn't buy any of them because you don't have too encourage this as well.
I want to tell a funny story now to lighten things up a bit. Recenlty I got Adam Ant's auto bio book which was full of surprises and a great read but I think you have to be a fan to read it. I would rated the book at 4 and ½ out of 5. He was my first music hero, I paint that white stripe on my face every time he was on Countdown (an Aussie TV show). The first album I bought was Adam and the Ants' Kings of the Wild Frontier even if it was payed for by my Mother and was supposed to be my Father's birthday present. Maybe I should write a journal about him but for now I wanted to tell the story about when Micheal Jackson called up Adam Ant one night in the 80's. It was at 4 am in the morning Adam's phone starts ringing, wakes-up and finds on the receiver an American accent which says,
“Hello? Hello? Is that Adam Ant?”
At that point Adam thinks it's his band member Terry Lee making another prank phone call again and says,
“Stop pissing about, Terry. I'm trying to sleep.”
but the voice said,
“No, it's not Terry, It's Michael. Is that Adam Ant?”
At that point he hangs up after saying,
“Very funny, Terry, now f*** Off!”
The telephone started to ring again and Ant anwers again with the same voice saying,
“Hi, no, really it's me Micheal Jackson and I just want to ask you...”
Adam cutting him off and shouting at Terry to stop this or he'll come over and “F*** hit you” and “Piss off” which I have to say that sounds such an English punk rock thing. He rolled over but again the phone rings he grabbed the receiver and screams
“Terry, That's IT!!!”
but it's a different voice with an American accent, this time it was deeper, slower and calmer,
“Hi, is that Adam Ant?”
“Oh, oh, yes, this is Adam, Who are you?”
“I'm Quincy Jones, calling from L.A. Sorry, we probably woke you up, but I'm here with Micheal Jackson and he'd like to speak with you. Is that OK?”
In the book Adam wrote “F*** me, I thought”, which is lucky he didn't say that too but he just agreed.
“Hi, Adam, it's really Micheal, sorry I woke you.”
After just telling the king of pop to piss and F*** off he apologized
“Oh, no, sorry to have been so rude to you.” Anyway after saying sorry to each other again and bit of small talk, Micheal got to the point.
“I really like your jacket. Can you tell me where you got it?”
“Huh? My jacket?” says Adam, trying to think and saying something about somewhere that supplied costumes for movies. Saying the same jacket was worn by David Hemming in The Charge Of The Brigade film. Then Jackson asked what the suppliers name was and even how to spell it correctly. Then Micheal finshed with,
“Great, thanks. Let's meet up next time you're in America, Bye.”
That was it, the line went dead. If you look at the time line or make one yourself the next Michael Jackson album was Thriller and remember a red jacket he wore, or should I not have to spell that out for you?
Anyway the other funny thing I wanted to share with you is my favorite Jackson cover song by the great and totally mad Crispin Hellion Glover of one of Jackson's greatest songs
Ben. Maybe the audio track of Glover doing Ben is fine but to get the full insanity of it all here is the youtube clip too, judge for yourself. This is the video clip to go with his film called "Willard" which I have yet to see but love this and laugh every time I watch it. I hope you enjoy my little stories and writing about Micheal Jackson. It's not even been six months since his passing away but hopefully one day the world will all calm down and maybe one day I will get Off The Wall album too. What do you think yourself about all of the above or whatever you think about him.
Thank you for reading or just looking, bye-bye.
