In The Studio With Michael Jackson

Recounts the author's career as an award-winning recording engineer and highlights his work with Michael Jackson on his most influential albums.

MAKING MICHAEL delves deep inside the career of one of the most successful, enigmatic and controversial entertainers of all time: Michael Jackson. Side-stepping sensationalism, journalist Mike Smallcombe enters unchartered territory as he takes you behind the scenes to reveal the real Jackson, a man few people ever got to know. Interviewing over sixty of Jackson's associates including managers, lawyers, music executives, producers, musicians and engineers - many of whom are speaking about their experiences publicly for the first time - he provides exclusive access to one of the biggest-selling recording artists in history. Featuring a foreword by Matt Forger, one of Jackson's longest serving and most loyal collaborators, MAKING MICHAEL takes readers into the studio with the King of Pop, charting the creation of record-breaking albums including Thriller, Bad, Dangerous and HIStory and the twists and turns that occurred along the way. Untold stories, revelations and secrets finally see the light of day as Jackson's career outside the studio is also examined. Smallcombe remains objective and doesn't shy away from exploring Jackson's ruthless traits, his addictions, his fall outs, the relentless pursuit of perfectionism, the financial chaos and those shocking final weeks. MIKE SMALLCOMBE is a British journalist living and working in the UK. www.makingmichael.co.uk Twitter: @mikesmallcombe1

A veteran music reporter offers a sweeping and vivid portrait of the King of Pop, from his first on-stage appearance at a local talent show in 1965, to his record-breaking album sales, Grammy awards, dance moves and years of scandal and controversy. --Publisher's description.

The acclaimed actor makes his fiction debut with this enthralling urban fantasy in which a holy warrior must convince a doctor with no faith to help stop a powerful demon and his minions from succeeding in creating hell on earth—a thrilling adventure of science and faith, good and evil, damnation and salvation. Imagine that everyone you have ever known or loved was forced against their will into a state of demonic possession and spiritual slavery. Imagine an unholy cabal of the world’s richest and most powerful men directing this sinister plan in order to cement their unbridled control of the planet. Imagine two heroes emerging from that dark-ness to do battle with the forces of evil. Set in the mean streets of Chicago, Talon of God is the action-packed adventure centered around Lauryn Jefferson, a beautiful young doctor who is dragged into a seemingly impossible battle against the invisible forces of Satan’s army and their human agents that are bent on enslaving humanity in a mission to establish the kingdom of hell on Earth. But Lauryn is a skeptic, and it’s only as she sees a diabolical drug sweep her city and begins to train in the ways of a spirit warrior with Talon Hunter, the legendary man of God, that she discovers her true nature and inner strength. Facing dangerous trials and tests, it’s a true baptism by fire. And if she and Hunter fail, millions could die. And rivers of blood would flow throughout the land. Imagine such horror. Such pain. And imagine what it would take to fight against it. For only the strongest and most faithful will survive . . . Get ready. Armageddonapproaches quickly.

These are the 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. Xscape Origins: The Songs and Stories Michael Jackson Left Behind 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. "Damien Shields has taken on the task of researching some of these songs and the stories behind their creation, and for that I thank him," says Forger. "There are so many lessons to learn from a creative genius like Michael Jackson. Just as Michael said 'study the greats and become greater,' we are now left to study how he, a poor child from a Midwestern American town, rose to be the most popular entertainer on the planet. These stories are a detailed examination of how some of the songs unreleased in his lifetime came into existence. It is important to document the process and tell the story, not only because it s history, but also to pay tribute to a person who loved storytelling and would want the story to be told." For the first time--featuring exclusive never-before-told stories--Xscape Origins puts all the pieces of the puzzle together to reveal how the King of Pop and his collaborators conceived and developed the original versions of "Love Never Felt So Good," "She Was Loving Me" (a.k.a. "Chicago"), "Loving You," "A Place With no Name," "Slave To The Rhythm," "Do You Know Where Your Children Are," "Blue Gangsta," and "Xscape" (a.k.a. "Escape"). Compiled from exclusive interviews with: Michael Prince(Engineer, 1995-2009) Matt Forger (Engineer, 1982-1997) John Barnes (Composer, arranger, musician, 1983-2009) Cory Rooney (Songwriter, producer, A&R, 1999-2001) Fred Jerkins III (Songwrtier, producer, 1999-2001) Brian Vibberts (Engineer, 1994-1999) CJ deVillar (Engineer, musician, 1998-1999). And exclusive first-hand insights from: Rodney Jerkins (Producer, songwriter, 1999-2001) Brad Buxer (Composer, arranger, musical director, 1989-2008) Kathy Wakefield (Songwriter, 1973-1984) Dr. Freeze (Songwriter, producer, 1998-2001).

For half a century, Michael Jackson’s music has been an indelible part of our cultural consciousness. Landmark albums such as Off the Wall and Thriller shattered records, broke racial barriers, amassed awards, and set a new standard for popular music. While his songs continue to be played in nearly every corner of the world, however, they have rarely been given serious critical attention. The first book dedicated solely to exploring his creative work, Man in the Music guides us through an unparalleled analysis of Jackson’s recordings, album by album, from his trailblazing work with Quincy Jones to his later collaborations with Teddy Riley, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, and Rodney Jerkins. Drawing on rare archival material and on dozens of original interviews with the collaborators, engineers, producers, and songwriters who helped bring the artist’s music into the world, Jackson expert and acclaimed cultural critic Joseph Vogel reveals the inspirations, demos, studio sessions, technological advances, setbacks and breakthroughs, failures and triumphs, that gave rise to an immortal body of work.

In the Spring of 1997, the promotion of the HIStory album seemed as if it would continue for quite a while, especially since Michael Jackson's eponymous European tour was imminent. And yet, contrary to fans' expectations, a new album entitled Blood On The Dance Floor was announced. More than two decades later, Brice Najar decided to explore the history of this unusual and very special collection of music in the King of Pop's discography. As in Najar's previous book, Let's Make HIStory, he reached out to Michael Jackson's collaborative partners. Through their stories, he was able to fully examine this era, and to understand the context of Jackson's creative process during this time. Ultimately, Book On The Dance Floor serves as a complement to Najar's previous work, and adds to fans' insights into Jackson's life and legacy.