← back
Eclecticist: Michael Jackson (King of Pop)
Show Notes & Research
Introduction
Topic Overview
Off Topic
Talking Points
Timeline
Jargon
Wrap Up
From the Show
Broadcast: 20th June, 2015
Last update: 21st June, 2015
Introduction
- Read the feedback, notes from the last show
- Begin recording
- Introduction and description of the podcast, goals, modus operandi.
- Eclecticist is an investigation of everything, one topic at a time. Our discussion is from a British perspective by two brothers who consider themselves to be relatively normal chaps.
- We Choose a topic of interest, spend a little time researching it, have a discussion, publish the notes.
- We are Benjamin de-Campos (designer, believer), Geoffrey Campos (engineer, godless and therefore wicked).
- The main benefits are the fostering of a greater understanding of the world before we die and hopefully, to prompt further thought and discussion from our listeners.
- The topic we will be discussing in today’s show is Michael Jackson, the King of Pop
Topic Overview
At one time, in virtually every walk of life, the name Michael Jackson was synonymous with pop, superstar, band-aids. As is so often the way with these mega global icons, it didn't take long for the extravagant not-of-this world facade to slip and make fertile soil for scrutiny every bit as extreme as the strange creature himself. You see what I did there? It's all too easy to forget that Michael Jackson was a human being. What's also seemingly easy to forget is just how talented he was. Just compare the two Kings: Jackson was a songwriter that actually wrote all his biggest hits. Elvis Presley didn't write anything. Jackson also invented the phrase 'sho-mo'. Both men, however, were white, went weird and died prematurely. Michael Jackson: Bad?
Off Topic
(What we’re not talking about.)
Talking Points
- Upbringing Family brought up as Jehovahs, abuse and violence
- Professionalism Workaholism
- Performance Moves, set pieces, moonwalk, pirouettes, robot, Honed style, in his own world
- Music r&b rock fusion, trebly, Live experience
- Voice nervous warble, beat boxing
- Acting and movies, Moonwalker (1988), Thriller (1982)
- Media relationship, celebrity, intrusion
- Finances Almost ruined when abroad in Bahrain
- Religion Messiah complex?
- Philanthropy Good works, deeds
- Controversy Alleged kiddie-fiddling
- Health alteration, skin lightening, so much plastic surgery, he appeared inorganic
- Psychology
- Reclusion
- “I'm totally at home on the stage. That's where I live. That's where I was born. That's where I'm safe.”
- “Even at home, I'm lonely. I sit in my room sometimes and cry. It's so hard to make friends, and there are some things you can't talk to your parents about. I sometimes walk around the neighborhood at night, just hoping to find someone to talk to. But I just end up coming home.”
- Lack of an actual childhood, subsequent adult childhood
- Shyness
- Sensitive
- “Both mom and dad knew that music was a way of keeping the family together in a neighborhood where gangs recruited kids my brothers' ages.”
- Death drug addiction, heart attack, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, anaesthetics
- Legacy How do people view him now?
Timeline
- 1958 Born Aug 29th, Gary, Indiana
- 1969 First Jackson 5 performance. No 1. with 'I want you back'
- 1970 Jackson 5 No. 1s: 'ABC', and 'I'll Be There', 'The Love You Save'
- 1972 First No. 1 solo hit 'Ben'
- 1974 Introduces 'the robot' on Soul Train.
- 1978 Played the Scarecrow in the movie musical 'The Wiz'
- 1979 'Off the Wall'
- 1982 Beat It, Thriller, Billie Jean
- 1984 Hair catches fire on set while filming a Pepsi commercial.
- 1987 Bad
- 1988 Moonwalker movie
- 1991 Dangerous
- 1994 child molestation charges settled. Marries Lisa Marie Presley.
- 1995 HIStory
- 1995 MTV Video Music Awards, Radio City Music Hall, New York City
- 1996 Divorce. Marries Debbie Rowe
- 1996 Brit Awards, Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London
- 1997 Son Prince Michael
- 1998 Daughter Paris Michael Katherine
- 2001 Invincible
- 2002 Son Prince Michael II
- 2003 Charged with child molestation
- 2005 Acquitted
- 2009 Dies of drug-induced heart attack
Jargon
- Gasping, clicks and pops
- Whacko Jacko
- Shomo, shomone, shomon
Wrap Up
- Details about site, contacts, next show: The BBC
- Outro music choice - something open source or out of copyright so we don’t get bummed
- Claude Debussy’s Arabesque No. 1. Michael Jackson was allegedly planning to release an album of classical music according to American composer David Michael Frank. During a conversation about influences, Jackson cited as firm favourites: Copeland’s Rodeo, Bernstein’s West Side Story and Debussy’s Arabesque among others. This recording is performed by Chris Breemer and has been made available on the Piano Society’s web site.
- Recording ends, postmortem recording begins
- Add intro music, outro, any editing
- Publish!
From the Show
Notes, corrections and further references
Jackson's autopsy. Grim reading.