Michael Jackson defends Mariah, booes Thalia's hubby!

[Boodikka]

Supposedly one of the Dark Brothers, ubiquitous producers of straight porn in the late '80s and early '90s, has directed music videos for mainstream Sony artists, so a porn resume' isn't the problem.
Space Alien Mike has started a war with the Evil Empire, and the Evil Empire has fired back hard.....and don't think that this is the last shot to be fired.

[Jeff H]

Boodi: It's true that Dark has directed mainstream music videos (according to EW anyway); see my post in this thread from July 15.

And, yes, since this "news" about Jackson and the porn producer was actually known several months ago, the best explanation for its resurgence it that someone is trying hard to discredit the "King of Pop."

Not that he needs any help from anyone else in doing that.

[Nano]

In a little digression, I want to share with you this I just read in Today's Studio Briefing of IMDB:

Brando Received $1 Million Check From Jackson, Says Report

Marlon Brando, whose appearances in films are becoming more and more infrequent, was paid $1 million by Michael Jackson to appear at Jackson's 30th anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden last year to deliver a talk praising the singer, according to Fox.com's Roger Friedman, who cited reliable insiders. Contacted by phone and asked to confirm or deny the report, Friedman said Brando replied, "I don't talk to the press!" and hung up on him. He quoted an unnamed Jackson associate as saying, "A million bucks? Yeah, I heard that. That's why Michael has so little cash for himself." Friedman says that Brando's appearance "was so boring it had to be cut from the televised show."

Mmmm... so for those many 'friends' on Jacko's TV appearances!!!

[markydefad]

In some article that I can't find now to refer to, a reference was made that porn dirctors had directed high-profile videos for several artists, including Britney Spears. BUT, the difference here was that this was a charity event on a par with "We Are The World" that wanted to do promo tie-ins with McDonalds, the choice of an inexperienced gay porno director to helm such a project, given Jacko's own notoriety, was inexplicable.

There's more good stuff to tell. Jacko's people supposedly owe lotsa people lotsa money for services that were bought but never paid for in connection with the video shoots and the cinematopgrapher recounts how he was instructed to surround Jacko with 4000-watt softlights from every angle coming at him. "Being as white as he is, in the video camera the picture is blown out. there's no detail. You just see a mouth and two eyes floating in space."

The cinematographer also recounts how several years earlier on a Janet Jackson video shoot which included Michael, he was told by Michael's people to stay back at least 11 feet and "Don't look or stare at him!!!!"

He said, "Hey, wait a minute, I'm the cameraman, I HAVE to look at him."

They also set up a shot where President Bush was supposed to call Michael--but after much effort they were told the Pres didn't have time.

It just goes on and on. One foolish gaffe after another.

One question: How did Paul McCartney ever lose control to the rights to his Beatles music? Was he hoodwinked? Why would such a rich man as himself ever give up the rights to such precious material??? I've never read how this happened, only that McCartney is pissed at Jackson because of it and wants his music rights back. Can anyone explain that one to me?

_________________
Make My Feet Wanna Dance!

Markydefad

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: markydefad on 2002-07-19 18:10 ]</font>

[Nano]

Marky, in the Beatles biography "The love you make" (by their lawyer Peter Brown) there's a detailed chapter about Northern Songs, the music publishing house build by John & Paul (advised by Brian Epstein) and how they lost the rights to their own material on the band's last days. By the way, it's a superb book, with plenty of insider's info and first-hand testimony.
Also, there's the whole story of the Apple Records project, which now sounds too fantastic but is true!

[markydefad]

So Nano, you're saying Paul & John lost the publishing rights to their music many years before Jacko acquired them? I had no idea. I assumed they owned them through the seventies and mid-80's until Jacko got them.

Whoever advised or allowed them to give up their publishing rights must have been a moron of the first magnitude or a guy who stood to gain from that sale. Unbelievable.

[markydefad]

Also, I should clarify that Marc Schaffel was really the Executive Producer of that charity single. I was maintaining he actually was directing the video--BUT I'm unclear whether that is true. Whatever, the article in New Times implies he was in totally over his head. The project called out for a Quincy Jones or some other savvy, show biz veteran to coordinate the many conflicting artist's schedules and somehow make the project happen. Schaffel was not up to the task, apparently.

Which leads me to the subject of all of these childhood friends of Jacko's. Now he supposedly attended a school at Hawthorn & Gardner in Hollywood, a couple blocks from where I live--they have a Michael Jackson Auditorium there. Did David Gest (Liza's shlubby hubby and the producer of Jacko's self-congratulatory NYC concert) and Marc Schaffel also attend that somewhat seedy, rundown school? Probably not. I can't quite believe Jacko EVER attended a class there either. Yet his name is on the building. PR, perhaps?

_________________
Make My Feet Wanna Dance!

Markydefad

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: markydefad on 2002-07-20 15:27 ]</font>

[Nano]

Marky, I don't have the Beatles book with me but it was something like this: in the mid-60's the Fab founded a music publishing company (as usual in England and USA) to manoeuvre the royalties payday. That's the famous Northern Songs quoted in all their early credits of Lennon-McCartney. But for tax reasons or something like that, it was arranged that the control of the company (51%) would be owned by some friends of the band. Around 1968, after Brian Epstein's death and the decision to let all their contract managing to then Stones producer Allen Klein (famous later for sue and being sued for both Beatles and Stones), John and Paul found that guys running Northern Songs for them had sold part of their shares, and the company even had gone public, so it was pretty impossible to get them back at once. This situation led to a big and long series of discussions and litigations between the Beatles, their managers, ex-managers, lawyers, etc., that lasted well into the Eighties (the Apple company was closed for good around 1985, you'll remember that because all Beatles records were reissued with the EMI label instead of the green apple).
A big chunk of Northern Songs ended in a public selling (around 1984), and of course being John dead, Yoko and Paul were the first bidders, but Jacko was fresh from Thriller's smash and offered even more than Macko could. Of course that ended with their collaborations and friendship.
There's plenty of stories like this in the rock and roll world. Billy Joel, for example, sued his own brother for cheating on him with royalties et al in the years he managed Billy's career. But of course you know about this, there you have Woody's claim against Jean Doumanian! Seems you can't trust anybody these days.