In Switzerland, the first single from the upcoming ‘Thriller 25th Anniversary Edition` will be released on January 25, 2008. It will be a 2-track single:

1. The Girl Is Mine 2008 with will.i.am
2. The Girl is Mine 2008 with will.i.am (Club Remix)

MJFC can also exclusively present the planned single cover which was decided on Wednesday.

Click Here to see the cover.

We additionally received information that in Switzerland the Thriller 25th Anniversary Edition will also be released on vinyl.

Source: Sony Switzerland, MJFC-USA

The Recording Academy® announced the newest additions to its GRAMMY Hall Of Fame®, adding 70 recordings to a timeless list that now includes 798 titles. The Hall Of Fame serves as a celebration and reminder of the triumphs and achievements of the recording arts. Selections are drawn from all categories of music, acknowledging the diversity of musical expression for which The Recording Academy has become renowned.

“The GRAMMY Hall of Fame is one of The Academy’s most prized endeavours, spotlighting recorded musical masterpieces that have significantly impacted our musical history,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. “This year’s inductees span nine decades and represent a diverse array of genres from classical and show tunes to blues, jazz and rock and roll. They exemplify the best qualities that make the recording arts such a vital part of our culture — and each not only uniquely reflects the Zeitgeist of its time, but also possesses the enduring power of transcending time.”

The selections range from 1905’s “Give My Regards To Broadway” by Billy Murray to Michael Jackson’s 1982 album Thriller. Sixteen of the new entries came from the classical field including such recordings as Arturo Toscanini’s 1953 Verdi: Otello, Otto Klemperer’s 1963 Mahler: Symphony No. 2, Arthur Fiedler’s 1935 Gade: “Jalousie,” Vladimir Horowitz’s 1932 Liszt: Sonata In B Minor and Arthur Nikisch’s 1914 Beethoven: Symphony No. 5. Other recordings also chosen this year include the Mamas & The Papas’ “Monday Monday,” the Beatles’ “Help!,” Marian Anderson’s “He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands,” Cabaret - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Dionne Warwick’s “Alfie,” Jackie DeShannon’s “What The World Needs Now Is Love,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird,” and Louis Armstrong’s “St. Louis Blues.” Other artists with selections include Fred Astaire, Pink Floyd, Etta James, Billy Joel, the Police, Frank Sinatra, Sister Sledge, Barbra Streisand and Willie Nelson.

The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame was created in 1973 to honour recordings of lasting significance that were issued prior to the 1958 inception of the GRAMMY Awards. The Hall is now open to any recording that has been in release for at least 25 years. New submissions are chosen annually by a special member committee of experts and historians drawn from all branches of the recording arts. Their recommendations are approved by the Board of Trustees of The Recording Academy. The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame is unique in that it is open to all genres of music - popular as well as specialised forms.

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OFF THE WALL
Michael Jackson
Epic (1979)
Pop (Album)

THRILLER
Michael Jackson
Epic (1982)
Pop (Album)

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Full List: PDF / DOC

Announcement: PDF / DOC

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REMINDER: Thriller 25th Anniversary Edition is released in the USA on February 12th, and the GRAMMYs air live on February 10th.

Source: GRAMMY.Com

Well, this is nothing we would recommend for doing at home. However, the rock band Foo Fighters said in an interview that they have an unusual pre-gig ritual: They listen to Michael’s songs and get drunk. Frontman Dave Grohl said:

“Some bands pray to God they’ll have the best show of their lives. Some bands huddle in a rugby scrum and yell, ‘Go team!’

We listen to Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall and do Jager bombs, which are Dave Lee Roth juice. If you want to be Dave Lee Roth onstage, you need at least four Jager bombs to get you there.”

Source: Contactmusic

MJWN can exclusively reveal the exciting new tracklisting for the forthcoming single ‘The Girl Is Mine’ remixed by Michael Jackson and Will.i.am:

1. The Girl Is Mine – Will.i.am Single Version

2. The Girl Is Mine – Will.i.am Club Remix

3. The Girl Is Mine - Original Demo

The digital single will be released on January 14th 2008 as a one track single version. Then on January 28th 2008 the three track CD single will be released simultaneously with the three track digital version. A three track 12” Vinyl release is also planned, however the tracklisiting is currently to be confirmed.

The previously unheard original demo was recorded in the early 1980’s and features Michael singing both parts of the vocals (including Paul McCartney’s).

Source: MJWN

FERGIE JOINS THE THRILLER 25 PARTY WITH “BEAT IT 2008,” A NEW REMIX OF CLASSIC MICHAEL JACKSON TRACK PRODUCED & MIXED BY will.i.am

Pop culture superstar Fergie has joined an already stellar line-up of guest artists for the 25th anniversary edition of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, the world’s biggest selling album of all time. Alongside new remixes of classic Jackson tracks by musical contemporaries Kanye West, will.i.am. and Akon, Fergie has added her signature vocals to a new version of “Beat It” entitled “Beat It 2008,” produced and mixed by her fellow Black Eyed Pea will.i.am.

Thriller - original track listing - UK Chart Peaks
“Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” - (#8)
“Baby Be Mine”
“The Girl Is Mine” (with Paul McCartney) - (#8)
Thriller” - (#10)
“Beat It” - (#3)
“Billie Jean” - (#1)
“Human Nature”
“P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” - (#11)
“The Lady in My Life”

Bonus Material:
10. Vincent Price Excerpt
From “Thriller” Voice-Over Session

Previously Unreleased Tracks for 25th Anniversary Edition
11. The Girl Is Mine 2008 with will.i.am
12. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 2008 with will.i.am
13. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ 2008 with Akon
14. Beat It 2008 with Fergie
15. Billie Jean 2008 Kanye West mix
16. For All Time (unreleased track from original Thriller sessions)

Source: Sony BMG

By Roger Friedman

First of all, Michael Jackson has evidently found someone to buy his $300 million main loan from Fortress Investments.

The dubious winner of this prize is said to be HSBC, the same bank that recently wrote down $3.4 billion in losses on bad credit and closed several hundred branches.

Details are sketchy, but the international bank — with Sony’s help — is nevertheless taking on the debt. The refinancing should kick out about $20-$25 million in cash for the liquidity-free singer.

But it’s not all a golden story. Jackson still owes Fortress $23 million for the loan secured by his Neverland Ranch. The default notice issued Oct. 12, 2007, had a 90-day moratorium, which means time is running out. The deadline before foreclosure would run somewhere between Jan. 12 and 19.

And guess what? Jackson, my sources say, will not use that new cash to pay the Neverland debt.

“It’s all the money he has,” one source says. “And you know how fast he can run through that.”

More than likely he won’t pay off the $4 million mortgage he’s got on his parents’ home in Encino, either.

But Jackson may have a way to make money. As I told you last week exclusively, AEG Live has been talking to Jackson about doing a tour. Now I hear that the proposal is to do a series of shows just at the O2 Arena outside of London, the same venue where Led Zeppelin just played.

The shows would run from March through April, all at O2. They’d be stripped down, and not big productions. Fans would be expected to travel to Jackson rather than make him go around the world.

They’d also be pricey for fans, because Jackson would by then need some big, big bucks to fill his emptying coffers. But it might be worth it: the word is that the basis of the show would be, soup to nuts, a 25th anniversary re-creation of “Thriller” to go along with the soon-to-be-released Sony CD and video package.

AEG’s Randy Phillips, who used to co-manage Rod Stewart, is behind the plan. Sources say he and Jackson have met several times, and that Michael “is in good shape.”

But insurance is still an obstacle, and so is Jackson’s mental health. Whether he would actually be able to fulfill such a contract remains to be seen.

“This is just in the talking stages and you never know what will happen,” says a source.

Source: FOX News

The team of the UK fan club MJWN have attended an exclusive hearing of 3 songs from Michael’s upcoming album ‘Thriler 25th Anniversary Edition’. Below follow parts of their review:

THE SINGLE:

‘The Girl Is Mine’ […] has a heavy beat and Paul McCartney’s vocals from the original song have been removed. New unheard vocals from Michael also appear at the end of the song. The song is just over three minutes in length. It’s absolutely FANTASTIC and could easily be a number one single. Probably the best re-mix to be given to a Michael song.

‘Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’’ – Akon has given this classic song a new modern touch. It’s predominately a cover (rather than remix) with Michael providing backing vocals and one verse.

‘For All Time’ – This is a wonderful ballad with loads of emotion driving through it. Many know that it has unfortunately been leaked in the past. For those who have heard this version around the Internet, this is the same version but re-mastered to sound brilliant as well as featuring a bridge in the song that has previously not been heard. The song is just over four minutes in length.

THE ALBUMS:

The album will be released in four different ways:

Classic CD Edition:
This will be an audio CD featuring the tracklist as per the Press Release. It will have a cardboard slip on case with the traditional ‘Thriller’ picture. The only twist will be that it is a holographic cover.

Zombie CD Edition:
The content is identical to the Classic Edition, but has the famous picture of Michael with the zombies around him as the slip on case display. This will also be a holographic cover.

Deluxe Limited Edition:
This comes as a hardbound book, containing the same CD and DVD as above. However it will also come with a booklet containing more photos and extra content. This will be limited to only 20,000 copies.

12” Vinyl:
The album will be released as a gatefold double LP. A must have for all collectors!

PROMOTION:

As well as planned posters and radio advertising, the album will get a thirty second TV advert; the first time ‘Thriller’ has ever been advertised on TV. The advertisements are due to start on February 11th.

The single ‘The Girl Is Mine’ will get its first radio airplay on the same day as the digital release, January 14th.

The Classic and Zombie CD Editions, with an audio CD and DVD, will be printed up to near the end of 2008. They then plan to revert to just the audio version of the CD being sold.

For the complete MJWN review, click here.

Source: MJWN

‘The Girl Is Mine’ will be released as the first single from the upcoming album ‘Thriller 25th Anniversary Edition’. The digital single will be released on January 14, 2008 (UK). Additionally it will be released as a three track CD version on January 28, 2008.

The song, originally a duet of Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson, has been remixed by Michael Jackson and Will.I.Am.

According to MJWN, who have been able to listen to the song already, it has a heavy beat and Paul McCartney’s vocals from the original have been removed. New vocals from Michael also appear at the end of the song which is just over 3 minutes in length.

MJWN’s review:

“It’s absolutely FANTASTIC and could easily be a number one single. Probably the best re-mix to be given to a Michael song.”

Source: MJWN

According to multiple media reports, the Jackson 5 were set to appear at Jermaine Dupri’s New Year’s Eve bash at the producer’s Studio 78 nightclub in Atlanta. Dupri, boyfriend of Michael’s sister Janet, supposedly announced the appearance while hosting his radio show on Atlanta’s V-103. But in an exclusive statement to MTV News, Dupri clarified his comments:

“Jermaine Dupri and Friends’ is a Jackson 5 celebration, meaning music is in the air and lots of J5 loving everywhere. [But] if you’re coming to stargaze and not party, don’t come.”

A representative for Dupri said the producer didn’t exclude the Jackson 5 from the party, but he wanted to emphasize that the gala was primarily a theme celebration, not a promoted event featuring the legendary group.

Source: MTV

While Michael was staying at the house of the Cascio family in New Jersey some time ago, he and his children went shopping for some halloween costumes at “The Halloween Store” in Wyckoff, Bergen County on October 31. A worker at the store said about the visit:

“He had like a black turban covering his neck and his face. He was wearing shades and a baseball cap. He only spoke to his assistant, but I knew it was him. His voice was high pitched.

I was so excited. I couldn’t believe he was there.”

Michael bought $200 worth of disguises - including a cream, gold and black Mardi Gras mask and a king’s robe.

The Cascio family has been close friends of Michael for years. He ate at Cascio’s Aldo’s Italian Restaurant, but otherwise kept a low profile in the Jersey suburbs. A neighbor of the Cascios said:

“I wish I’d seen him. I know they’re friends with him, and I heard he was there. But we never saw him.”

Source: NY Daily Nes