Michael Jackson Worth More Dead Than Alive? (part 2)

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MJ Michael Jackson Worth More Dead Than Alive? (part 2)When I was doing my research for this post (I know, you are shocked that I do research) I was looking for information about the rights to MJ image. What I found were a couple of interesting news items, I use the term ‘news’ loosely.

The first was a tree stump in Sacramento that suddenly took on the appearance of Michael Jackson. I was going to include a photo but, to be honest it just looks like, well, a tree stump……….

The second was about a fence in the San Francisco Bay area. A family noticed this unusual pattern on their fence this week. Depending on the time of day, they say it looks like a face looking forward or to the side. And that it looks a lot like Michael Jackson. “The strangest thing, is that I was listening to Michael’s music,” says a family member who wants to remain anonymous, “I was thinking about Michael’s life and his death when I saw it. I was feeling his music emotionally. I looked to my side, out the window, and there he was.”

michael jackson fence Michael Jackson Worth More Dead Than Alive? (part 2)

As you can see, there is quite an uncanny resemblance between The King of Pop and these planks of wood….

Mark Lester claimed that he was the father of Michael Jackson’s daughter. Am I the only one who thinks that it is sad that it would seem that the friends that MJ asked to donate were 1) his skin doctor and 2) a childhood star.

What I am getting at is that the dermatologist obviously played a large part in MJ’s sad life while Mark Lester was, like MJ, a child star who found adjusting to adult life difficult.

Whatever his faults, MJ was a sad person with problems and pressures that most of us will not know in our lives.

Oh yes, the image rights. It seems that the Jackson estate (for that read family and assorted lawyers) are going to settle deals about the image rights today. The rumour is that it will be just short of $100,000,000.

Just found another bit about MJ’s image. There is a tattoo site that says that tattoos of MJ are becoming popular, since he died. Before that apparently to display a tattoo of MJ invited attacks along the lines of ‘if you have a MJ tattoo you support pedophiles’.

Now, I hate tattoos. I can not think of anything worse that a young taught body bearing the image of a sex symbol and then seeing the same sagging, sun damaged body at 65.

However, If you have a MJ tattoo you do not necessarily support pedophiles, it just shows two things;

1. You lack foresight.
2. You like crap music.

Talking of which…………

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On This Day – Pipers Pipe

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Pink Floyd 68 On This Day    Pipers PipeOn this day in 1967 “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” is released by Pink Floyd. This was the first album released by Pink Floyd and showcased Syd Barrett’s vision and songwriting talents.

Regarded by many as an even better realisation of the quintessential English psychedelia of the time that Sgt. Pepper this album strangely (for the time did) not include the singles already released by Floyd “Arnold Layne” and “See Emily Play”. There are some stand out tracks such as Astronomy Domine, Interstella Overdrive, and the transcendent Mathilda Mother. There is also one complete nonsense song Bike. To me the best track is the driving and sinister Lucifer Sam.

As I remember, although my memory is somewhat hazy of this time……….. one criticism of the album was that it did not reflect Floyd’s live performances. This is true but with this album Floyd were beginning a long journey.

At the time Floyd had no overseas presence and that would not come until some 5 years later after the departure of Syd Barrett. Syd’s mental health declined soon after this album was released and he finally left the band in 1968 being replaced by David Gilmour.

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White Denim

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white denim White DenimI often read reviews of bands that refer to influences and there seems to be a settled list of arty influences claimed by most new bands with pretensions. That list includes Lou Reed (Velvet Underground), Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, The Doors, The Beatles. I usually ignore that bit of the review. When I read an article about White Denim some time ago I saw that one of them said “Zappa? yeah, but I think Beefheart has stayed with us more.” Now, that I could understand. That they would engage in a discussion about influences rather than just name check people was interesting.

Later I saw a review of the first album “Workout Holiday” which compared it with “Trout Mask Replica” (which, if you do not know is simply just the best rock album ever made, bar none). That, of course was rubbish, besides the reviewer was someone who’s judgment I did not trust. Then, in Mojo, there was a review of the second album “Fits”. In that it said that the comparison with “Trout Mask Replica” made on behalf of “Workout Holiday” was entirely justified. Now, here is a magazine I rate saying the same as the Sunday Times. I had to listen to White Denim.

Guess what?

The comparison between “Workout Holiday” and “Trout mask Replica” is entirely justified. These are not some lads trying to be The Magic Band. These are guys that seem to ‘get’ it. They are not reincarnations of Zoot Horn Rollo, The Mascara Snake, and Drumbo. They are their own people.

If you like the Captain you really should listen to the first album, you will not regret it.

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On This Day – The Boss and Anne Murray

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springsteen On This Day   The Boss and Anne MurrayRaised eyebrows and presumably a mixed reception as on this day in 1974 Bruce Springsteen opened for Anne Murray, the country singing star in New York.

Anne Murray was the golden haired, honey voiced, very clean and wholesome Canadian country singer whose biggest hit was the sweet, and so annoying, Snowbird. What the hell was Springsteen doing opening for her? It follows a long line of in appropriate couplings; The Who and Herman’s Hermits, Hendrix and Monkees etc.

This is Anne Murray;

And This is The Boss;

No conflict of styles there then………….

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On This Day – Jagger and Richards Appeal

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rolling stones On This Day   Jagger and Richards AppealOn this day in 1967 Mick Jagger and Keith Richards appealed their convictions on drug charges following a raid the previous February.

This saga began when a private party was raided by the police on 12 February at Keith’s house Redlands his mansion outside a little seaside town called West Wittering Sussex in the UK. There are many suspicions and theories about what really happened. Was David Schneiderman (aka the Acid King) who was invited as he could supply good quality drugs really a paid police informant, or working for the News of the World? Or both?

For those of you who may not know The news of the Word, was and is a Sunday newspaper that specializes in tittle tattle and gossip. Many of us think that if a story is not salacious enough they will spice it up….

It does seem strange that Schneiderman was not arrested or his big bag full of illegal chemicals searched. It would seem that the police were going for just two people, Jagger and Richards.

Jagger was charged with possessing half a dozen pills. Richards for allowing his premises to be used for drug use. Jagger’s pills could be bought legally over the counter inmost of Europe, but not in the UK. It may well have been that they were purchased, legally, in Italy and brought back into the UK. They were also prescribed to him by his doctor in the UK.

Neither had any previous convictions for drug offenses but were given savage sentences. Jagger got 3 months in jail and Richards 12. These sentences were well beyond those that would normally be expected. The righteous, smutty end of the press (including The News of the Screws) gloated. However, help was at hand for the pair from a very unexpected quarter.

The most influential newspaper at that time was The Times. Regarded as the newspaper of record it was the organ that spoke for and to the elite. Its editor at the time was William Rees-Mogg. Rees-Mogg was educated at Charterhouse and Balliol College, Oxford. He was President of the Oxford Union in 1951. He was a lifelong Tory standing for the right wing party unsuccessfully. He was very influential in the corridors of power. His leader comment in The Times is credited in persuading Alec Douglas-Hume to stand down as Prime Minister to make way for Edward heath.

It was this very well connected establishment figure who saved Jagger and Richards. He wrote a leader for The Times with the title “Who Breaks a Butterfly on a Wheel?” (strangely, perhaps, miss quoting Alexander Pope). In the leader he did not call for drugs to be legalised, did not praise Jagger of Richards. What he did do was to remind the establishment that justice must be the same for all, and that the sentences were well outside the norm and morally wrong.

Richard’s sentence was quashed and Jagger’s reduced to a suspended sentence and both were released from goal. They then released “We Love You” about the episode.

It is the only time I have admired Rees-Mogg and his ilk. Good on him.

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Sam Phillips Dies 30 July 2003

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sam phillips Sam Phillips Dies 30 July 2003Sam Phillips did more than most to shape popular music in the 50s and 60s.

As Owner and leading light of the mighty Sun Records he discovered or developed Presley, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Conway Twitty, Jerry Lee Lewis and more.

Inpite of this roll call of talent it is easy to forget that the path that Sun Records trod was not always easy. He had to sell Elvis’ contract to RCA to raise enough cash for the label to continue in 1955.

The legacy left by Sun Records is great and glorious.

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On This Day – John Denver Dumped

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john denver1 On This Day   John Denver Dumped On this day in 1986 RCA dumped John Denver, his crime? Recording a song called “What Are We Making Weapons For?”

You may know that I have absolutely no love for John Denver and others of his ilk.  However, they did not dump him because of crimes against music – which would have been fair enough.  NO, they dumped him because RCA was owned by General Electric and GE was one of the biggest US ‘defense contractors’ i.e. makers of weapons of mass destruction.

One of the companies helping to make the USA safe against the forces of Communism was so scared of one, not very good,  piddling little  song that they dumped the singer!

Had JD any sense, he would have waited 2 months to release the record, as GE had sold RCA by then…………

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Michael Jackson – Worth More Dead than Alive?

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MJ Michael Jackson   Worth More Dead than Alive?So what is going on with the Michael Jackson estate and debts?

Well, it seems that some of the legal suits against him could be dropped, at least those that depended on MJ’s testimony. Those based on non payment of written contracts will continue.

However, it would seem that the money making side of Jackson Enterprises is growing by leaps and bounds. Business for the Jackson family must be good La Toya (Who?) is out spending again. After days, well, minutes of grief it seems that this recently bankrupted, talentless Jackson is out and about buying loads, and I mean LOADS of clothes. All pretty unseemly. Even more unseemly is the reports that if the paparazzi lose her they receive discreet phone calls telling them where she is………………

Meanwhile there are rumours of a deal to film a fly on the wall £10 million reality programme.

Also underway is the reworking of the rehearsal takes fora proposed ‘live’ album. The family also look set to come to London next month for a concert to celebrate what would have been Michael Jackson’s 51st birthday.

Add to that a world tour for the Jackson 5 next year and it looks like the money machine is beginning to pick up pace……

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Michael Michael Jackson – Why Wait Till He’s Dead ? (part 3)

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I never thought when I started this blog that Michael Jackson would provide the first serial post, but then he was such a sad person perhaps I should have.

I said in the last post about Michael Jackson that we should expect lots of litigation. I am reminded by James (thanks James) that only in May of this year Ola Ray started proceedings against MJ. Ray played the girlfriend in the Thriller video. According to James she is an ex-playmate, but I do not know about that. She says that she is due a 2.5% of the revenues from the video plus SAG and AFTRA royalties (What are they?).

Another bit of litigation associated with Thriller was launched in January by John Landis, who directed the video. He claimed that he was owed 50% of “Thriller” video and documentary revenue.

So, Ray wants 2.5% Landis 50%, just how much would have been left for Jacko? Especially after he fought the litigation using one of his 13 (yes, 13) high profile and expensive lawyers. 2 things occur to me. First, in the late 50s (I think) there was a British film about an author who kept selling 10% of his successful play, he was a bit of an idiot, until his outgoings to agents, representatives etc. totaled 110% of the play’s takings.

The second thing that occurs to me is that you have no idea of the pressure that MJ must have been under. Financial, legal and personal. If it is true that his health was failing as badly as some are saying then undertaking such a large run of comeback shows must have been very daunting, and a desperate throw of the dice. If I was in that situation I think that I would want a sympathetic doctor as well………..

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On This Day – Folkies Go Wild!!

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On this day in 1965 the beards and sandals brigade at the Newport Folk Festival were very upset when Bob Dylan turned up backed by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band with his new electric sound. He was heckled and booed, eventually leaving the stage. Later he returned to the stage to play a couple of songs acoustically, ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ and ‘It’s All Over Now Baby Blue’.

One of the reasons that I positively hate the folk scene in the area of Northern England where I live is this holier than thou attitude that the beards and sandals have. The songs have to be treated as if they are national icons they can not be changed or played with. Given that they play in pubs and bars they have the nerve to come in start playing and then to ‘sush’ the paying punters who were there before they arrived!

I also have a problem with middle class English school teachers singing songs about working down the mine with all the passion of a vicar singing about fornication.

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