This is an audio mashup of Daft Punk’s Harder Better Stronger Faster and Billie Jean by Michael Jackson. The genius is that the DJ overlayed it right over the Daft Punk video and it still works seamlessly. With video and audio mixing in the hands of anyone with a laptop and creative spirit the mashup is truly becoming an art to itself and emerging video artists put it all together. An earlier post featuring the mashup of the commercial for the SlapChop did so well as a viral execution online that the company hired the DJ to do a produced version for the Shamwow in a similar style that actually aired on television.
Ok, so I went to see the movie last night. If you are a fan, this movie provides such great insight into the performer, artist and visionary.
More importantly though, it is a testament to the creative process. Both from the artist perspective, the amazing talent he surrounds himself with and the relationship behind Kenny Ortega (director) and Michael and how they communicate such a grand vision, such as this series of never-to-be-produced extravaganzas.
Put aside all of the drama, legal battles and accusations, personal tribulations associated with Michael and his family and focus on this as a biography of a performer and you will be riveted and inspired. The one thing I walked away from after seeing the movie was his ability to keep infusing “FEELING” - you have to FEEL, when to begin the song, the dance, it all permeates his “being” to be on-time, when it feels right to be-on-time. And seeing him access and communicate that on film makes this movie a must-see for fans.
So I was in Seattle this last weekend visiting family and when we were walking downtown I got attacked by zombies (that’s me above, truly frightened). Ok, not “real” zombies, and I wasn’t really attacked. But everywhere you looked there were people dressed and made up as the living dead. Come to find out that they were trying to set a world record for the most people simultaneously doing Michael Jackson’s Thriller dance. Titled, Thrill the World 2009, 400 cities worldwide took part in this record breaking event on Oct. 24 at 5:30pm PT. There were 250 participants of all ages, from all walks of life at the Seattle location. Participants got together every Saturday for 8 weeks for rehearsals. This was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in person.
A very sad day in many ways. I have always been a fan even through the strange and bizarre, media hyped and barraged, volatile and tortured life this entertainer lead. To give him what is due - he was a pioneer for pop music, a self-realized icon with a vision to be what he became - The King of Pop. Although I more so remember the days of being in my family station wagon and just buzzing with anticipation to head to the Record Bar music store in Wilmington, Delaware’s Concord Mall to buy OFF THE WALL. The album kids - vinyl. And so I did. I got the store, thumbed through quickly - snapping the plastic wrapped twelve-inch products till I got to the J’s. There it was, after the Jackson 5, and after The Jacksons, OFF THE WALL.
I remember staring at this album as if it were a life-changing event, all over an album. I stared at it in the backseat the whole way home, only to run as fast as I could to get upstairs and place the record ever so gently on my Stereophonic, hybrid system (you all remember the kind with record, radio, cassette and the really big speakers). I put it on and just stared at the record. Then a year later at the 1984 Grammy’s - seeing him do Billie Jean live on stage in front of millions - reinforcing his place in history amongst recording heroes through musical history of past and future.
It wasn’t until I got into high school, that I started to appreciate the impact that record had on me and the world (of pop/r&b music). Quincy Jones may have been the production mastermind behind Michael Jackson, but it was his unique style, talent, voice and of course his showmanship which skyrocketed him to stardom, only to follow up his first solo record with Thriller.
Now THRILLER.
I’ll keep this short. Visiting my grandparents in Florida for holiday, and MTV was going to air the music video, with a countdown - I watched the timer - never leaving the den. Finally, it came on, and I remember preaching to my grandparents - “You HAVE to watch this”. A pioneer once again by incorporating cinema with music, and breaking all the rules to produce a half million dollar video for a pop song. Shortly after that, my father in Delaware, did a fashion show for his hair salons, and the event was produced and themed - THRILLER, at the venue (for those of you in the Northeast in 70’s and 80’s) Pulsations - just over the Pennsylvania border. So memorable a time - and backed by a soundtrack from this amazing recording artist.
Of course there have been many other highlights to Michael Jackson’s life - as well as memories we wished weren’t directly related to his character - but life was successful, challenging, isolated, difficult and above all - really, full of surprises since he was the age of 10.
We will miss his music, the ground-breaking dancing and what his contribution to pop culture for many of us.
A snipet from the first moonwalk in 1984 at he Grammy Awards and a few other highlights.
It is important to note that in today’s information age this story was representative of how people interact in today’s online society. The news was reported first online, spread online, traffic at YouTube is flowing into his posted work and thousands of others around the world are posting tributes. Google News Servers were overrun with queries about him so much so that it triggered a security measure requiring validation. Millions of people on Facebook, forums and newsgroups around the world commenting and sharing, thousands of tributes posted via blogs. Twitter actually stalled over this news as it spread. As quoted here one of the biggest where-were-you moments in the digital age, and a testament to his career and talent.
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