Über den Verbleib der HIStory Statuen berichtet die BBC in diesem Artikel: Giant MJ statues popped up 30 years ago. Where have they gone?
Brad Sundberg erinnert sich mit Rob Hofman, Tony Black und Matt Forger an die Studioaufnahmen von HIStory: Hier auf YouTube.
Dazu schrieb Sundberg auf seiner Facebook-Seite ‚In The Studio with MJ‘:
June 25th.
Each year this day puts me into a reflective mood.
I start thinking of the endless list of songs, conversations, jokes, hugs, shared meals, amazing moments in the studio, at the ranch, on video sets, in hotels, at concert venues.
Twenty years is a long time to have a working friendship with someone, and when that someone happens to be Michael Jackson it adds a unique twist.
I loved working with Michael and watching him create music that the world loves. With loving respect, each year I choose to celebrate Michael’s life and legacy through stories, insights and teaching – which is what I am doing this weekend in Frankfurt, Germany.
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A few days ago I had a bit of a reunion conversation with some of my fellow engineers from Michael Jackson’s remarkable history project, released 30 years ago this month.
When we started the history project in January of 1994. I was barely 30 years old and had already known Michael for nearly a decade, having worked with him on Captain EO, Bad and Dangerous.
This project was very different right from day one. For starters we left sunny LA and set up in New York city, literally in the middle of a snowstorm.
New studios.
Living in hotels.
Freezing weather.
Michael had been through a pretty rough couple years, but he was back, and he had brought back many of the people that he knew and trusted to help create this album.
As winter rolled in the spring, the snow started to thaw and the music was coming in fast and furious. More production teams were added, and soon we had several studios booked at The Hit Factory in NYC.
By summer we were flying musicians in from LA (we brought the Andre Crouch Choir out at least twice), and adding studio teams in Atlanta, Virginia Beach, and Minneapolis. Bruce Swedien used to say we were so busy we didn’t have time to get hair cuts!
In the fall we had more songs than we knew what to do with, so some had to be set aside while we focused on the most powerful and most important to Michael:
They Don’t Really Care About Us
Childhood
Scream
Stranger In Moscow
You Are Not Alone
Earth Song
2Bad
The list was strong and growing. This was more than an album, it was emotional, angry, cathartic, theatrical and powerful.
Winter came and we moved most of the production back to LA (another NY winter didn’t hold a lot of appeal to us Californians) to dive into final production and mixing.
It was a mammoth undertaking, one that very few artists would have the courage, talent, experience and team to attempt. I very intentionally use the word „courage“ in describing Michael creating the HIStory album. He wasn’t afraid to tackle topics like racism, the environment, injustice, suffering, loneliness. I also point at his courage in an unexpected way: If you listen to Little Susie and the remarkable intro that we produced, Michael takes you on a sonic journey for two minutes and fifty-five seconds before you ever hear his voice. Try to imagine another artist with that much self-assurance as to let the audience wait for nearly three minutes before they open their mouth.
That’s Michael.
Now, I have three bits of info for you while I have your attention.
First, I will be in Frankfurt this weekend presenting the Virtual Tour of Neverland, the full In The Studio With MJ event, and Mixing and Stories In The Studio With MJ! Then we’ll be in Amsterdam on July 26th for a special Mixing and Stories In The Studio With MJ event!
Tickets on sale now at www.inthestudiowithmj.com
Next, I would like to invite you to check out my buddy Chris Lacy’s beautiful and articulate tribute to Michael’s HIStory album here – https://thevioletreality.com/michael-jacksons-history-turns-30-scream-survive-smile-3c6bb690c511
Lastly, I am happy to invite you to listen to my roundtable discussion about the HIStory project with four of the engineers including Tony Black, Matt Forger, Rob Hoffman and me here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL7I_2FyPt0
Have a great week and I hope to see you in Germany this weekend or the Netherlands next month! More dates in the works including London, Copenhagen, Oslo, LA and more! Plus we’ll host another Virtual Tour of Neverland online this summer. Thanks for your support and for keeping Michael’s music alive and strong!
Brad