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August 29, 2002 Michael Jackson's birthday September 11, 2002 Charity Night at Pentagon - event/performance (USA) Michael might perform together with many other artists to remember the victims of September 11th, 2001 [NOT CONFIRMED YET] August 3, 2002 Sony Is Falling Apart Sony and Michael Jackson continue fighting but Sony is in their own struggle that does not involve the King of Pop. Now the following article came from a business magazine so you may or may not be able to understand what it all means. But, now that Sony Music is falling apart, could the end of Michael Jackson vs. Sony Music be near? Sony Music ends the week on a tragic note, as major cutbacks to their workforce are happening in all divisions. Close to 1000 employees are receiving pink slips... 600 U.S. workers and another 400 international staffers. The Network Magazine Group has confirmed that the San Francisco and Washington, D.C. branches have been shut down. Earlier reports had stated that the company was planning to lay off about 2% of it's U.S. staff, or approximately 100 employees, with a spokesperson telling Reuters, "Sony Music confirms it is redirecting its resources in order to maximize the efficiency of its operations and effectively meet the challenges of an evolving industry," but the latest news from inside the company suggests that the layoffs are far more sweeping and widespread. Sony's Music division posted an $86 million operating loss in the first quarter of 2002, with sales down nearly 6% from the same time last year. :. August 3, 2002 Will Smith Impressed By Michael Jackson's Strength In an interview with Teen Hollywood, infamous American actor, Will Smith, who portrays Agent Jay in 'Men In Black II,' was surprised to find himself intimidated by Michael Jackson's physical presence on the set. In the interview he stated, "The persona that is created of Michael Jackson is very different when you're in a room with him, when you're talking to him. He's very funny. He actually fights. I was surprised. He's like a blue belt in Tae Kwan Do or something. I'd just done 'Ali,' and I felt that Michael Jackson might be able to hurt me. That dude looks sharp. He's a fast mover. You see how somebody could dance and move that good and do those spins. That takes strength man." :. August 3, 2002 Little Richard Says Michael Jackson Is A Great Performer & Entertainer In a recent interview with the NY Post, Little Richard responded to questions regarding Michael Jackson: NY Post: "Recently, Michael Jackson said the music business is racist. You're a black man who has had a very long career - is Michael Jackson right?" Little Richard: "Michael is a very good friend, but I haven't seen him lately. I don't know what Michael's situation is, but I wish him the best. He is a great performer and a great entertainer. I couldn't answer a question about what he is thinking." NY Post: "But from your own experience, does his claim have validity?" Little Richard: "The music business today is so good to performers. These days artists own their own record companies, produce their own records - they even have clothing lines. So I want to say I don't know about Michael's situation. From my own situation, all I can say is that God has been very good to me." :. August 2, 2002 Virgin Records Want Michael Jackson It is expected that by the end of next week Virgin Records will contact Michael about a recording deal. On July 30th the owner of Virgin was on CNBC speaking about the company. When asked about the Sony vs. Michael Jackson situation she said she doesn't know much about that, but she would be contacting Michael soon about a possible contract involving Mr. Jackson and Virgin Records. Now, Virgin does have something that other record companies don't. It's no high technology and its not a lot of money because Michael Jackson will get money no matter where he goes. But Virgin does have a very talented female artist on their label. I believe her name is Janet Jackson, ever heard of her? :. August 2, 2002 A Contract With Distillery Music Group? The Kentucky (United States) based label Distillery Music Group will have a contract in Michael's hands today. Now, many people haven't heard of the company and are probably wondering why they are going for Michael. According to many the Distillery Music Group has some high technology that would make Michael jump up and down on his toes. It seems according to Michael's last album "Invincible" that Michael is interested in a new techno sound. With such songs as 'Heartbreaker' and 'Invincible'. Michael has kept his new album under wraps and hardly little if any true information has leaked. We expect that Michael's new album could be released in the next 8 months. If this deal is accepted by Michael we could see a by the end of the year release. :. August 2, 2002 Rodney Jerkins Speaks About "Invincible" The co-producer of Michael's latest album "Invincible" has spoke out about "Invincible" and about the rumors saying that Michael didn't put his best work on the album on purpose. Rodney Jerkins told Cut magazine: "There's a lot stuff, which people haven't heard. There's unfinished stuff, stuff that needs going back to. I'm confident I'll be collaborating with Michael again. I really want people to hear some of the stuff we did together which never made the cut. There's a whole lot of stuff, just as good, maybe better. People have gotta hear it." "Michael records hundreds of songs for an album. So we cut it down to 35 of the best tracks and picked from there. It's not always about picking the hottest tracks, it's gotta have a flow, so there's a good album's worth of material that could blow your mind. I really hope this stuff comes out because it's some of his best." :. August 2, 2002 Irv Gotti Goes To "Neverland" As you should know by now Michael Jackson is bringing in Irv Gotti to produce most of his tracks for his next album. Gotti sat down with MTV to talk about the historical meeting between the two. The first thing Gotti wanted the people to know was "Michael has not signed with Murder Inc." As the two knew they wanted to work together they fought over were to meet. As Irv Gotti wanted to meet at a studio, but Michael usually gets what he wants, so Irv Gotti was off to "Neverland". The trip took place about two months ago. "You're in the helicopter and you're around nothing but mountains," Gotti recalled of the trip. "Then you just see the amusement park. Then you see horses running around. He's got 2,700 acres of land. The heliport is by the amusement park. You get out the helicopter, you get into the car and it's like a 5- or 10-minute ride to the front house. "There're elephants, camels and giraffes walking around like we got cats and dogs. You go inside, they give you a menu for the house! It's just off the chain." "Going in, you don't know what to expect," Gotti said. "You're thinking he's a weirdo. He comes out, [and] for the first 5 or 10 minutes when you're looking at him you're a little bugged out, 'cause you look over and there's a picture on the mantel and he's black, and then when you look at him [in person], he's white. "You heard all the stories, 'He's gotta have tape [on the bridge of his nose], his nose is gonna fall off,' " Irv added. "Nah, that's bull. After 5 minutes or 10 minutes, I swear to God, he's just Mike. It's just a normal conversation. This guy ain't no weirdo or anything like that. He's like a regular dude." Irv went on to say he has never been so inspired by an artist during a meeting as he was during this one. Irv said he wanted to get to working right there, but Jackson wouldn't allow it. So will the King of Pop and the Hitman of Murder Inc. make a great team? We'll find out! :. August 1, 2002 Choreographer Darrin Henson Says Michael Jackson Inspired To Perform In a recent webchat on Newsround, renown choreographer and dance instructor, Darrin Henson, answered questions of what it was like to work with celebrities and which celebrities were his favorite. Newshost: What exactly have you done, what haven't you done? Darrin Henson: I did "Bye, Bye, Bye" - won an MTV music award for that; Britney Spears - "You Drive Me Crazy"; Christina Aquilera - "Genie In A Bottle"; I worked with Michael Jackson; Jagged Edge's "Where's The Party At" and tons more. Shabnam, 12 (Preston): Who has been your favorite person to work with? Darrin Henson: That would be every member of 'N Sync and Michael Jackson. I worked with Michael Jackson on his "HIStory" video, the last album he had before this Invincible and it was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had in my life. He was just a person that inspired me most of my life to actually perform and a lot of the movement that you see in most of the videos is sharp and hard and staccato as they are came from me honoring what Michael Jackson has done - things like "Thriller" and "Beat It" and "Bad" stuff like that - "Smooth Criminal". Laura, 14 (Dorset): Do you ever get star struck? Darrin Henson: Yes, absolutely. I was with Michael Jackson.... a little bit less of course with Britney Spears and 'N Sync because I was working with them while we were doing both of our processes. But definitely when I worked with Michael Jackson and 'N Sync, I didn't talk to anybody for about an hour after meeting them. Sinead, 14 (Colne): Who taught you to dance? Darrin Henson: Actually like I said I just used to watch Michael Jackson's videos. And what I do - and I'll tell you guys a secret - what you can do is put your television screen there, take a mirror, put the mirror opposite of it, look through the mirror to the television and then practice to the mirror because then you'll be on the same side as what you're watching, so it's opposition in the mirror turns that back around, so it would be like you're dancing with the actual artist - that was my secret. :. August 1, 2002 Working With Michael Jackson Was The Best Feeling In The World Pharrell Williams of NERD and The Neptunes has enjoyed much success producing hits for 'N Sync, Britney Spears and hip hop artists from Jay-Z to Mystikal, among others. During a recent interview with New Nation, Williams states, "Meeting Michael Jackson has been the best moment of all this. He [Jackson] said that the song I made for him, 'What's A Guy Gotta Do?' [submitted for Jackson's 'Invincible' album], was all right. He said he liked it but in the end it wasn't for him." Even though this song didn't make the final cut of Michael's latest CD, "Invincible," Williams concludes of his experience in working with Michael, "That was the best feeling in the world." :. July 31, 2002 Michael's Magic - An Inspiration To Young Artists Michael Jackson is obviously a serious musical force to be reckoned with. Truth is - Michael Jackson is everywhere! For instance, Usher, leaps on the stage at the start of his show and just stands there. A strong reminder of Michael Jackson concerts. And that's not all, take into account the wind machines, blowing smoke and white shirt, Michael Jackson style. Even "Thriller" springs to mind on seeing Usher's Jordans covered in sequins. "I'll admit, I'm following in the footsteps of the people that I've been exposed to," says Usher. "When I look at Michael Jackson perform, his energy is just incredible. He goes for hours. And just when you think he's winding down, he'll come back and just kill it! Do a dance solo that... [he stops, shaking his head in disbelief] I'm striving to be that. I'm striving to take what I have to that level. I think people's interest in old Michael is kind of like mine. I listen to his earlier material and it just drives me crazy. I almost want to cry because he's singing so perfectly." R&B singer and songwriter Donell Jones' admiration for Michael is just as clear: "Let me tell you something. If you think I sounded like Michael on that record, you should have heard the demo. The guy who sang it sounded like the King of Pop himself. So there was just no way around doing that song like that. Besides, I've sung his records all my life. So it's not like I'm trying to sing like Michael Jackson; I just can't help it." Singer Monica is hoping that a portion of Jackson's "Pretty Young Thing", is just as irresistible. The first single from her new album, "All Eyez on Me," uses takes from the "P.Y.T." recording session, which Jackson himself provided. "I thought it would be good to start my album off with something kind of light and fun," Monica says. "A 'P.Y.T.' for 2002!" Usher, Jones, and Monica have proved, there's no getting away from the King of Pop Michael Jackson. He IS everywhere! :. July 30, 2002 Boyz II Men Speak On Racism In The Music Industry Recently, Michael Jackson and many others spoke on racism in the music industry and artists' rights during the Music Industry Initiative Summit. A lot of artists have come forward with their own experiences of racism in the music industry. At a recent album release party, Shawn Stockman, of Boyz II Men, told Webster Hall curator Baird Jones that, while he hated to play the race card, "if Boyz had been a white group they would have made the cover of Time magazine 10 years ago when they broke the No. 1 hit string earlier put together by Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel." It was like a full paragraph in Billboard and then nothing." Fellow Boyz II Men, Nathan Morris agreed, "When we had found out that we had broken Elvis' record we were in London. We came back to the States and it just seemed that everyone was so loyal to Elvis there was a complete media blackout. I mean, can you imagine the publicity that would have occurred if Celine Dion or Madonna had broken that record." :. July 30, 2002 Winner Of Michael Jackson's "I Have This Dream" Contest Tonos and AOL Music are proud to announce the Winner of Michael Jackson's "Dream" Songwriting Contest. The winning lyric, as judged by the song's co-writers Carole Bayer Sager, David Foster and Michael Jackson, came from Ric Kipp of Nashville, Tennessee. "After receiving so many great entries, making a final decision was extremely difficult," says Sager. "However, in the end, we felt that Ric Kipp from Nashville best captured the lyrical vision that David, Michael and I had when we first began writing this song. "After choosing Ric, we flew him out to Los Angeles for a co-writing session with David and I, and we are proud of the final lyric. Ric proved himself to be very professional and a very accomplished lyricist in his own right, who truly worked hand-in-hand with us on this song and the results of this collaboration are now here for all to see. "We're currently working out a time for Michael to come in and record his vocals on this project. We'd like to thank all those who took the time to submit their heartfelt lyrical entries that in this small way can help bring all of us in the world closer together." "I Have This Dream" - lyrics by Ric Kipp, music composed by Michael Jackson We are here, then we're gone In the end only love lives on So take a moment while you can To stop one heart from breaking I've felt peace and I've felt pain Every generation seems to pass the blame It's up to us to make a change Let it ring across the land I have this dream, which I believe That the world can live as one in harmony Every child who's born Needs to believe that he belongs I have this dream You and I have this chance To hold the future in our hands We can light the darkest night And make a new tomorrow I have this dream, which I believe That the world can live as one in harmony Every child who's born Needs to believe that he belongs I have this dream It's a dream that once began Becomes a song that has no end And when the angels all join in We'll make the heavens sing :. July 29, 2002 Jermaine Jackson Defends His Brother In a blistering, exclusive interview with The Final Call, Jermaine Jackson, older brother of recording superstar Michael Jackson and a member of the Jacksons singing group defended Michael and his call for Sony Music Corp. to open its books and give artists and managers fair compensation. He also urged his brother's detractors to hold their tongues and wait until all the facts in the controversy are revealed. Jermaine Jackson was responding to comments by hip hop guru Russell Simmons and entertainers that were critical of Michael and defended Sony CEO Tommy Mottola. "We believe that the amount of record sales attributed to Michael is understated," said Jermaine Jackson. "There are numerous artists who are deceived by record companies who overwhelm them with lawyers, accountants, publicists, double talk, false practices and shady business dealings. It is our intention to ensure that gifts of petty handouts, past or present, do not compromise all those who support Michael and our family. We want to assure all that together we can fight racism in the music business without limitation. The Jackson family hopes to serve as a vehicle for Black artists past and present," he said. The "King of Pop" delivered stinging accusations against the music industry as a whole while attending a July 6 gathering at Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network headquarters in Harlem. Michael Jackson decried industry racism, citing historic exploitation of Black artists and called Mr. Mottola a racist. He also alleged that Mr. Mottola once referred to an artist as "a fat, Black nÃ¥gro." Sony denied the accusations, accusing Michael Jackson of trying to attract media attention. Other critics questioned why the claims of racism were only surfacing now, and accused Michael Jackson of trying to cut money owed to Sony because of lackluster sales of his album Invincible. Jermaine Jackson told The Final Call that Sony claims about money spent to promote Invincible were inflated. Inaccurate accounting has historically been used to exploit Black artists, he charged. Sony says it spent million in the promotion, packaging and distribution of the album. Sony also says Invincible sold just two million units in the United States, a far cry from industry expectations. Michael Jackson's previous albums Thriller and Bad still rank one and two, respectively, on the list of all-time selling albums in music history. According to Jermaine, he and his brother want Sony to sign a full disclosure clause, which agrees to detail each artist's account, record sales, distribution costs and publicity expenses. Further, he added, another demand is that the recording giant disclose standardized payments for artists-similar to rules governing professional basketball contracts. The salary structure should also be revamped, he said. "For new artists, it will structure them and help them to scrutinize better their choice of lawyers, accountants and representatives of their work. They need to be taught the ropes of the business," Jermaine said. Artists need to understand how to manage their careers, how to chose a record label, an attorney and how to avoid ending their careers broke, he said. "The industry looks at us solely as a medium to make money. But as soon as we get smart and educate ourselves, we become harder to deal with. If they can get away with destroying someone as large as Michael, what hope does a new artist or any of us have?" Jermaine asked. He plans to build a "Global Information Network," that will investigate and reveal information about the music industry and its business practices. "Power 101 Analysis will profile the top music companies, their boards of directors, identify top Blacks in each company and review their primary sources of funding," Jermaine said. He also plans to tour the country to promote his Global Information Network and share information about the music business. Asked about the timing of his brother's allegations against the industry, Sony and Mr. Mottola, in particular, Jermaine replied, "Tommy Mottola has used nepotism and cronyism to assure total financial control. Michael Jackson is the foundation for Sony Music. He is the cornerstone upon which others were able to build a career. We believe that Sony through Mr. Mottola, and others, has escaped responsibility for its own history, by seeking to undermine my brother Michael to enrich themselves. In light of all of these corporate blunders, we should not be surprised by news of corporate corruption. If they are attacking him (Michael) they are attacking me! And I am not going to sit by and let them just say and do anything," he vowed. :. July 27, 2002 Record Label In Possible Talks With Jackson Distillery Music Group, LLC (DMG) emerges as a contender to sign Michael Jackson to its record label. Upon allegations of racism against Sony by Jackson, DMG is preparing for talks with the Jackson Camp about a record deal. After the past months, reports of Jackson's relationship with Sony ending, DMG has been readying itself to make an offer to Jackson that will prove the seriousness of their intentions. "We may not be the kind of operation that an artist like Michael Jackson is used to," said DMG President Jonathan Hay, "but we have everything all the major labels have plus something that no other label has and that is some groundbreaking technology that will change the way the Internet is used today. Something of this magnitude may be enticing to Mr. Jackson." DMG, based out of Louisville, KY, currently sports a roster of up-and-coming artists as well as management and promotion of Interscope recording artist Travis Meeks of Days of the New. The label is the first of its kind in the music industry, possessing an innovative 3-D technology created by the programmers of the entertainment games Dungeons and Dragons, Dragon's Lair, War Games and Spy Hunter appearing on each of its artist's CDs. "Invincible" Support Campaign - full article This document was prepared to logically collect, collate, and expose information pertaining to the recent developments that have transpired between Michael Jackson and his record label, Sony Music. It has been alleged that Sony Music has attempted to sabotage Jackson and his recent album "Invincible" and have done so by severely manipulating the mass media. Thus, this document serves to provide a comprehensive account of the circumstances surrounding the aforementioned parties for the purposes of raising awareness amongst the mainstream media and consequently, the public at large. Herein contained is an analysis of the promotion of the album "Invincible" as well as that of the accompanying strategic course of action concerning Jackson, as undertaken by Sony Music. Review of the contained information will sufficiently position oneself to draw a conclusion as to why Sony Music did not actively promote "Invincible" and bring to light an unfortunate display of the abuse of power and the use of questionable tactics by Sony Music against its own roster artist, Michael Jackson. The information herein contained originates from various reliable sources close to the parties involved; each of whom has requested their identity remain confidential in order to protect against potential legal ramifications and accusations of professional liability. On Tuesday, April 23, 2002, three major European-based fan clubs of Jackson's released a carefully constructed joint statement, which was claimed to have emanated from autonomous but connected sources close to the matter. The statement revealed that Sony Music had specifically made it a mandate to halt all promotional activities surrounding Jackson's latest album and indicated that Jackson would never again record another studio album for Epic/Sony Music. If these sources are correct, then the current situation between the aforementioned parties may very well be one of complicated and calculated derailment, organized and authorized from the upper echelon of Sony Music. In one word, this can be described as corporate SABOTAGE of an album and an artist. Just hours before this article was to be released, USA Today exclusively revealed that Jackson had acquired the services of Reverend Al Sharpton and lawyer Johnnie Cochran to question Sony Record executives about their business dealings with him and to investigate problems of unpaid royalties and onerous contracts. Sharpton and Cochran plan to make an official announcement in New York shortly. This story only adds further credence to the validity of the claims made by insiders against Sony Music and its tactics. On October 30th, 2001, Jackson marked his return to the international pop scene by commercially releasing his first new music in more than six years on an album titled "Invincible". Today, only eight months after its release, "Invincible" has dropped off the Billboard 200 album chart with domestic sales of approximately 2 million copies. Interestingly, Jackson did not try once to revive the album during its sudden downfall. Two important and unanswered questions linger large: First, why would Jackson, known for his elaborate and promotionally driven media campaigns, choose to remain silent for the first time ever in his career? Second, can Jackson's silence be attributed to a personal decision not to participate and collaborate with a corporation that is unethically trying to derail his career? Insiders privy to the complicated situation between Jackson and Sony have indicated that by June 2001, Sony Music became aware of Jackson's intentions to leave the label. Unfortunately, given Jackson's complicated financial arrangements with Sony (i.e. half ownership in the LLC Sony/ATV publishing catalogue, his rumoured block of Sony Entertainment stock, etc.), it was acknowledged by some within the Sony orbit that Jackson exiting Sony could result in a financial deficit to a division beset by restructuring due to a depressed music economy. In fact, the entire Sony division, while posting moderate gains in a depressed economy, downsized by letting go of thousands of workers worldwide. By the third quarter of the fiscal year, the only reason that the Sony Entertainment division posted a gain was because of the heightened value of the Yen when converted to Western currencies. One of the foundations of the profit margin of the music division was the Music Publishing Department. Without Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the overall profit margin of the music division would have been significantly less. Sources state that in 1995, Jackson signed a contract, which would allow him to take his half of the ATV catalogue upon exiting the label, as well as 50% of the earnings from ATV and Sony Publishing during the years of the LLC. The LLC between Jackson and Sony gained considerably in value since its inception, with perhaps hundreds of millions of dollars in liquid assets. Thus, if Jackson were to leave the label, Sony may be forced to transfer half of the LLC assets and half of the music publishing catalogues they acquired together with Jackson. Furthermore, Sony Music may have to find hundreds of millions of dollars to pay Jackson. Thus, in a depressed industry, the label would be faced with losing a substantial amount of its overall profit margin. What if Sony did not have the available means to pay out Jackson? Opinions vary. It may open up unfavorable avenues that Sony Music would not like to explore. One possibility is an option for Jackson to buy the entire division, pending the acquisition of proper financing. If Jackson left the label, it would not be out of the realm of possibility that one of the majors would provide the financing for Jackson to acquire the entire publishing division, while capturing his considerable services as a global recording artist from Sony. This gives rise to the scenario that many have been speculating about: Sony Music engaged in a series of calculated tactics to undermine Jackson's professional and personal reputation, as well as to inhibit the impact and recognition of his artistic efforts. The reason? The label allegedly wanted to make Jackson as unattractive to potential buyers and financial backers as possible. Therefore, it has been stated that Sony Music set out to spread a series of rumours regarding his commercial and financial viability so that other major labels would elect to bypass him as a potential roster artist. Without interest, Jackson would be pressured into remaining at his current label. The following is a synopsis of the strategic tactics that have been allegedly devised and implemented by Sony in an attempt to undermine Jackson and his recording career. It has been said that Sony Music engaged and continues to engage in a campaign of diffusing false information to media outlets in order to make Jackson appear as unattractive as possible to potential labels.Insiders have speculated that Sony Music used entertainment columnist Roger Friedman to falsely report on Jackson's supposed financial instability. The first stories of financial difficulty appeared in the spring of 2001. In the early nineties, according to Friedman, Jackson placed a 200 million dollar loan against his publishing. Recently, Friedman wrote that his Sony sources told him that Richard Rowe - the head of the music-publishing department, was on the phone with Jackson because the Sony Corporation was about to foreclose on the Sony/ATV catalogue before the end of the fiscal year. This story was then picked up by numerous news agencies. Finally, Sony released a carefully constructed statement indicating that they had no intention to buy the catalogue from Jackson. Friedman conveniently noted that Sony was never trying to buy the catalogue, but to foreclose on it. Was this loophole in the Sony statement an accident or an attempt to mislead the readers into thinking that Jackson was truly going to lose the Beatles catalogue?It is to be noted that Fox411 is a gossip column and that no other media outlet reported on this supposed financial instability as avidly as Roger Friedman. Additionally, some of his reports are highly questionable. For example, in his column, Friedman reports that Jackson sold half of ATV to Sony in 1991, a fact that is not verifiable in any news accounts from that year. What is verifiable is that the Coca-Cola Company sold Columbia Entertainment to Sony in 1989-1990 for two billion dollars. Any split of the catalogue would have been apparent to Yoko Ono and Paul McCartney - their royalties would have been affected if such a partial sale had taken place. In other words, they would have known if Jackson had sold half of ATV then. Also, Friedman asserted that Jackson had taken loans from Sony because of the scandal. He neglected to take into account the success of the Dangerous project, album and tour; and more importantly, he neglected to remember that Jackson struck a massive deal with EMI publishing that netted him over 50 million dollars in exchange for the rights to administer the catalogue. It was signed in 1993. Forbes magazine calculated that Jackson had made over 90 million dollars that fiscal year. All verifiable information, yet Friedman insists through his column that Jackson's financial instability has been a reality for more than twenty years according to "sources" close to the entertainer.Critics have charged that the sources feeding this questionable information to Friedman are senior executives within Sony Music's legal department. Others have charged that it is under the orders of Sony itself that these rumours are fed to Fox411. Many would claim that this is paranoid and illogical. Why would a corporation risk its reputation and possibly engage in a breach of contract with the artist in question?The reporter in question is an entertainment gossip columnist. There will always be a bit of derision and skepticism with such reporting. However, with the constant reportage of Jackson and his financial instability, it was logical and conceivable that some of the reported information would seep into the legitimate media and give credence to the Fox411 columns. After reading Friedman's articles, one cannot deny that he indeed has his sources. However, based on some of the outright false information that he has presented in his columns -information that could be easily disputed, one must wonder why his sources would consistently provide him with questionable information. Again, it must be noted that Friedman has claimed on numerous occasions that he has spoken with sources within Sony Music.Why did Roger Friedman go on a yearlong Michael Jackson witch-hunt reporting essentially the same information over and over again? Perhaps the question should be: Who benefits from Friedman's constant reportage of Jackson's supposed financial woes? Many people have pointed their fingers at Sony Music. Why would Sony feed gossip columnist Roger Friedman fraudulent information, especially considering that it is Friedman himself who cites Sony businessmen as his primary sources? If this is true, what is Sony Music's agenda?At the time of Friedman's writings, there were two possible scenarios for the future: Jackson was going to lose the catalogue and Friedman would be right, or Jackson was not going to lose the catalogue and Friedman would be wrong. As of this writing, the final fiscal report has been produced. There is no information about the acquisition of the ATV catalogue by Sony Music. There was information of Sony Music's financial status, which unfortunately reflected the generally depressed music economy. Therein lies the answer. The catalogue, as mentioned previously, is the key to the stability of Sony's entire music division. Without it, the label would be destabilized. Many assert that this economic instability is at the core of the smear campaign against Jackson by Fox411 and Sony.When an album is released, certain activities must be carried out in a timely and effective manner in order to facilitate success. The first single largely governs an album's success or failure. It is a critical promotional tool, as it serves to capture the public's interest and ensures that retailers order the new product in high numbers.Sources within the radio industry state that Sony Music leaked Jackson's first single "You Rock My World" to two New York radio stations. In due time, the single hit the Internet. Sony Music then officially released the single to radio and it rose to #10 without a video at the time. Unfortunately, a peculiar LA Times article stated that the single was not well received by program directors and that the audience was disappointed by it â?? a false and misleading piece.Because of the shakiness of the industry, retailers did not want to invest in anything that may sit on the shelves. Rumblings of cut shipments - retailers ordering less of "Invincible", shortly followed. In response, what did Sony do?Nothing.They did not release "You Rock My World" commercially. If they had done so, the result would have been a #1 single. Even a columnist from Billboard magazine stated that with the strong airplay the song received, the single would have went to the top of the charts, giving Jackson his 14th #1 hit.Why is this important? To answer that question, one must look at the way charts are calculated in the US market. Previously, there was an almost equal emphasis between sales and airplay, with the slim edge given to airplay. In the 1990's, singles could only chart on the Billboard top 100 single charts if they were commercially released - however, it was airplay points that were tallied for charting purposes.Jackson became the first artist to debut at the top of the Billboard singles chart. His airplay on both R&B and Pop were so strong that when his "You Are Not Alone" single was commercially released, it debuted at #1.After Jackson debuted at #1, there was a rash of #1 debuts, which led to concerns that the record labels were manipulating the charts. As a result, Billboard instituted a new calculation formula that overwhelmingly gave an edge to airplay - it allowed airplay-only singles to chart for the first time, ending top 5 debuts.Over the succeeding years, record labels chose to forego the release of the commercial single. It has been said that the commercial release of a single is not as profitable to the labels as it once was. However, because of the new emphasis of airplay on the charts, the labels no longer have to sell thousands of singles to make an impact. This preserves the single as the single most important promotion tool for the music industry, allowing for the cost-effective promotion of an album.Thus, without a video (at the time) and without a commercial release, "You Rock My World" peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #13 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. A biased article from the LA Times erroneously stated the single was a failure. Did Sony stick to its own schedule and commercially release "You Rock My World" to send it to #1?No.The opportunity to promote "Invincible" before it was even released was lost. The single climbed the charts quickly, strictly on radio airplay, but fell shortly thereafter. This fueled comments about the overall commercial viability of "Invincible", which, when coupled with the negative article from the LA Times, led to slashed shipments of the album. Many point out that Epic Records usually does not release singles because they are not profitable. However, this logic fails to apply to other Sony acts such as Destiny's Child and Jennifer Lopez, who have had several #1 singles commercially released to the general public (i.e. "Bootylicious", "If You Had My Love"). Singles are promotional tools. "Invincible" had not yet been released for a single to cut into album sales. A #1 single would have advertised the upcoming album, building anticipation and hype for the audience and the retailers. Since Sony failed to commercially release "You Rock My World", a false perception of the single may have been created. This perception hit the retailers hard, prompting slashed shipments. One could ask why the promotions department did not take the indicated corrective measures to avoid slashed shipments due to the perception of failure that was present in the media. Approximately 366,000 copies of "Invincible" were bought in its first week of release, a strong opening that surpassed retailer and media expectations, especially following the negative perception of the album. Insiders point out that the opening week's sales figures could have been much stronger had the label undertaken proper, basic, and expected measures. Then there is the question of cross promotion.Jay-Z was featured on the Track Masters' remix of "You Rock My World", which was released to radio. However, Sony barred Rock-A-Fella Records from releasing a remix of Jay-Z's hit "Girls, Girls, Girls", which featured guest vocals from Jackson. Because of Sony's apparent biased decision, a decision was made by Rock-A-Fella Records and Jay-Z to withdraw their remix from the impending commercial release of "You Rock My World", which shortly thereafter, was altogether scrapped by Sony. If Sony had allowed the release of the Jackson-supported remix of "Girls, Girls, Girls" the cross promotion would have benefited "Invincible" because of Jackson's visibility with one of the most popular and respected hip-hop artists of this era. Why would Sony inhibit cross promotion? Logic would dictate that a label in support of its artist would encourage and facilitate cross promotion.In Europe, "You Rock My World" was released to much fanfare. It debuted at #2. The follow up single was a gospel infused track entitled "Cry" written by recording artist R. Kelly. By this time, Jackson refused to appear in the video. It was rumoured that Jackson heavily disagreed with the release of this single to radio and subsequently, with the minimal budget allocated for the video. As a result, Jackson went on strike. For whatever reason, in Jackson's absence, Sony went ahead and filmed a video without him. The single was a chart disappointment peaking at #25.In the U.S., the second single from "Invincible" entitled "Butterflies" was later released. At one point, the song had a total radio listening audience of over 60 million people. The single rose to #2 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks charts without a commercial release or video.According to circulating Internet reports, "Butterflies" did have at least one video prepared and a filmed animated treatment sitting incomplete. As with "You Rock My World", a commercial release was planned and then cancelled.There will be those who argue that the success of the album at that time was due to the unavailability of a commercial single. The theory is that single releases cut into album sales. That is a valid argument. However, why would a completed video not be released in a timely manner to support chart performance and album sales? No one can deny that a video release would have helped the single crossover to CHR-Top 40 radio. Was this yet another misstep by Sony Music or just another part of an orchestrated plan to tank the album?In November of 2001, Jackson completed production on an all-star collaboration titled "What More Can I Give", a charity single for the victims of the September 11, 2001 tragedy that was intended to raise $50 million US for the families of the victims. Jackson had flown around the country recording vocals from artists such as: Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Usher, Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan, 'N Sync, among others. Additionally, as reported by Entertainment Tonight, over 200 hours of video footage was recorded in preparation for the music video that was to accompany the single. Insiders claim that Sony Music, however, did not allow Jackson to release the single. To this day, the single remains in Jackson's vaults. Interestingly enough, inquiries about the status of the charity song to Michael Joseph Jackson (MJJ) Productions were directed to Epic/Sony Music.In February 2002, Jackson turned down the opportunity to perform or even appear at the Grammy Awards, despite having been nominated for "Best Male Pop Vocal Performance" for "You Rock My World". Negotiations regarding a performance had been back and forth for months, dating back to early January. Eventually, the reason that Jackson turned down the opportunity to perform at the Grammy's was due to their bizarre insistence that he must NOT be allowed to perform ANY new material from his "Invincible" album despite his nomination. Simply put, this restriction prevented Jackson from performing the very song for which he received his Grammy nomination, as well as ANY other song from his new album. Many speculate that the origins of such a bizarre limitation on an artist of Jackson's stature can only be traced back to Epic/Sony.Moreover, when Jackson appeared on the American Music Awards in January of 2002, no commercials for "Invincible" were broadcast. Instead, promotional material from his 1995 album "HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I" was shown. Furthermore, on the "American Bandstand 50th Anniversary Special", Jackson performed "Dangerous", a ten year old song, to a televised audience of over ten million people. He later performed it again at the Apollo Theatre for the Democratic fundraiser, which was attended by former US President, Bill Clinton, and broadcast internationally via the Internet. Several obvious questions linger: Why did Jackson perform decade-old material when his new album was sinking steadily down the Billboard charts? Why was he not promoting Invincible? Was it by choice? Or did Sony have a hand in it? Perhaps it was a personal decision not to give in to the limitations imposed by a corporation engrossed in the unethical derailment of his career.In March and April of 2002, there were announcements that a director was found to film a video for the upcoming single "Unbreakable". Unfortunately, like the other releases, Sony put the commercial release of the single and the corresponding video on hold. Shortly thereafter, news that Sony had ended the promotion of "Invincible" seeped to several of Jackson's major fan club organizations. All future releases in any format were cancelled. The label could not provide any further information. In fact, Internet reports state that radio stations in Brazil and other countries were shortly thereafter ordered not to play any cuts from the album - these orders were claimed to have been emanating from Sony Music America.The promotion of the "Invincible" album was not on par with previous Jackson releases. It was atypical from the moment Sony had no commercials for "Invincible" during the "Michael Jackson 30th Anniversary Special" on CBS, which garnered a viewing audience of 45 million people. Why did Sony Music not advertise Jackson's album during Jackson's own CBS special? Strangely enough, there were commercials for Jennifer Lopezâ??s album during her television special just a few weeks later. What were Sony's reasons for not promoting "Invincible" during this time? Some claim that advertising spots may have been full. Were they still full when the concert special was rebroadcast weeks later, bringing in an audience of 12 million viewers when competing against the "American Music Awards"? Again, there were no commercials for "Invincible". The lack of commercials for "Invincible" during an event of that nature is akin to malpractice. Commercials during that prime time spot would have boosted awareness and sales of "Invincible". Did Sony Music want "Invincible" to fail, as has been claimed by numerous insiders?It is a well-known fact that the entire music industry is suffering from a depressed economy. Sony Music has not been exempt from this downward trend. In the past fiscal year, Sony has been in the midst of fiscal restructuring. The entire division has been beset by layoffs numbering in the thousands. Because of restructuring and the modest hits of Jennifer Lopez and Michael Jackson, the record division posted a nine percent gain over last year - but with an operation deficit of over 100 million dollars. It should also be noted that much of the gains of Sony were due to a strengthened yen in relation to European and American currencies. How does this factor in with Jackson? After all, is he not just another recording artist? Simply put, the answer is no. Jackson is a business stakeholder with an equal stake in Sony/ATV Music Publishing, an LLC that now has a major stake in the overall profit margin at Sony Music.It has already been stated in this article that if Jackson were to leave Sony, he could dissolve the LLC and take ATV music publishing, as well as half of what the LLC earned in the years between 1995 and 2002. Logic dictates that if this were true, Sony Music would be hit with an uncalculated loss in the hundreds of millions of dollars that could undermine what little financial stability it has achieved through fiscal restructuring.In order to understand why many insiders and industry watchers claim that Sony purposely under-promoted "Invincible", we have to look at the very crux of the situation. It is alleged that Jackson borrowed against future royalties and advances for the completion of "Invincible". According to news reports, "Invincible" cost more than 30 million dollars to produce. Jackson has one of the highest royalty rates in music and Sony Music does not have a stake in many of the published songs on "Invincible". The fact is that the album had to be promoted aggressively for Sony to recoup and profit on its investment. When it was discovered that Jackson might leave the label with ATV in tow, Sony Music is alleged to have undertaken initiatives to limit the corporate damage and fall out, by pressuring Jackson to reconsider his decision to leave Sony in order to keep the publishing division in tact. In other words, Sony sought to sabotage "Invincible" and restrict Jackson's career.If Sony purposely under-promoted Jackson's album and aggressively used the media to paint Jackson as an unviable artist in order to make him unattractive to competing labels, this could be a classic case of breach of contract. The parallels between Michael Jackson and George Michael are striking if the aforementioned information is correct. Ten years ago, George Michael refused to appear in any video or promote his 1990 album "Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. I". In Jackson's case, he too failed to appear in the video for the song "Cry". For whatever reason, no video for the hit song, "Butterflies" was ever released, even though at least one was complete. In addition, the video for "Unbreakable" got shelved before shooting even began. George Michael eventually sued Sony for breach of contract over his dissatisfaction for the promotion of his album and vowed never again to record for the label. There are rumours that Jackson is now preparing a breach of contract suit against Sony Music for the under promotion of "Invincible", and that he, too, has decided never again to record new studio material for the label.Hip Hop artist Cam'ron, who recently debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 album chart, recently created a mini media stir regarding his charges that the label under promoted his material and nearly ruined his career (he is now a Roc-A-Fella recording star). The Dixie Chicks recently filed a breach of contract suit against Sony Music and are also refusing to record for the label. As of this writing, contract negotiations have broken off between Sony and the Dixie Chicks. In recent years, many more artists have taken the position that the major labels practice unethical means to control their artists. For example, artists as diverse as Prince, TLC, Courtney Love, and Garbage, have all spoken out against unethical record industry practices. It now seems that the single most commercially successful recording artist in music history is the prime target for professional and personal sabotage for reasons of corporate finance, control, and damage limitation.Jackson has been a recording artist with Epic Records for over a quarter of a century. His relationship with the label has come to a close. The question that has been lingering on the lips of industry watchers is the following: Will the most successful artist in history sue Sony Music for breach of contract for the sabotage of his album and his musical career? If the answer is yes, then the ramifications for Sony Music, and in fact, the entire music industry could be devastating. Industry watchers claimed that if George Michael had won his suit against Sony a decade ago, the industry would have been deprived of a weapon used against its recording artists: the under promoting of an album. Artists would have been able to extricate themselves from labels using the George Michael court case as a model and a guide. If George Michael had won his case, the industry would have been a much different place than it is today. But in his case, he did not have the resources or the power to equal the odds against the Sony Corporation. Jackson is perhaps the only artist armed with the resources to drastically level the playing field against Sony.The information disclosed in this document should sufficiently position media and other interested parties to formulate and report their own conclusions concerning a potential abuse of power and the use of questionable tactics by Sony Music against Michael Joseph Jackson. Following a review of this comprehensive report, it is hoped that a greater level of awareness and understanding has been achieved. This document should ultimately equip its audience with the necessary background knowledge and insight to understand why Sony did not actively promote "Invincible". If the information within this document is true - that Sony Music purposely tried to derail and defame Michael Jackson using the mass media - then the only place where the truth will come out is in the court of law and the court of public opinion. With Jackson's acquisitions of the services of Johnnie Cochran and Reverend Al Sharpton, a strong initiative aiming to protect all artists against the unethical practices of the music industry will soon be launched and the battles waged against the music industry by such artists as Leanne Rhimes, Courtney Love, Prince, TLC, George Michael, The Dixie Chicks, and now Michael Jackson may finally come to a definitive conclusion that could change the very foundation on which the music industry stands.
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