BMG has agreed to acquire Chrysalis for £107.4 million ($168.6 million). Chrysalis has over 100,000 tracks in their publishing division, which includes tracks by David Bowie and Michael Jackson along with artists Cee Lo Green, Sheryl Crow and Blondie.
Michael Jackson’s hit ‘Thriller’ is to be turned into a movie, according to reports. Several Hollywood studios are said to be interested in adapting Jackson’s classic 1982 single. Deadline reports that choreographer Kenny Ortega is expected to direct, while The Hangover’s Jeremy Garelick will write the screenplay. The plot will apparently focus on the song’s history, including the childhood of Vincent Price, who raps the track’s voice-over.
Any film will be subject to the agreement of Michael Jackson’s estate of course. There has already been one Jackson film since his death. This Is It charted the making of his ill-fated comeback gigs.
Regardless of who you are and what sort of music genre we promise is our favourite, everyone has a personal favourite Jackson song, but i’m quite sure that, and for me this film is bordering on it, too many films about him are going to saturate the local cinema’s and quickly become made in bad taste. This is only loosely a film about Jackson. A film about the making of another film, that had him in it…Really, come on. I wonder Who will play John Landis.
Micheal Jackson fans have been split 50/50 on whether or not that they feel the late pop star is actually dead or not! Some of his fans are convinced he is thanks to a Larry King interview with a supposed best friend of Micheal Jackson, Dave Dave (who we’ve never heard of), who claims that the star was like a father to him and took him in after a tragic burn accident during the eighties.
The evidence is quite strong to suggest that the star could be masquerading as “Dave Dave”. Have a look at the interview.
Myself, i’m not convinced, but it is compelling. Dave tells of how he would regularly visit Michaels house and enjoy video games, which, in Dave’s opinion, was quite rare for Micheal, which we know thanks to countless court cases, that it is nothing out of the ordinary, quite the opposite. Not to mention the (some say purpose built) never-land ranch in the back garden. And no disrespect to Michael, there is nothing quite like a death to clear one’s debts.
On-top-of the chilling sound of Dave’s voice when he begins to speak, which, lets face it if you had your eyes closed could quite easily be him. The other explanation is that Dave is Micheal’s friend and Micheal is in fact dead.
But i can’t shake (and i’m almost embarrassed to suggest because it’s so far fetched) the feeling that some-one out there, some obsessed fan, has tried to leak and instigate the rumour and have a few sick minute’s of fame buy sticking on his best Michael Jackson voice and leading us to believe he could be him. Make up your own mind. I think not.
Sony has just made a deal with Michael Jackson’s estate to release some of his unreleased material, since his contract with the label extends into 2017. However, there has been some recent findings according to the NY Daily News, that Jackson has actually recorded entirely new material back in 2007 that no one has heard nor has ever been released to the public. We wonder if this changes the deal between Sony and the late pop singer’s estate.
Jackson spent three months with Eddie (Angel) Cascio in New Jersey where he recorded 12 new tracks including “Breaking News,” “Burn Tonight” and “Water” – all of which can supposedly be heard in Jackson’s posthumous documentary film, This Is It.
Cascio’s family was very close with Jackson’s and the family still frequently visits the estate. They even left a special note in Jackson’s memorial booklet which read:
‘We promise to always remain “The First Family of Love. WE THANK YOU and will love you FOREVER and ALWAYS. ANGEL ‘Dr.Heat’ Cascio and the Cascio Family.”
The king of pop’s estate has signed a deal with Sony to release 10 albums of Jackson’s material – as many as he released solo albums while he was alive. The price tag on the deal is truly staggering; £132 million, even without hitting any sales targets. The concert film ‘This Is It’ was also a big earner, grossing £171 million at the box office, and the two between them clear the massive debts that the estate owed, estimated at around £263 million, with a £40 million overspill to be divvied up between the beneficiaries. Quite how MJ managed to run up such a phenomenal overdraft in the first place is another question – obviously owning a personal zoo doesn’t come cheap.
There are “strong indications” that Conrad Murray, who Jackson hired to be his personal physician in advance of his strenuous ‘This Is It Tour’, will be charged in a Los Angeles court this week. Murray and his lawyer have travelled to L.A. from his practice in Houston, TX and speculation is rife. No charge is currently scheduled, but involuntary manslaughter seems likely to be the case that Dr. Murray will have to answer. As usual with the sadly departed Mr. Jackson’s affairs there is no shortage of wild rumour surrounding the case.
Neilsen gathers information from both bricks and mortar and online stores in the US, and has released a full report of music sales in 2009. The album charts are more or less what you might expect, apart from the last minute addition of Susan Boyle, who sold almost as much in the 5 weeks after her debut was released as Taylor Swift, the next biggest selling artist of 2009. Michael Jackson’s death in the Summer undoubtedly caused his high chart position, but dear old Lady Gaga has smashed into the number 4 position from practically a standing start. Shows what you can achieve if you’re prepared to take your clothes off in a college bar, dole out some pizza and start selling your hair.
In terms of an artists’ overall units, rather than single albums, MJ topped the list, with the Beatles (whose catalogue is owned by the Jackson estate) making a surprise appearance at number 3, presumably supported by their Rock Band license deal.
2009 TOP TEN SELLING ARTISTS
(based on Album sales from 12/29/2008-1/3/2010)
Another widely expected, but still pleasing phenomenon is that while the CD slides sickeningly into obscurity, vinyl sales are up: 33% in a single year, to 2.5 million albums. The Beatles and Jackson feature high on the list in the vibyl format, resting on a bed of heavy listening, serious music fan music like Fleet Foxxes, Animal Collective and Radiohead.
2009 TOP TEN VINYL ALBUMS
(12/29/2008-1/3/2010)
Abbey Road/ Beatles ~ 34,800
Thriller/ Michael Jackson ~ 29,800
Merriweather Post Pavilion/Animal Collective ~ 14,000
Wilco/ Wilco ~ 13,200
Fleet Foxes/ Fleet Foxes ~ 12,700
Backspacer/ Pearl Jam ~ 12,500
Veckatimest/ Grizzly Bear ~ 11,600
Appetite for Destruction/ Guns N’ Roses ~ 11,500
Big Whiskey & the…/Dave Matthews Band ~ 11,500
In Rainbows/ Radiohead ~ 11,400
2009 TOP TEN VINYL ARTISTS
(based on vinyl album sales from 12/29/2008 – 1/3/2010)
Radiohead ~ 45,700
Beatles ~ 38,800
Michael Jackson ~ 30,400
Metallica ~ 30,200
Wilco ~ 29,600
Bob Dylan ~ 24,500
Animal Collective ~ 20,600
Pearl Jam ~ 19,900
Bon Iver ~ 17,100
Iron & Wine ~ 16,600
|
2009 TOP TEN SELLING ARTISTS (based on Album sales from 12/29/2008-1/3/2010) |
||||||||||
|
Title/Artist |
Units Sold |
Artist |
Units Sold |
|||||||
| 1 |
Fearless/ Taylor Swift |
3,217,000 | 1 | Michael Jackson | 8,286,000 | |||||
| 2 |
I Dreamed A Dream/ Susan Boyle |
3,104,000 | 2 | Taylor Swift | 4,643,000 | |||||
| 3 |
Number Ones/ Michael Jackson |
2,355,000 | 3 | Beatles | 3,282,000 | |||||
| 4 |
Fame/ Lady Gaga |
2,238,000 | 4 | Susan Boyle | 3,104,000 | |||||
| 5 |
My Christmas/ Andrea Bocelli |
2,207,000 | 5 | Lady Gaga | 2,813,000 | |||||
| 6 |
Hannah Movie Sndtrk/ Hannah Montana |
1,823,000 | 6 | Andrea Bocelli | 2,668,000 | |||||
| 7 |
E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies)/ Black Eyed Peas |
1,787,000 | 7 | Michael Buble | 2,280,000 | |||||
| 8 |
Relapse/ Eminem |
1,735,000 | 8 | Eminem | 2,166,000 | |||||
| 9 |
Blueprint 3/ Jay-Z |
1,515,000 | 9 | Carrie Underwood | 1,895,000 | |||||
| 10. |
Only By the Night/ Kings of Leon |
1,398,000 | 10. | Black Eyed Peas | 1,881,000 | |||||
Michael Jackson’s father Joe Jackson has lost his claim for a monthly allowance from the late singer’s estate. Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff refused the claim for a $15,000 (£9,000) per month allowance and dismissed his challenge of the appointment of lawyer John Branca and music executive John McClain as executors in a Los Angeles court, reports BBC News. The judge said that the ruling was based on Michael Jackson’s decision not to give his father any of his assets. “Joe Jackson takes none of this estate,” he said. “This is a decision his son made.”
Can anyone else think of a life equally as blessed and cursed? About the only one who got away without being burned was Bubbles, who inherited a cool $2 million.
Mario paint, ah Mario paint. Somewhere in between being an awesome game and giving you the impression that Nintendo were just running out or ideas late nineties. The composer in Mario paint was a stand alone spin off to Mario paint in 1999. We don’t care about that though, we just love saucy attempts to make shreading tunes. You tube is home to tonnes of these, here’s a couple of gigglers!
Thriller (Michael Jackson)
Through the fire and flames (Dragon Force) , this gets good at the attempt of lyrics!
The last few years have truly made this the decade of anniversaries, with bands re-releasing things all over the place and reunions galore. But its so hard to find some sort of come-back reunion that people actually care about. Did you know for example that its the tenth anniversary of Slipknots debut album? Didn’t think so. The world either doesn’t even bat an eyelid or everyone swarms together because the band has become some sort of brand, like the crowds that engulfed Abbey Road last year for the Beatles 40th year since making their last album together.
Solid anniversaries in the last few years include (granted some are more interesting than others), Pink Floyd, The Animals, Michael Jackson and we’ve recently enjoyed some re-releases of The Doors original mixes. All solid album sellers in their own right but we need to enjoy a comeback from a band that will really put fire in our bellies. Sadly all the above have either split or passed away.
The latest band to officially become veterans is everybody’s favorite scar band, and their not making it a cringe worthy effort to pop out a greatest hits either. Madness are releasing a 30th anniversary edition of their debut album ‘One Step Beyond’. To be released as a two-disc package, with the original set list for your money on disc one, with disc two full up of ‘B’ sides and a John Peel session. Madness havn’t stopped either. Solidly touring in the UK for December climaxing at the O2 arena, new material in the form of this months ‘The Liberty Of Norton Falgate’ as well as successfully filling London’s Regent Street last Month. Madness for Prime Minister!
