Friday, November 25, 2016

Dangerous 25: 25 Facts About the Dangerous Album and Era

On November 26, 2016, Dangerous will celebrate 25 years and when Michael was making the album, he originally was not going to a album of new music. Eventually, as he was working on the album, he probably start to realized that this album was an piece of work that literally changed the way he was seen as a musician, singer and legend. Dangerous was his first conscious album and he wanted to focus on issues that pop singers of his era were not really focused on. Dangerous is one of Michael's albums that majority of the mainstream media loves to ignore. The media would constantly dwell on Thriller and Off The Wall and if one is lucky, the media would make a big deal about Bad or History. Dangerous is the album that is underrated because that was the first time Michael not trying to chase any goal. I decided to do more research on my favorite album and because of this anniversary, I did a list of 25 facts about the album and the era. An era that was starting off very well but ended so badly and I will explain why I think that was the case. I hope you all enjoy this list and share it with anyone who loves Michael or loves music in general. 



Dangerous, 1991,



25. Dangerous was the first album Michael did without Quincy Jones. 




Michael and Quincy Jones in 1991.


After Michael was done with the Bad tour, he went right back to the studio to work on the Dangerous album. He had a three album contract with Quincy Jones and decided that since it was over, he no longer wanted to work with Quincy. According to the book Man and the Music The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson, Michael was not angry with Quincy. In fact as Brad Buxer, who is a songwriter and musician who worked with Michael in many of his albums, stated on page 135, 


"He always had an admiration for him and an immense respect. With Dangerous, Michael wanted to control the creative process from A to Z. Simply put, he wanted to be his own boss. Michael was always very independent, and he also wanted to show that his success was not because of one man namely Quincy."
It is interesting that it was mentioned that Michael wanted full control with the Dangerous album. In the book Making Michael Inside the Career of Michael Jackson, it was stated, on page 135,


"One of the reasons Michael no longer wanted to work with Quincy was because he felt the producer was taking too much credit for his work." 
When Michael was working on the Bad album, he was not on page 135 of Making Michael,


"always able to produce the way he wanted to, especially when it came to working with the Synclavier, because co-producer Quincy had his own methods."
There were so many rumors as to why Michael stopped working with Quincy but when he completed the Dangerous album, he wanted Quincy to hear the album and Quincy told Michael that he felt that the album was a masterpiece. 

24. Michael donated the proceeds he made from the Dangerous World Tour to his then charity "Heal The World" Foundation. 



Michael in 1992.


When Michael decided to go on tour for the Dangerous album, he only did it to fund his then charity, "Heal the World". 








http://smoothcriminls.tumblr.com/post/94456092203

23. Michael debuted the Dangerous dance routine on the 1993 American Music Awards.



Michael in 1991.


Michael performed the song "Dangerous" in the 1993 American Music Awards and the now classic dance routine for the song made its debut on the award show. 









Michael's amazing performance of Dangerous from the 1993 American Music Awards.



22. Michael attended four awards shows in 1993: American Music Awards, Grammys, NAACP Awards and Soul Train Music Awards. 



Michael and Janet at the 1993 Grammys.


Speaking of award shows, Michael attended four award shows in 1993. That was the most he ever attended at that time. In the Grammy awards, he was honored with the Grammy Legend Award presented by his sister Janet. He was nominated for two awards that night but did not win. 



Michael with his sister Janet at the 1993 Grammys.


Michael was nominated for five American Music Awards and won two. 



Michael winning at the American Music Awards in 1993.


In regards to the Soul Train Awards, Michael was nominated for three awards, won two, received the Humanitarian of the Year award from comedian Eddie Murphy and he also performed the song "Remember the Time" in a wheelchair.



Comedian Eddie Murphy presenting Michael with the Humanitarian Award in 1993.




Michael's performance at the Soul Train Awards. in 1993.

Michael won two NAACP awards for Best Music Video and Entertainer of the Year. 



Michael receiving the Entertainer of the Year award from the NAACP Awards in 1993.

21. Michael was going to make a movie about the Kings and Queens of Africa but was unable to. Instead, he made the "Remember the Time" short film. 




Michael with Eddie Murphy, Iman and John Singleton, 1991.


Apparently, Michael wanted to make a movie about the truth about Africa but that was rejected by Hollywood. It was because of that rejection, the short film, "Remember the Time" was made. A user by the name of Bleu posted on the website community.beleifnet.com stated the whole story. Here is what the person stated,

http://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/43861/29540949/Relating_To_Anc._Egypt,_For_Michael_Jackson_Fans,_This_Merits_Careful_Reading


"As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album, a 'master class' of stellar production & performance, I can think of no better way to end this 'American New Year' than to tell of the 'drama' surrounding the video "Remember The Time" & the reason this video was made. This bears repeating as often as possible because VERY VERY few people know this reason & what's really interesting is that VERY VERY few who were close to MJ know about this (or at least they don't let it be known that they know).
I have spoken to folks who were around MJ during this period, including his brother Tito & when I asked them about this, they gave various answers, but none of these answers were pertaining to the reason. Even Wikipedia & other such sites do not divulge this reason. I found out about it near the late '90's by a singer I was working with who was then signed to Geffen records. At that time she was close to David Geffen's secretary & was told by her. Later around 2003 I heard an interview with Minister Farrakhan on cable TV & to my amazement he mentioned it in the interview. I also heard the same story from two of MJ's business associates.Below I have included a clip of Farrakhan speaking briefly about MJ telling him what happened when he met with Steven Spielberg, David Geffen & others of this film idea. It can be heard into 7:44 of the clip..........NOW..............I do NOT follow Farrakhan, nor do I vilify him. I'm simply posting the information because so far online he is the ONLY one divulging this information, (so don't be 'shootin' the messenger' here).The reason the "Remember The Time" video was made was because MJ wanted to do a feature film which showcased the greatness of Black Africans in 'ancient Egypt'. He approached Spielberg & Geffen, who were then his good friends, with the intent of having them get behind the film. BOTH men & the others refused. When Michael said he would finance the film himself, he was told that if he did the film would NOT get major distribution.........(this is one of those moments when you just have to say "HHHmmmm~!!!!!").Now the story could have stopped right there & STILL it would've been an incredible story not only because it was MJ saying this & not some other famous well-positioned Black filmmaker, but also because this isn't the MJ that we're used to hearing about in the media. He's supposed to be this lunatic Pop star who hates his people, etc.....Well, with deep cleverness, MJ devised a plan to tell his film's story by doing a long video. Knowing that he would run into opposition because of the story's content, he 'disguised' the video with comedic overtones.........Now, I never spoke to MJ, but I would wager he did this video with the hopes that a filmmaker (Black, White, Asian, Latino-- whatever) would take this story idea, 'pick up the ball & run with it'. Man was he wrong~!!!!!!......TO THIS DAY, none have done so.So this is the main reason, besides his talent that MJ is of the utmost importance to me & should definitely be cited not just as a great entertainer, but also as a 'film pioneer'~!!! We in the Black film industry are used to films being turned down because of the deepness of the story plot/content, but as far as MJ's story idea, it just don't get no deeper than this.........STILL today, this video is the most important FILM made regarding this subject. It's not about liking or disliking MJ. It's about the idea he stood for."
Here is the video of Minister Louis Farrakan telling the story about Michael and doing the film.



Interesting.











http://shewaslovinme.tumblr.com/post/147978708877

When you really think about it, Michael's mission to promote the truth about Africa was so important to him. When professor Susan Fast discussed the Dangerous album in her book Dangerous 33 1/3, she talks about how the short film, "Remember The Time", showed how Africa was at one point in society. On page 59, Fast explains, 


"The sort film 'Remember' offered a vehicle through which an image of black power, wealth, and opulence could be showcased; we're remembering not only a love relationship in the film, but a moment at which Africa was the center of power. It was intended as a reminder, at at moment when black poverty and disempowerment were predominant images circulating in the American culture - this film was made in the wake of the Rodney King beating, the white police officers'acquittal, and the Los Angeles riots that ensured - that things once were and perhaps could again be different."

20. The Dangerous album was one the most anticipated albums of the 1990s.



Michael in 1990.


When the album was released, it was heavily promoted and very hyped. According to the website allmichaeljackson.com the album, 

http://www.allmichaeljackson.com/era/dangerous/index.html

"Dangerous was one of the most anticipated albums of the 1990’s- so much so that armed robbers stole approximately 30,000 copies when the first shipment arrived at the L.A. Airport. Dangerous received amazing reviews and went straight to number one in several countries; also becoming the highest selling album of 1992."

19. Michael's interview with Oprah in 1993 was seen by over 90 million people worldwide. 



Michael from the Oprah interview, 1993.

Michael did his famous, first sit down interview since 1980, with Oprah Winfrey. In the interview he talked about his childhood, his plastic surgery, his sexual life, his relationship with his father, his sister's Latoya's book, the crazy rumors and his skin disorder. This interview made Oprah a household name in an International level and the interview made various headlines all over the world. Even the magazine Entertainment Weekly did a poll about the interview. 




This nonsense from 1993.


The short film "Give Into Me" debut in the interview and the television event boost sells of the Dangerous album.










http://leavemealonneeee.tumblr.com/post/146089812251/melodychris-jaba-the-slut-ive-reblogged

18. The leotard that Michael wore on the Dangerous tour was made out of real gold. 



Michael with his designer, Michael Bush in 1993. 


Back in 2012, I did a Q & A session with Michael's longtime personal designer, Michael Bush for his book, King of Style. In the session, I asked about about the famous leotard Michael wore in the Dangerous tour and if the leotard was made out of actual gold. This is what transpired, 

https://michaelandthetruth.blogspot.com/2012/10/q-sessions-with-michael-bush.html
"Q: Was the gold that was use for the leotard from the Dangerous Tour and the gold outfit, gold pants from the History tour, real gold or gold plated? If so, how many karats?

AThe gold leotard was all gold spandex and it was called mirrored gold spandex.  The other costume was 18K gold plated."



Michael wearing the famous leotard in 1992. 

17. The song "Heal the World" is a world anthem. 



Michael with the kids at Neverland in 1993.

We live in a time where it is common for people to go through some type of horror in their countries, communities, cities, counties and nations. Whether the horror is inner city violence, war, the government enforcing harm to their citizens, or terrorist attacks, "Heal the World" is a song that covers the emotions of people who are trying to make sense of the tragedies. On page 157 of Man in the Music, Dr. Joe Vogel states that the point of the song was that Michael, 
"wanted a song with a simple message and a simply melody: something the whole world can sing, regardless of language, race, or culture."

Michael stated in an interview that "Heal the World" was one of his greatest accomplishments because it was a song that was a public awareness song and that it will live in the hearts of people all over the world. In August 29th of this year, which would have been Michael's 58th birthday, a tribute to him was done on this song that was performed by children from all over the world. The moving tribute can by seen here -



A beautiful tribute to Michael, 2016.

16. Michael cried when he was working on the song "Keep The Faith"



Michael from 1991.

The final weeks of the production for the Dangerous album was very stressful for Michael. He had a deadline to met and he had to deal with so much pressure from the record company and anxiety he felt while trying to get the song right got the best of him. Michael left the recording studio went to a room and started crying his eyes out. According to Man in the Music, Michael's long time engineer, Bruce Swedien on page 139, 


"eventually calmed Jackson down, and the two went back to work on the song. It was already late in the night, but Swedien told Jackson, 'We're not going home until you've sung this all the way through.' They didn't leave the studio till dawn, but Jackson went home satisfied."  

15. The impact of the Dangerous tour and the HBO special. 



Michael performing in 1992. 

The Dangerous tour kicked off on the summer of 1992 and it featured special effects, magic from David Copperfield, original choreography, different type of costumes, and sold out shows all over the world. The tour was such in high demand that HBO offered Michael over $20M to film and televise the Bucharest concert. It became the most watched concert of all time. 


Michael performing "Jam" in 1992.



14. Ebony magazine set the record straight about Michael's trip to Africa in 1992. 



Michael in Africa in 1992.


In 1992, Michael went to Africa for an 11 day period. When he went to Africa, the media started to make up crazy and unfounded rumors about Michael's trip. Ebony magazine accompanied Michael to the trip and decided to set the record straight on what truly happened in the trip. On pages 35-36, 


* "The trip was a 'public relations disaster for Michael.' Truth: It was a triumph in which he drew more spectators in Gabon than Nelson Mandela and in the Ivory Coast than the Pope, according to the African spokespersons. *

'The singer cut short an African tour after a stopover generated the wrong kind of excitement.' Truth: The sponsors wanted him to extend his tour to meet the demand for his appearances everywhere.

* He held his hand to his nose because the African nations smelled. Truth: He sometimes touched his nose, and old nervous habit which earned him the nickname 'Smelly', given originally by Quincy Jones because Michael was touching his nose in Los Angeles.

* He collapsed from the heat and he went to London for a medical appointment. Truth: He was never bothered by the heat. His personal physician, Dr. R. Chalmers, accompanied Jackson on the trip. Jackson did not go to London for a medical treatment.

* He refused to shake hands with Africans. Truth: He shook the hands of hundreds of people, hugged and kissed children in hospitals and institutions for the mentally retarded. 

* He is 'neither Black or White' and is not a good role model for children. Truth: After Michael read a prayer in the Basilica of Our Lady and Peace in the Ivory Coast, a 9-year old boy exclaimed: 'Michael is love, love love! I want to be like him'."

The media heavily criticized Michael's visit to the motherland and he avoided the media nonsense in regards to his visit. According to the book Michael Jackson A Visual Documentary 1958-2009 The Tribute Edition by Adrian Grant, on page 147, when Michael visited Africa, 


"He is said to be making a film for his own private collection, Return to Africa."

Michael in Africa in 1992. 

"For me, it's like 'the dawn of civilization'. It's the first place where society existed. It's seen a lot of love. I guess there's that connection because it is the root of all rhythm. Everything. It's home." - Michael Jackson telling Ebony magazine in 1992 about Africa. 

13. The American Dream: The Jacksons.



Michael with his family in 1992.

In 1992, the network ABC aired the much anticipated movie of the famous family on a Sunday night. This was the first time a movie was made about the family and how they became one of the biggest musical acts of all time. The movie was a two-part miniseries and was so popular that it was number one in their time slot. The movie is now a classic and everytime the movie is aired on VH1, the movie gives the network high ratings. 



The Jacksons: An American Dream, 1992.


12. The Humanitarian awards Michael received during the Dangerous era and the Heal the World Foundation. 



Michael signing autographs in the 1990s. 

Michael has been honored with so many humanitarian awards during this time of his life. Some of the honors were from the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, Point of Light award from former President George Bush Sr., an honor from Operation One to name a few. Michael would often visit children's hospitals and orphanages such as Sophia's Children's Hospital and he would donate a check to them. He would also donate another check to the Mayor of Munich (in Germany) to help children who are needy. Michael created his own charity during this time called "Heal The World" and on page 153 of Michael Jackson A Visual Documentary, the three main points of the charity was, 


"1. To make the safety, health and development of children the world's highest priority.

2. To be the voice of the voiceless by focusing worldwide attention on the needs and rights of all children and by providing children with forum to express their unique vision for healing the world.

3. To help create a world where children will live without violence, where children will be free of disease and  have healthy lives and where each generation will have the opportunity to grow into fully participating members of the world community."

 Michael, with the support of former President Jimmy Carter, started Heal L.A., which is a Children's Relief Initiative that provides action to help solve the many problems of the inner-city and youth. Heal L.A. provided much needed services such as mentoring, drug abuse and AIDS prevention education and immunizations. 

11. The 1993 Superbowl Performance.



Michael performing at the 1993 Superbowl Halftime show.


When Michael performed at the 1993 Super Bowl Halftime show, it was the biggest and most watch halftime performance of all time. However, it was not easy to convinced Michael to do the show. According to writer Austin Murphy, it went down like this,

http://www.si.com/longform/halftime/


"The league sent everyone deep. They decided to go after Michael Jackson.For a month they got nowhere. Steeg sat down with the King of Pop’s manager, Sandy Gallin, 11 months before Super Bowl XXVII. “I remember pitching them,” he says, “and them not really having a clue what we were talking about.” At a subsequent meeting, producer Don Mischer pointed out that the Super Bowl would be broadcast in more than 120 countries. Now he had Jackson’s full attention. 
Steeg recalls Jackson saying, “So you’re telling me that this show is going live to all those places where I’ll never do a concert?” A pause. “I’m in.”

And even with the Super Bowl, Michael made sure to give his all.


"Michael worked harder than anybody [who’s done the halftime show], before or since,” says Steeg, who remembers seeing Jackson still rehearsing his act at seven the night before the game, in a tent outside the Rose Bowl."
http://www.si.com/longform/halftime/

After the amazing, game changing performance, Michael donated the proceeds he compensated from the performance, all $100,000, to Heal L.A. 



Michael's speech at the 1993 Superbowl Press Conference.




Michael's legendary 1993 Super Bowl Halftime performance.


10. Michael worked on the Dangerous album off and on for over three years. 



The Dangerous promotional pictures, early 1990s.

With any album Michael does, Michael really takes his time with them. That is why his albums are classics. When he was working on the Dangerous album, according to Rolling Stone magazine on page 36,


"Jackson worked on the album off and on for nearly four years."


9. Michael formed a film company.



Michael in the early 1990s. 


In March of 1993, Michael formed a film company. The company was an independent company called Michael Jackson Productions. On page 159 of Michael Jackson Visual Documentary, the film company aim was to,


"produce uplifting movies, with a share of the profits going to his Heal the World Foundation." 

8. Michael performed "Black or White" and "Will You Be There" for MTV's 10th anniversary in 1991. 



Michael performing on MTV 10 in 1991.

One of Michael's promotional performances for the Dangerous album was performing two songs for MTV's 10th Anniversary in 1991. Michael performed "Black or White" and the future single "Will You Be There". 



"Black or White" and "Will You Be There" from the MTV 10 Anniversary in 1991.


7. The Dangerous short films, singles and chart positions. 



Michael in 1991. 

Dangerous had nine singles and nine short films released between 1991 to 1993. The singles and short film along with chart positions according to Billboard (for USA and UK) were,

"Black Or White" - Chart position for the USA: #1, Chart position for the UK: #1



"Remember the Time" - USA: #3, UK #3




"In the Closet" - USA: #6, UK #8



"Jam" - USA: #26, UK #13




"Who Is It" - USA: #14, UK: #10




"Heal The World" - USA: #27, UK# 2




" Given Into Me" - USA: N/A, UK# 2




"Will You Be There" - USA: #7, UK #9




"Gone Too Soon" - USA: N/A, UK: #33





6. Michael wrote a book of poetry called Dancing the Dream in 1992. 



Michael from 1991.

In 1992, Michael wrote his second book called Dancing The Dream. It was a book of poetry in which Michael wrote about the environment, God, love, children, his mother among other things. Michael did an interview with Glenn Plaskin of the Chicago Tribune. The interview is very interesting and insightful. I think what Michael stated about Religion was very interesting, 

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-08-16/entertainment/9203140099_1_dreams-spirituality-daily-journal


"You often speak of God and spirituality, and you were reared as a Jehovah`s Witness. Do you consider yourself a religious person today? 

I don't consider myself religious in the sense of subscribing to a particular dogma. I would consider myself spiritual-in that I believe there is a domain of awareness in which we can experience our universality. I read all kinds of religious literature, because I believe there is truth in all of them."

5. The sound of the Dangerous album and what the musicians and engineers bought to the table. 



Michael with Bruce Swedien, Brad Sundberg and his (Brad's) family, early 1990s. 


The Dangerous album had various genres of music: New Jack Swing, R&B, Soul, Hip Hop, Classical, Rock and Pop. Michael had a team of people to help him put the music together for the album. Teddy Riley, who at the time, was the founder of New Jack Swing who was a member of the group Guy and a producer for various artists such as Keith Sweat and Bobby Brown. He was bought in to help Michael do New Jack Swing. The reason why Michael wanted Riley to work with him in the album was because, according to Man and the Music, on page 135, 


"Jackson wanted something 'new' and 'fresh' for Dangerous and he liked what he heard in the rhythms, beats and textures of new jack swing."

Michael also wanted Riley to really produce him. It was explained on page 138 of Man and the Music


"At one point, Jackson confronted him, saying, 'listen, you're going to have to really produce me...I need you to talk to me, I need you to criticized me, I need you to comment, I need you to give me all of you."

Brad Buxer is a keyboardist who came in to work with Michael in 1989 by Bill Bottrell. According to Man and the Music on page 135, 


"Jackson valued Buxer's instincts as well as his classical training and versatility". 

Brad Sundberg was a engineer for the album and Bill Bottrell was also an engineer but was established as a songwriter/producer. He was important for the album because, from page 136, 


"he can do pop, but he infused it with elements of rock, blues, folk and country. Bottrell could bring out regions of Jackson's artistry he hadn't explored before, which excited Jackson."

Matt Forger is a recording engineer who has been working with Michael since the Thriller era and Bruce Swedien, who worked with Michael since the Off The Wall days and by 1990, he was on board for the Dangerous album. 

On page 137, Michael was search for sounds that gritter and edgier for dance tracks. Brad Buxer and Matt Forget had to go out and,


"Recording 'organic' percussion sounds. They would hit on things like glass, metal, or trash cans (occasionally with baseball bats), and Teddy Riley recorded samples from Jackson zoo at Neverland." 

With the Dangerous album. Michael, from page 139, 

"Wanted Dangerous to be his best work yet. He wanted to prove he could make a great album without Quincy Jones."

4. The album was originally a greatest hits album. 



Michael in the studio in 1990.


When Michael was doing the album, it was originally going to be called Decades. It would have been a Greatest Hits album. However, as Michael was working on the album. he had done so many new songs, it was decided to scratch the idea of a hits album and make the album of new material. 
3. The Simpsons episode and song. 



Michael in the early 1990s. 


Michael was a huge fan of the iconic television cartoon series The Simpsons and he lent his voice to one of the episodes. 

http://www.allmichaeljackson.com/era/dangerous/index.html


"Michael started recording the new album on June 25, 1990. During the year, Michael lent his voice to an episode of the Simpsons, called "Stark Raving Dad", under the pseudonym "John Jay Smith". The use of Michael's voice in the episode was not confirmed until many years later."


Michael lending his voice on The Simpsons in 1990.

In 1991, Michael worked with producer and songwriter Bryan Loren to create a song called "Do The Bartman" and that was released in the United Kingdom but not the USA. 


"Do The Bartman", 1991. 


2. The inspiration behind the album cover. 


Michael in the 1990s. 


The Dangerous album cover is very unique piece of work. The artist Mark Ryden stated that the inspiration for the album cover,

http://www.albumism.com/features/tribute-celebrating-25-years-of-michael-jackson-dangerous


"Ryden later revealed that inspiration came from Michael’s 1989 short film Leave Me Alone, but refused to explain its hidden meanings. “I feel that if a painting is explained away, something’s lost for the viewer,” he answered. “I’m more interested in how other people interpret the image themselves.”


Honorable mention.


Michael in 1991. 


There were things that were revealed after Michael's death that was never really talked about in the public eye. One of those things were Michael's romantic life. We all know that Michael had girlfriends, was married and pretty much experienced being in love and those things of that nature. However, when it comes to this side of Michael, many people would rather discuss about his marriages and not other things about his romantic life that makes people wonder what is the real story. No, don't worry, I will not mention that Shana Mantagal person on here. That would be a complete insult to Michael. I want to discuss a side of Michael's that was also revealed in the Dangerous album. In Susan Fast's book Dangerous 33 1/3,  she stated on page 49,


"So, there was, certainly, a strategy behind Jackson's self-presentation as a shy, humble, respectful and disinterested in sex off stage. Soul men didn't achieve the kind of mainstream success that MJ did. But with Dangerous he started taking greater risks, offering songs that deal more explicitly with sex, cultivating a raunchier singing style and presenting himself a more sexualized in his public appearances: out with the risky Madonna at the Oscars, for instance, or in his short film for 'In the Closet' with Naomi Campbell, in his steamy photo shoot with Herb Ritts, and on stage." 
In the Dangerous album, five songs, "In the Closet", "Remember The Time", "I Can't Let Her Get Away", "Give In To Me" and "Dangerous" discussed love, lust, regret, sexual pressure and infidelity, topics Michael really dwell into in his previous albums. So, it was interesting to noticed the things that was revealed years ago about a supposed girlfriend Michael had during the time he did the Dangerous album. Three people who knew Michael: movie legend Liza Minelli, Teddy Riley and gossip reporter Flo Anthony, stated in three different interviews/statements about a woman Michael was seeing or dating at a certain point of time. This is what Liza Minelli stated, 

"She sighs. ‘I remember he was going with this girl and he was so in love with her. He came to show me the ring he’d bought for her. I asked him what he was going to say and he didn’t know. So I said: “Let’s rehearse,” and that’s what we did.‘But the girl turned him down. She said she wasn’t ready to commit right now. She told him to ask again in six months. And it all but killed him. He was heartbroken. I knew all his girlfriends including Lisa Marie who became his wife.’"
Liza was asked by a fan on Twitter if the woman was famous. She stated, 


"No, it wasn’t Brooke Shields. I don’t feel at liberty to divulge the identity of the girl, but no, it wasn’t even anyone famous."
Teddy Riley also knows about this mystery woman and stated in an interview in 2011, 

"He was like: “Play that on the piano”. And he took me to the back just to see if I play. I played it on the piano and he said: “That melody, everything. Everything is just great about this song. And what I want to do to this, is it to be full of love.” He said, “I can’t tell you who I’m writing this about, but I know this is going to be a second single.” He said this while we were playing the track."
http://rhythmofthetide.com/michael-jackson-proposal-to-african-oakland-artist-1989-1992/

The second single happened to be "Remember the Time". Riley also stated in the book Michael Jackson Inc. The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of a Billion Dollar Empire on page 154,


"They covered other topics too -life and love -Jackson even told Riley about a girl he was seeing around the time. Recalls Riley, 'I guess he was just trying to feel me out to see if I was a trustworthy person'." 

Finally, gossip reporter, Flo Anthony, who knew Michael and his family for over 40 years, stated to a fan on Facebook, 


"I do know he dated an artist from the Oakland, California area in the 90s who he was considering marrying. She had one of those African type names.”

http://rhythmofthetide.com/michael-jackson-proposal-to-african-oakland-artist-1989-1992/

1. The so-called controversy of the "Black or White" short film. 


Michael from the "Black or White" short film.



After the premiere of the 11 minute short film, "Black Or White", no one ever expected that by the next day, the whole world seemed to be so bothered by what Michael did. The last four minutes of the short film was described as, from Entertainment Weekly on page 40, 

"Yet it was the final four minutes that ignited the furor: Alone on a soundstage streetscape, Jackson, sans music, transforms from a black panther into a human, dances, and gradually loses himself in a maelstrom of destruction and unabashed eroticism." 

Even the EW article quotes a comment from the New York Times as stating that the last four minutes of the short film, 

"the narcissism of a spoiled child throwing his toys". 

So many critics in the media and even the public could not understand what was Michael trying to express with the last part of the short film. The only clear explanation of what Michael was thinking came from critic Armond White when he wrote his criticism called "The Gloved One Is Not A Chump." There were many things that White stated that would've help a person, who can look at the video with an open mind, understand the point of the short film. White states,

http://jetzi-mjvideo.com/books-jetzi-01/09km/09km03.html


Michael was expressing his anger about many things that was happening at that time and throughout his life. Being a black man from Gary Indiana, becoming a child star, dealing with not having a childhood and trying to accept not having a normal personal life. He also had to deal with racism, his sexuality constantly in question and his own skin changing dramatically. The short film last minutes was probably Michael's way of telling the world through dance to stop the madness and see him, see people of color as human beings and not worry about the small things that were (and still) separating the human race.

Michael stated in an interview in 1992 about the last four minutes of the short film, 

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-08-16/entertainment/9203140099_1_dreams-spirituality-daily-journal
"Speaking of animals, after the sexy, violent ``panther`` section of'Black or White' created so much controversy, amateur psychologists speculated that you were letting off tremendous feelings of anger about...
 Anger and rage are the prelude to a shift in consciousness. Unless we feel rage at some of the inequities and injustices of our society, there is no hope for transformation."
Michael's explanation for the last minutes of the short film in that interview was lost in the critics and public's minds because they focused on the sexual parts, the violence and his skin color. His message was lost in the ignorance of the people. Little did Michael or any of us would have known, that same ignorance will haunt him when in August of 1993, he was falsely accused of sexual abuse of a minor. From that time all the way up to his murder in 2009, Michael has been constantly fighting for the media critics and the public to understand where he was coming from and not to dwell on the small things that really did not matter. 

I have to be honest, after everything that I have read about the Dangerous album and the era, I am very happy that Michael had the guts and bravery to do this album. I believe this album was truly the best work he has ever done. I think that in order for Michael to truly be taken seriously as an artist, he would have to get rid of Quincy Jones and take control of everything. He wanted so badly to be control of his life whether it was his time at Motown, to removing his father as his manager when he was becoming a true solo artist, to ending his professional relationship with Jones, Michael wanted to really be his own artist and eventually his own man. 

Dangerous was the album in which he was going to showcase all of what he can be. He knew that once he did the Panther dance that slowly, he was never going to be seen the same way ever again. For that, he did not care because his purpose of his life was not to please the naysayers but to eventually use his music and celebrity to wake up people, help the children and make the world a much better place. 

The sad reality of this anniversary is that Michael is no longer here to celebrate the importance of this album. The wicked world of the entertainment business and at times, the ignorance of society, has made sure Michael will not be here to take in the power of this album. Dangerous helped Michael become the man that he always wanted to be. He created a charity to help the children of the world, he forced people to look past their own comfort zones and understand other people who were different from them. He wanted people to stop seeing him as a child star and start seeing him as a man. In quote Michael stated in 1992 about how he wanted people to deal with Dangerous he stated that, 

"I would like to see people all over the world, hundreds and hundreds of years from now, still pulling out songs from that album and dissecting it. I want it to live.”

Hopefully, when people start to look past the albums he produced with Jones and start to accept the grown, mature and established Michael Jackson on the Dangerous album, they can appreciate the work for what it is and not what it was never meant to be. 


Michael in 1991. 

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References: 

Books -
Michael Jackson A Visual Documentary 1958-2009 The Tribute Edition. Grant, Adrian. Pages 153 and 159, 2009. 

Michael Jackson, Inc The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of a Billion Dollar Empire. Greenburg, O'Malley, Zack. Page 154, 2014. 

Making Michael Inside the Career of Michael Jackson. Smallcombe, Mike. Page 135, 2016.

Dangerous 33 1/3. Fast, Susan. Pages 49 and 59, 2014. 

Man and the Music The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson. Vogel, Joseph. Pages 135, 136, 137, 139 and 157, 2011. 

Articles (websites) -

"The Gloved One Is Not A Chump", White, Armond. The City Sun, November 27th - December 3rd, 1991. (The article is now featured in a book called Keep Moving The Michael Jackson Chronicles)
http://jetzi-mjvideo.com/books-jetzi-01/09km/09km03.html

"Out of The Mouth of Michael", Plaskin, Glenn, Chicago Tribune. August 16, 1992. 
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-08-16/entertainment/9203140099_1_dreams-spirituality-daily-journal

"Q & A Session with Michael Bush". Belinda O. Michael and the Truth, October, 9, 2012. 
https://michaelandthetruth.blogspot.com/2012/10/q-sessions-with-michael-bush.html

"Michael Jackson Proposal To African Oakland Artist 1989-1992". Lacienega. Rhythm of the Tide, November 9, 2011. 
http://rhythmofthetide.com/michael-jackson-proposal-to-african-oakland-artist-1989-1992/

"Tribute: Celebrating 25 Years of Michael Jackson's 'Dangerous'. Lacy, Chris, November 21, 2016, albumism.com, 
http://www.albumism.com/features/tribute-celebrating-25-years-of-michael-jackson-dangerous

"It's Halftime Longform". Murphy, Austin, si.com
http://www.si.com/longform/halftime/#header

Information about the Dangerous era from allmichaeljackson.com
http://www.allmichaeljackson.com/era/dangerous/index.html


Magazines/Publications-

"Michael Jackson: Crowned In Africa, Pop Music King Tells Real Story of Controversial Trip". Johnson, Robert. Ebony. May 1992, Pages 35-36. 

"Michael Jackson's Black or White Blues". Browne, David. Entertainment Weekly. November 29, 1991, page 40. 

"Michael Jackson The Making of the King of Pop". Goldberg, Michael. Rolling Stone, January 9th, 1992, page 36. 


Quotes - 


The quote about Michael making the "Remember The Time" short film as a movie fro, community.beliefnet.com
http://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/43861/29540949/Relating_To_Anc._Egypt,_For_Michael_Jackson_Fans,_This_Merits_Careful_Reading

Michael's quotes about his Dangerous album and Africa from Ebony magazine, May 1992. 

Gifs - 


Dangerous American Music Award performance
http://mjslays.tumblr.com/post/141915074148/the-premiere-of-michael-jacksons-dangerous

Oprah 1993 Interview
http://leavemealonneeee.tumblr.com/post/146089812251/melodychris-jaba-the-slut-ive-reblogged

"Remember the Time" short film
http://shewaslovinme.tumblr.com/post/147978708877

Michael's Purpose
http://smoothcriminls.tumblr.com/post/94456092203

Pictures- 

The pictures came from my personal harddrive. 

Youtube -


The video and audio from youtube.com