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List of unreleased songs recorded by Michael Jackson
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Michael Jackson was an American musician and entertainer. He is known to have written, recorded, and filmed material that has never been officially released. Many of his unreleased songs have been registered—usually by his company Mijac Music—with professional bodies such as the United States Copyright Office, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI), American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) and EMI Music Publishing.[1] This list, however, only documents the songs explicitly cited as unreleased and therefore does not contain every unreleased Jackson song registered with such bodies.
In 1993, Jackson—along with Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, Rod Temperton and Joseph Jackson—faced a copyright infringement suit. The lawsuit came after three songwriters alleged that the pop star and his fellow defendants had plagiarized the hits "The Girl Is Mine", "Thriller" and "We Are the World".[2][3] During a seven-hour deposition, Jackson named numerous unreleased songs that he had written or co-written.[1][4] Following the testimony, a nine-member jury found the defendants not guilty.[5]
Many officially unreleased Jackson songs had been scheduled, at one point, for release, through ways such as his six solo studio albums with music label Epic Records: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), HIStory (1995) and Invincible (2001) and the remix album Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix (1997). For varying reasons, the tracks were rejected and, as of 2021, remain unreleased. Jackson's unreleased material includes songs recorded as a solo artist (including covers of songs released by other artists and the Jackson 5 songs) and demo versions, some featuring established artists such as Freddie Mercury and Barry Gibb.
In 2009, after Jackson's sudden death, La Toya Jackson said that she had discovered two hard disks at her brother's home that contained more than 100 unreleased songs, many of which were unregistered.[6]
Several of Jackson's songs have been leaked onto the Internet, such as a 24-second segment of "A Place with No Name" leaked by TMZ.com following Jackson's death.[7] At the time of the leak, it was claimed that there were "hundreds" of unreleased songs by Jackson, and that they could be issued for years to come. The curator of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Jim Henke, noted that any future releases would garner significant attention.[8][9][10] On March 16, 2010, Sony Music Entertainment signed a record-breaking $250 million deal with Jackson's estate to retain distribution rights to his recordings until 2017 and release ten posthumous albums—some of which will feature unreleased material—over the next decade (This however did not come to fruition as only 2 posthumous albums were released).[11]
Key
† |
Denotes songs registered with Broadcast Music Incorporated |
‡ |
Denotes songs registered with EMI Music Publishing |
* |
Denotes songs cited by Jackson in his 1993 deposition |
(Year) |
Denotes songs registered with the United States Copyright Office and the year of registration |
*(Year) |
Denotes songs cited by Jackson in his 1993 deposition and the year they were registered with the United States Copyright Office |
Songs
Song | Writer(s) | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
"11pm"(2010) | Michael Jackson Brad Buxer |
| |
"A Baby Smiles"* | Michael Jackson |
|
[12] |
"A Pretty Face Is" | Stevie Wonder |
|
[12] |
"All The Truth"† | Bryan Loren |
|
[13] |
"Attitude"‡ | Michael Jackson Kathy Wakefield Michel Pierre |
— | [12] |
"Baby's Fire"† | Michael Jackson Ryan D.Groves |
|
[12] |
"Bad Girl"* | Michael Jackson | [14] | |
"Beatbox 2010"(2009) | Michael Jackson Eric J. Kirkland Michael Durham Prince |
— | [12] |
"Be Me 4 a Day"† | Michael Jackson Calix Days Grey |
|
[14] |
"Bio" | Michael Jackson Brad Buxer |
|
[15] |
"Blue Powder" | Michael Jackson Brad Buxer |
|
[16] |
"Bomb Detonation" | Michael Jackson Sheik Abdullah of Bahrain |
|
[14] |
"Bottle of Smoke" | Michael Jackson |
|
[14] |
"Buffalo Bill"* | Michael Jackson |
|
[14][17][18] |
"California Grass"* | Michael Jackson | — | [14] |
"Can I Live" | Sisqó
Teddy Riley |
[14] | |
"Can You..." | Michael Jackson
will.i.am |
|
[14] |
"Changes" | Michael Jackson |
|
[19] |
"Chicago 1945"* | Michael Jackson (lyrics) Steve Porcaro (music) |
|
[20][21] |
"Colour of My Soul" | Unknown |
|
[22] |
"Crack Kills"* | Michael Jackson |
|
[22][20] |
"Cry"* | Michael Jackson | — | [22] |
"Cry" | Michael Jackson |
|
[22] |
"Days in Gloucestershire" | Michael Jackson Brad Buxer |
|
[23] |
"Deep In The Night" | Unknown |
|
|
"Disco Kids" | James Wnitney |
|
[22] |
"Do You Want Me" | Sisqó Dru Hill |
|
[24] |
"Doing Dirty" | Michael Jackson Marlon Jackson |
|
[24] |
"Don't Believe It" | Michael Jackson Bryan Loren |
|
[13] |
"Dreams"† | Michael Jackson | — | [24] |
"D.I.E"(2010) | Michael Jackson Michael Prince Theron Feemster III |
|
[25] |
"Eaten Alive" | Michael Jackson Maurice Gibb Barry Gibb |
|
[26] |
"Ekan Satyam (The One Truth)" | A.R. Rahman A.R. Parthasarathy Kanika Myer Bharat |
|
[26] |
"Elizabeth, I Love You" | Michael Jackson |
|
[26] |
"Face" | Unknown |
|
[27] |
"Fanfare Transition"(1992) | Michael Jackson |
|
[27] |
"Fantasy"* | Michael Jackson Jermaine Jackson |
— | [27] |
"Far, Far Away"* | Michael Jackson | — | [27] |
"Fear" | Michael Jackson |
|
[27] |
"From the Bottom of My Heart" | Michael Jackson |
|
[27] |
"Get Around"* | Michael Jackson |
|
[28] |
"Get Your Weight Off of Me" | Michael Jackson Rodney Jerkins |
|
[29] |
"Ghost Of Another Lover" |
|
||
"Goin' To Rio"* | Michael Jackson Carole Bayer Sager |
|
[28] |
"Goodness Knows" | James Wnitney |
|
[28] |
"Got to Find a Way Somehow"(1984) | Michael Jackson |
|
[28] |
"Groove of Midnight" | Rod Temperton |
|
[28] |
"Happy Birthday, Lisa" | Michael Jackson |
|
[30] |
"He Who Makes The Sky Grey" | Jermaine Jackson Sheik Abdullah of Bahrain |
|
[30] |
"Heaven's Girl" | R. Kelly | [30] | |
"Holiday Inn"(1984) | Michael Jackson |
|
[30] |
"Hot Fever"(1985) | Michael Jackson |
|
[30] |
"Hot Street" | Rod Temperton |
|
[30] |
"I Am A Loser"(2009)/"I Was A Loser"(2010) | Michael Jackson Brad Buxer |
|
[31][15] |
"I Can't Get You Off My Mind" | Michael Jackson |
known to exist |
[32] |
"I Don't Live Here Anymore" | Michael Jackson |
|
[32] |
"I Forgive You"* | Michael Jackson | — | [32] |
"I Have This Dream" | Michael Jackson
David Foster Carol Bayer Sager |
Conceived as a charity single after Hurricane Katrina and co-written with Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the second son of Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the king of Bahrain. Singers James Ingram, Ciara, Snoop Dogg and Shirley Caesar recorded vocals in Los Angeles. In October 2003, Jackson recorded parts with a orchestra in Metropolis Studios in Chiswick, London, but never completed his vocals and did not attend further sessions. Abdulla said he had spent $2.2m on "I Have This Dream" and cited it, among other songs, in his lawsuit against Jackson in 2008; the parties settled out of court. | [32][33] |
"I Have This Love of Mine"* | Michael Jackson | — | [32] |
"I Will Miss You" | Michael Jackson
will.i.am |
|
[32] |
"If We Still Love" | Michael Jackson
will.i.am |
[32] | |
"If You Don't Love Me" | Michael Jackson |
|
[32][34] |
"I'm Dreaming" | Michael Jackson
will.i.am |
[32] | |
"I'm Still the King" | Michael Jackson
will.i.am |
|
[32] |
"In the Life of Chico" | Michael Jackson | [32] | |
"In the Valley"* | Michael Jackson | — | [32] |
"Iowa" | Michael Jackson |
|
[32] |
"It Was a Very Good Year" | Ervin Drake |
|
[32] |
"It's Not Worth It" | Rodney Jerkins
Fred Jerkins Lashawn Daniels |
[32] | |
"Jane Is A Groupie" | Unknown |
|
|
"Jungle City" | Michael Jackson Brad Buxer |
|
[16] |
"Kentucky"* | Michael Jackson |
|
[35] |
"Kick It" | Michael Jackson
Rodney Jerkins Lashawn Daniels Norman Gregg |
|
[35] |
"Kreeton Overture"(1984) | Michael Jackson Jai Winding Marty Paich Pat Leonard |
|
[35] |
"Learned My Lesson"(1985) | Michael Jackson |
|
[25] |
"Light the Gulag" | Michael Jackson |
|
[25] |
"Light the Way" | Michael Jackson
Sheik Abdullah of Bahrain |
[25] | |
"Little Girls"* | Michael Jackson | — | [25] |
"Llama Lola"* | Michael Jackson | — | [25] |
"Lonely Bird"* | Michael Jackson | — | [25] |
"Lonely Man"* | Michael Jackson | — | [25] |
"Lucy Is in Love With Linus"* | Michael Jackson | — | [25] |
"Make a Wish"* | Michael Jackson | — | [36] |
"Make or Break"* | Michael Jackson John Barnes |
|
[36][37] |
"Maybe We Can Do It" | Michael Jackson Rodney Jerkins Sean Combs |
|
[36] |
"Men in Black"† | Michael Jackson Bryan Loren |
|
[36][13] |
"Michael McKellar"* | Michael Jackson | — | [36] |
"MJ Melody"(1984) | Michael Jackson |
|
[36] |
"Monster"(2010) | Michael Jackson Brad Buxer Michael Prince |
|
[15] |
"Neverland Landing"* | Michael Jackson | — | [38] |
"Nightline/Nite-line" | Glen Ballard |
|
[38][39] |
"Nymphette Lover"(1984) | Michael Jackson |
|
[38] |
"Ode to Sorrow"(1984) | Michael Jackson |
|
[40] |
"On My Anger" | Michael Jackson Teddy Riley |
|
[40] |
"People Have To Make Some Sort of Joke"* | Michael Jackson | — | [41] |
"Peter Pan" | Michael Jackson |
|
[41] |
"Pressure"† | Michael Jackson Bryan Loren |
||
"Pressure" | Rodney Jerkins Fred Jerkins III Harvey Mason LaShawn Daniels |
|
[41] |
"Red Eye"*(2010) | Michael Jackson |
|
[42] |
"Rolling the Dice"* | Rod Temperton |
|
[42] |
"Satisfy" | Terry Lewis James Harris III |
|
[43] |
"Saved By the Bell"* | Michael Jackson Jermaine Jackson |
— | [43] |
"Seduction" | Michael Jackson Shelby Lee Myrick III |
|
[43] |
"Serious Effect"† | Michael Jackson Bryan Loren |
|
[43][44] |
"Set It On Out" | Michael Jackson |
|
[43] |
"Seven Digits"† | Michael Jackson Bryan Loren |
|
[43][45] |
"She Got It"† | Michael Jackson Bryan Loren |
|
[43][46] |
"She's Not a Girl"* | Michael Jackson Jermaine Jackson |
— | [43] |
"She's Trouble" | Sue Shifrin Bill Livsey Terry Britten |
|
[43] |
"Siegfried & Roy"(1990) | Michael Jackson |
|
[43] |
"Sister Sue"* | Michael Jackson | — | [43] |
"Slapstick" | Rod Temperton |
|
[43] |
"Soldier's Entrance" | Michael Jackson |
|
[43] |
"Somewhere in Time"(1984) | Michael Jackson |
|
[43] |
"Spice Of Life" | Rod Temperton Derek Bramble |
|
[47] |
"Stand Tall"(1985) | Michael Jackson |
|
[43] |
"Starlight"* | Rod Temperton |
|
[43] |
"Stay" | Michael Jackson Bryan Loren |
|
[43] |
"Stop the War" | Michael Jackson Carole Bayer Sager |
|
[43] |
"Susie"(1984) | Michael Jackson |
|
[43] |
"Thank Heaven"(1998) | Michael Jackson |
|
[48] |
"Thank You For Life"*(1984) | Michael Jackson |
|
[48] |
"That"(1998) | Michael Jackson | — | [48] |
"That Kind of Lover" | Michael Jackson Ray Ruffin |
|
[48] |
"The Children's Hour"* | Michael Jackson | — | [22] |
"The Future" | Michael Jackson will.i.am |
|
[28] |
"The Gloved One" | Sisqó |
|
[28] |
"The Nightmare of Edgar Alan Poe" | Michael Jackson Walter Afanasieff |
|
[38] |
"The Pain" | Shawn Stockman Jay Harvey Mason Rodney Jerkins |
|
[49] |
"The Sky is the Limit"* | Michael Jackson | — | [43] |
"The Toy"(1981) | Michael Jackson |
|
[48] |
"This Is It"(1984) | Michael Jackson |
|
[48] |
"This Is Our Time" | Michael Jackson Lauryn Hill David Foster |
|
[48] |
"Throwin' Your Life Away"(1988) | Michael Jackson |
|
[48] |
"To Satisfy You" | Michael Jackson Bryan Loren |
|
[48][50][13] |
"Tomboy"*(1985) | Michael Jackson |
|
[48][51] |
"Tragedy of a Cheer-leader"* | Michael Jackson | — | [48] |
"Tubeway" | Michael Jackson |
|
[48] |
"Turning Me Off"* | Michael Jackson |
|
[48][52] |
"Under Your Skin"(1984) | Michael Jackson |
|
[53] |
"Unknown"† | Michael Jackson |
|
[53] |
"Vibrationist" | Michael Jackson Teddy Riley |
|
[54] |
"Victory" | Michael Jackson Freddie Mercury |
|
[54][55] |
"Water"(2010) | Michael Jackson Michael Prince Theron Feemster |
|
[56] |
"We Are the Ones"(1984) | Michael Jackson |
|
[56] |
"What a Lonely Way to Go"* | Michael Jackson |
|
[56] |
"What You Do to Me"(1984) | Michael Jackson |
|
[56] |
"What's a Guy Gotta Do" | Pharrell Williams |
|
[56] |
"What's It Gonna Be"† | Michael Jackson |
|
[56] |
"What's Your Life"* | Michael Jackson Jermaine Jackson |
— | [56] |
"Who Do You Know"* | Michael Jackson |
|
[56] |
"Who Is the Girl With Her Hair Down"* | Michael Jackson | — | [56] |
"Why Can't I Be"(1984) | Michael Jackson |
|
[56] |
"Why Shy"* | Michael Jackson | — | [56] |
"Willing And Waiting" | Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds |
|
[57][58] |
"Work That Body" | Michael Jackson Bryan Loren Berry Gordy Freddie Perren Alphonzo Mizell Deke Richards |
|
[13][50] |
"You Ain't Gonna Change Nothin'"*(1984) | Michael Jackson |
|
[59] |
"You Are a Liar"* | Michael Jackson |
|
[59] |
"You Are So Beautiful" | Michael Jackson |
|
[59] |
"You Told Me Your Lovin'"(1984) | Michael Jackson |
|
[59] |
"You're Supposed to Keep Your Love For Me" | Stevie Wonder |
|
[59] |
See also
References
Footnotes
- ^ a b Halstead 2007, p. 1.
- ^ Campbell, p. 89
- ^ Grant, p. 168
- ^ Collier, Aldore (6 December 1993). Michael Jackson tries to keep career from crumbling as he fights addiction to painkiller drugs and charges of child molestation. Jet. Archived from the original on January 3, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2009.
- ^ Federal jury rules in favour of Michael Jackson. Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. January 31, 1994. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2009.
- ^ Martin, Dan (7 August 2009). "Michael Jackson's last recordings seized by sister LaToya". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (July 20, 2009). "America Respond To Michael Jackson's 'A Place With No Name'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 24, 2009. Retrieved October 17, 2009.
- ^ "Michael Jackson's second career really takes off this week". San Jose Mercury News. October 28, 2009. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
- ^ Montgomery, James (July 20, 2009). "America 'Honored' By Michael Jackson's 'A Place With No Name' Sample". MTV. Archived from the original on August 25, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2009.
- ^ Netter, Sarah (July 17, 2009). "Michael Jackson's Unreleased Songs, Continuing the Music Legacy". ABC News. Archived from the original on August 17, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2009.
- ^ "Sony Places Big Bet on a Fallen 'King'". The Wall Street Journal. March 16, 2010. Archived from the original on February 24, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Halstead, pp. 6–20
- ^ a b c d e "Michael Jackson et Bryan Loren".
- ^ a b c d e f g h Halstead, pp. 24–54
- ^ a b c "Michael Prince Special". themjcast.com.
- ^ a b "Lot Detail - Michael Jackson Collection of Unreleased Songs from His Last Recording Sessions and His Personal Playback Machine". Archived from the original on 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2019-07-26.
- ^ "John Barnes Special". themjcast.com. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
- ^ Vogel, pp. 435-436
- ^ Shields, pp. 64
- ^ a b Vogel, pp. 437
- ^ "Meeting Steve Porcaro and hearing "Chicago 1945"". 5 July 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f Halstead, pp. 57–73
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE:Jackson 5 Visit To Gloucestershire Inspires Unreleased Michael Jackson Recording Three Decades Later". damienshields.com. 6 March 2014.
- ^ a b c Halstead, pp. 87–95
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Halstead, pp. 197–212
- ^ a b c Halstead, pp. 100–102
- ^ a b c d e f Halstead, pp. 107–114
- ^ a b c d e f g Halstead, pp. 115–130
- ^ "Lot Detail - Michael Jackson Unreleased C.D. For the Song "Get Your Weight off of Me"". Archived from the original on 2019-07-15. Retrieved 2019-07-15.
- ^ a b c d e f Halstead, pp. 133–142
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE: The Origins Of Michael Jackson's "I Am A Loser" Revealed!". damienshields.com. 8 September 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Halstead, pp. 147–180
- ^ Bishara, Motez (2021-10-04). "'We wanted to make history': Michael Jackson's bizarre year in Bahrain". the Guardian. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
- ^ Vogel, pp. 446
- ^ a b c Halstead, pp. 194–195
- ^ a b c d e f Halstead, pp. 213–232
- ^ Vogel, pp. 440
- ^ a b c d Halstead, pp. 238–241
- ^ Vogel, pp. 428
- ^ a b Halstead, pp. 242–243
- ^ a b c Halstead, pp. 251–253
- ^ a b Halstead, pp. 259–265
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Halstead, pp. 267–306
- ^ Serious Effect – The MJCast
- ^ "Bryan Loren". www.jackson.ch. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ "Bryan Loren: A letter to the fans and enthusiasts of Michael Jackson". bryanloren.com. Archived from the original on 2018-04-08.
- ^ de Whalley, Chas (January 1985). "The Producers: Derek Bramble". International Musician. UK. pp. 116–117.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Halstead, pp. 309–332
- ^ Halstead, p. 248
- ^ a b "Michael and Me". myspace.com. July 11, 2009. Archived from the original on July 27, 2009.
- ^ Shields, pp. 34-35
- ^ Vogel, pp. 444
- ^ a b Halstead, p. 334
- ^ a b Halstead, p. 337
- ^ "Peter Freestone - former personal assistant to Freddie Mercury – discusses forgotten tracks the singer taped with Michael Jackson". english.radio.cz. February 8, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Halstead, pp. 342–362
- ^ "Michael Jackson's HIStory: An Essay". medium.com. 31 December 2019.
- ^ "Hit Factory - 1994- Babyface session with the NY Philharmonic". Facebook.
- ^ a b c d e Halstead, pp. 369–380
Bibliography
- Campbell, Lisa (1995). Michael Jackson: The King of Pop's Darkest Hour. Branden. ISBN 0-8283-2003-9.
- Grant, Adrian (2009). Michael Jackson: The Visual Documentary. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-1-84938-261-8.
- Halstead, Craig (2007). Michael Jackson: For the Record. Authors OnLine. ISBN 978-0-7552-0267-6.
- Shields, Damien (2015). Xscape Origins: The Songs & Stories Michael Jackson Left Behind. Modegy. ISBN 978-0-986-19910-3.
- Vogel, Joseph (2011). Man In The Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson (2019 update). Sterling Publishing. ISBN 978-0525566571.
- Michael Jackson songs
- Lists of unreleased songs by recording artists