Note: If viewing Michael Jackson Ultimate Archive on archive.org (Wayback Machine), please view the latest snapshot of this page for the most up-to-date information and media.
Black and White Magazine Interview
Date range assessed by the fact that he mentions Motown 40’s TV ratings (airdate was February 15, 1998) and Michael left for Seoul on February 20, 1998
Michael gave an interview to the
BW group last month in LA)
Michael is looking at the Tour Program that B&W made.
M: I love this program! You guys did a wonderful job, you are the best.
Michael is now looking at the History n4 magazine. When he sees a picture from ITC taken while he is singing and has his hands on his ears.
M: Sandy Gallin adores this picture, I never understood why, I don’t like it…
Then he takes the B&W magazine n24
M: Oh, I’ve never seen this issue!
B&W: We sent it to you!
Michael calls Bob Jones who is in the next room.
M: I didn’t get this issue…
Bob: Don’t look at me like that! I sent you 3 packages three weeks ago, did you open them?
Michael is a little embarrassed and softly says:
M: They were in there?
Bob, laughing: Sure! You must open these things, there’s stuff for you in it!
M: I know, I didn’t have the time…
Bob: Also you need to tell me what to do with the statue…
M: What statue?
Bob: The statue from the Museum Grevin, your statue!
M: What? It’s arrived?
Bob: Sure! It’s in my office since many days, It’s in pieces, I’m waiting for you to tell me what to do with it! And anyway, don’t ask me to assemble it cause I won’t!
M: Can you send it to Neverland? – Smiling
Michael goes on reading through the B&W magazine, he looks at the cover:
M: Do the fans like this photo?
BW: They love it, everyone loved it.
Then Michael turns the pages and stops of the Collectibles page and sees a picture of the Smile single and asks whether it came out in Europe:
BW: no, the single has been cancelled, it never came out…
M: mmh! – Sighing
BW: Did you want it to come out?
M: Sure! Sony should have had that single come out! – Saying this Michael has an upset expression on his face. Then he turns to the pages with the Life article pictures, and he starts smiling, looking at the photos of PJ he says:
M: He is so cute with that microphone! He was doing his teeth on it!
BW: Can we ask you how your family is doing?
M: Very well, thank you, actually my son was here yesterday, we had a photo session together…
BW: Does he speak yet?
M: No, not yet, but he can walk! He walks everywhere, he never stops!
Then Michael looks at the pictures of Ghosts, those when he is making the faces, and burst out laughing.
BW: In 96 we went to NY to see Ghosts, after that the film has been modified: Is it Scary and Ghosts have been added to the original Soundtrack, who decided to do that?
M: Stan Winston thought we should put more songs in the film, so we did, but I thought that the first version was good, I was satisfied.
Then he looks at a picture of him in SA walking with a bunch of kids.
M: This photo is wonderful! Sir come see! – Bob Jones comes in again.
Bob: That one is also beautiful.
Michael looks at the photo of him motorskying.
BW: Do you know that the fans loved this pic?
M: Really?
BW: It’s always like that when they see you in a strange situation.
M: I understand, the fans love to see me doing things I normally don’t do…
BW: Exactly, for example they adore to see you doing parasailing! Like you did in SA.
At these words Michael starts speaking with enthusiasm:
M: Yes! What a wonderful memory! You must publish the pictures we took that day! I want to do it again! It was a wonderful experience! I loved it so much that I wanted to do it four times in a row! It’s flying, seeing the world from above…I love the water, but I can’t bathe as often as I’d like…
Michael stops and assumes a thoughtful expression. Then he goes on to the page of the maxi-shop:
M: Do you think I could get a little statue like that? – he asks shyly pointing at the History statuette they offer with some orders.
BW: We’ll see…- Laughing
BW: Did you receive the collecting cards we sent you?
M: Yes, but the kids that travel with me have gone all over them and they disappeared. It’s always like that!
Then he keeps turning the pages, his eyes stop on a photo of him with Diana Ross, then he sees a photo of him and Lisa Marie on a rollercoaster upside down.
M: I’ve never seen this photo before! – Laughs – I like it!
Then he keeps on turning until he gets to the fans pages where there’s a photo of a half naked boy, it’s a montage. Michael ROTFLHAOs and shows the picture to Bob.
M: look!
After a moment of mad laughing, he calms down.
M: I love the fans! I love to read their messages and their banners…
At the end of the magazine there’s a BW cover for the Elizabeth I love you TV broadcast.
M: What is this?
BW: It’s a cover that they can cut up and put on their tape of the broadcast. Do you know that the fans adore ‘Elizabeth I love you’ the song?
M: Really?
BW: It has become a classic. There’s so much emotion in that song, such intensity!
M- I had no idea that they liked it so much…I wrote it in Switzerland especially for that night, but I never knew what the public thought of it. When I finish one project I move on to the next, I can’t wait, but I’m happy you are telling me this, it’s interesting, I never know what the fans think about what I do.
Then Michael takes on a thoughtful expression and says to himself:
So the fans loved it, interesting…
Michael is looking now at History magazine, at a picture with Marcel Marceau in NY 95.
M: It’s wonderful! I adore this version of Childhood, it’s strange, nobody ever saw it…there are things like that which nobody will ever see…it was wonderful…
M, to Bob: We filmed everything, right?
BW: Will you ever do this show for HBO one day?
M: No, I don’t think so, I worked so much to prepare that show, there was such a pressure, people pushing me to do this show no matter what! Then finally, the nature took its course and said, “stop”, she decided I shouldn’t do that show…
Michael is still looking at History, when he sees a picture on Bob during the WMA in Monaco.
M: OOHH! Sir! Look, it’s you in Monaco! You are so well dressed! What a class, it’s so chic!
Then M leans over to the BW guys and whispers:
M: He loves Monaco, he loves champagne and caviar!
Every one laughs and the mood in that room is extraordinary, they have never seen Michael so relaxed…
BW: M, what do you think of BOTDF, are you satisfied with that album?
M, immediately: I’m never satisfied with anything, if it was for me, no album would ever come out…
BW: What do you think of the remixes they did of your songs?
M: The least I can say is that I don’t like them…I don’t like it that they come in and change my songs completely, but Sony says that the kids love remixes…
BW: That is not true! The kids don’t love the remixes that much, especially those on BOTDF!
M: I knew it! I was sure!
Throwing a fist in the air, then he shakes his head sighing.
BW: What do you think of the BOTDF cover?
M: I like it!
BW: We always talk about the songs that the fans love and one they like most is On The Line.
So Michael starts singing the song clapping his hands! At this extraordinary show, the guys are speechless for a moment. Seeing their reaction Michael smiles shyly.
BW: Babyface has composed this title, but your interpretation is so inspired that the song takes on another kind of dimension.
M: Thank you very much, I love that song, did it come out as a single?
BW: No, it’s just in the Ghosts box.
Sighing again.
M: One more song hasn’t released as single!
BW: One of your best performance was the Grammy 88.
M: Oh yes? You liked the slow version of TWYMMF? I always wanted to do that…
BW: But there’s also something we didn’t like, it’s the broadcast version of the History show, honestly, the TV concert is not that good, it takes a lot away from the show, the sound is mediocre and also the editing…It’s very deceiving!
M: It’s true, I was very disappointed by that…I didn’t take care of it personally, I saw the final result on the last week. The concert was edited during the tour, I was so exhausted, then that I had to let other people do it in my place. But today I’m disappointed, it’s not good. I won’t let that version come out for sale. I want to edit it all over again and I want to
add twenty minutes at the beginning to show the fans arriving in the stadium, I want to show the enthusiasm, the thrill of the public…
BW: How do you create your videos? Do you always have a lot of ideas?
M: Yes, always. And also I’m submitted interesting projects at times. But I don’t always get to do the things I want. Some people push me to do things fast, they don’t care about the result, so they don’t care that the videos will look like everyone else’s, they don’t want to be creative. They are limited…I always wanted to do videos that were innovative, and I want to continue like that
BW: That is your characteristic indeed.
M: Yes, I want to do some videos like Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean, new works, creative, innovative… But some people only want that I put myself in front of the camera, and when the lights go on they hope something magic will happen…just like that, without thinking, Well, it doesn’t work that way…
The BW guys say it’s strange to see Michael so upset, it’s the artist talking, any obstacle to his imagination and creative mind is not to be tolerated.
BW: What will you do next? A movie or a new album?
M: I WILL record a new album first. I have composed so many songs. Then I’ll do a movie.
After 45 minutes of chatting, it’s time to take pictures. Bob asks M if he remembers the first time BW met with him?
M: Yes, it was on that island close to France…
Actually it was Tenerife, close to Morocco, but it doesn’t matter, it’s already too much for him to remember it was an island!
Suddenly, M to Bob: Do you like caviar?
Bob: I love it.
M: I think it’s too salty for me…
M to BW (while they take more photos): Have you watched the Motown 40?
BW: Not yet
M: It was interesting… – in a low voice
Bob: The ratings were catastrophic, after Motown 25, how could they have done better? They should have finished it there…
M: Motown 25 was the top. – whispering.
After taking more photos, it’s time to say goodbye. The guys thank Michael and exit the suite, waiting for the elevator. It arrives and the guys are ready to go in. Suddenly they see a figure approaching, it’s Michael, he needs the elevator too, the guys move back to let him go first, but Michael says politely:
M: No! I don’t want to steal your elevator!
They insist, and Michael gets in the elevator, while the doors close Michael keeps thanking them and clapping his hands.