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"Fall Again" / “Pavarotti & Friends for Guatemala and Kosovo” Performance Cancellation

Recording date confirmed by the fact that, in “Graphic Showbiz”, songwriter Walter Afanasieff said that “we worked to the point that we were three-fourths of the way finished—then, the incident happened when his son got very sick”; Jonathan Morrish stated that “Friday [May 28, 1999] night [Prince] lost consciousness, and his legs and arms were paralyzed because of a high viral fever… [he] suffered a serious seizure very early on Saturday [May 29, 1999] due to a high temperature due to a viral illness.” (“New York Post” and “Associated Press”)

“Fall Again”:

Walter Afanasieff, co-writer, “Graphic Showbiz” (February 3, 2000)

Afanasieff, Grammy-nominated for producer of the year, is contributing the tune “Fall Again” to Jackson’s disc. “We worked to the point that that we were three-fourths of the way finished—then, the incident happened when his son got very sick. We’re going to have to reserve a little spot to finish the song.”

Darren Hayes, “Savage Garden” lead singer, Twitter post (May 31, 2010) (mirror) (archived mirror)

Fans of my music will be familiar with my song 'Insatiable'. It was co-written and produced with Walter Afanasieff. What many people don't know is that I wrote my song as a reaction to and after having been inspired by a song that Walter and Alan Thicke wrote for Michael back in '99 called 'Fall Again'.

The story goes like this.

When I was recording the Savage Garden album 'Affirmation' with Walter in 1999 at his studio in San Francisco, he played me a demo of the song 'Fall Again' which at that time had Robin Thicke's vocals on it. Walter and Robin had intended to submit the song to M.J for his 'Invincible' album project.

I was completely in awe and all I could hear was Michael.

At the time, Walter told me he wasn't sure if Michael would be interested but as a fan I had a feeling that when M.J heard it he'd respond like I had. It reminded me of the lushness of classic Michael songs like 'Human Nature'.

I knew M.J would kill it.

Sure enough, the song got to Michael and he loved it and agreed to cut a demo of it.

Slight hitch? The only time M.J had available was when Walter was booked in with me to finish the vocals for the Savage Garden album 'Affirmation'.

Walter decided he could record both sessions and so we flew to New York and

I recorded in the mornings with Walter at Sony Studios and he then left in the afternoon to record Michael Jackson at The Hit Factory in the afternoon literally across

the street.

The version in this post is the one and only time Michael ever sang the song. One take. He hadn't even had a chance to learn the song properly (and what an amazing job he did!).

The day he recorded Michael Walter came back to my session at Sony Studios about 2 hours later beaming. He spoke in glowing terms about Michael, about his voice, about his politeness and talent. And what touched me the most was he told me that Michael's children (Prince and Paris) were at the session and M.J had set up a t.v monitor in his recording booth so he could see the children playing with the Nanny in another room while he was singing. The session was cut short because the children were poorly and Michael wanted to be a good Dad and tend to them. He apparently apologised and left the session after only one take.

I never heard Michael's version until it was released many years later (even though Walter knew I was a massive fan he respected M.J's privacy and never played it to me). But I had remembered the feeling and the magic of the song from the first time I heard Robin Thicke's vocal and so when it came time for me to record my first solo album, I asked Walter to try and write a song with the same energy with me. That's how we wrote 'Insatiable'.

It's amazing to hear Michael's demo version of 'Fall Again' so many years later and be in awe of his artistry. Michael is the reason I became a performer (having seen his 'Bad' tour in 1987 and knowing in an instant that performing was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life). Listening to his records taught me how to sing. I'm proud that years later in my own career there are pieces of him in my work. And although he is not with us anymore, I like to think that little spark he ignited in me as an artist is part of his legacy.

Sorry if this was long and sappy - but I know there are M.J fans out there who would appreciate this story. I'd always wanted to tell it. And today I did.

“Pavarotti & Friends for Guatemala and Kosovo” Performance Cancellation:

Jonathan Morrish, “New York Post” (June 2, 1999) (mirror) (archived mirror)

Prince suffered a serious seizure very early on Saturday due to a high temperature due to a viral illness. This was his third such seizure over the last year due also to similar viral seizures. Michael is devastated. He was desperate to perform but, like any other parent who has undergone the frightening experience of witnessing his child having such an attack, he cannot leave Prince's bedside until his condition significantly improves.

“Associated Press” (June 2, 1999) (archived)

Michael Jackson is keeping a vigil at the bedside of his 2-year-old son who was unconscious after a seizure caused by a viral infection.

Prince Michael Jackson Jr. was stricken over the weekend, said Jonathan Morrish, an executive with Sony Records, Jackson's label. "Friday night the child lost consciousness, and his legs and arms were paralyzed because of a high viral fever," Morrish said Tuesday in Modena, Italy, where Jackson was to have attended a benefit concert.

"The next 24 hours will be decisive for Prince's health," he told Italian news agency ANSA. "Michael would have wanted with all his heart to be in Modena but as all parents can understand he could not leave his son at this moment."

Jackson's wife, Deborah Rowe Jackson, downplayed the reports of her son's illness in an interview with KNBC-TV in Los Angeles.

“Los Angeles Times” (June 2, 1999) (archived)

Tenor Luciano Pavarotti told thousands of concert-goers at his Kosovo relief show in Italy on Tuesday to pray for the 2-year-old son of singer Michael Jackson because he “may be dying.” He was explaining the absence of Jackson, who was to have performed “We Are the World” as the concert’s finale. Meanwhile, John Morrish, a senior Sony records executive, said Tuesday that Jackson’s son, Prince, “suffered a serious seizure early Saturday due to a high temperature. . . . This is the third such seizure over the last year.” Prince was born in February 1997 to Debbie Rowe, whom Jackson married in 1996.

“BBC News” (June 4, 1999) (archived)

Singer Michael Jackson's two-year-old son, Prince Michael Joseph Jackson Junior, is "fine" and not dying, according to his doctor.

Earlier this week, there were fears that the child was on the verge of death after reports that he had suffered a serious seizure.

His father even pulled out of a charity concert to be at his hospital bedside in New York.

But in statement made on Thursday, the child's LA doctor, Dr Allen L Metzger, said the seriousness of Prince Michael's condition had been exaggerated.

"Many reports have circulated in Europe and the United States that are completely fictitious. He is not dying. He has a viral infection and he's going to be fine," he said.

Dr Metzger, who has been consulting with Prince Michael's doctors in New York, added that the child was now being looked after by his father in a New York City hotel.

Reports of the child's illness emerged when Michael Jackson, 40, pulled out of benefit concert in Italy.

He was due to perform with Luciano Pavarotti at a show in Modena in support of the children of Kosovo and Guatemala.

But he decided not to travel because his son was said to be in a New York hospital suffering from a viral infection which had paralysed him.

"Significant improvement"

On stage in Modena, Pavarotti asked the audience to pray for the child, but in Los Angeles Jackson's wife Debbie Rowe denied reports her son was dying.

Ms Rowe, who worked as a nurse for one of Jackson's doctors before their 1996 marriage, told a local TV station: "He's fine. He is not dying. He has a virus infection and is going to be fine."

Dr Metzger would now appear to have confirmed her statement.

"There is no neurological disease. Such seizures can occur when a child's temperature is too high or goes up too quickly. He is showing slow and significant improvement," he said.

He added that seizures of this kind can occur in 5-10% of children under five.

This is not the first time Prince Michael, who was born in February 1997, has suffered a health scare.

He was taken to hospital in January and treated for a viral infection accompanied by fever and dehydration. In February also, he was reportedly treated in Los Angeles for the same symptoms.