Michael Jackson: The ultimate makeover
The singer, in his "History" CDs, is working hard to prove that he's been the victim of evil schemes.
Originally published June 18, 1995
There's an elaborate trailer now playing movie theaters that announces the return of Michael Jackson, whose two-CD HIStory - Past, Present and Future - Book I hits stores Tuesday.
The $4 million production speaks volumes about this master of public relations and the media onslaught he's engineered: Our benevolent, if recently beleaguered, King of Pop is shown in full military garb, striding amid hundreds of Eastern Bloc-ish soldiers past delirious fans to an enormous metal likeness of himself.
He is purposeful. He is on a mission. And this time, it's personal. A valiant warrior, Jackson is loaded with ammo, gearing up for the most important campaign of his life.
The symbolism is no accident: The rehabilitation of Michael Jackson is as precise as any military operation. It's a rescue mission in which every possible promotional device will be used to lure back old fans and create a new generation of admirers.
"Don't stop 'til you get enough" is the Epic Records battle cry: The label plans to release nine singles and promote HIStory through Christmas 1996. By that time, the few consumers who haven't already purchased the set - which lists for $32.98 but will probably retail for $22 to $25 on CD ($19 to $22 on cassette) - are likely to fork over the dough just to be done with it.
HIStory is music - 15 digitally remastered greatest hits, 13 new originals, and two covers. But it's much, much more. It's Michael Jackson's do-or-die attempt to erase the memory of those 1993 child-molestation allegations, settled out of court, that drove him to painkillers and derailed his plan for a movie career.
In his new songs, Jackson casts himself as a victim of police brutality, screams "stop pressuring me," and counsels listeners that "just because you read it in a magazine or see it on a TV screen don't make it factual. " Through high-gloss dance-pop numbers destined to be hits and more sedate selections, he breathes the fire of the wrongly accused, marshaling all his artistic resources to clear his name.
Operation Michael has three goals: to make people forget about the sordid allegations, to remind fans of Jackson's stellar previous work (among the oldies are five cuts from his 44-million-selling Thriller), and to prove that the 36-year-old star, whose last album was 1991's uneven Dangerous, remains a viable pop artist.
The movie-theater trailer was just the beginning: The video for "Scream," the single that pairs Jackson with little sister Janet for robotron dance sequences, cost between $7 million and $10 million to make - lots of money for a spaceship set that looks left over from "Captain Eo" days. Epic says its promotional budget for HIStory, including videos, is around $30 million.
The record wasn't cheap to make, either: In addition to Janet, there are guest appearances by the ultra-hot Boyz II Men, renegade rapper Notorious B.I.G. and guitarist Slash from Guns N' Roses, among others. The project's top-shelf team of producers included Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Dallas Austin and R. Kelly. Plus, there's a cameo by part-time rapper and Orlando Magic big man Shaquille O'Neal.
That's not all. You can't tell the players without a scorecard, so Epic has included a 56-page booklet that lists HIStory's credits. That's provided you can find them among the list of Jackson's awards, the text of the speech President Ronald Reagan made when he gave Jackson a Presidential Award in 1984, and the lavish celebrity testimonials (including one from Steven Spielberg and two from good friend Liz Taylor).
Just the fact that Jackson has submitted his resume should set off alarm bells: What is this guy afraid of? What further horror could possibly be visited on his reputation?
Oh, just the suggestion that he's a wee bit passe.
The King of Pop, it seems, is a coward. Not content to let his new stuff speak for itself, he's stacked the deck by packaging it with proven hits and giving it a send-off unparalleled in the history of pop-music hype.
Lots of artists (Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith) have added a few new songs to their greatest-hits packages, but Jackson takes the tactic to an absurd extreme. Half of HIStory's 30 cuts are oldies (and yes, there are some questionable omissions, including "Dirty Diana" and five other Top 10 hits), and two more songs are covers (the Beatles' "Come Together" and the Charlie Chaplin tribute "Smile").
On the marketing honcho's memo pad, the combination of old and new looks like genius. It's a gentle way to reintroduce this maligned commodity, whose success has lately been measured in units sold, not artistic breakthroughs.
In the record store, however, this package could feel manipulative. Subtract the hits, and you've got an indulgent, album-length tirade with a little something for every slice of the market: hip-hop, show tunes, rock and power-ballads.
HIStory arrives at a time when Jackson's commercial viability is in question. His Thriller/Bad audience has grown up and may no longer be interested - though Epic is counting on the fact that only a fraction of Thriller's sales were on CD, so many will buy HIStory just to own the hits in digital form.
What's more, the success of earnest pseudo-rockers such as Hootie and the Blowfish signals that the era of mega-starpower pop may be over. Hype on the Jackson scale will no doubt generate news stories, but getting people to like the product is another thing entirely. That's one thing the Epic campaign can't control.
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