MICHAEL JACKSON & SONY RELATIONSHIP FOR DUMMIES, Part 1
Michael Jackson was beset with trials and tribulations which, on face of it, were unconnected to each other. There was the child abuse charge, the downturn in record sales, the financial catastrophes and the struggles to retain ownership of Sony/ATV, his back catalogue and Neverland.
Yet far from being coincidental, everywhere we detected the hidden hand of Sony attempting to orchestrate events." –Lynton Guest
OBJECTIVES:
This post aims to raise awareness amongst the mainstream media and consequently, the public at large. Herein contained is a compilation & analysis of the events that transpired between Michael Jackson and Sony since 2000.
We will review a timeline of events such as Sony’s Invincible album sabotage, Martin Bashir Interview, 2005 Trial and Michael's business affairs with Sony.
It will bring to light a sordid display of abuse of power and the use of questionable tactics by Sony against its own artist and business partner.
It will reveal what lied behind the “conspiracy” remarks you often heard MJ utter.
He said “dont judge a man until you walk two moons in his moccasins." Lets walk two moons in Michael Jackson’s moccasins.
SYNOPSIS:
In 1985, Michael Jackson bought the ATV Music Publishing aka Beatles Catalog for $47.5 million. Yes, Michael used to own ALL of Beatles Catalog.
In 1995, Michael was experiencing financial problems. Sony proposed an attractive deal to buy half of the Catalog for $90 million. Michael accepted. ATV Publishing was merged with Sony and renamed Sony/ATV Music Publishing.
At the time, it appeared to be a business savvy decision.
In hindsight, it will turn out to be a deadly mistake.
BACKGROUND:
Michael Jackson-Sony discord started in 2000 and disintegrated in 2002.
The onset of Michael’s trying times, his frequent utterances of “conspiracy”
and his fear for his life coincide with the aforementioned time frame.
“The incredible machinations of the men from Japan and their American allies were designed to ensure nothing less than the destruction of Michael Jackson and billions of dollars profit for Sony. The dark underbelly of the entertainment world is not a pretty sight. It’s time to hold it up to the light” –Lynton Guest
Michael was expecting the licenses to the masters of his back Catalog (mechanical copyrights) to revert back to him in 2000 which would have allowed him to market his songs without sharing profits with Sony.
Michael was in awe to find out that due to various clauses in his Sony contract,
the date when the copyrights revert back to him was many years away.
The contract required Michael to deliver to a certain number of albums on a given period. For every album he didn’t deliver, Sony added more years to when the mechanical copyrights would revert back to Michael.
Michael stated that he wasn't informed of such clauses.
Upon investigation, Michael found out that the law firm that represented him also represented Sony. He used this conflict of interest to extricate himself from the Sony Contract. Michael would deliver Invincible album, Sony retains rights to repackage Michael’s back Catalog and Michael is out of his Sony contract.
Michael was so chagrined by the entire situation that he dragged his foot during the production of Invincible. To make matters worse, Sony restricted Michael’s creative control, which it had never done with other albums. There were many heated debates between the parties over production, budget and promotion.
As an advance on forthcoming sales of Invincible, Michael had negotiated a $188 million loan from Sony, using his stake in Sony/ATV Catalog as collateral.
While demanding that Michael reimburse the loan, Sony simultaneously sabotaged the production, promotion and the sale of Invincible album.
Why did Sony sabotage against its own artist?
Michael wasn’t just another artist to Sony. He was a business partner with an equal stake in Sony/ATV Publishing. Now that Michael left the label, stakes had just gotten high. Sabotaging Invincible was just another mundane business decision for Sony to keep its publishing division intact.
When Michael sold half of the Catalog in 1995, parties signed a contract that allowed Michael to dissolve the LLC and take his half of the Catalog with him upon exiting the label as well as %50 of the earnings from the years of the joint venture.
The LLC between Michael and Sony gained considerably in value since its inception, with hundreds of millions of dollars in liquid assets.
If Michael were to dissolve the joint venture in 2002 when he left Sony, Sony would have been forced to transfer half of the LLC assets and half of the Music Publishing Catalog that it acquired together with Michael since 1995. Sony would also have to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to Michael for the %50 of the earnings from the LLC years.
This could have resulted in a massive financial deficit for Sony, undermining what little financial stability it had achieved through fiscal restructuring.
At the time, the entire music industry was suffering from a depressed economy. Sony was not exempt from this downward trend.
In 2000, Sony cut off 17,000 jobs. After it announced a disasterous $927 million net loss in first 3 months of 2003, Sony's stock sinked %24 in 2 days, losing
$3.8 Billion of its value. The news shocked the Stock Market and the event was dubbed as "Sony Shock".
"Sony Shock was also shock to us" said Nobuyuki Idei, Chairman of Sony.
In October 2003, Sony announced it would cut off another 20,000 jobs.
Due to the downsizing & modest hits of Jennifer Lopez and Michael Jackson,
the record division posted a %9 gain — but with an operation deficit of over $100 million (Sony 2002 Annual report). By the third quarter of the fiscal year, the only reason that Sony Entertainment Division posted a gain was because of the increased value of the Yen when converted to Western currencies.
One of the foundations that upheld the profit margin was its Music Publishing Department. Michael dissolving the LLC was a risk Sony couldn't afford! If only Sony could take full possession of the Catalog.
Children show me in their playful smiles the divine in everyone
MJackson Staff
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Posted 03 December 2010 - 10:53 PM
Sony really wanted that catalog. Although hasnt this Sony Phony business gone now. We dealt with this back in 2002 when Michael and the rest of us were protesting and boycotting. I thought Micheal dealt with his problems then as he released Thriller 25 and otherr things since then. Its so strange that fans are still going on about it.
It's just looking back as somebody not even know what was going on. That is, in case somebody didn't know. And as it's a look back, it's also look to the future cause I think Sony still wants to get it. It's just the theory and rumors but some ppl say that Sony wants this album to fail just like Invincible so Estate would would have to sell their ATV part. They hoped he would do that during Invincible, this is why, as I understand, they didn't promote it. But Michael wanted to keep it for his children that he decided to take loans than sell ATV. Maybe that's why Sony included Cascio songs rather than Estate songs.Again, this is just want fans are talking about, not the facts. We will never know what intentions they had or have. It's just a guess.
If this is written by fans, then we can't trust it.
Sony is business. What's wrong about that?
It's normal that they care more about making money than taking care of artists.
It's their job. Why blame them for doing their job?
It also writes that Michael didn't put everything into Invincible. So why should Sony?
And of course Michael need to fullfill his contract. And know what it's about before signing.
A record company should take care of his artists cause they make billions for them. And that is Sony who cut money from Invincible. Michael was a perfectionist and he put everything into his workk. I don't know where you have read that Michael didn't. Some businesman just loses their humanity when it comes to Michael and that is not right cause the money shouldn't the most important in the world. Money rules the world and I don't agree with it. It's also not right for me to take care more about the money than person.
Besides there were ppl who have lied to Michael, as we read here about the contract. Michael have paid to company to take care of contracts and he trusted them. That was their job to work with contracts and that's their job to inform Michael. They were the ones not doing their job cause they also represented the other part as well and this is what is wrong and normally is not done. It's also said in the article.
I don't understand why do you go against Michael? Fans support him, not go against him well at least normal fans do who really trust in Michael.
And since when sabotaging album of their own artist is their job?
A record company should take care of his artists cause they make billions for them. And that is Sony who cut money from Invincible. Michael was a perfectionist and he put everything into his workk. I don't know where you have read that Michael didn't. Some businesman just loses their humanity when it comes to Michael and that is not right cause the money shouldn't the most important in the world. Money rules the world and I don't agree with it.
And since when sabotaging album of their own artist is their job?
That's your opinion. But it doesn't work like that. And probably can't work like that. This is a great example of that.
When it's about making the most money, then you can't always care. It's business.
And from your posted article: Michael was so chagrined by the entire situation that he dragged his foot during the production of Invincible.
When it's about making the most money, then you can't always care. It's business.
And this is what I hate about business. Business ppl care only about themselves. This is why ppl hate politicians cause they just care about themselves.
Quote
Michael was so chagrined by the entire situation that he dragged his foot during the production of Invincible.
that doesn't say anything. How can you work when your firm you work for is making conditions of work to be unbearable? So as I see it, Sony didn't give money but Michael is perfectionist. He can't work without nothing and do wonder. He needs support and he didn't get it from Sony. You can't record if you can't pay/ or get the studio or God knows what happened during that period.
MICHAEL JACKSON & SONY RELATIONSHIP FOR DUMMIES, Part 2
To better understand the intricate machinations against Michael, it helps to delve into his business affairs and colleagues. To sort it out, let’s go back some.
TOMMY MOTTOLA BACKGROUND
Tommy Mottola, Allen Grubman & David Geffen came as a package. Mottola the music manager, Grubman the music attorney and Geffen the entertainment mogul. Together, they conspired against Walter Yetnikoff so Mottola could succeed his seat. Michael Jackson’s influence over Sony was instrumental in the take-over. In a convoluted turn of events, when he came to power, Mottola conspired against Michael who, in turn, ended Mottola’s 15 year tenure at Sony.
Mottola always had a love for music. Through grade school and junior high, he played the trumpet for the school’s band. Playing it so well, in fact, that he won
a scholarship to a private school. In eighth grade, he stopped playing the trumpet because, he said, “it was not a cool instrument”. He switched to playing guitar. At 13, Mottola was the guitarist for a band, called Exotics which played
at beach clubs, churches, weddings and bar mitzvahs.
Mottola didn’t like school and partied hard. His parents were against the path he was taking so they sent him off to a military academy in New Jersey. He offered a deal to his parents: he'd stay out of trouble if they let him come home. Only after 6 months and 3 episodes of running away, he ended up back home.
While in college, he took acting classes and began dating Lisa Clark, the daughter of ABC Records founder Sam Clark. He played small roles as an extra in about eight films. His passion was singing. At 17, he had a contract as a singer with CBS’s Epic Records. At 18, Mottola released 2 records: “Woman Without Love” and “Evil Woman”. He recorded under the name T.D. Valentine.
While working with Epic, he befriended Sandy Linzer, a producer & songwriter
who introduced Mottola to a lawyer friend of hers, Allan Grubman.
While promoting his records, Mottola found himself taking a different direction in music industry. He said “The obsession with singing started to wear off. I started to get interested in music publishing”. When he was 20, Mottola took a job at Chappell Music, a publishing giant. At 22, he married Lisa Clark. Mottola spent 8 years learning about production, marketing, and promotion while working at the pop music division of Chappell Music. After leaving Chappell Music, in 1975, Mottola formed his own management company, Don Tommy Enterprises, which later was renamed Champion Entertainment.
Mottola and Grubman who became close friends over the years have ambition in common. The duo befriended Walter Yetnikoff, the President of CBS Records.
When Jackson 5 left Motown in 1976, they had signed with CBS Records.
TOMMY MOTTOLA CONSPIRES AGAINST WALTER YETNIKOFF
"Insecurity and vanity made me an easy mark for ass kissers. Enter Tommy Mottola and Allen Grubman. Mottola and Grubman were like drugs, I could always turn to them to soothe my ego. Mottola was man's man who knew guns, boats and women. Unlike corporate types that bored me to tears, Tommy entertained me with tales from the fast lane. He listened worshippinly as I described the challenges of running my worldwide operation. He lavished praise on my abilities. He made me feel great. I felt like the guy’s brother. In Mottola, I'd find a brother who would take a bullet for me (or so I thought)"
-Walter Yetnikoff, CBS President/ Sony CEO
Sony acquired CBS Records in January 1988 for $2 billion.
A year before Sony’s CBS takeover, Yetnikoff took heat from the media for promoting Mottola to a senior position. “Tommy finally convinced me to appoint him head of the domestic division of CBS Records. The Press screamed that he wasn’t qualified. What the Hell, he was my friend” wrote Yetnikoff in his book. ‘Walter could have done better by opening the L.A. phone book and choosing at random’ wrote the Press. Mottola himself admitted that he knew nothing of budgets or board of directors. “It's really only all about music. It’s not like a big rocket scientist kind of philosophy or anything” said Mottola.
Entertainment Industry is packed with lawyers. Many of them don't formally practice law in the conventional sense but their skills in deal-making and contracts makes them an asset. Walter Yetnikoff is a trained lawyer. Mottola took his lawyer friend Allan Grubman to where ever he went. When Yetnikoff brought Tommy Mottola to CBS, Grubman came with the package.
Yetnikoff signed artists, Mottola managed them, Grubman represented them.
“Tommy is extremely smart” Yetnikoff said of Mottola. When Yetnikoff found out just how smart Mottola was, his sovereignty at Sony Empire was brought to an end by the man he mentored and considered a ‘brother’.
An 18 year old Mariah Carey was working as a waitress, coat check girl, beauty salon janitor, and part-time backup singer to make ends meet. In 1988, Mariah attended a party hosted by CBS blues artist Brenda Starr. Mariah gave a demo tape to Mottola who listened to the tape in his limo. He knew immediately that he could make her a star. Soon, Mottola started having an extramarital affair with Mariah Carey. Mottola denied any romance. "With God as my witness, nothing's going on between us” Mottola told the reporters. The relationship was common knowledge at CBS. The extracurricular didn't bother Yetnikoff who awarded Mottola a $3 million bonus after he'd only been on the job a few months.
John Branca & Michael Jackson
When John Branca started working with Michael in 1980, Michael’s net worth was barely a million dollars. Ten years later, Branca’s negotiating skills increased Michael’s net worth to $300 million.
David Geffen, Michael Jackson & Madonna
Forbes Magazine named David Geffen ‘the richest man in Hollywood’. Geffen had a reputation for being an intuitive show-business genius. He was also arrogant and temperamental. Geffen earned a respectable standing in both music and film world. Michael felt that if he listened to Geffen’s advice, he too, could be a mogul like Geffen. Michael hung unto Geffen’s every word the way he used to hang on to Branca’s. But unlike Branca, Geffen really kissed up to Michael.
Michael was to deliver ‘Decade’, a greatest Hits album with three to five new songs in August of 1989. Branca had negotiated this deal with CBS for $18 million as an advance and $3 million as a gift to Michael from CBS.
David Geffen talked Michael out of ‘Decade’. Geffen started discussing with Michael his relationship with CBS Records. Geffen convinced Michael that CBS was making more money off of Michael than he was making for himself. Geffen advised Michael to find a loophole and get out of his CBS contract. Prior to this time, Michael had an outstanding relationship with Walter Yetnikoff. He even invited Walter Yetnikoff to the stage during 1984 Grammy's (0:50).
Geffen owned his own record label (Geffen Records) and he was trying to lure Michael to sign with his own label. Branca advised Michael against leaving CBS. Michael still owed CBS 4 more albums and CBS would sue for the albums owed. Branca and Geffen had a heated argument, Branca told Geffen to mind his own business, Geffen hung up on Branca then called Michael to tell him that the reason why Michael didn’t have a good deal with CBS was because of Branca’s close relationship with the company President, Walter Yetnikoff.
Couple of days later, Branca arranged a meeting with Michael. The meeting didn’t go well. The next day, Branca received a letter, informing him that his services were no longer required by Michael Jackson.
“Michael Jackson first fired Frank Dileo, my former employee and loyal supporter and then fired John Branca, another guy who liked me. Michael’s new lawyer? Allen Grubman” wrote Yetnikoff in his book.
Tommy has always been power-hungry" said Mickey Schulhof, Chairman of Sony Music Entertainment (Mottola boss) in 1991, replaced by Mottola in 1995. Schulhof knew that a number of industry figures were assisting in Mottola in rising up the chain of command. The most formidable of them was David Geffen, the billionaire record impresario and implacable Yetnikoff foe. Geffen urged Michael Jackson, Yetnikoff's most prized act, to leave CBS. Jackson was unwilling to do that but did drop several key members (*Dileo and Branca) of his entourage closely identified with Yetnikoff. In their place, he installed figures tightly linked to Geffen. Notable among them was an attorney Tommy had recommended to Geffen years before, Allen Grubman. Oblivious to the forces which were gathering against him, in June 1990 Yetnikoff authorised a deal for Mottola to receive an estimated 15 million over the next 5 years, not including annual bonuses. Mottola meanwhile was doing some negotiating of his own.
“Grubman put together a new contract for Michael that I considered outrageous. It gave him his own label with the promise to earn his regular high-share royalties in addition to the half the profits from his label.
Yetnikoff: In my legal opinion, profits plus royalties violates other artists
Mottola: No it doesn’t. His income from the label is separate
Yetnikoff: bulls**t, any accountant worth his salt will see it as a disguised-royalty. [Bruce] Springsteen’s people will go crazy
Mottola: I am giving Springsteen a full royalty rate on CDs
Yetnikoff: What! Do it with Springsteen and you will have Billy Joel’s people up your ass. You are losing it Tommy
Mottola: I am not the one losing it, Walter
Yetnikoff: What if I call Michael and tell him that If his lawyers insists on this unreasonable deal, I will put out a quickie CD of his greatest Hits! There is he wants less right now than a greatest hits collection and we have all the necessary rights!
Michael Jackson who was always a magnet for conmen in a mile of his radius was being used by executors playing office politics. Michael’s $1 Billion Contract with Sony in 1991 came hard on the heels of Tommy Mottola convincing Michael to side with him against Walter Yetnikoff.
Mottola had cajoled Bruce Springsteen with a full royalty rate on CDs. Michael was swayed with an attractive contract that promised not only financial upgrade but also his true passion: movies. Under the terms of his deal, Michael would star in his first full-length feature film, produced by Sony’s Columbia Pictures. The new contract also promised Michael a new record label, Nation Records. "He will be developing young and budding talent and he will be the magnet to attract superstars to leave their current recording company to come to Sony" said Tommy Mottola.
The New York Times weighed in with a withering assessment of Mottola in December 1991, headlined ‘Sony Music’s Big Spender’. The story lambasted Mottola for signing a series of "rich unprecedented deals”.
“Smelling blood in the water, the media sharks flashed their teeth. Billboard quoted Jon Landau (*Bruce Springsteen manager). He said that my relationship with him and Springsteen has ended. Clearly, Landau had been talking to Geffen, Geffen had been talking to Grubman and Grubman had been talking to Mottola. The Press made it look like my 2 biggest artists, Michael and Springsteen were deserting me. Were they? All I had to do was to call them. Why didn’t I? I was afraid they wouldn’t take my calls. I Was afraid that they had, in fact, transferred their loyalties to Geffen, Grubman and Mottola. I was afraid of the truth.”
“I was slowly getting the idea that Mottola was getting ready to run me out. Every time Tommy came near my dog, a gentle spirit, the dog growled like the devil himself was approaching. It was time to have it out with Tommy. I had made a place for him, just as I had make a place for Grubman, in the highest of the music business. He owed me. The very least he owed me the truth about his back-biting. I had to talk to Mottola but Mottola was nowhere to be found. Someone said he was sailing in his boat around Hamptons. I had a friend who had a boat who agreed to help me find Mottola. I spent all day, searching for Mottola’s boat. What was in my head? If I found him what would I do? Cajole him? Kill him? Force him to tell me the truth? Get him to confess his betrayal? I never found the boat. On Monday morning, I was called into Norio Ogha’s office.”
“Norio Ogha, the man I made wealthy gave me the news standing up. ‘The board of directors has met and decided that you should take a sabbatical’ He didn’t shake my hand, he didn’t use the work ‘fired’, he simply vanished. ‘Please exit through the side door’ a security guard told me. Later I learned that in the adjoining room, Ogha was meeting with Mottola, already planning the new regime” -Walter Yetnikoff
Grubman convinced Michael Jackson to support Mottola in his battle to take over the Walter Yetnikoff’s job. It was Jackson's support for Mottola that swayed Sony's decision to take Mottola over Yetnikoff” -Lynton Guest
When he came to power, Mottola, far from redeeming his promises to give Michael’s career a fresh impetus, abandoned him in favor of new artists. With his eyes on Michael’s music publishing Catalogs, Mottola conspired against Michael.
Mottola felt he had to prove himself as an executive who could outdo Yetnikoff. Mottola determined that the company had 2 major flaws: 1- It lacked development of new artists, remaining anchored by great artists, but nevertheless, past their prime 2- Company’s domestic and International arms weren’t operating as a coherent unit.
Mottola became completely immersed in Mariah Carey’s career, acting as her manager, assigning his business affiliations to advance her professional life.
In June 1993, Mottola married Mariah Carey. Mariah’s career was soaring, and Mottola was guiding it every step of the way. He approved her material, oversaw her arrangements, checked her promotion and assigned Allen Grubman as her attorney. "Allen Grubman is my best friend in the world. End of subject. Over and out" Mottola said in response to questions about the conflict of interest.
Contrary to popular belief amongst fans, sabotage against Michael by his business partner, Sony, started way before the Invincible album. Bear in mind that Michael isn’t just another artist for Sony, Michael has % 50 stake in Sony/ATV, they are business partners. Mottola’s love of Music Publishing started only when he was 20. Mottola saw in Michael a great artist yet an artist past his prime. What made Michael an important commodity to Sony was his back catalog and his %50 share in Sony /ATV Catalog.
"On July 11, 1993, I was told about a case to discredit Michael Jackson. It was clear to see that this was in the planning stages for some time. My boss said the case was to prove MJ was a ‘chicken hawk’ (*slang for child molester) and was contributing to the delinquency of a minor" -A Private Investigator on conspiracy against MJ
After 1993 child molestation allegation, Michael’s album sales dropped. He called Michael Schulhof to lament that he wasn't to blame for the drop in album sales but it was Mottola’s outsize focus to promote Mariah Carey.
The decisions that appears mundane to fans were strategically planned by executors of Sony, intended to sabotage Michael’s career thus, his finances.
'INVINCIBLE' WASN'T THE FIRST MJ ALBUM SABOTAGED BY SONY
“Sony, after the Chandler affair, wanted to release a single CD of Jackson’s greatest Hits (HIStory) while Jackson insisted a batch of new songs. The double CD was the messy result. It did, however, alert the powers that be at Sony, led by Tommy Mottola, to the fact that they could use contractual requirements for their own purposes, in the process, making some decisions which, on the face of it, appear totally bizarre."
"In 1997, only two years after ‘HIStory’, Sony released a strange hybrid CD titled ‘Blood On The Dance Floor- HIStory In The Mix”. Before the recording started, Sony invoked its right to 10 new songs. Jackson didn’t agree with Sony’s interpretation of their contract. After intense negotiations, a compromise was reached which resulted a CD containing 5 new songs plus 8 remixes of tracks from ‘HIStory’. What seems to be a normal negotiation process was actually part of a campaign to manipulate Jackson in the interest of Sony. Usually, the interest of the artist and the record label coincide. In the case of Jackson and Sony, they were now massively divergent. Jackson was experiencing a different attitude from his record company that he had enjoyed in the past."
"Sony understood perfectly that Jackson would refuse to do something but they would a compromise. Jackson would see this as a victory since what he had originally demanded was modified after the singer’s opposition. So when 5 new songs and 8 remixes were agreed for ‘Blood On The Dance Floor’ Jackson thought he had outsmarted the suits. It was huge mistake. To release a CD with only 5 songs coupled with remixes of his album released only 2 years prior confused the record buying public. It was half-assed Michael Jackson, as If he could be bothered to produce a whole new CD."
"None of this, of course, was made public. Sony had to be seen to be supporting Jackson. Record labels owe the duty of care to artists. They should conduct their business properly, otherwise they could be in the breach of contract. They should certainly not attempt to sabotage the career of one of their artists."
"Consequently, the world sale of the CD were a pathetic 4 million, real disaster for Michael Jackson. It is a failure that boosted Sony of their strategy and convinced them that they are on the right track. Jackson moaned incessantly to Tommy Mottola but his complaints were seen as sour grapes. All the blame for the fiasco was poured onto Jackson’s head."
“Randy Taraborelli wrote that 'After Blood On The Dance Floor' disappointed, he was never a company priority. Far from being surprised by the sales, Sony engineered the outcome from the outset. Taraborelli might be right in the conventional sense when he states that Michael Jackson was never a high priority but in fact, Jackson remained a high priority for Sony. Not to help sell records but to get rid of the singer while gaining control of his back catalog and more importantly, acquiring Sony/ATV. To achieve this objective, Jackson had to fail in a way that enabled Sony to appear blameless” -Lynton Guest
STAY WITH ME...
Acknowledments:
'The Trials and tribulations of Michael Jackson' by Lynton Guest
'Howling At the Moon' by Walter Yetnikoff
'The Gloves Come Off' by Mitchell Fink & Lauren Ruben
'Michael Jackson: The Magic and The Madness' by Randy Taraborelli
'Tommy Boy' by Robert Sam Anson (Vanity Fair 1996 Article)
'How Record HeavyWeight Walter Yetnikoff Took the Big Fall' by NY Magazine
'Sony' by John Nathan
Private Investigators talks of conspiracy against Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson Uncovers Conspiracy
MICHAEL JACKSON & SONY RELATIONSHIP FOR DUMMIES, Part 3
Unbeknownst to Michael, Sony started strategizing against him prior to Invincible.
After MJ announced that he was leaving Sony in 2002, the stakes had gone up. Michael was no longer perceived as a Sony artist but a business partner. Michael had the option to dissolve the LLC which would have cost Sony massive deficit.
Before the Invincible album and after Michael extracted himself from the Sony contract, a media firestorm erupted about his financial woes, catapulting into rumors that he was forced to sell his stake in Beatles Catalog. Media quoted anonymous sources, reporting the details of Michael’s financial matters that only a few were privy to. Roger Friedman openly cited Sony insiders.
The leaks emanated from the upper echelon of Sony, aiming to discourage investors from loaning to Michael by portraying him unviable for financial backing.
May 09, 2001 To refute the reports, Michael issued a Press Release:
“I want to clarify a silly rumor. The Beatles Catalog is not for sale,
has never been for sale and will never be for sale”
June 12, 2001 Michael meets with Sony executives at the Hit Factory Studio
to present them his next album: Invincible
Michael wants “UnBreakable” to be the first single of the album. He has an elaborate video concept. Sony declines and chooses “You Rock My World”. Sony brings in Hype Williams to propose a video concept and direct it.
July 2001 Dissatisfied with Hype Williams’ proposal, Michael hires Paul Hunter
to direct his own video concept for You Rock My World.
July 17-19, 2001 Sony sent a radio program director to an all-expenses-paid-trip
in exchange of airplay for Jennifer Lopez’s “I am Real” song
Aug 13-21 2001 Michael shoots You Rock My World music video, directed by Paul Hunter, featuring Chris Tucker and Marlon Brando.
Aug 17, 2001 "You Rock My World" was leaked to two New York radio stations.
It was first played by WJTM-FM at 6 p.m., with WKTU-FM airing it 45 min later.
Both stations played the song every 2 hours until 6 p.m. the next day but Sony called the program director for both stations, Frankie Blue, and asked him to STOP playing 'You Rock My World'
Aug 22, 2001 You Rock My World is released worldwide, except USA
American charts are calculated based on both radio play AND sales. Not releasing the single commercially adversely affected the song’s place in charts. Sony’s bogus excuse was that the single could harm the sales of the album but apparently this concern was reserved only to Invincible album
Sony released 9 singles from Michael Jackson “Dangerous” album (1991)
Sony released 6 singles from Michael Jackson “HIStory” album (1995)
Sony released 5 singles from Destiny’s Child “Survivor” album (2001)
Sony released 4 singles from Jennifer Lopez “JLO” album (2001)
Sony released 6 singles from Celion Dion “A New Day has Come” album (2002)
A #1 single is an essential, cost effective promotional tool for an album. It builds anticipation and hype for the record buying customers & the retailers. A Billboard chart analyst said “It was a huge mistake not to release the single”
At Michael’s request, Jay Z was featured in “You Rock My World Remix” .
In March 2002 VIBE magazine interview, Michael is asked about the Jay Z remix.
VIBE: Why did you choose Jay-Z for the remix of “You Rock My World“?
Michael: He’s hip, the new thing, and he’s with the kids today. They like his work. He has tapped into the nerve of popular culture. It just made good sense.
In return, Michael provided background vocals to Jay Z’s “Girls Girls Girls" which was supposed to be released as a single. Sony barred Jay Z from releasing the song with Michael Jackson vocals. So Jay Z refused Sony to release his “You Rock My World” Remix.
Jay Z released "Girls Girls Girls" as a hidden track in his "BluePrint" album. You will NOT see the song in album track listing. After the last song of the CD, there is a 25 second silence, followed by "Girls Girls Girls".
Sony had NO problems whatsoever when Brandy used Michael Jackson vocals on her song “It’s Not Worth It" on her Feb 2002 album "Full Moon".
Sony’s problem wasn’t that Jay Z used Michael’s vocals but that JayZ was featured in “Your Rock My World” remix which God forbid benefited the Invincible album sales that Sony was deliberately sabotaging.
In layman terms, payola is when record companies pay radio stations to play specified artists and songs on the radio, regardless of their quality or popularity. This bribe came in forms of TVs, DVD Players, digital cameras, laptops, trips, car rentals, hotel stays, concert tickets, cash, etc
The investigation revealed that Sony employees concealed the bribes to radio stations, by using fictitious "contest winners" and make it appear as though the money and gifts were going to radio listeners instead of station employees.
Below are some confidential Sony emails, dating back to 2001, bribing radios to play artists like Celion Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, Beyonce, etc.
SONY PAYOLA EMAILS
One email reads “Can we say we are sending it to the radio station but just use Mike address (*Michael Saunders, program director). Because a lot of stuff gets lost when you send it to station WINK WINK"
A Sony employee wrote “What do I have to do to get AudioSlave on WKSS
this week?!!? Whatever you can dream up, I can make it happen.”
A program director for WKSE-FM received flight tickets in exchange for adding Jennifer Lopez's "I'm Real" song into radio playlist.
Sony even used MJ concert tickets to bribe radios to play OTHER artists!!!
Sony acknowledged the fraudulent practice of payola and settled for $10 million.
While Sony violated federal laws, bribing to promote its other artists, it went out of its way to sabotage Michael Jackson's Invincible album. While Sony was bribing radio stations to promote its other artists, it called in to STOP radio stations from playing, without any bribes, Michael Jackson’s “You Rock My World”.
When Michael and his fans accused Sony of deliberately sabotaging Invincible, media accused Michael for assigning the blame to Sony for Invincible's failure.
To date, no media outlet had the integrity to report the true extent and nature of the deliberate Sony sabotage on Michael Jackson’s Invincible album.
September 7 & 10 2001 Michael organized 2 Madison Garden Square concerts to promote Invincible. Sony sent a memo to its worldwide offices, instructing them not to participate in the promotion of the concerts. Michael requested from Sony to place an ad promoting Invincible during the televised broadcast. Sony declined. Strangely enough, Sony did place an ad promoting Jennifer Lopez’s album in her TV special that aired a week after Michael’s.
In 2001, the only times Michael sang “You Rock My World” was the only 2 times he performed it on MGS promotional concerts that he himself organized.
Sep 11, 2001 9/11 attacks
Sep 16, 2001 Michael announces that he will produce a charity song to fundraise for the families of 9/11 victims.
“I want to do something to help those who lost their mothers and fathers.
Those are our people. Those are our children. Those are our parents."
Sony refuses to fund the song so MJ pawned his own diamond-watch to fund it.
Sep 21, 2001 Michael records the song “You Are My Life” and he likes it so much that he decides to add it to the tracklist of Invincible, at the last minute.
Oct 21, 2001 MJ organized a benefit concert for 9/11 victims. “United We Stand: What More Can I Give” was held at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C.
He performed 'Man In The Mirror' and 'What More Can I Give'
Oct 22, 2001 Michael recorded Spanish version of “What More Can I Give”
–Todo Para Ti
Oct 30, 2001 Invincible album is released worldwide
Nov 6, 2001 Butterfly was released in USA as radio play ONLY. It wasn't released commercially anywhere in the world.
Nov 1, 2001 MJ finished “What More Can I Give”, he wants it to be released immediately. Sony stoops to using a charity song produced out of love, to corner Michael: If he wanted to release it badly enough, Michael had to give up on his stake in Sony/ATV. Michael counter-offered to produce a Sony Playstation game and to participate in Sony movie projects for FREE. Sony declined, Michael had to give up on his charity song that he himself had to fund.
Nov 7, 2001 To promote Invincible album on his own, Michael organized his
first ever in-store signing event in New York.
Dec 03, 2001 “Cry” was released worldwide, except USA
Michael was displeased with the video concept Sony proposed. Sony won't fund HIS video concept so Michael refuses to appear in the video. Sony filmed and released the Cry video without Michael’s participation.
Jan 9 2002 Michael appears on American Music Awards to accept ‘Artist of The Century’ Award. Sony doesn’t advertise Invincible. Instead promotional material from 1995 HIStory album was shown.
Similarly, during American BandStand 50th Anniversary Special on April 20,
Michael performed “Dangerous” – 10 yr old song.
When he appeared on April 24 at Apollo Theater for "Every Vote counts" Democratic FundRaiser with Bill Clinton, Michael performed “Dangerous,
Black or White & Heal the World”.
Why was Michael Jackson performing old songs when his Invincible album was sinking down the charts?
Michael was forbidden by Sony to perform from his Invincible album.
February 2002 Sony intensified its financial pressure on Michael.
February 2002 Despite of his personal feelings about touring, Michael wants to
do a World Tour to settle his loan with Sony.
February 27, 2002 Michael received a Grammy nomination for 'Best Male Pop Vocal Performance' for You Rock My World. Sony informes Michael that he couldn’t perform any material from Invincible album. This restriction prevented Michael from performing the very song for which he received a Grammy nomination, as well as any other song from Invincible. Beleaguered Michael cancelled his Grammy Award appearance.
March 16, 2002 Michael attends David Gest & Liza Minnelli wedding in NY. He invites several trusted fans to his suite to explain the situation with Sony and asks fans to push the promotion of Invincible.March 2002 After heated debates with Sony about Unbreakable video budget, Michael decides to finance & produce it himself. He hires Bret Ratner to direct it.
March 4, 2002 Roger Friedman quoted a Sony insider “Sony Music Publishing's President Richard Rowe is now in constant contact with Michael Jackson. The reason? It's time for Jackson to relinquish his half of the Beatles' catalog to Sony. Sony will either make him a cash offer for the catalog or just call the note but it's going to happen. Richard Rowe is on the phone with him all the time. Sony's fiscal year ends March 31, which is impetus for Rowe to work out the deal quickly. Sony Corp.'s stock price is just about half of what it was last May.”
March 6, 2002 “We are not in discussions with Mr. Jackson over the sale of his share of the ATV catalog. These rumors are completely baseless." –Sony
March 8, 2002 “Michael Jackson's financial problems are real, folks, make no mistake about it. And Sony Music's denial shouldn't make anyone feel better about the situation. A Sony business insider confirmed for me that "foreclose" would have been the appropriate word. Indeed, this is a mighty good spin-doctoring on Sony's part since they wouldn't have to buy the Catalog they would actually be foreclosing on it” –Roger Friedman
March 2002 3 scheduled appearances are cancelled due to Sony-MJ dispute.
March 20, 2002 Sony tells Michael not to bother with the Unbreakable video.
Sony halts ALL Invincible promotions, offering no explanation to consumers.
March 2002 Invincible became Invisible 5 months after its release. The album disappeared from Sony’s “international priority” list. In comparison, HIStory album had stayed on the list for 2 years.
April 11 2002 FanClub MJ Hideout reports “After receiving thousands of protests from fans around the world, the Epic headquarters in New York now answer that, simply, they do nothing for Invincible because Michael Jackson is not an important artist for the company”
Apr 24, 2002 Michael is in NY to appear at “Every Vote Counts” Democratic Fundraiser with Bill Clinton and American Bandstand 50th Anniversary Program.
3 Anti-Sony demonstrations are jointly organized by several fanclubs, one in front of Sony headquarters in Manhattan, one in front of NBC studios (airing American Bandstand 50th Anniversary) and one in front of Apollo Theater (hosting the Democratic fundraiser)
April 28 2002 Michael Jackson fanclubs issued a joint Statement, exposing Sony’s sabotage of the Invincible album as a strategy to acquire full control of the Beatles Catalog.
Worldwide Fanclubs organize to re-launch Invincible album.
April 2002 Martin Bashir approaches Uri Geller to express his interest for a documentary on Michael Jackson (Source: Bashir 2005 Court Testimony)
so now let nobody try to tell me Michael didn't tried for Invincible album and Sony were the good ones. All they wanted is Michael to fail as an artist and he would go to bankruptcy so Michael would be forced to sell his 50% of ATV catalog. So all those rumors about Michael being bankruptcy is made by Sony so nobody would want to loan him money while he was paying for a lot of things BY HIMSELF rather than his record company.
As I understand there will be continue as a Part 4.
And this is what I hate about business. Business ppl care only about themselves. This is why ppl hate politicians cause they just care about themselves.
Don't mix business and politicians
It's not the same. And there is no reason to hate business. Otherwise you will never get a job. Or you should never visit any stores.
magic, on 04 December 2010 - 02:00 AM, said:
that doesn't say anything. How can you work when your firm you work for is making conditions of work to be unbearable? So as I see it, Sony didn't give money but Michael is perfectionist. He can't work without nothing and do wonder. He needs support and he didn't get it from Sony. You can't record if you can't pay/ or get the studio or God knows what happened during that period.
Unbearable. LOL. How do you know?
Again. Just about money. Money is not that important. Making great songs is not just about money.
and here you are considering you a fan and telling Michael is not making a good songs. Something doesn't go well in here then. Nik, thank you for a good laugh today
so now let nobody try to tell me Michael didn't tried for Invincible album and Sony were the good ones. All they wanted is Michael to fail as an artist and he would go to bankruptcy so Michael would be forced to sell his 50% of ATV catalog. So all those rumors about Michael being bankruptcy is made by Sony so nobody would want to loan him money while he was paying for a lot of things BY HIMSELF rather than his record company.
I don't follow you here.
Sony is not the reason for Michaels money problems.
Michael is the reason here.
Nothing is wrong about him paying for himself.
and here you are considering you a fan and telling Michael is not making a good songs. Something doesn't go well in here then. Nik, thank you for a good laugh today
Did you forget to read and just made a text up?
I never said anything about that.
also funny how you are "still" a fan and are daily in the fan forum but you still find a things to talk against Michael.
Do you know what a fan is?
Michael is not a god or saint. I don't worship him and he makes mistakes like all other people.
He has made many mistakes. Maybe it was a mistake to sign this contract with Sony. I don't know. We know these contracts are not always best for the artists. It's basic knowledge. The company wants to make money. They don't want to risk too much.
Spending all his money and almost go broke was a big mistake too. Not Sony's fault. But maybe they were part of it. Maybe Michael expected something he didn't get. I don't know what Michael did wrong here.
You see, even though he has made many mistakes. Some which I don't like. I'm still a big fan of him.
I still love him and I try to support him and his family.
magic, on 04 December 2010 - 07:09 PM, said:
And learn not to attack or offend others cause others also have feeling.
There is none of that here.. How can your feelings be connected to the deal between Michael and Sony?
I don't see how you support him other than buying material things. Never seen you supporting Michael as him being a person and his interest.
The feelings are connected with you hurting me by offending me of me not capable to read and other things and not about Michael and Sony. Your comments are getting very personal and has nothing to do with this discussion. Think twice how you talk with ppl which considered you to be their friends and have some respect to them. That's how you can lose them.
I don't see how you support him other than buying material things. Never seen you supporting Michael as him being a person and his interest.
The feelings are connected with you hurting me by offending me of me not capable to read and other things and not about Michael and Sony. Your comments are getting very personal and has nothing to do with this discussion. Think twice how you talk with ppl which considered you to be their friends and have some respect to them. That's how you can lose them.
I can say the same. I don't see how you support him by downloading his music and not wanting to support the new album.
You always see him as a saint. He can do nothing wrong. Everything that's happened to him is not his fault. It's always somebody elses fault.
So whenever I don't agree with this, then I'm bad and not supporting Michael. Why is this?
And how can this be personal. Are you connected with Sony?
Please try to understand my point of view too.
0
at the title lol Anyway, a friend of mine sent.
well at least normal fans do who really trust in Michael.
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lol
