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Ray Charles (musician, born 1918)
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This article is about the leader of the Ray Charles Singers. For the rhythm and blues singer, see Ray Charles.
This article appears to contain a large number of buzzwords. There might be a discussion about this on the talk page. Please help improve this article if you can. (April 2015)
Ray Charles
Ray Charles in 1975
Background information
Birth name
Charles Raymond Offenberg
Also known as
Ray Charles
Born
(1918-09-13)September 13, 1918
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died
April 6, 2015(2015-04-06) (aged 96)
Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Instruments
Vocals
Years active
1942–2015
Labels
Essex
MGM
Decca
Command
Atlantic Records
Associated acts
Perry Como
Your Hit Parade
The Big Show
The Hollywood Palace
Glen Campbell
Sha Na Na
The Muppets
Kennedy Center Honors
Notable instruments
Vocals
Ray Charles (born Charles Raymond Offenberg; September 13, 1918 – April 6, 2015) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, vocal arranger and conductor who was best known as organizer and leader of the Ray Charles Singers who were featured on Perry Como's records and television shows for 35 years[1][2] and were also known for a series of 30 choral record albums produced in the 1950s and 1960s for the Essex, MGM, Decca and Command labels.[3]
As a vocalist, Charles, along with Julia Rinker Miller, sang the theme song to the television series Three's Company ("Come and Knock on Our Door").[4][5] As a songwriter, Charles was best known for the choral anthem "Fifty Nifty United States" in which he set the names of the states to music in alphabetical order. It was originally written for The Perry Como Show.[5] He is also known for "Letters, We Get Letters",[6] also originally written for Como's show and later used on the Late Show with David Letterman.[6]
In his later years, he continued to serve as a musical consultant to television programs, most notably for 31 years on the Kennedy Center Honors. Charles was acknowledged as an authority on American popular music.[7]
Contents
[hide]
1 Biography
1.1 Early television
1.2 The Ray Charles Singers
1.3 Films
1.4 West Coast television
1.5 The Muppets and Kennedy Center
2 Death
3 Awards
4 Discography
4.1 Singles
4.2 Albums as the Ray Charles Singers
4.3 Singles
5 References
6 External links
Biography[edit]
At the age of 13, Chuck Offenberg (as he was known then) won a contest to sing on the radio in Chicago. At 16, while still at Hyde Park High School, he had his own 15 minute radio program on WENR and won a vocal scholarship to the Chicago Musical College.
After graduation, he attended Central YMCA College, where he met fellow future choral director Norman Luboff, who was to become a lifelong friend. In 1936, Offenberg joined the Federal Theater show O Say Can You Sing, sharing a dressing room with the young Buddy Rich. In 1942, Offenberg, with his wife, Bernice and son, Michael, came to New York City and he started getting work, singing on the radio for Lyn Murray, Ray Bloch and other choral directors.[7] By 1944, he was doing 10 radio shows a week. In May 1944, Offenberg changed his name to Ray Charles. It would be 10 more years until the "other" Ray Charles changed his name from "Ray Charles Robinson" to Ray Charles.[8]
Close harmony was all the rage and Charles became the arranger and tenor for the Double Daters, a quartet featured on Million Dollar Band.[9]
Drafted into the Navy in 1944, Charles was assigned to Hunter College, where he created an entire new music library for the WAVE choruses and trained the "Singing Platoons", three choruses of 80 WAVES each, on six-week training cycles that sang on the radio, bond rallies and at local veterans hospitals. He also conducted the band on their two CBS weekly shows.
Discharged in 1946, Charles sang on New York radio ("Um Um Good" for Campbell's soups[10] among other gigs) and on many record dates. In 1947, he was the conductor for the Broadway hit Finian's Rainbow,[7] and conducted the original cast recording. Charles initially became associated with Perry Como in 1948 through his arrangements for the vocal group the Satisfiers. The group performed on Como's The Chesterfield Supper Club.[9][11] From 1949 to 1951, he was choral arranger-conductor on The Big Show, the last big radio variety show with Tallulah Bankhead and Meredith Willson.[12] Charles was also a soloist and sang in the choir on Manhattan Merry-Go-Round, Tuesday on Broadway, The Prudential Family Hour, The Celenese Hour, The Schafer Beer Program and The American Melody Hour, and he wrote the theme for Danny Kaye's 7-Up Radio Show.
Early television[edit]
Before it moved to Los Angeles, Charles did some singing on the Your Hit Parade radio show. In 1950, when the show came back to New York, he became the arranger and conductor of the Hit Paraders, the choral group on the show, first on radio and later when it went to television, for seven years.[7] Charles never got screen credit for his work as arranger and choral director of the Hit Paraders because the sponsor of Your Hit Parade was Lucky Strike and he was already getting a choral-director credit on The Perry Como Chesterfield Show. Lucky Strike and Chesterfield were competitors and Como's Chesterfield show aired three times a week on CBS.[11][13]
For the next 35 years the Ray Charles Singers became a fixture on the Perry Como television show. It was a busy time with television's top variety shows, records and commercial jingles.[9][11] In 1955, the 15-minute Perry Como Show moved back to NBC and became an hour-long program; Charles had an opportunity to work with and write special material for some of the great entertainers of the age: Ethel Merman, Kay Thompson, Lena Horne, Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, as well as composers Richard Rodgers, Harold Arlen, Harry Warren and others. Charles also worked with Nick Vanoff, Gary Smith, Dwight Hemion, Peter Matz, and Peter Gennaro. The talent that worked on The Perry Como Show at one time or another in its long history is remarkable. It was here where he met the "other" Ray Charles. The Screen Actors Guild normally does not allow two members to have the same name, but Charles the performer was registered as Ray Robinson though he performed as Ray Charles. Charles the composer also wrote special material and did the choral work on Caesar's Hour with Sid Caesar, the successor to Your Show of Shows. In 1959, Charles produced the summer replacement for The Perry Como Show.[14] Allan Sherman ("Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh"), a friend of Charles', was the head writer. Also on the staff was Andy Rooney. The stars were Tony Bennett (his first series), Teresa Brewer and the Four Lads.
The Ray Charles Singers[edit]
In June 1959, the Ray Charles Singers, a name bestowed on them by Perry Como, began recording a series of albums. Due to advances in recording technology, they were able to create a softer sound than had been heard before and this was the birth of what has been called "easy listening". Record producer Jack Hansen used some of the singers to provide backing vocals for Buddy Holly's last songs, which Holly had composed and recorded shortly before his death in February 1959. The singers' close harmonies behind Holly's lead vocals simulated the sound of Holly's hit records with the Crickets. Six songs resulted from the Hansen sessions, led by the 45-rpm single "Peggy Sue Got Married"/"Crying, Waiting, Hoping".[15]
On a cruise in 1964, Charles heard a Mexican song called "Cuando Calienta el Sol". He liked it, recorded it, under the English title "Love Me with All Your Heart", and his recording became a hit, riding to #3 on Billboard Magazine, #2 on Cashbox Magazine. This was followed by "Al Di La", also a very popular recording. The Ray Charles Singers were not one group of vocalists. They were different combinations of singers on records, tours and TV shows. What made them the Ray Charles Singers was the conducting and arranging of Ray Charles. He generally recorded with 20 singers (12 men and 8 women; and these vocalists appeared on Perry Como's television show. The Ray Charles Singers also were the voices behind many commercial jingles.[9]
Charles decided to produce a "live" performing group to send on the road with Perry Como. The group of 12 singers opened in Las Vegas at the International Hotel and also opened the show for Como at Harrah's in South Lake Tahoe.[11]
Charles wrote the music and lyrics for an album produced by the Continental Insurance Company for the New York World's Fair in 1964, titled Cinema '76. It was a companion piece to a 30-minute show about unsung heroes of the American Revolution.[16]
Films[edit]
Charles had also worked on film projects: Funny Lady and Racing With the Moon.[7]
West Coast television[edit]
After years working in television and writing hundreds of jingles, Charles started making trips to the West Coast to seek new employment opportunities. The television industry was changing and migrating to Los Angeles. After a couple of years commuting, in 1968 Charles and his family relocated to Los Angeles, where he produced a Bing Crosby special and worked on The Hollywood Palace.[8] By 1968, The Perry Como Show was doing specials, so Charles could continue working with Como while residing in California.[11] Then Charles wrote and arranged for two seasons of the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.[3][8] In 1971 he suggested to the other Ray Charles that he perform "America the Beautiful" when a guest on the Campbell show. Also that year Charles wrote special material for the first Julie Andrews TV special, with Andrews and Gene Kelly.[7]
Charles became the musical guru to Sha Na Na and guided that show through three seasons. His son, Jonathan, and daughter, Wendy, also worked on the show with their father.[4][7][17] Charles, duetting with Julia Rinker, sang the title theme song for the long-running situation comedy Three's Company.
The Muppets and Kennedy Center[edit]
2013
Charles eventually went to London to help on The Muppet Show.[4] Writing special material for Carol Burnett and Brooke Shields, among others and working with Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog, Charles shared an office with Jim Henson, whom Charles considered "a genius".
For thirty-two years, 1982 through 2014, Charles was the musical consultant of the Kennedy Center Honors[11] and for 14 years performed the same function for the "Fourth of July" and "Memorial Day" concerts on PBS.[7]
Ray Charles won two Emmy Awards for special musical material, music and lyrics for two comedy specials: The Funny Side of Marriage and The First Nine Months.[18] His choral anthem, "Fifty Nifty United States", in which he set the names of the states to music in alphabetical order, is now a staple of school choirs.[5]
He self-deprecatingly billed himself as "the other Ray Charles" in a humorous tribute to the blues singer with whom he worked on several occasions.[5][8]
For his 90th birthday, Ray gave a concert at the L.A. Jazz Bakery. With the help of female singer Lynn Roberts and an instrumental combo, Ray demonstrated his vocal longevity to a full house by singing his way through the songs of World War II.
Death[edit]
Charles died of cancer at the age of 96 on April 6, 2015, in Beverly Hills, California. He was survived by two sons, Michael (born 1941) and Jonathan (born 1946). His wife Bernice (1916–2002) and daughter Wendy (1950–2004) predeceased him.[19][20]
Charles donated a collection of his personal papers, including his scripts and musical arrangements for the Kennedy Center Honors galas, to the Great American Songbook Foundation shortly before his death.
Awards[edit]
1970–71 Television Academy Award Lyrics and Special Material “The First Nine Months are the Hardest"
1971–72 Television Academy Award Lyrics and Special Material "The Funny Side of Marriage"
2004 Irwin Kostal Tribute Award from ASMAC.
2012 Honored as a Broadcasting Legend by the Pacific Pioneers.
2013 Foundation Life in Music Award from ASCAP.
Discography[edit]
Singles[edit]
Year
Single
Chart positions
Hot 100
AC
1955 "Autumn Leaves" 55 -
1964 "Love Me With All Your Heart" 3 1
"Al-Di-La" 29 4
"Till the End of Time" 83 18
"One More Time" 32 7
1965 "This Is My Prayer" 72 15
"My Love, Forgive Me" 124 17
1966 "One of Those Songs" 134 13
"Promises" - 39
1967 "Step By Step" - 31
"Little By Little and Bit By Bit" 135 6
1968 "I Can See It Now" - 39
1970 "Move Me, O Wondrous Music" 99 26
Albums as the Ray Charles Singers[edit]
I Love Essex ESLP 103
Far Away Places Essex ESLP 110
Spring Is Here MGM E3162
Winter Wonderland MGM 3387
Sing A Song of Paris MGM E3484
Here We Come A-Caroling MGM E3467
Here's to mMy Lady MGM E3568
Autumn Moods MGM SE4163
Summertime (Songs for a Lazy Afternoon) MGM E4164
Love and Marriage Decca DL8787
Sunrise Serenade Decca DL78835
In the Evening By the Moonlight Decca DL78874
We Gather Together Decca DL78940
Deep Night Decca DL78988
Something Wonderful Command RS 33 872 1961
Something Special for Young Lovers Command RS 866 SD
Al-Di-La & Other Special Songs for Young Lovers Command RS 33–870 SD 1964
Rome Revisited Command RS 839 SD
Songs for Lonesome Lovers Command RS 839 SD
Songs for Latin Lovers Command RS 886 SD 1965
Paradise Islands Command SH-165
Young Lovers on Broadway Command RS 890 SD 1965
One of Those Songs Command RS 898 SD 1966
What the World Needs Now is Love Command RS 903 SD
A Special Something... Command RS 914 SD 1967
At the Movies Command RS 921 SD 1968
MacArthur Park Command RS SD-936 1969
Move Me, Oh Wondrous Music Command RS 949-5
Take Me Along Command RS 526 SD
Slices of Life Command 9425
Love Me With All Your Heart the command performance Varese Sarabande VSD-5626 (CD collection)
31 albums with Perry Como
Singles[edit]
Command-4049—Al-Di-La/Till The End Of Time—1964
Command-4090—Don't Cry-There's No Place Like Rome—1967
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "FMS: Feature [ASMAC salutes Lalo Schifrin and "the other" Ray Charles]". filmmusicsociety.org. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
Jump up ^ Grudens, Richard, ed. (1986), The Italian Crooners Bedside Companion, Celebrity Profiles Publishing, pp. 63–69, ISBN 0-9763877-0-0, retrieved April 14, 2010
^ Jump up to: a b "Ray Charles Studies Up on Latest Country Music". The Modesto Bee. October 4, 1970. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
^ Jump up to: a b c "The Como Team". The Perry Como Appreciation Society. Archived from the original on May 13, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Paprocki, Justin (May 9, 2008). "Five Minutes With musician Ray Charles, singer of 'Three's Company' theme song". The Island Packet. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
^ Jump up to: a b "Perry Como TV Lyrics". Archived from the original on August 15, 2004. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "Ray Charles". American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Scott, Vernon (December 5, 1972). "Name Change Poses Problem For Ray Charles". The Dispatch. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Lanza, Joseph, ed. (2004). Elevator Music: A Surreal History of Muzak, Easy-Listening, and Other Moodsong; Revised and Expanded Edition. University of Michigan Press. p. 344. ISBN 0-472-08942-0. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
Jump up ^ Maltin, Leonard (2000). "The Great American Broadcast". Penguin Group. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Macfarlane, Malcolm, ed. (2009). Perry Como: A Biography and Complete Career Record. McFarland. p. 310. ISBN 0-7864-3701-4. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
Jump up ^ Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3.
Jump up ^ O'Brian, Jack (August 13, 1954). "Fontane Sisters Being Removed From Perry Como Show". The News-Sentinel. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
Jump up ^ Eward, William (June 15, 1959). "Como show is exchanged for summer TV 'sleeper'". The Bulletin. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
Jump up ^ Lehmer, Larry (2003). The Day the Music Died: The Last Tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens. Schirmer Books. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-8256-7287-3.
Jump up ^ Doclar, Ernest (September 1965). "Platter Chatter". Boys' Life: 16. ISSN 0006-8608.
Jump up ^ Birth of a Series. Billboard. July 15, 1978. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
Jump up ^ "Emmy Awards Database-Ray Charles". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
Jump up ^ Woo, Elaine (April 9, 2015). "'Other' Ray Charles dies at 96; Emmy-winning composer backed Perry Como". Los Angeles Times.
Jump up ^ Dagan, Carmel (April 7, 2015). "Ray Charles, Leader of Ray Charles Singers, Who Backed Perry Como, Dies at 96". Variety. ISSN 0042-2738.
External links[edit]
Biography portal
Music portal
Ray Charles at AllMusic
Ray Charles discography at Discogs
Ray Charles on IMDb
Ray Charles at Find a Grave
Ray Charles Papers at the Great American Songbook Foundation
[show]
v
t
e
Perry Como
Albums
So Smooth (1955)
We Get Letters (1956)
Saturday Night with Mr. C (1958)
When You Come to the End of the Day (1958)
Como Swings (1959)
Season's Greetings from Perry Como (1959)
For the Young at Heart (1960)
Sing to Me Mr. C (1961)
By Request (1962)
The Best of Irving Berlin's Songs from Mr. President (1962)
The Songs I Love (1963)
The Scene Changes (1965)
Lightly Latin (1966)
Perry Como in Italy (1966)
The Perry Como Christmas Album (1968)
Look to Your Heart (1968)
Seattle (1969)
Perry Como in Person at the International Hotel, Las Vegas (1970)
It's Impossible (1970)
I Think of You (1971)
And I Love You So (1973)
Perry (1974)
Just Out of Reach (1975)
40 Greatest Hits (1975)
The Best of British (UK and Canada) (1977)
Where You're Concerned (US) (1978)
Perry Como (1980)
Perry Como Live on Tour (1981)
So It Goes / Goodbye for Now (1983)
Today (1987)
Perry Como's Christmas Concert (1994)
On the Radio – The Perry Como Shows 1943 (2009)
At the Supper Club (2010)
At the Supper Club Part II (2011)
At the Supper Club Part III (2011)
Songs
"'A' You're Adorable"
"Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive"
"And I Love You So"
"As Time Goes By"
"Bali Ha'i"
"Because"
"Beyond Tomorrow"
"Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo"
"Blue Room"
"A Bushel and a Peck"
"Can't Help Falling in Love"
"Catch a Falling Star"
"Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba (My Bambino Go to Sleep)"
"Confessin'"
"Days of Wine and Roses"
"Deep in the Heart of Texas"
"Delaware "
"Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes"
"Dream Along with Me (I'm on My Way to a Star)"
"A Dreamer's Holiday"
"El Cóndor Pasa"
"Feelings"
"Fly Me to the Moon"
"For the Good Times"
"Forever and Ever"
"Forget Domani"
"Give Me Your Hand"
"Glendora"
"The Gypsy in My Soul"
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
"He's Got the Whole World in His Hands"
"Hello, Young Lovers"
"Here, There and Everywhere"
"Home for the Holidays"
"Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom)"
"A House Is Not a Home"
"I Don't See Me in Your Eyes Anymore"
"I Dream of You (More Than You Dream I Do)"
"I Think I Love You"
"I'll Be Home for Christmas"
"If (They Made Me a King)"
"It's Been a Long, Long Time"
"It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"
"Kewpie Doll"
"The Lord's Prayer"
"Magic Moments"
"Mandolins in the Moonlight"
"Maria"
"Moon River"
"More"
"No Other Love"
"Papa Loves Mambo"
"Prisoner of Love"
"Round and Round"
"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"
"Seattle "
"The Shadow of Your Smile"
"Some Enchanted Evening"
"Somos Novios (It's Impossible)"
"The Songs I Love"
"Stop! And Think It Over"
"Till the End of Time"
"Unchained Melody"
"Wanted"
"The Way You Look Tonight"
"What'll I Do"
"When You and I Were Young, Maggie"
"Young at Heart"
Related articles
Perry Como discography
Perry Como television and radio shows
Beat the Band
The Chesterfield Supper Club
List of songs recorded by Perry Como
Goodman Ace
Mitchell Ayres
Ray Charles
Frank Gallop
Nick Perito
Category
Authority control
WorldCat Identities
VIAF: 39585700
ISNI: 0000 0000 3832 0924
BNF: cb141635874 (data)
MusicBrainz: 8518b7af-5e33-498a-90c9-9fd772f4c422
IATH: w6qv42qq
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ray_Charles_(musician,_born_1918)&oldid=799891326"
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White Rabbit (song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article is about the Jefferson Airplane song. For the Egypt Central song, see White Rabbit (Egypt Central album).
"White Rabbit"
Single by Jefferson Airplane
from the album Surrealistic Pillow
B-side
"Plastic Fantastic Lover"
Released
June 24, 1967 (1967-06-24)
Format
7-inch single
Recorded
November 3, 1966 (1966-11-03)
Studio
RCA, Hollywood, California, U.S.
Genre
Psychedelic rock[1]
Length
2:31
Label
RCA Victor
Songwriter(s)
Grace Slick
Producer(s)
Rick Jarrard
Jefferson Airplane singles chronology
"Somebody to Love"
(1967) "White Rabbit"
(1967) "The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil"
(1967)
Audio sample
file
help
"White Rabbit" is a song written by Grace Slick and recorded by the American psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane for their 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow. It was released as a single and became the band's second top-10 success, peaking at number eight[2] on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was ranked number 478 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,[3] Number 116 on Rate Your Music's Top Singles of All Time,[4] and appears on The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Contents
[hide]
1 History
2 Lyrics and composition
3 Music video
4 Chart history
4.1 Weekly charts
4.2 Year-end charts
5 Personnel
6 Covers
7 In media
8 References
9 External links
History[edit]
"White Rabbit" was written and performed by Grace Slick while she was still with The Great Society. When that band broke up in 1966, Slick was invited to join Jefferson Airplane to replace their departed female singer, Signe Toly Anderson, who left the band with the birth of her child. The first album Slick recorded with Jefferson Airplane was Surrealistic Pillow, and Slick provided two songs from her previous group: her own "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love", written by her brother-in-law Darby Slick and recorded under the title "Someone to Love" by The Great Society.[5] The Great Society's version of "White Rabbit" was much longer than the more aggressive version of Jefferson Airplane. Both songs became top-10 hits[6] for Jefferson Airplane and have ever since been associated with that band.[7]
Lyrics and composition[edit]
1967 trade ad for the single.
"White Rabbit" is one of Grace Slick's earliest songs, written during either late 1965 or early 1966. It uses imagery found in the fantasy works of Lewis Carroll—1865's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its 1871 sequel Through the Looking-Glass—such as changing size after taking pills or drinking an unknown liquid.
Slick had stated the composition was intended to be a slap to parents who read their children such novels and then wondered why their children later used drugs.[8] Characters Slick referenced include Alice, the White Rabbit, the hookah-smoking caterpillar, the White Knight, the Red Queen, and the Dormouse.[9] Slick reportedly wrote the song after an acid trip.[10] For Slick, "White Rabbit" "is about following your curiosity. The White Rabbit is your curiosity".[11] For her and others in the 1960s, drugs were a part of mind expansion and social experimentation. With its enigmatic lyrics, "White Rabbit" became one of the first songs to sneak drug references past censors on the radio. Even Marty Balin, Slick's eventual rival in Jefferson Airplane, regarded the song as a "masterpiece". In interviews, Slick has related that Alice in Wonderland was often read to her as a child and remained a vivid memory well into her adulthood.[3]
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Slick mentioned that in addition to Alice in Wonderland, her other inspiration for the song was "the bolero used by Miles Davis and Gil Evans on their 1960 album Sketches of Spain."[12] The song is essentially one long crescendo similar to that of Ravel's famous "Boléro". The music combined with the song's lyrics strongly suggests the sensory distortions experienced with hallucinogens, and the song was later used in pop culture to imply or accompany just such a state.[13]
Music video[edit]
The music video, released in 1967 and directed by horror and thriller movie director Ray Dennis Steckler, features a woman played by Carolyn Brandt, Steckler's frequent collaborator, evocatively moving around a beach, a rock, and through waves while there are other parts intercut of a caterpillar, a chess piece, and the band's album cover while the song plays.
Chart history[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
Chart (1967)
Peak
position
Canada RPM Top Singles[14] 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[15] 8
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[16] 6
Chart (1987)
Peak
position
UK (OCC) 94
Year-end charts[edit]
Chart (1967)
Rank
Canada [17] 48
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[18] 81
U.S. Cash Box [19] 22
Cashbox[20] (11 weeks): 59, 45, 23, 14, 12, 11, 8, 6, 7, 22, 41
Personnel[edit]
Grace Slick – vocals
Jorma Kaukonen – lead guitar
Paul Kantner – rhythm guitar
Jack Casady – bass
Spencer Dryden – drums
Covers[edit]
Many artists have covered the song. Among the more notable examples are guitarist George Benson's jazz version from 1971 (featuring an electric piano solo by Herbie Hancock), and a single released in 1980 by punk/gothic rock band the Damned. The song was covered by industrial rock group Death Method for the various artists compilation album Shut Up Kitty, released in 1993. A 1996 version by Icelandic singer-songwriter Emilíana Torrini was used in the soundtrack for the 2011 film Sucker Punch. The 2002 Don't Know When I'll Be Back Again: A Compilation Benefiting American Veterans of the Vietnam War contains a cover by the band Enon. Collide contributed a DnB-remix version for the soundtrack of Resident Evil: Extinction in 2007. Pop-rock singer Pink has covered the song in 2016 for the Disney movie Alice Through the Looking Glass without the version appearing on the soundtrack. Instead, her version appeared as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of her 2017 album, Beautiful Trauma. Blue Man Group used the song for their stage production and put it into their album, The Complex. Swedish artist Loreen also performed the song live.
In media[edit]
This section indiscriminately collects miscellaneous information. Please compress this material to remove any irrelevant or unimportant information. (September 2017)
"White Rabbit" has been used in numerous films and television shows.[21]
In the "A Head in the Polls" episode of the television show Futurama, the character of Richard Nixon's head, while announcing his campaign to become president of Earth and in an attempt to broaden his political appeal, sings, "Remember what the dormouse said. Feed your head." Then adds, "I'm meeting you halfway, you stupid hippies."
In an episode of Blossom, Blossom's dad (Ted Wass) has a nightmare sequence of Blossom and Six trying pot to the song.
The song is featured in the 1997 film The Game.
The song is used in the 2004 tactical shooter Conflict Vietnam.
The song is featured in the Terry Gilliam adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (corresponding to the book's mention of the song).
A line in the song, "Go Ask Alice", was used as the title of a 1971 book about drug addiction by Beatrice Sparks that was adapted two years later into an ABC Movie of the Week. The song was used in the soundtrack for the film. [22]
What the Dormouse Said: How the Sixties Counterculture Shaped the Personal Computer Industry, by John Markoff, is a book about the development of the personal computer in the context of the collaboration-driven, World War II-era defense research community and the cooperatives and psychedelics of the American counterculture of the 1960s. "What the Dormouse Said" is a reference to lines at the end of the song, "Remember what the dormouse said. Feed your head."[23]
A version, sung in Arabic by Mayssa Karaa, is heard in the 2013 movie American Hustle.
The song is played in The Simpsons season 10 episode 6, "D'oh-in' in the Wind", season 16 episode 6, "Midnight Rx", and season 19 episode 19, "Mona Leaves-a".
The song is played in American Dad! season 5 episode 1, “In Country...Club”.
The song is played in the 1986 Academy Award winner Platoon.
The song is played in the Warehouse 13 season 1 episode 8 "Duped" when Alice (inhabiting the body of Myka Bering) returns to the Warehouse to destroy the mirror that would trap her.
The song is played in the beginning and very ending of Season 1, Episode 7 of The Sopranos, titled "Down Neck".
The song is played in Supernatural season 2 episode 10 "Hunted".
The song is played in Episode 1 of the first season of Stranger Things, titled "The Vanishing of Will Byers"
The song is included in the soundtrack to Mafia III
The song is included in the soundtrack to Sucker Punch.
A remixed version of the song was used for Battlefield Vietnam's theme, and the original song was also available for use with the ingame radio function.
The song is again featured in Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam, again available with the ingame radio function.
The song is played in Call of Duty: Black Ops III's last campaign mission "Life", as the background music played in the building when the Player exited.
The song is played in season 4 episode 2 of Queer as Folk.
The song is played in the fourth episode of the HBO miniseries "Big Little Lies".
The song is played in season one, episode eight of Hulu's adaptation of Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale".
The song was briefly played in Kong: Skull Island.
The song is played in Pawn Sacrifice.
The song is played in the background in Gotham season 4 episode 4 during a visit by James Gordon to Barbara Kean’s Club.
References[edit]
Jump up ^ Myers, Marc (May 31, 2016). "How Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick Wrote 'White Rabbit'". International Times. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
Jump up ^ "Top 100 Music Hits, Top 100 Music Charts, Top 100 Songs & The Hot 100". Billboard.com. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
^ Jump up to: a b "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". December 9, 2004. Archived from the original on June 22, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
Jump up ^ "Top Singles of All-time". Rate Your Music. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Darby Slick Puts Original Lyrics Up For Sale". jambands.com.
Jump up ^ "Billboard – Jefferson Airplane". Billboard.com.
Jump up ^ Tamarkin, Jeff, ed. (2003). Got a revolution!:the turublent flight of Jefferson Airplane. Atria. p. 113. ISBN 0-671-03403-0. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
Jump up ^ "Biography – Grace Slick". jeffersonairplane.con.
Jump up ^ "White Rabbit Lyrics". metrolyrics.com.
Jump up ^ Hughes, Rob (October 29, 2016). "The Story Behind The Song: White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane". TEAMROCK.COM. Retrieved 2017-08-02.
Jump up ^ Myers, Marc. "She Went Chasing Rabbits". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
Jump up ^ Berkowitz, Kenny. Got a Revolution!: The Turbulent Flight of Jefferson Airplane. New York: Atrica Books, 2005, p. 153; Wall Street Journal Interview 29 April 2011 [1]
Jump up ^ 1,001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die
Jump up ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1967-08-05. Retrieved 2018-01-14.
Jump up ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
Jump up ^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, August 12, 1967
Jump up ^ RPM Top 100 Singles of 1967
Jump up ^ Musicoutfitters.com
Jump up ^ Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 23, 1967
Jump up ^ Hoffmann, Frank (1983). The Cash Box Singles Charts, 1950–1981. Metuchen, NJ & London: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. p. 303.
Jump up ^ "Filmography by year for Jefferson Airplane". IMDB.com. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
Jump up ^ "Go Ask Alice Soundtrack". IMDB.com. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
Jump up ^ Lanier, Jaron (July 2010). "Early Computing's Long, Strange Trip. What the Dormouse Said: How the Sixties Counterculture Shaped the Personal Computer Industry. John Markoff" (Book review). American Scientist. Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society. 93 (4). Scientists' Nightstand > Bookshelf Detail. Retrieved June 26, 2015. John Markoff's What the Dormouse Said (the title is taken from the lyrics of the Jefferson Airplane song "White Rabbit") tells the story of the important period when the personal computer and the Internet as we know them came into being. He also describes how a new culture of drugs, sex and rock and roll was created at the same time as the computers, sometimes in the same rooms, by some of the same people.
External links[edit]
Song Review: White Rabbit, Allmusic.
IMDB Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Reference
IMDB Sucker Punch Reference
Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
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This Is It (concerts)
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This Is It
Residency show by Michael Jackson
Location
London, United Kingdom
Venue
The O2 Arena
Associated album
This Is It
Start date
July 13, 2009
End date
March 6, 2010
Legs
2
No. of shows
50 (cancelled)
Website
Official website
Michael Jackson concert chronology
Michael Jackson: Live at the Apollo 2002
(2002)
This Is It
(2009–10)
This Is It was a planned residency show of 50 concerts by Michael Jackson at the O2 Arena in London, scheduled to run from July 2009 to March 2010. The shows were to be Jackson's first major series of concerts since the HIStory World Tour finished in 1997. With all concerts sold out, Jackson suffered a cardiac arrest and died less than three weeks before the first concert was scheduled to begin.
Jackson announced This Is It at a press conference in the O2 Arena, stating that it would be his final series of concerts in London. AEG Live, the concert promoters, released a promotional video that took up an entire commercial break, setting a record for ITV. Initially only 10 concerts were announced, but following public demand 40 more concerts were added. Ticket sales broke several records and Jackson's album sales increased following the announcement; AEG Live estimated that the first 10 dates alone would have earned Jackson approximately £50 million.
In preparation for the concert series, Jackson had been collaborating with high-profile figures including fashion designer Christian Audigier, choreographer Kenny Ortega and bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno. Prior to Jackson's death, Allgood Entertainment sued Jackson for $40 million, claiming that he had breached an exclusivity agreement with them by agreeing to the This Is It concerts. The case was dismissed.
After Jackson's death, AEG Live offered either refunds to ticket holders or a special "souvenir" ticket designed by Jackson. The cancelled shows, record-breaking ticket sales[1][2][3] and potential for a world tour[4][5] made This Is It "the greatest concert[s] that never happened."[6][7] Columbia Pictures acquired the footage of the rehearsals and released a concert film, Michael Jackson's This Is It, accompanied by a compilation album of the same name.
Contents
[hide]
1 Promotion and significance
2 Public interest
3 Preparation and concert details
3.1 Songs featured and stage setting
4 Dates
5 Personnel
6 Litigation
7 Jackson's death and refunds
8 Posthumous film and album
9 See also
10 References
11 External links
Promotion and significance[edit]
Wikinews has related news: Michael Jackson to make last public concerts
The announcement of Jackson's first 10 performances was made by the singer himself, during a press conference at the O2 Arena on March 5, 2009. As many as 7,000 fans and 350 reporters awaited the singer's arrival, many donning Jackson-related clothing.[8][9][10] The singer commented at the conference, "I just wanted to say that these will be my final show performances in London. When I say this is it, it really means this is it", adding that it was his "final curtain call",[10] although he may have just been referring to performing in London. Organizers touted the residency as, "dramatic shows [that] promise an explosive return with a band of the highest calibre, a state-of-the-art stage show and incredible surprise support acts".[11] Hours before the press conference, promotional posters for the residency were displayed around London. Further promotion took up an entire commercial break period on ITV London during Dancing on Ice, the first time this has ever happened for a musical artist. The advert, which cost £1 million to air, was viewed by 11 million people.[12][13][14][15]
The shows, Jackson's first significant concert events since the HIStory World Tour in 1997, had been cited as one of the year's most important musical events,[16] and as the greatest comeback in the history of pop.[17][18] Randy Phillips, president and chief executive of AEG Live, stated that the first 10 dates would earn the singer approximately £50 million (about US$80.1 million).[9] The Guardian characterized the announced 10 concerts as an "astonishing comeback for a man who in recent years has been dogged by controversy", adding that the entertainer still had "enormous commercial clout".[19] The Evening Standard stated that the deal was the "showbiz coup of the decade" for AEG Live, while The Independent remarked that the finalized 50 concerts would provide London with a "much-needed" economic boost.[20][21] Joe Cohen, chief executive of Seatwave, told BBC 6 Music that the shows would generate £1 billion for the economy.[22]
Public interest[edit]
The O2 Arena, where the concerts would have been held
Some websites offered early tickets, which the Association of Secondary Ticket Agents warned were fake. "We are warning people not to buy tickets that are not yet on sale because it is unlikely that they will receive those tickets", announced the organization's chief, Graham Burns. He concluded, "It's impossible when the dates haven't been announced to be selling tickets for something when there are no announced dates".[23] Jackson's official website allowed fans to register early for a "pre-sale" draw. Some fans had difficulty applying, as the website could not deal with the large number of registrations—reportedly up to 16,000 applications a second.[24] In the space of 24 hours, nearly a million people from around the world registered for pre-sale tickets, enough to fill the venue 50 times over.[25][26] Tickets that had not even been printed were selling on auction website eBay for £300.[19] Sales of Jackson's albums increased following the press conference. Overnight, sales of Off the Wall rose 200%, Bad rose 110%, Dangerous rose 165% and Thriller 25 rose 155%.[27]
The two-day pre-sale began on March 11, and 40 extra dates were added to meet high demand—five of these dates were reserved in their entirety for the public sale.[1] More than 1.5 million fans caused two sites offering pre-sale tickets to crash within minutes of going online.[28] In the space of two hours, 190,000 tickets were sold.[29] Two million people tried to buy pre-sale tickets in the space of 18 hours.[30] Veronica Schmidt of The Times stated of the reception, "Michael Jackson has floored his critics",[31] while organizers proclaimed it a "cultural phenomenon".[32] It was announced that Jackson would break the record for number of shows performed by an artist at a single venue, which had been set by Prince, who hosted a residency at the same arena for his 21 Nights in London: The Earth Tour concerts. According to Jackson's website, the following records were or would have been broken: "The biggest audience ever to see an artist in one city", "The greatest number of people to attend a series of arena shows", "The fastest ticket sales in history".[1] Randy Phillips acknowledged that Jackson could have sold out even more dates, but this would have conflicted with other career plans that the singer had.[33] On March 13, the other 50% of seats for dates 1–45 and all the seats for dates 46–50 went on sale to the general public. Within four hours, all 50 dates had sold out.[34] At this stage, the sales of King of Pop were up 400% and the sales of Thriller were up 200%.[35] Tickets appeared on eBay for as much as £10,000.[36]
Preparation and concert details[edit]
The 50-concert run was originally scheduled to start on July 8, 2009 and conclude on February 24, 2010.[37] Each of the shows would have been performed at the O2 Arena in London, which has a capacity of 23,000.[38] New York-based fashion designer Zaldy served as head costumer, creating ten of Jackson's stage looks while the other six were created by his longtime costumers, Michael Bush and Dennis Tompkins. Jay Ruckel from La Crasia Gloves recreated Jackson's iconic single glove for the concerts.[39] The costumes he was to wear during the shows were encrusted with 300,000 Swarovski crystals.[40] In April 2009, thousands of dancers flew in from all around the world to audition from the 13th to the 15th for Jackson, who helped select the 11 finalists in person.[41] Kenny Ortega, who had collaborated with Jackson previously, was to work on the overall design and direction of concerts. Ortega said that the final product would have been a "theatrical musical experience".[42][43][44] According to Randy Philips, £13 million was to be spent on producing the concerts, which would have included 18–22 songs and 22 different sets. There also would have been aerial dancing similar to routines by Cirque du Soleil.[43] Carla Ferrigno told Reuters that her husband Lou had been helping Jackson train in advance of the shows. Jackson and Ferrigno had previously worked together.[45]
On May 20, it was announced that the first concert would be pushed back five days to July 13 and three other July dates would be rescheduled for March 2010. AEG Live said that the delay was necessary because more time was needed for dress rehearsals. The revised schedule called for 27 shows between July 13 and September 29, 2009, followed by a three-month break, before resuming in the new year with 23 more shows between January 7 and March 6, 2010.[37] Some fans petitioned for the reversal of AEG Live's decision.[46] In late June, several hundred seats for each of the dates were put on sale. These seats were held back until production logistics were worked out.[47]
It was suggested that after the London concerts, Jackson might head to Australia, Europe, India, China, Hong Kong and Japan before moving on to North America. Randy Phillips, the CEO of AEG Live, told The LA Times that Australia was part of Michael Jackson's international tour plans.[48]
According to Jermaine Jackson's 2011 book You Are Not Alone: Michael Through a Brother's Eyes, after the London concerts finished, Jackson was planning to extend his deal with AEG Live which included new music, a possible three-picture movie deal, a long series of one-off concert dates starting in China, a halftime slot during one of the future Super Bowl games to overshadow his own legendary halftime show performance at the Super Bowl XXVII in 1993 and another couple of tours (one of which was to be a final reunion with his brothers based on a promise made to their mother to see her sons perform together again one last time before she died). After the deal was completed, he planned to take time off from musical entertainment and move on to (possibly) directing his own film ideas, such as making a feature-length motion picture based on his 1982 song "Thriller" and the music video of the same name. It was also stated that a yearly Halloween television special based on his horror-themed songs, such as "Thriller" and "Ghosts", was part of Jackson's deal with AEG Live.
In Conrad Murray's manslaughter trial, David Walgren stated another one of Jackson's future plans was to open a children's hospital. This was heard in an audio tape Conrad Murray played of Jackson under the influence of propofol on May 10, 2009. His voice is barely recognisable in the recording, but he can be clearly heard saying that he wanted to build the greatest children's hospital in the world and name it after himself: The Michael Jackson's Children's Hospital. Walgren also stated that while the tour was happening, Jackson wanted to buy an estate with streams, horses and animals so his three children, Prince, Paris and Blanket could live normal lives as their father performed the concerts, as he was photographed looking for a house in the United Kingdom with his children. Walgren also said that the tour would begin that summer, and Jackson could take his children out of school and bring them with him so they could see him perform in London.
Songs featured and stage setting[edit]
Main article: Michael Jackson's This Is It
According to Michael Bearden, a film and music producer who worked on the concerts playing keyboard and acting as the concert's musical director, the setlist for the concerts was never finalized prior to Jackson's death.[49] Most of the songs due to be featured in the concerts were showcased in Michael Jackson's This Is It, while the inclusion of several other songs were confirmed in the film's DVD special features. The songs showcased in the film included Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', Jam, They Don't Care About Us, Human Nature, Smooth Criminal, The Way You Make Me Feel, a medley of Jackson 5 songs including I Want You Back, The Love You Save, and I'll Be There, Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground), I Just Can't Stop Loving You, Thriller, Beat It, Black or White, Earth Song, Billie Jean, Man in the Mirror, and Heal the World. Meanwhile, it was later confirmed that Stranger in Moscow, You Are Not Alone, You Rock My World, Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Rock With You, Dirty Diana, Dangerous, Bad, We Are the World, and Will You Be There were also being prepared for the concerts. In an interview with Larry King, Lady Gaga revealed that she was to perform a song called "Pictures" as the opening act for the concerts.
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was confirmed to be the opener, followed by "Jam", a dance sequence referred to as "The Drill" leading into "They Don't Care About Us", "Human Nature", and "Smooth Criminal". The show would open with a video sequence referred to as "Glimpses and Flashes", followed by a large space suit with video imagery wrapping around it appearing before the audience, referred to as "Light Man". Then, various parts of Light Man would open up to reveal Jackson, who would jump out and stand still for a few moments before starting the show. The performances of "Smooth Criminal", "Thriller", and "Earth Song" would feature 3D vignettes featuring Jackson, most of which would involve Michael coming out of the videos and onto the stage. Michael would occasionally replace "Human Nature" and "The Way You Make Me Feel" with "Stranger in Moscow" and "You Rock My World", respectively.
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" were to be used as an interlude segment for the backup dancers to show off their moves, with Jackson appearing at the end. "Dirty Diana" was to feature a female dancer who would use acrobatic feats to lure Jackson onto a bed, before tying him to it. The bed would then be covered in silk flames, giving Jackson cover to slip backstage and change for "Beat It". "We Are the World" and "Heal the World" were to be performed as a medley.
"Man in the Mirror" was confirmed as the closer, ending with a large plane, dubbed "MJ Air", appearing on the 3D screen. This was meant to top "Rocket Man" that they did on the Dangerous Tour. A door in the middle of the screen would open up, revealing a set of stairs for the dancers, backup singers, and band players to go through. Michael would be the last one to go through, waving goodbye to the audience as the door closed in front of him. The plane would then taxi down the runway and take off into the night sky.
Due to the larger than usual roster of songs, as well as time constraints, Jackson would perform some songs with one verse less than he did in previous tours, such as "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", "Jam", "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Black or White". "Bad" is rumored to have been reserved for select concerts. On the final dates, Jackson wanted to perform a ballad called "River Ripple", written by him, with an African choir and his children. During the final concert before "Man in the Mirror", Michael was slated to premiere a song called "Best of Joy", written and recorded in 2009 prior to Jackson's death. As of 2017, "River Ripple" although it released, there are snippets leaked onto YouTube but the full song remains unreleased, while "Best of Joy" was officially released in 2010 on Jackson's first posthumous album of unreleased songs, Michael.
Dates[edit]
Date
City
Country
Venue
First Leg
July 13, 2009 London United Kingdom The O2 Arena
July 16, 2009
July 18, 2009
July 22, 2009
July 24, 2009
July 26, 2009
July 28, 2009
July 30, 2009
August 1, 2009
August 3, 2009
August 10, 2009
August 12, 2009
August 17, 2009
August 19, 2009
August 24, 2009
August 26, 2009
August 28, 2009
August 30, 2009
September 1, 2009
September 3, 2009
September 6, 2009
September 8, 2009
September 10, 2009
September 21, 2009
September 23, 2009
September 27, 2009
September 29, 2009
Second Leg
January 7, 2010 London United Kingdom The O2 Arena
January 9, 2010
January 12, 2010
January 14, 2010
January 16, 2010
January 18, 2010
January 23, 2010
January 25, 2010
January 27, 2010
January 29, 2010
February 1, 2010
February 3, 2010
February 8, 2010
February 10, 2010
February 12, 2010
February 16, 2010
February 18, 2010
February 20, 2010
February 22, 2010
February 24, 2010
March 1, 2010
March 3, 2010
March 6, 2010
Personnel[edit]
Musicians
Michael Jackson – vocals, show direction, choreographer
Orianthi Panagaris – guitar
Tommy Organ – guitar
Alex Al – bass
Jonathan Moffett – drums
Michael Bearden – keyboards, musical director
Morris Pleasure – keyboards
Bashiri Johnson – percussion
Dorian Holley – vocals, vocal direction
Judith Hill – vocals
Darryl Phinnessee – vocals
Ken Stacey – vocals
Dancers
Michael Jackson
Daniel Yao[50]
Nicholas Basir
Daniel Celebre (a.k.a. Da FunkyMystic)
Mekia Cox
Chris Grant (a.k.a. Kriyss Grant)
Misha Gabriel
Shannon Holtzapffel
Devin Jamieson
Charles Klapow
Ricardo Reid (aka Dres Reid)
Danielle Rueda Watts
Tyne Stecklein
Timor Steffens (a.k.a. Timor Dance)
Production and other personnel
Kenny Ortega – show direction
Alif Sankey – associate production
Michael Cotten – production design
Michael Curry – production design
Michael Jackson & Travis Payne – choreography
Stacy Walker – choreography assistance
Tony Testa – choreography assistance
Patrick Woodroffe – lighting design
David Elsewhere – dance coaching
Shahzad Perez - Specialty Act
Gregg Smith – casting direction
Karen Faye Heinze – hair and make-up
Zaldy Goco – chief of costume design
Michael Bush – costume design
Dennis Thompkins - costume design
AEG Live – promotion
Dave Polich - synth programming
Litigation[edit]
In June 2009, concert promoter Allgood Entertainment, represented by Ira Meyerowitz and Jon Kekielek of MJlawfirm, sued Jackson for $40 million, claiming that the singer, through his manager Frank DiLeo, had agreed to a single and a $30 million reunion concert with The Jackson 5, as well as sister Janet Jackson. According to the concert promoter, the alleged contractual agreement prevented the singer from performing elsewhere before the reunion concert and for a three-month period after it. Thus, agreeing to a 50 date residency at the O2 arena was an alleged breach of the Allgood Entertainment contract. The filing company stated that AEG Live knew of the alleged agreement with Jackson and used their dominance in the industry to coerce Jackson into agreeing to the residency.[51][52][53] In August 2010, the judge dismissed the case, stating that there was no evidence of a binding agreement, no contracts were signed.[54] The case was in limbo as of 2013.[55][56]
Jackson's death and refunds[edit]
Further information: Death of Michael Jackson
On June 25, 2009, Jackson died after going into cardiac arrest which was caused by an overdose of Diprivan and benzodiazepines, eighteen days before his planned first show. AEG Live, who persuaded Jackson to sign up for the shows, faced a liability of up to £300 million and an empty venue for the next nine months.[57] The O2 arena stated that full refunds, including all ticket service charges, would be available to those who purchased tickets through authorized agents, but that "fans will have the option to be sent the actual tickets they would have received to attend the shows in lieu of the full refunds which are being offered."[58] Fans who bought their tickets from private sellers potentially faced difficulties. eBay recommended that purchasers contact their sellers for refunds and stated that those who used PayPal can get their money back if the purchase was made during the last 45 days,[59] then later stated that "all buyers on the site will receive a full refund for their ticket purchase".[60]
Posthumous film and album[edit]
Further information: Michael Jackson's This Is It and Michael Jackson's This Is It (album)
Following Jackson's death, AEG stated that they had over "100 hours of footage of preparations and rehearsals for the shows".[61] On August 10, 2009, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff approved a deal between film distributor Columbia Pictures and AEG Live for the former company to purchase and distribute rehearsal footage of Jackson for a film entitled Michael Jackson's This Is It.[61][62][63] According to court documents, Columbia paid $60 million (£35 million) for rights to the rehearsal footage.[62][64] The papers filed in court had reportedly stated that Jackson's estate will get 90% of the profits and that AEG Live will get the remaining 10% from the film's revenue.[61][65] The film was directed by Kenny Ortega who was also the director of the live concert. It was compiled mostly from footage that was shot as reference for production discussions and was never meant to be shown publicly. Some of the music and vocals in the film were added from previous recordings, though most were from the live performance. The film was released on October 28, 2009.[66]
An accompanying album to the film was also released. Titled This Is It, the compilation was distributed internationally on October 26, and to North America the following day. The two-disc album features music "inspired from the documentary of the same name".[67] Of the album, Sony said, "Disc one will feature the original album masters of some of Michael's biggest hits arranged in the same sequence as they appear in the film" and stated that "the disc ends with two versions of the 'never-released' 'This Is It' [...] This song is featured in the film's closing sequence and includes backing vocals by Michael's brothers, The Jacksons and Alvin Chea of Take 6."[68] Sony added that the second disc will feature previously unreleased versions from Jackson's "catalogue of hits", along with a spoken word poem entitled "Planet Earth" and a 36-page commemorative booklet with "exclusive photos of Michael from his last rehearsal".[68][69]
See also[edit]
Death of Michael Jackson
List of works published posthumously
Michael Jackson's This Is It
This Is It (album)
"This Is It" (song)
References[edit]
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External links[edit]
This Is It Official Website
Official ticket refund website
[show]
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