The MJCast - A Michael Jackson Podcast

The MJCast
The MJCast - A Michael Jackson Podcast Podcast

The Internet's premiere Michael Jackson podcast. We offer news and discussion on Michael Jackson and special interviews with people who knew and worked with the King of Pop.

  1. 168: Vindication Day Special with Gratian Dimech

    JUN 13

    168: Vindication Day Special with Gratian Dimech

    Charles Thomson welcomes first-time guest Gratian Dimech to the show for this year’s Vindication Day Special.Gratian first saw Michael Jackson live on the Bad Tour and first met him on the Dangerous Tour. Attending 35 Dangerous concerts, he got to know many of Michael’s inner circle. Michael and Brett Barnes even nicknamed Gratian and his friend Justin as the “Waldos”, because wherever they went, they could pick them out of the crowd.Gratian became an advocate and an activist, challenging negative media coverage of Michael. His creative protest against a particular British tabloid photographer was immortalised in Adrian Grant’s book Michael Jackson: A Visual Documentary and he has been interviewed about it for filmmaker Jin Chohan’s upcoming documentary series “Trial By Media”.Gratian had a front-row view for everything from the “Give In To Me” music video shoot, to Jarvis Cocker’s stage invasion during Michael’s 1996 Brit Awards performance, and even the infamous, history-altering bridge collapse during Michael’s 1999 MJ and Friends benefit concert in Munich.Gratian has toured Neverland, got stuck in New York when the Twin Towers were attacked mere hours after Michael’s 30th Anniversary concerts, and even spent time hanging out in Janet Jackson’s hotel rooms.When Michael drove around London on an open top bus to protest against Sony Music, Gratian was on the bus with him – and when Michael went on trial in 2005, Gratian flew out to support him, even winning the lottery to go inside the courtroom.In this unscripted conversation with his friend Charles Thomson, Gratian tells us only a fraction of his amazing and insightful experience...

    2h 46m
  2. 167: Jennifer Batten Special

    JUN 1

    167: Jennifer Batten Special

    Jamon Bull welcomes iconic guitarist, Jennifer Batten, to The MJCast for a long-awaited, deep-dive interview about her amazing career in music, and her years performing with The King of Pop.Batten, known for her original approach to the electric guitar (and her nearly-as-legendary hair!), rose in the music industry when she was selected to play in Michael Jackson’s BAD tour. She would go on to play lead and rhythm guitar on the Dangerous and HIStory world tours, as well, and joined Jackson for the 1993 Super Bowl halftime show. She also appeared in the “Come Together” segment on “Moonwalker”. For any fan of MJ, both her performances and her striking presence are an unforgettable part of ‘80s and ‘90s-era Michael Jackson.In addition to her work on stage with Jackson, Batten has had her own vibrant career. She has released three solo albums, worked closely with Jeff Beck for several years, has authored two music books and released instructional DVDs, and did a guitar residency for the Cirque Du Soleil show “Zumanity” in Las Vegas. In 2016, she received the She Rocks “Icon” award, and was inducted into Guitar Player Magazine’s “Gallery of the Greats”. Batten continues to tour regularly, and has shows coming up around the world, including Michael Jackson tribute shows. (Tour link below.)This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.Additional links• Jennifer Batten’s website, tour dates, and page in support of Michael Jackson.• Batten’s Twitter and Instagram.Like this episode?• If you have the means, consider a donation in any amount through PayPal to help cover our costs of creating the show.

  3. 162: Bob Jenkis Special

    12/12/2023

    162: Bob Jenkis Special

    Bob Jenkis, award-winning filmmaker and editor, joins Jamon Bull and Paul Black for an in-depth interview about his career and his work with Michael Jackson.Jenkis is an icon in the world of music videos, film and advertising, and is known for shaping the look of modern film editing. Working in the industry since before the dawn of MTV, he has edited clips and cut music videos for an incredibly wide range of music legends, including Janet Jackson, Madonna, Prince, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, James Brown, and many, many more. He has also been deeply involved in the production of large-scale network television specials and concerts.His long-running relationship with Michael Jackson began in the early 1990s, when he made spots for the “Dangerous” album—work which was used later as the opening to Jackson’s European Tour, his “Live In Bucharest” concert film, and was included in two compilations of music videos under the title “Brace Yourself.” Jenkis also edited “Live from Bucharest”, an epic task he completed in only 10 days before it aired on HBO. He continued to work on a number of projects for the King of Pop over the years including never-before-seen versions of Ghosts and the HIStory teaser, and concluded his time working with Michael by consulting on promo spots for “This Is It” just months before Jackson’s passing in 2009.In this deep-dive chat, Jamon and Paul get the inside scoop on all of these incredible moments in Michael Jackson history, as well as rare insights into the technical elements of these massive projects. This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.Additional Links• Bob Jenkis’ website.Like this episode?• If you have the means, consider a donation in any amount through PayPal to help cover our costs. All proceeds go towards online running costs, upgrading equipment, and charity donations. Learn all about the various ways you can support The MJCast through visiting our a href="http://themjcast.

    2h 38m
  4. 161: Ghosts Roundtable

    10/29/2023

    161: Ghosts Roundtable

    Adam Green, Paul Black, and Hannah Savage join host Jamon Bull for a deep-dive discussion around Michael Jackson’s masterpiece, Ghosts. They chat about all aspects of the incredible short film (which is so often neglected by a mainstream audience), including the story, music, choreography, cinematography and editing. Plus, they explore whether Ghosts has aged well, in comparison to another iconic Jackson short film, Thriller. Finally, they dig into an assortment of other topics around this project, including the ’93 version, the making of, the boxset, and assess why Ghosts didn’t achieve the widespread acclaim of some of Jackson’s other major works.This roundtable group brings incredible insights into the history and context of the Ghosts short film through their unique perspectives as film makers and editors, and they have great stories to share, such as Paul Black’s experience of sitting just a few seating away from Jackson himself, at the 1997 Australia premiere of the film.Happy Thriller Night!This episode was edited by Jamon Bull.Participants• Adam Green (film director and host of The Movie Crypt podcast)• Paul Black (Sydney-based Film editor, and Friend of the Show)• Hannah Savage (YouTube documentarian who has made a great videos about Blood on the Dance Floor, Ghosts, and other MJ topics)• Jamon Bull, co-host of The MJCastAdditional Links• Official, full-length short film of Michael Jackson’s Ghosts.Like this episode?• If you have the means, consider a donation in any amount through PayPal to help cover our costs. All proceeds go towards online running costs, upgrading equipment, and charity donations. Learn all about the various ways you can support The MJCast through visiting our a href="http://themjcast.

    2h 22m
4.6
out of 5
273 Ratings

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The Internet's premiere Michael Jackson podcast. We offer news and discussion on Michael Jackson and special interviews with people who knew and worked with the King of Pop.

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