RUMOR MILL
“The era of Bad represented Michael’s creative ‘coming of age’ as a solo artist in charge of every aspect of his career.”
——Branca and McClain
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
EPIC/LEGACY READIES JACKSON’S BAD AS EXPANDED REISSUE
25th Anniversary Edition Will Also Contain a Complete Concert on DVD
Michael Jackson’s Bad will get the 25th anniversary treatment, a la Thriller 25 in 2008, Sony and estate co-executors John Branca and John McClain announced yesterday. The album, which will be released on Sept. 18 by Epic/Legacy Recordings, will contain previously unreleased new tracks and a never-before-seen concert video. Bad 25 will be the first reissue of a Jackson album since his death three years ago.
“The era of Bad represented Michael’s creative ‘coming of age’ as a solo artist in charge of every aspect of his career—from recording to touring to endorsements to merchandising,” Branca and McClain said in a statement. “This was the first album on which nearly all of the songs were written by Michael.”
The deluxe package will feature three CDs: the remastered original album, a second disc of outtakes and demos, and a third CD that stands as Jackson’s first-ever live album. It contains audio from the accompanying DVD release of a concert from M.J.’s epochal “Bad” tour. The 1988 show took place at London's Wembley Stadium, with Prince Charles and Princess Diana among the 72,000 in attendance. A VHS of the full-concert was discovered in Jackson's private collection; it’s believed to have been the only copy.
The project will actually have a setup single in physical form, a rarity these days, to say the least. The track, “I Just Can't Stop Loving You"—which was the lead single when the LP was originally released in 1987 (and HITS was just one year old)—was the first of five chart-toppers from the album. The CD single, a Walmart exclusive hitting June 5, will also contain the previously unreleased "Don't Be Messin' 'Round (demo)."
“The era of Bad represented Michael’s creative ‘coming of age’ as a solo artist in charge of every aspect of his career—from recording to touring to endorsements to merchandising,” Branca and McClain said in a statement. “This was the first album on which nearly all of the songs were written by Michael.”
The deluxe package will feature three CDs: the remastered original album, a second disc of outtakes and demos, and a third CD that stands as Jackson’s first-ever live album. It contains audio from the accompanying DVD release of a concert from M.J.’s epochal “Bad” tour. The 1988 show took place at London's Wembley Stadium, with Prince Charles and Princess Diana among the 72,000 in attendance. A VHS of the full-concert was discovered in Jackson's private collection; it’s believed to have been the only copy.
The project will actually have a setup single in physical form, a rarity these days, to say the least. The track, “I Just Can't Stop Loving You"—which was the lead single when the LP was originally released in 1987 (and HITS was just one year old)—was the first of five chart-toppers from the album. The CD single, a Walmart exclusive hitting June 5, will also contain the previously unreleased "Don't Be Messin' 'Round (demo)."
Three weeks later, the single will be made available as a replica of the original vinyl seven-inch, including its B-side, "Baby Be Mine," rather than the CD bonus track.
