The Estate & Sony have been celebrating DANGEROUS the whole November and have asked fans to share their memories about Dangerous. And here the stories which have been sent via email:
25 years after its release, Michael Jackson’s Dangerous continues to excite and captivate fans all over the world. Here are a few of the memories we received from fans, in their own words.
*******
My name is Graham Summers from the UK, I’m 44 years old and I was 19 on November 26th 1991. I can’t believe it’s almost 25 years ago that Dangerous was released; it seems like yesterday.
To say I was excited on the eve of the Dangerous album release was a huge understatement. I remember the build up with Black Or White, the short film broadcast on “Top Of The Pops” it took up nearly half the 30 minute show; amazing!!! I was blown away naturally I’d waited over 4 years for new music from MJ. At that age it’s quarter of your life to put it into prospective.
The night before I felt like an excited child on Christmas Eve; hang on MJ has always made me feel like that. It was an amazing moment waiting outside the record store; if I remember correctly it was a midweek release; I booked the day off work specially for this incredible event.
I couldn’t wait for the store to open; I had walked a good hour to the store and arrived 45 minutes before the store opened. To see the album artwork, the giant eye logo and gold writing MICHAEL JACKSON DANGEROUS was making me pumped with excited energy. Several fans had gathered one who became a life long friend of mine, we all waited with that inpatient nervous excited energy. Finally the doors opened and straight to the counter where I asked proudly for “Michael Jackson Dangerous please on CD, Cassette and Vinyl.”
Then I realized that a strange unfamiliar sound was filling the room, a choir a powerful classical choir. Thinking what’s this they should be playing MJ. Something told me to wait and sure enough the opening chords the piano and followed MJ’s beautiful voice. “Will You Be There” God it sounded so good so familiar but like nothing else. It was Michael, his music for a new era and times and it sounded so right.
I lived in Dangerous times pardon the pun but what times they were. MTV 10th anniversary performance, the Short films, the tour which I saw him perform 3 times at Wembley and in Paris. A true artist and an incredible album that holds so dear to me to this day. “Remember The Time” I sure do thanks MJ for being there, you lifted me up and inspired me in every aspect of my life you really did.
Regards and love,
Graham, UK
*******
Hello, my name is Hideaki, live in Japan. Congratulations on 25th anniversary of Dangerous. Celebrate with Michael Fans all over the world.
By the way, my wife’s birthday is November 26th. At that time, I was thinking what to make a birthday gift. What my wife likes most … It is Michael’s album Dangerous just released in Japan, I noticed it, I bought it at the shop at once. Of course she was very pleased. We listened many times over and over and repeatedly enjoyed it.
It has already been 25 years. We still live happily. I thank Michael. It was a nice memory for me.
Thanks,
Hideaki Takehana, Japan
*******
The day that the Dangerous album was released, I was still in high school. I had been talking about it for weeks and had been so excited about the new album. That morning, upon arrival, my History teacher, who was my favorite teacher, asked if I would like to run an errand with her during her planning period. Although I had another class during that time, she said she would sign me out and let the office know that I would be assisting her with something. I didn’t know that her real plan was to get me out of school, take me to the record shop, and buy me the Dangerous cd. I was so excited and so surprised. That’s when cd’s came in the long box format and I thought it was the most gorgeous cd cover ever. I don’t think I was able to concentrate in school for the rest of the day. Twenty five years later, I’m now Facebook friends with my History teacher and she helps me to care for the stray cats in my neighborhood. Every once in a while, I’ll bring up my favorite story, “Do you remember that day we cut school so you can buy me the Dangerous album?
– Vernay Lewis, USA
*******
My name is Swizz and I’m a huge fan of Michael Jackson’s. I’m a 28 year old black male from South Africa, but Michael Jackson has always been a major part of my life, for as long as I can remember.
I remember the first time I heard the Dangerous album was back in the December of 1991 when my father bought a LP vinyl copy just a few weeks after it was released. I was about 3 years old, and I remember asking my dad to play the entire album for me over and over again, every weekend when he was home from work. I’d fall asleep while listening, and I’d listen while I was asleep, the sweetest lullaby I had ever known.
I’ll honestly say, all 14 of the songs in the album were and still are hits to me, but there obviously were songs which stood out more than the others i.e. Jam, In The Closet, Remember The Time, Heal The World, Black Or White, Who Is It, Give In To Me, Will You Be There, Keep The Faith, Gone Too Soon and Dangerous of cause were and still are some of my personal favorites.
My respect for Michael grew tenfold when I watched the broadcasting of the Dangerous Tour Live In Bucharest on television for the first time in 1993, I was about 5 years old, and it was the very first live performance of Michael’s that I had ever seen, let’s just say, it was magical.
Kind Regards:
Swizz, South Africa
*******
Dangerous came out a year after I was born, but I remember it being played a lot around the house. My mom was a huge MJ fan and had all of his albums at one point. I remember being 3 or 4 and I watched the Dangerous tour on tv and I told my mom “I’m going to marry Michael Jackson one day.” I remember being 5 or 6 and I learned the choreography to “Remember TheTime”. Dangerous is a very important album to me. It was part of the reason of me discovering the one man that has changed my life forever. The man who inspired me to want to sing and dance. After my mom died I went back to this album and listened to it because it reminded me of her. This album and Michael means the world to me and it will forever be one of my favorite albums.
–Kristan,
Glendora, California
*******
Since (belatedly) becoming a Michael Jackson fan in the wake of his passing, I have been hoping for due acknowledgement of the genius of Michael’s mature work: the music, the short films, live performances and subsequent world tours.
I had been awoken to the significance of Dangerous by the first friend I ever made in MJ fandom in 2009. Young Amy and I met by chance at a Climate Change rally in Adelaide, Australia. I was wearing an MJ-t-shirt, and she came up and embraced me! She was young enough to be my daughter, if I’d had one, with a mass of auburn curls and an irrepressible smile.
When we subsequently explored our mutual love of Michael Jackson, Amy revealed that Dangerous had been the first of his albums she had acquired as a young girl, and was an album that stood above the rest as ‘pure MJ’.
Speaking for myself, it wasn’t just the music that attracted me to Dangerous and its successors. It was Michael himself; I found him gorgeous in his maturity. I still do. I am incredibly happy to celebrate #Dangerous25, even though I’ve only been here for the part of the journey that has been without Michael.
On the day the album was released, I am having a celebration party with some friends at a popular restaurant. It just happens to correspond with the 2oth anniversary of his one and only solo concert in my home town of Adelaide, Australia – the HIStoryworld tour concert of 1996.
But for me, being exposed to the life, artistry and humanitarian example of Michael Jackson is something to be celebrated every day. And I do!
–Kerry Hennigan, Australia
*******
Hi, my name is Lucas. I’m 20 years old and I’m from the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. I’ve always loved MJ and his message of love, acceptance and most importantly, unity. I found out that MJ came to Argentina during the Dangerous World Tour. I wish I was there to see him! But I wasn’t even born yet! The first time I listened to Dangerous like almost 10 years ago, more specifically, ‘Gone Too Soon’, I remembered the loss of my great-grandfather. How he used to make me smile. I felt that somehow MJ had the exact words I wanted to express and he relieved much of my pain. Michael was a perfectionist and his vision created some of the greatest music in history. His short films from this era are some of my favourites, especially ‘Remember the Time’. Wow, I was mesmerized by the choreography! ‘Black or White’ and its morphing effect! That was so awesome! MJ, thank you so much for making me feel better and happy!
–Lucas,
Buenos Aires, Argentina
SOURCE: SONY / The Official Online Team of The Michael Jackson Estateâ„¢