The Kingvention team went to New York to meet Dan Beck and he has a little message for the fans:
Dan Beck is the former SVP Marketing & Sales Manager at EPIC/SONY who worked directly with Michael Jackson from the 70s (he can briefly be seen in Spike Lee’s Off the Wall documentary) but most prominently during the DANGEROUS and History eras.
As product manager for the Dangerous Short Films, Beck was tasked with the 18 month challenge of bringing the project to live, working to meet Michael’s vision. Following its completion, Beck was instrumental in the creation of the History album Project from commissioning a range of concept arts to naming the final release.
Leaving Sony in 1996, Beck joined Richard Branson to launch V2 Records in North America.
Today Beck works as the sole Trustee at the Music Performance Trust Fund, which provides grants for the sponsoring or co-sponsoring of free live music events.
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1) I wonder if him leaving in 1996 had anything to do with the “HIStory” project not having more promotion per se (especially in North America) after the first six months in late 1995?
2) What about why “Ghosts” was never released in the U.S. of A.?
3) My understanding as to why Michael never toured North America in the 1990’s was because he was selling well enough that he did not have to and always had the intention of doing so again at some point with some other project and or projects down the line…is this all true?
4) Why was “HIStory World Tour Live At Olympic Stadium 1996 Soul South Korea” only released in that territory (South Korea)?
5) Who owns the film and audio recordings to “Michael Jackson And Friends” in particular the 1999 two part concert series?
6) Why did the title track to “HIStory” not ever get released as a single in its original 1995 version and have its own “short promotional film”? (Why does the title track to “Dangerous” suck so bad when the rest of the studio l.p. is a master piece? Can they replace that at some point with a performance version of which were always better and really good themselves though?)
7) Why was Michael never able to get his career going again after 2002?
8) Why did “Video Greatest Hits: HIStory” not have any new content on it? Was it intentional to save everything for “HIStory: On Film – Volume II”?
9) Why was the title to the first “music home video” changed from “HIStory – On Film” (as was and is mentioned in the credits with “HIStory: Past, Present, And Future – BOOK I”) to “Video Greatest Hits – HIStory”? Was it with the intention of having a “music home video” as a companion piece to the 2001 release of “HIStory Begins” single disc of (and or from) “HIStory: Past, Present, And Future – BOOK I”?
10) Was it always intended for “HIStory Begins” to be released separately at the time that it was (in 2001) and under the title “Greatest Hits: HIStory – Volume I”? (What about “HIStory Continues”? I am glad that it was not (both individual releases)…at least for as long as it wasn’t as I guess there have been some exceptions where it has been released individually in some territories in recent years I think ironically to promote the “King Of Pop” series.)
11) I was told by someone in a record store in 1995 shortly after BOOK I of “HIStory” coming out that it was called a “book” because there was an intention of releasing it as such (literally in and as a book) that would have had a leather cover (and packaging) and (I think) it would have been the same size as the format of the c.d. package. I was also told that that was to be released later in the year in 1995. Was that ever in the plans? With those questions I think it is important to point out that it was a good idea whatever the intention (by giving the title “BOOK” to it) was if for no other reason to make it both unique and descriptive of what the project’s intention was artistically.
12) Was it always intended to have future hits comprise the make-up of future released Books (future “HIStory”s)? I think that is how they should be done (at least have them be “best ofs” of recordings that get released after “BOOK I” (i.e.: recordings after 1997). I also think the next two or three should cover (hits or best ofs) more than four studio l.p.s. With THAT said I think it (BOOK I) was done correctly in terms of the material it covered. VERY epic and properly executed! Phenomenal!
13) I understand that “Blood On The Dance Floor – HIStory In The Mix” was not the remix l.p. that Michael wanted released. Is there another one that he had done at the time? With THAT said that also was brilliantly executed as well in terms of the cover, artwork, packaging, and concepts. The only thing was that the eight remixes were and are horrible and unlistenable. I hope another version can be done one day that realizes Michael’s vision instead. With THAT all said the five tracks that were new songs were very good and ESPECIALLY the song “Is It Scary” being one of his best ever (and by far the best song on the whole package.). I think it was also a great title (and again good that it had the title track) fitting for both that project both in terms of its content and relation to the HIStory project and indication that it was part of that project.
14) My list of things to do in life DO involve relistening to the remixes officially done for Michael on some level from the 1980’s and 1990’s. It seems as if they are all atrocious and unlistenable being of the same idea and concept of stripping all of the music but the vocals and simply adding the seizure inducing disco drumming from beginning to end on ALL of them. Why was he never given better treatment concerning those remixes? Maybe the answer is in the pudding? It all sold well enough to not have to be concerned with them? Just the same those aspects from what I have heard make the maxi singles sad and dare I say irrelevant releases on some level per se so it seems to me at this moment in time.
With alllll of that asked and said I think there were absolutely brilliant ideas and concepts concerning the projects both artistically and commercially. The title and concept to “HIStory: Past, Present, And Future – BOOK I” was genius in both concept, production, and creativity to the point and or points of being both pioneering and setting the bars so high no one else have been able to compete with on the same levels ever since then. Especially concerning it being not just a full compilation of greatest hits but also with it having just as many new songs featured on it. As well as the fact that there was tour for it. Including the idea and concept of having a title track with is one of his best songs and recordings ever.
Sorry for my rambling statements and questions! I hope that they make sense…and I guess I have to admit English is my first and only language! Have a great day!
Hi Alex! That is fine! Some of your questions have been already answered last year at Kingvention with Jonathan Morrish. Most of your question will be answered by Dan Beck live at Kingvention this year.
Maybe I am being too hard on my judgement concerning remixes on maxi-singles. It just seems at this point that was all I have heard. I will need to try them again at some point…other wise, wow! Thanks for responding to my ridiculous post! I have mentioned it before…I guess you all got the post or e-mail…that I think this is one of if not the greatest ran Michael Jackson sites of all time! And I remember the huge amount of them from the late 1990’s…which were always better than what Sony concocted in 1997 with their unfinished “Blood On The Dance Floor” theme.