More details on instrumental album Michael Jackson started before his death, and his love of classical music
TV and film composer and conductor David Michael Frank may have been one of the last persons to collaborate with Michael Jackson on an artistic project. The pop singer’s untimely death left that project in an uncertain state. Initial reports suggested that Jackson planned to do an album of “classical music” he had written; the pieces were to be orchestrated by Frank. Actually, Frank says, the pieces were closer to film music and would have gone into an all-instrumental album had Jackson lived. The Baltimore-born Frank, interviewed by phone in California, gives an account here of his experience with the King of Pop:
Four or five months ago, I received a call from Michael Jackson’s longtime personal recording engineer, Michael Prince, who told me Michael was looking for someone to arrange some music for orchestra. I thought it was going to be for the tour he was going to do. For the next month or two, he would call, saying, ‘Michael Jackson says he’s going to call you.’
At the end of April, another Michael, Michael Jackson’s personal assistant, called me and asked me to come the next day at 10 a.m. and asked me the make and model of my car. I drove to the Holmby Hills home. I drove up to the front door, and was met by an assistant who told me to go inside. I was met there by a woman dressed like a housekeeper, but with a white turban on her head. She said, ‘Michael Jackson will be with you shortly.’ About two minutes later, he came down the stairs.
I was reluctant to shake his hand because I had heard that he was concerned about germs, but he immediately stuck his hand out and gave me a very firm handshake. He was very skinny, but not the least bit frail. He was wearing a suit and a hat. He was going to rehearsal later for the tour. He said, ‘You look familiar.’ I told him a long time ago I worked on a TV tribute to Sammy Davis, Jr. at Shrine Auditorium [that he had participated in]. I told him I had met him briefly there.’ He said, ‘I never forget a face.’
He told me, ‘I have three projects going on simultaneously.’ One was the tour that the whole world knew about. The other two I believe no one knew about. One was to be an album of pop songs. Then he said, ‘The other one is that I want to record an album of classical music’ — what he called classical music.
He said he listened to ...
classical music all the time; it was his absolute favorite. I was impressed with the pieces he mentioned: Aaron Copland’s Rodeo, Fanfare for the Common Man and Lincoln Portrait; Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story. I mentioned Bernstein's On the Waterfront. Then Michael mentioned that he loved Elmer Bernstein's film music, too, and he specifically mentioned To Kill a Mockingbird.
I realized that almost all the classical pieces he mentioned are childlike, very simple and pretty, like Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. He also mentioned Debussy several times, specifically Arabesque [No. 1] and Clair de lune. He was very soft-spoken when were talking about music, but when he got animated about something, he was very changed. When he mentioned how he loved Elmer Bernstein, and I said I liked the Magnificent Seven score, Michael started singing the theme very loudly, almost screaming it.
He said, ‘I’m making a CD.’ Then his son, Prince Michael, came in, and Michael asked him to find a CD player. Paris found one and brought it in with Prince. Michael played the CD. It was very pretty music. He said, ‘But a section is missing.’ He played a second piece. And he said, ‘But a section is missing, too. But I can hum it to you.’ I asked if there was a piano in the house, and he said there was one in the pool house. We headed out there, but Michael stopped when he saw the dog was outside, soaking wet from being in the pool. He didn't want us to get splattered. It was kind of funny. Michael got another assistant to hold the dog while we went to his pool house.
I sat at the piano and Michael hummed the missing part of one of the pieces. I had taken a little digital recorder with me and asked if I could record him. He was in perfect pitch. I tried to figure out chords to go with it as he hummed. He said, ‘Your instincts are totally right about the chords.’
We talked about classical music some more. I played some Debussy pieces. Michael seemed very happy and I think he felt very comfortable with me. He mentioned Leonard Bernstein again, and I played some of West Side Story. He told me he had met Bernstein once and that Bernstein had said he was a big fan of Michael’s.
Back in the house, whenever he’d go from room to room, you’d hear, ‘I love you, Daddy.’ ‘I love you, Paris.’ They all seemed pretty normal and happy.
Michael was very anxious to get the pieces orchestrated and record the music with a big orchestra. I suggested we record it at the Fox, Sony or Warner Brothers lot. I asked if he could have someone call me to discuss the budget and he said he would take care of it. When I left there were several fans outside the gate.
[Later] I talked to Michael on the phone. He asked me how the project was going and I said I was waiting to hear from someone so we could set the deal. I suggested we could record the music in London while he was doing the show there. He liked the idea. He again brought up Arabesque.
I laid the music all out on my computer and started on the orchestrations. Finally, a week before Michael died, his manager, Frank Dileo, called and asked me for an email with the budget and an electronic mock-up of the music, the costs of orchestration.
Now I have no idea what’s going to happen with this. I’m hoping the family will do something to get this done. I will not bring it up [with them] until after what I think is an appropriate time.
My guess is that each piece would be seven to ten minutes long. [Each one] is more substantial than a song. It’s very pretty music. One piece had an Irish quality about it. I suggested that we could use a Celtic harp. The pieces sound like pretty film score music, with very traditional harmony, and definitely very strong melodies. One of them was a little John Barry-ish, like in Out of Africa -- that kind of John Barry score. I could hear [in my head] sweeping strings and French horns in unison.
I told Michael I was going to use one of Leonard Bernstein’s batons I had bought at auction when we did the recording. I knew he would have gotten a big kick out of that. I guess I still will use that baton if I ever get to conduct the music.
PHOTO OF DAVID MICHAEL FRANK COURTESY OF THE COMPOSER
In honor of Michael Jackson's interest in classical music, as reported by David Michael Frank, here's a performance of Debussy's 'Arabesque' that the late singer apparently held in high regard:
Comments
What a fascinating story about a truly fascinating personality. Thanks for your reporting!
Posted by: Diane | July 10, 2009 5:35 PM
I hope that this dream of Michael's does indeed come to fruition with Frank's assistance.
Posted by: Christine | July 10, 2009 6:50 PM
This music should of course be used if they make a film about Michael's life, and released as the film's score. I'd like to see all three of those projects see the light of day somehow, and I'm sure they will as long as those with greedy financial interests don't hold things up. I can't wait to hear this music.
Posted by: Kelley Ann Hornyak | July 10, 2009 7:02 PM
Thank you so much for sharing this with us. "I love you daddy", "I love you, Paris"... so sweet... and Michael, so full of projects and dreams... life is soooo unfair. I feel so bad about Michael´s dead. 15 days have already passed, and I still can´t believe it. I will always love Michael Jackson, such a good person and artist.
Thanks for sharing. TIM
Posted by: Raquel | July 10, 2009 8:04 PM
RIP Michael, we love you! I hope to hear this album soon, and I hope I'll be the high bidder on http://www.profilesinhistory.com/new/index.php?option=com_jackson
Posted by: MJ's biggest fan | July 10, 2009 9:11 PM
great story! Something positive, finally, after hearing all this gunk on the news. Loved the part about the "I love you" exchange.
Posted by: ekta kumar | July 10, 2009 10:01 PM
Beautiful music indeed!
Now that I think about it, I've never seen Micheal play any instruments
. Did he play any and if so, what instruments did he master?
I don't have the answer, but I'm sure others will. TS
Posted by: Shirley | July 10, 2009 10:01 PM
I would have loved to see him work with John Williams. And I wonder how close he worked with James Horner for Captain EO, or for the additional music on Moonwalker and Ghost !
Posted by: Jaina Sky | July 11, 2009 12:09 AM
Wow, speaking as a Jackson-fan through many years, it would be devastating if these pieces of Music went down the drain!
I most definitely think the right thing to do, is contact the family in a few months. They will be able to say what to do... Wow, a classical album! I mean, we always knew hé was making the pop album, and we knew he had done instrumental music before - but a full album? A complete surprise!
Please don't let this Music be forgotten. You are the keeper now, so be sure to fulfil your responsebility as so, by getting this Music out in public!
Thanks for the wonderful blog!
Thanks for commenting. It will be interesting to see what happens with this. TIM
Posted by: Bjørn Clausen | July 11, 2009 12:56 AM
This is wonderful...
Michael has always loved classical - he's such a musical genius. Michael Jackson had a whole orchestra in his head. I can't wait to hear his classical music.
In strict definition terms, it doesn't seem that he was thinking classical, but certainly a departure from his usual. I hope we get to hear it someday. TIM
Posted by: Cara | July 11, 2009 1:59 AM
Michael's creative genuis kept flowing right up until his death. What a remarkable person he was.
Posted by: Liz | July 11, 2009 2:43 AM
Finally a story and uplifting news about this man i can imagine he himself would be very happy with. This is what he was all about!! I can`t wait to hear more. Thank you.
Posted by: Caroline | July 11, 2009 6:17 AM
Thanks for one of the best pieces I have read since the great man's death.
Quite a coup!
Posted by: doris | July 11, 2009 6:55 AM
We will all be looking and hoping that this
develops! It sounds off the charts awesome!
Posted by: Christian | July 11, 2009 7:25 AM
Thank you so much for the article. Please do make sure that this project will come into fruition.I have always respected Michael's artistic genius. I assure I would buy this cd.
Posted by: esther | July 11, 2009 9:05 AM
Thanks for the wonderful insight of your experience with Mike. It was objective and clean I am really impressed. Please see to it that that music sees the light of the day. They were too many people who destroyed Mike but I hope the truth will come out one day and he will be honored for what he really did, his dedication for his work(music & dance) and pure love for everybody.
Posted by: Swe | July 11, 2009 10:34 AM
Oh man!! I hope to see this come into being. He was a fascinating man, one I will miss so much. Such a genius. Please, Tim, don't give up on this. Crossing fingers...I would love to hear his work.
I'll keep you posted on anything I learn about this project. TIM
Posted by: Grace | July 11, 2009 7:05 PM
My, now _that's_ a touching story! Just looking at the classical pieces mentioned, we have no doubt in this world that the man was a natural dancer! (I listened to "Nutcracker" -- and other magnificent Tchaikovsky showpieces -- quite a bit when younger; it's positively "magical" stuff, which sadly lost its appeal as I became more jaded -- I'm definitely _all_ "Pathétique" now). As for Debussy and Elmer Bernstein -- the man had darn good taste, no doubt.
(Boy, how ironic that I mention the "Pathétique" at this time, a piece which received its premiere a mere week before Tchaikovsky's death. And now I can't get "Rodeo" out of my head -- thanks!!! ;^)
No surprise, then, that he liked Leonard Bernstein's music, too. And, knowing Lenny, I'm 100% sure that he enjoyed MJ's work. ;^)
I wonder what MJ would have thought of the finales to Bruckner's 3rd and 7th symphonies, not to mention the scherzos... (And if he never had any exposure to Mahler, then that's almost criminal!)
Posted by: Doug Halfen | July 11, 2009 10:02 PM
Just another reason why the man was so brilliant. He crossed race, gender, and music genres.
Posted by: Bardot | July 11, 2009 10:08 PM
michael was a genius.rip mj
Posted by: marcia | July 11, 2009 10:35 PM
Michael was a true genius, the king of music, the world has lost the most talented artist and the most beautiful human being that has ever lived. Please, do not let his work be wasted, any of it...this world needs it.I miss you Michael desperately! :'(
Posted by: Kamila | July 12, 2009 8:43 AM
This is deeply moving, and very sweet. It goes to figure that for a musical genius like MJ, he owuld have a personal love of classical music. My personal two favorite types of music are pop and classical, so this article is good news. I do hope they try to release this, and it would make a very good sountrack to MJ's life movie, if there ever was one. I don't think he would've wanted that, but if they do one, they should use this CD.
Thanks for commenting. TIM
Posted by: Yuki | July 12, 2009 10:39 PM
Utterly fantastic story! Thanks for sharing. I HOPE MJs music gets recorded!
Posted by: Chris Donnelly | July 13, 2009 7:26 PM
Thanks so much for sharing this... Michael is well loved and idolized here in the Philippines and we hope his last projects would materialize the way he would have wanted...
Thanks for the comments. MJ's world-reach really is amazing. TIM
Posted by: LORITES ACUNIN | July 15, 2009 6:00 AM
This text is such a blessing! It confirms once again the fact that Mr.Michael Jackson was a great musician, besides being one of the most gifted dancers of all time. Reading what I have read above, I feel the wounds healing..I mean the wounds provoked by those who have no idea what art is but they afford to throw stones at all values....Thank you, Mr. Frank, thank you, Mr. Smith...THANK YOU, MR. JACKSON!
Posted by: gina serbanescu (from Romania) | July 16, 2009 8:27 AM
Thank you for the honest story. I am impressed by the part of telling "love you" to his kids. LOVE MICHAEL JACKSON AND HIS PURE SOUL!!!
Posted by: enita | July 16, 2009 5:57 PM
When I think of MJ, I can't help but think of Mozart. They were both incredible musical prodigies and geniuses for their time that took their genres to the next level. Both had financial troubles, although I'd say MJ did better on that score! RIP MJ
Posted by: Barb | July 22, 2009 6:22 PM
In regards to instruments Michael Jackson played: He is credited with both piano(keyboards) and guitar on his various albums, along with percussion. And he was very much a living musical instrument. Search Michael Jackson beatboxing on Youtube to see him displaying this talent.
Posted by: David | July 22, 2009 7:23 PM
Michael Jackson played the piano and drums by "ear".
I FEEL SO BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN ON EARTH THE SAME TIME AS MICHAEL JACKSON
Sometimes for just a little while God lets one of his Angels come to Earth to sing to us and teach us how to love one another. But then, of course, he calls them back to Heaven ever so much too soon.
One such Angel was Michael Jackson.
When I finally get to Heaven, I'm going to demand front row seats to all of his Heavenly Concerts.
I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER, MICHAEL JACKSON
THANKS FOR THE LOVE.
Posted by: Cherubim | July 23, 2009 10:42 AM
It was be tragic if the world doesn't get to hear this music. I always wondered why he didn't release a CD of classical music because he loved it so much. I guess he was planning on it. Please make this happen and get the music recorded and out to the public. It would no doubt be a sensation and it's what he would have wanted I think, even if it's not entirely complete. It's better than nothing. We could have at least seen the vision he had...get the focus back on the musician and not the ridiculous tabloid press he didn't deserve.
Posted by: Kyra | July 23, 2009 12:45 PM
Even though MJ is physically gone from us, we are blessed through technology and the internet to have him as an ever present part of our lives. We can also choose to read and listen to beautiful accounts such as this one, that allow the very best of MJ to permiate our memory and love for who he was. I hope MJ is singing with the angels.
Posted by: Pam Goodwin | July 29, 2009 1:57 PM
What a wonderful story ... it feels so geniune and is a comfort to hear of a happy home surrounding them and beautiful music playing there. I also hope this project will take wings so we can enjoy another dimension of Michael's artistry. I enjoy most types of music... but at heart, I adore classical/movie music the best.
Thanks for sharing this experience with us and please keep this project moving, when timing is appropriate of course.
Posted by: beth | July 30, 2009 11:18 PM
Ironicly I told my girlfriend. Before I read this if I had the chance to ask mj one question I would have asked him was he going to make a instrumental album.rip mj
Posted by: tim | September 1, 2009 4:00 PM
Michael did play piano, but not very well and percussion, but not often. I don't believe he could read music. He has said he heard the music, the entire composition, fully developed in his head and he would beatbox out loud to studio musicians to come up with what he heard in his head. He was not satisfied with many of his songs and felt they didn't sound exactly like what he wanted, but that was as close as they could come. Truly, a genius comparable to Mozart.
Posted by: Beverly | September 20, 2009 5:54 PM
Recently a rabbi told us Michael threw away his life, but after reading this article I just cannot believe it. He kept his passion for music. I really hope this project will be completed.
Posted by: peter55 | September 30, 2009 2:10 PM
This is so nice, and it again hurts a lot at te same time, because of July 25th...I hope we will ever be able to buy this CD.
Michael was a genious, but also a man to be loved for just being human.
Posted by: Greet | October 1, 2009 10:35 AM
I found an article that described how Michael met Leonard Bernstein, which is a very heartwarming story.
RIP Michael.
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=460323563&blogId=497224703
Posted by: peter55 | November 13, 2009 5:11 AM
Oh, thank you, thank you for such a wonderful article. Thanks for sharing your experience with Michael Joseph Jackson. He was such a beautiful spirit. He will be missed. Please keep us posted. I pray his family will take this project seriously. I along with many of Michaels fans would love to see his name under the title "classical music".
Blessings to you.
Posted by: FELIX | December 1, 2009 6:28 PM
This is a wonderful story. Please see what you can do to get this music recorded. His fans know that Michael wasn't done yet. We anxiously awaited his return. Unfortunately, it was not to be. But his music, an extension of his spirit still lives on. His fans would be very interested in classical pieces he wrote. Don't let the music die, and don't allow Michael's talent to be wasted. Blessings to you always.
Michelle
Posted by: Michelle | December 2, 2009 5:26 PM
Thanks for this. RIP MJ!
Posted by: Jan | December 10, 2009 3:21 PM
Thanks for sharing this. Only proves that Michael was a genuis in every way- always the innovative challenger; constantly re-creating, re-inventing himself. The master at work on perfecting his craft! I hope his unfinished work comes to fruition and we get to share in his final labour (projects) of love.
Posted by: Peeches | December 10, 2009 8:32 PM
Please, please don't let this project fall by the wayside. Michael was a genius. And I am so happy you were able to meet with him and get a glimpse of it. you two definitely connected.Thank you, Frank. I will be looking for it.
Posted by: Sandy | December 10, 2009 8:48 PM