The sonic Michael Jackson / Sonic 3 connection

[Fe 26]

Have we talked about this before?

[Frogacuda]

Weird coincidence, but I happen to know Melf has been working really hard and interviewing a lot of people to put this one to rest once and for all. He keeps adding to it, so you'd have to ask him when it'll be ready though.

Personally, I think the notion that any of the music in the game was composed by MJ is absolute bullshit, and I would highly doubt that anyone at Sega management had negotiated a formal deal. That said, it's possible there were some under the table talks, since MJ hung out at Sega a lot. I will say that I talked to Tom Kalinske about it, and he didn't even know what I was talking about (as in, I asked if MJ was affiliated with the project he didn't even realize I was referring to the music).

The "evidence" in these videos seems pretty weak if you've seen all the mashups on the internet where people find similar chord structures in all kinds of shit. Especially when you're dealing with someone as popular and influential as Michael Jackson.



What might be true is that MJ did some music for the game informally, but it was nixed without there even being a formal deal, and replaced. If that was the case, it would make sense that some of the "Woos" and "heys" and other sampled sounds might have carried over even if the music itself didn't. That's the wildest conspiracy theory I'll subscribe to.

[Fe 26]

Whats the story with MJ hanging out at Sega? Was it during the period that he recorded "Bad?" Cause a ton of the synth on that album sounds like a gen sound chip.

[Frogacuda]

No, Moonwalker era. I'd say between 1989 and 1993. Bad came out like 2 years before the Genesis existed. Following the Moonwalker game he would come by the Sega offices and talk to the developers and check out the games and such. He even invited some of the guys back to Neverland Ranch.

[Fe 26]

LITTLE DID THEY KNOW...BUM BUM BUM BUMMMMM!!!!!

[YellerDog]

Regardless, it's nice to drag out some obscure MJ tunes.

[jyoung]

Just going by the clips in those videos, "Stranger in Moscow" is the only one that sounds too close to the Sonic 3 track to not be coincidental.

I mean, that is literally the same song as the Sonic 3 track, just at a slower tempo.

The other ones have enough differences that I think any comparison to those MJ songs is just coincidence.

[YellerDog]

Stranger in Moscow is a good song that I had never heard before this "expose", so, net gain. Woo.

[Advocate]

side note: I really like Stranger in Moscow. Also HIStory is actually a good album.

edit: Yeller, you never heard that sing before?

[YellerDog]

side note: I really like Stranger in Moscow. Also HIStory is actually a good album.

edit: Yeller, you never heard that sing before?

I heard it like a couple years ago when people first made this Sonic connection. Is good! MJ was basically toxic for a number of years there, it sort of slipped between the cracks. I think the only thing I remember from that period was "Scream".

It's a nice song!

And yeah, I see the typo, let's not get excited.