Why did Michael Jackson cease work on the Sonic 3 soundtrack?

[sylvie]

Some say Sega scrubbed his name from the project due to the still much-divided controversy of his child molestation charges at the time.

Others say Michael was simply dissatisfied with the Genesis' sound compression of his work.

What do you guys think?

 

[c0nn0r]

I don't believe that Michael was disappointed with how his music was translated to Genesis. He consistently used FM synth in his compositions, so I'm certain he was familiar with it's sound and limitations. Dude had his own arcade with lots of FM synth games - and if you look into his style of making music he was a huge nerd with all his synths, and whatnot. No way he was surprised with how his tracks turned out on MD.

 

[Neo Alec]

Some say Sega scrubbed his name from the project due to the still much-divided controversy of his child molestation charges at the time.

Others say Michael was simply dissatisfied with the Genesis' sound compression of his work.

What do you guys think?

I think it's obviously the first thing, with possibly some of the second in the mix.

There are so many Sonic hacks out there, but still no hack that simply restores the original pre-MJ music (the music discovered in a proto in 2019) into the finished game. I can't be the only one wanting this.

 

[SouthtownKid]

Jackson felt he was misled by Sega when he realized more kids liked SNES.

 

[sylvie]

I think it's obviously the first thing, with possibly some of the second in the mix.

There are so many Sonic hacks out there, but still no hack that simply restores the original pre-MJ music (the music discovered in a proto in 2019) into the finished game. I can't be the only one wanting this.

There's one I found called Pana the Hedgehog that uses a really nice compressed version of a song (or two) that I like

 

[fake]

I don't believe that Michael was disappointed with how his music was translated to Genesis. He consistently used FM synth in his compositions, so I'm certain he was familiar with it's sound and limitations. Dude had his own arcade with lots of FM synth games - and if you look into his style of making music he was a huge nerd with all his synths, and whatnot. No way he was surprised with how his tracks turned out on MD.

The Mega Drive and DX-7, etc. are in different leagues, even if Mega Drive patches work on a DX-100. I don't think you could say he would have known what to expect based on having professional FM synthesizers. The difference is very noticeable. Here's the Green Hill Zone MIDI played through Dexed, which is a pretty accurate VST. There's a comparison with original audio at the end.

 

[kingcuckmelon1]

His style is all over Sonic 3. He is definitely responsible for much of the soundtrack on that game. I'd imagine it is a case of Sega wanting to distance themselves from him given the slippery slope he was going down. In the first video below, someone has the Sonic 3 tracks in a different format (don't know where they got them) and he is credited on the tracks meta data (meaning Sega scrubbed his name from most places but forgot the meta data) One of the producers he was known to work with is also credited on the tracks.

Little known fact, but that Janet Jackson song "Together Again" uses the EXACT same melody as a song from one of the Master System Sonic games (second video). These artists/producers are known to have a 'pool' of songs to work from so it is pretty clear the Jacksons and their contacts were involved with the Sonic games. Its not really that surprising when you consider Moonwalker on the MegaDrive/Genesis.

I don't buy the whole "he wasn't happy with the sound output on the Genesis" myth that goes around. Anyone who lives and breathes music like Whacko Jacko would love the sound out of the Genesis (its awesome btw)

Meta data Sonic 3 OST:

Bridge zone from Sonic 1 on Master System:

compare it to Together Again Janet Jackson:

It isn't a case of the "kind of sound alike", they are EXACTLY the same

 

[fake]

Err, two measures are the same and then they're different. Which happens all the time.

The people working on the music for early Sonic games were obviously listening to a lot of New Jack Swing. Michael Jackson, and particularly Janet Jackson, were at the forefront of that sub-genre. There are obviously going to be a lot of Jackson-sounding songs, whether Michael Jackson had a hand in them or not. It's like saying "This KISS tribute band sounds a lot like KISS. Weird!"

 

[kingcuckmelon1]

Err, two measures are the same and then they're different. Which happens all the time.

The people working on the music for early Sonic games were obviously listening to a lot of New Jack Swing. Michael Jackson, and particularly Janet Jackson, were at the forefront of that sub-genre. There are obviously going to be a lot of Jackson-sounding songs, whether Michael Jackson had a hand in them or not. It's like saying "This KISS tribute band sounds a lot like KISS. Weird!"

Other than the fact that it has been CONFIRMED by Sega. I'm not linking rag newspapers but if you Google "Sonic 3 Jackson Rodger Hector" you'll find plenty of sources. Hector was an exec at Sega during the games development.

 

[Neo Alec]

His style is all over Sonic 3. He is definitely responsible for much of the soundtrack on that game. I'd imagine it is a case of Sega wanting to distance themselves from him given the slippery slope he was going down. In the first video below, someone has the Sonic 3 tracks in a different format (don't know where they got them) and he is credited on the tracks meta data (meaning Sega scrubbed his name from most places but forgot the meta data) One of the producers he was known to work with is also credited on the tracks.

Little known fact, but that Janet Jackson song "Together Again" uses the EXACT same melody as a song from one of the Master System Sonic games (second video). These artists/producers are known to have a 'pool' of songs to work from so it is pretty clear the Jacksons and their contacts were involved with the Sonic games. Its not really that surprising when you consider Moonwalker on the MegaDrive/Genesis.

I don't buy the whole "he wasn't happy with the sound output on the Genesis" myth that goes around. Anyone who lives and breathes music like Whacko Jacko would love the sound out of the Genesis (its awesome btw)

Meta data Sonic 3 OST:

Bridge zone from Sonic 1 on Master System:

compare it to Together Again Janet Jackson:

It isn't a case of the "kind of sound alike", they are EXACTLY the same

That Youtube video you posted with the "meta data" has been debunked. The artist info is being pulled from the net. It is not embedded in the files.

A lot of time has been spent collectively determining which tracks are MJ's, including artists at Sega Sound Team who have come forward as the composers for certain stages. And then when the proto was made public in 2019, wouldn't you know it? Exactly the tracks everyone always thought were MJ's, the ones that were changed in Sonic & Knuckles Collection on PC, are exactly the ones that are different.

Jackson's tracks are easily identified by their heavy use of samples, and lack of differentiation between the two zone versions.

 

[fake]

Other than the fact that it has been CONFIRMED by Sega. I'm not linking rag newspapers but if you Google "Sonic 3 Jackson Rodger Hector" you'll find plenty of sources. Hector was an exec at Sega during the games development.

You're not understanding what I'm saying. I'm saying that a lot of Sonic music SOUNDS like Michael Jackson and a handful of songs are BY Michael Jackson.

Unless you can prove otherwise, I don't think that Janet Jackson song has anything to do with the Master System song.

 

[Claudia Schiffer]

ooof that's a swing and a miss for the alpha male?

 

[theMot]

Jackson felt he was misled by Sega when he realized more kids liked SNES.

Not more kids, younger kids.

 

[FAT$TACKS]

He found out that only the furry community buys sonic games, and didn't want to be associated with that. I mean the man had standards and there are some lines you just don't cross.

 

[Dr Shroom]

He was too busy grooming a young hdr at neverland ranch.

 

[sylvie]

He was too busy grooming a young hdr at neverland ranch.

Not quite true. HDR was one of the kids that Michael brought around so that it looked less weird when he was with the kid he was actually fucking. It had devastating effects on his psyche

 

[norton9478]

Jackson felt he was misled by Sega when he realized more kids liked SNES.

Yep, Sega's target market was 16-24. And that is way too old for Michael.

 

[LoneSage]

Yep, Sega's target market was 16-24. And that is way too old for Michael.

His death allowed us to Enjoy his music again.

 

[Burning Fight!!]

His death allowed us to Enjoy his music again.

It's easier to enjoy it when he's not preying on kids anymore, agreed.
There's a joke in having Sonic 3 plug/dock into Knuckles as an expansion somewhere.

 

[kingcuckmelon1]

There's a joke in having Sonic 3 plug/dock into Knuckles as an expansion somewhere.

I have a good one... why did Sega ask Michael Jackson to work on a Sonic game? Because he liked to play with rings.