CADMAN-HALSTEAD MUSIC BOOKS

As Chris wrote in his blog, Michael’s sudden and tragic death was surreal –
and it’s taking a long time to sink in that the King of Pop really is no longer with us.

Prior to Michael’s memorial concert, I did have reservations about how it might be handled,
and how appropriate it would be – but, for once, I think whoever was responsible for organising
the event got the balance just about right: part memorial and part celebration, with heartfelt eulogies
from people who knew Michael well and some great performances. Having lost my father a few years ago,
I know how difficult it is, to stand up and say a few words – so I have nothing but admiration for Jermaine,
who took to the stage at the Staples Center to sing his late brother’s favourite song, Smile –
that took courage, but Jermaine’s performance couldn’t be faulted.

Like Chris with his Archives site, I have no plans to close my MJJcharts site – on the contrary,
I’ve been extremely busy, adding up-dates, as even after his death Michael continues to smash
chart records around the world. Last week, he became the first act to have America’s three best selling
albums in the same week, with Number Ones, The Essential and Thriller. And this week, astonishingly, four of
the Top 5 albums (and six of the Top 10) in the UK are Michael’s, with The Essential leading the way and Off The Wall
peaking at a new high of no.3 (it charted at no.5 when originally released).

And rest assured, Chris and I have every intention of carrying on writing and publishing books about Michael,
but we will do so in our own time. Predictably, within hours of Michael’s passing, publishers around the world
were besieged with proposals for books about Michael, and at least 15 publishers are now racing to get
their Michael Jackson book on the shelves ahead of the competition.
These up-and-coming books appear to fall into one of three categories:

One of the biggest names in publishing, Harper Collins, revealed ‘we needed text in two days,
pictures in three days. We started the project Monday afternoon, and by Thursday we had to give it to the designer
to put together, which is the tightest schedule in the history of our company.’

To meet such a tight deadline, a freelance writer was brought in, to write 10,000 words in 48 hours.
Quite how anyone can write Michael’s life story in 10,000 words, or in just two days, is beyond me.
In the cut-throat world of commercial publishing, it seems, being first is all important – and nothing else matters.

I like to think our books are different. Quite apart from the fact we’re both life-long Jackson fans,
For The Record took us three years to write and research, and we’ve been keeping it up-to-date for two years,
with a view to publishing an up-dated, expanded edition one day. Of course, for many years commercial
publishers haven’t been interested in any manuscript that’s pro-Michael, and I think it’s significant
that following Michael’s passing, amazon’s two best selling titles about Michael – Aphrodite Jones’s
Michael Jackson Conspiracy and our own For The Record – were both self-published.

It’s already been confirmed there will be a ‘new’ Michael Jackson album released before Christmas.
Great news for fans, but it will be a bittersweet moment as well, listening to new songs – wondering if
they sound as Michael would have wanted them to sound, wondering if the songs would have been released
at all, if Michael were still alive. Michael was nothing, if not a perfectionist, and I believe there’s probably
some truth in speculation that the pressure and stress of the rapidly approaching O2 concerts –
scheduled to kick-off tonight – contributed to Michael’s passing.

We may never know, with certainty, how or why Michael died but now he’s gone, I’m in agreement
with his mentor from the early days, Berry Gordy. Michael was so much more than the King of Pop.
Michael was, quite simply, the greatest entertainer who ever lived.

Thank you, Michael, for the music and the memories – may you finally rest in peace.

9th July 2009: Chris Cadman Blog

‘Surreal’ is the only way I can describe Thursday 25th June 2009.

Even now, I still think it’s a dream. It’s hard to believe we’re not going to see Michael live on TV any longer.

I have followed Michael’s career since I was nine years old at junior school.

I Want You Back was just starting to gather pace in the UK when I discovered him and his brothers, The Jackson 5.

Little did I realise that it would lead to me becoming a co-author of four books on his career,

which is primarily why I admired him, and will carry on doing so for the rest of my life.

We have been besieged with requests for interviews since that eventful day –

we had several enquires within half an hour of Michael’s passing being confirmed.

I found this hard to comprehend at the time, so soon after his death. Apart from a few quotes here and there,

Craig and I have refused all interviews. We are not prepared to comment on the final moments of Michael’s life,

enough people are doing that right now, and wrongly getting paid for it.

I don’t always agree with the comments the Rev. Al Sharpton makes, but one thing he made I totally agreed with, 
when he stated how Michael had been disappointed on how his so-called friends had shunned him these past few years. 
Now all of a sudden, they are all crawling out of the woodwork, and you could have bet safely on the familiar faces 
that would pop on TV during this sad moment in time.

I think Michael’s memorial concert went as well as it possibly could under the circumstances.  
Stevie Wonder touchingly said how he always told Michael he loved him, and that because of that he was at peace with himself. 
Jennifer Hudson, Lionel Richie, Usher and John Mayer sang and played beautifully, while young Shaheen Jafargholi eerily sang Who’s Loving You, 
which reminded us all of how Michael had done so himself, on the Ed Sullivan show in 1969. Just an awesome performance by Shaheen, 
which must have been an emotional moment for him.

I thought Brooke Shields, not always endeared by the fans, spoke fondly and respectfully on her fun friendship with Michael, 
during the manic period of Thrillermania. Her speech led into an emotional renditioning of Smile from brother Jermaine, 
who pulled it off with great professionalism, as his little brother lay peacefully just below him. 
It was a touching moment, seeing the brothers bringing in the coffin at the show’s beginning, with each of them wearing a white sequinned glove.

The saddest moment, for me, came at the end when Marlon took the microphone, followed by little Paris. 
I think everyone I’ve spoken too since this moment, even non- Jackson fans, said they couldn’t help but be touched by 
their genuine remorse and grief. People tend to forget that Michael and Marlon were close during the early days. 
Years later, Marlon was also a staunch protector of his brother, too. He had me in tears one moment and laughter the next. 
He reminisced on recognising Michael in one of his many disguises while out shopping.

‘I also remember a time Michael, when I went into the record store and there was this man purchasing a lot of CDs’ Marlon reminisced. 
‘He was an old gentleman, short afro, buck-crooked teeth and his clothes were rumpled. I walked up behind him and said 
“Michael, what are you doing in this store?” and he turned to me and said “Marlon, how did you know it was me?” 
I told him “You're my brother, regardless of your make up. I know your walk, I know your body language, and the shoes did not help”. 
Michael wore the same shoes wherever we went, but I guess that was his way of trying to experience what we take for granted.’

As the memorial concert was ready to close, little Paris nervously stepped forward, to tell everyone how much she loved her daddy. 
I think her words just simply brought it all home. We, the fans have lost a music legend, but she, Prince and ‘Blanket’ have lost a doting father.

I know right now it’s still hard for us all to comprehend Michael’s memorial concert was on the day his first date
was originally scheduled for the O2, although it was later re-arranged. There will be the results of the autopsy to come later,
but personally speaking it doesn’t matter. Michael’s gone now, and we have to move on and celebrate his life in the best way possible.
I think the markets going to be saturated with Michael Jackson material over the next twelve months –
already at least 12 books are commissioned for release in the coming weeks and months.

For me personally, my aim is to keep working on our books and to up-date my Michael Jackson Archives site regularly.
I’ve had several emails recently, asking me not to close the site down now Michael’s gone, as they felt it was somewhere
they could visit to remember him. I have never had any intention of doing this, now is the time it needs to be up and
running and it’s my way of helping to keep Michael’s legacy alive.

We have a lot to celebrate regarding his life. Michael has left years and years of footage not yet released.
He was forever filming his life on camera. Those unreleased tours may just see the light of day now,
and each one could be made into a unique documentary. This, as well as the unreleased material he has in his vault,
will serve as a unique gift to his children, and us, the fans.

Right now, we may be sad, but Michael will forever live on through his music and his videos.
It’s time to celebrate his life now, he wouldn’t want us all sitting around and moping. He’d want us to be happy,
and he’s left us legacy of stuff to help remember him by.
He will never be forgotten.

25th April 2009: Chris Cadman blog

Well, I read Craig's blog last month and couldn't disagree with what he said.
I wonder if there will ever be a time when big events such as this will be organised to our approval?
I guess not. There is always a flaw. However, perhaps a starting point this time could have
been the fan clubs with members who registered when Invincible was released, then carry
it further with reputable fan club websites like mjfc or mjwn, which are well organised.

This system has just opened the door for every Tom, Dick and Harry – just look at eBay.
But what angers me is tickets being sold via the fan club at viagogo,
that’s just hitting us all below the belt.

Luckily, I've now secured a ticket. A good friend promised they would try their best to get me one
and I'm happy to say they were as good as their word. It’s a expensive day for all of us –
the travel fare, accommodation for the night, memorabilia, etc. But this may well be the
last time many of us get to see Michael, and I just hope he can turn the clock back
and capture that magic and charisma, that made the 80s all his.

Let’s all remember, though, that Michael's 50 now, and he's going to have to schedule some good interludes
between numbers. But knowing Michael as the ultimate entertainer, I’m sure he'll keep us spellbound,
even if he's off stage. So, for all of you who have tickets, get ready for a night to remember –
and for those of you who still haven't, don't give up, because I still feel
tickets will become available as the shows get nearer.

For those of you who visit my website, the Michael Jackson Archives, look in for some new
stuff in the next week or so. I’ve had a break of three weeks to organise all my stuff, as it’s
been all over the place. We have some great, rare stuff coming through including
J5 articles, History reports and news from Australia, and an up to date O2 page,
in addition to countless articles.

To end with, it was great hear that Spandau Ballet are making a comeback.
I saw these guys on all their other different tours and always had a great night. It’s so good
they have now put their differences aside, to hit the road again. I'm hoping the Missus buys me a ticket,
as I desperately want to get my frilly shirt out. Now, To Cut A Long Story Short,
I may have lost my mind when I last wore this…

Peace.

21st March 2009: Craig Halstead Blog…

Are you one of the lucky ones? Did you get a ticket – or have you been left feeling disappointed and angry?
Like countless other fans around the world, I pre-registered to buy tickets for Michael’s O2 Arena concerts
(I wanted just two decent tickets, for my young son and I), but I received an email informing me that
I was on the waiting list for a code. So I waited, and waited, until the day before the tickets went on
general sale. Finally, my code arrived – but when I tried to use it, for every date I tried I got
the same result: ‘No Tickets Available’. Only later did I learn that I’d been
wasting my time, as all the pre-sale tickets had already sold out.

I tried my luck again, both with and without my registration code, on the Friday
tickets went on general sale – but I couldn’t get tickets for any of the dozen or more dates I tried.
Of course, the tickets for all 50 dates sold out within hours, and it soon became clear too many of them
had been snapped up by touts and opportunists, not by genuine Michael Jackson fans who wanted
to go to one of his concerts. Predictably, within a few days over a thousand listings offering tickets
appeared on the internet auction site eBay, the cheapest demanding several times the face value of the tickets,
and too many asking silly prices (£10,000+ for two £75 tickets, anyone? No, me neither!).
Tickets offered for sale on viagogo, via a link on Michael’s official web-site, don’t come much cheaper – so,
as I refuse to be ripped off, I’m without tickets and I guess that’s the way it’s going to stay
(and I’m not the only one – I know Chris has also failed to secure any tickets).

With hindsight, it’s easy to say the sale of tickets could have been handled better, to ensure
tickets went to genuine fans, and not to touts and other opportunists only interested in making a quick buck.
Pre-sale tickets could have been offered through a select number of Michael Jackson fan sites, for example, but …
thankfully, I did see Michael in concert during his Bad World Tour, and that’s an experience I’ll never forget.

Rant over, let’s move on. As I mentioned last time, we’re aiming to keep For The Record up-to-date,
with a view to publishing a 2^nd edition one day. It’s fair to say we haven’t really done much work on
the book recently, but we do recognise publishing an up-date to coincide with Michael’s O2 dates might be a smart move.
Whether we can achieve that or not is another question, and one we can’t really answer at the moment – however,
we have agreed to start working on the book again next week, and we’ll see how it progresses.
I’m also pleased to announce the publication of an Italian translation of The Early Years is a step closer.
Gabriele has informed us the translation itself is now complete, and that the layout of the book is being worked on,
so all being well the book should appear sometime this year.

Many congratulations, Michael, on achieving two (yes, two!) no.1 albums in the States this week:
The Essential is no.1 on Billboard's Pop Catalog albums chart, while Number Ones sits returns to the top
of the R&B/Hip Hop Catalog albums chart. I wonder, has any other artist topped both
Catalog album charts at the same time, but with different albums?

I’ve always enjoyed reading, and I feel it’s vitally important any writer (and especially any writer of fiction, as
I also am) should be an avid reader. Two British authors I discovered last year, and can highly recommend,
are James Twining and Scott Mariani – they’ve published just three novels each to date, but every one is
well researched and superbly written. Other authors I enjoy reading include James Rollins, Douglas Preston &
Lincoln Child (alone and as co-writers), Chris Kuzneski, Paul Sussman, Gregg Loomis, Dan Brown (has anyone not
readThe Da Vinci Code yet?), A.J. Hartley, Thomas Greanias and J.K. Rowling (I don't mind admitting
I loved the Harry Potter series, and I can’t wait to discover what she’ll dream up next!).

1st December 2008: Chris Cadman blog

Hi everyone, and thanks for reading my first ever blog.
My daughters have suggested a few times that I should write a few blogs for the website, so when Craig suggested
the idea too, I thought why not, it will give my friends something to laugh and rib me about. So here goes…

After completing For The Record early last year and dealing with a minor illness, I set up my own website,
first to celebrate the Thriller album, and then turned it into a complete Archives site on Michael’s whole career,
called the-michael-jackson-archives.com. I must say I found it very therapeutic.
It helped me focus on something away from my illness, and kept the mind ticking over Jackson-wise.

Being a follower of Michael Jackson’s music is very hard right now, especially after the stories from the past 15 years,
it seems to have put to one side all of his historical achievements the previous 20 or so years brought.
Jackson fans are generally perceived as either strange or nutcases, when most people – like myself and co-writer Craig –
are just fans of the music and history of the guy, rather than the other eccentric garbage that surrounds him.
I hope for those of you who do view the archives site, and the stats prove thousands of you have since June (which is heart warming),
will see how much Michael has accomplished over the past four decades – even through the bad times.

I can’t think of another artist with such a loyal fan base, who has had to put up with nothing new music wise since 2001,
countless negative stories and manipulation, and still come out in support when it's needed. This year alone the fans
have shown their loyal support yet again, by buying poor compilations in Thriller 25 and KOP. Such loyalty needs rewarding
with a new album and tour, sooner rather than later. I’m sure 2009 will bring that.

I would like to thank everyone who has made For The Record our best seller to date. Craig forgot (or was too modest) to mention,
that last year it was AuthorsOnline’s best selling book of the year, by a mile, so thanks for supporting us.

1st December 2008: Craig Halstead blog

This is my first ever blog, so it’s not easy to know where to start… if you enjoy our books, no doubt you will be
wondering what we’ve been up to since For The Record was published last year. The truthful answer, when it comes
to writing, is – not a lot! I’ve been kept busy expanding and keeping up-to-date the MJJ Charts site,
and Chris – well, I’ll let Chris tell you what he’s been up to recently in his own blog.

We are aiming to keep For The Record up-to-date, with a view to publishing a 2^nd edition one day.
Ideally, if and when we do sit down to concentrate on an up-date, we’d like to expand the book as well – but
you’ll have to wait and see exactly how we plan to do that. We have, briefly, up-dated another of
our books this year: The Early Years. That’s because an Italian translation is ongoing, after we were approached
by Gabriele Prandini, of the Italian fan club, MJ FanSquare. This is new territory for us – we don’t know
how long the translation will take, or when the Italian version will be published, but we’ll keep you informed.

We’re often asked how many copies of our books we’ve sold – not something we’re willing to divulge and make public.
Suffice to say, our books sell better than most print-on-demand titles, but nowhere as near as well
as conventionally published titles (as our empty pockets will testify!). We’re delighted our most ambitious project
For The Record has just become our best seller, having overtaken The Early Years. Our only
non-Jackson work, ABBA Gold Hits, is in third place, followed by The Solo Years and Jacksons Number Ones.

The past few months has seen the release of numerous editions of Michael’s KING OF POP compilation – most,
predictably, have featured the same old hits but there have been some welcome inclusions as well:
the French and Italian editions, for example, both feature the previously unreleased full length version
of Carousel. I’d like to congratulate Russia for daring to release a CD with a track listing that’s a bit different:

Fall Again ~ On The Line ~ We Are The World (Demo) ~ Break Of Dawn ~ Whatever Happens ~
Stranger In Moscow ~ We’ve Had Enough ~ Billie Jean ~ Black Or White ~ Earth Song ~
They Don’t Care About Us ~ Who Is It ~ Dirty Diana ~ Blood On The Dance Floor ~
Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ ~ Smooth Criminal ~ Man In The Mirror

As Christmas is fast approaching, I’ll end with a MJ wish-list (hope you’re reading this, Michael!):

13th July 2009: Craig Halstead Blog…

9th July 2009: Chris Cadman Blog

25th April 2009: Chris Cadman blog

21st March 2009: Craig Halstead Blog…

1st December 2008: Chris Cadman blog

1st December 2008: Craig Halstead blog

13^th July 2009: Craig Halstead Blog…