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<v Speaker 1>What's up, music heads, We are back. You are listening

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<v Speaker 1>to Crash Course Pod. It's been a long hiatus, about

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<v Speaker 1>nine weeks, but Crash Course Pod is officially back on

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<v Speaker 1>the mic.

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<v Speaker 2>I am your.

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<v Speaker 1>Host Ashtone and I really needed a break to recharge,

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<v Speaker 1>but I just couldn't stay away any longer, especially not

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<v Speaker 1>this week. So let's get into our topic for the day.

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<v Speaker 1>Two days ago or a few days ago actually now.

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<v Speaker 1>One of the most anticipated music biopics of the decade,

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<v Speaker 1>Michael hit the theaters, and if you've seen it, you.

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<v Speaker 2>Know why we're here today. I have not yet.

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<v Speaker 1>Anyways, we're just talking about a pop star. We are

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<v Speaker 1>talking about the architect of the modern music industry.

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<v Speaker 2>Today.

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<v Speaker 1>We're breaking down the genius of Michael Jackson. All right,

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<v Speaker 1>you guys, So.

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<v Speaker 2>Let's get into it.

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<v Speaker 1>You can't talk about the genius of Michael Jackson without

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<v Speaker 1>talking about the Sponge. With Sponge, I'll tell you. In

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<v Speaker 1>nineteen sixty eight and nine year old Michael auditioned for

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<v Speaker 1>Motown by mimicking James Brown's every move. Nine year old

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<v Speaker 1>Michael performed James Brown I got the feeling for Motown executives.

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<v Speaker 1>Gordie later said that Michael was a sponge in the

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<v Speaker 1>way that he didn't just sing. He studied the way

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<v Speaker 1>the adults worked, controlled the room. And it just that

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<v Speaker 1>Barry Gordy didn't just see a kid, he saw a

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<v Speaker 1>professional in Michael Jackson. So then we have the Motown machine.

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<v Speaker 1>The Jackson Five were the ultimate product. They were the

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<v Speaker 1>first act ever to have their first four singles go

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<v Speaker 1>number one. By nineteen seventy those four singles that went

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<v Speaker 1>number one was I Want You Back, ABC, The Love

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<v Speaker 1>You Save, and I'll Be There. They all went number

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<v Speaker 1>one on the Billboard Hot one hundred.

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<v Speaker 2>So the first major crash.

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<v Speaker 1>Course lesson, in my opinion, is always knowing when to leave.

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<v Speaker 1>And in nineteen seventy five, the group left Motown for

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<v Speaker 1>Epic Records because Motown wasn't letting them write their own music.

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<v Speaker 1>With that leave, they rebranded as the Jacksons, and Michael

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<v Speaker 1>began transitioning as a solo dominance with Off the Wall

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<v Speaker 1>in nineteen seventy nine and also by teaming up with

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<v Speaker 1>Quincy Jones. So let's get into the musicality of this man.

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<v Speaker 1>Michael Jackson was a vocal percussion. He didn't just sing lyrics.

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<v Speaker 1>He dictated every baseline, every synth layer into a tape recorder.

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<v Speaker 1>Michael Jackson would often beatbox or vocalize every single layer

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<v Speaker 1>of a track, the rhythmic pocket and even the string counterpoints,

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<v Speaker 1>and his engineers would listen to that on the tape

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<v Speaker 1>recording and produce the magic. He was essentially a human

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<v Speaker 1>daw digital audio workstation. His hiccups and gasp I'm not

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<v Speaker 1>gonna gasp, but his gasps weren't just ticks. They were

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<v Speaker 1>percussive instruments. They were there to fill the empty spaces

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<v Speaker 1>and the melody, keeping the listener's ear engaged even during

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<v Speaker 1>the transitions.

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<v Speaker 2>So let's start off.

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<v Speaker 1>With my very first song, human Nature. That's like one

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<v Speaker 1>of my very favorite songs so written by Steve Piccario

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<v Speaker 1>of the band Toto.

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<v Speaker 2>That's the origin.

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<v Speaker 1>Anyways, if you listen to the subtractive arrangement, it's ethereal.

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<v Speaker 1>Michael Jackson uses a reathless, whispered delivery that creates a

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<v Speaker 1>sense of intimacy, you know what I mean?

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<v Speaker 2>The why why?

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<v Speaker 1>The that part is like a call and response with

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<v Speaker 1>the sense that sticks to your brain forever.

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<v Speaker 2>Why why that way?

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<v Speaker 1>I love that song. It's so angelic and beautiful and melodic.

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<v Speaker 2>I love it.

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<v Speaker 1>So then we have the song black or White, which

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<v Speaker 1>you guys should be writing these down. So if you

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<v Speaker 1>have never listened to a Michael Jackson song, because who knows,

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<v Speaker 1>I would say start off with the band you know,

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<v Speaker 1>listen to I Want You Back, ABC's.

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<v Speaker 2>I'll Be There.

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<v Speaker 1>Those are like the top three from them as a

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<v Speaker 1>group that I really really like and everyone else does too.

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<v Speaker 1>And then if you want to start getting into his

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<v Speaker 1>solo career than its human Nature and then Black or White,

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<v Speaker 1>Black or White, So so far you should have those

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<v Speaker 1>songs written down to check out later. Anyways, everyone thinks

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<v Speaker 1>that Slash played that main riff on Black or White

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<v Speaker 1>because he's in the video, but the actual riff, according

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<v Speaker 1>to my sources, was written and played by producer Bill Botreaux.

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<v Speaker 1>Just a little, just a little fun fact on the

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<v Speaker 1>crash cars. Anyways, this was a genre bending label at

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<v Speaker 1>its finest, hard rock, pop and rap bridge. Michael Jackson

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<v Speaker 1>used one note harmonies in the verses to build pressure

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<v Speaker 1>before the chorus exploded. My favorite part of Black and

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<v Speaker 1>White is that guitar.

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<v Speaker 2>Turn dun.

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<v Speaker 1>Dun.

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<v Speaker 2>I took my baby fond.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know the words, guys, but anyways, I love

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<v Speaker 1>that song because baby or my baby don't matter if

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<v Speaker 1>you like go why I love that song.

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<v Speaker 2>Can we get an apploud for me? Alright? So the

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<v Speaker 2>last song I really love. I feel like this last song.

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<v Speaker 1>First off, write it down, but then I feel like

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<v Speaker 1>this last song should be like the new national anthem.

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<v Speaker 1>Like this song, every American or wherever you're from, you

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<v Speaker 1>should wake up and sing the song every single morning.

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<v Speaker 1>It should be national bells that go off and every

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<v Speaker 1>human being seen to this song every every morning. And

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<v Speaker 1>that song I'm talking about is Man in the Mirror.

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<v Speaker 1>That's like my top three Michael Jackson song.

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<v Speaker 2>The Build. It starts with just the.

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<v Speaker 1>Just dry vocals, no reverb, and it's raw, and then

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<v Speaker 1>at like the two minute mark, like the two minute

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<v Speaker 1>fifty second fifty three second mark, we get the legendary

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<v Speaker 1>key change.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't really know, but like this specific maybe G major,

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know, but that's.

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<v Speaker 1>When the key changes. And this is the holy grail

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<v Speaker 1>of pop modulation. It's exactly when the gospel choir enters

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<v Speaker 1>signifying the change in the lyrics. Not to mention the

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<v Speaker 1>lyrics are are just so reflective and inspirational. I love

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<v Speaker 1>a song. I was gonna mimic it just now, but

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<v Speaker 1>I forgot the open.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm starting with me looking at the man in the

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<v Speaker 2>mirror and change his ways. That's all I remember. And

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<v Speaker 2>then like as the song progresses, he gets more like

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<v Speaker 2>into the song and it's just like I'm starting with

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<v Speaker 2>the man in the mirror. Whoa, you know. I don't

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<v Speaker 2>have these written down. But another song.

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<v Speaker 1>That I really really like of Michael Jackson is You

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<v Speaker 1>Rock My Round and Nana.

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<v Speaker 2>As You Rock My World.

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<v Speaker 1>I really liked that song and it's a fun listen.

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<v Speaker 1>I really I think when I was a kid, I

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<v Speaker 1>saw the premiere of that music video up the year

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<v Speaker 1>it came out.

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<v Speaker 2>In two thousand and one, so I was like ten

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<v Speaker 2>when the song came out. But I really like I

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<v Speaker 2>like the music video because it tells a story, and.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it gives me a little bit of like a

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<v Speaker 1>modern take on Billy Jean, like the vibe of Billy Jean.

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<v Speaker 1>You Rock My World is is epic.

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<v Speaker 2>You Rock my Wound. And my favorite part of that

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<v Speaker 2>song is when he goes and girl, I know that

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<v Speaker 2>this is love.

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<v Speaker 1>I felt the Magic song Indy I forgot the I

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<v Speaker 1>forgot the melody, I forgot the whole the melody, but

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<v Speaker 1>I love it and then.

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<v Speaker 2>The oh oh oh.

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<v Speaker 1>All of those little takes in the song, as you

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<v Speaker 1>could say, I love it. And then there's another song.

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<v Speaker 1>I call it the Free Willy Song, but the actual

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<v Speaker 1>song is called It's actually will you Be There?

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<v Speaker 2>Dude. I loved that movie Free Willy as a kid.

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<v Speaker 2>That song came out in ninety one, and so.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, this song will play like at the end of

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<v Speaker 1>the movie Free Willy, and I would just do my

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<v Speaker 1>little performance.

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<v Speaker 2>I love that song. Hold Me you and my friend

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<v Speaker 2>carry Me like you're my brother, like you my mother?

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<v Speaker 2>Will you be They? And then at the endages builds

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<v Speaker 2>up hold Me, hold Me. So yeah, those are like

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<v Speaker 2>my couple of you. He has some modern music and

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<v Speaker 2>they're good. Actually I do like it. It's just these are

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<v Speaker 2>my favorites. These are my favorites.

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<v Speaker 1>So hopefully you guys wrote those down, and yeah, check

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<v Speaker 1>them out for yourself and listen to them. Just to

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<v Speaker 1>throw in a final one. People also like Smooth Criminal.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>I was gonna go into detail about his newer album,

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<v Speaker 1>and we'll probably do that on another episode, but let's

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<v Speaker 1>move on for now and talk about his.

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<v Speaker 2>Let's see what.

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<v Speaker 1>Do we want to go into now We're about to

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<v Speaker 1>end the episode, so let's talk about how Michael didn't

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<v Speaker 1>just want to be good. He wanted to set the

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<v Speaker 1>standard that Virgo perfectionism in him, and so he spent

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<v Speaker 1>his later years calling the next generation to preach the

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<v Speaker 1>gospel of branding. He was great at branding, and I

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<v Speaker 1>think that's what separates a superstar from a global.

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<v Speaker 2>God.

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<v Speaker 1>And I use the word god as the step higher

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<v Speaker 1>than superstar. Anyways, he told the group Brownstone to treat

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<v Speaker 1>their name like Coca Cola, like a Coca Cola brand,

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<v Speaker 1>not just a hit. And during the Invincible Sessions, Michael

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<v Speaker 1>Jackson mentored Brandy on harmonic stacking, and so if you

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<v Speaker 1>listen to her album Full Moon, you're hearing the Michael

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<v Speaker 1>Jackson method of vocal percussion.

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<v Speaker 2>And then we have Usher.

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<v Speaker 1>And Justin Timberlake, who they both cite him as their

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<v Speaker 1>stage professor. He taught them that being a master requires

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<v Speaker 1>a sacrifice. Most people aren't willing to make. Tune into

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<v Speaker 1>the next episode because this was just part one of

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<v Speaker 1>Michael Jackson. We are just getting started. So if you

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<v Speaker 1>want to hear more about him, tune into our second episode.

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<v Speaker 1>That is where all of the Part two information comes.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks for tuning in, guys, I had a great time.

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<v Speaker 1>Links and everything are below Bite