Maps of Music

HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995)

Where the lyrics of HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I take you, and where it was really made.

In the US, HIStory was certified platinum on 500,000 shipped copies because its two discs were counted separately, even though it sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.

Key places

The Hit Factory, New York City (1995)

Recording site The Hit Factory — The Hit Factory in New York City is listed as a recording site for the album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Sony Music, New York City (1995)

Recording site Sony Music Studios — Sony Music in New York City is listed as a recording site for the album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Larrabee, Hollywood (1995)

Recording site Larrabee Sound Studios — Larrabee in Hollywood is listed as a recording site for the album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Westlake, Los Angeles (1995)

Recording site Westlake Recording Studios — Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles is listed as a recording site for the album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Hayvenhurst, Encino (1995)

Recording site Hayvenhurst — Hayvenhurst in Encino is listed as a recording site for the album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Flyte Tyme, Minneapolis (1995)

Recording site Flyte Tyme Records — Flyte Tyme is listed as a recording site for the album in Minneapolis, shown at city-center level. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Chicago Recording Company, Chicago (1995)

Recording site Chicago Recording Company — Chicago Recording Company in Chicago is listed as a recording site for the album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, double album by Michael Jackson
• Released June 20, 1995
• Fifth album on Epic Records and first on Jackson's own label, MJJ Productions
• Disc one is the greatest hits album HIStory Begins; disc two is the ninth studio album HIStory Continues
• Guests include Janet Jackson, Shaquille O'Neal, Slash and the Notorious B.I.G.
• Genres span pop, R&B and hip hop, with elements of hard rock and funk rock
• Lyrical themes include environmental awareness, isolation, greed and injustice

Background

• Jackson's relationship with the tabloid press was difficult from the late 1980s
• In 1993 the relationship collapsed after Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse; he was not charged
• Several songs on the album relate to the 1993 allegations and to the media coverage of them
• Jackson's sister Janet sings the duet Scream, and Scream and Childhood form the first single
• Music videos and the HIStory World Tour promoted the album

Recording

• HIStory Begins compiles songs from Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad and Dangerous
• HIStory Continues contains new material recorded from January 1994 to March 1995
• The cover of the Beatles' Come Together had been recorded as early as 1986
• Jackson co-wrote and co-produced most of the new songs
• Other writers include Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Dallas Austin, the Notorious B.I.G., Bruce Swedien, R. Kelly and Rene Moore
• Other producers include David Foster and Bill Bottrell

Cover

• Cover depicts a 10-foot sculpture of Jackson in a warrior-like pose, made in 1994 by Diana Walczak
• The cover resembles the painting Beautiful Victim by Gottfried Helnwein, which may have inspired Little Susie
• Jackson had bought some of Helnwein's paintings and admired his work

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Disc 1

Disc 2

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Born August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana; eighth of ten children in the Jackson family.
• Debuted at age six as lead singer of the Jackson 5; the group signed with Motown in 1968 and had early number-one hits such as "I Want You Back".
• Moved to Epic Records in 1975 as the Jacksons, and began a solo career with Off the Wall (1979).
• Thriller (1982) became the best-selling album of all time, with an estimated 70 million copies sold.
• Bad (1987) was the first album to produce five US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles.
• Known as the "King of Pop"; credited with transforming music videos and popularizing the moonwalk.
• Died June 25, 2009 from a propofol overdose; a posthumous catalog continued to sell strongly.

Philanthropy

• Founded the Heal the World Foundation in 1992.
• Estimated to have donated over $500 million to charities over his life.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Jon Pareles of The New York Times praised HIStory Continues as meticulous, sumptuous and musically ingenious
• James Hunter of Rolling Stone gave the album four out of five stars
• Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the album three out of five stars
• Overall, HIStory received generally favorable reviews by critics, though it was viewed as a regression from Jackson's previous releases

Reappraisal

• Erlewine called HIStory Continues easily the most personal album Jackson recorded
• Erlewine concluded HIStory Continues stands as his weakest album since the mid-1970s
• David Browne of Entertainment Weekly gave HIStory Begins an A- and the new material a C-

Records

• HIStory debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and in nineteen other countries
• Sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, one of the best-selling albums of all time
• Certified 8x platinum by the RIAA; platinum status after 500,000 shipped copies because the discs are counted separately
• In the UK it debuted at number one and sold 100,000 copies in two days
• In Europe three million copies were shipped before release
• Nominated for five Grammy Awards at the 1996 ceremony, including Jackson's third Album of the Year nomination; won Best Music Video, Short Form for Scream

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The first disc, HIStory Begins, compiles songs from Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad and Dangerous.
• Early CD pressings of the German, French and Dutch editions contain a hidden voice message from Jackson thanking fans.
• The Stranger in Moscow video influenced the 2004 International Cricket Council Champions Trophy advertising campaign.
• The original 10-foot statue from the cover was installed at the Mandalay Bay casino in Las Vegas in 2016.
• Later reissues replaced the words Jew me and Kike me on They Don't Care About Us with loud electronic noises.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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