14 DAY TRIAL // At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Sony premiered the first trailer for the docu-film “Michael Jackson’s This Is It,” compiled out of the over 100 hours of footage shot during rehearsals for what was supposed to be the singer’s grand comeback to the stage at London’s O2 Arena. A new, 45-second clip has also surfaced the other day, showing that Michael had also included “Human Nature” in the tracklist for the concert that never happened, as MTV can confirm.
While some media outlets point out that the video shows that Michael was no longer in good shape to put on a show like he used to in his glory days, fans draw attention to the fact that, if anything, his voice was still intact. Indeed, the singer was very thin and perhaps not as energetic as he was years ago, but the newly released footage proves, beyond any doubt, that he was gearing up and getting very involved in a show that would have made history, just like he had promised when he announced the first ten dates in London earlier this year.
“A new clip has now surfaced that reveals another song Jackson planned to perform in London: ‘Human Nature,’ a top-10 Billboard hit from his 28-time platinum album ‘Thriller.’ In the clip, Jackson stands on a barren stage as he works on the dance routine for the song. As he begins to sing the second verse, he interrupts the lyric and shoots his hand up into the air. ‘Get me out – bam!’ he says. ‘Something right there.’ With a hands-free mic strapped to his head and wearing a tuxedo with sparkling white lapels, Jackson sings somewhat a cappella as a keyboard and bass occasionally play notes in the background.” MTV says of the new clip made available by Sony.
The footage also comes to infirm reports surfaced last week that had it the King of Pop was in such a bad shape days before his sudden death in June that he had post-it notes all over his room to remind him of basic things related to the This Is It show. As we also informed you, News of the World claimed to have first-hand knowledge of several reminders Michael wrote days before dying, some of them being “wishes for the world,” while others were meant to help him focus as he was finding himself unable to cope with the stress of the upcoming 50 shows. One of them even read, “Do ‘We Are The World’ in show,” the tabloid said.
“The News of the World has uncovered a series of ‘wishes for the world’ which were left on the mirror in the tragic star’s cluttered bathroom. On post-its notes and sheets of paper, they were scribbled as the doomed 50-year-old star tried to focus his mind on the daunting London tour dates ahead through a drug-induced haze. In one the dazed singer even had to remind himself to include one of his biggest hits in the concerts. Friends believe he was using the messages to gee himself up for rehearsals in the week of his death.” News of the World claims.
See below for the newly released footage from “Michael Jackson’s This Is It.”