vibe magazine interview
· vibe reporter, michael jackson
· Date: 01 March 2002
來源：mjjcn.com 整理：ROSEMARY
她提及她曾在戴安娜•羅斯的特別節目中遇到邁克爾的事，那時她33歲。她一直是《Soul》雜志的撰稿人並且始終以客座作家的身份和這個雜志保持聯系直到這個雜志停刊。邁克爾的“世外桃源”占地2700英畝。瓊斯說她曾受到邁克爾極其友善的七十多個作人員中一些人的致意。他們幫助“流行樂之王”管理著復雜的事務並且接待每年一批批的參觀者，他們當中大多是身懷絕癥的孩子。邁克爾穿著黑色休閑褲，白襪子，黑色拖鞋和一件質地柔軟地黃色襯衫和瓊斯熱情地打招呼並擁抱了她。
他禮貌地致以歉意，因為他要和他的五歲的兒子——王子和3歲的女兒說會兒話。他們剛剛散步回來正在興奮的談論他們的一天。在邁克爾去陪他的孩子的時候，瓊斯趁天還沒全黑，大略參觀了一下“世外桃源”。她發現了娛樂園，遊戲場，火車站，拱廊，動物園，游泳池，“Jacuzzi”沖浪浴，碰碰車蓬，還有特別的區域裏面有動物可以自由地漫步。這些動物有：印度豹，一匹小馬駒，一隻鸚鵡，幾只鹿和一匹駱駝（那只猴子去哪兒了？）過了四十五分鐘，邁克爾準備好接受采訪了。
瓊斯把她在《SOUL》雜志的舊照片給邁克爾看，他邊看邊笑。他問瓊斯是否還記得以前的采訪。（那時，他不肯直接和她對話。他讓她和珍妮特說然後珍妮特再把話傳給他，然後邁克爾再告訴珍妮特怎麼對瓊斯說－－這是因為他那時拒絕和任何記者談話。）他這樣解釋道，“我當時感到害怕，我覺得如果我妹妹在這的話，記者會對我寬容點。”邁克爾總是活潑靈動的，往往不到一秒的時間內他便由輕語轉為尖細的笑聲。
他唯一拒絕提及的事是他的整容手術。他說，“這是個愚蠢的問題，這也是我多年沒有接受采訪的原因之一。”瓊斯接著又問到他的經濟狀況，他將這個話題一筆帶過：“我將它處理的很好。”那當然了，他擁有Sony/ATV出版業的一半產業。每當有人表演ATV版權裏的歌曲他都能得到一半演出費。年屆43，邁克爾攜《Invincible》殺回歌壇並且一度成為Billboard前200名排行的榜首。他在麥迪遜花園廣場的表演也是CBS有史以來收視率最高的音樂特別節目。瓊斯補充道，無論邁克爾的生活中有何變故－－他始終保持 著一顆關愛，好奇和敏感的心。
在音樂的路上走過了30餘載，創造了一個又一個神化之餘，邁克爾·傑克遜還給我們留下了一個迷，就像一個遙遠的夢中人，總想清清楚楚的看清他的面容，卻總是隔著一層朦朧的面紗，近在咫尺又遠在天崖。當他在音樂中忘情時，搖擺著他的手和頭，漂亮俐落的踢出它的腿，笑著喊著歡呼著“Whooooooooo！”那是最美好的時刻，很幽雅。
VIBE雜志（以下簡稱V）：（你的音樂產品的）銷量和像N'SYNC（超級男孩）和布蘭妮之類的年輕人比怎麼樣？他們大約都是在你事業頂峰時剛剛出生的。
邁克爾（以下簡稱MJ）：我的情況是不多見的，我在69和70年就有了排名第一的唱片而在2001年仍然能夠進入排行拿到第一，我不認為其他藝人有這麼長跨度（的輝煌）。這是一項極大的榮耀，我非常開心。我不知道還 能說些什麼，我很高興人們能接受我的作品。
V：你覺得現在R&B音樂的情況如何？
MJ：我不對音樂進行分類，音樂就是音樂。人們把R&B變成了Rock 'n' Roll（搖滾）。但那始終都是由法茨•道明紐(Fats Domino)到理特•理查(Little Richard)到查克•拜瑞(Chuck Berry)一路傳下來的。我們怎能妄加區別呢？它就是它——美妙的音樂。
V：你覺得HIP HOP音樂怎麼樣？
MJ：我非常喜歡，非常喜歡。我喜歡這種音樂。我不太喜歡那裏面的舞蹈，看上去他們好像在做健美操。
V：你怎麼想起讓比吉•斯茂斯(Biggie Smalls)在“Unbreakable”裏說唱的？
MJ：事實上那不是我的想法，是羅德尼•傑金(Rodney Jerkin)，一位參與專輯製作的詞/曲作家的主意。我曾想 要將歌里加一段RAP，然後他說道，“我知道一個最佳人選－比吉。”他把比吉的Rap放進去，效果很完美。
V：你為什麼會選擇Jay-Z做第一支單曲YRMW的重新混音？
MJ：他是HIP音樂家，新生的事物，而且相當收現在的年青人歡迎。他擊打著流行文化的神經，我這麼做是很有道理的。
V：你對自己滿意嗎？
MJ：我從來都是對任何事都不滿意，我是一個完美主義者，這是我性格中的一部分。
V：現在看到鏡子中的自己，再回想一下以前的樣子，有沒有說過：“我喜歡這個樣子，或是我喜歡這個發型……”？
MJ：沒有，我對自己從來都不滿意，我試著不照鏡子。
V：作為Jay-Z的嘉賓出席“New York’Hot 97 Summer Jam”演唱會，當時的情形是怎樣的？
MJ：我只是現一下身，和他擁抱一下，觀眾的掌聲如雷鳴般，非常非常好的一種歡迎方式，對此我感到很高興，那是一種很偉大的感覺——愛，就是愛。
V：討厭看到有些人對你的模仿嗎，比如Usher，Sisqo，Ginuwnine，甚至Destiny’s Child？
MJ：對此我一點都不介意，這是一批聽著我的音樂長大的藝人，當你在成長過程中聽你崇拜的人的音樂時，你就想努力變成他們的化身，你想看起來像他們一樣，穿的像他們一樣，小時候我是James Brown，是Sammy Davis Jr.……因此我明白這些，這是一種致意。
V：你在錄制《Thriller》和《Off The Wall》時，你知道這是在創造一種永恆的流行嗎？
MJ：是的，這不是自大，而是事實，因為當我聽這些歌時就知道這是一些了不起的作品，旋律優美動聽，動感十足。
V：有沒有感到現在黑人歌手比以前容易得到人們的承認？
MJ：我想從一開始，人們就很欣賞黑人音樂——如果你想回到黑人的精神時代。今天的市場只不過是接受這樣的事實——那就是一種聲音，從Britney到’N Sync，他們都做R&B風格的音樂，甚至Bee Gees的Barry Gibb也總是對我說（模仿英國口音）：“嘿，我們做的是R &B。我對他說：“Barry，我沒把它分類，但那確實是一種了不起的音樂。”我知道他來自於哪里，我愛偉大的音樂——他沒有膚色之分，也沒有界限。
V：看起來你好像很喜歡單親家庭的生活。
MJ：我的一生中從來沒有這麼快樂過，這是事實，因為我是個大孩子，現在我又透過一群真正風華正茂的年輕人眼裏看這個世界，我從他們那裏學到的東西要比他們從我這裏學到的東西多，我總是不斷地在他們身上用事實證明什麼是可行的，什麼是不可行的，孩子們總是最好的判斷者，如果你有孩子的話，就會明白這些了，這就是為什麼《Harry Potter》會這麼成功的原因——他是一部以家庭為導向的電影，在孩子哪兒你不會走錯方向，我們需要更廣闊的空間，這就是我一直都努力不在我的歌裏唱一些反叛父母的歌詞的原因，我不想那個樣子，我的成長過程也不是那個樣的。媽媽和Joseph（邁克爾的父親）也不會說那樣的話。
V：Prince和Paris都聽些什麼？
MJ：他們聽我所有的音樂，也喜歡古典音樂，家裏總是放這樣的音樂，他們喜歡任何一支好聽的舞曲。
V：如果你的孩子以你打下的江山為基礎而成為一個流行音樂家，你會有什麼感覺？
MJ：我不知道他們會怎麼處理這件事，這會很艱難，我真的不知道，太難了，因為大多數名人的孩子都以自我破壞來終結生命，他們不能忍受火在父母的才華橫溢之下，人們總是會對Fred Astaire Jr.說：“你會跳舞嗎？”而他不會，他一點節奏感都沒有，而他父親卻是個舞蹈天才，但這並不意味著你必須得結束生命，我經常告訴我的孩子說：“你們不必非得唱歌，也不必非得跳舞，做你們想做的人吧，只要不傷害到別人就行，這才是最重要的。”
V：哪一位藝人——過去的或是現在的——一直激勵著你？
MJ：Stever Wonder是個音樂先知，所有Motown早期的藝人，披頭士所有成員，我對SammyDavis Jr.、Charlie Chaplin、Fred Astaire、Gene Kelly和Bill“Bojangles”Robinson都很著迷，他們是真正的演藝人員，靠的全都是真本事，而不是那些暗藏的機關和間歇的掌聲；還有很多讓人稱贊的歌手，比如說Whitney Houston、Barbra Streisand和Johnny Mathis等，他們都是真正的自稱流派者。Nat“King”Cole.很偉大，Marvin Gaye 、Sam Cooke——他們都很好笑。
V：你在挑選參加30周年紀念的特別演唱會的演員中參與多少？
MJ：我根本就沒參與。
V：你是怎樣試著讓一件事變得如此聲勢浩大而又特殊的呢？
MJ：信任。
V：在“911”期間有怎樣的經歷？
MJ：我在紐約（9月10日和10日兩天在麥迪遜花園廣場剛剛表演完畢），沙烏地阿拉伯那裏的朋友打電話告訴我說美國被襲擊了，我馬上看新聞，看到了兩座摩天大樓的倒塌，當時的反映就是：“Oh.my God。”我沿著酒店的走廊對我們的人喊：“所有的人都出去，我們現在就離開！”Marlon Brando在酒店的這端，我們的保鏢在另外一端，我們都集中起來，但Elizabeth在另外一家酒店，大家都盡可能快的離開那裏，我們跳上車子，但卻有一群女孩子在那裏，她們在前一天晚上看過演唱會以後沒有離開，現在她們都趴在車窗上，一路跟著車子尖叫著，Fans是如此的忠實，我們在新澤西避了一下。太不可思議了，我都要被嚇死了。
V：再透漏一個小秘密吧，說說平時有什麼消遣活動？
MJ：我喜歡打水球仗，我們又一個水球館，有一個紅隊和一個藍隊，還有吊索和加農炮，還有一個計分器，得分最多的人就是勝利者，每次遊戲結束時，都是渾身濕透。如果我要去做某項體育活動，那就不得不讓人見笑了，我不喜歡像籃球或是高爾夫這樣的運動，籃球的競爭性太強了，網球也是，它們會讓你感覺不愉快的，我不喜歡那樣；我還喜歡去遊樂園，看看動物，或是諸如此類的事。
V：在你的生命裏，有沒有什麼夢想？
MJ：世界和平，我希望我們的下一代會看到世界和平的這一天，而不是現在這種局面。
V：有沒有對唱歌有過索然無味的感覺，或是覺得唱歌變成了一種工作？
MJ：唱歌一直都讓我感覺很愉快，除非我身體不好時，平時我總是感覺唱歌很有意思，我還仍舊愛著音樂。
V：很多人都把你看作是一個偉大的歷史性人物，一個樹立了至今仍存在於音樂中的某種標準的開拓者，從這裏開始，Michael Jackson要朝什麼樣的方向發展？
MJ：謝謝，謝謝。我對電影有著很深的感情，我想在電影媒介裏開創一條新路——寫劇本、導演、製作、帶出一個全新的娛樂產業。
V：什麼樣的電影？你正在看腳本嗎？
MJ：是的。
V：有感到寂寞的時候嗎？
MJ：當然，如果我站在舞臺上，那就會感覺很好，但你也可以讓家裏有一屋子人，而內心還是很孤單。我不是在抱怨，因為我覺得這對我的工作來說是一件好事。
V：說一說創作《Speechless》的靈感吧，這是一首很有感情的歌。
MJ：你會覺得吃驚的，我在德國和一群孩子一起，我們打了一次水球仗——我是認真的——之後我高興極了，於是就跑到了他們的樓上，寫了這首《Speechless》，是快樂激勵著我，給了我靈感，我討厭說這樣的話，因為那是一首如此浪漫的歌，但它是在我大過那場水球仗之後的傑作，我很高興，就在那兒創作出一首完整的作品。我感覺這首歌對當時那張專機來說已經足夠地好了，再天賜的福分之外是魔法、驚嘆和創造力。
V：你收集什麼東西嗎？
MJ：我喜歡任何意見和Shirley Temple、Little Rascals、Three Stooges有關的東西，我喜歡Curly，因為太喜歡他，所以還為他編出一本書呢，我找到他的女兒，我們一起寫了這本書。
V：有沒有什麼想要對Fans說的？
MJ：我喜歡Quincy Jones，我真的很喜歡他；我還想要告訴大家，不要憑聽到什麼甚至是讀到的東西來判斷一個人，除非你親自聽到當事人自己是怎麼說的，現在有不少小報都追求轟動效應，不要落入他們的陷阱，我會把所有的小報帶回，並一把火燒掉，其中有些小報想掩飾自己的本質，但他們依舊是小報。
V：最後，談一談你是如何讓自己的創造力水到渠成的吧！
MJ：在這方面我不強迫自己，讓它順其自然吧，我不會做在鋼琴前想，“現在我要寫一首有史以來最偉大的歌了。”從來沒有這樣的事，我相信在你來到這個世界之前，這些東西就已經存在了，然後它又不偏不離的掉到你的腳前，這是世界上最可以給你精神鼓舞的事情，當它到來時，會隨著所有伴奏一起而來：一連串的音符，貝司，鼓，歌詞，而你只不過是一首完整的歌形成的一個媒介，是條管道。有是把自己的名字寫在一首歌上——“詞曲：邁克爾·傑克遜”——會有內疚的感覺，因為好像是天上早已把一切都做好了，就想米開朗基羅從義大利的採石場裏發現一塊巨大的雕刻一樣，他會說：“裏面是個沉睡著的天使。”之後他就要拿起錘子和鑿子，只需要把這個沉睡著的天使放出來就可以了，一切都是現成的。
I first met Michael Jackson some 33 years ago when Diana Ross introduced the Jackson 5 - then a brand-new Motown act - to 350 music and media folk at the Daisy Club in Beverly Hills . My husband, Ken, and I were then publishing Soul, one of the first national black-entertainment newsmagazines.
邁克爾（以下簡稱MJ）：我的情況是不多見的，我在69和70年就有了排名第一的唱片而在2001年仍然能夠進入排行拿到第一，我不認為其他藝人有這麼長跨度（的輝煌）。這是一項極大的榮耀，我非常開心。我不知道還 能說些什麼，我很高興人們能接受我的作品。
V：你覺得現在R&B音樂的情況如何？
MJ：我不對音樂進行分類，音樂就是音樂。人們把R&B變成了Rock 'n' Roll（搖滾）。但那始終都是由法茨•道明紐(Fats Domino)到理特•理查(Little Richard)到查克•拜瑞(Chuck Berry)一路傳下來的。我們怎能妄加區別呢？它就是它——美妙的音樂。
V：你覺得HIP HOP音樂怎麼樣？
MJ：我非常喜歡，非常喜歡。我喜歡這種音樂。我不太喜歡那裏面的舞蹈，看上去他們好像在做健美操。
V：你怎麼想起讓比吉•斯茂斯(Biggie Smalls)在“Unbreakable”裏說唱的？
MJ：事實上那不是我的想法，是羅德尼•傑金(Rodney Jerkin)，一位參與專輯製作的詞/曲作家的主意。我曾想 要將歌里加一段RAP，然後他說道，“我知道一個最佳人選－比吉。”他把比吉的Rap放進去，效果很完美。
V：你為什麼會選擇Jay-Z做第一支單曲YRMW的重新混音？
MJ：他是HIP音樂家，新生的事物，而且相當收現在的年青人歡迎。他擊打著流行文化的神經，我這麼做是很有道理的。
V：你對自己滿意嗎？
MJ：我從來都是對任何事都不滿意，我是一個完美主義者，這是我性格中的一部分。
V：現在看到鏡子中的自己，再回想一下以前的樣子，有沒有說過：“我喜歡這個樣子，或是我喜歡這個發型……”？
MJ：沒有，我對自己從來都不滿意，我試著不照鏡子。
V：作為Jay-Z的嘉賓出席“New York’Hot 97 Summer Jam”演唱會，當時的情形是怎樣的？
MJ：我只是現一下身，和他擁抱一下，觀眾的掌聲如雷鳴般，非常非常好的一種歡迎方式，對此我感到很高興，那是一種很偉大的感覺——愛，就是愛。
V：討厭看到有些人對你的模仿嗎，比如Usher，Sisqo，Ginuwnine，甚至Destiny’s Child？
MJ：對此我一點都不介意，這是一批聽著我的音樂長大的藝人，當你在成長過程中聽你崇拜的人的音樂時，你就想努力變成他們的化身，你想看起來像他們一樣，穿的像他們一樣，小時候我是James Brown，是Sammy Davis Jr.……因此我明白這些，這是一種致意。
V：你在錄制《Thriller》和《Off The Wall》時，你知道這是在創造一種永恆的流行嗎？
MJ：是的，這不是自大，而是事實，因為當我聽這些歌時就知道這是一些了不起的作品，旋律優美動聽，動感十足。
V：有沒有感到現在黑人歌手比以前容易得到人們的承認？
MJ：我想從一開始，人們就很欣賞黑人音樂——如果你想回到黑人的精神時代。今天的市場只不過是接受這樣的事實——那就是一種聲音，從Britney到’N Sync，他們都做R&B風格的音樂，甚至Bee Gees的Barry Gibb也總是對我說（模仿英國口音）：“嘿，我們做的是R &B。我對他說：“Barry，我沒把它分類，但那確實是一種了不起的音樂。”我知道他來自於哪里，我愛偉大的音樂——他沒有膚色之分，也沒有界限。
V：看起來你好像很喜歡單親家庭的生活。
MJ：我的一生中從來沒有這麼快樂過，這是事實，因為我是個大孩子，現在我又透過一群真正風華正茂的年輕人眼裏看這個世界，我從他們那裏學到的東西要比他們從我這裏學到的東西多，我總是不斷地在他們身上用事實證明什麼是可行的，什麼是不可行的，孩子們總是最好的判斷者，如果你有孩子的話，就會明白這些了，這就是為什麼《Harry Potter》會這麼成功的原因——他是一部以家庭為導向的電影，在孩子哪兒你不會走錯方向，我們需要更廣闊的空間，這就是我一直都努力不在我的歌裏唱一些反叛父母的歌詞的原因，我不想那個樣子，我的成長過程也不是那個樣的。媽媽和Joseph（邁克爾的父親）也不會說那樣的話。
V：Prince和Paris都聽些什麼？
MJ：他們聽我所有的音樂，也喜歡古典音樂，家裏總是放這樣的音樂，他們喜歡任何一支好聽的舞曲。
V：如果你的孩子以你打下的江山為基礎而成為一個流行音樂家，你會有什麼感覺？
MJ：我不知道他們會怎麼處理這件事，這會很艱難，我真的不知道，太難了，因為大多數名人的孩子都以自我破壞來終結生命，他們不能忍受火在父母的才華橫溢之下，人們總是會對Fred Astaire Jr.說：“你會跳舞嗎？”而他不會，他一點節奏感都沒有，而他父親卻是個舞蹈天才，但這並不意味著你必須得結束生命，我經常告訴我的孩子說：“你們不必非得唱歌，也不必非得跳舞，做你們想做的人吧，只要不傷害到別人就行，這才是最重要的。”
V：哪一位藝人——過去的或是現在的——一直激勵著你？
MJ：Stever Wonder是個音樂先知，所有Motown早期的藝人，披頭士所有成員，我對SammyDavis Jr.、Charlie Chaplin、Fred Astaire、Gene Kelly和Bill“Bojangles”Robinson都很著迷，他們是真正的演藝人員，靠的全都是真本事，而不是那些暗藏的機關和間歇的掌聲；還有很多讓人稱贊的歌手，比如說Whitney Houston、Barbra Streisand和Johnny Mathis等，他們都是真正的自稱流派者。Nat“King”Cole.很偉大，Marvin Gaye 、Sam Cooke——他們都很好笑。
V：你在挑選參加30周年紀念的特別演唱會的演員中參與多少？
MJ：我根本就沒參與。
V：你是怎樣試著讓一件事變得如此聲勢浩大而又特殊的呢？
MJ：信任。
V：在“911”期間有怎樣的經歷？
MJ：我在紐約（9月10日和10日兩天在麥迪遜花園廣場剛剛表演完畢），沙烏地阿拉伯那裏的朋友打電話告訴我說美國被襲擊了，我馬上看新聞，看到了兩座摩天大樓的倒塌，當時的反映就是：“Oh.my God。”我沿著酒店的走廊對我們的人喊：“所有的人都出去，我們現在就離開！”Marlon Brando在酒店的這端，我們的保鏢在另外一端，我們都集中起來，但Elizabeth在另外一家酒店，大家都盡可能快的離開那裏，我們跳上車子，但卻有一群女孩子在那裏，她們在前一天晚上看過演唱會以後沒有離開，現在她們都趴在車窗上，一路跟著車子尖叫著，Fans是如此的忠實，我們在新澤西避了一下。太不可思議了，我都要被嚇死了。
V：再透漏一個小秘密吧，說說平時有什麼消遣活動？
MJ：我喜歡打水球仗，我們又一個水球館，有一個紅隊和一個藍隊，還有吊索和加農炮，還有一個計分器，得分最多的人就是勝利者，每次遊戲結束時，都是渾身濕透。如果我要去做某項體育活動，那就不得不讓人見笑了，我不喜歡像籃球或是高爾夫這樣的運動，籃球的競爭性太強了，網球也是，它們會讓你感覺不愉快的，我不喜歡那樣；我還喜歡去遊樂園，看看動物，或是諸如此類的事。
V：在你的生命裏，有沒有什麼夢想？
MJ：世界和平，我希望我們的下一代會看到世界和平的這一天，而不是現在這種局面。
V：有沒有對唱歌有過索然無味的感覺，或是覺得唱歌變成了一種工作？
MJ：唱歌一直都讓我感覺很愉快，除非我身體不好時，平時我總是感覺唱歌很有意思，我還仍舊愛著音樂。
V：很多人都把你看作是一個偉大的歷史性人物，一個樹立了至今仍存在於音樂中的某種標準的開拓者，從這裏開始，Michael Jackson要朝什麼樣的方向發展？
MJ：謝謝，謝謝。我對電影有著很深的感情，我想在電影媒介裏開創一條新路——寫劇本、導演、製作、帶出一個全新的娛樂產業。
V：什麼樣的電影？你正在看腳本嗎？
MJ：是的。
V：有感到寂寞的時候嗎？
MJ：當然，如果我站在舞臺上，那就會感覺很好，但你也可以讓家裏有一屋子人，而內心還是很孤單。我不是在抱怨，因為我覺得這對我的工作來說是一件好事。
V：說一說創作《Speechless》的靈感吧，這是一首很有感情的歌。
MJ：你會覺得吃驚的，我在德國和一群孩子一起，我們打了一次水球仗——我是認真的——之後我高興極了，於是就跑到了他們的樓上，寫了這首《Speechless》，是快樂激勵著我，給了我靈感，我討厭說這樣的話，因為那是一首如此浪漫的歌，但它是在我大過那場水球仗之後的傑作，我很高興，就在那兒創作出一首完整的作品。我感覺這首歌對當時那張專機來說已經足夠地好了，再天賜的福分之外是魔法、驚嘆和創造力。
V：你收集什麼東西嗎？
MJ：我喜歡任何意見和Shirley Temple、Little Rascals、Three Stooges有關的東西，我喜歡Curly，因為太喜歡他，所以還為他編出一本書呢，我找到他的女兒，我們一起寫了這本書。
V：有沒有什麼想要對Fans說的？
MJ：我喜歡Quincy Jones，我真的很喜歡他；我還想要告訴大家，不要憑聽到什麼甚至是讀到的東西來判斷一個人，除非你親自聽到當事人自己是怎麼說的，現在有不少小報都追求轟動效應，不要落入他們的陷阱，我會把所有的小報帶回，並一把火燒掉，其中有些小報想掩飾自己的本質，但他們依舊是小報。
V：最後，談一談你是如何讓自己的創造力水到渠成的吧！
MJ：在這方面我不強迫自己，讓它順其自然吧，我不會做在鋼琴前想，“現在我要寫一首有史以來最偉大的歌了。”從來沒有這樣的事，我相信在你來到這個世界之前，這些東西就已經存在了，然後它又不偏不離的掉到你的腳前，這是世界上最可以給你精神鼓舞的事情，當它到來時，會隨著所有伴奏一起而來：一連串的音符，貝司，鼓，歌詞，而你只不過是一首完整的歌形成的一個媒介，是條管道。有是把自己的名字寫在一首歌上——“詞曲：邁克爾·傑克遜”——會有內疚的感覺，因為好像是天上早已把一切都做好了，就想米開朗基羅從義大利的採石場裏發現一塊巨大的雕刻一樣，他會說：“裏面是個沉睡著的天使。”之後他就要拿起錘子和鑿子，只需要把這個沉睡著的天使放出來就可以了，一切都是現成的。
I first met Michael Jackson some 33 years ago when Diana Ross introduced the Jackson 5 - then a brand-new Motown act - to 350 music and media folk at the Daisy Club in Beverly Hills . My husband, Ken, and I were then publishing Soul, one of the first national black-entertainment newsmagazines.
Ten year old Michael already knew how to charm a crowd. Acknowledging Diana's support, he said, "After singing for four years and not becoming a star, I thought I would never be discovered - this is, until Miss Ross came along to save my career."
Just four months later, the Jackson 5's first single, "I Want You Back," soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts, followed two months later by "ABC". Thousands of letters from across the country poured into our mailbox. Responding to the Jackson 's first tour, one reader wrote: "Those youngsters performed in a manner that could be harmful to one's health. The heart can only stand so much soul, and their performance was definately an overdose."
Over the next decade, Soul kept up with the Jackson family as a guest at parties, weddings, and concerts. We were also regular visitors to the family home, where Michael - soft-spoken, polite, curious, and quiet - was usually off by himself, drawing or playing with his snakes and other pets, while his older brothers, cousins and visitors played basketball. But when Soul stopped publishing in 1980, I lost touch with the family.
And then Michael became a pop-culture superstar, changing the face of music, dance, fashion, and music video with hit after hit. He was idolized and chased by fans and media wherever he went. He took an art form, refined and packaged it, and became an international icon. The American Music Awards recently named him the Artist of the Century. When it comes to the King of Pop, the world is insatiable.
You can tell a lot about someone by the people who work for him. Arriving at Michael's 2700-acre Neverland Valley Ranch in Los Olivos, Calif., north of Santa Barbara, I'm greeted by some of the 70-odd members of Michael's exceedingly friendly staff, which helps the self-proclaimed King of Pop maintain the comples and welcomes busloads of visitors a year, mostly kids who suffer terminal illnesses.
Dressed in black slacks, white socks, black loafers, and a soft yellow shirt, Michael greets me with a warm smile hello and a big hug. He then excuses himself to see about his son, Prince, 5, and daughter Paris, 3, who have just returned from a long walk and are excitedly chattering to their dad about their day. The governess, who closely resembles Michael's mother, Katherine, suggests I have a brief look around the ranch before dark. So I take off in a battery-powered golf cart, while Michael spends some time with his babies.
I discover an amusement park, playground, train station, arcade, swiming pool, Jacuzzi, bumper-car tent, and various areas where anumals roam free. I spot a llama, a parrot, a cheetah, a pony, and several deer.
Michael is ready to talk when I return 45 minutes later. I've brought along a bound volume of Soul, and he looks at the old photographs and laughs at himself, his brothers and a picture of Diana Ross. "Do you remember interviewing me when I was little?" he asks, reminding me of the time Soul talked to him through his "interpreter," Janet. "It wasn't a game, it was real," he says. "I felt afraid. I felt that if my sister was there, the person would go easier on me."
Often very animated, Michael goes from a whisper to raucous laughter in a split second. The only matter that he refuses to address is his plastic surgery. "That's a stupid question," he says. "That's one reason I didn't do interviews for years."
At a time when stars routinely boast about their Bentleys and blingbling, Michael is singularly modest. He brushes off a question about his financial health - there have been recent reports of trouble - saying only, "I'm taken care of fine." Michael makes money when he sleeps. He owns half of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which includes most of the Beatles catalog as well as songs by Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, Babyface, and Elvis.
At 43, Michael is indisputably back. Invincible, his first album in four years, was No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. His two sold-out tribute shows at Madison Square Garden last September (just before the terrorist attacks) were later aired as a CBS special watched by more than 25.7 million viewers, making it that network's highest-rated music special of all time.
As we resume the conversation that began so many years ago, I discover that, in spite of all the flash and tumult of Michael's time in the spotlight, he's remarkable unchanged - still caring, inquisitive, and sensitive.
vibe reporterHow is it to be competing for sales with the likes of 'N Sync and Britney Spears, children who were basically born at the height of your fame?
michael jackson
It's a rarity. I had No. 1 records in 1969 and '70, and still entered the charts in 2001 at No. 1. I don't think any other artist has that range. It's a great honor. I'm happy, I don't know what else to say. I'm glad people accept what I do.
vibe reporterWhat are your thoughts on the current state of R&B?
michael jackson
I don't categorize music. Music is music. They changed the word R&B to rock n' roll. It was always been, from Fats Domino to Little Richard to Chuck Berry. How can we discriminate? Its what it is - great music, you know.
vibe reporterAre you feeling hip hop?
michael jackson
I like a lot of it, a lot of it. I like the music. I don't like the dancing that much. It looks like they're doing aerobics.
vibe reporterHow did you decide to feature Biggie Smalls on "Unbreakable", off Invincible?
michael jackson
It wasn't my idea, actually. It was Rodney Jerkins's, one of the writer/producers working on the album. It was my idea to put a rap part on the song, and he said, "I know just the perfect on - Biggie." He put it in, and it worked perfectly.
vibe reporterWhy did you choose Jay-Z for the remix of the first single, "You Rock My World"?
michael jackson
He's hip, the new thing, and he's with the kids today. They like his work. He's tapped into the nerve of popular culture. It just made good sense.
vibe reporterWhat was it like for you to appear at New York's Hot 97 Summer Jam concert as Jay-Z's guest?
michael jackson
I just showed up and gave him a hug. There was a tumultuous explosion of applause and stomping, a lovely, lovely welcome, and I was happy about that. It was a great feeling - the love, the love.
vibe reporterDoes it bother you to see people emulate you, such as Usher, Sisqo, Ginuwine, and even Destiny's Child?
michael jackson
I don't mind it at all. These are artists who grew up with my music. When you grow up listening to somebody you admire, you tend to become them. You want to look like them, to dress like them. When I was little, I was James Brown, I was Sammy Davis Jr., so I understand. It's a compliment.
vibe reporterDid you know that you were creating timeless classics when you were recording Thriller and Off The Wall?
michael jackson
Yes, not to be arrogant, but yes. Because I know great material when I hear it, and meoldically and sonically and musically, it's so moving. They keep the promise.
vibe reporterDo you feel there's a greater acceptance of black artists these days?
michael jackson
I think people have always admired black music since the beginning of time, if you want to go back to Negro spirituals. Today, the market is just accepting of the fact that that's the sound. From Britney to 'N Sync, they're all doing the R&B thing. Even Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees he always tells me [immitating a British accent], "Man, we do R&B." I say, Barry, I don't categorize it, but it's great music. I understand where he's coming from. I love great music - it has no color, it has no boundaries.
vibe reporterYou seem to be enjoying life as a single parent.
michael jackson
I never had so much fun in all my life. That's the truth. Beacause I'm this big kid, and now I get to see the world through the eyes of the really young ones. I learn more from them than they learn from me. I'm constantly trying things and testing things on them to see what works and what doesn't. Children are always the best judges to monitor something. If you can get the kids, you've got it. That's why Harry Potter is so successful - it's a family-oriented movie. You can't go wrong there. We want a wide demographic, and that's why I try not to say things in my lyrics that offend parents. I don't want to be like that. We weren't raised to be like that. Mother and Joseph [Michael's father] wouldn't say stuff like that.
vibe reporterWhat do Prince and Paris listen to?
michael jackson
They listen to all of my music, and they love classical, which plays all around the ranch. They like any good dance music.
vibe reporterHow would you feel about your children becoming pop icons, based upon your experience?
michael jackson
I don't know how they would handle that. It would be tough. I really don't know. It's hard, since most of the children of celebrities end up becoming self-destructive because they can't live up to the talent of the parent. People used to always say to Fred Astaire Jr., "Can you dance?" And he couldn't. He didn't have any rhythm, but his father was this genius dancer. It doesn't mean that it has to be passed on. I always tell my children, You don't have to sing, you don't have to dance. Be who you want to be, as long as you're not hurting anybody. That's the main thing.
vibe reporterWhich artists - past and present - inspire you?
michael jackson
Stevie Wonder is a musical prophet. All of the early Motown. All the Beatles. I'm crazy about Sammy Davis Jr., Charlie Chaplin, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson - the real entertainers, the real thing, not just gimmicks, showstoppers. When James Brown was with the Famous Flames, it was unbelievable. There are so many wonderful singers - Whitney Houston, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis. Real stylists. You hear one line, and you know who it is. Nat "King" Cole, great stuff. Sam Cooke - they are all ridiculous.
vibe reporterHow involved were you in selecting the artists to perform in your 30th anniversary special?
michael jackson
I wasn't involved at all.
vibe reporterHow were you able to let go of something so big and so special?
michael jackson
Trust.
vibe reporterWhat was your experience on September 11?
michael jackson
I was in New York [after performing at Madison Square Garden on September 7 and 10], and I got a call from friends in Saudi Arabia that America was being attacked. I turned on the news and saw the Twin Towers coming down, and I said, Oh my God. I screamed down the hotel hallway to our people, Everybody get out, let's leave now! Marlon Brando was on one end, our security was on the other end. We were all up there, but Elizabeth Taylor was at another hotel. We all got out of there as quickly as we could. We jumped in the car, but there were these girls who had been at the show the night before, and they were banging on the windows, running down the street screaming. Fans are so loyal. We hid in New Jersey . It was unbelievable - I was scared to death.
vibe reporterOn another tip altogether, what do you do for recreation?
michael jackson
I like water-balloon fights. We have a water-balloon fort here, and we have a red team and a blue team. We have slings and cannons, and you are drenched by the time the game is over. There's a timer, and whoever gets the most points is the winner. If I'm going to do some kind of sport, I have to laugh. I don't do anything like basketball or golf. Basketball is very competitive, and so is tennis; they make you angry. I'm not into that. It should be therapeutic. I also like to go to amusement parks, hang out with animals, things like that.
vibe reporterDo you have a fantasy of something that you'd like to see in your lifetime?
michael jackson
I would like to see an international children's holiday to honor our children, because the family bond has been broken. There's a Mother's Day, and there's a Father's Day, but there's no children's day. It would mean a lot. It really would. World peace. I hope that our next generation will get to see a peaceful world, not the way things are going now.
vibe reporterHas singing ever stopped being fun and become work?
michael jackson
It's always been fun. Unless I get physically sick, it's always fun. I still love it.
vibe reporterMany of us see you as a historic figure, an innovator who has set a standard that still exists in music. Where does Michael Jackson go from here?
michael jackson
Thank you, thank you. I have a deep love for film and I want to pioneer and innovate in the medium of film - to write and direct and produce movies, to bring incredible entertainment.
vibe reporterWhat kinds of movies? Are you looking at scripts?
michael jackson
Yes, but nothing has been finalized yet.
vibe reporterAre you ever lonely?
michael jackson
Of course. If I'm onstage, I'm fine there. But you can have a house full of people and still be lonely from within. I'm not complaining, because I think it's a good thing for my work.
vibe reporterTell me about the inspiration for "Speechless". It's very loving.
michael jackson
You'll be surprised. I was with these kids in Germany , and we had a big water-balloon fight - I'm serious - and I was so happy after the fight that I ran upstairs in their house and wrote "Speechless". Fun inspires me. I hate to say that, because it's such a romantic song. But it was the fight that did it. I was happy, and I wrote it in it's entirety right there. I felt it would be good enough for the album. Out of the bliss comes magic, wonderment, and creativity.
vibe reporterDo you collect anything?
michael jackson
I like anything to do with Shirley Temple, the Little Rascals, and the Three Stooges. I love Curly. I love him so much that I did a book on him. I got a hold of his daughter, and we wrote the book together.
vibe reporterIs there anything that you would like to say to VIBE readers?
michael jackson
I love Quincy Jones. I really do. And also, I want to tell the readers not to judge a person by what they hear, or even what they read, unless they hear it from the person himself. There is so much tabloid sensationalism. Don't fall prey to it, it's ugly. I'd like to take all he tabloids and burn them. I want you to print that! Some of them try to diguise themselves, but they are still the tabloids.
vibe reporterFinally, how do you channel your creativity?
michael jackson
I don't force it, I let nature take its course. I don't sit at the piano and think, I'm going to write the greatest song of all time. It doesn't happen. It has to be given to you. I believe it's already up there before you are born, and then it drops right into your lap. It's the most spiritual thing in the world. When it comes, it comes with all the accompaniments, the strings, the bass, the drums, the lyrics, and you're just the medium through which it comes, the channel. Sometimes I feel guilty putting my name on songs - "written by Michael Jackson - because it's as if the heavens have done it already. Like Michelangelo would have this huge piece of marble from the quaries of Italy , and he'd say, "Inside is a sleeping form." He takes a hammer and chisel, and he's just freeing it. It's already in there. It's already there.
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