Michael Jackson's Thriller album 25th Anniversary February 2008International Anticipation For Thriller 25, The New Edition Of The World's Biggest Selling Album Of All Time, Reaches Fever Pitch With New Hit Singles, An All-Star 40-Episode 'Thriller Cast' Podcast Event, The 'Thrillicious' Sobe Life Water Ad Campaign Launch At Super Bowl, Michael Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award At NRJ Music Awards At Cannes & More Thriller 25 - 2008's Most Eagerly-Awaited Album - Available Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Global anticipation for the release ofT hriller 25, the newly expanded deluxe 25th anniversary edition of Michael Jackson's Thriller, the world's top-selling album of all-time, is alreadyr eaching a fever pitch across the planet with surprise hit singles, an ongoing 40-episode "Thriller Cast" podcast event, the premiere of the"Thrillicious" Sobe Life Water ad campaign at the Super Bowl, the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to Michael Jackson at the NRJ Music
Awards at Cannes and a host of upcoming events and surprises.Thriller 25 will be available stateside on Tuesday, February 12 anda vailable around the world the week of February 11. The album debuts sevenb onus tracks including new collaborations with Akon, Fergie, will.i.am anda Kanye West remix of "Billie Jean 2008." The Michael Jackson Thriller 25th anniversary celebration runsthroughout 2008 with a multi-faceted global marketing campaign featuringhigh-profile television, radio and online events around the world and themajor re-launch of Michael's official website, http://www.michaeljackson.com/
The first single from Thriller 25, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008"featuring Akon, is a surprise smash hit impacting Pop, Rhythm and Urbanradio stations across America with the single becoming the #1 On Demandsong online for all Clear Channel Radio station web sites since its releaseon January 18.
One of the best-received commercial highlights of Super Bowl XLII wasthe premiere of "Thrillicious," PepsiCo Inc.'s Sobe Life Water spotstarring supermodel Naomi Campbell and a cast of animated lizards bustingout a series of fiercely choreographed dance moves to the tune of MichaelJackson's "Thriller."
Michael Jackson was recently honored with a Lifetime Achievement Awardat the prestigious NRJ Music Awards ceremony at the opening of MIDEM inCannes, France. Following a video tribute to the artist, Michael Jacksondelivered a personal message via satellite to NRJ attendees and atelevision audience of more than 7 million viewers.
A recent Thriller 25 promotion in London featured professional dancersre- enacting the iconic "Thriller" zombie choreography on the LondonUnderground, Trafalgar Square and other unusual locations. A competitionhas been launched for UK Michael fans to submit their own versions of the"Thriller" dance to YouTube.
"Thrillercast," a groundbreaking 40-episode podcast event, launches onFebruary 12th and will be updated weekly throughout 2008. The seriesfeatures icons of music, screen and culture including hip-hop legend Darryl"DMC" McDaniels, superstars Nick Cannon and Chris Brown, choreographersShane Sparks and Mia Michaels from the hit show "So You Think You CanDance," and dozens of other special guests. Each episode takes us behindthe scenes into their lives to explore their own personal experiences withThriller and its influence on them, both personally and professionally."Thrillercast" will be available for free through iTunes, Zune, and allmajor podcast providers, as well as directly throughhttp://www.michaeljackson.com/.
Michael Jackson's Thriller album facts
Thriller 25 includes all nine of Thriller's original includes all nine of Thriller's original performances aswell as seven bonus tracks including five mind-blowing 21st century homagesto Thriller featuring some of the hottest performers in contemporary popand soul music:
Thriller 25's first single, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008,"produced by Michael Jackson and Akon, is a brand new version of Thriller'sopening cut showcasing newly recorded 2008 vocals by Michael Jackson andAkon.
Previously unreleased in any form, "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 2008"by Michael Jackson with will.i.am is Michael's original pre-album demoremixed by Michael and will.i.am with newly added vocals and productionfrom will.i.am.
"The Girl Is Mine 2008" is another Michael Jackson with will.i.amcollaboration based on a demo predating Michael's duet with Paul McCartney.This is a new, previously unreleased track, newly produced and mixed byMichael and will.i.am featuring a will.i.am rap. "The Girl Is Mine 2008" isbeing introduced as the album's first single in numerous internationalterritories and is already charting in Brazil, Germany, Holland, Ireland,Poland, South Africa, Switzerland, the UK and Japan, where it entered theTop 10 at #5.
"Billie Jean 2008" features the original tracks of Michael's watershedsignature hit, newly remixed by Kanye West.
"Beat It 2008" is both a remix and a new track featuring Michael'svocals and many instrumental tracks from the Thriller original coupled withseductive new vocals by Fergie with new band tracks and production byMichael Jackson and will.i.am.
Thriller 25 closes with "For All Time," a nascent classic recorded byMichael during the original Thriller sessions in 1982 but never completedor released until now. Michael has added new vocals and band tracks to hisoriginal recording. Mixed by Mick Guzawski and newly-produced by Michael Jackson, "For All Time" provides a sublime and fitting close to this new,definitive edition of Thriller, the top-selling album of all time.
As an added bonus for fans, Thriller 25 includes a DVD featuringMichael Jackson's groundbreaking short films from Thriller ("Thriller,""Beat It," and "Billie Jean") and the artist's Emmy-nominated breakoutperformance of "Billie Jean" from the legendary "Motown 25: Yesterday,Today, Forever" television special (first broadcast on NBC on May 16,1983).
The Thriller 25 CD/DVD set will be available in three collectibleeditions: a standard version with the album's original cover art; astandard version with a new "Zombie" cover; and a deluxe edition in ahard-bound casebook format with a 48-page booklet. Both standard versionscontain the CD and bonus DVD in a brilliant box with a rainbow holographicO-card and a 20- page booklet. Thriller 25 will also be available as aPlatinum MusicPass Album Card, a digital album card which will enableconsumers to download Thriller 25, and special bonus content in the form ofhigh-quality MP3 files.
Originally released in the US 25 years ago on November 30, 1982 by EpicRecords, Thriller, Michael Jackson's sixth solo album and second withproducer Quincy Jones, rocketed the former child-star lead singer for theJackson 5 into the stratosphere of international superstardom. Introducingthe "robot" and the "moonwalk" into the international lexicon of clublanddance moves via the pulsing sounds of Thriller, Michael Jacksonrevolutionized all aspects of mainstream pop culture -- from radio airwavesto the newly emerging art form of music videos -- becoming the world's mostpopular entertainer in the process.
The original Thriller spent an astounding 80 consecutive weeks in theAmerican Top 10, 37 of those at #1. Seven of the album's original ninetracks became Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 while Individualsingles from Thriller reached #1 chart positions in the US, the UK, France,Italy, Australia, Denmark, Belgium, South Africa, Spain, Ireland, NewZealand and Canada.
Thriller made history as the first and only record to be America's top-selling album two years running (1983 and 1984).
Thriller has been certified 27x platinum by the RIAA, giving it DoubleDiamond Award status in the US. In addition, the album has achieved Diamondor Multi-Platinum status in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Canada,Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand,Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. In 1985, the Guinness Book ofRecords named Thriller the Best Selling Album of All Time, an achievementwhich remains unsurpassed to this day.
In February 1984, Michael Jackson held a record-breaking 12 Grammynominations, going on to win eight, which stands as the record for mostGrammy Awards to be won by anyone in a single year. Seven of Michael'sGrammys that year were for Thriller: Album of the Year; Record of the Year("Beat It"); Best Male Pop Vocal Performance ("Thriller"); Best EngineeredRecording, Non- Classical (Thriller); Best Male Rock Vocal Performance("Beat It"); Best Male R&B Vocal Performance ("Billie Jean"); Best R&B Song("Billie Jean"). (Michael's eighth Grammy that year was in the BestRecording For Children - Single or Album, Musical or Spoken category for"E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial"). That same year, Michael Jackson took homeeight American Music Awards and three MTV Video Music Awards. The followingyear, "The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller" took home the Best VideoAlbum trophy at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards.
Named the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time" by the GuinnessWorld Records, Michael Jackson is among the most highly acclaimed andinfluential artists in pop culture. He was named the World Music Award'sBest-Selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium and received the AmericanMusic Award's Artist of the Century Award. He has been inducted into theRock & Roll Hall of Fame twice: in 1997 as a member of the Jackson 5 and asa solo artist in 2001.
