giovedì 29 dicembre 2016

Today's ON THE AIR : 
"SHAKE YOUR BODY" SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND)
GERMANY "BLITZ-INFO" PROMO EPIC EPC6683


" I don't know what's going happen to you, baby
But I do know that I love ya
You walk around this town
With your head all up in the sky
And I do know that I want ya

Let's dance, let's shout (shout)
Shake you body down to the ground
Let's dance, let's shout (shout)
Shake you body down to the ground..."


SHAKE YOUR BODY (LIVE)



martedì 27 dicembre 2016

THE SHOWROOM'S MOST WANTED : JAM ARGENTINA CD SINGLE EPIC/SONY 2-658360

Here it is...another mega rare cd that is still missing in this collection...the Argentina release of the single "Jam"...the artwork is similar to the U.S. press (note the detail of the catalogue number changed in the right side under), but...when you open it...the cd is clearly totally different. The back insert differs too in some details...this cd is truly a rare-find, and the Showroom hopes to have the chance get it, sooner or later....



domenica 18 dicembre 2016

RECORD OF THE WEEK : BAD HOLLAND LP LIMITED EDITION 
"1988 ARTIST CALENDAR" EPIC 450290 1

What you see in the pictures, is a classic dutch press of the "BAD" lp BUT...uncommon and very rare! This release contains a folded calendar inside, with a picture of Michael and other 80's artists (Bruce Springsteen, Terence Trent D'Arby,Mick Jagger, George Michael), and there's a sticker on front cover that help us to recognize it. i think that a very few quantities of this dutch version were distributed, (I saw also other "Epic" releases like this, from the artists you see in the calendar picture) and today it's very hard to find!





venerdì 16 dicembre 2016

THE SHOWROOM'S MOST WANTED
& Today's ON THE AIR "SPEECHLESS"
SPEECHLESS KOREA PROMO CD EPIC/SONY PROM105

"Helpless and hopeless,
that's how I feel inside
Nothing's real, but all is possible
if God is on my side
When I'm with you
I am in the light
where I cannot be found
It's as though I am standing in the place
called Hallowed Ground
Speechless, speechless,
that's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am far away and nothing is for real
I'll go anywhere and do anything just to touch your face
There's no mountain high I cannot climb
I'm humbled in your grace..."




martedì 13 dicembre 2016

A THRILLING ITEM.... MICHAEL JACKSON'S THRILLER VIEWMASTER GIFT SET
USA VIEWMASTER INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC.


It's memorabilia time! The Showroom loves this particular item : this is a 3-d viewer including 3 reels with images from the "Thriller" video, produced in USA in 1984.
Here it is a brief story of the viewmaster taken from Wikipedia :
"View-Master is the trademark name of a line of special-format stereoscopes and corresponding View-Master "reels", which are thin cardboard disks containing seven stereoscopic 3-D pairs of small color photographs on film. It was manufactured and sold by Sawyer's.
The View-Master system was introduced in 1939, four years after the advent of Kodachrome color film made the use of small high-quality photographic color images practical. Tourist attraction and travel views predominated in View-Master's early lists of available reels, most of which were meant to be interesting to users of all ages. Most current View-Master reels are intended for children."

Viewmaster International also produced some "Thriller" video reels sold separately from this box. Picture #5 shows a generic viewmaster model.




domenica 11 dicembre 2016

THE RECORD OF THE WEEK :
BAD 25 DELUXE COLLECTOR'S EDITION
EPIC/SONY 2012

Here it is! Another masterpiece, but this time released recently, in 2012. 
The BAD 25 Deluxe collector's edition - now sold out and available only on the Michael jackson official shop - it's a BAD themed leather case with buckles. The case contains :
1-DVD Live 1988 Wembley Stadium concert from Bad World Tour
2-CD1 The remastered original album
3-CD2 13 rare and previously unreleased bonus tracks
4-CD3 Live at Wembley Stadium Audio
5-I just can't stop loving you 2012 7''single
6-BAD Tour Program replica
7-Backstage pass & lanyard replica
8-Ticket concert replica
9-Exclusive t-shirt design

10-Bad 25 earbuds
What more can I say? Everything about "BAD" is here in this box. This is probably one of the best releases from Epic/Sony, a rela celebration for the second biggest selling album of all time!!!




venerdì 9 dicembre 2016

TODAY'S ON THE AIR : 
THIS TIME AROUND - THIS TIME AROUND/EARTH SONG USA PROMO CD
11 TRACKS EPIC/SONY ESK7521
- THIS TIME AROUND AUSTRIA PROMO 5 TRACKS
EPIC/SONY SAMPCD3598


Dedicated with hate to all the people, the medias, the tabloids, the magazines still throwing shit and false accuses against an INNOCENT MAN.

"...This time around I'll never get bit
Though you really wanna fix me
This time around you're making me sick
Though you really wanna get me
Somebody's out
Somebody's out to get me
They really wanna fix me, hit me
But this time around I'm taking no shit
Though you really wanna get me
You really wanna get me

He really thought he really had
Had a hold on me
He really thought he really had
They thought they really had control of me...

This time around I'll never get bit
Though you really wanna get me
This time around I'm taking no shit
Though you really wanna fix me
Somebody's out
Somebody's out to use me
They really want to use me
And then falsely accuse me
This time around
They'll take it like spit
'Cause you really can't control me...."


THIS TIME AROUND





 

martedì 6 dicembre 2016

PRETTY YOUNG RARE THINGS P.Y.T. (PRETTY YOUNG THING) CANADA 7'' SINGLE
EPIC 34-04165


Today the Showroom presents a rare 7'' pressed in Canada. Although the picture sleeve could betray your eyes, as it can be easily confused with the most common U.S. release, this is have an important graphic difference : a white frame around the pink background of the picture sleeve. The catalogue number is the same of the american release (something ordinary at the time) but the label is quite different and the writing on the back sleeve clearly says "manufactured and distributed by CBS records Canada".
I saw this record twice in a collector's lifetime : even though it's a commercial release, I can say that is probably the rarest "Thriller" era canadian pressing.




lunedì 5 dicembre 2016

TODAY'S ON THE AIR : 
"BEAT IT"
BEAT IT SPAIN 12'' SUPERSINGLE
EPIC EPC A 12.3184


"They're out to get you, better leave while you can
Don't want to be a boy, you want to be a man
You want to stay alive, better do what you can
So beat it, just beat it

You have to show them that you're really not scared
You're playin' with your life, this ain't no truth or dare
They'll kick you, then they beat you,
Then they'll tell you it's fair
So beat it, but you want to be bad

Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right..."


BEAT IT (VIDEO)


domenica 4 dicembre 2016

RECORD OF THE WEEK : 
A TASTE OF INVINCIBLE USA PROMO ALBUM SAMPLER 
EPIC/SONY ESK56696

The chosen item of this week it's an US advance 6 tracks sampler for the album "Invincible", given to press and radio stations before the physical release of the cd in late 2001.
The 6 tracks "taste" includes probably the first 6 singles planned for a single or a radio airplay release, before Sony decided to discontinue the album promotion after the 2nd single "Cry".
So here you can find the first single released for the album, "You rock my world", "Unbreakable" (planned as the 3rd single in Europe), "Butterflies" (released in US for radio airplay only), "Break of dawn" (planned as a single, then later appeared on the "Number ones" 2003 release), "Cry" and "Heaven can wait" (another planned airplay only single). Promotions plans included also "Whatever happens" as a worldwide release,not included in this promo cd.
The artwork is a detail of the "Invincible" album sleeve, showing an eye of Michael with a violet background instead of the white one used for the "You rock my world" single.





venerdì 2 dicembre 2016

TODAY'S ON THE AIR : 
"THE LADY IN MY LIFE" THRILLER 8-TRACK TAPE STEREO CARTRIDGE
CANADA COLUMBIA HOUSE/EPIC QEA 38112


"There'll be no darkness tonight
Lady our love will shine
Lighting the night
Just put your trust in my heart
And meet me in paradise
Now is the time girl
You're every wonder in this world to me
A treasure time won't steal away
So listen to my heart
Lay your body close to mine
Let me fill you with my dreams
I can make you feel alright
And baby through the years
Gonna love you more each day
So I promise you tonight
That you'll always be the lady in my life..."


THE LADY IN MY LIFE 



mercoledì 30 novembre 2016

FORGOTTEN RELEASES 
AROUND THE WORLD THRILLER DOMINICAN REPUBLIC LP
EPIC QE38112


Do you want to see something harder to find?
Well, let's talk about the Dominican Republic! It seems that "Thriller" got a release EVERYWHERE. Yes, in the pictures below you can see a dominican copy, complete with picture sleeve (not gatefold), and labels as poor as unique : a light blue with an almost green "Epic" logo (Pictures #3 & #4).
How can you see it's from Dominican Republique? There's a small writing on the back sleeve (picture #5) : it means that sometimes a collector must have the Sherlock Holmes eyes!
Needless to say : this press is very very rare!





domenica 27 novembre 2016

RECORD OF THE WEEK : 
TOUR SOUVENIR CD SINGLE JAPAN 
SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION PICTURE CD BOXSET
EPIC/SONY ESCA 5703


Here it is another Showroom's favourite : The Tour Souvenir cd single boxset from Japan!
This box, released in 1992 by Sony Music to promote the Dangerous Tour, includes 5 cds (with the 5th cd as an "extra" for the japanese edition only - the european edition have only 4 discs) and a booklet with infos regarding Michael's career and details about the cds. All 5 cds are picture cds with artwork taken from the albums "Off the wall", "Thriller", "Bad" and "Dangerous". The 5th special cd includes only 1 track, "Come together".
There's another surprise : the 4 cds have all 4 tracks (while the european ones have only 3 - the 4th track on these japanese cds is a remix of one of the songs included on each cd). the 4 tracks are the most famous tracks taken from the reference album.
See picture # for the complete tracklist.
The cds and the booklet are housed in a box filled in a special stickered envelope in plastic.
This is the content :
DISC #1 OFF THE WALL EPIC/SONY ESCA 5703
DISC #2 THRILLER EPIC/SONY ESCA 5704
DISC #3 BAD EPIC/SONY ESCA 5705
DISC #4 DANGEROUS EPIC/SONY ESCA 5706
DISC #5 COME TOGETHER EPIC/SONY ESCA 5707



















sabato 26 novembre 2016

BLAST FROM THE PAST : SIGNATURE SERIES USA PROMO CD ESK 5400
(ADDITIONAL PHOTOS INCLUDED)

 
This cd was scheduled to be released in 1993 to promote the Sony Discmans - the idea was to include it in a special box including a discman and a cd from the Sony artists catalogue (on the back sleeve you can notice the writing "Not for individual resale") - but after the cds production started, the promotion plans changed, and the release of the cds withdrawn. Therefore,a few copies are still around...and in a very small quantities. The Michael Jackson "Signature series" cd contains 4 tracks, and includes an unique version of Heal the world with a special Michael speech on his Heal the world foundation's goal,still unreleased on any format. Second track is Todo mi amor eres tu (the well-known spanish version of I just can't stop loving you), 3rd track is a rare remix of Billie Jean called "Four on the floor remix" (later released on some relases of Thriller 25 USA cds) and the fourth and last track is the "Tommy D's main mix" of Wanna be startin'somethin'.
This cd is truly a masterpiece, probably limited to 50/100 copies and certainly one of the most sought-after among all Michael Jackson collectors.

TRACKLIST :
1 - HEAL THE WORLD
(INCLUDING A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM MICHAEL)
2 - TODO MI AMOR ERES TU
(VOCAL DUET WITH SIEDAH GARRETT)
3 - BILLIE JEAN
(FOUR ON THE FLOOR REMIX - RADIO EDIT)
4 - WANNA BE STARTIN'SOMETHIN'
(TOMMY D'S MAIN MIX)