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!

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

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for individual resale") - but after the cds production started, the promotion plans changed, and the release of the cds withdrawn.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)

DANGEROUS 25 WEEK SPECIAL ENDING :

A DANGEROUS OVERLOOK

The final tribute post to "Dangerous" is an ensemble of the Showroom's DANGEROUS cds. Original releases, special editions and reissues are here all together. Beware, this is a great number, but these cds are NOT all the releases. Still some rare pressings are missing...and, you know....as always, "the hunt continues...."

 

 

DANGEROUS 25 WEEK SPECIAL
RECORD OF THE WEEK : 
DANGEROUS BRAZIL PICTURE DISC TEST PRESS 
PLAYING RICHARD CLAYDERMAN SONGS
EPIC/SONY XSLP-970/971 144.775

How can the Showroom close this sepcial "Dangerous 25" tribute week?
The only way to stay on the top is showing truly a masterpiece. THE masterpiece, recognizxed as one of the rarest records in the whole Michael Jackson's discography.
So let's go in Brazil, today, to see which item deserves the honour of being presented as the "record of the week"!
This "Dangerous" picture disc from Brazil is probably, with "Smile", the most famous and sought-after item among MJ's collectors.
It was produced in 1991 by Sony music Brazil in a very small quantities ("Black & white" magazine reports only 26 copies were produced) as a test-press for some record company's executives before the release of the album. Because the album wasn't still ready for its release, some Richard Clayderman's "Christmas songs" vinyls have been used to make this test-press.
When Sony Brazil realized that the album was a double record, and its production requested a longer time (with a possibly further delay of the album release) deleted the release, and decided to destroy all these "sample" copies (but I think no one did it!).
The picture disc shows the same "album" sleeve designed by Mark Ryden on both sides and it has a clear rim with matrix numbers on each side. It can come with a white "frame" sleeve with a large hole, or with a Sony Music blue & white brazilian sleeve.

DANGEROUS 25 WEEK SPECIAL :
BLACK OR WHITE GREECE 12'' SINGLE
EPIC/SONY EPC657598 6
 
Well, greek pressing are very hard to find. Several singles were released from "BAD" (but not all), and even though we can learn something new, day by day, I'm quite sure that "Black or white" could be the last 12'' pressed in Greece - at the same time of the "Dangerous" lp which is the last lp press from this country. This 12'' single, with the same artwork of the dutch & spanish presses, has differences on the back sleeve and - of course - on the labels, with the "Epic" logo clearer and different writing fonts. This record is even more difficult to find in good conditions!

DANGEROUS 25 WEEK SPECIAL
TODAY'S ON THE AIR : "GONE TOO SOON"
GONE TOO SOON AUSTRALIA CASSINGLE 
EPIC/SONY 659986 4

"...Like the loss of sunlight
On a cloudy afternoon
Gone too soon
Like a castle
Built upon a sandy beach
Gone too soon
Like a perfect flower
That is just beyond your reach
Gone too soon
Born to amuse, to inspire, to delight
Here one day
Gone one night
Like a sunset
Dying with the rising of the moon
Gone too soon
Gone too soon...."

GONE TOO SOON (VIDEO) 

DANGEROUS 25 WEEK SPECIAL :
SOMEONE PUT YOUR SET OUT - SOMEONE PUT YOUR HAND OUT UK CASSETTE 
  EPIC/SONY EPC982789 4
- SOMEONE PUT YOUR HAND OUT HOLLAND CASSETTE
  EPIC/SONY EPC982789 4
- SOMEONE PUT YOUR HAND OUT JAPAN 1991 3'' SINGLE
  EPIC/SONY TDDD 90052
- SOMEONE PUT YOUR HAND OUT JAPAN 1992 3'' SINGLE
  EPIC/SONY TDDD 90052
- SOMEONE PUT YOUR HAND OUT UK PROMO SET INCL. CASSETTE,
  A4 POSTER,TOUR PRESS RELEASE & TOUR STICKER

"Someone put your hand out" was released in May 1992 in Europe as an exclusive Pepsi promotional single, to promote Jackson’s upcoming Dangerous World Tour. 500,000 copies were made available by collecting a winning token from Pepsi cans and bottles. It was also released as part of an exclusive Pepsi promotional pack in June 1992 throughout Europe and the United Kingdom. The promotional pack included a Michael Jackson poster, a promotional sticker, a press release about Jackson’s upcoming Dangerous World Tour and a cassette single of "Someone Put Your Hand Out". The song was also twice released on a 3" CD promotional-only copy in Japan. in 1001 the promo cd was given ONLY to Sony employees, while a 1992 re-release was distributed as winner prizes for the same Pepsi contest launched in Europe.
The cassettes have the same cardboard case, so it's very hard to distinguish them unless you open the box and see what's written on the cassette itself (made in Holland, or made in UK).
The japanese 3''s, have the same snap-pack front sleeve, but on the back the first release says "1991 - compiled by Sony music entertainment Japan", while the other "1992 - MJJ productions inc." (see picture #6)

 

DANGEROUS 25 WEEK SPECIAL
RECORD(S) OF THE WEEK : 
JAM USA PROMO CDS - JAM USA PROMO #1 (Jam these multiflavoured mixes)
EPIC/SONY ESK 74333
- JAM USA PROMO #2 (Jam hard on these mixes)
EPIC/SONY ESK 4583

Well, these are probably among the Showroom's favourite promos.
"Jam" was released in July 13, 1992, as the fourth single (in USA) taken from the "Dangerous album". The amazing video shows 2 MJ's (Michael Jackson/Michael Jordan), the King of pop learning to dance to Jordan, and Jordan returning the favor by learning to play basketball to Michael. The picture sleeve chosen for the commercial singles is a photoshoot taken from the video, but the best sleeve is on these U.S. only promos, full of remixes, with the 2 MJ's playing basketball. A few copies of these promos (not mine, unfortunately) come with a mini "jam" basket ball and a little mounted hoop. The 2 cd have the same artwork but different background colours (white/yellow), different colour backcovers and different stickers. Truly, a wonderful view for any collector!

DANGEROUS 25 WEEK SPECIAL :
Today's ON THE AIR : BLACK OR WHITE VENEZUELA PROMO 12''
EPIC/SONY MUSIC 3.99.159

"They print my message in the Saturday Sun

I had to tell them I ain't second to none

And I told about equality and it's true
Either you're wrong or you're right

But, if you're thinkin' about my baby
It don't matter if you're black or white

I am tired of this devil
I am tired of this stuff
I am tired of this business
Sew when the going gets rough
I ain't scared of your brother
I ain'ts scared of no sheets
I ain't scared of nobody
Girl when the goin' gets mean...."

 

BLACK OR WHITE (VIDEO)