Dangerous World Tour

In January 1989, Jackson finished his Bad tour, his first as a solo artist, which had grossed over $125 million. Initially he planned not to tour again and concentrate on making albums and films. Following the release of his eighth studio album Dangerous in November 1991, a press conference was held on February 3, 1992 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City to announce the Dangerous Tour.[1][2] The event, attended by 200 people, was organized by Jackson's sponsor Pepsi with the artist also present. Jackson explained his sole reason for touring once more was to raise funds for his newly-formed Heal the World Foundation to aid children and the environment. He aimed to raise $100 million for the charity by Christmas 1993.[2] It was revealed that Jackson planned to perform across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Australia, with no dates in the United States or Canada.[1] Jackson commented: "I am looking forward to this tour because it will allow me to devote time to visiting children all around the world, as well as spread the message of global love, in the hope that others will be moved to do their share to help heal the world".[3]

Michael Jackson performing in his 2nd leg of the Dangerous World Tour

Michael Jackson performing Will You Be There in Monza while in concert, 1992.

In June 1992, a Russian Antonov AN-124 cargo jet, then the world's largest operating airplane, was booked to transport the equipment and stage set from Los Angeles to London for the opening European leg.[4] However, problems regarding its civilian aircraft certification led to Jackson using a Federal Express Boeing 747 instead.[5] Upon arrival, the equipment was transported across Europe by 65 lorries.[4] The cargo included 1,000 lights, 10 miles of electrical cable, 9 video screens, and 168 speakers.[6] Around 2 tons of clothing was transported. The outfits were designed by Michael Bush and Dennis Tompkins, who worked with Jackson to gain an idea on what he wanted, and aimed to "bring his ideas to life".[7] Two outfits were 9 feet tall, 7 feet wide, and weighed 40 lbs each, with fibre optic lights controlled by a computerised laser. One jacket was fitted with a battery belt generating 3,000 volts to light the 36 strobe lights on it. Another had hidden flaps to conceal explosive effects.[7] 1,000 yards of fabric from Europe was used to make the costumes, including a black and gold outfit for Jackson which included 18-karat gold.[7] The costumes alone cost $2 million.[8]

Jackson performing Human Nature.

The show incorporated various stage illusions. Among them was the "toaster" effect where Jackson entered the stage on a rapidly rising catapult from underneath, sending off pyrotechnics at the same time. His sister Janet Jackson said: "That opening was kick-ass. I'm sitting in the sound tower and all the kids are everywhere. And when he jumped out of whatever the hell that thing was [...] the kids in front of me were looking back and I didn't even know it".[9] Most of the 1992 shows included a stage trick during the transition from "Thriller" to "Billie Jean", whereby Jackson walks into two pillars and is secretly switched with a werewolf-masked backup dancer while he changes outfits for "Billie Jean". The masked "Jackson" is placed into a coffin which disappears when dancers posing as the skeletons and zombies drape a cloth over the coffin and pull it out. Jackson then appears on an upper stage level and sings "Billie Jean". When the full trick was not performed, it featured a sequence with the Jackson impersonator and the backup dancers performing dances from "Thriller". In some legs of the tour, the Jackson impersonator would go back stage after singing the main chorus of the song, instead of doing a reprise of the "Thriller" dance, and the Zombie backup-dancers would do reprise of the dance by themselves.

Singer Michael Jackson live in Lisbon, Portugal on September 26, 1992 as part of his international tour, very close to the end of first leg.

The original set list for the 1992 leg featured "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Bad", but these were taken out after the eighth concert in Oslo, Norway. However, these two songs were returned for the performances in Tokyo, Japan.

During the Europe leg in 1992, MTV was allowed to film backstage and broadcast six fifteen-minute episodes of the tour. The show was called The Dangerous Diaries and was presented by Sonya Saul. MTV released footage of "Billie Jean" and "Black Or White" at the first show in Munich. "Billie Jean" was released with 2 different versions, one by MTV as a special, and the other on the Dangerous Diaries documentary. Both versions have placed a snippet of Jackson's original a cappella recording for "Billie Jean" over the live vocals when Jackson throws his fedora.

The October 1, 1992, concert in Bucharest, Romania was filmed for broadcast on the HBO network on October 10. Jackson sold the film rights for the concert for $20 million, then the highest amount for a concert performer to appear on television.[10] The special earned Jackson the second of two CableACE Awards of his career, this one for Outstanding Performance Musical Special.[11]

Jackson performing Smooth Criminal, one of his many hits.

The Toulouse, France concert performed on September 16, 1992 featured a special instrumental performance of the first half of the song "In the Closet" as an interlude between the songs "Heal the World" and "Man in the Mirror". Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, who was the "Mystery Girl" in the actual song, was in attendance at this concert. This concert marked the first and only time that this song was performed during this tour, although it was performed on his next tour.

Slash made guest appearances for three performances of "Black or White": Oviedo, Spain in September 1992, the New Year's Eve concert in Tokyo, Japan on December 31, 1992, and the last concert in Spain September 26, 1993 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands).

The September 1, 1993 concert in Singapore was scheduled for August 30, 1993, but was rescheduled due to Jackson collapsing before the show.

Jackson performing the hit single Beat It in concert, the song is apart of the Thriller album, still the best-selling album of all time.[12]

During his visit to Moscow in September, Jackson came up with the song "Stranger in Moscow" which would be released on his 1995 album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. It was during a time when Jackson felt very alone, far away from his family and friends, yet every night throughout his tours fans would stay by his hotel and support him.[13]

Unlike many previous years, Jackson was the only performer in the entire Super Bowl XXVII halftime show on January 31, 1993.[14] The show started with Jackson dancing on certain jumbotrons, followed by impersonators that posed on top of the screen, which gave the illusion of Jackson moving from one side of the stadium to the other. Then Jackson himself catapulted on stage and simply stood frozen in front of the audience.

Jackson's set began with a mashup of "Jam" and "Why You Wanna Trip on Me", followed by performances of "Billie Jean" and "Black or White". The finale featured an audience card stunt, a video montage showing Jackson participating in various humanitarian efforts around the world, and a choir of 3,500 local Los Angeles area children singing "We Are the World", later joining Jackson as he sang his single "Heal the World".[15]

It was the first Super Bowl where the audience figures increased during the half-time show. Jackson was chosen to boost interest and viewership. in 1992, a live episode of In Living Color drew higher ratings than the halftime show, prompting NFL and FOX television officials to look at signing high-level talent to perform. Jackson originally asked a $1 million fee to perform. The NFL, which normally only pays the expenses for performers, instead donated $100,000 to Jackson's Heal the World Foundation.[16]

• Kris Kross
• Rozalla
• TLC
• D'Influence (England and Scotland)
• Snap! (Bucharest)
• Culture Beat (1993 European dates)

All concerts were professionally filmed by Nocturne Productions Inc., which filmed all of Jackson's tours and private affairs. During the 1992 European leg of the tour, MTV was given permission to film backstage reports, interview the cast and film live performance. The mini-show was hosted by Sonya Saul and had six, 15-minute mini-episodes of concerts in Munich, Werchter, Dublin, Hamburg, Cardiff, London, Leeds, Berlin, Oviedo and Madrid. Performances include "Billie Jean", "Black or White", "Jam", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", and "Will You Be There". The concert in Bucharest on October 1, 1992, was filmed and broadcast on television all across the world, giving HBO the highest rating garnered in cable TV History, with an unedited version airing on the BBC. The concert film titled Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour was officially released on DVD on July 25, 2005. Full concerts at Oslo (July 15th, 1992) and Copenhagen (July 20th, 1992) were fundraised for online by the fans, and performances at Bremen (August 8th, 1992), Buenos Aires (October 12th, 1993) and several scattered amateur recordings have been leaked and can be found on YouTube.[18]

MJ: The Musical is a jukebox musical that will premiere on Broadway in 2021. "The show takes audiences behind the scenes as Michael prepares for the 1992 Dangerous Tour, providing an in-depth look at his process. As Michael and his collaborators rehearse their epic setlist, we are transported to pivotal creative moments from his career." The show is set to feature over 25 of Michael Jackson's biggest hits.[19]

Notes

Citations

Sources

• George, Nelson (2004). Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection booklet. Sony BMG.