MICHAEL JACKSON & FREDDIE MERCURY '83 DEMOS PLUS M.J./QUEEN MASHUP! (R.I.P. Michael Jackson)

Michael Jackson joining Freddie Mercury in Pop Star Heaven seems an opportune moment to post the two demo tracks co-written and recorded by the legendary singers in 1983, first leaked online 7 years ago. The collaboration was mentioned in Queen guitarist Brian May's statement on Jackson's death yesterday.

Needless to say, neither track was ever released, probably with good reason...

"There Must Be More to Life Than This" is a rather soppy, power-ish ballad, somewhat reminiscent of Queen's earlier "Save Me" and later "Is This the World We Created?," only not half as good as either. Mercury's own version would appear on his first solo album.

"State of Shock" is the dumb dance number which Jackson later reworked with Mick Jagger for the Jacksons' penultimate album, 1984's lousy Victory. (The Victory Tour, on the other hand...well, suffice it to say I was about a mile from the stage at RFK Stadium that night in September 1984, but still. I.Was.There.)

So check the tracks out and judge for yourself; direct links are below. Listening to them 25 years on, I note the irony that, in death, Freddie Mercury was pushed off the coveted cover of Rolling Stone by...Michael Jackson:

(Although Freddie probably never would have made the cover anyway, given the total lack of attention, much less respect, Queen got from RS when he was, y'know, alive.)

Finally, last but not hardly least comes "Jacko Under Pressure", a magnificent mashup of Jackson's "Rock with You" and Queen's "Under Pressure" created by Mark Vidler of Go Home Productions. It's very likely my favorite mashup of all time.

R.I.P. Michael, R.I.P. Freddie...now r-i-p these while you can.

MICHAEL JACKSON AND FREDDIE MERCURY
Studio demo recordings, 1983
"State of Shock"
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"There Must Be More to Life Than This"
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GO HOME PRODUCTIONS
Michael Jackson/Queen mashup, 2003
"Jacko Under Pressure"
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