You might listen to an album and wonder how it was made. Was it an easy process, where the songs were written and recorded fairly quickly? Was it challenging, with pushback from an artist or management? There is a lot involved in making an album, no matter who it is for or what the album is about. But of course, when it’s a greatest hits album and when it’s for the one and only “King of Pop,” the stakes are extra high.
On October 15, Dan Beck’s “You’ve Got Michael”: Living Through HIStory will shed light on what it was like to market Michael Jackson’s 1995 greatest hits album, HIStory. Readers will learn how Beck worked with Jackson on the project, as Beck became Jackson’s main marketing contact at Epic Records in 1991. He dives into the complexities of navigating such talent at a pivotal point in Jackson’s career, when rumors about Jackson’s personal life were overshadowing his work and threatening the success of his career.
Across the memoir’s 290 pages, Beck pulls back the curtain to reveal the business side of things. From the frequent phone calls at two in the morning to the desperation to get Jackson to finish the songs for HIStory to the unexpected developments that come from dealing with an unparalleled star at one of the most difficult times in his career, “You’ve Got Michael”: Living Through HIStory really offers a unique and personal glimpse into the record industry. All the while, it ties together how this industry was impacted by one of the biggest icons in the business, whose decision-making was obscured by the impact of monumental fame.
Beck shares,
“I wish I could put Michael Jackson in some neat compartment of my brain. Some gray matter that could integrate the intrigue, the sense of responsibility, the exhaustion, the utter helplessness, the power, the joy, the dread, the embarrassment, the pride, the awe, the pity and, yes, the thrill of working with Michael Jackson.”
Overall, Beck spent twenty years at Epic Records, serving as the Head of Publicity, as the Product Manager, and as the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales. In addition to working with Michael Jackson, Beck was responsible for spearheading marketing and media strategies for world-renown artists like Cyndi Lauper, Luther Vandross, Pear Jam, and Boston, to name a few. Additionally, he has written songs with Dion DiMucci and Felix Cavaliere. Aside from Epic, Beck launched V2 Records for Virgin and the entertainment marketing company Big Honcho Media. He also produced the hearing conservation documentary Listen Smart, which won a CINE Golden Eagle Award.
“You’ve Got Michael”: Living Through HIStory will be released October 15 via Trouser Press Books. You can pre-order a copy here.
