Twelve unreleased Michael Jackson tracks found in abandoned storage unit

A former Highway Patrol officer discovered the tapes in a storage unit previously owned by one of Jackson's collaborators.

By William Hughes  |  December 12, 2024 | 11:15pm
Photo: Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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Twelve unreleased Michael Jackson tracks found in abandoned storage unit
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Twelve unreleased tracks from Michael Jackson—recorded circa 1990, in the lead up to Dangerous—have been found by musical archeologists in an abandoned California storage unit, THR reports. Found by a former California Highway Patrol officer, the tapes were discovered in a storage unit previously owned by Bryan Loren, a music producer who worked with Jackson during the era in question. Jackson and Loren can be heard collaborating on the tapes, which include comments about the songs, several of which have only been rumored to have ever been recorded.

The songs in question include “Truth On Youth,” a track that’s been previously discussed by LL Cool J, who rapped on it—alongside Jackson, making it a rare foray into the musical style for the King Of Pop. Other songs include ones titled “Don’t Believe It” and “Seven Digits,” the title of the latter apparently referencing morgue identification numbers.

Per THR, it sounds unlikely the tapes will ever get a formal release: The guy who found them, Gregg Musgrove, brought them to the Jackson estate when he found them, and was told they declined to purchase them. (He’s planning on auctioning the physical tapes off for what’s expected to be a ludicrous amount of money, as one does.) However, the estate did make it clear that it still owns the copyright to any material on the tapes, meaning it’d have to approve any commercial releases of the songs, which seems unlikely.

 
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