by Mark R. Elsis
It was about 5 am on November 29, 1981, and I was standing near the back of the first-floor bar at the famous Manhattan after-hours club, AM-PM. Interestingly, I was at the same spot where a few months earlier I also met and talked with John Belushi. I was standing by myself having a drink when someone from quite far away caught my eye. He had just come into the club and was walking in my direction. I perceived a brilliant whitish aura around this guy. As he walked closer, I stepped back a few steps to intercept his path. When he was directly in front of me, I said to him, there is something remarkably special about you, who are you? He momentarily stopped, we looked at each other, but he didn't say a word. As he walked away, it was only then, when I noticed the entourage with him.
I stepped back to the bar, but soon became increasingly perturbed at his lack of an answer. I never intentionally met anyone and given them such a compliment like that before. After I had thought about it for a couple of minutes, I decided to locate this person and find out just who he was.
So, I went up to the exclusive third floor, and asked the bartender, I called Balance, did you see the entourage? He said yes, and pointed over to the private VIP room. I walked over to this special glass enclosed room, and as I slowly opened the door, directly to my left was the aura guy. Just as I was about to give him a piece of my mind, he totally disarmed me, by politely asking me to please sit down next to him. I did. [I called the bartender Balance, because he was extraordinarily gifted with his juggling of bottles. This was seven years before the film Cocktail with Tom Cruise.]
As I sat down, I quickly realized the room was filled with around 20 people, all black. There was also a most beautiful young woman sitting next to the aura guy. When we started to talk, I knew he was someone important by the exceedingly intelligent way he spoke, but couldn't figure out who he was. This intrigued me, so right away I said my name is Mark, what is your name? He looked me straight in the eye and said, does it really matter? The young woman also answered, but I can't recall her name. What I do remember about her, was her unpretentiousness, and stunning beauty.
We talked for around an hour, covering many different subjects. At one point the man who started and ran AM-PM, Vito Bruno, came into the private VIP room, along with a waitress. I remember him being particularly gracious with these guests. The mystery aura man that I was sitting next to and talking with, was asked if he wanted a bottle or glass of Dom Pérignon. He said, no thank you. He asked for and drank a Pellegrino.
During our conversation, I told him I was an environmental, humanitarian poet here to save our species from extinction. I then said to him that I had recently written a poem, Somehow Succeed, about how we are paired, so conflict will grow. I asked if he would like to hear it. He said yes. So, I recited it to him and the beautiful young woman.
Are we scared
Because we don't know
Are we paired
So conflict will grow
Are we bred
To learn to conform
Are we led
To kill and mourn
Will life cease
Because of greed
Or will peace
Somehow succeed
It's up to you
It's up to me
To change ourselves
To somehow see
They both like Somehow Succeed. The aura guy asked if I would recited it again, so I did. Afterwards I started to explain it line by line, and when I got to, Are we paired, So conflict will grow, I said we are separated by class, race, religion and politics so conflict will fester and flourish. It was the old tried and true routine of the powerful to divide and conquer. Then I said, it was like the Jets and the Sharks of West Side Story. [With 37 weeks at number one Thriller remains the album by a single artist with the most weeks at the top spot in the almost 60-year archives of the Billboard 200. Inexplicably bizarre, only the West Side Story soundtrack has reigned longer, with 54 weeks at number one.]
As soon as I said the Jets and the Sharks of West Side Story, a light bulb went on in his mind, and I saw through his eyes, that magic called creativity was transpiring. I finished explaining Somehow Succeed, we then talked about other topics, including, we must create and promote love to counter the fear, is there a right and wrong, and the assassination of John Lennon.
As the conversation was ending, I again asked the mystery man, what is your name? Again he said to me, does it really matter, Mark? Almost immediately thereafter we said our goodbyes and everyone left the private VIP room. I then walked up to the bartender Balance, and asked him, did he know who I just talked with for the last hour? At first he thought I was joking around with him, but when he realized that I really didn't know, he started to laugh at me in disbelief. Finally he told me, Mark, for the last hour or so you have been talking with Michael Jackson.
It was only then, I found out who I'd been talking with. I was astonished that I didn't recognize him, because I was exceptionally knowledgeable about popular music back then, and his latest album, Off The Wall, had already sold more than ten million copies.
Beat It, the first video released off the new Michael Jackson album Thriller had its world premiere on MTV (Music Television) during prime time on March 31, 1983. The video cost approximately 150,000 USD to create and was filmed on Los Angeles' Skid Row, mainly on locations on East 5th Street, on March 9, 1983. The premiere was being promoted by MTV beforehand, so I made sure I watched it. After I did, I finally knew what was inside the light bulb that night at AM-PM. It was the genesis of Beat It, from my poem Somehow Succeed and the Jets and Sharks of West Side Story.
Knowing that I planted the seed within Michael Jackson and inspired him to create Beat It, is one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. His musical and dancing genius got the message out, that violence is not the answer, and we are all the same.
Produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson, Beat It, received two Grammy Awards, for Record of the Year and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. It also received two American Music Awards. The video was inducted into the Music Video Producers Hall of Fame. The enormous crossover popularity into rock and roll was facilitated by the great guitar playing of Eddie Van Halen.
Most importantly, the single Beat It, along with its music video, propelled Thriller into becoming the best-selling album of all time. The happenstance of Michael Jackson and I meeting that night in AM-PM, created a miracle to make the world a better place.
This brings a smile to my face and joy to my heart, every day of my life.
Bless you, Michael Joseph Jackson.
Beat It
by Michael Jackson
https://www.bitchute.com/video/Znre3Jvvbmri
Beat It
They told him don't you ever come around here
Don't want to see your face, you better disappear
The fire's in their eyes and their words are really clear
So beat it, just beat it
You better run, you better do what you can
Don't want to see no blood, don't be a macho man
You want to be tough, better do what you can
So beat it, but you want to be bad
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it
Just beat it, beat it
Just beat it, beat it
Just beat it, beat it
They're out to get you, better leave while you can
Don't want to be a boy, you want to be a man
You want to stay alive, better do what you can
So beat it, just beat it
You have to show them that you're really not scared
You're playin' with your life, this ain't no truth or dare
They'll kick you, then they beat you,
Then they'll tell you it's fair
So beat it, but you want to be bad
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it
Beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or who's right
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it
Beat it, beat it, beat it
Written by Michael Joe Jackson • With inspiration by Mark R. Elsis
". . . Beat me, hate me
You can never break me
Will me, thrill me
You can never kill me
Jew me, sue me
Everybody do me
Kick me, kike me
Don't you black or white me . . ."
Written by Michael Joe Jackson
Michael Jackson was the number one musician on Earth at the time he wrote the song, They Don't Care About Us. He carefully crafted these lyrics for a very specific reason. So, I find it quite interesting, and telling, that two words of the lyrics, Jew and kike, have been assiduously removed from every online video version by the same group of people he is talking about. These people not only run the music business, but through their usury and control of nearly every central bank, they own almost everything else. This is the only song I've ever heard where lyrics are muffled so you can't hear them.
Which makes me ask an extremely important question, who killed Michael Jackson?
They Don’t Care About Us (Brazil Version)
by Michael Jackson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNJL6nfu__Q
They Don't Care About Us (Prison Version)
by Michael Jackson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1pqi8vjTLY
Michael Joseph Jackson (Official Website)
If you enjoyed this article, please read the article I wrote about meeting John Denver. Meeting Michael Jackson and John Denver are from a book that I am writing about all of my meetings with famous people, and my many fascinating and wondrous stories.
John Denver
Love Is Why I Came Here In The First Place
by Mark R. Elsis
Meetings and Stories
by Mark R. Elsis
https://MeetingsAndStories.com