French magazine reportedly confirms MJ's involvement with Sonic 3 soundtrack -- Joystiq

French magazine reportedly confirms MJ's involvement with Sonic 3 soundtrack

by Griffin McElroy { Dec 3rd 2009 at 2:30PM }

One of the longest running rumors of the video game community is the claim that Michael Jackson contributed to the soundtrack for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 to some degree -- a claim bolstered by a number of similarities between the game's tunes and Jackson's own body of work. Now, more than 15 years after the game's release, we might have confirmation that the late King of Pop was responsible for the threequel's incredibly catchy ditties.

According to a forum post on gaming music enthusiast site VGMdb.net, the latest issue of French Michael Jackson fan magazine Black & White contains an interview with composer Brad Buxer, who explains that he and Michael "did compose music for the game." However, due to the Genesis' less-than-mindblowing sound quality, Jackson reportedly asked that his name not appear on the game, as he "did not want to be associated with a product that devalued his music."

According to poster's transcript of the interview, Buxer also confirmed that we weren't imagining the aforementioned melodic similarities -- Jackson and Buxer apparently managed to adapt some of their work on the game for later use in their own music. Specifically, Buxer mentioned the melody for the game's closing credits were "used as base for Stranger in Moscow."

Also, "Man in the Mirror?" Totally written about Doctor Robotnik.

Tags: michael-jackson, music, sega, sonic, sonic-the-hedgehog, sonic-the-hedgehog-3, soundtrack

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Dec 3rd 2009 2:34PM

that makes two things that have been dead to me since the early nineties...

Solace @ Dec 3rd 2009 2:45PM

*insert instant rim-shot here*

Dr. Orpheus @ Dec 3rd 2009 3:03PM

France died in the early ninties?

Tiptup300 @ Dec 3rd 2009 3:10PM

Project Needle Nose better have amazing music, not this fucking retarded "EGG MAN! OH YOUR HEART BURNS LOOOOOOONG!"

Make them extremely catchy and if they sound retarded don't worry about going to the lower sound quality of the Genesis.

Ghaleon @ Dec 3rd 2009 2:36PM

I'm pretty sick of the Genesis' soundchip getting ripped on. So what if it sucked for voices, there's still tons of great music.

iamnotafish @ Dec 3rd 2009 2:42PM

I agree. The ending theme for Streets of Rage 2 still makes me smile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTLHBWOthCg

Granger @ Dec 3rd 2009 2:44PM

But it sucked for music too. Sure there are some great tunes produced by it, but everything was tinny and cheap. It was in that awkward place between the perfectly simple NES and the clear and complex SNES.

AirIntake @ Dec 3rd 2009 4:13PM

@iamnotafish: I recorded that song on a cassette tape years ago to listen to in the car.

Abob Lyndsae @ Dec 3rd 2009 4:48PM

The Genesis synth could produce better music than the SNES when the soundtrack was INTENDED to sound synthesized. Compare the excellent and monstrously heavy Ys 3 soundtrack on Genesis to the weak-sounding one on SNES—or even the redbook audio of the TGCD version. And whatever your opinion of the Streets of Rage 3 soundtrack is (personally, I think it's fantastic), you have to admit that it couldn't have been done, or at least not done well, with MIDI samples on the SNES. I'd say the same about most of the Sonic series' music—it's the right style of music for the Genesis synth, and it wouldn't have been nearly as distinctive without it.

IAnd as far as the Icecap Zone theme goes, it's not only one of the best pieces of Sonic music, it's one of the better pieces of Michael Jackson music. Seriously, it's catchier than pretty much everything he did after Bad, and probably could have been a huge hit, had he worked it into a song instead.

Deadpool @ Dec 3rd 2009 10:39PM

Let's compare shall we?

Maximum Carnage

SNES
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gskDcG7WLNs
Genesis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRelkkCWJS8

If I had to listen to one on the radio, it would definitely be snes version.

Nicknin10do @ Dec 3rd 2009 2:37PM

And Sonic 3 had the best music in all the games.
Will be missed MJ =(

HighFiveJesus @ Dec 3rd 2009 2:38PM

thats awesome. i love stranger in moscow.

captainprotonx @ Dec 3rd 2009 2:41PM

He really loved videogames like no other celebrity.

Damn shame all around.

Thanks for the tunes, Michael.

Temidien @ Dec 3rd 2009 2:41PM

I can't help but picture Pedobear in place of Sonic in that pic. Too perfect.

HighFiveJesus @ Dec 3rd 2009 2:47PM

keep the 4chan shit off my joystiq.

dark_inchworm (stronger than never, ever before) @ Dec 3rd 2009 4:29PM

maybe you should stick with your Picard facepalm that you're so protective of

RKN (Steam ID: nerdydesi) @ Dec 3rd 2009 2:48PM

Why do these details always have to leak after the person's death?

Devastater9951 @ Dec 3rd 2009 2:49PM

I thought this was already established?

Storm Eagle [Resident Capcom Megafan] @ Dec 3rd 2009 2:49PM

I always knew that deep down, the music for Ice Cap sounded like Smooth Criminal.

It all makes sense now:

Ice Cap: Favorite Sonic 3 track
Smooth Criminal: Favorite MJ song

It all finally comes together.

Thanks, MJ!

charlie b. @ Dec 3rd 2009 2:52PM

that photo is terrifying.

Captain Planet [Planeteer | Power of Captain Planet] @ Dec 3rd 2009 3:06PM

So that's what happened to Tails.

NDrew2 @ Dec 3rd 2009 3:09PM

Isn't Joystiq a French magazine?

Grammar freak @ Dec 3rd 2009 3:14PM

Sonic 3's music was decent, but I much prefer the new wavey/electropoppy soundtracks of 1 and 2. The boss tunes for instance drove fear into my heart.

ducttapeBigSexy (PSN&XBL: ducttape12) @ Dec 3rd 2009 3:15PM

(Slightly off topic) I've never understood why everyone bashes celebs while they're alive, and praises them as gods after they kill themselves (with drugs or otherwise).

MJ is a prefect example. When he was alive, the only way you'd hear his name was as the punch line of a pedophile joke. Now that he's dead, all you ever hear is how amazing he was. For all you "born again MJ fans", don't you think that he would have liked to hear this out pour of affection while he was, you know, alive to hear it?

Tiptup300 @ Dec 3rd 2009 3:26PM

Yeah, I still crack the pedophile jokes.

Why, you may ask? Not because they may or may not be true, but because they are funny. Nothing wrong with some harmless humor.

TwEE @ Dec 3rd 2009 3:55PM

People always love to watch "heroes" fall.

Dirty @ Dec 3rd 2009 5:00PM

Just like Michael Jackson used to love to watch children's pants fall.

halongw77 @ Dec 3rd 2009 6:10PM

I just think it's too soon to start cracking jokes. We should respect the dead a little longer than 4/5 months. And not to mention Michael Jackson got plenty of praise when he was still alive so that's why you hear so many good words after his death. You can't deny how influential he was. It's not Michael's controversies that should be remembered, it's his work.

Alex @ Dec 3rd 2009 6:27PM

You are discustingly misinformed about a number of things that you should research in depth because thruth is not always easy to find.

1. Michael was not a Pedofile only the tabloids and other junk use this as publicty $$
2. Michael did not kill him self with drugs. He was given them and the dosis by Dr. Murray which dr.murray injected into him. Mr. murray also did on purpose not call the ambulance for over an hour while he was suffering cardiac arrest.
3. Michael was always praised by millions of fans around the world however they were afraid to admit to that as they would be slayed by misinformed haters.

A classic example of this is that I will be downranked.

Quattro @ Dec 3rd 2009 9:17PM

But I've always liked MJ.

Traceur_Ryuk [Founder of The Anti-EMCB(tm) and co-leader of ATDF] (PSN: Ryuk_shinigami) @ Dec 3rd 2009 10:04PM

I was a fan before death, fuckers... lol

ducttapeBigSexy (PSN&XBL: ducttape12) @ Dec 4th 2009 6:48PM

@Alex
1. Please re-read my comment. I never implied that he was a pedophile, only that he was a punch line in numerous pedophile jokes.

2. Numerous others declined to give those drugs to MJ and warned him of the dangers. Not to mention he did have drug problems in the past (Lisa Presley said so herself). You can justify it anyway you like, but the man had problems with drugs.

3. A real fan has no problem admitting his or her fondness for something, even if he or she will be made fun of. Most of these "fans" just decided to jump on the bandwagon when it was cool to like Michael Jackson again. (This is not to imply that he didn't have hardcore fans before his death - just that almost everyone has jumped on the bandwagon since his death)