Michael Jackson penned and recorded lots of songs, many of which remain unreleased. Perhaps the most infamous, and rarest recording, is his version of Behind the Mask. Legend has it that upon hearing Yellow Magic Orchestra's original track, somewhen around 1979, Quincy Jones fell in love with the track, and he and Michael worked together on their own version. Jackson wrote new lyrics for it - adding to those of Ryuichi Sakamoto and Chris Mosdell - and eventually recorded it during his Off The Wall sessions. For unknown reasons the track never made the final cut of, arguably, Jones' and Jackson's greatest work. Not long afterwards Greg Phillinganes, Jackson's keyboard player, released his own version of the song, which was later taken up and re-recorded by Eric Clapton for his 1986, Phil Collins produced album, August. The track has since been recorded/remixed by Human League, Senor Coconut, Orbital and others. Does an original Jones/Jackson recording of the song even exist? Perhaps, as the world continues to mourn the star's sad death, someone will finally allow us a listen.
posted by 0bvious on Jul 1, 2009 - 31 comments

The year 2008 in photographs (boston.com, parts 2 & 3 coming tomorrow and the next day)
posted by allkindsoftime on Dec 17, 2008 - 28 comments

On this day in 2002, Canada's Govenor General declared "A Day of Commemoration of the Great Upheaval," which continues to be observed. In short, it marks the expulsion of the Acadians from what is now Nova Scotia. Their decedents became what are now known as Cajuns. It is still memorialized, both in Louisiana, as well as in Nova Scotia. Longfellow's poem, Evangeline tells this tale. How did I find this out? In the funny pages.
posted by MrGuilt on Jul 28, 2008 - 15 comments

Every issue of The Times published between 1785-1985, digitally scanned and fully searchable. (Via Wordorigins.org.)
posted by languagehat on Jun 23, 2008 - 45 comments

Thirty-six years after the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse recommended that "simple possession" of pot be decriminalised, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) has introduced a bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), to remove federal criminal penalties for possession of up to 100 grams (about three-and-a-half ounces) of marijuana and the not-for-profit transfer of up to one ounce (28.3 grams). Drug reform advocates lit up hailed the legislation as "an important step toward bringing federal law into line with scientific fact, practical reality and public opinion." Is America, at long last, having a collective moment of sanity?
posted by kliuless on Apr 20, 2008 - 76 comments

The Power of Photography (might or might not be NSFW) with accompanying articles: Stricken Child crawling towards a Food Camp [1994] | The Falling Man [2001] | The Youngest Mother [1939] | Born Twice [1999] (via)
posted by hadjiboy on Feb 15, 2008 - 20 comments

British Movietone News - Digital Archives :: Apparently complete archives of the UK Movietone Newsreels from 1929 - 1979. Free registration required. Uses Quicktime. Beware of many lost hours ahead. Via DaddyTypes
posted by anastasiav on Feb 12, 2008 - 15 comments

Saddam's Confessions - Given Saddam Hussein's central place in the American Consciousness over the last couple decades and particularly in recent years, I found 60 minutes' interview with FBI interrogator George Piro pretty fascinating.
posted by kliuless on Jan 27, 2008 - 24 comments

'Race' graphically illustrated - "most Europeans" vs. Ashkenazim (previously; see also IQ & Gladwell, viz. ;) [more inside]
posted by kliuless on Jan 23, 2008 - 101 comments

Attack of the Giant Negroes.
posted by serazin on Aug 13, 2007 - 34 comments

Before RSS and personalized aggregators such as Personalized Google and NetVibes, there was CRAYON, a service that allowed you to "CReAte Your Own Newspaper" by providing a page with links to chosen sources. [mi]
posted by divabat on Mar 28, 2007 - 11 comments

Contact Press Images - 30 Years of Excellence - Digital Journalist highlights three decades of photojournalism from this premier independent agency dedicated to producing "in-depth photographic essays of pressing global concern." [more]
posted by madamjujujive on Feb 10, 2007 - 8 comments

Ghost Cowboy :: True Tales of Adventure in the American West
posted by anastasiav on Feb 3, 2007 - 10 comments

Search early 20th Century news photos. Welcome to the Library of Congress' new George Grantham Bain Collection: the extensive files of one of America's earliest news picture agencies. Some favorites after a morning spent perusing just a small number of the 50kish pics: The Whiteman Submarine Band, a fire truck heading to the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, the flowers at Wilbur Wright's funeral, Ignaz Hildebrandt dead in Union Square, Theatre marquee, a fire in NYC, midday crowd in Union Square, Penn station on a Sunday, suffragettes......and many more.
posted by CunningLinguist on May 2, 2006 - 38 comments

Body, volume, style and shine with long-lasting power. Clonycavan Styling Gel, along with mummification in Irish peat, works together with your freshly disemboweled corpse to protect hair from the disruptive power of 2000 years of rigor-mortis.
posted by 0bvious on Jan 17, 2006 - 14 comments

Half-hanged Harding; Women of Pleasure; the Rape Master General; Haemorrhoides, Hernia, Bad Teeth and Other Ailments; the Rabbit Woman; Sew-Gelder Tries to Spay His Wife; Getting Rid of Bedbugs, and other Early Eighteenth Century Newspaper Reports.
posted by madamjujujive on Jul 18, 2005 - 14 comments

The history of the BBC
A chronological history of everyone's favourite broadcaster, from Guglielmo Marconi to Ricky Gervais.
posted by Mwongozi on Feb 17, 2004 - 6 comments

Deep Throat uncovered. No, not that one, the one of Watergate notoriety. A journalism class at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana has determined that this man is the infamous Deep Throat.
posted by mr_crash_davis on Apr 23, 2003 - 18 comments

So lots of people hate links to news sites. How about an olds(?) site? Wrote reports the news of the past, and I don't mean last year.
posted by Su on Jan 15, 2002 - 2 comments

Newseum Exhibits Pulitzer Prize Photographs The Shockwave version of this provides audio clips of the photographers (I believe) talking about the photos. Although you have to actually visit the Newseum to see the entire collection, it's a nice preview.
posted by karenh on Jan 2, 2001 - 0 comments