Der Mann hinter Michael Jackson’s weissem Handschuh und Socken spricht ueber ‘Off the Wall’

Famed designer Mike Salisbury, The Man behind the imprint on a multitude of diverse products from HALO, the world’s most popular video game, Rolling Stone, Surfer and Playboy magazines to O’Neill and Gotcha surfwear and Levi’s 501 jeans (a brad Salisbury created), is also the genius behind Michael Jackson’s iconic image in black pants, glittery socks, and loafers wearing a single white glove. After fielding questions in emails about how Jackson’s “Off the Wall” album cover art came about, Salisbury decided to tell the story.Venice, Calif. (PRWEB) July 8, 2009 — Famed designer Mike Salisbury, The Man behind the imprint on a multitude of diverse products from HALO,the world’s most popular video game, Rolling Stone, Surfer and Playboy magazines to O’Neill and Gotcha surfwear and Levi’s 501 jeans (a brand Salisbury created), is also the genius behind Michael Jackson’s iconic image in black pants, glittery socks, and loafers wearing a single whiteglove.

Despite having worked with a multitude of celebrities as both a designer and photographer, Salisbury had never worked with Michael Jackson but after seeing him in the movie, The Wiz, he contacted his agent. “I knew his agent and called him to say that Michael Jackson was going to be the biggest star ever and I would be anxious to work on something with him,” said Salisbury. “Michael’s agent called me in to his office and showed me an album cover mock up for his solo album and asked me what I thought. I told him that it looked like a cheap ad for
the children’s department at Macy’s. ‘I know,’ he said. ‘It sucks.’ I thought Michael Jackson had the potential to be huge–the biggest, so I suggested he let me develop some ideas.”

Salisbury returned to the agent’s office with several variations of his concept, which only seemed to perplex the agent. “I explained that Iwas creating a metaphor. I told him that Michael was just a kid out from under his dad so I think the album cover should make a statement that his solo debut is as big as Sinatra coming on stage in Vegas.”

According to Salisbury, at that time, young Michael was gangly and had an Afro. “I explained the concept by pointing to the fashion type drawing and saying, I put him in a tuxedo. That says big deal!”

“The agent hemmed and hawed and was just about to dismiss the whole nutty idea when a little, high-pitched voice softly squeaked, ‘I like it,’ and Michael stepped out from behind the drape covering the large office window. ‘Let’s just do it,’ he said, and so we did,” explained Salisbury.

Jackson liked everything about Salisbury’s concept from the get-go and only requested one change. “‘I want to wear white socks,’ Michael whispered to me. They have to be über socks then…really glamorous,” remembered Salisbury.

The photo shoot was taken at the Griffith Observatory at the Hollywood Planetarium. Salisbury’s wife at the time found an Yves St. Laurent woman’s tux in Beverly Hills that fit Michael. “I also told him to get loafers like Gene Kelly wore in An American in Paris. When we went to shoot the photo, I instructed him, to roll up his pant legs, put his fingers in his pockets and pull his pants up like Gene Kelly–to how off the socks. The loafers really made the white socks work. By the way, the socks were custom-made for Michael by famous Hollywood costume designer Bob Mackie.

“Michael drove up the hill to where we were at in the front of the building, the same location where they shot the knife fight in the movie, Rebel Without a Cause,” Salisbury continued. “He was just 21 and had a new Rolls Royce. It was smashed up a bit and he was driving badly.”

There was no place for Jackson to change and Salisbury and his team were under a time constraint because they had no permit to shoot there. “Fortunately for us, the women’s restroom was open and like a real trouper he ran in there and put on the tux,” Salisbury noted.

After reviewing his first shot for the album cover, Salisbury didn’t think it showed the real Michael. “We were rushed and Michael was just not that into it,” he said. “I thought he was a little too serious. We needed to shoot this differently. I mean, this album cover was just for him, not him and four other brothers. I suggested we re-shoot it and when we did, I directed him to be more animated. I suggested he smile and exaggerate the pulling up of his pants and get into it like he was dancing. He was a great sport and agreed to do the re-shoot. We did the
second photo shoot against a wall and voilá! There was our cover for ‘Off the Wall.’”

The white socks were so successful in drawing attention to Michael and his dance moves, there was a conversation about doing gloves, too. “I felt that would start looking literally Mickey Mouse (and of course Michael was a big Mickey Mouse fan). Between the agent and Michael and me, we got it down to one white glitzy glove. Another great move for attention,” Salisbury concluded.

Salisbury created Michael Jackson’s “Off the Wall” debut album cover art in 1979. Today, Salisbury is recognized worldwide as one of the leading talents in American brand design. People see his artwork every day in some of the world’s most recognized corporate branding and product designs for companies such as Volkswagen, Suzuki, Honda, and Hasbro–the biggest toy company in the world.

His work can also be found everywhere in the motion picture industry.Salisbury helped create marketing campaigns for over 300 movies including Aliens, Jurassic Park, Romancing The Stone, Raiders of The Lost Ark and Moulin Rouge. The “exploding boxing gloves” that introduced Rocky IV to the world is an iconic Salisbury image that drew more recognition for the film than its title, ultimately becoming the visual symbol for the film and Salisbury’s most copied graphic metaphor. George Lucas is a collector of Salisbury’s work and recommended him to Francis
Ford Coppola, who used Salisbury imagery creations in Apocalypse Now.

His music industry work includes creating album covers for George Harrison, James Taylor, Randy Newman, Rickie Lee Jones, Ry Cooder, Ike & Tina (for which he garnered an album design Grammy nomination), and many others. Mike additionally developed branding identities for toplabels Blue Note Records, RCA, United Artists Records and PolyGram.

.http://newmusicreviews.net/the…ocks-speaks-off-the-wall/

Uebersetzung kommt noch

Beruehmter Entwerfer Mike Salisbury, Der Mann hinter dem Abdruck auf einer Menge von verschiedenen Produkten vom HALO, dem populaersten Videospiel in der Welt, Stein, Surfer und Zeitschriften von Playboy O'Neill und Gotcha surfwear und der 501 Jeans von Levi Rollend (ein kopfloser Nagel schuf Salisbury), ist auch das Genie hinter dem ikonischen Image von Michael Jackson in der schwarzen Hose, den glaenzenden Socken, und den loafers , die einen einzelnen weißen Handschuh tragen. Nach dem Kontern von Fragen in E-Mails darueber, wie Jacksons "off the Wall"cover art Kunst geschah, entschied sich Salisbury dafuer, die Geschichte zu erzaehlen. Venedig, Kalif. (PRWEB) am 8. Juli 2009 - Beruehmter Entwerfer Mike Salisbury, Der Mann hinter dem Abdruck auf einer Menge von verschiedenen Produkten vom RING, dem populärsten Videospiel in der Welt, Stein, Surfer und Zeitschriften von Playboy O'Neill und Gotcha surfwear und der 501 Jeans von Levi (ein geschaffener brand Salisbury) Rollend, ist auch das Genie hinter dem ikonischen Image von Michael Jackson in der schwarzen Hose, den glaenzenden Socken, und den loafers, die einen einzelnen Weissen Handschuh tragen.

Trotz der Menge an Beruehmtheiten fuer die er gearbeitet hat sowohl als Desinger ,als auch als Photograf ,Salisbury hat niemals fuer Michael Jackson gearbeitet ,aber nachdem Er ihn in dem Film von *The Wiz * gesehen hat ,kontaktierte er dessen Agenten . Ich kannte seinen Agenten ,und rief ihn an ,und sagte ihm das Michael dabei war der groesste Star fuer immer zu werden,und es wuerde fuer mich das groesste sein ,fuer ihn an irgendetwas zusammen zu arbeiten,sagt Salisbury .
Michaels Agent rufte mich an ,das ich in sein Office kommen solle ,und dann zeigte er mir ein Album-Cover *mock it * und fragte mich was ich davon halten wuerde ,
ich sagte ihm das es aussah wie preiswerte Anzeige fuer das Kinderdepartment von Macy's .Er sagte zu mir *ich weiss *es ist schlecht *
Ich dachte, bei mir dass Michael Jackson das Potenzial hatte, um - der Groesste zu sein, so schlug ich dann vor, dass er mich einige Ideen entwickeln liess .

Salisbury kehrte zu Michaels Agenten zurueck ,mit mehreren Entwuerfen eines Konsepts ,das schien Michaels Agenten zu verwirren .
Ich erklaerte ihm das ich dabei war eine* retorische Figur * zu erschaffen .Ich sagte ihm, dass Michael ein Kind sei, dass gerade "aus dem Schatten seines Vaters" herauskam, deshalb dachte ich, das AlbumCover sollte ein Statement darueber abgeben, dass sein Solo Debut genau so gross wuerde, als wenn Sinatra in Las Vegas auf die Buehne kommt.

Gemaess Salsbury ,war Michael damals jung und gangly und hatte einen Afro ,ich erklaerte ihm mein Konzept ,indem ich zur Mode hinwies und sagte ich stecke ihn in einen Smoking .Das bedeutet ein grosses Geschaeft .
Der Agent druckste zuerst herum ,und wollte diese ganze verreuckte Idee abweissen. Als ploetzlich eine weiche hohe Stimme rief * ich mag es * und Michael trat hinter den Gardinen hervor
die das grosse Buerofenster bedeckten. Lass es uns einfach tun (machen) ,sagte er und so machten wir es ,sagte Salisbury .

Jackson mochte alles an Salisburys Konzept, und hatte nur einen Aenderungswunsch.Ich moechte weisse Socken tragen, fluesterte Michael mir
zu. Das mussten dann schon "Aussergewoehnliche Socken" sein....wirklich glamouroes,"
erinnert sich Salisbury.

Das Photoshooting war bei der Griffit Sternwarte in dem Hollywood Planetarium. Salisbury's Frau fand zur gleichen Zeit einen Yves St. Laurent Frauen Smoking dem Michael passte .Auch sagte ich ihm ,er bekomme so Slipper wie Gene Kelly in dem Film ein Amerikaner ,in Paris.Als wir das Photoshooting machten ,sagte ich zu ihm ,er solle seine Hosenbeide hochkrempeln ,und seine Finger in die Hosentasche stecken ,und seine Hosen hochziehen so wie Kelly es immer machte so das man eine Socken sehen konnte.Durch die Slipper kamen wirklich die Socken gut zur Geltung .Uebrigens waren die Socken fuer Michael durch den beruehmten Kostuem-Entwerfer von Hollywood Bob Mackie einzeln angefertigt.

Michael fuhr den Berg herauf ,zu dem Punkt an dem wir waren ,an der Vorderseite von dem Gebaeude ,die selbe Station an dem die Messerkampfszene , zu dem Film *Rebell without a cause * gedreht wurde.Salisbury erzaehlt weiter ,Er war erst 21 Jahre alt ,und hatte einen nagelneuen Rolls Royce das Auto war ein bisschen beschaedigt ,er war kein guter Autofahrer .

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