"You've Got Michael"
Living through HIStory
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Trouser Press Books
Published:15th Oct '25
Should be back in stock very soon
“You've Got Michael” tells the inside story of the high-stakes battle to save Michael Jackson's career and market his 1995 greatest hits album, HIStory, as documented by a record executive who worked closely with him.
In 1991, Dan Beck -- a senior marketing executive at Epic Records in New York -- became Michael Jackson's product manager, with direct responsibility for the artist's record packaging, publicity, videos, retail strategy and contact with the label. The story he tells here is of the five years in that role, dealing with Jackson's unchecked ambition, surprising need for reassurance and increasing challenges to his career, many of them self-induced. Beck recounts his often surprising (if sometimes dismaying) experiences with clear-eyed objectivity, seeing Jackson as both a superstar and a real person.
While detailing the inner workings of the music business at its mega-platinum peak, “You've Got Michael” is also a gripping drama about helping a global talent survive the most difficult time in his career.
In addition to covering his experiences with Jackson, Beck provides a fascinating history of the music industry during a time when sales of a physical product (LPs, tapes, CDs), along with radio airplay, determined the success of musicians, highlighting the unseen promotional work of marketing departments. Throughout the narrative, the author deftly weaves in his own life story, charting his high-flying early success and the stresses of an outwardly glamorous career that kept him away from his wife and family. His writing is lively and empathetic, effectively communicating the experience of working in a high-stakes industry with a very gifted, groundbreaking, and flawed artist.
Michael Jackson fans will be captivated by this unique behind-the-scenes account. —Kirkus Reviews
“You’ve Got Michael: Living Through HIStory” is a vivid recollection of [Dan Beck's] excursion working with Jackson on his album HIStory, from concept to its 1995 worldwide release. Beck is a master storyteller, a recorder of precise facts with moving memories reflecting a thrilling experience with the King of Pop that will last him and readers a lifetime. Beck introduces readers to Michael Jackson: the genius, persevering perfectionist and the man still residing inside that young, talented, inquisitive kid from Gary, IN. No gossip, no innuendos, just the hard truth mixed with compassion and excitement about the music business, a superstar, and HIStory. --Bob Lefsetz, The Lefsetz Letter
If you thought there was nothing more to learn about Michael Jackson, Dan Beck has news for you. —Anthony DeCurtis, author of Lou Reed: A Life
…deepens our understanding of Jackson's legacy — and belongs on every fan's shelf. —Pez Jax, MJVibe.com
No family member or label president could have told this story so well, because only a veteran interdepartmental product manager like Dan Beck really knows how the pop song sausage gets made — and has the moral strength to tell the hard truths about it. —journalist Carol Cooper, Ph.D
Dan Beck … reveals how ambitious and meticulous Jackson was in his approach to his career — and how stubborn he could be as well. It's a clear-eyed look at the business life of a superstar. —Goldmine magazine
ISBN: 9798999048707
Dimensions: 244mm x 170mm x 18mm
Weight: unknown
290 pages