Rarities #35: Michael Jackson - Dangerous Tour Souvenir Cassette Album (1993)

This album was released in conjunction with the Dangerous Tour in 1993. At that time, I was just beginning to be an MJ fan and I was still a student, so I didn't have the foresight or money to buy the CD album. So I ended up with the cassette tape only, and I have been looking for the CD version ever since, to no avail. If you have a CD version, please contact me!!!

Besides this single disc/cassette album, there were also limited edition CD Singles box sets released at the same time - I have one 5CD Japan version and a 4CD Europe version, which I'll feature later. And looking at the label copy for this cassette version, it was released in Malaysia in 1993, whereas the box sets were released in 1992. 

So I'm thinking Malaysia compiled the tracks for a special single-CD release for their market instead of a box set, to tie in with the Dangerous Tour visiting Southeast Asia. Perhaps that'swhy this album is so rare, cos it was only issued in Malaysia (and somehow some copies found their way to Singapore).

Anyway, I really like the album cover. Totally cool and captures the excitement of the Dangerous Tour. Real pity I didn't catch it in 1993. Argh...

The album contains 14 tracks, and it's something of a Best Of. All the hits are here, right from the Off The Wall album to the Dangerous material. Some of the tracks are remixes - Rock With You (Masters At Work Remix), Beat It (Moby's Sub Mix), Smooth Criminal ("Annie" Mix) and Black Or White (The Civiles & Cole Radio Mix).

I normally don't like remixes but the ones here are pretty good. And yes, the Beat It remix is done by the same Moby who gave us the Play album. He was grinding out remixes before embarking on a solo career.

A "bonus" track here is Come Together, the Beatles cover, which was taken from the film Moonwalker and never-before released commercially. So when MJ included Come Together on disc 2 of the HIStory album, i cried foul because it was not a new track. It was recorded in 1988 and he conveniently dumped it in, depriving us of one additional track from HIStory.

I don't have a cassette tape player anymore, so I can't listen to this tape now. But I'll continue to keep it and perhaps, there might be a day when cassette tapes make a comeback, like how vinyl is now experiencing a comeback! I got a few other cassette tapes too, and I might feature them here one day.

Do you have any cassette tapes left?