A stay-at-home dad in Ventura County has uncovered a rare collection of unreleased Michael Jackson recordings from the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Gregg Musgrove, a former California Highway Patrol officer turned full-time parent, never expected his hobby of buying storage units would lead him to a treasure trove of unreleased tracks by the King of Pop. The discovery came when Musgrove acquired a storage unit in Van Nuys, California, previously owned by music producer and singer Bryan Loren, whose current whereabouts are unknown.
The storage unit contained cassette and DAT tapes featuring 12 unreleased songs recorded by Jackson between 1989 and 1991, during the early phases of his work on the album Dangerous. According to Musgrove, some of the tracks had been rumored among fans, while others had never been mentioned or leaked.
“I’ve gone through all the fan sites. Some of these songs are known, but a few are completely unheard of,” Musgrove told The Hollywood Reporter. “Hearing Michael Jackson talk and joke during the recording process gave me goosebumps.”
Musgrove’s inventory includes unreleased songs and snippets of additional tracks, accompanied by discussions between Jackson and Loren about their creative process. Among the songs is “Don’t Believe It,” which appears to address the media rumors that surrounded Jackson. Another track, “Seven Digits,” references the identification numbers used in morgues, with Jackson explaining its meaning in detail.
One of the most unique recordings is “Truth on Youth,” a rap duet between Jackson and LL Cool J. The rapper has previously confirmed working with Jackson, and this song highlights Jackson’s rare venture into rapping.
Despite the excitement surrounding the tapes, fans hoping to hear them may be disappointed. Musgrove approached the Jackson Estate earlier this year, but the Estate declined to purchase the recordings. While they provided Musgrove with a letter confirming that they do not claim ownership of the physical tapes, they emphasized that the copyright for the music remains with the Estate. This means the recordings cannot be released commercially.
A representative for the Estate clarified that the recordings on the tapes are not new discoveries. “The Estate of Michael Jackson was presented with DAT copies, not master recordings. The master recordings are already housed in the Estate’s vaults,” the representative said. “Ownership and rights to exploit the recordings remain with MJJP Records, and no commercial use can be made of the copies.”
Musgrove and his team estimate the collection’s value to be in the seven-figure range. He plans to take the tapes to major auction houses, hoping to attract collectors of Michael Jackson memorabilia. High-profile collectors, such as Lady Gaga, who has purchased dozens of Jackson items at auction, may find the tapes appealing for private ownership.
Currently, the tapes are stored in a secure facility managed by Musgrove’s attorney.
This story first appeared in the Dec. 13 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.
