It was about 5 a.m. on Sunday, November 29, 1981, and I was standing near the back of the first-floor bar at the famous Manhattan after-hours club, AM-PM. Interestingly, I was at the same spot where, a few months earlier, I met and talked with John Belushi. I was standing by myself having a drink when someone walking into the club caught my eye. As he walked toward me, I perceived a radiant whitish aura around this young man. Intrigued, I stepped back a few steps to intercept his path. When he was directly in front of me, I said to him there’s something special about you. Who are you? He momentarily stopped, and we looked at each other face to face. But he didn’t say a word. As he walked away, it was only then that I noticed the entourage with him.
I stepped back to the bar but soon became increasingly irritated at his lack of an answer. I’ve never intentionally met anyone and given such a compliment like that before. After I had thought about it for a couple of minutes, I decided to locate this person and find out his name.
So, I went up to the exclusive third floor and asked the bartender I called Balance, did you see the entourage come in here? He said yes and pointed over to the private VIP room. I walked over to this special glass enclosed area, and as I slowly opened the door, directly to my left was the aura man. Just as I was about to give him a piece of my mind, he totally disarmed me by politely asking me to sit next to him. I did. (I called the bartender Balance, because he was extraordinarily gifted with his juggling of bottles. He did this seven years before the film Cocktail with Tom Cruise made it famous.)
As I sat down, I instantly realized the room had around 20 people, all of them were black. It was the entourage that I saw downstairs. Sitting next to the aura man was the most gorgeous young woman. When we started talking, I knew he was a luminary by the intelligent and articulate way he spoke, but I couldn’t figure out who he was. I was somewhat bewildered by this. So I straightforwardly said to him, I’m Mark, it’s nice to meet you again, what’s your name? He looked me straight in the eye and softly said does it really matter? The young woman also answered, but I can’t recall her name. What I do remember about her was her unpretentiousness and stunning beauty.
We talked for around an hour, covering many different subjects. At one point, the man who started and ran AM-PM, Vito Bruno, came into the private VIP room with a waitress, something I’d never seen him do before. I remember how he was remarkably gracious with these guests. He asked the mystery aura man I was sitting next to and talking with if he wanted a bottle or glass of Dom Pérignon. He said no thank you and asked for and drank a Pellegrino.
During our conversation, I told him I was an environmental, humanitarian poet here to save our species from extinction. I then said I had recently written a poem, Somehow Succeed, about how we are constantly paired against one another so that conflict will grow. I asked if he would like to hear it. He said yes. So, I recited it to him and the beautiful young woman.
Somehow Succeed
Are we scared
Because we don’t know
Are we paired
So conflict will grow
Are we bred
To learn to conform
Are we led
To kill and mourn
Will life cease
Because of greed
Or will peace
Somehow succeed
It’s up to you
It’s up to me
To change ourselves
To somehow see
Written on July 8, 1981, by Mark R. Elsis
They both enjoyed my poem, Somehow Succeed. The mystery aura man asked if I would recite it again, so I did. Afterward, I started to explain it line by line. When I got to the part, are we paired so conflict will grow, I mentioned to them we are and have always been separated by class, race, religion, and politics so that infighting will fester and flourish between us. It was the old tried-and-true routine used by the powerful elite to divide and conquer the masses. To pit them against one another makes them so much easier to control. Then I added that it was like the Jets and the Sharks of West Side Story.
As soon as I said it was like the Jets and the Sharks of West Side Story, a light bulb went on in his mind, and I saw through his eyes that magic called creativity was transpiring. Because of this, he immediately stayed silent for a few moments to put together his inspirational thoughts. I knew from my writings of poetry not to interrupt this process of brilliance, so I stayed quiet until he started to talk again.
I later found out something beyond incredibly astonishing. With 37 weeks at number one, Thriller remains the album by a single artist with the most weeks at the top spot in the 65-year archives of the Billboard 200. Inexplicably bizarre, only the West Side Story soundtrack has reigned longer, with 54 weeks at number one.
I finished explaining Somehow Succeed, and we then talked about many other topics, including how we must create and promote love to counter the fear constantly being disseminated. We also talked about what is right and wrong, the assassination of John Lennon, and I told him and the young woman about the nine hours I spent in front of the Dakota that tragic night. They were both riveted to my firsthand recollection of this historically fateful event.
As the conversation was about to end, I again asked the mystery aura man, what is your name? Once again, he said, does it really matter, Mark? Immediately after, we said our goodbyes, and everyone left the private VIP room.
I then walked up to the bartender, Balance, and asked, do you know whom I was talking with for the last hour? He first thought I was joking around and started to laugh in disbelief. But when he realized I didn’t know, he finally told me, Mark, you have been talking with Michael Jackson for the last hour or longer.
It was only then I found out whom I’d talked with. I was astonished that I didn’t recognize Michael because I was exceptionally knowledgeable about popular music back then, and his latest album, Off The Wall, had already sold more than fifteen million copies.
Beat It, the first video released off the new Michael Jackson album Thriller, had its world premiere on MTV (Music Television) during prime time on March 31, 1983. The video cost approximately $150,000 USD to create and was filmed on Los Angeles’ Skid Row, mainly on locations on East 5th Street, on March 9, 1983. MTV was promoting the premiere beforehand, so I made sure I watched it live. As soon as I did, I finally knew what creativity transpired inside Michael’s light bulb that night at AM-PM. It was the genesis of Beat It, from my poem, Somehow Succeed, and the imagery of the Jets and Sharks of West Side Story.
Knowing that I planted the seed within Michael Jackson and inspired him to create Beat It is one of the most astounding accomplishments of my life. His musical and dancing genius got the message out to billions of people that violence is not the answer and we are all the same.
Produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson, Beat It received two Grammy Awards. It won Record of the Year and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. It also received two American Music Awards. The Beat It video was inducted into the Music Video Producers Hall of Fame. Another part of the genius of Beat It was adding the excellent guitar playing of Eddie Van Halen, which facilitated the enormous crossover popularity into rock and roll.
Most importantly, the single Beat It and its music video propelled Thriller to become the best-selling album of all-time. Looking back, it seems like divine fate that Michael Jackson and I would meet that night in AM-PM and create this wondrous miracle that helped to make the world a better place.
When I was researching this article, I found an unlikely coincidence. Thriller was released on November 29, 1982, exactly one year to the day after Michael and I met.
The memory of this providential meeting always brings the utmost joy to my heart.
Beat It
by Michael Jackson
As of August 29, 2023, it has 973,000,000 views.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRdxUFDoQe0
Beat It
They told him don’t you ever come around here
Don’t want to see your face, you better disappear
The fire’s in their eyes and their words are really clear
So beat it, just beat it
You better run, you better do what you can
Don’t want to see no blood, don’t be a macho man
You want to be tough, better do what you can
So beat it, but you want to be bad
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it
Just beat it, beat it
Just beat it, beat it
Just beat it, beat it
They’re out to get you, better leave while you can
Don’t want to be a boy, you want to be a man
You want to stay alive, better do what you can
So beat it, just beat it
You have to show them that you’re really not scared
You’re playin’ with your life, this ain’t no truth or dare
They’ll kick you, then they beat you,
Then they’ll tell you it’s fair
So beat it, but you want to be bad
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it
Beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or who’s right
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it
Beat it, beat it, beat it
Written by Michael Joseph Jackson • With inspiration by Mark R. Elsis
Beat It (Single)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_It
Thriller (Album)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(album)
=======================
Was Michael Jackson Assassinated?
They Don’t Care About Us (Brazil Version)
by Michael Jackson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNJL6nfu__Q
They Don’t Care About Us (Prison Version)
by Michael Jackson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1pqi8vjTLY
They Don’t Care About Us
“. . . Beat me, hate me
You can never break me
Will me, thrill me
You can never kill me
Jew me, sue me
Everybody do me
Kick me, kike me
Don’t you black or white me . . .”
Written by Michael Joseph Jackson
When Michael Jackson wrote the song, They Don’t Care About Us, he was the number one musician on earth. He carefully crafted these lyrics with the specific intention to out the Jews for their avarice and predatory behavior. So, I find it extremely telling that only two words, Jew and kike, have been assiduously removed from every online video version by the same group of people Michael had the fortitude to write and sing about. These people not only run the music business, but through their usury and control of nearly every central bank, they own almost everything else. I know the long and vengeful history of the Jews and how they have assassinated countless people for outing their evil ways. This knowledge leads me to ask an exceedingly important question. Did the Jewish oligarchy murder Michael Jackson for outing them?
Bless you, and may you rest in eternal peace, Michael Joseph Jackson.
Michael Jackson
http://MichaelJackson.com
Cocktail – Tom Cruise (0:45)
(Balance and his extraordinarily gift of juggling bottles seven year before this film.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YbjzztYbUo
West Side Story
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055614
Michael Jackson’s Biggest Chart Thrills
(Thriller 37 weeks at number one and West Side Story 54 weeks at number one.)
On the 30th anniversary of the release of “Thriller,” a look back at Michael Jackson’s most memorable chart reigns.
by Gary Trust
https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/michael-jacksons-biggest-chart-thrills-1082846
December 8, 1980
(the assassination of John Lennon, and the nine hours I spent in front of the Dakota that tragic night.)
by Mark R. Elsis
https://earthnewspaper.com/december-8-1980-by-mark-r-elsis
Best-Selling Albums Of All Time
The best-selling album of all time is Thriller by Michael Jackson which sold 66,000,000 copies worldwide.
https://bestsellingalbums.org/overall
“Let us dream of tomorrow where we can truly love from the soul,
and know love as the ultimate truth at the heart of all creation.”
Michael Jackson
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Meetings and Stories
The Wondrous Journey of My Life
by Mark R. Elsis
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