Even though Bad was Michael's third solo album – following Off The Wall and Thriller (the biggest selling album in history) – this album showed Michael had taken full charge not only of his career as a recording artist but in his evolution as a live concert artist when he embarked on his first ever solo tour in September 1987 in support of this album. The BAD World Tour was Michael's first solo world tour and his only North American solo tour. The tour began in September 1987 at Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Upon his arrival in Japan, hundreds of journalists and photographers greeted Michael at the airport. A Boeing 747 filled with 22 truckloads of equipment, including 700 lights and 100 speakers, was needed to airlift everything in. The Bad tour ended back home at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in January 1989, after making its way through Asia, Europe, Australia and North America. The tour earned Michael three Guinness records. It set attendance records at stadiums around the world. And, because it was his first solo tour, Michael had the freedom to create his own vision without the self-inflicted pressure of having to compete with or “out-do” what he had done before. It was a magical time for Michael. And because it was the first, in some ways, that freedom may have made it his most enjoyable concert tour ever. When we began to think about the concert, we didn’t know what we would find in the archives. What became clear was that “the show” for Michael was watching the fans and seeing the enjoyment in their faces as they watched his performances. What also became clear was that Michael’s desire for perfection didn’t end in the recording studio. To make sure each concert performance was the best it could be, he would have the live feed projected on the large screens also recorded and put on VHS tapes so that he could review his work, study it, and make the tweaks that he as well as the band, dancers and back-up singers needed to make. As a result of this passion for perfection, Michael left us with a priceless collection of these tapes, one of which turned out to be from the July 16, 1988 concert – one of the seven sold-out shows he performed at Wembley Stadium in London, England – and attended by Prince Charles, Princess Diana and 72,000 fans. It was a magical night for him and for everyone in the audience. And, luckily, the audio from that show was also captured on multi-track. So it became the perfect choice for creating this feature with 5.1 audio mixes. We have painstakingly worked to restore the footage. While it remains pre-HD, 1988 videotape quality footage, it provides a unique and intimate viewing experience – seeing the concert as those inside Wembley Stadium saw it that night. This remarkable and historic tape literally puts viewers in a seat inside the stadium for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be there on that special night and again experience the magic of Michael Jackson in concert.
