Unreleased Michael Jackson Songs Found in Abandoned Los Angeles Self-Storage UnitUnreleased Michael Jackson Songs Found in Abandoned Los Angeles Self-Storage Unit

A dozen unreleased Michael Jackson songs were discovered in an abandoned Los Angeles self-storage unit that was once rented by music producer Bryan Loren. However, the tapes can’t be made public due to legal reasons, according to sources.

Gregg Musgrove, a former California Highway Patrol officer turned “treasure hunter,” said he was contacted by an associate who recently purchased the stored items during an auction at a Van Nuys, California, self-storage facility. In addition to the music, several taped conversations between Jackson and Loren were also found, sources reported.

“I’m listening to this stuff, and I would get goosebumps because nobody’s ever heard this stuff before,” Musgrove said. “To hear Michael Jackson actually talk and kind of joke back and forth, it was really, really cool.”

Musgrove said he and his attorney brought the tapes to Jackson’s estate, but it declined to buy them. The estate sent a letter stating it doesn’t claim ownership but does own the copyrights, which prevents anyone from releasing the music. The estate also said the tapes aren’t new music and it has the master recordings.

“The Estate of Michael Jackson was presented with DAT [digital audio tape] copies, not master recordings of Michael’s music; and we confirmed that the actual master recordings were, in fact, already located in the estate’s vaults,” said an estate representative. “It should be clear to all that ownership and rights of exploitation to the recordings remain vested in MJJP Records and that nothing commercial or otherwise can be done with the DAT copies.”

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The unreleased tracks were likely written between 1989 and 1991, before the release of Jackson’s “Dangerous” album. One of the songs, “Don’t Believe It,” appears to reference rumors going around about Jackson at the time, according to Musgrove. On another tape, Jackson can be heard explaining the intended meaning of a song called “Seven Digits,” which references the identification number bodies receive at a morgue. Another song, titled “Truth on Youth,” features a duet between Jackson and rapper and singer LL Cool J, in which Jackson also raps.

The value of the tapes is unknown, but Musgrove said he plans to approach four auction companies to gauge interest. He believes a Jackson fan might purchase the recordings for their private collection, the sources reported.

Loren was also a sound engineer and singer. He’s known for writing and producing the 1990 song “Do the Bartman” for “The Simpsons” TV show. Jackson was featured on Loren’s 1992 song “To Satisfy You.” Loren also worked with artists Sting and Whitney Houston. His whereabouts are unknown, according to Musgrove.

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Sources:
The Hollywood Reporter, Unreleased Michael Jackson Tapes Discovered in Abandoned Storage Unit (Exclusive)
LiveNOW Fox, Unreleased Michael Jackson Songs Found in Abandoned Storage Unit
Yahoo!, Michael Jackson Unreleased Music Reportedly Found in Storage Unit