TBT
Ferris Wheels, Music and Physics
I'm pretty sure the first time I was at Michael Jackson's Neverland Valley Ranch was in 1988. He had just purchased it, changing the name from Sycamore Valley Ranch to Neverland.
He asked me to drive up to discuss some ideas that he had for music systems.
I jumped at the chance.
I had first met Michael in late 1984 or early 1985 when he was working on the Disney project Captain EO at Westlake Studios where I had the glamorous job of being a runner. I would get food, answer the phone, clean the kitchen, and learn how studios work.
By 1986 I was working closely with Bruce Swedien and Quincy Jones and I joined the team (so to speak) during the production of the Bad album.
Michael and I were very comfortable with each other in the studio, but me doing protects at Neverland started an entirely new chapter of my life. He would challenge me to figure out how to put music on everything from a horse-drawn carriage to a full-size steam train - and everything in between.
Music helped bring the ranch to life, and he knew that I don't do things halfway. Massive amplifiers and subwoofers and concert grade speakers were installed anywhere he wanted thunderous music, and I had to basically learn about crossovers and system tuning on the fly.
Neverland was my boot camp.
March 3rd and 4th of 1988 Debbie and I saw Michael perform live for the first time at Madison Square Garden in New York. We had full backstage access and at one point we were actually allowed to go up on stage and watch him close the show just a few feet in front of us, as we were standing behind an enormous wall of speakers.
The whole thing was mesmerizing, but feeling the impact of those speakers, particularly the side fill speakers which were aimed right at Michael, was basically etched in my brain.
"This guy likes it loud."
So while it would be impossible for me to build a full concert system on every corner of the 2800 acre ranch, I did the best I could to replicate that sound on a reasonable budget wherever I could.
In some ways I guess I still do.
So these Neverland music projects were pretty grand in scale and something I took very seriously with each new challenge.
And the ranch just kept growing and growing.
It was fairly common for Michael to call me and tell me about a new ride he was getting, or sometimes the call would come from the general contractor or his assistant and then the process of design, proposal and installation would begin.
Except once.
One of the first rides set up a Neverland was the Ferris Wheel. Like many people I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Ferris wheels because they are both calming and terrifying.
Michael wanted music on the Ferris Wheel, just like all the other rides. He loved the system we installed for him on the Carousel and the Bumper Cars and the Sea Dragon, so he asked again about the Ferris Wheel.
There is every likelihood, in fact I can say with great certainty, that I have spent more time thinking about Ferris Wheels and how they operate and how they are a series of wheels on axels within a larger circle on an axel than most other normal human beings.
I tried repeatedly to design a system where I could get music to each car, but running wires is virtually impossible unless you have an an Imagineering budget, which I did not.
The next obvious solution is to do something wirelessly with batteries and chargers and transmitters which even in the best of circumstances was going to be extremely high maintenance.
(For those of you under a certain age this was long before Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Sonos and streaming, rather it was Wild West audio.)
The funny thing is it probably bugged me more than it bugged Michael, but it would come up once in a while and he might ask if I had any solutions.
I do not like to say no but I also don't like to build things that don't perform like I want them to.
So the Ferris Wheel was winning this battle of wills.
I would walk through that part of the park alone late at night with music coming from everywhere except the Ferris Wheel.
It would almost taunt me.
Finally one night I just rode all by myself, trying to think of how to get music on it.
From the top of the wheel I could see all across the park to the zoo further up the valley, as well as the tens of thousands of twinkle lights that covered every branch of the massive California Oak trees through the valley and up the hills.
I could smell that unique mix of livestock and vineyards and grass and machines.
I could hear music playing from all of the other rides scattered throughout the park, each playing its own song.
Additionally we had installed scores of rock speakers playing selections from Debussy, Disney and soundtrack selections (all personally chosen by Michael) seemingly from everywhere along the paths, shrubs and tucked inside custom topiaries.
It was amazing.
It was basically the best seat in the house, visually and sonically.
I wish I could remember the exact conversation, but the next time I saw Michael I told him the Ferris Wheel was perfect just the way it was, without its own music, because it was the one place in the park where you could see and hear everything.
He agreed, thankfully.
And I was finally able to let it go.
Enjoy your weekend.
