Phone home...

Ok people. I have to share my excitement about my recent purchase of the E.T. audiobook and soundtrack album. (yes, I'm a nerd)
I was at Bart's tonight, looking through records, when my friend Ted held up a copy of the Star Wars soundtrack. I said... Star Wars is cool, but E.T. would definitely be better. I loved E.T. when I was a kid. My parents took me to the theater to see it and I cried all the way home. When I hear the John Williams score from that movie, it still brings a tear to my eye.

So, I was expecting to find just that. The John Williams score. Simple E.T. moon image sleeve. Meanwhile, Ted holds up what appears to be an abnormally thick box for a one album soundtrack.

And then we realized..... it's not just a soundtrack... it's an audiobook album narrated by Michael Jackson. What What?
Now, I guess I vaguely remember seeing images of Michael and E.T. when i was a kiddo..... but somehow it slipped past me that there was an audiobook album produced. By Quincy Jones, nonetheless.

So, in case you were in the dark like me, here's the scoop:
The movie was released in June of 1982, I was 2.
This audiobook album was released in November of 1982, I was still 2.
My parents most likely didn't take me to see the movie until it was re-released in 1985...
The audiobook album, however, was withdrawn, after Jackson breached contract with his record label Epic, and released the album with MCA earlier than Epic allowed.....which was supposed to have been AFTER the release of Thriller.
The album was also known for Jackson's featured vocals on the song "Somewhere in the Dark".. and Jackson failed to comply with another agreement that he would not release the song as a single, and went on to release it to radio stations.

So. there you have it. The album was apparently released and withdrawn before I even had the opportunity to learn about it. And now, 27 years later, I'm delighted to discover it. Tattered and Worn. Read along book included.


Unfortunately I can't find an audio sample of Michael narrating... so this will have to do.