A ghost is said to be the apparition of a deceased person, frequently similar in appearance to that person, and usually encountered in places he or she frequented, or in association with the person's former belongings. The word "ghost" may also refer to the spirit or soul of a deceased person, or to any spirit or demon. e_k.html#g" target="_blank">http://www.parapsych.org/glossary_e_k.html#g Parapsychological Association, glossary of key words frequently used in parapsychology, Retrieved December 13 2006 http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ghost Retrieved December 13 2006 "The spirit of a dead person, especially one believed to appear in bodily likeness to living persons or to haunt former habitats." Ghosts are often associated with hauntings, which is, according to the _Parapsychological Association, "the more or less regular occurrence of paranormal phenomena associated with a particular locality (especially a building) and usually attributed to the activities of a discarnate entity; the phenomena may include apparitions, poltergeist disturbances, cold drafts, sounds of footsteps and voices, and various odours."
Ghosts are a controversial anomalous phenomenon. According to a poll conducted in 2005 by the Gallup Organization, about 32% of Americans believe in the existence of ghosts. The term ghost has been replaced by apparition in parapsychology, because the word ghost is deemed insufficiently precise.
"HIStory"/"Ghosts" is the second single to be released from Michael Jackson's 1997 remix album Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix. It never received a commercial release in the U.S. but went on to be another top 5 hit for Jackson in the UK. It would prove to be his last for four years until "You Rock My World" in 2001.
The single is a double A-side featuring the Tony Moran remix of "HIStory" which had originally appeared as a new recording on Jackson's 1995 greatest hits collection HIStory: Past, Present and Future Book I as well as a new song "Ghosts" taken from the short film Ghosts of the same name.
"Ghosts" was a single by the British band Japan. It reached No 5 in the UK chart in 1982. Although it was their biggest hit, this was not enough to stop the band splitting a few months later.
"Ghosts" has been cited by several music commentators as one of the most unlikely track ever to reach the Top 5 in the UK singles chart, as it is a minimalist, morose ballad, incorporating ring modulation sound-effects reminiscent of some of Karlheinz Stockhausen's seminal electronic music from the 1950s. Bereft of drums, the track would not be described as a commercially viable single in most circumstances. However, Japan's popularity at the time, in addition to the early 1980s fashion for New Wave /New Romantic music, allowed the single to become unexpectedly popular.
