vainandy said:

well i don't know because michael has already achieved more than elvis and since elvis is dead he can't do anymore than what he did before he died, but elvis has already marked his place in history so it doesn't matter

wonder505 said:

i feel the same exact way

great album. not his best though. and no it's not off the wall neither

LightOfArt said:

And what do YOU think his best is? I think "Thriller" is by far his best. I'm no fan of Michael Jackson these days, but I vividly remember the "Thriller" era, and there hasn't been any album as universally loved as that one since then. And because of the way the music industry has changed since, there never will be.
Both "Off the Wall" and "Bad" had songs that were sub-par, and surely you can't imagine that anything he's done without Quincy Jones is better than "Thriller." So what Michael Jackson album do you think is better than "Thriller"? And, just curious, how old were you during the "Thriller" mania?

I'll put part 2 here too:
THRILLER 25: PART 2-The Girl Is Mine

Written by Michael Jackson

recorded as a duet with rock legend Paul McCartney on April 14-16, 1982, a year after the two recorded "Say Say Say" and "The Man"
and the fourth Jackson/McCartney collaboration(the first being 1979's "Girlfriend")


several demos, including a midtempo version recorded solo by Michael in 1981 that is circulating, is known to exist.

Michael has said in the past that this recording was one of his most enjoyable recording moments. Paul showed footage of the two working on the song
in the studio during his 1990 world tour.

"The Girl Is Mine" was the lead single from "Thriller" peaking at #2 on the Hot 100, #1 on the US R&B chart and #8 in the UK.

US 100:#2
US R&B:#1
US Single Sales:#4
US Single Airplay:#7
Canada:#8
UK:#8
Australia:#4
Austria:not charted
Belgium:#8
France:not charted
Holland:#16
Japan:#57
South Africa:#5
Germany:#53
Ireland:#4
Spain:#1

The single sold 2,150,000 copies worldwide

He really was the best back then.

I'm excited for the new album right now.

My whole life at the time.....

Part 3 will be up soon. It's gonna be BILLIE JEAN!!!!!

mimi07 said:

You do know that Elvis fans would slaughter you

bboy87 said:

how many parts are there?

bboy87 said:

they'd get mad i know but it's true what are they gonna say,"no elvis is not dead, he can achieve more". i don't really like elvis but i respect him and i'm sorry fans can't get over his death like 30 years after he's been dead.

mimi07 said:

Several. Each song gets it's own thread/post:
The Girl Is Mine
Billie Jean
Beat It
Wanna Be Startin Somethin
Human Nature
P.Y.T.
Thriller
Baby Be Mine
The Lady Is My Life
The Victory Tour

THRILLER 25 PART 3- Billie Jean

BILLIE JEAN
written by Michael Jackson in 1980 or 1981



This songs was inspired by several periods in Michael's life such as female fans accusing Michael and his brothers of fathering
their children. Another was when a woman accused Michael of being the father of one of her twins. Another is well documented in
MJ bio "The Magic and The Madness" of a fan who would break into The Jacksons' Hayvenhurst estate. She was later arrested when
she sent Michael a suicide note complete with a gun to kill himself.


Quincy Jones wasn't impressed with the first demo(included on the 2001 Special Edition), as he didn't like the bass.
He also didn't like the title of the song and suggested that they rename it to "Not My Lover"
There is also another demo that is over six minutes, slightly faster in tempo, and has alternate vocals and adlibs.
Engineer Bruce Swedien, who usually did one mix of a song, did 91 mixes of Billie Jean until the second mix was finally chosen.

The single topped the R&B singles chart in just three weeks- the fastest rising #1 single since 1970 when The Jackson 5ive scored a
hat trick of equally quick #1 singles ABC, The Love You Save, and I'll Be There. It went to #1 just one week after The Gap Band's "Outstanding"
topped The Girl Is Mine for the top spot. Billie Jean stayed at #1 for 9 weeks.
Went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 7 weeks and in the UK for one.
Billie Jean and the album topped the singles and albums charts on both sides of the Atlantic in the same week.
The video was directed by British director Steve Barron and premiered on MTV on March 2, 1983, becoming the first
video by a black artist to be added on the MTV playlist.




Michael insisted to Berry Gordy that he perform the song on "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, and Forever" instead of one of his solo Motown songs(like Got To Be There and Ben)
and would be the only non-Motown song on the show. The performance is considered one of the greatest ever and voted the second
greatest music on television by TV Guide, especially when he "moonwalked" in public for the first time, helping start
the Bboy/Breakdancing phemonenom of the 80s.(MJ is one of the only mainstream artists that the bboy/bgirl community
has genuine respect for:) The performance earned Michael a Emmy Award nomination, Best Individual Performance on
a Variety or Music Program.

The next day after Motown 25, Fred Astaire personally called Michael to praise him, starting a friendship between
the two.

US Hot 100:#1
US R&B:#1
US Single Sales:#1
US Single Airplay:#1
Canada:#1
UK:#1
Australia:#1
Austria:#2
Belgium:#1
France:#1
Holland:#4
Japan:#49
South Africa:#2
Germany:#2
Ireland:#1
Spain:#1

The single sold 5,250,000 copies
[Edited 5/12/07 12:57pm]

bboy87 said:

I've actually got that solo demo of The Girl Is Mine. It's not in great quality, but it's hilarious because it's written as a duet, so in the middle he does 2 voices. At the "I love you more than he... Well I love you endlessly" part, Michael does that second line in a chipmunk voice
[Edited 5/12/07 1:54am]

Here's Bruce Swedien's story.....

The REAL Story on "Billie Jean"...

-----

Recording and Mixing "Billie Jean"....

The year is 1982. The song is "Billie Jean". The sonic image of Michael Jacksons' "Billie Jean" is a perfect example of what happened, when I sat around dreaming awhile, about combining different recording techniques to produce a unique musical canvas with a tremendous 'sonic personality'.

Of course I was comfortably ensconsed in Westlake Audio’s beautiful new Studio ‘A’ on Beverly Boulevard, with my good friends Quincy Jones, Micheal Jackson and Rod Temperton. We were doing our favorite thing... We were making music!!! We had just started recording Michael Jackson’s album “Thriller”...

We were recording Michael’s song “Billie Jean”.....

I recorded the drums,(played by the fantastic drummer, N'Dugu) with as tight, and powerful a drum sound as I could come up with. Of course I put N'Dugus' drum set on my plywood drum platform. Also at this time, I had a special kick drum cover made that covers the whole front of the kick drum. There's a slot with a zipper in it that the mike fits through. When the kick drum mike is in place, in the slot in my drum cover, I zip the opening tightly shut around the mike.

I brought in my old pal George Massenburgs' spectacular sounding, portable, 12 channel recording console and used it to record the rhythm section. With it I recorded the bass, drums and guitars on my analogue 16 track, with no noise reduction equipment in the way of that fantastic sound!

In my estimation, the the result of the song “Billie Jean”, is a perfect example of what I call “Sonic Personality”. I don’t think there are many recordings, where all you need to hear is the first few drums beats, and you instantly know what song it is.

Great albums always start with great songs....

"Billie Jean" is just such a superb song! Of course, Michael wrote "Billie Jean"..

Quincy says that the lyric that Michael wrote is highly personal. I’m sure that’s true. Michael told us... it was about a girl, that climbed over the wall at Michael’s house, and was lounging out there, by the swimming pool.... she was laying out there, near the pool , lounging... hangin’ out... with shades on, her bathing suit on. One morning she just showed up! Kind of like a stalker, almost. She had accused Michael of being the father of ONE of her twins... Is that possible? I don’t think so....

When it came time for me to mix "Billie Jean", it was business as usual... When I am working with Michael, Quincy, Rod, Jennifer, Sergio and so on..... I am allowed total ceative freedom with the sonics of the music... In other words, I am always left to myself when it is time to mix. My mixes can take hours, days or even weeks.... I firmly believe that a mix is not finished, until it is on a Record for sale at Tower....

So I had been mixing "Billie Jean" for a day or two. I’d do a mix. ..... Say I was up to mix number 2.... (At that time I was mixing onto 1/2” analogue.) I thought it was killer!!!

I called MJ, Quincy and Rod into the control room and played mix 2 for them. They loved it!!! They were all dancing and carrying on like crazy!!! Smiles all around! Then Michael slipped out of the control room, turned around and motioned to me to follow him... Then he whispered to me, “Please Bruce, it’s perfect, but turn the Bass up just a tiny bit, and do one more mix, please....” I said to him...”OK Smelly, no problem”...

(When we were recording “Off The Wall”, Quincy gave Michael the nickname of “Smelly” because when Michael liked a groove, he’d call it “Smelly Jelly.” Also Michael doesn’t curse, and when MJ wants to say a bad word he’ll simply call it “Smelly”... The name has stuck...)

Then I went back into the control room to add Michael’s tiny bit of bass to my mix... Quincy pulled me over into the corner and said “Please Svensk... “(Svensk is Quincy’s nickname for me. It means “Swedish Man” in Swedish... When you have a genuine Quincy Jones nickname like ‘Svensk” - You are truly honored....) Q said to me.... “Add a little garlic salt to the snare and the kick. Just a squirt!!!”) so I went back into the control room and added a little garlic salt to the snare and the kick. Just a squirt!!! Now I was up to mix 20 on "Billie Jean".

Well, this went on for about a week. Soon I was up to mix 91!!! I had a stack of 1/2 inch tapes almost to the ceiling!!! I would do a few mixes, we’d listen... Then do a few more. We had it PERFECT!!! We thought we had a really ‘HOT’ mix on “Billie Jean”. I played Mix 91 for the boys... Everybody smiled... but Quincy had one of his funny looks on his face...

I thought.... Hmmmm.... Oh, Oh....

Quincy said “You know Svensk, just for the fun of it, can we listen to one of your earlier mixes???” My heart jumped because I knew that my earlier mixes were dynamite!!! Then Quincy said, “Let’s hear mix number 2!!!” Oh WOW!!!! Hallelujah!!! I love mix 2!!!!

We listened to mix 2... IT WAS SLAMMIN’!!! EVERYONE IN THE STUDIO WAS GROOVIN’ AND DANCIN’ and HAPPY, and actin’ IGNORANT!!!!

Well, here’s the deal. When “Thriller” was released to the Whole World by Epic Records, on Tuesday, November 30, 1982, it went to Tower Records with MIX 2 OF "Billie Jean" on it!!! AND, when the single of "Billie Jean" came out it was MIX 2!!!

The REAL Story of "Billie Jean"...

Bruce Swedien

http://www.gearslutz.com/...-jean.html

bboy87 said:

Mix 2 mofos!!!!

I wonder if the other mixes are any different

also, could the mods sticky this thread?

I have to add my 2 cents to this thread. I was 4 when I heard of him cause my mom had the album. I found out what rap was around the same time and I used that and other albums of my moms as experiements in scratching. I'm shocked mom didn't give me the beating I deserved, though she might have .

Anyways, I loved Michael instantly with this album and it was the first album I ever loved. That and the Motown 25 performance and the videos sealed the deal for me. Hell, I went to bed listening to Thriller for a long time. It's still one of my favorite albums ever. From Wanna Be Startin Somethin to Lady In My Life, the music was pure excellence. MJ was in a groove that I wish he never left. It's ironic that I'm seeing this thread today because I went into work today and I was talking about this album with one of my co-workers. One thing is so true about Mj in 1983/1984, you could NOT dog this dude at all. Everything was so new and so fresh. You see people try and imitate MJ and the fakeness shines so clearly cause there will never be another MJ, nor should there ever be one. Michael is in a class by himself and he deserves it. He's music royality in every sense of the phrase.

bboy87, thank you for starting up this thread. I forgot how great MJ was and I'm sure through all of the muck and mire of where he is now, he still is. With all of the post on what songs were done at what times, it makes me want to listen through his entire catalog again. Listen to me getting all sentimental about Michael . He will always be a great entertainer and Thriller is all the proof that anyone needs.
[Edited 5/12/07 19:07pm]

Thank u purplecam!

It's funny to see how the music critics are so arrogant (or dumb) to say that an album isn't a masterpiece just because it's a "new" album. Thriller only four (over five) stars and just a "good" follow-up to Off the wall??? WTF

mimi07 said:

Elvis fans HATE Michael

I'm working on part 4-Beat It so stay tuned

Here is the original booklet to the 2001 Special Edition:
http://www.mjdatabank.com...r_0906.htm

bboy87 said:

thanks for posting that! I LOVE reading stuff like this...I like to know how great songs are composed and recorded."Bille Jean" is the greatest song of the 80s,imo.It's pop music perfection.

Mods, could u sticky this thread??? PLEASEE?????

bboy87 said:

i wonder why *coughs* threatenmofos

Elvis fans tend to even think that Michael married Lisa-Marie because he was a huge Elvis fan himself and wanted to be connected to the Presleys Even deluded old Priscilla claims that Neverland was a direct rip-off of Graceland, just because it has "land" at the end of the name.

Even if you're cynical and don't believe the LMP marriage was real and that he was trying to get focus off the allegations, despite evidence to the contrary, the "MJ has an obsession with Elvis" excuse is just laughable... especially since he even confessed in the 80s that he was never really a fan.
[Edited 5/13/07 1:10am]

mimi07 said:

yeah
The whole public´s view of the marriage is ridiculous. If it wasn´t, ppl wouldn´t be asking Lisa over again if they really had sex.

Great thread, bboy. I wish I expereinced the Thriller days. I was alive back than, but thanks to stupid communism, which was here at that time and which forbid any "western" stuff to get in, I got to experience only one percent of it.