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PrintableI can put down my haterade of Michael Jackson and his fans for a moment to remember and give props to one of the best albums ever made. I was 3 when Thriller came out and it was the first album that I loved that wasn't a Sesame Street or The Muppets album.  I was a big die-hard MJ fan thanks to Thriller and I was all about MJ when I was a kid, moreso than Prince. I tried to dance like him, sing like him and I wanted his jheri curl. I would go to bed listening to Thriller, I loved it that much. When I brought the 20th Anniversary edition of Thriller in 2001, it reminded me of why I used to love MJ so much. It was all about the music and him being as funky as he could be. There wasn't a bad song on that album. I can still play it from start to finish. I almost came back to the MJ world. untill Invincible came out but that's another story.
No matter how I feel about MJ today, I cannot, nor can the biggest MJ hater, deny that MJ really did rule the world with Thriller. I have major issues with Michael but for this one album and the impact it made on my life, I will give Michael Jackson this:   He truly deserves it.I'm not a fan of "old Prince". I'm not a fan of "new Prince". I'm just a fan of Prince. Simple as that | |
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purplecam said: I can put down my haterade of Michael Jackson and his fans for a moment to remember and give props to one of the best albums ever made. I was 3 when Thriller came out and it was the first album that I loved that wasn't a Sesame Street or The Muppets album.
I was a big die-hard MJ fan thanks to Thriller and I was all about MJ when I was a kid, moreso than Prince. I tried to dance like him, sing like him and I wanted his jheri curl. I would go to bed listening to Thriller, I loved it that much. When I brought the 20th Anniversary edition of Thriller in 2001, it reminded me of why I used to love MJ so much. It was all about the music and him being as funky as he could be. There wasn't a bad song on that album. I can still play it from start to finish. I almost came back to the MJ world. untill Invincible came out but that's another story.
No matter how I feel about MJ today, I cannot, nor can the biggest MJ hater, deny that MJ really did rule the world with Thriller. I have major issues with Michael but for this one album and the impact it made on my life, I will give Michael Jackson this: He truly deserves it.I shall bring you back..... shakes the hell out of purplecam til the haterade pours out "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." |
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more picture from the 1982-1985 era:
 "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." |
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bboy87 said: purplecam said: I can put down my haterade of Michael Jackson and his fans for a moment to remember and give props to one of the best albums ever made. I was 3 when Thriller came out and it was the first album that I loved that wasn't a Sesame Street or The Muppets album.
I was a big die-hard MJ fan thanks to Thriller and I was all about MJ when I was a kid, moreso than Prince. I tried to dance like him, sing like him and I wanted his jheri curl. I would go to bed listening to Thriller, I loved it that much. When I brought the 20th Anniversary edition of Thriller in 2001, it reminded me of why I used to love MJ so much. It was all about the music and him being as funky as he could be. There wasn't a bad song on that album. I can still play it from start to finish. I almost came back to the MJ world. untill Invincible came out but that's another story.
No matter how I feel about MJ today, I cannot, nor can the biggest MJ hater, deny that MJ really did rule the world with Thriller. I have major issues with Michael but for this one album and the impact it made on my life, I will give Michael Jackson this: He truly deserves it.I shall bring you back..... shakes the hell out of purplecam til the haterade pours out  ;falloff:
You got a lot of shaking to do man!!! By the way, those are some great pictures.[Edited 12/4/07 18:36pm] I'm not a fan of "old Prince". I'm not a fan of "new Prince". I'm just a fan of Prince. Simple as that | |
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bboy87 said: more picture from the 1982-1985 era:
 | |
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purplecam said: bboy87 said: I shall bring you back..... shakes the hell out of purplecam til the haterade pours out ;falloff:
You got a lot of shaking to do man!!! [Edited 12/4/07 18:36pm]
I'll be able to do it. I can shake a Klansman to the point where he'll love rap! "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." |
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whatsgoingon said: Cinnamon234 said: Speaking of "Thriller", I came across this nice article about the album and MJ on MJNO.
"The other day I wandered into the electronics section of a department store and found several people gazing at a screen full of Michael Jackson's iconic "Motown 25" "Billie Jean" performance in HD and whatever else TVs are supposed to do today". An eager young salesman sauntered over and made his pitch. "To see that any clearer," he quipped with the authoritative smarm of a merchant hawking snake oil, "you'd have to have BEEN there." He followed that with a wicked snicker, as if being there was an impossibility. I chose not to ruin my man's pitch by telling him that indeed I was there, but I was. On the evening of March 25, 1983, I drove to the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in an economy car and an ill-fitting tux, both rented, for the taping of NBC's Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. What the tape of Jackson's performance (lip-synched, which is ironic considering his prowess at singing live while dancing) fails to accurately capture is just what was going on the audience: Sheer bedlam. What seems routine now, was spellbinding then; we'd never seen this Michael Jackson. Even his brothers, after they'd performed a reunion medley with him, were seeing it for the first time from the wings. Michael, goes the story, put his act together the day before. If you were a Jackson fan, you were glad he was back. If you were a Jackson fan and Black, you were awash in a wave of cultural pride that transcended mere pop music to fasten itself onto American history outright. To be sure, the five minutes Jackson was onstage alone somehow elevated the whole race--certainly the Pasadena Civic, where, after Jackson left the stage, the show had to be halted so that entire production and building could regain its composure; so that men in the audience could straighten their ties and women could adjust their wigs. It was as if Jackson had dropped a bomb on the place, walked away and left us there to negotiate the soulful fallout. "Ladies and gentlemen," pleaded a stern, amplified male voice, "please take your seats, we have more show to be taped. PLEASE…." Folk dabbed water from their eyes, hugged one another and high-fived strangers. Performance? We'd just witnessed a coronation. Soon, order prevailed. We politely watched the rest of the show, our collective consciousness stuck on Jackson. Michael has said that, initially, after leaving the stage, he was disappointed with his performance. His plan, when he went up on his toes, was to simply stay there, suspended infinitely. Just as well that he didn't; the house could not have handled it. As it was, they went nuts when he showed up at the after party, held at an indoor shopping mall across the street that Motown shut down and converted into a massive disco. As his security team wedged him through the crush of excited well-wishers, Tops, Tempts, Supremes and others pushed their way toward Jackson as if they themselves weren't legends, as if they hadn't made music that influenced and inspired this man. Chaos ensued. It was all Jackson's bodyguards could do to turn him around and push him back out to his limo out front. Those of us lucky enough to attend the taping had to wait weeks for the show to air. Would Jackson's performance be all that we'd raved to anyone who'd listen? Yes, even to the Jacksons. Rebbie Jackson told me when the show aired, they, like other viewers across America, taped it off the TV. The next day, friends, entertainers and assorted dignitaries, acknowledging that the universe had indeed tilted, phoned, sent flowers and wired kudos. "People came by Hayvenhurst (the Jackson home in Encino) all day long," she said. "It was as if someone got married or brought a baby home from the hospital. We played that tape over and over all day until it broke." And the day after "Motown 25" aired, all retail hell broke loose. At the height of its phenomenal sales history, the album was nationally selling half a million copies a week. With more than one million copies sold in Los Angeles alone, "Thriller" demanded its own zip code. Years later, Quincy Jones confided to me that at some point it all began to frighten him. "First I prayed it would sell, and then I wanted it to STOP selling," he said. "It was getting too big. I was afraid it would eclipse my entire career and be the only thing people remembered." Because of this, Jones said he suffered what amounted to a minor nervous breakdown, leaving Jackson and engineer Bruce Swedien to begin "Bad" while he recovered in the tropics. No disrespect Q, but I'd like a shot at that kind of breakdown. It's been twenty-five years since "Thriller" was released, on December 1, 1982. With 104 million copies sold worldwide and counting, it is, of course, the biggest selling recording of all time. I wish Jackson had made better, more musically adventurous recordings post "Thriller," but it doesn't matter now. Today, the music industry today exists in two historical periods--before "Thriller" and after it. With "Thriller," Michael Jackson changed the game. Considering how indispensable hip hop and likewise themed programming is to MTV and its subsidiaries today, it's hard to imagine that before "Thriller," the music channel refused to play the videos of black artists, including "Billie Jean." It relented only after Jackson's label, CBS Records (now Sony) threatened to pull the clips of its white acts if "Billie Jean" wasn't given a shot. That Jackson would go on to redefine the music video medium altogether was sweet redress. People talk about Michael Jackson making a comeback. Come back and do what--levitate? Comebacks are for mortals. You don't comeback after being Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson just is. He is his own global culture, his own musical manifestation. Come back and do what? He's done it all. The Michael Jackson of "Thriller" is forever etched in time, for all time. Now, he's just Michael Jackson. Besides, Michael never left. He simply morphed into his own genre, as evidenced by the images a kid flicked through on another space age looking TV in the electronic section. On one channel there was Usher; on another, Chris Brown; on yet another, Justin Timberlake and look, there's the omnipresent Britney. None of them are half as thrilling as MJ, though they all look good in HD. http://www.eurweb.com/sto...r39005.cfm -I think it's interesting that Quincy would say that he wanted the album to stop selling because he was afraid it would overshadow all of his other work, and that is exactly what ended up happening. "Thriller" was both a blessing and a curse for Michael and Quincy. [Edited 12/4/07 8:49am] Great article, from someone that was there first hand to see history being made. I watched motown 25 on TV and even before Michael burst into Billie Jean and he was doing the J5 segment you could see the frenzy in the audience. I was spellbound by watching it on TV, but being in that audiotorium that day must be something that must remains in people's minds forever. Thanks for the article. "When Michael Jackson is just singing and dancing, you just think this is an astonishing talent. And he has had this astounding talent all his life, but we want him to be floored as well. We really don´t like the idea that he could have it all." | |
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I wish Jackson had made better, more musically adventurous recordings post "Thriller," but it doesn't matter now.
lol | |
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bboy87 said: purplecam said: ;falloff:
You got a lot of shaking to do man!!! [Edited 12/4/07 18:36pm]
I'll be able to do it. I can shake a Klansman to the point where he'll love rap! Mmm kay. We will have to see. I don't think you'll get too far but I'm up for the challenge.  I'm not a fan of "old Prince". I'm not a fan of "new Prince". I'm just a fan of Prince. Simple as that | |
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DANGEROUSx said: bboy87 said: more picture from the 1982-1985 era:
The Boss and the Princess.  “The man who never looks into a newspaper is better informed than he who reads them, inasmuch as he who knows nothing is nearer to truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors.”
- Thomas Jefferson | |
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midnightmover said: DANGEROUSx said: The Boss and the Princess. :falloffI'm not a fan of "old Prince". I'm not a fan of "new Prince". I'm just a fan of Prince. Simple as that | |
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midnightmover said: DANGEROUSx said: The Boss and the Princess. I don't see Justin Timberlake in the picture..... "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." |
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purplecam said: bboy87 said: I'll be able to do it. I can shake a Klansman to the point where he'll love rap! Mmm kay. We will have to see. I don't think you'll get too far but I'm up for the challenge. I can always Chuck Norris to do the job.....and you really don't want that  "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." |
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bboy87 said: midnightmover said: Think Of Me, Burning Up...utter shit!  I'll rephrase:, I basically hate all of her stuff except for 6 songs
Lucky Star Boderline Holiday Into The Groove Crazy For You Papa Don't Preach That's all I can stand from her. Funny that the highlighted songs made an entire segment of the Re-Invention Tour (with "Music"). She was really feeding the casual fans on that show.  | |
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Thanks for posting that article.!  White Americans, what? Nothing better to do? Why don't you kick yourself out? You're an immigrant too. -White Stripes | |
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^^but kinda sad to see Michael tarnishing those memories with this Thriller 25 release  "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." |
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When this came out, Prince, the Gap band, Atomic Dogg and Kraftwerk dominated my college dorm. | |
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dag said: whatsgoingon said: Great article, from someone that was there first hand to see history being made. I watched motown 25 on TV and even before Michael burst into Billie Jean and he was doing the J5 segment you could see the frenzy in the audience. I was spellbound by watching it on TV, but being in that audiotorium that day must be something that must remains in people's minds forever. Thanks for the article. That was a very nice performance. I have a laser disk of that show which contains a lot of stuff that was not broadcast on TV. Great stuff. | |
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Love Billy Jean but the rest sounds pretty dated. | |
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bboy87 said: ^^but kinda sad to see Michael tarnishing those memories with this Thriller 25 release
Amen, brotha. | |
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From 1982 to 1985, Michael had several singles out:
The Girl Is Mine (& Paul McCartney) Billie Jean Beat It Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' Human Nature Say Say Say (& Paul McCartney) P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) Thriller Farewell My Summer Love Girl You're So Together Happy (Love Theme From 'Lady Sings The Blues') Muscles - (Diana Ross) State Of Independence - (Donna Summer) Do It Again/Billie Jean - (Club House) Somebody's Watching Me - (Rockwell) Don't Stand Another Chance - (Janet Jackson) Centipede - (Rebbie Jackson) Behind The Mask - (Greg Phillinganes) We Are The World - (USA For Africa) Eaten Alive - (Diana Ross) "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." |
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RELEASED DECEMBER 1982
Jackson released his landmark LP Thriller. The LP became legendary and spawned a record 7 Top 10 hits, including the #1 hits "Billie Jean," "Beat It," and "Thriller." Thriller was certified platinum. Jackson appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone. The single "Billie Jean" was certified gold. Jackson hit the Top 40 with "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'." Thriller spent the majority of 1983 at the top of the LP charts and into 1984 (a total of 37 weeks at #1). Thriller sold over 51 million copies worldwide (25 million in the U.S.) and is the best-selling LP in history. Thriller also revolutionized the concept of the music video. Jackson was the first major black artist to appear regularly on MTV, and pop/r&b music was now beginning to replace MTV's devotion to heavy metal bands. Jackson's videos were also presented as mini-movies with dazzling and daring contents. The single "Beat It" was certified gold. Jackson's awards for Thriller began in 1983. He won 13 Billboard Awards, 5 Billboard Video Awards, and was named Rolling Stone magazine's #1 Artists of the Year (Reader's Poll). Jackson teamed up with Paul McCartney for the #1 hit, "Say Say Say." The awards for Thriller continued with 7 American Music Awards including Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist, Favorite Pop/Rock Single ("Billie Jean"), Favorite Pop/Rock Album (Thriller), Favorite Pop/Rock Video and Favorite Soul/R&B Video ("Beat It), Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist, Favorite Soul/R&B Album (Thriller), and Jackson was honored with the Award of Merit. Jackson was also nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Video, Favorite Soul/R&B Video, and Favorite Soul/R&B Single ("Billie Jean"). During filming of a Pepsi commercial, Jackson's hair caught fire. Jackson was nominated for 12 Grammy Awards and walked home with 8: Record of the Year and Best Rock Vocal Performance - Male ("Beat It"), Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance - Male (Thriller), Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male and Best R&B Song (songwriter) ("Billie Jean"), Best Recording for Children (narration) (E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial), and Producer of the Year (Non-classical) (with Quincy Jones). Jackson also was nominated for Song of the Year (songwriter) ("Beat It" and "Billie Jean"), Best R&B Song (songwriter) ("Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"), and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group ("The Girl Is Mine" with Paul McCartney). Jackson hit #1 with "Thriller." Jackson appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone. Jackson's video achievements were honored at the MTV Video Music Awards with 3 awards (Best Overall Performance, Viewer's Choice, and Best Choreography ("Thriller") and was nominated for Video fo the Year, Best Male Video, and Best Concept Video. Thriller was certified 20x platinum. Jackson was nominated for 3 American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Album and Favorite Soul/R&B Album (Thriller), and Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist. Jackson won a Grammy Award for Best Video, Long Form (Making Michael Jackson's Thriller) and was nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group ("Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming" with Jermaine Jackson). "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." |
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25 YEARS OF THRILLER PART ONE: The Album
In April 1982, work began on Michael Jackson's sixth solo LP originally titled "Starlight", the follow up to 1979's classic "Off The Wall". From April to October 1982, The album's dream team, Jackson, Quincy Jones, and Rod Temperton, went through close to 300 songs, with 9 making the final list, and retitling the LP and title track(sound and name) to "Thriller", but it was almost shelved..... The album dealt with several setbacks. The album wasn't on schedule and getting pressure from CBS/Epic and when the album was finally finished, the final mix sounded according to Michael "crappy". Another problem was the deal with the E.T. Storybook album. Quincy and Michael took some time to recollect and then went back into the studio and remix and re-arrange the album. Along with remixing the set, they also replaced the four weakest songs with the rock oriented "Beat It", the soothing groove "Human Nature", a new uptempo version to "P.Y.T.(Pretty Young Thing), penned by Quincy and James Ingrham(the song was originally written by Michael and Greg Philliganes in 1981 or 82) , and the slow jam, "The Lady In My Life" THRILLER was released on December 1, 1982, debuting at #11 on the Billboard 200 and #29 in the UK. The album with success of singles, "The Girl Is Mine" and " "Billie Jean" would reach #1 10 weeks after it's debut in the US and 12 (in the UK). In the US, it would go on to spend 37 non consecutive weeks at #1 and in the Top 10 for 79. In the UK, it would spend 8 non consecutive weeks at the top and in the Top 10 for 78. In 1983 Michael became the first artist to simultaneously hold the number one spots on Billboard's rock albums and rock singles charts, as well as the R&B albums and singles charts With 7 Top 10 singles, Thriller won 7 American Music Awards, 8 Grammy Awards(7 in 1984 and 1 in 1985), 3 MTV Video Music Awards, 19 Billboard Awards(Music and Video), 4 NARM awards, 2 People's Choice Awards, 4 Canadian Black Music Awards, and a Crystal Globe Awards, and became the best sellling album of all time, selling 104 million copies to date Billboard Awards Pop Album of the Year - Thriller Pop Artist of the Year Black Album - Thriller Black Artist of the Year Pop Album Artist Pop Male Album Artist Pop Male Singles Artist Black Album Artist Black Singles Artist Pop Singles Artist Dance/Disco Artist Dance/Disco 12" LP - Billie Jean Dance/Disco 12" LP - Beat It Rolling Stone Readers Poll - #1 Artist of the Year Readers Poll - #1 Soul Artist Readers Poll - #1 Video - Beat It Readers Poll - #1 Producer (with Quincy Jones) Critics Poll - #1 Artist of the Year Critics Poll - #1 Video - Beat It Critics Poll - #1 Male Vocalist Critics Poll - #1 Soul Artist Black Gold Awards Top Male Vocalist Best Album - Thriller Best Single of the Year - Billie Jean Best Video Performance - Beat It Billboard Video Awards Best Performance by a Male Artist Best Overall Video - Beat It Best Performance by a Male Artist Best Choreography - Beat It Best Use Of Video To Enhance Artist's Song - Beat It Best Use Of Video To Enhance Artist's Image - Beat It Cashbox Number One Male Artist Top Black Male Artist Top Pop Album Top Black Album Top Male - Singles Artist Top Black Male - Singles Artist Top Pop Single - Billie Jean Top Black Single - Billie Jean Album Of The Year - U.K, Japan, Australia, Holland Artist Of The Year - U.K, Italy, Japan International Artist Of The Year - Brazil Record Of The Year - Greece Best Male Vocalist - Japan Most Important Foreign Album - Spain Single Of The Year - Australia Guinness Book Of Records Best Selling Album Of All Time - Thriller Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Grammy Awards Michael recieves a record breaking 12 nominations and a record breaking 8 Grammy awards - the most won by an artist in one year. Album Of The Year - Thriller Record Of The Year - Beat It Best Male Pop Performance Producer Of The Year (with Quincy Jones) - Thriller Best Male Rock Vocal Performance - Beat It Best Male R&B Vocal Performance - Billie Jean Best New R&B Song - Billie Jean Best Recording For Children - E.T. The Extra Terrestrial Album (narration by Michael Jackson) Canadian Black Music Awards Top Male Vocalist Entertainer of the Year Top International Album - Thriller Top International Single - Billie Jean American Music Awards Special Award Of Merit Favorite Album-Pop/Rock - Thriller Favorite Album-Soul/R&B - Thriller Favorite Male Vocalist - Soul/R&B Favorite Male Vocalist - Pop/Rock Favorite Single-Pop/Rock - Billie Jean Favorite Video-Pop/Rock - Beat It Favorite Video-Soul/R&B - Beat It MTV Awards Viewers Choice Award - Thriller Best Overall Video - Thriller Best Choreography - Thriller People's Choice Awards Best All Around Entertainer Of The Year Favorite Video of the Year - Thriller Hotel Royal Plaza Presentation Casement - 37 Gold & Platinum Discs Presidential Special Achievement Award (U.S) Presented at the White House by President Ronald Regan to Michael Jackson in recognition of his contribution to the nation's campaign against drunk driving - Michael's song "Beat It" was run in the ads Presentation Casement Of Platinum Disc 1985 Presented in the U.K for the "Thriller" album NARM Gift Of Music Award Best Selling Album - Thriller Best selling Single - Billie Jean Best Home Video - The Making Of Thriller NAACP Image Awards H. Claude Hodson Medal Of Freedom Ebony Magazine Award Billboard Awards Top Album American Video Awards Best Long Form Video Best Home Video Crystal Globe Awards Exceeding Sales Past 5 Million poll - World Almanac and Book of Facts 1985 Voted "Hero of Young America" Grammy Awards Best Home Video - The Making Of Thriller Rolling Stone Magazine(1989) Video Of The Decade - Thriller MTV Awards(1989) The Greatest Video In The History Of The World - Thriller Music Video Producers' Hall of Fame(1991) Thriller Video Billboard Music Award(1992) Commemoration of 10th anniversary of Thriller (Biggest selling album of all time). VH1 poll(1998) # 1 greatest video of all time - Thriller CNN Internet Poll(1999) Best Music Video Of All Time - Thriller 80 Classics of the 80's Poll - Dutch Music Channel (TMF)(1999) #1 Song - Thriller Entertainment Weekly Poll(1999) Best Solo Artist (Modern) - #1. Michael Jackson (with 25.90% of the votes) Best Group (Classic) - #2. The Jackson 5 (with 13.57% of the votes) Most Underrated Artist or Group - #2. Michael Jackson (with 17.125 of the votes) Best Modern Album - #1. "Thriller" - Michael Jackson (with 23.43% of the votes) Best Song (Modern) - #2. "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson (with 16.11% of the votes) Best Music Video - #1. "Thriller" - Michael Jackson (with 25.11% of the votes) "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." |
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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 "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." |
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THRILLER 25 PART 3- 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 "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." |
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THRILLER 25-Beat It
written by Michael Jackson "Beat It" featured a legendary guitar solo, inspired by the song "Eruption" by Eddie Van Halen. Eddie was called by Quincy Jones to guest on the song, but at first, Van Halen thought someone was prank calling him, before establishing proper communication with Jones and recorded his part completely free of charge. "I did it as a favor" said Van Halen, "I was a complete fool, according to the rest of the band, our manager, and everyone else. I was not used. I knew what I was doing-I don't do something unless I want to do it. Michael and Quincy took a skeleton version of the song to Eddie's home because they wanted him to solo over the verse section. Quincy thought it was too rough so Steve Lukather, who also worked on the song, reduced the distorted guitar sound. It was the third single from "Thriller", following "Billie Jean". Frank Dileo, who as VP at Epic Records at the time and who would go on to become Michael's manager, convinced everyone that Beat It should be released whilst Billie Jean was still heading toward the #1 spot, and predicted both singles would be in the top 10 at the same time. On the Billboard Hot 100, Billie Jean was replaced by Dexy Midnight Runners' "Come On Eileen", which spent a lone week at #1 before Michael reclaimed the top spot with "Beat It". Both singles occupied Top 5 positions a feat only matched by the Bee Gees, Olivia Newton-John, Linda Ronstadt, and Donna Summers in the 1970s. Beat It was #1 on the Hot 100 for three weeks and the R&B chart for one week and peaked at #3 in the UK. The short film, directed by Bob Giraldi, financed to the price of $140,000 by Michael himself when CBS got cold feet. The film was shot in in East Los Angeles. One incident during the filming was a stabbing that occured just above Michael when he was walking through the restaurant. The cast included 18 professional dancers and four break dancers, choreographed by Michael Peters, and real life gang members from the Crips and Bloods. Rolling Stone voted it the #1 video in both Critics and Reader's Poll and later inducted into the Music Video Producer's Hall of Fame. Featured in the National Highwa Safety Commission's anti-drunk driving campaign in the United States and included on the accompanying NHSC promo album. Michael was given a special award from President Ronald Reagan at the White House for his support of the campaign. Eddie joined The Jacksons on stage to perform Beat It during the Jacksons' Victory Tour on July 4, 1984 in Dallas. Ranked #4 "World's Favorite Song" by UK coters in Sony Ericsson's global poll in 2005. Hot 100:#1 R&B:#1 US Single Sales:#1 US Singles Airplay:#1 Canada:#1 UK:#3 Australia:#2 Austria:#6 Belgium:#1 France:#2 Holland:#1 Japan:#35 South Africa:#8 Germany:#2 Ireland:#2 Spain:#1 The single sold 4,250,000 copies "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." |
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THRILLER 25-Part 5: Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
WANNA BE STARTIN' SOMETHIN' written by Michael Jackson in 1978 or 1979 Inspired by media pressure Michael faced at the time and would continue to face to this day. The song was also inspired by family problems between his sisters in law over jealousy towards older sister LaToya. Wanna Be Startin Somethin was the first song written for Thriller. "It's a song which I had written when we were recording Off The Wall," said Michael, who wouldn't submit the song to Quincy until the Thriller/Starlight sessions. It's a song that disappointed Michael, songwriting-wise. "Songwriting is a very frustrating art form," says Michael in a 1999 TV Guide interview, "You have to get on tape exactly what's playing in your head. When I hear it up here(pointing to his head),it's wonderful- then I have to transcribe that on tape." The original demo sounds very similar to the released version. The background vocals from the demo were later used on the released version. Wanna Be Startin Somethin shot to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts after the airing of Michael's performance of "Billie Jean" during the Motown 25 special. Peaked at #5 on the Hot 100 and R&B charts and #8 in the UK. The song chosen to open The Jacksons' Victory Tour in 1984 and Michael's BAD World Tour in 1987-1989. Also performed during the 1992-93 Dangerous World Tour and 1996-97 HIStory World Tour Wanna Be Startin Somethin remains one of Michael's biggest dance cuts. Hot 100:#5 R&B:#5 Singles Sales:#2 Airplay:#6 Canada:#11 UK:#8 Australia:25 Austria:not charted Belgium:#3 France:#20 Holland:#3 Japan:#69 South Africa:not charted Germany:#16 Ireland:not charted Spain:#14 "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." |
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THRILLER 25 Part 6- Human Nature
HUMAN NATURE written by Steve Porcaro and John Bettis written about a young man who questions how he is treated by one part or all of society in general Steve Pocaro of "Toto" fame recorded a rough demo on a cassette which fellow Toto bandmate David Paitch put three songs on for Quincy Jones to listen to for possible inclusion on Thriller. Quincy didn't like Paitch's songs, but was blown away by Porcaro's song, especially when the "Why, why" part came on and the tune played to the line "Tell 'em that it's human nature". Jones mentions in the 2001 interview on the Special Edition of Thriller that he "still gets goosebumps by talking about it". Both agreed that this should be used in the album, replacing the track Carousel. It was at this point therefore, that Jones contacted Bettis to help write the lyrics to the song In his 1988 autobiography, "Moonwalk", Michael said that Human Nature was "music with wings". When people asked him about the lyrics. Michael replied with "People often think the lyrics have some special personal significance...which often isn't true.. .it's important to reach people, to move them... sometimes one can do this with the mosaic of the music melody arrangement and lyrics...sometimes it is the intellectual context of the lyrics" from Blogcritics.com: Written by John Bettis (with background music by Toto) Michael Jackson's Human Nature is the cornerstone of his career. It speaks clearly to the heart of celebrity and it also speaks on the general theme of desire; it's also a damn good song. The song itself is a cool combination of synthesizer with a nice quiet funky baseline underneath. The synth part lasts for about ten seconds, but I'm not even thinking about the instrument. Somehow, I get the image of a city covered in the just-arrived-night sky, with all the lights on and the cars racing through the streets. Living under the glass bubble of his family, with an extra layer developed by his fame, Michael Jackson was an individual isolated from the rest of the world. When he decided to visit New York by himself, the very desire to leave his protective world started to come out. This surfaces in the first couple of verses of the song: Looking out Across the night-time The city winks a sleepless eye Hear her voice Shake my window Sweet seducing sighs Get me out Into the night-time Four walls won't hold me tonight If this town Is just an apple Then let me take a bite When asked in the chorus "Why?, Why?" he answers with "Human Nature". "Why does he do me that way?" the lyric that follows, has been the cause of some speculation about his sexuality. I believe the line is more in reference to people surrounding him all the time voicing their frustrations with Michael's growing independence. In the middle of the song, Michael goes outside into the world. As he walks the streets with cameras flashing their lights to take photos of him, he eyes a girl eyeing him. He asks for her because he wants to know someone other than the people in his own circle; preferably a girl, of whom Jackson has never had much chance to be with due to his situation. At this point after the chorus returns for a second time, the song interrupts itself with the following: Why, why, does he do me that way I like livin' this way I like lovin' this way What happens next in the song is an unusual interpretation, but I believe its right. Michael, finally in reach of something real, makes love to it and becomes his own person; that's what I gathered at least when I listen to the instrumental after the second chorus. When the morning returns to New York, Michael speaks in a new confidence: Looking out Across the morning The city's heart begins to beat Reaching out I touch her shoulder I'm dreaming of the street The rest of the song, as with The Beatles' Hey Jude, has a sing-along like feel to it. As opposed to speaking to one person, as Jude was intended for, Michael is speaking to everyone who ever asks why people do certain things. I've been asking that of late with my family as well as my own life. I've never been as clear about a song as I have been with this one. Call it long nights of staying up late or a lack of a social life, but this song is very deep without being overly cryptic. If my analysis doesn't answer your questions, go listen to it anyway; it's Track 7 on the Thriller album. ----- Michael has performed Human Nature on the 1984 Victory Tour, 1987-89 Bad Tour, 1992-93 Dangerous Tour, and once in Brunei during th 1996-97 HIStory Tour Wasn't released in the UK. Charted at #7 on the Hot 100 and #27 on the R&B chart. Hot 100:#7 R&B:27 Singles Sales:#2 Airplay:? Canada:#17 UK:not released Australia:#64 Austria:? Belgium:#12 France:? Holland:#11 Japan:? South Africa#? Germany:#64 Ireland:? Spain:? The single sold 1,050,000 copies "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." |
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THRILLER 25 PART SEVEN-PYT
P.Y.T.(Pretty Young Thing) written by Quincy Jones and James Ingram PYT was originally written by Michael and Greg Philliganes but was completely redone to a more uptempo beat by Jones and Ingram Sisters LaToya and Janet was two of the "pretty young thing" singing backup. James Ingram and R&B legend Howard Hewitt also sang background vocals. charted at #10 on the Hot 100, #46 on the R&B charts and #11 in the UK Michael sang part of the original demo during the Dangerous Tour rehearsals in Neverland back in 1992. Michael also used the melody of the original demo to cowrite Backstreet's 1994 hit "Joy" The sixth single from Thriller in the U.S. and the the seventh in the U.K. Hot 100: #10 R&B:#46 Sales:#10 Airplay:not charted Canada:#24 UK:#11 Australia:#40 Austria:not charted Belgium:#6 France:not charted Holland:#4 Japan:? South Africa:? Germany:#21 Ireland:#4 Spain:? "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." |
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THRILLER 25 PART EIGHT- THRILLER
THRILLER written by Rod Temperton Inspired by The Jacksons' 1980 single "This Place Hotel" Early Versions titled "Starlight", "Starlight Sun" and "Give Me Some Starlight" later changed after Michael told Rod that he wanted something that would appeal to kids. Featured by legendary actor Vincent Price. Rod wrote the rap at the last minute. In fact he wrote the last verse in the cab on the way to the studio! The single, released in November 1983, debuted on the Hot 100 at #20, the highest new entry since John Lennon's 1971 single "Imagine". Later went to #4 to become Thriller's 7th Top 10 single, a new record. Also peaked at #3 on the R&B charts and #10 in the UK The 14 minute short film was released on December 2, 1983 and was directed by John Landis Considered the greatest and most popular music video of all time, The 1983 short film cost $800,000(equal to $1.4 million in 2007) The most expensive video until 1995 when Michael topped his his own record with "Scream" which cost $7 million. Also was the longest video until Michael would continually top the record with 1987's "Bad", 1988's "Speed Demon" and "Smooth Criminal", and now 1996's "Ghosts" which is 39 minutes The video was almost shelved when church elders told Michael, then a Jehovah's Witness", to pull it. Michael would release it but added a disclaimer at the beginning. So it would qualify for an Academy Award, Thriller was debuted at a special theatrical screening, along with the film "Fantasia" Thriller was the most popular video being played on MTV, being played as much as twice an hour. Amazing considering the length. The 1983 documentary "Making Michael Jackson's Thriller" was shown regularly on MTV and was the top selling music video of all time until 1988's "Moonwalker" Thriller was going to be performed during 1984's Victory Tour, but was pulled from the setlist. It has been performed on 1987-89's Bad Tour, 1992-93 Dangerous Tour, and 1996-97 HIStory Tour Hot 100-#4 R&B-#3 Single Sales-#1 Airplay-#6 Canada-#4 UK-#10 Australia-#4 Austria-? Belgium-#6 France-#1 Holland-#14 Japan-#30 South America-? Germany-#21 Ireland-#4 Spain-#1 Denmark-#3 Finland-#7 New Zealand-#6 Zimbabwe-#8 The single sold 3,706,400 copies "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." |
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