Okay we al know about Hot Street, Got The Hots, Nite Line and She's Trouble.

But I also heard that MJ considered the song "Behind The Mask (Who Do You Know)" and a Rod Temperton composition called "Groove Of Midnight" and "Mystery".
Is that true??
Are there any outtakes we only know the name??

I once heard that "Ain't Nobody" was originally given to Mj but he rejected it. Is there any serious source for that??
[Edited 9/27/08 3:30am]

graecophilos said:

Here is a very rough and short demo of groove of midnight. most of it's just folk talkin' but you get an idea of the song.

http://www.youtube.com/wa...d8r6Ho7TrQ

The song "Mystery" was written by Rod Temperton and offered to Michael Jackson in 1982.I don't know if he ever recorded a demo.It was later recorded by Manhattan Transfer and Anita Baker.It's an amazing song with a cool,jazzy feel but I'm not sure if it would have fit on 'Thriller'.

That other song you mentioned is actually titled "Behind The Mask (Who Do You Love)".

SoulAlive said:

mmh well thank you. I know the songs. But the question is: where they really supposed for TZhriller? I've heard that Mytery was supposed to be for Bad, as well as Groove Of Midnight...

No,"Mystery" was originally intended for 'Thriller,not 'Bad''.It was written in 1981 or 1982.When Michael rejected it,Rod gave to The Manhattan Transfer and it appeared on their 1983 album.Anita Baker recorded her version in 1986 and it appears on her 'Rapture' album.

MJ fans....can you give us a complete list of the 'Thriller' outtakes? I heard that there are dozens of songs that didn't make it onto the album.

SoulAlive said:

I like Mystery btw. I have all the songs Rod wrote on CD and this is one of my fovorites from the 1982-1984 cd!!!

graecophilos said:

What's on your 1982-1984 cd?

Behind The Mask and Who Do You Know are 2 completely different songs.

Behind The Mask was originally done as a nearly all instrumental track by the Yellow Magic Orchestra back in 1978. Quincy heard it and brought it to Michael's attention, who wrote another melody line and verses to the song and recorded it for Thriller. Royalty issues made it difficult to include it on the album. Greg Philliganes and Eric Clapton recorded versions later on

Who Do You Know was written by Michael and Jermaine in 1981 or 1982

SoulAlive said:

I had to go and look back in my "Thriller 25" folder....

-Behind The Mask
*written by Chris Mosdell and Ryuichi Sakamoto with additional lyrics by Michael
The original instrumental with choral background was recorded by the Yellow Magic Orchestra for the 1979 album "Solid State
Survivor"
Quincy Jones heard it, brought it to Michael's attention, who recorded it, added an extra melody line, and extra lyrics
Issues with royalties prevented the song from making the cut

-Carousel
*written by Michael Sembello
The song was originally included on the album until "Human Nature" replaced it.
Was later released on the 2001 Special Edition of Thriller, but was edited to nearly 2 minutes. Michael's original version
can be easily found online. Michael Sembello's version(including extra lyrics) can be heard on his official site.

-Fantasy
*written by Michael Jackson

-Got The Hots
*written by Michael with Quincy Jones
was to be included on the 2001 Special Edition of Thriller. Some fans were given copies of the first acetate by Sony, but
have not shared it:(

-Hot Street
*written by Rod Temperton
Quincy and Rod felt it wasn't strong enough although Michael liked the song.

-Slapstick
*the original version of Hot Street

-Learned My Lesson
*written by Michael in 1981. Two versions exist

-Love Never Felt So Good
*written by Michael with Paul Anka and Kathy Wakefield. Later recorded by Johnny Mathis in 1984

-Much Too Soon
*written by Michael in 1981

-Nightline
*written by Glen Ballard
Even though the song didn't make the album, Ballard would go on to co-write "Man In The Mirror" for 1987's Bad and "Keep
The Faith" for 1991's "Dangerous".
Nightline would later be recorded by the Pointer Sisters for the ORIGINAL pressing for their 1983 LP "Breakout"(replaced by
I'm So Excited"
also recorded by Randy Crawford

-Nymphette Lover
*written by Michael in 1981

-Rolling The Dice
*written by Michael in 1982

-Saved By The Bell
written by Michael and Jermaine Jackson for either Thriller, Dynamite, or the Victory album.

-She's Not A Girl
*written by Michael in 1982

-She's Trouble
*written by Terry Britten, Bill Livsey and Sue Shifrin
later recorded by Scott Baio for his 1983 LP "The Boys Are Out Tonight" and by Musical Youth for their 1983 LP
"Different Style". The single peaked at #65 on the Hot 100 and #25 on the R&B chart.

-The Sky Is The Limit
*written by Michael and Jermaine

-Starlight
*the original version of "Thriller"

Michael Boddicker was in the studio when Michael, Rod, and Quincy played the song back and began throwing ideas at each other
like changing certain chords to make the song sound darker. A day or so later, it song became what we know as "Thriller"

-What Do You Know
*written by Michael in 1981

there are more songs, but not alot of info has surfaced
[Edited 9/27/08 15:51pm]

Nymphette Lover

Cinnie said:

could that be dedicated to Tatum O'Neal?

bboy87 said:

The only woman who turned him out I was gonna say Stephanie Mills

Cinnie said:

Now I'm reminded of the whole Rod Stewart afterparty fiasco

bboy87 said:

I think he's holding her top up in the second photo

Are you guys sure that "Nymphette Lover" and "Nighttime Lover" (written by Michael and recorded by his sister LaToya in 1980) aren't the same song?

SoulAlive said:

Nymphette Lover was registered as a different song with the US Copyright Office

I've always wondered if there was a way to go in the US Copyright Library and listen to the songs

hmm.....

You guys 4got Ain't Nobody of Chaka Khan fame.

bboy87 said:

I think you can do this!

SoulAlive said:

buys plane tickets

who's coming with me so we can steal these tapes?

SoulAlive, you know you already comin cuz you don't live that far from me

Harlepolis said:

Was that song really offered to Michael? I can't imagine him singing that

bboy87 said:

SoulAlive said:

Me either!

Cinnie said:

Öh, yeah. And look at his face.

BTW what happened at the Rod Steward afterparty?

okay here's the instrumental of Behind The Mask

http://www.youtube.com/wa...AMGmyuSc3s


but isn't the Greg Phillinganes version called "Behin The Mask (Who Do You Know)" ??? so, were theose two songs mixed up??

SoulAlive said:

The story goes like this...

David "Hawk" Wolinski(the song writer/Fellow Rufus keyboardist) wrote this for Quincy Jones to be sung by Michael, but he couldn't find a session singer(all the NYC session singers were booked @ the time) and the only person available was Chaka who was recording her self titled album from '82.

Anyway, she didn't want to sing it @ 1st because supposedly she hated it, but under Dave's nagging persuasion she eventually TORE IT UP in one take. David was SO hyped by the result, he kept the master vocals and dubbed everything thing around it and then took it back to Chaka who was impressed by the result, which ended with her dubbing the background vocals. So, the lead vocals that you hear in Ain't Nobody are from the original demo which was sung in ONE TAKE

The rest is history,,,as they say.

Harlepolis said:

WOW!

Chaka is really great!

Harlepolis said:

Thanks for the info.

dag said:

Michael went with Tatum O'Neal to Rod Stewart concert and then went to the afterparty. At the party, people were there getting high and having sex in the rooms. Tatum and another actress were with Michael in one of the bedrooms and tried to get him to have a threesome with them, but Michael refused and got out of the room, causing them and other partygoers to taunt and mock him calling him names while the girls ended having sex with Leif Garrett instead

It was in The Magic and The Madness

The song "Thriller" was originally titled "Starlight Love",and the song "Billie Jean" had a much longer intro.

SoulAlive said:

Thriller went through alot of changes:

Starlight Sun
Give Me Some Starlight
Starlight

Interesting that it was inspired by This Place Hotel