When I was a kid, there were definitely people that cast aspersions on Michael Jackson’s sexuality. In the late ‘70s and ‘80s, the “Michael is gay” rumors were prevalent, to the point that a rumor floated (and was published) that MJ had actually undergone a sex change operation. Allegedly, the sex change was so that… Read More “Human Nature” by Michael Jackson (1982)
I’ve been thinking recently about Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson’s oft-repeated assertion that Epic Records wasn’t enthused about the choice of Quincy as producer for Off The Wall, stating that he was “too jazzy”. I can’t verify whether that (or a variation of it) was said or not said, obviously. I wasn’t there, Michael is… Read More “Give Me The Night” by George Benson (1980)
“Give It To Me Baby” is a monster, a classic Rick James party jam. It starts off with a thunderous bass before launching into a whomping funk groove. The King of Punk Funk is in full “I’m Rick James, bitch!” mode here, bellowing “I’ll make you holler you’ve had enough!” However, considering the preceding lyrics… Read More “Give It To Me Baby” by Rick James (1981)
So, there are a lot of disco songs that begin with the word “get”, clearly. “Get On The Floor” closes out side 1 of Off The Wall. After a 1-2-3 punch of “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough”, “Rock With You” and “Working Day And Night”, one might think Michael would put the non-stop boogieing… Read More “Get On The Floor” by Michael Jackson (1979)
Dear Michael Jackson, welcome to the first day of the rest of your life. “Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough” was where Michael stopped being the lead singer of the Jacksons and became Michael Fucking Jackson. “Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough” transcended boy bands, transcended disco, transcended those silly “Star Wars”-esque references about the… Read More “Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson (1979)
Let’s give it up for Quincy Jones and two of the finest vocalists he ever worked with. Patti was an actual Quincy protege. She’d been a professional singer for a full decade, making one-off singles, cutting jazz records, doing a ton of jingle work. She finally leveled up by duetting with MJ on ‘79′s “It’s The Falling… Read More “Do You Love Me” by Patti Austin (1981) | “Do You Love What You Feel” by Rufus & Chaka (1979)
Teddy Riley was the best option for Michael Jackson when he was elected to take the reins of production from Quincy Jones. Q was famously behind the boards for MJ’s three career-making albums; 1979’s Off The Wall, 1982’s Thriller and 1987’s Bad. Even by the time the last album was recorded, pop and R&B music… Read More “Can’t Let Her Get Away” by Michael Jackson (1991)
I can’t talk about “Billie Jean” without bringing up Motown 25. The special, which celebrated the anniversary of the label that brought Michael Jackson (and many, many others) to fame’s doorstep aired on NBC in mid-May 1983, about two weeks before I turned 7. The show was taped in March, two months before its air… Read More “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson (1982)
“Beat It”’s legend is greater than the song itself, which says a lot considering how great the actual song is. How do I accurately summarize this song’s impact on me and the world? I’m not going to even try. Here are a few interesting facts/theories, though. The story about Quincy Jones calling Eddie Van Halen… Read More “Beat It” by Michael Jackson (1982)
Similar to “At This Moment”, which we profiled a bit earlier, here’s another song that performed modestly in its original chart run before being resurrected years later (in this case, about a year and a half) thanks to TV exposure. In “Baby, Come To Me”’s case, it was used in a storyline on the daytime… Read More “Baby, Come To Me” by Patti Austin (duet with James Ingram), 1981
Five Star Jamz 