Micheal Jackson Music & Performance (Official Thread)
- Thread starter Soot and Stars
- Start date
METALPRIEST
Senior Member
30 Years Ago: Michael Jackson + Eddie Van Halen Hit No. 1 with ‘Beat It’
SOURCE LINK
Pop and R&B star Michael Jackson was looking to broaden his audience base when he invited Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen to play on a track from the album he was working on as a follow-up to his best-selling 1979 disc ‘Off the Wall.’
And the seemingly unlikely pairing worked like a charm — the resulting track, ‘Beat It,’ won multiple Grammys, launched an iconic video and became one of Jackson’s signature songs, landing at No. 1 on April 30, 1983.
The collaboration almost didn’t happen. When Van Halen received the initial inquiry about recording the track, he hung up, believing it was a prank call. In 2012 the guitarist recalled that he did much more than just play the guitar solo on the track.
“I listened to the song, and I immediately go, ‘Can I change some parts?’,” he said. “I turned to the engineer and I go, ‘OK, from the breakdown, chop in this part, go to this piece, pre-chorus, to the chorus, out.’ Took him maybe 10 minutes to put it together. And I proceeded to improvise two solos over it.”
Incredibly, the guitarist did the gig as a favor, receiving no payment for his role in making ‘Thriller,’ which went on to sell more than 30 million copies, becoming the most successful album in recorded history to that point. ‘Beat It’ held the top spot in the Top 40 for three weeks, and won Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.
Though Van Halen’s record company prevented him from appearing in the video for the song, he did join Jackson on stage in Dallas to perform ‘Beat It’ during the ‘Victory’ tour.
SOURCE LINK
Pop and R&B star Michael Jackson was looking to broaden his audience base when he invited Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen to play on a track from the album he was working on as a follow-up to his best-selling 1979 disc ‘Off the Wall.’
And the seemingly unlikely pairing worked like a charm — the resulting track, ‘Beat It,’ won multiple Grammys, launched an iconic video and became one of Jackson’s signature songs, landing at No. 1 on April 30, 1983.
The collaboration almost didn’t happen. When Van Halen received the initial inquiry about recording the track, he hung up, believing it was a prank call. In 2012 the guitarist recalled that he did much more than just play the guitar solo on the track.
“I listened to the song, and I immediately go, ‘Can I change some parts?’,” he said. “I turned to the engineer and I go, ‘OK, from the breakdown, chop in this part, go to this piece, pre-chorus, to the chorus, out.’ Took him maybe 10 minutes to put it together. And I proceeded to improvise two solos over it.”
Incredibly, the guitarist did the gig as a favor, receiving no payment for his role in making ‘Thriller,’ which went on to sell more than 30 million copies, becoming the most successful album in recorded history to that point. ‘Beat It’ held the top spot in the Top 40 for three weeks, and won Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.
Though Van Halen’s record company prevented him from appearing in the video for the song, he did join Jackson on stage in Dallas to perform ‘Beat It’ during the ‘Victory’ tour.
METALPRIEST
Senior Member
Vehicle
Aging Metalhead
I was floating around on You Tube and found this.
The audience is filled with big names, and they all have starry eyes watching this guy.
Along with Elvis, MJ was one of those people who had such a presence, a quality, that transcended far beyond his own profession.
Like Elvis, it didn't matter who else was in the room, be it world leaders, sports stars, whatever, when he walked in, he was the center of attention.
The audience is filled with big names, and they all have starry eyes watching this guy.
Along with Elvis, MJ was one of those people who had such a presence, a quality, that transcended far beyond his own profession.
Like Elvis, it didn't matter who else was in the room, be it world leaders, sports stars, whatever, when he walked in, he was the center of attention.
METALPRIEST
Senior Member
Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson Demos Almost Ready for Release
Source Link
Three decades after they were originally recorded, songs that Michael Jackson wrote and demoed with Queen frontman Freddie Mercury are finally close to seeing the light of day.
The duo met up at Jackson’s California mansion in 1983, setting aside a six-hour session that produced three songs: ‘There Must Be More to Life Than This,’ ‘State of Shock’ and ‘Victory.’ All three songs eventually surfaced in other forms, but the Jackson/Mercury demos were never completed. It wasn’t until 2011, after both artists had passed away, that Jackson’s estate cleared the tracks for release. Now, Mercury’s surviving bandmates are in the studio with producer William Orbit, adding what the Daily Mail refers to as “new guitar solos from [Brian] May along with Queen-style vocal harmonies.”
May teased the new sessions in a blog post earlier this year, telling fans that “there are a few items in progress. We will have something for folks to hear in a couple of months’ time, hopefully.” He recently described further work on the songs as “exciting, challenging, emotionally taxing. But cool.”
“They were great songs, but the problem was time — as we were both very busy at that period,” Mercury recalled of the 1983 session. “We never seemed to be in the same country long enough to actually finish anything completely. Michael even called me to ask if I could complete ['State of Shock'], but I couldn’t because I had commitments with Queen. Mick Jagger took over instead. It was a shame, but ultimately a song is a song. As long as the friendship is there, that’s what matters.”
Unfortunately, Mercury and Jackson eventually stopped trying to reschedule. According to the Hollywood Reporter, “Mercury subsequently fell out with Jackson because the U.S. star objected to Mercury taking too much cocaine in his living room.”
Source Link
Three decades after they were originally recorded, songs that Michael Jackson wrote and demoed with Queen frontman Freddie Mercury are finally close to seeing the light of day.
The duo met up at Jackson’s California mansion in 1983, setting aside a six-hour session that produced three songs: ‘There Must Be More to Life Than This,’ ‘State of Shock’ and ‘Victory.’ All three songs eventually surfaced in other forms, but the Jackson/Mercury demos were never completed. It wasn’t until 2011, after both artists had passed away, that Jackson’s estate cleared the tracks for release. Now, Mercury’s surviving bandmates are in the studio with producer William Orbit, adding what the Daily Mail refers to as “new guitar solos from [Brian] May along with Queen-style vocal harmonies.”
May teased the new sessions in a blog post earlier this year, telling fans that “there are a few items in progress. We will have something for folks to hear in a couple of months’ time, hopefully.” He recently described further work on the songs as “exciting, challenging, emotionally taxing. But cool.”
“They were great songs, but the problem was time — as we were both very busy at that period,” Mercury recalled of the 1983 session. “We never seemed to be in the same country long enough to actually finish anything completely. Michael even called me to ask if I could complete ['State of Shock'], but I couldn’t because I had commitments with Queen. Mick Jagger took over instead. It was a shame, but ultimately a song is a song. As long as the friendship is there, that’s what matters.”
Unfortunately, Mercury and Jackson eventually stopped trying to reschedule. According to the Hollywood Reporter, “Mercury subsequently fell out with Jackson because the U.S. star objected to Mercury taking too much cocaine in his living room.”
Vehicle
Aging Metalhead
One of the coolest stage entrances ever...
...and one of my favorite cuts.
...and one of my favorite cuts.
Ragged Glory
Banned
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2013
- Posts
- 853
- Reaction score
- 0
That was a wonderful time in music. Too bad it can or will no longer exist.30 Years Ago: Michael Jackson + Eddie Van Halen Hit No. 1 with ‘Beat It’
Though Van Halen’s record company prevented him from appearing in the video for the song, he did join Jackson on stage in Dallas to perform ‘Beat It’ during the ‘Victory’ tour.
Last edited:
Ragged Glory
Banned
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2013
- Posts
- 853
- Reaction score
- 0
In recent times, yet in a different situation, it was kinda cool seeing the respect shown in the MLB All-Star Game towards Mariano Rivera in his final year game save. Still no comparison in the greatness of Michael Jackson though. It's hard to place anyone next to Michael Jackson for the great man and musician that he was and forever will be known as.
Vehicle
Aging Metalhead
Did someone say MJ & MJ?
Ragged Glory
Banned
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2013
- Posts
- 853
- Reaction score
- 0
^ Who did it?
