Man in the Music

by Joseph Vogel

  Jackson had his oldest son, Prince Michael, retrieve a demo he had recorded, and together he and Frank listened to it. “It’s very pretty music,” Frank said. “One piece had an Irish quality about it. I suggested that we could use a Celtic harp. The pieces sound like pretty film score music, with very traditional harmony, and definitely very strong melodies. One of them was a little John Barry-ish, like in Out of Africa—that kind of John Barry score. I could hear [in my head] sweeping strings and French horns in unison.”

  Jackson and Frank went to the piano to flesh out parts that were still incomplete. “I sat at the piano,” Frank observed, “and Michael hummed the missing part of one of the pieces. I had taken a little digital recorder with me and asked if I could record him. He was in perfect pitch. I tried to figure out chords to go with it as he hummed. He said, ‘Your instincts are totally right about the chords.’ ” Jackson later told friends how amazed he was that Frank could immediately play any piece he mentioned. Jackson, Frank remembered, was anxious to get the pieces orchestrated.

  After the first meeting, they continued to talk on the phone. “He asked me how the project was going and I said I was waiting to hear from someone so we could set the deal,” Frank said. “I suggested we could record the music in London while he was doing the show there. He liked the idea. He again brought up [Debussy’s] Arabesque. I laid the music all out on my computer and started on the orchestrations. Finally, a week before Michael died, his manager, Frank DiLeo, called and asked me for an e-mail with the budget and an electronic mock-up of the music, the costs of orchestration.”

  Unfortunately, as with his pop album, Jackson wasn’t able to see his vision completed. Frank, however, said Jackson “had the tunes pretty much worked out.” Each piece was about seven to ten minutes long and most of the missing parts had been filled. Jackson also told Frank about other instrumental music he had worked on, including a jazz piece.

  Two days before he died, Jackson also reached out to longtime friend Deepak Chopra about a new environmental song he had been working on called “Breed”: “I’ve got some really good news to share with you,” he said in a voice mail. Chopra said he sounded “upbeat” and “excited.” The demo he sent was a powerful piece about our connection to the planet, a sequel of sorts to “Earth Song.” Chopra, however, wasn’t able to return Jackson’s message in time. “The music demo he sent me,” said Chopra, “lies on my bedside table as a poignant symbol of an unfinished life.”

  During the final weeks of concert preparation, Jackson couldn’t sleep. He told collaborators he felt creatively “supercharged” and his mind wouldn’t shut down. “I’m channeling,” he told Kenny Ortega. “I’m writing music, and ideas are coming to me and I can’t turn it off.” Ortega asked him if it was possible that he might put these ideas “on the shelf” until after July 13, after his concert series began. Jackson replied, only half-joking, “You don’t understand—if I’m not there to receive these ideas, God might give them to Prince.”

  The artist continued to create music up until his final days. “When you know it’s right,” he explained, “sometimes you feel like something’s coming, a gestation, almost like a pregnancy or something. You get emotional, and you start to feel something gestating and [then,] Magic, there it is! It’s an explosion of something that’s so beautiful; you go, Wow! There it is. That’s how it works through you. It’s a beautiful thing. It’s a universe of where you can go with those twelve notes.”

  APPENDIX

  DEMOS, OUTTAKES, AND OTHER SONGS RECORDED BY MICHAEL JACKSON

  OFF THE WALL ERA

  “Ease on Down the Road”

  The Wiz Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1978)

  Status: Released

  Charlie Smalls wrote “Ease on Down the Road” for the Broadway musical version of The Wiz, for which he won a Tony Award for Best Musical Score. Little did he know that it would go on to be performed by two legends—Michael Jackson and Diana Ross—in the 1978 film adaptation of the musical. It is also notable for being the first song that Quincy Jones ever produced for Jackson. The spirited duet, which is heard as Dorothy and the Scarecrow ascend the yellow brick road with the New York skyline looming on the horizon, is one of the highlights of the film. The song reached #41 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group or Duo. The song was first released on the 1978 soundtrack for The Wiz and later appeared on Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection in 2004.

  “Love Never Felt So Good”

  Collaboration with Paul Anka

  Status: Released

  In 1980, not long after Off the Wall was released, Jackson worked on a handful of songs with songwriting legend Paul Anka. Anka first rose to fame in the late 1950s with hits like “Lonely Boy” and “Put Your Head on My Shoulder”; he later penned such landmark songs as Tom Jones’s “She’s a Lady” and Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” Anka first met Michael when the Jacksons were playing their variety show in Las Vegas in 1976. They reconnected in 1980. “I was very impressed with the way he went about the writing process,” Anka said of Jackson. “He knew how to make his way around a song, not only because he had an incredible vocal quality, but he also had a capacity to make complicated singing licks from an initial one-finger tune played for him on the piano.”

  Jackson and Anka worked for a couple weeks out of Anka’s home studio in Carmel, California, generating some solid demos. Among them was the charming, mid-tempo, piano-based song “Love Never Felt So Good.” That demo, featuring Jackson’s signature finger snaps and clapping, contains a full vocal and arrangement but was never completed, nor were the other songs they worked on. Anka and Jackson did briefly reunite in 1983. While nothing more was done in the studio, they did file a copyright registration for the songs, with both of them sharing cowriting credit.

  Decades later, the original demo was released on the 2014 posthumous Michael Jackson album Xscape. A “contemporized” version of the song, featuring pop star Justin Timberlake and mixed by producers Giorgio Tuinfort and John McClain (who was also a co-executor of Jackson’s estate), also appeared on the album. That version reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the R&B chart, giving Jackson Top 10 hits in six consecutive decades.

  “Sunset Driver”

  Off the Wall outtake

  Status: Released

  Jackson wrote “Sunset Driver” in 1978. The funky, keyboard-driven track feels right at home with the Destiny–Off the Wall material. It tells the story of a girl cruising Sunset Boulevard who is “much too fast” (a theme—and metaphor—Prince would pick up a few years later with “Little Red Corvette”). Jackson revisited the track during the Bad sessions. The original demo was released on Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection in 2004.

  “This Is It”

  Collaboration with Paul Anka

  Status: Released

  Another demo cowritten by Jackson and Paul Anka, “This Is It” was originally titled “I Never Heard.” The string-laden ballad was recorded in 1980 at Anka’s home studio in Carmel, California, but, like “Love Never Felt So Good,” remained unfinished. Anka had hoped to include the song on his 1983 duets album Walk a Fine Line, but with Jackson by then swamped with the success of Thriller, it remained shelved until Puerto Rican R&B singer Sa-Fire recorded a rendition of it in 1990. The song was resurrected as the first official posthumous Michael Jackson release, in large part because one of its recurring lyrics (“this is it”) matched the title of Jackson’s planned concert series in London. The demo was produced by Jackson estate co-executor John McClain and features background vocals by the Jacksons (added in 2009). It was included as the only new song on the 2009 album This Is It, a soundtrack to the posthumous documentary.

  “You Can’t Win”

  The Wiz Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1978)

&nb
sp; Status: Released

  When Quincy Jones started working on The Wiz, he was baffled that Michael Jackson had not been given a featured solo song. “Most of the people involved with the film had no idea what Michael Jackson was about,” said Jones. That was rectified, at Jones’s insistence, with “You Can’t Win,” a gospel-tinged gem featuring fiery horns, a rousing choir, and a fantastic vocal.

  Like “Ease on Down the Road,” “You Can’t Win” was originally written by Charlie Smalls for the 1974 Broadway production—though the extended outro, featuring Jackson’s joyful ad-libs, was tacked on for the soundtrack (and later released as “Can’t Get Outta the Rain,” as the B-side to “The Girl Is Mine”). The song was ultimately taken out of the Broadway show (replaced by “I Was Born on the Day Before Yesterday”) and wasn’t expected to be in the movie until Jones and director Sidney Lumet decided Jackson should sing it.

  In the film, Jackson sings the song while hanging on a cross, surrounded by taunting crows. The lyrics have the Scarecrow grappling, as Jackson later put it, with “humiliation and helplessness.” The crows insist his efforts are futile (“You can’t break even / And you can’t get out of the game”). The second half of the song, though—the extended outro—features a breakthrough and release that, as music critic Renée Graham wrote, is as “funky and loose as anything Jackson has ever done.” While the song charted at just #81 in 1979, it has held up as a fan favorite. In 2004, the full seven-minute version was included in the box set Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection.

  THRILLER ERA

  “Be Not Always”

  The Jacksons’ Victory (1984)

  Status: Released

  A haunting, melancholy ballad about the state of the world, “Be Not Always” was first written by Jackson in 1979. Michael’s only solo contribution to the Jacksons’ Victory album, the song was recorded in 1984 at Image Recorders and Evergreen Studios. Critics found it cloying, though some of the lyrics about broken promises amid Cold War dread are quite striking.

  “Behind the Mask”

  Thriller outtake

  Status: Unreleased

  The penultimate song to be cut from Thriller, “Behind the Mask” was originally an underground hit by Japanese electronic band Yellow Magic Orchestra from their 1979 album, Solid State Survivor. The track, introduced to Jackson by Quincy Jones, had a vivid melody and vibrant synths that mesmerized the artist. He began working out his own version in 1981, with new lyrics and a more traditional arrangement. As the song progressed, Jackson’s team reached out to the songwriters, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Chris Mosdell, and a deal was reached in which all three parties would share songwriting credit and royalties equally. Unfortunately, as the final lineup of songs for Thriller was coalescing, creative disputes caused the song to be cut. The song was later recorded by Jackson’s keyboardist Greg Phillinganes. It was also later covered by Eric Clapton. A remixed version of the song was included on the posthumous album Michael, but the demo remains unreleased.

  “Carousel”

  Thriller outtake

  Status: Released

  Written by Michael Sembello (best known for writing and singing “Maniac,” featured on Flashdance), “Carousel” is a charming, whimsical ballad that Jackson recorded in 1982. The song was mostly complete and one of the final tracks eliminated from Thriller. A condensed version of the song was eventually released on a special edition of Thriller in 2001.

  “Centipede”

  Rebbie Jackson (1984)

  Status: Released

  Michael Jackson wrote and produced “Centipede,” a quirky, Eastern-flavored slice of synth pop given to his sister Rebbie and featured on her 1984 eponymous album. The colorful song features Michael on background vocals. It peaked at #4 on the R&B chart.

  “Got the Hots”

  Thriller outtake

  Status: Unreleased

  Given the quality of the song and the feel of the production, “Got the Hots” would have sounded right at home next to songs like “Baby Be Mine” and “Thriller.” The track was written by Jackson and further developed with Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton; the latter two, however, didn’t feel it was strong enough for the final lineup of Thriller. “Got the Hots” was released as a bonus track for Thriller 25 in Japan in 2008. It remains unreleased in the United States.

  “Hot Street”

  Thriller outtake

  Status: Unreleased

  Another solid track written by Rod Temperton, “Hot Street” was worked on at Westlake in the summer of 1982. The song was developed enough to have the signature Thriller sound and a complete vocal by Jackson, but remains unreleased.

  “Nightline”

  Thriller outtake

  Status: Unreleased

  Written by legendary producer Glen Ballard (who would go on to cowrite “Man in the Mirror”), “Nightline” is a unique R&B cut that would have added a distinctive dimension to Thriller. Jackson’s lively interaction with the choir contains echoes of “You Can’t Win,” and the ad-libs are fantastic. According to Ballard, the track was coming to fruition around the end of the Thriller sessions but simply couldn’t compete with songs like “Beat It” and “Billie Jean.” “They’re both so much better than ‘Nightline,’ ” conceded Ballard. “If he had come in with some songs that weren’t any good, that would have been one thing, but he killed it. They were two of the greatest songs ever, so I really felt like there was no way for me to feel like I deserved to be on Thriller.” “Nightline” was undeniably a very good song, though, and was recorded by the Pointer Sisters in 1983. Jackson’s demo of the track remains unreleased.

  Peter Pan Songs

  Peter Pan movie

  Status: Unreleased

  In 1983, as Thriller was taking the world by storm, word leaked to the press that Jackson and Steven Spielberg were planning a Peter Pan musical. Jackson was not only expected to play the lead, but also to contribute many of the songs and help develop the story. The idea was, in Spielberg’s words, “to create a live-action version of the animated Walt Disney film, one as fanciful and spectacular as the cartoon but more faithful to the Barrie play.”

  Over the ensuing year or so, Jackson developed at least four songs with writer-producer Buz Kohan for the film: “Neverland Landing,” “Happy Song,” “I’m Peter Pan,” and “Make a Wish.” “He had a depth of instinct,” recalled Kohan. “He knew orchestration, he knew what he wanted to hear. For one of the songs, he had a thirty-piece orchestra come to the studio. He really wanted to express his vision for the piece before he sent it to [Steven] Spielberg.” Spielberg later told Jackson that he used the songs to put his newborn son, Max, to bed at night. Unfortunately, the film never materialized, due to scheduling conflicts in the 1980s and creative differences in the 1990s. As yet, none of these songs has been officially released.

  “Say Say Say”

  Paul McCartney’s Pipes of Peace (1983)

  Status: Released

  Probably the best of the Jackson-McCartney collaborations, “Say Say Say” was also the most commercially successful. The song hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1983 and remained there for an incredible six weeks, well into 1984. In fact, according to Billboard, the song was even more successful than “Billie Jean,” based on its longevity in the Top 10 (thirteen weeks). The song also reached #1 throughout most of Europe, though it peaked at #2 in the UK.

  While most critics at the time dismissed it as a cheesy synth-pop confection, “Say Say Say” features great contrasting vocal performances and some bluesy harmonica overblows by Chris Hammer Smith. Jackson reportedly wrote most of the song, while McCartney played a number of instruments, including bass guitar and percussion. Most of the recording took place in 1981 in London, and was completed in February 1983 at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles. It was include
d on McCartney’s 1983 album, Pipes of Peace. In 2015, McCartney released an alternate version of the song in which he and Jackson’s vocal roles are reversed (both artists recorded complete vocals on the track).

  “She’s Trouble”

  Thriller outtake

  Status: Unreleased

  Written by Terry Britten (cowriter of “Just Good Friends”), Bill Livsey, and Sue Shifrin, “She’s Trouble” was recorded in 1982. Developed for Thriller, Jackson completed a vocal on the track, but it was never in serious contention for the album. The demo was not completed and remains unreleased.

  “Somebody’s Watching Me”

  Rockwell (1984)

  Status: Released

  An ’80s classic about paranoia and surveillance, “Somebody’s Watching Me” was released on Rockwell’s eponymous 1984 album and peaked at #2—thanks in part to the uncredited vocals of Michael Jackson in the chorus. Rockwell was the musical pseudonym of Berry Gordy’s son, Kennedy Gordy, who brought a demo to Jackson’s house in the summer of 1983. “I performed it about eight or nine times,” Rockwell told Rolling Stone. “Michael says, ‘Hey Rebbie! Hey Janet! You gotta hear this song Kennedy did.’ Every time we stopped the song, Michael called three more people down. Afterwards, Michael pulled me to the side and says, ‘Kennedy, I gotta talk to you for a second. Who are you going to get to sing background vocals?’ I said, ‘Why don’t you do it?’ It worked just like that.”