Stranger In Moscow

Stranger in Moscow" is the fifth and final single from Michael Jackson's album HIStory. The song was released worldwide in November 1996. The track was written by Jackson in 1993, at the height of the highly publicized child abuse accusations made against him, while on tour in Moscow. In the ballad, Jackson sings of a fall from grace that has left him lonely, isolated, paranoid and on the verge of insanity.

When the song was complete, with Jackson happy with the result, he decided to make the second disc of HIStory a full studio album instead of a greatest hits compilation with several new tracks. Upon release, "Stranger in Moscow" was praised by critics, today it remains one of his most critically acclaimed pieces. Commercially the single saw mixed results by Jackson's standards, but the highly successful album had already been on the market nearly 18 months and numerous A-side, B-side and radio only singles had already been released to a positive commercial reception.

The song's music video depicts the lives of six individuals, including Jackson, who are left isolated and disconnected from the world around them. The imagery in the video has been replicated in television adverts.

In the book, The Many Faces of Michael Jackson, author Lee Pinkerton, like many other reviewers, noted that HIStory's album tracks like "Stranger in Moscow", were Jackson's response to recent events in his personal life.^[1]

In 1993, the relationship between Jackson and the press soured entirely when he was accused of child sexual abuse. Although never charged with a crime, Jackson was subject to intense media scrutiny while the criminal investigation took place. Complaints about the coverage and media included using sensational headlines to draw in readers and viewers when the content itself did not support the headline,^[2] accepting stories of Jackson's alleged criminal activity in return for money,^[3] accepting leaked material from the police investigation in return for money paid,^[4] deliberately using pictures of Jackson's appearance at its worst,^[5] a lack of objectivity^[5] and using headlines that strongly implied Jackson's guilt.^[5]

At the time, Jackson said of the media reaction, "I will say I am particularly upset by the handling of the matter by the incredible, terrible mass media. At every opportunity, the media has dissected and manipulated these allegations to reach their own conclusions".^[6]

The entertainer began taking painkillers, Valium, Xanax and Ativan to deal with the stress of the allegations made against him.^[7] A few months after the allegations became news, Jackson had lost approximately 10 pounds (4.5kg) in weight and had stopped eating.^[8] Jackson's health had deteriorated to the extent that he canceled the remainder of his Dangerous World Tour and went into rehabilitation.^[9][10] Jackson booked the whole fourth floor of the clinic, and was put on Valium IV to wean him from painkillers.^[9][10][11] The singer's spokesperson told reporters that Jackson was "barely able to function adequately on an intellectual level".^[10] While in the clinic, Jackson took part in group and one-on-one therapy sessions.^[9][10]

When Jackson left the US to go into rehabilitation, the media showed the singer little sympathy. The Daily Mirror held a "Spot the Jacko" contest, offering readers a trip to Disney World if they could correctly predict where the entertainer would appear next.^[9] A Daily Express headline read, "Drug Treatment Star Faces Life on the Run", while a News of the World headline accused Jackson of being a fugitive. These tabloids also falsely alleged that Jackson had traveled to Europe to have cosmetic surgery that would make him unrecognizable on his return.^[9] Geraldo Rivera set up a mock trial, with a jury made up of audience members, even though Jackson had not been charged with a crime.^[12]

"Stranger in Moscow" is an R&B ballad,^[11][13] penned by Jackson in 1993, during his Dangerous World Tour in Moscow. A background guitar was played by Steve Lukather while Keyboards, Synthesizers and Bass are credited to David Paich and Steve Porcaro.^[14] Originally, HIStory was planned as a greatest hits release, with a few new tracks. However, Jackson and his collaborators were so pleased with the result of "Stranger in Moscow" that they decided to give HIStory a full studio album as the second disc.^[15] Jackson used elements of Russian imagery and symbolism to help promote the concept of fear and alienation in the track, in a similar fashion to Simply Red’s album Love and the Russian Winter several years later.^[16] It concludes with a narrative, spoken in Russian, by a KGB interrogator.^[17] The narrative, translated into English is, "Why have you come from the west? Confess! To steal the great achievements of the people, the accomplishments of the workers...".

MJ and the Jackson 5

Michael reunited with his brothers Jackie, Marlon, Jermaine, & Tito on stage for the first time in eight years for a medley of their greatest hits, "I Want You Back," "The Love You Save," "Never Can Say Goodbye," and "I'll Be There." Brother Randy, who was not a part of the original Jackson 5, but was a part of the later group The Jacksons (minus Jermaine), also joined the group for the medley.

As the other members of the Jackson 5 left the stage, Michael transitioned dramatically into his own solo spot. Widely hailed as Michael's breakthrough performance as a solo artist, he performed "Billie Jean", which at the time was in the middle of a seven-week run atop the Billboard Hot 100 music charts.

Motown 25 was a showcase for the highly anticipated reunion of the Supremes: Diana Ross, Mary Wilson (original member Florence Ballard had died in 1976), and Supremes replacement Cindy Birdsong. Four of their greatest hits were to be sung that night, including Someday We'll Be Together, Baby Love and Stop! In the Name of Love, however this reunion was cut short. Richard Pryor opened the segment with a fairy-tale story of 'three maidens from the Projects of Brewster' which was then followed with a montage of various Supremes' video clips. Diana then started down the center aisle of the auditorium with her hit Ain't No Mountain High Enough.

When Ross finished, she made a brief speech about 'the night that everyone came back' (although, as stated above, some artists were not invited, and some had died). After the beginning chords of "Someday We'll Be Together", Ross became frustrated by the fact that Wilson and Birdsong moved with her, as she walked closer to the edge of the stage, which resulted in Wilson taking over lead vocals of the song. This prompted Ross to push Wilson. A few moments later, Motown labelmates such as Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, and others quickly filled the stage for an impromptu finale. Although producer Suzanne de Passe had instructed Diana to introduce Berry Gordy after leading the finale, (a fact unknown to Mary) Wilson decided to do the honors, by calling Berry down herself. This led to Diana yelling at Mary "it's been taken care of". Wilson also made a brief tribute to Ballard, who Gordy had removed from the group years before. By the time the reunion aired on May 16, the Ross altercations had been excised from the special, but they were widely reported (including an article and pictures in US Weekly), and the performance resulted in bad publicity for Ross.


[edit] The Temptations/The Four Tops
The Temptations and The Four Tops competed in a "Battle of the Bands" style event. The only original Temptations performing were Melvin Franklin and Otis Williams, as Eddie Kendricks (who quit the group in 1971) and David Ruffin (who quit the group in 1968, and was replaced by Dennis Edwards) had a falling out with the group. Paul Williams had died in 1973, and Al Bryant (who quit the group in 1964) had died in 1975.

Joining Williams and Franklin were then-Temptations Dennis Edwards, Richard Street, and Ron Tyson. All of the original members of the Four Tops performed: Renaldo "Obie" Benson, Duke Fakir, and Lawrence Payton, with Levi Stubbs providing the lead vocals. The two groups performed "Reach Out I'll Be There", "Get Ready", "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)", "My Girl" "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" and "I Can't Get Next to You", among other numbers. The joint performance was a success, and the Temptations and Four Tops toured together for two years following the special.

This "battle" later returned in a special at the Apollo theater and created a long running tour for the two groups to compete in.
While Motown 25 was billed as "Yesterday, Today, Forever", artists from the golden era of Motown, such as The Marvelettes, The Vandellas, The Contours, Marv Johnson, Jimmy Ruffin, Edwin Starr, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and The Velvelettes were not included in the special, while newer artists such as Debarge and José Feliciano were. Non-Motown artists, such as Adam Ant (who paid homage to the Supremes singing "Where Did Our Love Go"" with Diana Ross bumping and grinding) and Linda Ronstadt were featured as well.

Moonwalk MJ

The moonwalk or backslide is a dance technique that presents the illusion of the dancer being pulled backwards while attempting to walk forward.[1] A breakdancing move, it became popular around the world after Michael Jackson executed it during a performance of "Billie Jean" on Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever on March 25, 1983. It subsequently became his signature move, and is now one of the best-known dance techniques in the world.[2][3]

There are many recorded instances of the moonwalk, originally known as the backslide or "walking on your toes", being used before Michael Jackson used it. Similar steps are reported as far back as 1932, used by Cab "Minnie the Moocher" Calloway.[4] It was first recorded in 1955 in a performance by tap dancer Bill Bailey.[5] The French mime artist, Marcel Marceau, used it throughout his career (from the 1940s through the 1980s), as part of the drama of his mime routines. Marceau's famous "Walking Against the Wind" routine was the original influence that Jackson drew from, in which Marceau pretends to be pushed backwards by a gust of wind.[6]

James Brown used the move,[7] for instance in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. David Bowie was probably the first rock musician to perform it, though he remained stationary.[8] An embryonic version of the move appears in Bowie's 1960s mime pieces; he had studied mime under Étienne Decroux, Marcel Marceau's teacher,[9] and under Lindsay Kemp, who had trained with Marceau. By the time of his 1974 Diamond Dogs Tour, Michael Jackson was among those attending Bowie's Los Angeles shows, later remarking on Bowie's strange moves.[10] Another early moonwalker was Jeffrey Daniel, who moonwalked in a performance of Shalamar's "A Night To Remember" on Top of the Pops in 1982.[11] Also in 1982, Debbie Allen performs a moonwalk during a scene with Gwen Verdon in Season 1, Episode 10 (Come One, Come All) of the 1982 TV series Fame.[12] In the movie "Flashdance", released in 1983, the move was used in the breakdance scene, where a street performer, with an umbrella prop, mimed the wind blowing him backward as he first walks forward, fighting the wind, then starts moonwalking backwards.[13]

Michael Jackson
The dance was brought to widespread public attention in 1983, when Michael Jackson performed it during a television special, Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever on March 25 that year. Dressed in his signature black pants, silver socks, silver shirt, black-sequinned jacket, single sequinned glove, and black fedora, Jackson spun around, posed, and started moonwalking. Ian Inglis writes that Jackson encapsulated a long tradition of African-American dance movements in that one performance. The audience gasped when they saw the move. Nelson George said that Jackson's rendition "combined Jackie Wilson's athleticism with James Brown's camel walk."[7]

The step has two distinct types. One is called the turn walk. This is usually performed very quickly giving the impression that the dancer is walking quickly in a circle. The other circular moonwalk type is known as the 360 or Four-Corner Moonwalk and is often done much more slowly in a floating style. This involves sliding a heel back (usually the left heel), pivoting both heels to change direction, and then pivoting the non-sliding heel 45 degrees. Other moonwalk variants include the "sidewalk" or "side glide", in which the dancer appears to glide sideways, and the "spotwalk", in which the dancer appears to moonwalk in place.

MJ-Bad

Bad is the studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on August 31, 1987 by Epic/CBS Records, nearly five years after his previous studio album, Thriller, which went on to become the world's best-selling album ever. Bad itself went on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide, and shipped eight million units in the United States alone. It is the first, and currently only, album ever to feature five Billboard Hot 100 #1 singles.[3]

This album saw Jackson have even more freedom over his album than he did with the two previous albums, Off the Wall and the world's best selling album of all time, Thriller, as he wrote and composed 9 of the album's 11 tracks, and produced another, "Man in the Mirror". The album, which saw the squeaky-clean pop idol adopt a street-tough image, continued Jackson's commercial success in the late '80s and won two Grammys, one for Best Music Video - Short Form for Leave Me Alone, and one for Best Engineered Album - Non Classical.[4] Bad was ranked number 43 in the 100 Greatest Albums of All Time of the MTV Generation in 2009 by VH1.[5] It was ranked number 202 in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[6]

Jackson began recording demos for the anticipated follow-up to Thriller as he would spend hours in the studio a few months after the 1984 Victory Tour with The Jacksons. Recording took place between January 5, 1987 and July 9, 1987[7] (except for "Another Part of Me" which was recorded for Captain EO in 1986). Jackson wrote a reported sixty songs for the new album and recorded thirty, wanting to use them all on a three-disc set. Longtime producer Quincy Jones cut these down to a ten-track single LP. When the album was released on CD, a bonus 11th track, "Leave Me Alone" was included. It was later released as a single.

Jackson wrote nine of the eleven tracks himself. Terry Britten (writer of Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do With It") and Graham Lyle wrote "Just Good Friends". Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard wrote "Man in the Mirror". Stevie Wonder sings co-lead vocal on "Just Good Friends", and Steve Stevens contributes the guitar solo for "Dirty Diana".

However, while recording the tracks for Bad, there was some debate between Jackson and Jones on which songs would be put on the album. For example, they both had a hard time deciding on either "Streetwalker" or "Another Part of Me" (which was recorded for Captain EO in 1986) to be put on the album. Jackson wanted "Streetwalker", whereas Jones wanted "Another Part of Me". Ultimately, it was decided by Jackson's manager Frank Dileo. According to Quincy Jones from "Bad: Special Edition", there was a meeting among the three. In the meeting, Jackson played "Streetwalker" first, and Dileo was not impressed. But Dileo started to dance when "Another Part of Me" came on. This is what eventually put "Another Part of Me" onto the album.

"Bad" was originally intended as a duet between Jackson and Prince. A rivalry had developed between the two over the years, and Jackson's plan was to leak stories to the media about rising tensions between himself and Prince, culminating in the release of the song. Prince turned down the project, explaining to Jones that the song "would be a hit without (him) on it".

"I Just Can't Stop Loving You" was supposed to feature a famous female singer. Reportedly Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston all were busy and their schedules wouldn't allow them to complete the song in time for its release. So Jones chose R&B singer-songwriter Siedah Garrett.

By the time Jackson released this album, its predecessor, Thriller, had already sold millions, raising expectations for Bad. Bad became the first of Jackson's albums to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 where it remained for the next six consecutive weeks. The RIAA certified Bad for having sold eight million copies in the U.S. alone.[8] In the U.K, the album sold 500,000 copies in just five days and is currently certified 11x platinum, for sales of 3.5 million, making it Jackson's second biggest-selling album in the UK. Globally, it is Jackson's overall fourth best-selling recording, behind Thriller, Dangerous and HIStory with 30 million units sold.[9]

Jackson set another record with this album, becoming the first, and currently only, artist to have five songs to hit number one from one album.[10] In July 2006, it was announced by the The Official UK Charts Company that Bad was the ninth biggest selling album in British history.[11] It turned out to be the last collaborative effort by Jackson and Jones, as Jackson moved on to write and produce more of his own records, particularly with Teddy Riley, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Rodney Jerkins.

Rolling Stone stated that "even without a milestone recording like "Billie Jean", Bad is still a better record than Thriller."[12] The magazine further went on to say that the "filler" content in Bad - including songs such as "Speed Demon", "Dirty Diana" and "Liberian Girl" - is written by Jackson himself, making Bad "richer, sexier and better than Thriller's forgettables."[12]

In 2001, a special edition of the album was released with three new songs and a new booklet containing lyrics and previously-unpublished photos.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 202 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

MJ-Thriller

Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. The album was released on November 30, 1982 by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall. Thriller explores similar genres to those of Off the Wall, including funk, disco, soul, R&B, and pop. Thriller's lyrics deal with themes including paranoia and the supernatural.

With a production budget of $750,000, recording sessions took place between April and November 1982 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California.[11] Assisted by producer Quincy Jones, Jackson wrote four of Thriller's nine tracks. Following the release of the album's first single "The Girl Is Mine", some observers assumed Thriller would only be a minor hit record. With the release of the second single "Billie Jean", the album topped the charts in many countries. At its peak, the album was selling a million copies a week worldwide. In just over a year, Thriller became—and currently remains—the best-selling album of all time. Worldwide sales of the album are estimated to be as low as 70 million and as high as 110 million, with additional totals from singles being sold is estimated to be over 100 million copies worldwide.[12][13] Seven of the album's nine songs were released as singles, and all reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards at the 1984 Grammys.

Thriller cemented Jackson's status as one of the predominant pop stars of the late 20th century, and enabled him to break down racial barriers via his appearances on MTV and meetings with President Ronald Reagan at the White House. The album was one of the first to use music videos as successful promotional tools—the videos for "Thriller", "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" all received regular rotation on MTV. In 2001, a special edition issue of the album was released, which contains additional audio interviews, a demo recording and the song "Someone In the Dark", which was a Grammy-winning track from the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial storybook.[14] In 2008, the album was reissued again as Thriller 25, containing re-mixes that feature contemporary artists, a previously unreleased song and a DVD.

Thriller ranked number 20 on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2003, and was listed by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers at number three in its Definitive 200 Albums of All Time. Thriller was preserved by the Library of Congress to the National Recording Registry, as it was deemed "culturally significant".

Jackson's previous album Off the Wall (1979) was a critical success and received generally favorable reviews.[15][16] It was also a commercial success, eventually selling over 20 million copies worldwide.[17]

The years between Off the Wall and Thriller were a transitional period for the singer, a time of increasing independence and struggles with his family. In 1973, Jackson's father Joseph began a secret affair with a woman 20 years younger than he; the couple had a child in secret. In 1980, Joseph told his family of the affair and child. Michael, already angry with his father over his childhood abuse, felt so betrayed that he fell out with Joseph for many years.[18] The period saw the singer become deeply unhappy; Jackson explained, "Even at home, I'm lonely. I sit in my room sometimes and cry. It's so hard to make friends ... I sometimes walk around the neighborhood at night, just hoping to find someone to talk to. But I just end up coming home."[19] When Jackson turned 21 in August 1979, he fired Joseph as his manager and replaced him with John Branca.[20]

Jackson confided in Branca that he wanted to be "the biggest star in show business" and "the wealthiest". The singer was upset about what he perceived to be the under-performance of Off the Wall, stating, "It was totally unfair that it didn't get Record of the Year and it can never happen again."[21] He also felt undervalued by the music industry; in 1980 when Jackson asked the publicist of Rolling Stone if they would be interested in doing a cover story on him, the publicist declined, to which Jackson responded, "I've been told over and over that black people on the cover of magazines doesn't sell copies ... Just wait. Someday those magazines are going to be begging me for an interview. Maybe I'll give them one. And maybe I won't."[21]


[edit] Recording
Jackson reunited with Off the Wall producer Quincy Jones to record his sixth studio album. The pair worked together on 300 songs, nine of which were eventually included.[22] Thriller was recorded between April and November 1982, with a production budget of $750,000. Several members of the band Toto were also involved in the album's recording and production.[22] Jackson wrote four songs for the record: "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", "The Girl Is Mine" (with Paul McCartney), "Beat It" and "Billie Jean".[23] Unlike many artists, Jackson did not write these songs on paper. Instead, he would dictate into a sound recorder; when recording he would sing from memory.[24][25]

The relationship between Jackson and Jones became strained during the album's recording. Jackson spent much of his time rehearsing dance steps alone.[25] When the album's nine songs were completed, both Jones and Jackson were unhappy with the result and remixed every song, spending a week on each.[25] Jones believed that "Billie Jean" was not strong enough to be included on the record, but Jackson disagreed and kept it. Jones told Jackson that Thriller would be unlikely to sell successfully like Off the Wall had, because the market had since weakened. In response, Jackson threatened to cancel the album's release.[22]

Jackson was inspired to create an album where "every song was a killer," as with Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, and developed Thriller on that concept.[26][27] Jones and songwriter Rod Temperton gave detailed accounts of what occurred for the 2001 reissue of the album. Jones discussed "Billie Jean" and why it was so personal to Jackson, who struggled to deal with a number of obsessed fans. Jones wanted the long introduction on the song to be shortened; however, Jackson insisted that it remain because it made him want to dance.[23] The ongoing backlash against disco made it necessary to move in a different musical direction from the disco-heavy Off the Wall.[27] Jones and Jackson were determined to make a rock song that would appeal to all tastes and spent weeks looking for a suitable guitarist for the song "Beat It", a song Jackson wrote and played drums on. Eventually, they found Eddie Van Halen of the rock band Van Halen.[23][25]

When Rod Temperton wrote the song "Thriller", he originally wanted to call it "Starlight" or "Midnight Man" but settled on "Thriller" because he felt the name had merchandising potential.[25] Always wanting a notable person to recite the closing lyrics, Temperton brought in actor Vincent Price, who completed his part in just two takes. Temperton wrote the spoken portion in a taxi on the way to the recording studio. Jones and Temperton said that some recordings were left off the final cut because they did not have the "edginess" of other album tracks.[23]

According to Steve Huey of Allmusic, Thriller refined the strengths of Jackson's previous album Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were more aggressive, while the pop tunes and ballads were softer and more soulful.[29] Notable tracks include the ballads "The Lady in My Life", "Human Nature", and "The Girl Is Mine"; the funk pieces "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"; and the disco set "Baby Be Mine" and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)".[1][7][8][29] "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was written a few years prior to 1982 and has a similar sound to the material on Off The Wall. The song is accompanied by a bass and percussion background and the song's centerpiece, a climaxing Swahili chant, gave the song an international flavor.[30] "The Girl Is Mine" tells of two friends' fight over a woman, arguing over who loves her more and concludes with a spoken rap.[25][30]

Despite the light pop flavor of these two records, Thriller, more so than Off the Wall, displayed foreshadowings of the contradictory thematic elements that would come to characterize Jackson's later work.[31] With Thriller, Jackson would begin his association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery.[7] This is evident on the songs "Billie Jean", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and "Thriller".[1] In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered a child of hers; in "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossips and the media.[7][29] In the former song, Jones had Jackson sing vocal overdubs through a six-foot-long cardboard tube, and brought in jazz saxophonist Tom Scott to play a rare instrument, the lyricon, a wind-controlled analog synthesizer. Bassist Louis Johnson ran through his part on a Yamaha bass guitar. The song opens with a long bass-and-drums introduction.[32] In the song "Thriller", sound effects such as creaking door, thunder, feet walking on wooden planks, winds and howling dogs can be heard.[25]

The anti-gang-violence "Beat It" became a homage to West Side Story, and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece.[29][33] Jackson later said of "Beat It", "the point is no one has to be the tough guy, you can walk away from a fight and still be a man. You don't have to die to prove you're a man".[30] "Human Nature" is moody and introspective, as conveyed in lyrics such as, "Looking out, across the morning, the City's heart begins to beat, reaching out, I touch her shoulder, I'm dreaming of the street".[30]

By the late 1970s, Jackson's abilities as a vocalist were well regarded; Allmusic described him as a "blindingly gifted vocalist".[15] Rolling Stone compared his vocals to the "breathless, dreamy stutter" of Stevie Wonder. Their analysis was also that "Jackson's feathery-timbred tenor is extraordinary beautiful. It slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that's used very daringly".[16] With the release of Thriller, Jackson could sing low—down to a basso low C—but he preferred to sing higher because pop tenors have more range to create style.[34] Rolling Stone were of the opinion that Jackson was now singing in a "fully adult voice" that was "tinged by sadness".[35] "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)", credited to James Ingram and Quincy Jones, and "Lady in My Life" by Rod Temperton, both gave the album a stronger R&B direction; the latter song was described as "the closest Jackson has come to crooning a sexy, soulful ballad after his Motown years" by Taraborrelli.[30] The singer had already adopted a "vocal hiccup" which he continued to implement in Thriller. The purpose of the hiccup—somewhat like a gulping for air or gasping—is to help promote a certain emotion; be it excitement, sadness or fear.[36]

MJ-Off The Wall

Off the Wall is the fifth studio album by the American pop musician Michael Jackson, released August 10, 1979 on Epic Records, after Jackson's critically well received film performance in The Wiz. While working on that project, Jackson and Quincy Jones had become friends, and Jones agreed to work with Jackson on his next studio album. Recording sessions took place between December 1978 and June 1979 at Allen Zentz Recording, Westlake Recording Studios, and Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles, California. Jackson collaborated with a number of other writers and performers such as Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Rod Temperton. Jackson wrote several of the songs himself, including the lead single, "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough".

The record was a departure from Jackson's previous work for Motown. Several critics observed that Off the Wall was crafted from funk, disco-pop, soul, soft rock, jazz and pop ballads. Jackson received positive reviews for his vocal performance on the record. The record gained positive reviews and won the singer his first Grammy Award since the early 1970s. With Off the Wall, Jackson became the first solo artist to have four singles from the same album peak inside the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. The album was a commercial success, to date it is certified for 7× Multi-Platinum in the US and has sold 20 million copies worldwide.

On October 16, 2001, a special edition reissue of Off the Wall was released by Sony Records. Recent reviews by Allmusic and Blender have continued to praise Off the Wall for its appeal in the 21st century. In 2003, the album was ranked number 68 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The National Association of Recording Merchandisers listed it at number 80 of the Definitive 200 Albums of All Time. In 2008, Off the Wall was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.Starting in 1972, Michael Jackson released a total of four solo studio albums with Motown, among them Got to Be There and Ben. These were released as part of The Jackson 5 franchise, and produced successful singles such as "Got to Be There", "Ben" and a remake of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin". The Jackson 5's sales, however, began declining in 1973, and the band members chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or input.[8] Although the group scored several top 40 hits, including the top five disco single "Dancing Machine" and the top 20 hit "I Am Love", The Jackson 5 (minus Jermaine Jackson) left Motown in 1975.[8] The Jackson 5 signed a new contract with CBS Records in June 1975, first joining the Philadelphia International Records division and then Epic Records.[8] As a result of legal proceedings, the group was renamed The Jacksons.[9] After the name change, the band continued to tour internationally, releasing six more albums between 1976 and 1984. From 1976 to 1984, Michael Jackson was the lead songwriter of the group, writing or co-writing such hits as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "This Place Hotel" and "Can You Feel It".[10]

In 1978, Jackson starred as Scarecrow in the film musical The Wiz.[11] The musical scores were arranged by Quincy Jones, who formed a partnership with Jackson during the film's production and agreed to produce the singer's solo album Off the Wall.[12] Jackson was dedicated to the role, and watched videotapes of gazelles, cheetahs and panthers in order to learn graceful movements for his part.[13] Jones recalled working with Jackson as one of his favorite experiences from The Wiz, and spoke of Jackson's dedication to his role, comparing his acting style to Sammy Davis, Jr.[13] Critics panned The Wiz upon its October 1978 release.[14][15] Jackson's performance as the Scarecrow was one of the only positively reviewed elements of the film, with critics noting that Jackson possessed "genuine acting talent" and "provided the only genuinely memorable moments."[16][17] Of the results of the film, Jackson stated: "I don't think it could have been any better, I really don't".[18] In 1980, Jackson stated that his time working on The Wiz was "my greatest experience so far...I'll never forget that".[17]

In 1979, Jackson broke his nose during a complex dance routine. His subsequent rhinoplasty surgery was not a complete success, and Jackson complained of breathing difficulties that would affect his career. He was referred to Dr. Steven Hoefflin, who performed Jackson's second rhinoplasty and other subsequent operations.[19]


Production
When Jackson began the Off the Wall project he was not sure what he wanted as the final result. However he did not want another record that sounded like The Jacksons. He wanted more creative freedom, something he had not been allowed on prior albums.[20] Jones and Jackson jointly produced Off the Wall, whose songwriters included Jackson, Heatwave's Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney.[21] All sessions took place at Los Angeles County-based recording studios. Rhythm tracks and vocals were recorded at Allen Zentz Recording, the horn section's contributions took place at Westlake Audio, and string instrumentation was recorded at Cherokee Studios in West Hollywood. Following the initial sessions, audio mixing was handled by Grammy-winning engineer Bruce Swedien at Westlake Audio, after which the original tapes went to the A&M Recording Studio, also located in L.A., for mastering.[22] Swedien would later mix the recording sessions for Jackson's next album and his most well-known work, 1982's Thriller.[22] Jones recalled that, at first, he found Jackson to be very introverted, shy and non-assertive.[23]

"She's Out of My Life" was written for Jones by Tom Bahler three years prior. Jackson heard and enjoyed it, and Jones allowed him to use it on the record.[21] Jones called in Rod Temperton to write three songs. The intention was for Jackson and Jones to select one of his songs, but Jackson, liking them all, included all of them in the final cut.[21] Jackson stayed up all night to learn the lyrics to these songs instead of singing from a sheet. He finished the vocals to these three Temperton songs in two recording sections.[21] Temperton took a different approach to his song writing after spending some time researching the background to Jackson's music style. Temperton mixed his traditional harmony segments with the idea of adding shorter note melodies to suit Jackson's aggressive style.[21] Jackson wrote "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" after humming a melody in his kitchen.[24] After listening to hundreds of songs, Jackson and Jones decided upon a batch to record.[24] In hindsight, Jones believed they took a lot of risks in the production of Off the Wall and the final choice of album tracks.[21]

Attention was also paid to the album cover, which shows Jackson smiling, wearing a tuxedo and trademark socks. His manager stated, "The tuxedo was the overall plan for the Off the Wall project and package. The tuxedo was our idea, the socks were Michael'".[25]


Music and vocals
Music critics Stephen Thomas Erlewine and Stephen Holden observed that Off the Wall was crafted from funk, disco-pop, soul, soft rock, jazz and pop ballads.[6][26] Prominent examples include the ballad "She's Out of My Life", and the two disco tunes "Workin' Day and Night" and "Get on the Floor".[26] "I Can't Help It" is a jazz piece.[25] "She's out of My Life" and "It's the Falling in Love" (a duet with R&B singer Patti Austin) are melodic pop ballads.[24] The end of the former song showed an "emotional" Jackson crying as the track concluded.[25] Of the song R&B writer Nelson George proclaimed, "[It] became a Jackson signature similar to the way "My Life" served Frank Sinatra. The vulnerability, verging on fragility that would become embedded in Michael's persona found, perhaps, it's richest expression in this wistful ballad".[12] "Rock With You" is a romantic, mid-tempo song.[24]

With the arrival of Off the Wall in the late 1970s, Jackson's abilities as a vocalist were well regarded; Allmusic writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine described him as a "blindingly gifted vocalist".[26] At the time, Rolling Stone compared his vocals to the "breathless, dreamy stutter" of Stevie Wonder. Their analysis was also that "Jackson's feathery-timbered tenor is extraordinary beautiful. It slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that's used very daringly".[27] John Randall Taraborrelli expressed the opinion that Jackson sings with "sexy falsetto" vocals in "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough".[24]


Critical reception
Off the Wall was hailed as a major breakthrough for Jackson, while receiving critical recognition, along with praises, from major music publications. In a 1979 review of the album, Rolling Stone magazine contributor Stephen Holden praised Jackson's maturity and transition from his early Motown material, while calling the album a "slick, sophisticated R&B-pop showcase with a definite disco slant". Holden went on to compare Jackson to Stevie Wonder, another Motown performer who began recording at a young age and gained critical acclaim for his transition.[6]

Music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a positive (A−) grade believing that Off the Wall was "the dance groove of the year" and the album presented Jackson as a grown up.[3] In a review for Melody Maker Phil McNeill expressed the opinion that in Off the Wall Jackson sounded comfortable, confident and in control. He believed "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" had a "classy" introduction and that it was the best song on the album. He also praised "Rock With You", describing it as "masterful". The reviewer concurred with a colleague that Jackson was "probably the best singer in the world right now in terms of style and technique".[4]

In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B Album, Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Single (for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough").[28] That year, he also won Billboard Music Awards for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough").[28] Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt Off the Wall should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release.[28][29] In particular, Jackson was angry that he had won only a single Grammy Award at the 1980 Grammys, a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough".[30] Jackson stated that "It was totally unfair that it didn't get Record of the Year and it can never happen again".[31]


Release, singles and commercial reception
Writer, journalist and biographer John Randall Taraborrelli stated, "Fans and industry peers alike were left with their mouths agape when Off the Wall was issued to the public. Fans proclaimed that they hadn't heard him sing with such joy and abandon since the early Jackson 5 days".[25]

On July 28, 1979, Off the Wall's first single, "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough", was released. It peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number three in the UK.[28][32] On November 3, 1979 the second single from the album, "Rock with You" was released, again it peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100.[33] In February, the album's title track was released as a single and went to number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became a top 10 hit in four countries.[34] "She's out of My Life", also reaching number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in June.[35] Thus Off the Wall became the first album by a solo artist to generate four US top 10 hits.[28]

Today, Off the Wall is certified 7× Multi-Platinum in the US for shipments of seven million units and sold over 20 million copies worldwide.[36][37][38] The album's success lead to the start of a 9-year partnership between Jackson and Jones, their next collaboration would be Thriller, which is the world's best selling album of all time.[39]


Contemporary appeal
“ ...the album that established him as an artist of astonishing talent and a bright star in his own right. This was a visionary album, a record that found a way to break disco wide open into a new world where the beat was undeniable. ”
—Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic, [26]

On October 16, 2001, a special edition reissue of Off the Wall was released by Sony Records.[26] The material found strong praise from critics more than 20 years after the original release. Allmusic gave the record a five star review, praising the record's disco-tinged funk and mainstream pop blend, along with Jackson's songwriting and Jones' crafty production.[26] The publication believed, "[Off the Wall] is an enormously fresh record, one that remains vibrant and giddily exciting years after its release".[26]

In recent years Blender gave the record a full five star review stating that it was, "A blockbuster party LP that looked beyond funk to the future of dance music, and beyond soul ballads to the future of heart-tuggers—in fact, beyond R&B to color-blind pop. Hence, the forgivable Wings cover".[2]

In 2003, the album was ranked number 68 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[40] The National Association of Recording Merchandisers listed it at number 80 of the Definitive 200 Albums of All Time.[41] In 2004, Nelson George wrote of Jackson and his music, "the argument for his greatness in the recording studio begins with his arrangements of "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough". The layers of percussion and the stacks of backing vocals, both artfully choreographed to create drama and ecstasy on the dance floor, still rock parties in the 21st century.