Tag Archives: Beat It

Michael Jackson: Thriller

Michael_Jackson_-_Thriller

On November 30, 1982, “Epic” label released “Thriller”, the sixth Michael Jackson studio album.  It was recorded April – November 1982, at the “Westlake Recording Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson. With more than 65 million copies sold worldwide“Thriller” is the best selling album of all time. In 1984, the album won a record eight “Grammy Awards”, including “Album of the Year” award. In 2003 magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked “Thriller” on number 20 on its list of “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. “The National Association of Recording Merchandisers” ranked “Thriller” at number three in its “Definitive 200” albums of all time. The album was included in the “Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry” of culturally significant recordings. In 2012, magazine “Slant” ranked “Thriller” at number one on its list of “Best Albums of the 1980”.

Personnel:

  • Michael Jackson – lead and backing vocals, drum case beater, bathroom stomp board, handclaps, vocal arrangements, rhythm arrangements , horn arrangements , synthesizer arrangements
  • Paul McCartney– vocals
  • Quincy Jones– rhythm arrangements, vocal arrangements, musical arrangements
  • Steve Lukather– guitar, bass guitar, additional guitars  musical arrangements
  • Eddie Van Halen– guitar
  • Paul Jackson, Jr.– guitar
  • Dean Parks – guitar
  • David Williams – guitar
  • Rod Temperton – keyboards, synthesizers, rhythm arrangements, vocal arrangements , synthesizer arrangements
  • Steve Porcaro – keyboards, synthesizers, synthesizer programming , musical arrangements
  • Bill Wolfer – keyboards , synthesizers, synthesizer programming
  • Brian Banks – keyboards, synthesizer, synthesizer programming
  • Michael Boddicker– keyboards, synthesizers, Emulator, Vocoder
  • N’dugu Chancler– drums
  • Paulinho da Costa– percussion
  • David Foster– synthesizers, synthesizer arrangements
  • Anthony Marinelli– synthesizer programming
  • David Paich – keyboards, synthesizers, piano, rhythm arrangements, musical arrangements
  • Greg Phillinganes – keyboards , synthesizers, electric piano, synthesizer programming
  • Greg Smith – synthesizers
  • Louis Johnson– bass guitar
  • Jeff Porcaro – drums
  • Larry Williams – saxophone, flute
  • Jerry Hey– trumpet, flugelhorn, horn arrangements, string arrangements, strings conductor
  • Gary Grant – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Bill Reichenbach – trombone
  • Chris Shepard  – vibraslap
  • Vincent Price – voice-over
  • La Toya Jackson, Janet Jackson – backing vocals

Track listing:

  1. Wanna Be Startin’ Something – Michael Jackson
  2. Baby Be Mine – Rod Temperton
  3. The Girl Is Mine – Michael Jackson
  4. Thriller – Rod Temperton
  5. Beat It – Michael Jackson
  6. Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
  7. Human Nature – Steve Porcaro, John Bettis
  8. Pretty Young Thing – James Ingram, Quincy Jones
  9. The Lady In My Life – Rod Temperton

Michael Jackson

On June 25, 2009, Michael Joseph Jackson died aged 50.  He was singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actor,  named the “King of Pop” and regarded as one of the most important artists in the history of the popular music and culture. His 1982 album “Thriller” is the best-selling album of all time and the video clips for his songs “Beat It”, “Billie Jean” and “Thriller” turned down the racial barriers and transformed the music videos into an art form. Jackson is the most awarded artists in the history of the modern music – he was inducted into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”, he was inducted into the “Songwriters Hall of Fame” and in to the “Dance Hall of Fame” as the first and only dancer from pop and rock music. He is multiple winner of “Guinness World Records”, he won thirteen “Grammy Awards”, the “Grammy Legend Award”, the “Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award”, twenty six “American Music Awards”, he was voted the “Artist of the Century” and “Artist of the 1980s”. In his solo career, Jackson had thirteen number-one singles in the US, he is the only artist to have top ten singles in the “Billboard Hot 100” and sold more than four hundred millions records worldwide. For his humanitarian job and activities, in 2000, Jackson was recognized by the “Guinness World Records” as the most humanitarian entertainer in the history, supporting 39 various charities.