" Billie Jean " is a song by American singer Michael Jackson, released in January 1983 as the second single from his sixth album Thriller (1982). It was written and composed by Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones and Jackson. "Billie Jean" was one of the best-selling singles of 1983 and became the best-selling single for Jackson as a solo artist. This helps push Thriller into the status of the best-selling album of all time. In the United States, the song is number one on Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks. It also reached number one in the United Kingdom and several other European countries, and reached the top ten rankings in many other countries. The song was awarded many awards, including two Grammy Awards and an American Music Award. "Billie Jean" also remains a critical favorite; in 2004, Rolling Stone magazine placed it at number 58 on the list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
The song is about a woman, Billie Jean, who spends a passionate night with the narrator and now claims that the narrator is the father of her newborn son; he insists that "the child is not my son", although his song opens the possibility that he is indeed his father. Jackson stated that the song was based on a girl who had made the same claim about her brother, when she toured with them as part of The Jackson 5. However, some people theorize that the song is based on Jackson's own experience with crazy fans.
Backup tracks, bass-driven settings help pioneer what critics call "sleek, post-soul" pop music. It also introduces a more paranoid style of warfare to Jackson, which will become his music brand later. The choreography and costumes that Jackson adopted for the "Billie Jean" show will be widely admired and replicated. He premiered them on special TV Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever , which aired in May 1983; His appearance "Billie Jean" won a lot of praise, and was nominated for an Emmy Award. The appearance introduced a number of elements that would be indelibly associated with Jackson, including the moonwalk dance moves and wearing a white sequined glove.
The music video of the song, directed by Steve Barron, played a major role in the early history of the MTV cable channel. It was the first video by a black artist to be aired on MTV in heavy rotation. In addition, the video, along with two other videos produced for Thriller , helps strengthen the channel's cultural interest, by creating well-made music videos as an integral part of any single pop marketing.
Video Billie Jean
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Jackson states several times that "Billie Jean" is based on the groupies that he and his siblings encounter when being part of The Jackson 5. "Billie Jean is somewhat unknown This represents many girls, they used to call them groupies in the '60s. adding: "They're going to be hanging around the backstage, and the bands that are coming to town will have a connection with, and I think I'm writing this from my brother's experience when I was a kid." There are many Billie Jeans out there. Every girl claims that their son is in touch with one of my brothers. "
Biographer Jackson J. Randy Taraborrelli promotes the theory that "Billie Jean" comes from the real-life experiences that the singer faced in 1981. The Magic & The Madness documenting how a young woman wrote a letter to Jackson, who told the singer that she was the father of one of her twin sisters. Jackson, who regularly receives such letters, has never met the woman in question and ignored him. The woman, however, continues to send more letters to Jackson, stating that she loves him and wants to be with him. He writes about how happy they are if they raise the child together. He reflects on how Jackson can ignore his own flesh and blood. The letters interrupted the singer until he had a nightmare.
Following the letters, Jackson received a pack of fan photos, as well as letters and pistols. Jackson is horrified; the letter asked the pop singer to commit suicide on a certain day and at a certain time. Fans will do the same thing once he kills their baby. He writes that if they can not be together in this life, then they will be ahead. For an anxious mother, Jackson has a photo of a woman framed and hung on a dining room table in their family's home. After that, Jacksons discovered that the fan had been sent to a mental hospital.
Maps Billie Jean
Production
Michael Jackson wrote "Billie Jean" with a female fan in his mind, and then stated that when he wrote a song, he knew it would be a success: "A musician knows hitting the material Everything needs to be felt in place It fulfills you and it makes you feel That's what I feel about 'Billie Jean' I know it will be great when I'm writing it. "The singer explained that he was so engrossed in the song, in one instance, he did not notice that his car was on fire as he drove down the street barrier with a friend until a passing motorcyclist tells it. Jackson noted: "That child might save our lives."
Jackson faced many disagreements with the song's producer. It has been reported that Quincy Jones does not want the song to appear in Thriller and he feels that the song is too weak to be part of the collection, but Jones has declared this to be a false rumor. Producers do not like demos and do not care about the bassline of the song. Jones wants to cut the 29-second introduction of Jackson. The comforter, however, insisted that it should be kept. "I said, 'Michael we have to cut that intro'" Jones then recalled. She said: 'But that's jelly!... That's what makes me want to dance' And when Michael Jackson tells you, 'That's what makes me want to dance', well, we all just have to be quiet. "Jones also wants to change the title the song becomes "Not My Lover", because he believes that people will think the song refers to tennis player Billie Jean King. Jackson refused to change the title and asked Jones to give him co-producing credit for the song, as he felt that the finished product sounded close to the demo. In addition, Jackson wants additional royalties. Jones did not give her and both fell for several days.
After settling their differences, Jones has Jackson singing vocal overdubs through a six-foot long cardboard tube. All Jackson vocals are made in one shot; she has received vocal training every morning during song production. Tom Scott's jazz ampsoon plays the lyrics. Louis Johnson's bass guitarist was later brought in and he played his role on every guitar he owned, before Jackson finally chose Yamaha bass. Greg Phillinganes was also recruited and he played the keyboard. He then said about the song, "Billie Jean" hot in every level. It's hot rhythmic. It's hot in sonic, because the instrumentation is very minimal, you really can hear everything. This hot melody... lyrics [and] This vowel affects you physically, emotionally, even spiritually. "
The song was mixed by Bruce Swedien 91 times - unusual for Swedien, who usually mix the song only once. Jones had told Swedien to make a drum sound that had never been heard before. Audio engineers were also told to add a different element: "sonic personality". "What I ended up doing was building a drumstand and designing some special little things, like a bass drum cover and a piece of flat wood between the snares and hi-hat" Swedien then wrote. "The bottom line is there is not much music where you can hear the first three or four notes from the drum, and immediately know what part of the music is." He concludes, "But I think it's a case with 'Billie Jean' - and that's my attribute to sonic personality."
Composition
"Billie Jean" combines post-disco, rhythm and blues, funk, and dance-pop. The song opens with a standard drum beat along with a standard hi-hat, and almost no echoes. After two bars, repeated bass lines enter. Every time it passes tonic, the record is duplicated by distorted bass synth. This accompaniment is followed by a repeating three-note synth, played with a deep reverb. The development of a decisive chord is then determined. Jackson's calm vocals come in, accompanied by a snap of a finger, which comes and goes during the verses, as the rhythm and the chord repeat.
According to Jones, Jackson "steals" records from Jon and Vangelis songs "State of Independence"; Jones has produced Donna Summer's cover song, and Jackson has been singing backing vocals. According to Jon Anderson, "They took the riff and made it funky for 'Billie Jean'... So that's kinda cool, that cross pollination in music." According to Daryl Hall of Hall & amp; Oates, Jackson told him that he had taken the "Billie Jean" line from their 1981 song "I Can not Do It". Hall told him, "Oh Michael, what do you care? You did it very differently."
According to In Hits , the lyrics refer to the commotion made by Billie Jean on the dance floor. She seduces the crowd by teasingly arrives before luring Jackson into her bedroom, through the scent of her perfume. Jackson's vocal range stretches from high baritone to falsetto and he usually writes a melody to show this range. However, in the verses "Billie Jean", the singer vocals range from tenor to low falsetto. A falsetto of four notes is shown in the choir and, during the last line, Jackson peaks at one full octave. This song has a tempo of 117 beats per minute and is in the key of F ? minor. Following the first choir, a cello-like synth eases at the beginning of the third, and then, fourth, verses. After the announcement that the baby's eyes were similar to Jackson's voice, a voice wailed, "oh no". It meets with Jackson's signature falsetto "hee hee". The bridge initiates the strings, and holds a tonic pedal with the exception of two lines and a chord that leads to the chorus. The violin is then played, followed by a four-tone guitar solo. During the solo, vocal cries, screams and laughter were added. Throughout this, the chord progressions remain unchanged and mixed with Jackson's vocal hiccups. All elements of music and vocals are then united in the final chorus. In fading, Jackson repeated the rejection of father of son Billie Jean.
Release and acceptance
On November 30, 1982, Thriller was released for critical and commercial success. A month later, on January 2, 1983, "Billie Jean" was released as the album's second single; it follows Jackson's successful duet with Paul McCartney about "The Girl Is Mine". The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it remained for seven weeks. After seven weeks at number one, the song fell to number 5, and remained in the top ten for 11 weeks. Billboard rated it in the no. 2 for 1983. "Billie Jean" topped R & amp; B chart within three weeks, and became the number one fastest rising Jackson since "ABC", "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There" in 1970, which he recorded as a member of The Jackson 5. It remains was at number one for nine weeks on an R & D chart; B, which was preceded by The Gap Band "Extraordinary", before the single was eventually replaced by George Clinton's "Atomic Dog". "Billie Jean" peaked at number 9 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It's also number one on the UK Singles Chart. "Billie Jean" and Thriller topped the singles and album charts of the same week. This happens on both sides of the Atlantic simultaneously, a very little achievement ever achieved. The song was the third best-selling single in 1983 in the US and ninth in the UK. "Billie Jean" also reached number one in Switzerland and Belgium, and the top ten in Austria, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden.
In the Rolling Stone review, Christopher Connelly describes "Billie Jean" as "a slim and perpetual funk number whose message can not be more outspoken:" He says I'm the person/But the boy is not my son ' "He added that the song was" sad, almost pathetic, but the underlying determination of [Jackson's] feelings. "Blender declared that the song was" one of the most eccentric, psychological and cruel things which never happened on Top 40 radio. "They added that it's" intimidatingly frightening, with bass throbbing figures, cat-on-the-prowl, whipping and scary multi-tracked vocals bouncing across a vast space between keyboard and string ". Overall, the magazine describes the song as "a five minute long nervous breakdown, set to beat". Stylus says about the song, "It's one of the best representations of film noir in pop music, ending without resolution except a mother t "In a review of Thriller 25, AllMusic observes that" Billie Jean "is" shocking "in his" futuristic funk ". This song also received praise from the biography of Jackson. Nelson George stated that the string arrangement of Jerry Hee adds danger to "Billie Jean", while J. Randy Taraborrelli adds that it is "dark and rare" by Quincy Jones production standards.
"Billie Jean" has been recognized with numerous awards and awards. At the 1984 Grammy Awards, the song produced two awards from eight awards from Jackson; Best R & amp; B Song and Best R & amp; B Vocal Performance of Men. It won the Billboard Music Awards for a favorite 12 disc/12 ° LP dance, and a 1980 magazine poll called "Billie Jean" as "Black Single of the Decade." The American Music Awards recognize the song as Favorite Pop/Rock Single while The Cash Box honored the song with awards for Top Pop Singles and Top Black Singles. The song is known for the Top International Single award by the Canadian Black Music Awards, and was awarded the Black Gold Award for Single of the Year. "Billie Jean" has also been awarded for the sale.He won the National Music Association Award Record Merchandisers Award for best-selling single in 1984. In 1989, a single standard format certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, for the delivery of at least one million units of digital Sales "Billie Jean "certified gold in 2005, for delivery of at least 500,000 units." Digital sales of "Billie Jean" t has been certified 2x Platinum in the US on May 9, 2013. The total number of digital downloads of songs in the US, in October 2014, reached 2.9 million. In May 2014, a viral video of a high school teenager mimicking the performance of Jackson's Motown 25 track helped the song go back to Billboard Hot 100 at number 14, with much of its 95% chart performance credited to the viral video stream.
Music video
The short film for "Billie Jean" is considered a video that brought MTV, until then a fairly new and unknown music channel, a major concern. This is one of the first videos by black artists regularly aired by the channel, because network executives feel black music is not quite "rock". Directed by Steve Barron, the video shows a photographer following Jackson. Paparazzo never caught the singer, and when photographed Jackson failed to materialize on the developed image. The entertainer dances to Billie Jean's hotel room and as he walks along the sidewalk, each tile is lit up at his touch.
After he did a quick lap, Jackson jumped and landed, frozen, on his toes. Upon arrival at the hotel, Jackson climbs the stairs to Billie Jean's room. Every step lit up as he touched it and the burning "Hotel" sign flashed on as he passed. Paparazzo then arrived at the scene and watched as Jackson disappeared under Billie Jean's bed blanket. Followed by police, the paparazzo was later arrested for spying on Billie Jean. Jackson displays a new look for the video; Jackson's outfit, a black suit with a pink shirt and a red butterfly tie, was copied by children all over the US. Imitation becomes so severe that, despite student protests, Bound Brook High School prohibits students wearing white gloves like Jackson during the "Billie Jean" show at Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever.
Walter Yetnikoff, president of record company Jackson CBS Records, approached MTV about playing the video "Billie Jean", which MTV never played despite the success of Jackson as a musical artist. Yetnikoff became angry when MTV refused to play the video, and he threatened to announce MTV's attitude about racial discrimination. "I said to MTV, 'I pull everything we have in the air, all our products I will not give you a video again And I will publicize it and tell them about the fact you do not want to play music by black people. "" MTV succumbed and played the video "Billie Jean" in a heavy rotation.After the video aired, Thriller went on to sell an additional 10 million copies.The short film was included in the Music Video Producer Hall of Fame on 1992. In a 2005 poll of 31 pop stars, video directors, agents and journalists conducted by telecom companies 3, the music video was ranked fifth in their "Top 20 Music" Video Ever ". The video was also ranked as 35th largest music video in the list compiled by MTV and TV Guide in the millennium.
Video music video Video Greatest Hits - HIStory , Number Ones , the DVD bonus Thriller 25 than Michael Jackson's Vision >.
Motown 25
Jackson's first live television show of "Billie Jean" appeared on special television Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever . The show was regarded as a decisive moment, not only in Jackson's career, but also in the history of popular culture. The special was recorded on March 25, 1983, and aired on May 15; it was intended to be a celebration of Motown Records' 25th birthday (despite the fact that Motown, launched in 1959, was technically 24 years old in 1983). The show features many of Motown's most popular acts, past and present. Jackson initially declined the invitation to reunite with his brothers for the show, but returned after a visit from Berry Gordy, for whom the singer was very respectful. Jackson was asked to also do "Billie Jean", which Gordy agreed upon, although Jackson's music was no longer released on the Motown label.
After the performances by Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, and Mary Wells, The Jacksons went on stage to sing medley hits of the early 1970s. Jermaine Jackson was on stage with the group, marking the first time that the original Jackson ranks had been together since they left Motown in 1975. Michael Jackson wore black pants, penny leather shoes, black sequined jackets, and single white imitation rhinestone gloves. After the group finished with "I'll Be There", they left Michael alone on stage. He spoke to the audience, and then "Billie Jean" started playing. (Jackson aligned the entire song, as organizers worried that the backing band that night could not replicate the sound of the recording.) To start his performance, Jackson took the fedora on his head and posed - his right hand in his hand. hat and left leg bent. During an instrumental interlude, the singer performs a movement that many believe has sealed his status as a pop icon. Jackson slid backward to do a moonwalk, before he spun and landed en i point en . This is the first time Jackson has moonwalked in public; he had been practicing in his kitchen before the show.
Many, including Jackson's biographer Steve Knopper, have speculated that "Billie Jean" Jackson and choreography are specially inspired by Bob Fosse's dance routine in the 1974 musical The Little Prince. In the film, Fosse, playing "The Snake", sings the song "A Snake in the Grass" and performs the dance that accompanies Fosse himself choreographed. The dance includes a variety of techniques that seem to be echoed in Jackson's routine, including trademark Fosse elements such as hip pressure, bent knees, shoulder isolation, hands and jazz kicks, and a short moonwalk. Jackson publicly acknowledged Fosse as a dance influence, after telling Fosse himself that he had compiled a complete collection of Fosse choreography in movies and television, which he often watched. However, Jackson never specifically mentions the "Snake in the Grass" routine as inspiration.
Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever was supervised by 50 million people and Jackson's routine earned him an Emmy nomination. With his performance, Jackson reaches a new audience and boosts Thriller sales, which eventually becomes the best-selling album of all time. The day after the show aired, Jackson was summoned by his childhood idol Fred Astaire, who praised the singer. Another childhood idol, Sammy Davis, Jr., admired Jackson's black sequined jacket during the show and then received it as a gift.
Jackson stated at the time that he was disappointed with his performance; he wants to stay on his toes longer than he does. Jackson later said that "Billie Jean" was one of his favorite songs to perform live, but only when he did not have to do as he did on Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. "The audience wants a certain thing - I have to do a moonwalk in that place," he said later. "I want to do a different version."
In the Top 100 list compiled by VH1 and Entertainment Weekly in 2000, Jackson's performance was ranked sixth as the sixth largest rock 'n' roll moment. Five years later, Entertainment Weekly named the performance of Jackson's
Pepsi Ads
In 1984, Pepsi sponsored the Jacksons Victory Tour. In return, Michael and his brothers starred in two advertisements for the company. Jackson has reworked "Billie Jean" for the ad and titled "Pepsi Generation". The song was used as the official jingle for advertisements and was released as a "single promo" 7. The launch of the "The Choice of a New Generation" campaign in February 1984 was attended by 1,600 people excluded by the program and 7 "single During the making of the second commercial film, the fire on the back of the set was detonated prematurely, causing Jackson's hair to burn.The incident left the singer in need of a reconstructive operation.The commercial premiered at the Grammy Awards, the same night he collected eight awards.
Live show
Along with "Thriller", "Want Be Startin 'Somethin'", and "Beat It", "Billie Jean" was performed for all Michael Jackson tour concerts. After the final alloy, the drum solo is always extended for a period of time when Jackson dances under one spotlight. The song almost always ends with Jackson singing "Billie Jean is not my sweetheart" and throwing his hat in the direction of the audience. The exceptions are some of the concerts at Victory Tour, where he holds his hat and throws it afterward. Since Victory Tour, the show has grown in terms of dance moves and overall song length.
From Victory Tour, Bad Tour and Dangerous World Tour, the song was sung live, and from HIStory World Tour, the song was colored.
- Victory Tour - Performance is more than six minutes in length; only about 30-45 seconds in the end of the spotlight dance.
- Bad tour - The lights and sound transitions blink Beat It to Billie Jean. The first and second leg performances are very different, as the first leg is more like a "Victory Tour", and Jackson does more dance moves in the second leg and endings longer in the second leg, about seven minutes in length.
- In the Dangerous World Tour, the illusion made for Jackson appears upstairs when "Thriller" ends through the use of a masked dancer who acts as Jackson who he has changed in the middle of the song. Jackson performed the song at a slightly slower pace than the Victory and Bad tours, but still faster than the studio version.
- 1993 Super Bowl - Jackson performs a Billie Jean section consisting of only the first chorus, the second chorus and the instrumental bridge where he performs the moonwalk before ending with a pose.
- 1995 MTV VMA & amp; 1999 MJ & amp; Remix studio's shortened performed as part of a medley during the 1995 MTV Awards. Snares from "Why You Want Trip On Me" were added to the solo, in addition to Billie Jean Bassline.
- Royal Brunei Concert 1996 - Tempo and instrumentation similar to the Historical Tour. and the snare samples from "Why You Want Trip On Me" are repeatedly played throughout the ending spotlight along with the main drum, but there is no bass line. HIStory World Tour - The song performance is usually eight minutes by about nine minutes, always preceded by a two or three minute "luggage" intro, in which Jackson pulls out his jacket, gloves and hat from a suitcase. The tempo and settings are the same as the studio version.
- Madison Square Garden - Very similar to HIStory Tour in instrumentation and vocal mixing, but some poems before the moonwalk are sung live and switch back and forth with playback. Intro "suitcase" is also seen here.
- This Is It - One of these exercises was filmed entirely and is featured in the film This Is It. Here, the song is about 6 minutes long.
The show is available at HIStory on Movie, Volume II , HIStory World Tour , Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour , and Live at Wembley July 16, 1988 video album.
Important cover versions
Bates Version
In 1995, the German band The Bates covered "Billie Jean" on their album Pleasure Pain . The cover is also successful although the original ins and outs are not included in the cover. The music video parodied Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho .
Track list
Maxi-CD
- Billie Jean - 4:25
- The Night (Remix) - 3:45
- Love Is Dead (Part II) - 3:22
- Yes (Acoustic Version) - 1:06
Diagram
Ian Brown's Version
British musician Ian Brown took "Billie Jean" to number 5 on the UK charts in 2000. It was the B-side "Dolphins Were Monkeys". Brown later commented, "I love Jackson, I want to do Jackson EP with 'Thriller', 'Beat It', 'Billie Jean' and 'Rockin' Robin 'or' ABC 'on it. The singer then covered "Thriller" at Golden Gaze , from her second solo album, Golden Greats .
Sound Bluntz Version
The Canadian group The Sound Bluntz also recorded a cover that reached 17th position on the Australian charts during March 2003. 17 in Belgium, No. 14 in Finland, and No. 53 in the Netherlands.
Track list
- CD-Maxi Kontor 14305-5 (Edel)
- Billie Jean (Beat Radio Mix) - 4:00
- Billie Jean (Beat Clubb Mix) - 6:50
- Billie Jean (Full Effect Mix) - 7:34
- Dura Dura (Reprise) - 1:36
Diagram
Other well-known covers
"Billie Jean" was recorded by American rock musician Chris Cornell for his album Carry On 2007. Cornell said of the cover, "I did not plan it, it just happened organically, I changed the music a bit, I did not touch the lyrics. "He added," And it's not a joke, I take a completely different approach to it, musically. " Cornell had previously performed the song live in Europe, including a set of acoustics in Stockholm, Sweden in September 2006. He then said, "I'm getting ready to do some acoustic performances on a promotional tour for Revelations > and I just want to have fun with it. "This cover received good reviews from critics. MTV notes "bluesier, more sad and fiery feelings" that disarm "any original pop element". Los Angeles Times described the song as "bleak, dready picture" of Jackson "Billie Jean", and added that it's "quite entertaining, even if it sounds much like Metallica" Nothing Else. '"The newspaper concluded that" hit mega jacko [survived] stunt translation. "In 2008, the Cornell version was featured live by David Cook in the seventh season of American Idol , and this version was mapped on Billboard Hot 100 at No. 47.
In 2011, Patrick Stump covered the song as part of a medie a cappella of Michael Jackson songs, where he sang all the pieces.
In 2015, Irish musician EDEN released a remix of "Billie Jean" then separately released the cover song with his own vocal.
Mashup notifications and remixes
In 1983, the Italian studio group Club House recorded what is now known as "Billie Jean" mashup and Steely Dan 1972 "Do It Again", entitled "Do It Again Medley with Billie Jean". The song was a top ten hit in Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands. American band Slingshot recorded a remake note-for-note of the song that same year; this version reached number one on the Billboard Dance/Disco stairs.
A DJ named Linx created the mashup "Billie Jean" and 1987 Eric B. & amp; The song Rakim "I Know You Got Soul" from the original recording, released it in 1997 as "Billie Jean (Got Soul)". This mask peaked at number 34 in Sweden.
Scottish bhangra song Tigerstyle's "Nachna Onda Nei" includes background tracks from "Billie Jean" and "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie, with new vocals by Kaka Bhaniawala. In May 2011, the Signature dance movement used "Nachna Onda Nei" on Britain's Got Talent in their auditions and again in their last performance.
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