BILLY JEAN

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  • My brother's girlfriend went to high school with the actual "kid" from "Billie Jean." Her mom is Billie Jean (not King) and was the girl who said that he was the one. But the kid is not his son.

  • PS:

    Based on everyone on here's personal DJ experiences, has there been a song more frequently requested than "Billie Jean?"

  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    but maybe some of them dudes was just there to sip a coffee and chill with Q.
    I didn't make this list...it was a copy n paste.

    but seriously, you arguments about "he couldnt use all these top notch musicians for one song" is bullshit.
    If you are a living god and hire people daily, you don't have to hire Cartney to have him to "try" stuffs for a song. If he was recording near by, a phone call, a cab ride and blam, paul and Q was like cool like that...Same for others. Don't think it was like it is nowadays...Everybody was following the coke line (not that ot changed much, but bizness-wise, people are "aware").

    Man, now you are making me look cold. Q and MJ could get who ever they liked. They simply did not get those cats for that song. Do you know who V Price is? He was not hanging around to watch endless takes and remixes. He did not say "Michael your voice is getting rough, let me do a falsetto yelp there. Want me to stomp on that stomp thingy for you".

  • izm707izm707 1,107 Posts
    you never know man...maybe vince was down with Q's daughter.


    Isn't Billy Jean a song that you CAN'T hate...I never heard anyone saying "i don't like Billy Jean". Even penguins can feel the beat.

  • BeatChemistBeatChemist 1,465 Posts
    Man I'm new here...

    does this kind of ridiculousness come up often? I thougt this place was a treasure trove of musical history... lol...

    There's no fucking way all those people were used in the Billy Jean recording sessions.

  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
    but seriously, you arguments about "he couldnt use all these top notch musicians for one song" is bullshit.
    If you are a living god and hire people daily, you don't have to hire Cartney to have him to "try" stuffs for a song. If he was recording near by, a phone call, a cab ride and blam, paul and Q was like cool like that...Same for others. Don't think it was like it is nowadays...Everybody was following the coke line (not that it changed much, but bizness-wise, people are more "aware").

    It doesn't work like that. Studio time is expensive, people's time is expensive. A recording session for a major act on a major label is a tightly-organised affair for precisely those reasons. When MJ did "Thriller", he was about at the level Usher was at before "Confessions". He didn't get to the level where he could spend millions on recordings with big-name guest artists and leave their contributions in the can until much later. As for Quincy, the guy has been in the game for decades, and I have no doubt that he knows better than to waste a professional musician's time by booking them for a session, spending hours recording them on some trial-and-error shit and then not using it for any reason apart from that it sucked. In which case, they wouldn't get the gig in the first place. I dunno what you're basing your suppositions on here, but it all seems kinda speculative to me.

  • izm707izm707 1,107 Posts
    it is speculation since it don't come from the Man himself indeed, but the reasons you are opposing are not valid once again. If you're familiar with the creative process, then you know that first there's no rule and second, there's NO RULE.

    the price is not a reason...the room was not to rent. It's not like today. Quincy's room was Quincy's room. You couldn't rent it unless you was Ray Charles!



    And i'm not arguing about how accurate is this list even...I just know that doing a big time hit sometimes requires a lot of talents put together. But you can also be Moby and you dont need anything...no rule.lol.




  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    it is speculation since it don't come from the Man himself indeed, but the reasons you are opposing are not valid once again. If you're familiar with the creative process, then you know that first there's no rule and second, there's NO RULE.
    the price is not a reason...the room was not to rent. It's not like today. Quincy's room was Quincy's room. You couldn't rent it unless you was Ray Charles!

    And i'm not arguing about how accurate is this list even...I just know that doing a big time hit sometimes requires a lot of talents put together. But you can also be Moby and you dont need anything...no rule.lol.


    Dude, just stop. You lost.

  • grandpa_shiggrandpa_shig 5,799 Posts
    i heard the house band for this quincy jones hit numbered in the thousands. true?


  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    Maybe you are right. I remember the winter of 1982. Back then nobody cared about money. It was all about the music and love. It's no secret that Vincent Price and Michael Jackson used to just kick back suck on some hot dogs and sip cokes through crazy straws.

    Back then it didn't matter if you were Paul McCartney or some guy who played the washboard on the street, if you knocked at Quincy Jones door he'd say "come in, want to sing some background vocals?"

    A song as complex and deep as Billie Jean must have taken weeks of experementing. "Should we do some heavy metal guitar, or would Vincent Price's rapping work better after the chours?" "Vincent try saying 'jam jam jimmy jam jam'." "McCartney that piano parts not working, try playing bass this time." "Nah, that ain't working either. Do you know how to slap the bass?"

    I know it sounds far fetched now, but Van Halen and Michael were really tight back then. As a matter of fact for a while Van Halen lived under the roller coaster at Neverland.

    The sad thing is now he acts like he doesn't even know Michael.

  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
    it is speculation since it don't come from the Man himself indeed, but the reasons you are opposing are not valid once again. If you're familiar with the creative process, then you know that first there's no rule and second, there's NO RULE.
    the price is not a reason...the room was not to rent. It's not like today. Quincy's room was Quincy's room. You couldn't rent it unless you was Ray Charles!

    And i'm not arguing about how accurate is this list even...I just know that doing a big time hit sometimes requires a lot of talents put together. But you can also be Moby and you dont need anything...no rule.lol.


    OK, I don't want to spend the rest of my life arguing about this but, for the record, I am familiar with the "creative process", yes. I've also seen the inside of a professional recording studio on a number of occasions, both as observer and participant, and I've paid the bill on quite a few of those occasions. Nothing on "Thriller" was recorded in "Quincy's room" - it was all recorded at a grip of high-end West Coast studios, probably at somewhere in the region of $1000 p.h. It will have been recorded using the cream of LA session players, none of whom will have come cheap either. They will have been engaged for the sessions well in advance, and will have been working from charts prepared well in advance also. Everyone at the session will know exactly what they're there to do, and will be capable of doing their job quickly and professionally, because that's how they make their living. That is how sessions for those kind of records go down. At that level, you do not fuck about because, if you do, you're usually fucking about with someone else's money. Therefore nobody will be sitting around, stroking their chin and waiting for the muse to come to them, or throwing ideas around in the hope that some of them will work - there's no need to, because the songs will have already been written and arranged, and it then becomes a matter of getting the best possible recording in the can. It's not like the whole thing is done from scratch in the studio, and I get the impression you think it is.

  • luckluck 4,077 Posts
    Man I'm new here...

    does this kind of ridiculousness come up often? I thougt this place was a treasure trove of musical history... lol...

    There's no fucking way all those people were used in the Billy Jean recording sessions.

    Cat's on his 4th post, and he's calling herbs out...




    ...but seriously, Mr. Price is clearly audible in SACD. Third grunt, second verse.

  • BELIEVEBELIEVE 257 Posts
    Howard Hewett - Vocals (bckgr)
    James Ingram - Arranger, Keyboards, Vocals (bckgr), Handclapping, Portasound
    Janet Jackson - Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
    Michael Jackson - Guitar, Arranger, Drums, Sound Effects, Vocals, Vocals (bckgr), Handclapping, Producer, Vocal Arrangement, Horn Arrangements, Rhythm Arrangements, Synthesizer Arrangements, Stomp Board
    Paul McCartney - Vocals, Performer, Guest Appearance
    Quincy Jones - Arranger, Producer, Vocal Arrangement, Rhythm Arrangements
    Jeremy Lubbock - Conductor
    Bill Reichenbach Jr. - Trombone
    Bill Wolfer - Synthesizer, Keyboards, Programming
    David Foster - Synthesizer, Synthesizer Arrangements
    LaToya Jackson - Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
    Vincent Price - Vocals, Rap, Guest Appearance
    Bunny Hull - Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
    Tom Bahler - Keyboards, Synclavier
    Brian Banks - Synthesizer, Programming, Producer, Synthesizer Programming
    Steve Bates - Assistant Engineer
    Michael Boddicker - Synthesizer, Keyboards, Emulator, Vocoder
    Leon "Ndugu" Chancler - Drums
    Paulinho Da Costa - Percussion
    Mark Ettel - Assistant Engineer
    Matt Forger - Engineer, Technical Engineer
    Humberto Gatica - Engineer
    Gary Grant - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
    Bernie Grundman - Mastering
    Nelson Hayes - Sound Effects, Stomp Board
    Jerry Hey - Trumpet, Arranger, Conductor, Flugelhorn, Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements
    Paul Jackson Jr. - Guitar
    Louis Johnson - Bass, Bass (Electric), Guitar (Bass), Handclapping
    Donn Landee - Engineer
    Becky Lopez - Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
    Steve Lukather - Guitar, Arranger, Bass (Electric)
    Anthony Marinelli - Programming, Synthesizer Programming
    David Paich - Synthesizer, Piano, Arranger, Keyboards, Rhythm Arrangements, Synthesizer Arrangements
    Jeff Porcaro - Drums
    Dean Parks - Guitar
    Greg Phillinganes - Synthesizer, Keyboards, Programming, Handclapping, Fender Rhodes
    Steve Porcaro - Synthesizer, Arranger, Programming, Synthesizer Programming
    Steven Ray - Sound Effects, Handclapping
    Julia Tillman Waters - Vocals
    Greg "Frosty" Smith
    Greg Smith - Synthesizer, Keyboards
    Bruce Swedien - Sound Effects, Engineer, Mixing, Effects
    Rod Temperton - Synthesizer, Arranger, Vocal Arrangement, Rhythm Arrangements, Synthesizer Arrangements
    Eddie Van Halen - Guitar, Soloist
    Gerald Vinci - Concert Master
    Maxine Willard Waters - Vocals
    Oren Waters - Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
    Howard Wewett - Vocals
    Larry William - Flute, Saxophone
    David Williams - Guitar
    Larry Williams - Flute, Saxophone, Wind
    Maxine Waters - Vocals (bckgr)
    Waters, Julia - Vocals (bckgr)
    Larry Williams - Flute, Saxophone
    David Williams - Guitar
    Gregg Jampol - Assistant Engineer
    Bill Reichenbach - Trombone
    Bruce Cannon - Sound Effects, Effects
    David E. Williams - Guitar
    Stephen Saper - Engineer

    definitely not the full studio personnel list for Thriller. where's Alvin's cameo at the end of PYT?



  • BeatChemistBeatChemist 1,465 Posts
    Man I'm new here...

    does this kind of ridiculousness come up often? I thougt this place was a treasure trove of musical history... lol...

    There's no fucking way all those people were used in the Billy Jean recording sessions.

    Cat's on his 4th post, and he's calling herbs out...




    ...but seriously, Mr. Price is clearly audible in SACD. Third grunt, second verse.

    Haha... you got me.

    I'm not trying to be on some newjack shit. But come on... I couldn't resist.

  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    Man I'm new here...

    does this kind of ridiculousness come up often? I thougt this place was a treasure trove of musical history... lol...

    There's no fucking way all those people were used in the Billy Jean recording sessions.

    Cat's on his 4th post, and he's calling herbs out...




    ...but seriously, Mr. Price is clearly audible in SACD. Third grunt, second verse.

    Haha... you got me.

    I'm not trying to be on some newjack shit. But come on... I couldn't resist.

    Hey, when a bunch of herbs like us need calling out there's nothing wrong with calling.

  • luckluck 4,077 Posts
    Man I'm new here...

    does this kind of ridiculousness come up often? I thougt this place was a treasure trove of musical history... lol...

    There's no fucking way all those people were used in the Billy Jean recording sessions.

    Cat's on his 4th post, and he's calling herbs out...




    ...but seriously, Mr. Price is clearly audible in SACD. Third grunt, second verse.

    Haha... you got me.

    I'm not trying to be on some newjack shit. But come on... I couldn't resist.

    Hey, when a bunch of herbs like us need calling out there's nothing wrong with calling.

    I know. That's why I added the "...but seriously" part. I mean, imagine if he could SEE some of our mugs. Excepting you, B*n.


  • BeatChemistBeatChemist 1,465 Posts
    Man I'm new here...

    does this kind of ridiculousness come up often? I thougt this place was a treasure trove of musical history... lol...

    There's no fucking way all those people were used in the Billy Jean recording sessions.

    Cat's on his 4th post, and he's calling herbs out...




    ...but seriously, Mr. Price is clearly audible in SACD. Third grunt, second verse.

    Haha... you got me.

    I'm not trying to be on some newjack shit. But come on... I couldn't resist.

    Hey, when a bunch of herbs like us need calling out there's nothing wrong with calling.

    I know. That's why I added the "...but seriously" part. I mean, imagine if he could SEE some of our mugs. Excepting you, B*n.


    Oh man... self depricating herbs... the worst kind.

  • luckluck 4,077 Posts
    Oh man... self depricating herbs... the worst kind.

    Posts: 6

    Jesus. They're coming in droves.

  • BsidesBsides 4,244 Posts
    it is speculation since it don't come from the Man himself indeed, but the reasons you are opposing are not valid once again. If you're familiar with the creative process, then you know that first there's no rule and second, there's NO RULE.
    the price is not a reason...the room was not to rent. It's not like today. Quincy's room was Quincy's room. You couldn't rent it unless you was Ray Charles!

    And i'm not arguing about how accurate is this list even...I just know that doing a big time hit sometimes requires a lot of talents put together. But you can also be Moby and you dont need anything...no rule.lol.


    OK, I don't want to spend the rest of my life arguing about this but, for the record, I am familiar with the "creative process", yes. I've also seen the inside of a professional recording studio on a number of occasions, both as observer and participant, and I've paid the bill on quite a few of those occasions. Nothing on "Thriller" was recorded in "Quincy's room" - it was all recorded at a grip of high-end West Coast studios, probably at somewhere in the region of $1000 p.h. It will have been recorded using the cream of LA session players, none of whom will have come cheap either. They will have been engaged for the sessions well in advance, and will have been working from charts prepared well in advance also. Everyone at the session will know exactly what they're there to do, and will be capable of doing their job quickly and professionally, because that's how they make their living. That is how sessions for those kind of records go down. At that level, you do not fuck about because, if you do, you're usually fucking about with someone else's money. Therefore nobody will be sitting around, stroking their chin and waiting for the muse to come to them, or throwing ideas around in the hope that some of them will work - there's no need to, because the songs will have already been written and arranged, and it then becomes a matter of getting the best possible recording in the can. It's not like the whole thing is done from scratch in the studio, and I get the impression you think it is.


    dude is definitely wrong about the credits, but people willingly waste expensive as hell studio time like a motherfucker! I mean c'mon! tell MJ in 1982 to hurry up, this is getting expensive?


  • izm707izm707 1,107 Posts
    AYO!!! that's what i'm saying dood. You never know...


    And once again (i feel like a turntable right now), this list is supposed to be from Mr Bruce himself. I am in no way shape or form able to say "that's the real list"...It was a copy and paste from an old convo we had on another board. This dude is supposed to get it from a good reliable source.
    now y'all know better what could have happen or not, i won't discuss it...it's useless unless we had QDIII up in this bitch.

    Im sorry i posted that list now...lol. It was more a "funny note" than a NY times scoop. Please forgive me.

  • PS:

    Based on everyone on here's personal DJ experiences, has there been a song more frequently requested than "Billie Jean?"

    its a fucking FOR SURE SHOT..no doubt. you got cornball 80s dudes loving it,hardrocks loving it(at the right time of course..more henessey please!),hipster type dudes(ironic or not),drunk frat chicks, and SO many more. it really is a winner. The most crowd reaction(clapping,yelling,etc) was mixing Billy Jean with I beleive Big Boi "The Way You Move"..maybe something else. it was a lot to do with the setting and timing..but damn people were LOVING it.

    I still fucks with with Off The Wall and Thriller anyday...call me corny if you like..but those shits WORK. PERIOD.

  • RAJRAJ tenacious local 7,783 Posts
    AYO!!! that's what i'm saying dood. You never know...


    And once again (i feel like a turntable right now), this list is supposed to be from Mr Bruce himself. I am in no way shape or form able to say "that's the real list"...It was a copy and paste from an old convo we had on another board. This dude is supposed to get it from a good reliable source.
    now y'all know better what could have happen or not, i won't discuss it...it's useless unless we had QDIII up in this bitch.

    Im sorry i posted that list now...lol. It was more a "funny note" than a NY times scoop. Please forgive me.

    I just listened to the Quincy Jones interview included with the reMastered / rePackaged Thriller CD and he talks about Vincent Price's session on the cut "Thriller." He said he did 2 takes, nailed it, and bounced! There was nothing about him chilling during the creative process on any of the tracks better yet "Billie Jean".

  • izm707izm707 1,107 Posts
    thx for the enlightment...now i got some valid infos!lol...

  • RAJRAJ tenacious local 7,783 Posts
    thx for the enlightment...now i got some valid infos!lol...

    You are quickly becoming the new PAP of soul strut.

  • DubiousDubious 1,865 Posts
    its also on record that eddie's solo on beat it was one take done deal...

    sure dudes probably chilled i nthe studio before hand.. fuck I'M positive eddie and "The Dude" got lifted before the session.

    quincy's bitches gotta settup eddie's amps...they gotta roll tape and set levels... eddies gotta get lifted again... stroll, have roadie hand you guitar.. confirm lunch will be ready and there's a limo outside... roll tape...

    MAGIC...



    "we got that"... "yo WE got THAT"


    ... roadie passes lit cigarette... Michael giggles, gives eddie a hug...

  • BsidesBsides 4,244 Posts
    PS:

    Based on everyone on here's personal DJ experiences, has there been a song more frequently requested than "Billie Jean?"

    its a fucking FOR SURE SHOT..no doubt. you got cornball 80s dudes loving it,hardrocks loving it(at the right time of course..more henessey please!),hipster type dudes(ironic or not),drunk frat chicks, and SO many more. it really is a winner. The most crowd reaction(clapping,yelling,etc) was mixing Billy Jean with I beleive Big Boi "The Way You Move"..maybe something else. it was a lot to do with the setting and timing..but damn people were LOVING it.

    I still fucks with with Off The Wall and Thriller anyday...call me corny if you like..but those shits WORK. PERIOD.


    corny? If you have off the wall and thriller in your crate you are pretty much set for the night no matter how crappy you mix. Those 2 albums are immortal.


  • slushslush 691 Posts
    My brother's girlfriend went to high school with the actual "kid" from "Billie Jean." Her mom is Billie Jean (not King) and was the girl who said that he was the one. But the kid is not his son.

    this made my day

  • Young_PhonicsYoung_Phonics 8,039 Posts
    thx for the enlightment...now i got some valid infos!lol...

    You are quickly becoming the new PAP of soul strut.


    Well he is European.

  • izm707izm707 1,107 Posts
    raj, scroll back and watch my first post...i came in the boat when y'all started to jump on him. I was even tryin to drag attention and shit, because it was bothering dude. Which i can understand...But now that i saw what a PAP could be, i think i don't want it. Thanks for the offer tho'. I papreciate!!!



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