MJ's copyright owners will allow this video to remain on youtube but there must be consistent use of frequent stops. No one part of the song in part or in whole can be played without frequent interruptions. This is partially why I stop and comment and sing during and after key sections that I play. If I just play the files, the video will be taken down. Presenting the files in this format with this kind of flow cements the FAIR USE intent which is why it can remain up on TH-cam. Along these lines, I can not reveal where or link to the source files or I'll get a takedown notice as well. Giving away content that is not mine to give also falls outside of FAIR USE intent. Thanks for understanding and for enjoying the video! I'm excited for you to hear all the wonderful nuances! Btw... Here is THE guy who did the bass for Billie Jean showing how he did it. GREAT channel too. Show him some love! th-cam.com/video/zKzcR0sUvV0/w-d-xo.html
I just tried putting up a reaction video to a live MJ video and they flat out blocked it. Such a bummer but I guess I should try with frequent stops and see what happens.
Sounds fair enough! Thanks for this :) Just out of curiosity - I've heard that music (also audio files?) after 50 years of age is to enter public domain.. or how would it work with this song?
For Billie Jean, Bruce made a type of fabric sleeve that fit over the front of the kick drum with a small slit in the middle for the microphone to be inserted, thus we get a nice clean thump. I always thought as a kid that it was electric drum machine but no, just Bruce Swediens brilliant mic placement, layering, and mixingHe also uses ribbon mikes for metal sounds, jars clanking, trumpet solos, as it gives you a natural sound without the high clipping, thus when you master it it doesn’t sound loud and horrible.
Michael's voice is such an addictive drug. There are many reasons why his voice can hold a listeners' attention for so long, but the interesting discovery for me is that the magic is found beyond the voice itself. He was essentially an organic instrument. A very complex and layered instrument, and the reason he was able to beatbox entire compositions into a tape recorder. Not many singers use the full repertoire of the sounds their voice can actually make, but Michael does it so naturally.
I first noticed that percussive and breathing he used on OFF THE WALL the single. I k ow he stole it from other r&b artists but he perfected it on OFF THE WALL. He overdid it at the same time placed them well. I immediately tried sing it myself and you got to have those little sounds he proceeds with. I'll give him full credit on that one.
The story behind this song is insane. Apparently when Michael was planning this song in his head, he was so lost in thought that he didn't realise his car was on fire until someone passing by on a motorbike told him. When it came to record the final studio version of this, Michael nailed it on the first try in on recording, and Bruce Sweden mixed this song 94 different times. I think the second or 4th mix ended up being the final one that we know and love.
I do not know if you already know this story, but I think it's a fun one: In his book "moonwalk", Michael tells that he was so focused on the song, that one time, while driving on the freeway with Nelson Hayes, a kid on a motorcycle had to tell them the car was on fire. And even when they were getting help and finding an alternate way to where they were going, he was still composing and adding things to the song. That is how involved he was with the song.
I can imagine MJ creating every sound, every instrument, making the beatbox... bass, guitars, violins... a genius! And he hadn’t even turned 25 when he wrote that song!❤
Michael wasn't skilled in musical instruments, but he had a gift when it came to sounding out the music and his beatboxing. That's how he came up with the iconic beat of Billie Jean.
The violins absolutely elevate the song in the second bridge. They take this song from immaculate to made by the gods. Same with Human Nature when the horns come in at the second bridge to add more depth. Absolutely magnificent
Michael Jackson showcased his greatness as a all around artist on this classic. Vocals, background and the story telling. Incredible 40 plus years later. Respect
Some of his perfectionist traits take a lot of tinkering. The guy had been in studios since the jackson 5 days. I would hope he could knock out 3 part harmonies with no trouble. You can't underestimate the contributions of QUINCY ROD TEMPERTON and now I see James Ingram was there and the talented musicians who played there parts. This stuff takes musical notation good board engineers and hard work. It's amazing there was so much good top notch material. It's historical maybe never to be seen again.
17:36 I love those "Hoah" sound he makes. Every time the chorus is coming up on that part it hypes me up. He knows how to make adlibs build things up so well. Like listen to the song normally and when you hear the "hoah" sounds faintly in the background, it’s just signature Michael and makes everything sound better. The song wouldn’t be the same without that extra seasoning
I will stand by this statement when I say…Billie Jean Is Thee Most Perfectly Constructed Record/Song To Ever Be Composed! Long alive The King Of Music Michael Joseph Jackson!✍🏽👑💖🌟💯
i have never heard Billie jean more beautifully anywhere except here. flawless. Michael would would always remain the king of music. i stuck around til the end of the video. one of my favorite songs...
One part of Michael's musical genius derives from James Brown's all rhythmical composition which means that MJ composed his songs based on the beat and/or the baseline. Everything he composed, he built on top of those components. So that is why you hear guitars playing some sort of drumlines, or even trumpets getting in the groove, but each and every element has a part, a role of it's own. They don't sound the same, obviosly, they play their own part, which is amazing. Btw, Billie Jean's a story, not only a song, you have to understand it this way. Billie Jean was a groupie involved in a relationship with, let's say, Michael, who pretended to have a child with him, and the melody, the guitarline is exactly the crying part, saying something like „I won't do it again!!”, over and over, „she says HE is the one, but the kid is not my son!”, so on and so forth. So, you have to analyze it in terms of the story. Michael was a storyteller through his music. You won't understand him otherwise.
Billie Jean without the other instruments, is basically a movie score... the symphony of the orchestra is just beautiful it almost fits for a training montage for Rocky or a dance movie or something
It's about 33% too much. Pop songs don't need quite that many instruments. It bothered me at the time. I am so sick of this overproduced song. Now ROCK WITH YOU is busy but satisfying
@@markr.devereux3385 I would disagree... I actually find "Billie Jean" to be one of MJ's most simple songs - sonically. The production is heavy and very layered; but even if you listen to it very carefully, you won't pick up or isolate all it's nuances because of how well it was arranged. I guess... we can agree to disagree.
@sandrasanders706 no a tough choice but BEACHBOYS GOOD VIBRATIONS just leaves me overwhelmed. Billie Jean just super tired of it.WANNA BE STARTIN SOMETHING or PYT? HE could have used the new coreigraphy on several others. The only thing that grabs me is the great intro when the bass comes in and the chord progression.
Talented beyond what we already know about this man! He was a total genius! He lived and expressed his instinctive vibe for his own song creations. It must have been magnificent to be taken seriously by Quincy Jones and allowed to completely express his artistic idea's about pop music. This was fascinating from beginning to end. Thanks so much for this. I'm a dedicated new subscriber!
that's why mj was and still is the greatest of all times ... he wrote, composed, came up with the dance and choreograph all by himsel. many people claim "mj isnt a real musician because he couldnt play instruments" which isnt true. first of, he could play instruments. he is credited in many of his songs playin instruments. but the thing is, he didnt need to .. he WAS an instrument ... most of his songs he beatboxed ....
He wasn’t credited as playing and instruments. He was credited as a writer and composer. His instrument was his voice. If I am wrong please provide a link showing he was credited as an instrumentalist.
Right around 7:50 in this clip, the Strings are very reminiscent with a haunting melody just like Heartbreak Hotel. Genuis! I always appreciated Michael for the use of real String Instrumentation!
Michael is one of my musical heroes. I love the way you broke this down. It's such a treat getting to hear the many layers of this song from the vocals to the instruments.
When I first heard this song in 1983. I had a JVC boom box in my bedroom. I wore out the cassette playing this song over and over. I could t get over how unique and amazing it was. And downright FUNKY.
MJ wrote, composed & performed the song, Bruce captured the magic magnificently, Quincy picked the mix# that got officially released (though initially it’s said Q didn’t even like the song)
Here is THE guy who did the bass for Billie Jean showing how he did it. GREAT channel too. Show him some love! th-cam.com/video/zKzcR0sUvV0/w-d-xo.html
And here is Anthony Marinelli‘s and Steven Ray’s second channel with live recreations played by Greg Phillinganes and more interesting interviews of everyone involved in Thriller: m.th-cam.com/video/ljGYJZkagkE/w-d-xo.html
Thank you so much Chris for sharing another MJ song, it is highly appreciated. Amazing to hear all these tracks of Billie Jean. The huge amount of work MJ put into his music, all these details are incredible.
MJ wrote music for the ages. It never gets old. The "Billie Jean" character ("She" was a bad mamajama) is also mentioned in "Wanna Be Starting Something. Billie Jean was the ultimate stalker🤣🤣🤣🤣😈💯
Oh Chris, what a treat! Thank you💞 How do you even comment on this masterpiece, the layers are just amazing. Love the strings and his vocals. Love Billie Jean. Love Michael 👑🎶
I think, everyone who is 25+ is able to recognise this song from the first drum note. In 80-s it was very good, some tragic minor tones we can find in "Joy", "Modern Talking", "Arabesque". Its a little sad, that disco music disappeared or changed standards, but this simple and smooth melody is looks like a time machine. Later Michael will try to do the continuous song "Who Is it?", but BJ will stay the most popular song from MJ. Twice his prophecy worked (I can die in my dream in "Love You Again"). Unreal but true. This is a long video, but I was watching with no problems. This is so interesting!!!❤
I don't know exactly if you meant the same but since I discovered the early stuff of Modern Talking I recognized how I love all the different instruments and layers it has. You have a choir, classical instruments, church bells or something like that. Which I couldn't find in any other music. Today's music has mostly only one beat that always sounds the same. That is so sad. Something like it is shown here in the video makes a song so much more fun and interesting and you can listen to it again and again. Michael's sad prophecy I also recognized a few days ago :(
"This video is an absolute treasure for any Michael Jackson fan and music enthusiast! 🎶 The way you've presented the original studio multitracks and rare home demo of 'Billie Jean' is nothing short of extraordinary. Hearing the layers and nuances that MJ and Quincy Jones meticulously crafted is like uncovering a hidden masterpiece within a masterpiece. 🌟 The attention to detail, the creative choices, and the passion that went into every element of this song are truly mind-blowing. Your analysis brings out the genius of MJ and Quincy in a way that makes us appreciate the art of music production even more. Thank you for sharing this rare insight and for the meticulous work you’ve done to highlight these incredible aspects of a timeless classic. This video is not just informative; it’s an inspiring journey into the brilliance behind one of the greatest songs ever made. Keep up the phenomenal work-this is a true gift to all of us who love and admire MJ’s legacy! 👑✨"
This is incredible! Absolutely love it. The strings are stunning and hearing Michael's voice isolated wow. I remember YE used the strings for his remix of of Billie Jean from thriller 25
I remember hearing Billie Jean for the first time at a very young age.. It was the first time I became aware of music, and it was then that my dream of becoming a musician got conceived.. I'm very pleased to have come across this video..
You have all my appreciation for what you are doing with the Michael Jackson videos! Keep it like this! I wish you could make videos of his unreleased tracks as well because his way of creating music is magical and amazing!❤
41:12 I’m glad you brought that up with the vocal shift between “she’s just a girl” and “claims that-”. It’s a vocal shift that is so minuscule that it often gets overlooked but it’s such a good part of the vocal composition transitioning from the build-up to the soft head voice. I wish it was as noticeable in the final studio version but still fun to listen to in the demos nonetheless!
Nice! There is a very recent interview of Steve Lukather, who recorded the guitars, by Rick Beato. Steve says that Michael composed almost all the parts, including the guitars, with his voice. Therefore almost all the ideas where there. Quincy Jones recorded the studio version keeping a lot of the demo, building new tracks around the demo 😉
Amazing! All the fantastic attention to detail in Michael Jackson's vocals that are unique to Michael msking his signature sound! One of the things I totally love and appreciate about Michael's music. I've been a fan since kindergarten when Thriller was first released! "The making of Triller" sealed the deal for me at 6 years of age. I was hooked on Michael Jackson's song, dance, creative genius, and the superstardom that made him Amazing!!
The most famous basses in the world, we all know...(Yep, Marinelli is truly sensational). And the strings... Oh my God! Could have been a wonderful soundtrack for a criminal story. And MJ's "hidden" vocals, those hoo-hoos... He really puts some of his best, most complex work into this. Every second is genius, every second is a treasure! So visual all the way through... So much POSSIBILITY in this song... Not easy to see it all through. This is what is out of this world and makes MJ who he is! It's really something from Above, a charisma he has received from God. The vocals have amazing layers too, but we've already gotten used to that from him. MJ's vulnerability in this + all her songs is one of his greatest strengths... Thanks again, Chris!
Powerful stuff and great analysis. Every aspiring recording artist, producer and arranger should study this. Just amazing how all these musical decisions come together to give you the magic that is Billie Jean- timeless!
I never thought making music is this hard, you have to understand and love the passion you had to make the instruments and other things I don't even know😭 Michael was soooo PERFECT with his musics, he wanted it all SPECIAL, MAGNIFICENT, and AMAZING. I'm shocked how details it is even though I play his songs everyday. Thank youuu, Chris for this session🤍🤍
Love everything you said with the exception of there being imperfections…… There are none in this song it’s 100 percent perfect in every way possible. There wasn’t a lot of technical things going on into a hit like this it’s all soul and amazing musical energy.
Tell me you can't watch a long video on TH-cam without staying engaged... and I'll send you these videos! Stellar with mate! A million thanks for this gem. And many others. Keep it coming😊
"Bruce" is Bruce Swedien, Michael's sound engineer, who recorded all of his albums, from Off The Wall to Invincible. Regarding the home demo, there are not any info, other than, it is a 1981 home demo of Billie Jean. He recorded that with Bruce Swedien as well, which the "Bruce" at the end of the recording indicates it.
every time I watch these videos I have a deeper appreciation for the song and the effort Michael and his team put in to the songs. you dont just hear music or sounds you hear magic.
@@alannakennedy5779 I love his vocals on Tabloid Junkie. 'You're a parasite in black and white' is probably my favourite line, and perfectly describes every newspaper 'journalist' lol
Chris, Thank you SO MUCH for your work. I have no idea how you came to Michael's multitracks but this is the best possible way to understand the craft of an hit song. I love watching and hearing those multitracks along with understanding the process and beauty of layering instruments, dynamics in mixdown and so... Big up 🤙👌👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
On se rend compte à quel point c'est difficile (et incroyable) de réussir un bon mixage ! Mais avec des génies comme MJ👑 & Q.J..... MJ👑:King of Pop Forever. Love from FRANCE 🇲🇫.
As a songwriter who loves MJ, I love the excitement that you have for discovering these extra sounds that you never heard before and I'm enjoying this the same! And damn, I love the string arrangement!
I love the delightful surprise--infrequent, alas--when one comes across content and a creator that shares a perspective, or insight, that transforms a familiar something. I've never seen a song pulled apart this way. Very enlightening. Thanks for taking the time and sharing.
This is basically how I behaved when I first encountered the multitracks, as Billie Jean is my ALL-TIME favorite song! After YEARS of enjoying a demo here, studio acapella there, finally, the whole package is out there and videos like this exist. :D
This was awesome. I really enjoyed it and seeing all the amazing nuances in this song. It has actually inspired me to create multiple vocal recordings to build out the variance and fullness of a song I'm working on. I really appreciate you sharing this.
its actually crazy how close the home demo was compared to the final album version if you look it up its on youtube. the composition is basically the same except its missing some additional intruments like the strings.
absolutely. also says a lot about how little quincy jones added to this song, production wise. this should really be labeled "produced by mchael jackson". especially when you consider that jones didnt even like the song, tried to have it not on the album, and when jackson insisted, famously tried to convince him to "at least cut the boring intro". lots of respect for jones' work on many other projects, but as far as this goes, the story that jackson even had to fight for a coproducer credit (when really jones should be thankful to receive a coproducer credit for the little he contributed) isnt a good look to say the least.
His Back Vocal layering Were simply PURE GENIUS! I learned so much from putting headphones on and truly Hearing Everything He does on the Thriller Album....I listen to that Album at least once a month or before recording sessions at my studio...Hes one of the reasons Im a Producer...Him And Quincy...THE GOATS! Thank you for this video Brotha! RAY RAY
I'm dogshit, but I appreciate this video. It may look long but it's the right thing to do. You're a cool person for putting this out and not being scared to go in depth and give it your best. I really respect this, and your work. Thanks.
Thank you so much for this video, I never heard those different tones in this song, one of my favourite and I have listened this song thousand times. Good job. Michael is Amazing, Speechless.
Chris, each and every one of your MJ videos is just a pure pleasure to watch and listen. Your work of showing the most interesting parts and learning from your knowledge, together with his music, is just the perfect combination to make a great video to learn from. A 50 min long video is a dream😂 Thank you so much for what you do!!!!
And to think that he was only 23 at the time he recorded this!! Such a baby yet so incredibly intelligent and philosophical. Such an amazing artist who was swallowed up by a disgustingly savage world. We are SO lucky to experience this and be able to connect with (and understand) his talent better. Thank you! 🙏
This is priceless what an amazing gift you have in your possession! I’ve loved Michael Jackson’s music since I was a kid growing up in the 80’s break dancing in my neighbors garage. #feelsgoodman
Chris This Seems Like The First Time I Can Actually Hear Michael Sing "The KID is Not My Son" as To Sounding Like "But Chad is Not My Son" lol Just Saying.. Thanks Again For A Great Upload!! Always a Pleasure To Watch and Get Inspired at The Same Time :)
I can remember listening to this song on the radio in our old work van. I'd put my ear next to the speaker so i could hear all the the things he was doing with his voice! ❤
Really enjoyed this. I have worked in the hi-fi industry for nearly 25 years and we spend our time (and cash!) trying to reproduce and enjoy all these details. Great to hear exactly what's in the mix.
The world's best musician and dancer Michael Jackson. His style of dancing and singing music never seems childish. He always sang music in deep voice, so his songs are hit and catchy. Moreover he always wrote teachable music. He was the only person in the world who performed dance-music together in front of live audience. May her soul rest in peace 🇧🇩✅✅✅
Simply Michael Jackson music dance love rest the only one king history for all time. Never existed another never compared to anyone. Michael Jackson you are the ONE 👑💫🌻❤️💙🎶🌎🌟
Subbed for the MJ content but stayed for everything else. I appreciate your channel and for really allowing us to also appreciate these gems... Thank you!
MJ's copyright owners will allow this video to remain on youtube but there must be consistent use of frequent stops. No one part of the song in part or in whole can be played without frequent interruptions. This is partially why I stop and comment and sing during and after key sections that I play. If I just play the files, the video will be taken down. Presenting the files in this format with this kind of flow cements the FAIR USE intent which is why it can remain up on TH-cam. Along these lines, I can not reveal where or link to the source files or I'll get a takedown notice as well. Giving away content that is not mine to give also falls outside of FAIR USE intent. Thanks for understanding and for enjoying the video! I'm excited for you to hear all the wonderful nuances! Btw... Here is THE guy who did the bass for Billie Jean showing how he did it. GREAT channel too. Show him some love! th-cam.com/video/zKzcR0sUvV0/w-d-xo.html
Lol laws are crazy. Frequent stops aren’t changing nothing 🤣🤣 thankful u got to use and share this magic with us fr 🙏🏾🔥
I just tried putting up a reaction video to a live MJ video and they flat out blocked it. Such a bummer but I guess I should try with frequent stops and see what happens.
:'(
Sounds fair enough! Thanks for this :) Just out of curiosity - I've heard that music (also audio files?) after 50 years of age is to enter public domain.. or how would it work with this song?
For Billie Jean, Bruce made a type of fabric sleeve that fit over the front of the kick drum with a small slit in the middle for the microphone to be inserted, thus we get a nice clean thump. I always thought as a kid that it was electric drum machine but no, just Bruce Swediens brilliant mic placement, layering, and mixingHe also uses ribbon mikes for metal sounds, jars clanking, trumpet solos, as it gives you a natural sound without the high clipping, thus when you master it it doesn’t sound loud and horrible.
Automatic like when I see a video about Michael Jackson. Legend.
I fully agree with this concept 😎
Michael's voice is such an addictive drug. There are many reasons why his voice can hold a listeners' attention for so long, but the interesting discovery for me is that the magic is found beyond the voice itself. He was essentially an organic instrument. A very complex and layered instrument, and the reason he was able to beatbox entire compositions into a tape recorder. Not many singers use the full repertoire of the sounds their voice can actually make, but Michael does it so naturally.
I first noticed that percussive and breathing he used on OFF THE WALL the single. I k ow he stole it from other r&b artists but he perfected it on OFF THE WALL. He overdid it at the same time placed them well. I immediately tried sing it myself and you got to have those little sounds he proceeds with. I'll give him full credit on that one.
The way he can go from baritone, soprano, to falsetto and tenor throughout "Billie Jean" is amazing
The story behind this song is insane. Apparently when Michael was planning this song in his head, he was so lost in thought that he didn't realise his car was on fire until someone passing by on a motorbike told him. When it came to record the final studio version of this, Michael nailed it on the first try in on recording, and Bruce Sweden mixed this song 94 different times. I think the second or 4th mix ended up being the final one that we know and love.
I was just thinking about this story days ago
2nd mix.
chills. this plus the meaning behind the song. unbelievable.
second
So it was fire from beginning to end.
Then imagine after all this studio work he goes and choregraph dance moves after 🤯🤯
I do not know if you already know this story, but I think it's a fun one: In his book "moonwalk", Michael tells that he was so focused on the song, that one time, while driving on the freeway with Nelson Hayes, a kid on a motorcycle had to tell them the car was on fire. And even when they were getting help and finding an alternate way to where they were going, he was still composing and adding things to the song. That is how involved he was with the song.
Michaels voice was so soft and powerful at the same time
I can imagine MJ creating every sound, every instrument, making the beatbox... bass, guitars, violins... a genius! And he hadn’t even turned 25 when he wrote that song!❤
He was not alone though
Wrote and produced the track … ofcourse he wasn’t alone but he created the song anything done afterwards was post production
@MrEOM41 i see you rock with medium man
Except, he did not do all that... it is only you imagining him of doing it.
Michael wasn't skilled in musical instruments, but he had a gift when it came to sounding out the music and his beatboxing. That's how he came up with the iconic beat of Billie Jean.
The violins absolutely elevate the song in the second bridge. They take this song from immaculate to made by the gods. Same with Human Nature when the horns come in at the second bridge to add more depth. Absolutely magnificent
Yeah those synths and the chorus guitar shimmering throughout. I always wait for PYT
We live in a crazy time where we can listen to Billie Jean Stems... Nuts. Thank you.
🤪
No auto-tune necessary for the gloved one!💪🏻🎵
The gloved loved one
Michael Jackson showcased his greatness as a all around artist on this classic. Vocals, background and the story telling. Incredible 40 plus years later. Respect
Lots of dx7 Sounds in there😀
@@johnupdate
No DX7 this was recorded a year before the DX7 came out. Its all live instruments. CS80 and Emulator for the synth parts.
I absolutely love how his doing these deep and aggressive breathing while he’s singing. You can tell he was so into it
It's incredible that people that know what they want to the detail of having so many layered vocal tracks. He was a true musical genius
Some of his perfectionist traits take a lot of tinkering. The guy had been in studios since the jackson 5 days. I would hope he could knock out 3 part harmonies with no trouble. You can't underestimate the contributions of QUINCY ROD TEMPERTON and now I see James Ingram was there and the talented musicians who played there parts. This stuff takes musical notation good board engineers and hard work. It's amazing there was so much good top notch material. It's historical maybe never to be seen again.
MJ home demos are EVERYTHING ❤
Incredible
@@zuzanazuscinova5209 ❤️
17:36 I love those "Hoah" sound he makes. Every time the chorus is coming up on that part it hypes me up. He knows how to make adlibs build things up so well. Like listen to the song normally and when you hear the "hoah" sounds faintly in the background, it’s just signature Michael and makes everything sound better. The song wouldn’t be the same without that extra seasoning
I will stand by this statement when I say…Billie Jean Is Thee Most Perfectly Constructed Record/Song To Ever Be Composed! Long alive The King Of Music Michael Joseph Jackson!✍🏽👑💖🌟💯
Better than GOOD VIBRATIONS which I have never tired of in 50 years. Billie Jean I tired of very quickly.
i have never heard Billie jean more beautifully anywhere except here. flawless. Michael would would always remain the king of music. i stuck around til the end of the video. one of my favorite songs...
This always sounds like a song he truly enjoyed writing and singing. U can just feel it
One part of Michael's musical genius derives from James Brown's all rhythmical composition which means that MJ composed his songs based on the beat and/or the baseline. Everything he composed, he built on top of those components. So that is why you hear guitars playing some sort of drumlines, or even trumpets getting in the groove, but each and every element has a part, a role of it's own. They don't sound the same, obviosly, they play their own part, which is amazing.
Btw, Billie Jean's a story, not only a song, you have to understand it this way. Billie Jean was a groupie involved in a relationship with, let's say, Michael, who pretended to have a child with him, and the melody, the guitarline is exactly the crying part, saying something like „I won't do it again!!”, over and over, „she says HE is the one, but the kid is not my son!”, so on and so forth. So, you have to analyze it in terms of the story. Michael was a storyteller through his music. You won't understand him otherwise.
Billie Jean without the other instruments, is basically a movie score...
the symphony of the orchestra is just beautiful it almost fits for a training montage for Rocky or a dance movie or something
It's about 33% too much. Pop songs don't need quite that many instruments. It bothered me at the time. I am so sick of this overproduced song. Now ROCK WITH YOU is busy but satisfying
@@markr.devereux3385 I would disagree... I actually find "Billie Jean" to be one of MJ's most simple songs - sonically. The production is heavy and very layered; but even if you listen to it very carefully, you won't pick up or isolate all it's nuances because of how well it was arranged.
I guess... we can agree to disagree.
@omgnetwork5231 quincy Jones thought it didn't belong and he's usually right.
@@markr.devereux3385Not that time..greatest pop song ever recorded!
@sandrasanders706 no a tough choice but BEACHBOYS GOOD VIBRATIONS just leaves me overwhelmed. Billie Jean just super tired of it.WANNA BE STARTIN SOMETHING or PYT? HE could have used the new coreigraphy on several others. The only thing that grabs me is the great intro when the bass comes in and the chord progression.
Talented beyond what we already know about this man!
He was a total genius!
He lived and expressed his instinctive vibe for his own song creations. It must have been magnificent to be taken seriously by Quincy Jones and allowed to completely express his artistic idea's about pop music.
This was fascinating from beginning to end.
Thanks so much for this. I'm a dedicated new subscriber!
that's why mj was and still is the greatest of all times ... he wrote, composed, came up with the dance and choreograph all by himsel. many people claim "mj isnt a real musician because he couldnt play instruments" which isnt true. first of, he could play instruments. he is credited in many of his songs playin instruments. but the thing is, he didnt need to .. he WAS an instrument ... most of his songs he beatboxed ....
Also he was a great pianist
He wasn’t credited as playing and instruments. He was credited as a writer and composer. His instrument was his voice. If I am wrong please provide a link showing he was credited as an instrumentalist.
@@chazbayley there are many songs. Fot example Morphine
@@xabun I would like to see evidence of this listed in his album sleeve but I don’t have it to hand
Right around 7:50 in this clip, the Strings are very reminiscent with a haunting melody just like Heartbreak Hotel. Genuis! I always appreciated Michael for the use of real String Instrumentation!
Michael is one of my musical heroes. I love the way you broke this down. It's such a treat getting to hear the many layers of this song from the vocals to the instruments.
Every instrumental sound… every single moment of every melody… is fuckin' signature. It belongs solely in this song: the sonic world of Billie Jean.
When I first heard this song in 1983. I had a JVC boom box in my bedroom. I wore out the cassette playing this song over and over. I could t get over how unique and amazing it was. And downright FUNKY.
Layering is the key to music magic. Bruce Swedien Quincy Jones And Michael Jackson is the brains behind this Masterpiece.
MJ wrote, composed & performed the song, Bruce captured the magic magnificently, Quincy picked the mix# that got officially released (though initially it’s said Q didn’t even like the song)
Here is THE guy who did the bass for Billie Jean showing how he did it. GREAT channel too. Show him some love! th-cam.com/video/zKzcR0sUvV0/w-d-xo.html
And here is Anthony Marinelli‘s and Steven Ray’s second channel with live recreations played by Greg Phillinganes and more interesting interviews of everyone involved in Thriller: m.th-cam.com/video/ljGYJZkagkE/w-d-xo.html
I was about to post it too, then I saw your comment.
I was gonna comment/say this! haha Anthony Marinelli!!
Thank you so much Chris for sharing another MJ song, it is highly appreciated. Amazing to hear all these tracks of Billie Jean. The huge amount of work MJ put into his music, all these details are incredible.
MJ is Incredible
MJ wrote music for the ages. It never gets old. The "Billie Jean" character ("She" was a bad mamajama) is also mentioned in "Wanna Be Starting Something. Billie Jean was the ultimate stalker🤣🤣🤣🤣😈💯
Oh Chris, what a treat! Thank you💞 How do you even comment on this masterpiece, the layers are just amazing. Love the strings and his vocals. Love Billie Jean. Love Michael 👑🎶
I think, everyone who is 25+ is able to recognise this song from the first drum note. In 80-s it was very good, some tragic minor tones we can find in "Joy", "Modern Talking", "Arabesque". Its a little sad, that disco music disappeared or changed standards, but this simple and smooth melody is looks like a time machine. Later Michael will try to do the continuous song "Who Is it?", but BJ will stay the most popular song from MJ. Twice his prophecy worked (I can die in my dream in "Love You Again"). Unreal but true. This is a long video, but I was watching with no problems. This is so interesting!!!❤
Its so fun, what is the computer writes doing the vocals:
Billy genius
Billy's jeans
Billy Chinese
😮😅😅
I don't know exactly if you meant the same but since I discovered the early stuff of Modern Talking I recognized how I love all the different instruments and layers it has. You have a choir, classical instruments, church bells or something like that. Which I couldn't find in any other music. Today's music has mostly only one beat that always sounds the same. That is so sad. Something like it is shown here in the video makes a song so much more fun and interesting and you can listen to it again and again.
Michael's sad prophecy I also recognized a few days ago :(
I feel like a fly on the wall in the music studio when I watch your videos. It's pretty special!
"This video is an absolute treasure for any Michael Jackson fan and music enthusiast! 🎶 The way you've presented the original studio multitracks and rare home demo of 'Billie Jean' is nothing short of extraordinary. Hearing the layers and nuances that MJ and Quincy Jones meticulously crafted is like uncovering a hidden masterpiece within a masterpiece. 🌟 The attention to detail, the creative choices, and the passion that went into every element of this song are truly mind-blowing. Your analysis brings out the genius of MJ and Quincy in a way that makes us appreciate the art of music production even more. Thank you for sharing this rare insight and for the meticulous work you’ve done to highlight these incredible aspects of a timeless classic. This video is not just informative; it’s an inspiring journey into the brilliance behind one of the greatest songs ever made. Keep up the phenomenal work-this is a true gift to all of us who love and admire MJ’s legacy! 👑✨"
This is incredible! Absolutely love it. The strings are stunning and hearing Michael's voice isolated wow. I remember YE used the strings for his remix of of Billie Jean from thriller 25
🇩🇿 I love it. Sounds like classical music.
I like the way you dissect MJ’s song
Thank you
Your reactions are the best
I remember hearing Billie Jean for the first time at a very young age.. It was the first time I became aware of music, and it was then that my dream of becoming a musician got conceived.. I'm very pleased to have come across this video..
Keep The Faith pleaaaaase, with this final ❤
Let's push this comment on top guys
Up up
Let's goooo
I don't have Keep The Faith files yet, but I'm looking :) !
Oh yeah! That would be so cool!
You have all my appreciation for what you are doing with the Michael Jackson videos! Keep it like this! I wish you could make videos of his unreleased tracks as well because his way of creating music is magical and amazing!❤
41:12 I’m glad you brought that up with the vocal shift between “she’s just a girl” and “claims that-”. It’s a vocal shift that is so minuscule that it often gets overlooked but it’s such a good part of the vocal composition transitioning from the build-up to the soft head voice. I wish it was as noticeable in the final studio version but still fun to listen to in the demos nonetheless!
Nice! There is a very recent interview of Steve Lukather, who recorded the guitars, by Rick Beato. Steve says that Michael composed almost all the parts, including the guitars, with his voice. Therefore almost all the ideas where there. Quincy Jones recorded the studio version keeping a lot of the demo, building new tracks around the demo 😉
Luke didn’t play on Billie Jean.
That’s David Williams on Billie Jean.
I don't know what to enjoy more? MJ's performance, or Chris' kid-on-Christmas-happy-face? 😀
This is so crazy!!! I literally tried looking for your Billie Jean analysis this morning, got back from gym & you posted it😂🔥🔥🔥🤞
haha... NICE! :)
Mike’s vocals were typically recorded on an SM7! Thank you for breaking these down!
Amazing! All the fantastic attention to detail in Michael Jackson's vocals that are unique to Michael msking his signature sound! One of the things I totally love and appreciate about Michael's music. I've been a fan since kindergarten when Thriller was first released! "The making of Triller" sealed the deal for me at 6 years of age. I was hooked on Michael Jackson's song, dance, creative genius, and the superstardom that made him Amazing!!
The most famous basses in the world, we all know...(Yep, Marinelli is truly sensational).
And the strings... Oh my God! Could have been a wonderful soundtrack for a criminal story.
And MJ's "hidden" vocals, those hoo-hoos...
He really puts some of his best, most complex work into this. Every second is genius, every second is a treasure! So visual all the way through... So much POSSIBILITY in this song... Not easy to see it all through. This is what is out of this world and makes MJ who he is! It's really something from Above, a charisma he has received from God.
The vocals have amazing layers too, but we've already gotten used to that from him. MJ's vulnerability in this + all her songs is one of his greatest strengths...
Thanks again, Chris!
Marinelli's channel is awesome
youtube.com/@anthonymarinellimusic
Just Incredible what MJ was able to do in the studio what a legend to ever touch the mic ❤️❤️💎💎😌😌🎚️🎚️😎😎
Powerful stuff and great analysis. Every aspiring recording artist, producer and arranger should study this. Just amazing how all these musical decisions come together to give you the magic that is Billie Jean- timeless!
thank You for doing this For Michael, this is the Michael the world needs to know always.
The genius of Michael Jackson. Great video!
I'm gonna save this video for later so I can give it my full attention. Thank You.
I never thought making music is this hard, you have to understand and love the passion you had to make the instruments and other things I don't even know😭 Michael was soooo PERFECT with his musics, he wanted it all SPECIAL, MAGNIFICENT, and AMAZING. I'm shocked how details it is even though I play his songs everyday. Thank youuu, Chris for this session🤍🤍
Musician will be here for ever
Love everything you said with the exception of there being imperfections…… There are none in this song it’s 100 percent perfect in every way possible. There wasn’t a lot of technical things going on into a hit like this it’s all soul and amazing musical energy.
Tell me you can't watch a long video on TH-cam without staying engaged... and I'll send you these videos! Stellar with mate! A million thanks for this gem. And many others. Keep it coming😊
"Bruce" is Bruce Swedien, Michael's sound engineer, who recorded all of his albums, from Off The Wall to Invincible. Regarding the home demo, there are not any info, other than, it is a 1981 home demo of Billie Jean. He recorded that with Bruce Swedien as well, which the "Bruce" at the end of the recording indicates it.
His Bad demo he says "Break it down Bruce" referring to Bruce Sweden
Rip to both of them
every time I watch these videos I have a deeper appreciation for the song and the effort Michael and his team put in to the songs. you dont just hear music or sounds you hear magic.
Honour, treasure the magic forever presence. God bless Michael.
I was lucky enough to watch his entire career, from a child prodigy in the Jackson 5 to the end of his legendary career. RIP Michael, we miss you.
He was a darn musical GENIUS!!!!!!
Chris, this is an amazing video. Dude, thank you so much!!! It is unreal that we can dive into these tracks like this now.
Oh my god!!! It is finally here.. been waiting for Billie Jean. Can you please do Dangerous, Stranger in Moscow and In the Closet?
I have files for all of those except Dangerous... but the other two are coming!
@@chrisliepe Thank you so much!!
@@chrisliepe do you have Tabloid Junkie?? That one has so much beatboxing, I feel like it would be similar to 2Bad, what a beast!
@@alannakennedy5779 Unfortunately, the multi tracks haven't leaked for that song yet.
@@alannakennedy5779 I love his vocals on Tabloid Junkie. 'You're a parasite in black and white' is probably my favourite line, and perfectly describes every newspaper 'journalist' lol
Chris Liepe: Excellent analysis of Michael's great song, which contains fabulous arrangements and stellar production!!
Chris, Thank you SO MUCH for your work. I have no idea how you came to Michael's multitracks but this is the best possible way to understand the craft of an hit song. I love watching and hearing those multitracks along with understanding the process and beauty of layering instruments, dynamics in mixdown and so... Big up 🤙👌👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
On se rend compte à quel point c'est difficile (et incroyable) de réussir un bon mixage !
Mais avec des génies comme MJ👑 & Q.J.....
MJ👑:King of Pop Forever.
Love from FRANCE 🇲🇫.
As a songwriter who loves MJ, I love the excitement that you have for discovering these extra sounds that you never heard before and I'm enjoying this the same! And damn, I love the string arrangement!
I love the delightful surprise--infrequent, alas--when one comes across content and a creator that shares a perspective, or insight, that transforms a familiar something. I've never seen a song pulled apart this way. Very enlightening. Thanks for taking the time and sharing.
Your MJ breakdowns are awesome man , you really get into the fine details and show us what makes it so special.
This is basically how I behaved when I first encountered the multitracks, as Billie Jean is my ALL-TIME favorite song!
After YEARS of enjoying a demo here, studio acapella there, finally, the whole package is out there and videos like this exist. :D
This was awesome. I really enjoyed it and seeing all the amazing nuances in this song. It has actually inspired me to create multiple vocal recordings to build out the variance and fullness of a song I'm working on. I really appreciate you sharing this.
its actually crazy how close the home demo was compared to the final album version if you look it up its on youtube. the composition is basically the same except its missing some additional intruments like the strings.
absolutely.
also says a lot about how little quincy jones added to this song, production wise. this should really be labeled "produced by mchael jackson". especially when you consider that jones didnt even like the song, tried to have it not on the album, and when jackson insisted, famously tried to convince him to "at least cut the boring intro".
lots of respect for jones' work on many other projects, but as far as this goes, the story that jackson even had to fight for a coproducer credit (when really jones should be thankful to receive a coproducer credit for the little he contributed) isnt a good look to say the least.
His Back Vocal layering Were simply PURE GENIUS! I learned so much from putting headphones on and truly Hearing Everything He does on the Thriller Album....I listen to that Album at least once a month or before recording sessions at my studio...Hes one of the reasons Im a Producer...Him And Quincy...THE GOATS! Thank you for this video Brotha!
RAY RAY
I'm dogshit, but I appreciate this video. It may look long but it's the right thing to do. You're a cool person for putting this out and not being scared to go in depth and give it your best.
I really respect this, and your work.
Thanks.
Chris man just blessing up with content thank you
Thank you so much for this video, I never heard those different tones in this song, one of my favourite and I have listened this song thousand times. Good job. Michael is Amazing, Speechless.
The song was already 🔥🔥🔥🔥. This took it up another notch!. I'll never hear Billie Jean the same again.
Chris, each and every one of your MJ videos is just a pure pleasure to watch and listen. Your work of showing the most interesting parts and learning from your knowledge, together with his music, is just the perfect combination to make a great video to learn from. A 50 min long video is a dream😂 Thank you so much for what you do!!!!
Agreed!
And to think that he was only 23 at the time he recorded this!! Such a baby yet so incredibly intelligent and philosophical. Such an amazing artist who was swallowed up by a disgustingly savage world. We are SO lucky to experience this and be able to connect with (and understand) his talent better. Thank you! 🙏
This is priceless what an amazing gift you have in your possession! I’ve loved Michael Jackson’s music since I was a kid growing up in the 80’s break dancing in my neighbors garage. #feelsgoodman
Worth the wait 😇 another mj 🐐🐐🐐
this song has been so imbedded into my brain that even when you don't play some of the instruments in some parts, I still hear them haha
Wow I love the generosity of showing how it was done!!
He was so genius musically and gifted one. All those sound heard in his head.
HIS VOICE IS JUST ANGELIC
It really sounds like he’s dancing while singing, even in studio. He was so cool! Loved him!
Can’t wait to listen to this!!
Chris This Seems Like The First Time I Can Actually Hear Michael Sing "The KID is Not My Son" as To Sounding Like "But Chad is Not My Son" lol Just Saying.. Thanks Again For A Great Upload!! Always a Pleasure To Watch and Get Inspired at The Same Time :)
I always thought it was Jack is not my son 😂
The child is not my son.
@@plan4lifeThis is always what I thought it was for ages . Like a Mandela effect for me when I found out it was “kid”.
I can remember listening to this song on the radio in our old work van. I'd put my ear next to the speaker so i could hear all the the things he was doing with his voice! ❤
Omg MJ had the best voice❤ so much power
Really enjoyed this. I have worked in the hi-fi industry for nearly 25 years and we spend our time (and cash!) trying to reproduce and enjoy all these details. Great to hear exactly what's in the mix.
51 minutes?!? Oh yeah! Getting some popcorn for this one! Thanks so much again! These are just fantastic to behold!
Wonderful
The iconic song of all time.
Fantastic Chris!! Absolutely amazing!! Thanks so much for sharing this bro! 🤘🏻
The world's best musician and dancer Michael Jackson. His style of dancing and singing music never seems childish. He always sang music in deep voice, so his songs are hit and catchy. Moreover he always wrote teachable music. He was the only person in the world who performed dance-music together in front of live audience. May her soul rest in peace 🇧🇩✅✅✅
Didn't expected that u would do the breakdown of billie jean😊😊, thanks for that
Simply Michael Jackson music dance love rest the only one king history for all time. Never existed another never compared to anyone. Michael Jackson you are the ONE 👑💫🌻❤️💙🎶🌎🌟
This is heavenly. So intricate. I love this. New sub!
Subbed for the MJ content but stayed for everything else. I appreciate your channel and for really allowing us to also appreciate these gems... Thank you!
King of Music