MJ Interview pages 1 and 2 of 5.
THE SMASH HITS INTERVIEW
CHRISTMAS 1982: IT’S JUST GONE MIDNIGHT IN THE SMASH HITS OFFICE WHEN A YOUNG MARK ELLEN PICKS UP THE PHONE. AT THE OTHER END, LIVE FROM LOS ANGELES, IS AN EVEN YOUNGER MICHAEL JACKSON, WHOSE NEW LP “THRILLER” HAS JUST BEEN RELEASED. THEIR 35-MINUTE CONVERSATION HAS GONE DOWN IN HISTORY AS MICHAEL’S LAST-EVER BRITISH INTERVIEW. NOW, 25 YEARS LATER, WE REPRINT THEIR CLASSIC EXCHANGE IN FULL.
06/01/83 (6TH JANUARY, 1983 FOR YOU AMERICANS - TOM)
Your new LP “Thriller”, is out in Britain. Are you pleased with it?
It’s out already?
I’ve got a copy.
In the stores?
Well, it’s about to be. Are you pleased with it?
Oh, yeah, I’m pleased with it. I’m hap… I’m the kind of person that is never satisfied.
Which are your favourite tracks?
My favourite tracks are “Thriller”, um, “Billie Jean”, “Beat It”, “Starting Something”, “The Lady In My Life”. Stuff like that.
There’s all sorts of people on it, Vincent Price, for instance. How come you worked with him?
I’ve known Vincent ever since I was 11 years old. And when you think of “Thriller”… I mean who’s the king of horror who’s still alive? I mean Bela Lugosi and Peter Lorre are dead now and the only giant who goes back to those days is Vincent Price so I thought he was the perfect voice. Actually it was Rod Temperton and Quincy (Jones) who actually thought of him ‘cause he is a friend and everything. He came in right away, it was no problem.
How about Eddie Van Halen?
I wrote a song called “Beat It” and we wanted a great solo, a guitar solo, so that night Quincy said, I have a great idea, um, um, you know, someone like Van Halen would be a good idea or Peter Townshend but Townshend and The Who are touring at the moment so we thought it would be a problem. So the next day, the very next day, Eddie was in the studio. He’s the kind of guy that kept worrying that his part was OK and he wanted to be just right. He’s a perfectionist.
How do you choose the songs?
Whatever’s the best. Whatever’s the best for today’s sound and today’s market. If it touches us personally we go ahead with it. And if I personally like it and Quincy personally likes it.
What qualities do you look for in the songs?
I just look for the music to be outstanding and especially, more than anything, the melody.
Who offered you songs that you didn’t accept? I heard there was one by Stevie Wonder?
Well, Stevie had a one which was good. It was a good song, more a danceable-type thing. There was also… ah, what’s his name?
David Grant?
I forget (laughs). There’s so much going on I forget. Steve is incredible. We went with more a danceable one but the song was great.
Why did you choose the title “Thriller”? You like movies a lot?
I love movies. All movies. But I don’t like scary movies.
Why not?
I can’t sleep after watching one, it just scares me.
What are your favourite movies?
Any Steven Spielberg movie.
Do you like E.T.?
I love E.T.
Why do you love it so much?
‘Cause it reminds me of me. The whole story, you know, someone from another world coming down and you becoming friends with them and this person’s like 800 years old and he’s filling you with all kinds of wisdom and he’s magic and he can teach you how to fly. It’s that whole fantast thing that I think is great. I mean who don’t want to fly?
What other films do you like?
I like the old MGM musical. I like thing with great acting, like Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracey. I love Oliver! One of my friends lives there (England) - Mark Lester. He’s a friend of mine. Oliver! is one of my favourite films of all time. When he’s here, I visit him and we talk on the phone.
Why do you like that film in particular so much?
Ooooooh! It’s terrific! It’s Dickens’ story. I mean… it’s… it’s incredible. Lionel Bart’s music is unreal… it’s magic. I’m going to record that song in the future, one if the songs…
Which one?
“Where is love?”
Do you know other movie stars?
Yeah, being in the same field. Katharine Hepburn came to our concert on the last tout. That was the first concert she’d ever seen. The press were surprised. You know an actress of her stature and the whole Hollywood thing. They were surprised that she would even show up. That was the first concert that she’d ever been to.