from Carole's book "They're Playing Our Song":
BURT'S PUBLICIST TOLD HIM that Michael Jackson wanted to have dinner with us . I had met Michael in 1979 when he was not yet twenty - one years old . He was a few years away from becoming the King of Pop , but he was already a genius . Off the Wall , the first album of the
brilliant trilogy produced by music legend Quincy Jones , spawned four huge hits . I was thrilled to have a song on that record . Quincy had heard " It's the Falling in Love , " which I wrote with David Foster on my second album , and suggested that Michael record it . The four of us went to Dominick's , an industry steak house . Michael spoke in a high breathy voice , soft and gentle and melodic . There was something very childlike about him , but he had , even at his age , an encyclopedic knowledge about the songs , writers , and artists that had come before him , including all of Burt's . " What are you up to these days ? ” he asked me . “ Are you writing ? ” " I'm making a record with Burt . He's producing , I'm singing , and he's doing all the orchestrations , ” I answered proudly . " That sounds so nice , " he said , smiling . His voice always went up at the end of sentences . “ I would love to come by and hear what you guys are doing . " " You're welcome anytime , Michael , " I said . " We're in the studio every afternoon . The Record Plant . " When he came by , I was recording a song called " Just Friends . ” He listened for a while , then asked , " Do you mind if I play around with something ? " We didn't mind at all - Burt admired him as much as I did , which was saying something . Michael took Paul Jackson , a wonderful guitarist who was playing guitar on the session , into the bathroom with him to work on another concept of the track and came back with a totally different arrangement with a whole new feel that even Burt said was better than what he had done . Somehow I got up the courage to ask him if he would sing with me on the record . " Sure , " he said , " let's do it . Let's work it out . Let me hear you sing it . " We started to trade lines , and he built some background parts where he was doubling his own voice to give it more thickness and texture in the musical track . I was thrilled . Michael Jackson and I were singing together . It was mindblowing to me .
