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A Tribute to showcase Michael’s first Solo Career album as an adult,
share with you all the details plus a little ‘extra’ insight into all 10 songs from the album, taken from five different books. I also include a ‘you tube’ for each song for your viewing and listening pleasure .
This album is one of the many beautiful Gifts that Michael gave to us. May you treasure it too, and all of his music… forever keeping his Legacy ALIVE. 1958 - Forever..!!
♥ L.O.V.E. you Michael ♥ Thankx for ALL you’ve given us.
♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪
USA August 1979
Don’t stop ‘Til You Get Enough
Rock With You
Working Day and Night
Get On The Floor
Off The Wall
Girlfriend
She’s Out Of My Life
I Can’t Help It
It’s The Falling In Love
Burn This Disco Out
‘Off The Wall’ (LP) is released August 1979, mixing Pop R & B and Jazz. This album breaks new ground vocally for Michael, with his most adventurous and mature vocals to date. It delivered jazzy disco-funk tunes with irresistibly clever pop hooks. It breaks music industry records by being the first album ever to spawn four Top Ten singles in the US, two of which become number 1 hits and are certified Gold. In Britain, for the first time in music history, a record five hit singles are released for one album, ‘Girlfriend’, written by Paul McCartney, being one of them.
The album exceeds all expectations and is hugely successful on both the Pop and Black album charts, eventually selling over 20 million copies worldwide. Some of the early copies of ‘Off The Wall’ feature a free 7” picture disc of ‘You can Win’.
Michael’s singing throughout the album is daring, personal, and unique - full of vocal ticks, squeals, and yelps that would become his trademark.
Off The Wall is an ecstatic, exhilarating pop soul album - considered by many to be one of the greatest albums ever released.
Produced by Quincy Jones; three songs co-produced by Michael, which he also wrote: Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, Working Day and Night and Get on the Floor. Michael having worked with him on the Wiz, approached Quincy for advice, when he’d decided he wanted to do a solo album but didn’t know any great producers. ‘I’ll tell you what,’ said Quincy, ‘why don’t you let me do it?’
Heatwave’s Rod Temperton also penned three songs for the album, and in so doing he tried to find out about Michael’s character. ‘I knew he loved Charlie Chaplin,’ he said, ‘and I thought Off The Wall was a nice thing for Michael…Rock With You was a rhythm section idea I’d had - I thought I’d go with this one, too, because he’s good at handling very melodic things.’
Mike Salisbury, the man behind the concept of the sleeve design, has revealed before he was brought in, ‘they had him (Michael) seated on a bale of straw, wearing cowboy clothes’. Salisbury wasn’t convinced this would work, so he ‘designed a person and created an identity for him…it’s a metaphor. He’s just a kid out from under his Dad, so I think the album cover should make a statement that his solo debut is as big as Sinatra coming on stage in Vegas.’
Album cover photo shoot took place at the Griffith Observatory at the Hollywood Planetarium. Michael liked Salisbury’s idea of a tuxedo (found in Yves St. Laurent), but insisted he wanted to wear white socks (custom made for him by top Hollywood designer Bob Mackie) and glove. But… the socks didn’t work, until Salisbury remembered Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly and Cary Grant, ‘They put their hands in their pockets to raise the trousers so you could see the socks,’ said Salisbury. ‘Michael! Put your hands in your pockets. Raise your thumbs and raise your trousers!’ And so a memorable album sleeve was created.
‘Off The Wall’ enters both the Black and Pop albums charts peaking at numbers 1 and 3 respectively and remains on the Pop charts for a mammoth 84 weeks. It holds its position at number 1 on the Black charts for a lengthy 16 weeks during a 61 week residence.
Michael becomes the first solo artist in America to chart Top 10 singles from one album.
August 29th Michael is 21 years old today and celebrates his birthday at Studio 54 in New York City.
Michael’s contract with his father Joe Jackson expires and he now takes control of his own career.
Michael worked to renegotiate his solo recording deal with Epic. In the process, he secured the highest royalty rate for any artist in the music industry.
December 10th ‘Off The Wall’ (LP) is certified Gold and Platinum. The album will go to sell 20 million worldwide.
Hit Singles: Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, Rock With You, Off The Wall, She’s Out Of My Life, and Girlfriend.
First solo album to produce four Top 10 hits on both side of the Atlantic, and to produce five hits in the UK.
On the album credits was: “I dedicate this to the year of the child and my mother, - Love M.J.”
American Music Awards:
Favorite Male Soul Singer.
Favorite Soul Album.
Favorite Soul Single: Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough
Grammy Award:
Best R & B Vocal Performance, Male : Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.
February 27,1980 At the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles Michael is awarded his first Grammy as a solo performer in the category Best R & B Vocal Performance - Male for ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’. Michael boycotts the event in disgust at being pigeon-holed into only R & B soul categories and is disappointed that ‘Off The Wall’ was overlooked for Best Album. He vows his next album won’t be ignored. It is widely accepted that the awards do not do justice to the hugely successful LP.
Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.
♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫
1st Song ~ Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yURRmWtbTbo
Song written and recorded by Michael.
This song is all swirling, symphonic strings and basslines supporting Michael’s falsetto melodies.
‘We had little arguments, nothing very serious, during the first record we made, which was Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,’ said Quincy Jones. ‘Most people at Motown didn’t sing low and I needed him to sing low. I wanted him to do a very sexy kind of sound at the bottom. At first, he was a little reluctant, but that’s okay. It was never contentious, and that’s where the trust comes in.’
Lyrical content shocked his mother, Katherine, who pointed out the title could easily be misinterpreted - Michael asserted it wasn’t a reference to sex, but that it could mean whatever people wanted it to mean.
Lead single from the album - heralded Michael’s arrival as an adult solo performer, and paved the way for a new beginning to his musical career.
Promo short film, directed by Nick Saxton, premiered in October 1979.
A music video released to promote the single features Michael in a tuxedo and showcases his advancing dance steps.
Hit no. 1 on the Hot 100 in the States, giving Michael his first chart topper since Ben, and gave him his first no. 1 on the R & B singles chart. Also no. 1 in Australia, New Zealand, Norway and South Africa, and no. 3 in the UK.
Michael’s first solo hit in Germany - it peaked at no. 13.
Official Versions:
Album Version.
Masters At Work Remix.
7” Edit.
7” Edit w/ Intro.
12” Version.
Original Demo Recording.
Roger’s Underground Club Solution.
Live version recorded at a concert at Madison Square Garden in September 1981, featured on the Jacksons album, LIVE, issued in November 1981. This version was included on the 12” single of Michael’s Beat It in the UK.
Impromptu performance by Michael at New York’s Peppermint Lounge on 25th March 1983 when, following a set by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, he took to the stage and surprised everyone by lip-synching to Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough and (10 minutes later) Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.
Introduction re-recorded for Michael’s performance at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1995.
Michael recorded a version with Chris Tucker for the latter’s movie , Rush Hour 2, in which Tucker was seen singing the song - remains unreleased.
share with you all the details plus a little ‘extra’ insight into all 10 songs from the album, taken from five different books. I also include a ‘you tube’ for each song for your viewing and listening pleasure .
This album is one of the many beautiful Gifts that Michael gave to us. May you treasure it too, and all of his music… forever keeping his Legacy ALIVE. 1958 - Forever..!!
♥ L.O.V.E. you Michael ♥ Thankx for ALL you’ve given us.
♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪
USA August 1979
Don’t stop ‘Til You Get Enough
Rock With You
Working Day and Night
Get On The Floor
Off The Wall
Girlfriend
She’s Out Of My Life
I Can’t Help It
It’s The Falling In Love
Burn This Disco Out
‘Off The Wall’ (LP) is released August 1979, mixing Pop R & B and Jazz. This album breaks new ground vocally for Michael, with his most adventurous and mature vocals to date. It delivered jazzy disco-funk tunes with irresistibly clever pop hooks. It breaks music industry records by being the first album ever to spawn four Top Ten singles in the US, two of which become number 1 hits and are certified Gold. In Britain, for the first time in music history, a record five hit singles are released for one album, ‘Girlfriend’, written by Paul McCartney, being one of them.
The album exceeds all expectations and is hugely successful on both the Pop and Black album charts, eventually selling over 20 million copies worldwide. Some of the early copies of ‘Off The Wall’ feature a free 7” picture disc of ‘You can Win’.
Michael’s singing throughout the album is daring, personal, and unique - full of vocal ticks, squeals, and yelps that would become his trademark.
Off The Wall is an ecstatic, exhilarating pop soul album - considered by many to be one of the greatest albums ever released.
Produced by Quincy Jones; three songs co-produced by Michael, which he also wrote: Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, Working Day and Night and Get on the Floor. Michael having worked with him on the Wiz, approached Quincy for advice, when he’d decided he wanted to do a solo album but didn’t know any great producers. ‘I’ll tell you what,’ said Quincy, ‘why don’t you let me do it?’
Heatwave’s Rod Temperton also penned three songs for the album, and in so doing he tried to find out about Michael’s character. ‘I knew he loved Charlie Chaplin,’ he said, ‘and I thought Off The Wall was a nice thing for Michael…Rock With You was a rhythm section idea I’d had - I thought I’d go with this one, too, because he’s good at handling very melodic things.’
Mike Salisbury, the man behind the concept of the sleeve design, has revealed before he was brought in, ‘they had him (Michael) seated on a bale of straw, wearing cowboy clothes’. Salisbury wasn’t convinced this would work, so he ‘designed a person and created an identity for him…it’s a metaphor. He’s just a kid out from under his Dad, so I think the album cover should make a statement that his solo debut is as big as Sinatra coming on stage in Vegas.’
Album cover photo shoot took place at the Griffith Observatory at the Hollywood Planetarium. Michael liked Salisbury’s idea of a tuxedo (found in Yves St. Laurent), but insisted he wanted to wear white socks (custom made for him by top Hollywood designer Bob Mackie) and glove. But… the socks didn’t work, until Salisbury remembered Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly and Cary Grant, ‘They put their hands in their pockets to raise the trousers so you could see the socks,’ said Salisbury. ‘Michael! Put your hands in your pockets. Raise your thumbs and raise your trousers!’ And so a memorable album sleeve was created.
‘Off The Wall’ enters both the Black and Pop albums charts peaking at numbers 1 and 3 respectively and remains on the Pop charts for a mammoth 84 weeks. It holds its position at number 1 on the Black charts for a lengthy 16 weeks during a 61 week residence.
Michael becomes the first solo artist in America to chart Top 10 singles from one album.
August 29th Michael is 21 years old today and celebrates his birthday at Studio 54 in New York City.
Michael’s contract with his father Joe Jackson expires and he now takes control of his own career.
Michael worked to renegotiate his solo recording deal with Epic. In the process, he secured the highest royalty rate for any artist in the music industry.
December 10th ‘Off The Wall’ (LP) is certified Gold and Platinum. The album will go to sell 20 million worldwide.
Hit Singles: Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, Rock With You, Off The Wall, She’s Out Of My Life, and Girlfriend.
First solo album to produce four Top 10 hits on both side of the Atlantic, and to produce five hits in the UK.
On the album credits was: “I dedicate this to the year of the child and my mother, - Love M.J.”
American Music Awards:
Favorite Male Soul Singer.
Favorite Soul Album.
Favorite Soul Single: Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough
Grammy Award:
Best R & B Vocal Performance, Male : Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.
February 27,1980 At the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles Michael is awarded his first Grammy as a solo performer in the category Best R & B Vocal Performance - Male for ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’. Michael boycotts the event in disgust at being pigeon-holed into only R & B soul categories and is disappointed that ‘Off The Wall’ was overlooked for Best Album. He vows his next album won’t be ignored. It is widely accepted that the awards do not do justice to the hugely successful LP.
Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.
♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫
1st Song ~ Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yURRmWtbTbo
Song written and recorded by Michael.
This song is all swirling, symphonic strings and basslines supporting Michael’s falsetto melodies.
‘We had little arguments, nothing very serious, during the first record we made, which was Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,’ said Quincy Jones. ‘Most people at Motown didn’t sing low and I needed him to sing low. I wanted him to do a very sexy kind of sound at the bottom. At first, he was a little reluctant, but that’s okay. It was never contentious, and that’s where the trust comes in.’
Lyrical content shocked his mother, Katherine, who pointed out the title could easily be misinterpreted - Michael asserted it wasn’t a reference to sex, but that it could mean whatever people wanted it to mean.
Lead single from the album - heralded Michael’s arrival as an adult solo performer, and paved the way for a new beginning to his musical career.
Promo short film, directed by Nick Saxton, premiered in October 1979.
A music video released to promote the single features Michael in a tuxedo and showcases his advancing dance steps.
Hit no. 1 on the Hot 100 in the States, giving Michael his first chart topper since Ben, and gave him his first no. 1 on the R & B singles chart. Also no. 1 in Australia, New Zealand, Norway and South Africa, and no. 3 in the UK.
Michael’s first solo hit in Germany - it peaked at no. 13.
Official Versions:
Album Version.
Masters At Work Remix.
7” Edit.
7” Edit w/ Intro.
12” Version.
Original Demo Recording.
Roger’s Underground Club Solution.
Live version recorded at a concert at Madison Square Garden in September 1981, featured on the Jacksons album, LIVE, issued in November 1981. This version was included on the 12” single of Michael’s Beat It in the UK.
Impromptu performance by Michael at New York’s Peppermint Lounge on 25th March 1983 when, following a set by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, he took to the stage and surprised everyone by lip-synching to Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough and (10 minutes later) Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.
Introduction re-recorded for Michael’s performance at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1995.
Michael recorded a version with Chris Tucker for the latter’s movie , Rush Hour 2, in which Tucker was seen singing the song - remains unreleased.