MUS15: Michael Jackson

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Michael's singing was flamboyant, soulful and made use of ... Funky bass and guitar parts that Jermaine and Tito would ... The Scarecrow: Michael Jackson.
MUS15: Michael Jackson Going Solo: The Wiz and Off the Wall

Jackson 5 Recap •  Signed a record contract with Motown in 1969 •  Bobby Taylor (a Motown staff songwriter and producer) recorded first several covers of popular R&B, Soul and Funk hits •  Modeled after the Motown Sound that was so successful in the1960’s –  Rooted in blues and soul music

From  Blues  to  Soul   •  Blues:  

–  Lyrics  closely  2ed  to  speech  style  in  AAB  rhyme  scheme   –  The  melody  is  similar  to  the  call  and  response  format  of  church   music   –  The  singing  is  narrow  in  pitch  range,  and  mimics  wailing,  crying   or  moaning   –  Simple  rhythmic  structure  as  a  way  to  support  the  vocal  line   –  Relies  on  repe22on  of  short  musical  ideas  

•  Soul:  

–  Singing  is  more  rooted  in  Gospel  music,  as  a  form  of  ‘secular   tes2fying’   –  Structurally  based  on  the  blues,  adding  more  intricate  rhythm   sec2on,  and  looser  singing  style  

From  the  Motown  Sound  to  Pop   •  Bobby  Taylor’s  work  with  the  Jackson  5  relied  heavily   on  the  Motown  Soul  sound   –  Michael’s  singing  was  flamboyant,  soulful  and  made  use  of   excessive  improvisa2on   –  Taylor’s  tracks  also  featured  very  dense  instrumenta2on,   using  strings,  horns,  harp,  piano,  organ,  drums,  bass,   guitar,  and  2ght  vocal  arrangements.  

•  Berry  Gordy  hated  it,  and  was  interested  in  cul2va2ng   a  sound  that  was  cleaner.   –  He  wanted  to  feature  the  boys’  youth  by  choosing  songs   with  more  naïve  subject  maOer,  rather  than  having  them   perform  adult  material  and  stylings  

New  Sound/Decade/Scene   •  Gordy  gave  no  no2ce  that  he  would  be  moving  his   company  to  the  Hollywood   •  Many  of  the  musicians  were  stuck:  either  go  with   Gordy  and  try  to  keep  the  career  alive,  or  stay  in   Motown  and  fade  into  obscurity   •  The  Corpora2on  

–  Replaced  Holland-­‐Dozier-­‐Holland  as  the  primary   songwri2ng  and  produc2on  team   –  Team  of  songwriters  and  producers  assembled  by  Berry   Gordy  for  the  new  Hollywood  studios  and  The  Jackson  5  

•  Bubblegum  Soul  

–  Less  about  novelty  and  more  about  depth  that  would   appeal  to  kids  and  adults  alike  

Bubblegum  Soul  Formula   •  Smooth  out  Michael’s  ins2nc2vely  flamboyant  lead  vocal   •  Tight  background  vocals,  drawing  from  doo  wop  tradi2ons,   and  call  and  response  formats   •  Add  interjec2ons  by  Jermaine  and  feature  Jackie  singing  in   his  falseOo   •  Funky  bass  and  guitar  parts  that  Jermaine  and  Tito  would   play  only  on  live  performances   •  Extended  choruses  that  would  feature  both  a  catchy  hook   and  their  2ght  choreography   •  Innocuous  lyrics  about  aspira2onal  rela2onships,  not   necessarily  about  anything  that  might  be  experienced   –  Plays  up  their  youthful  naïveté  

4  #1  Hits   •  Diana  Ross  Presents:  The  Jackson  5  (1969)  

–  Produced  by  The  Corpora2on   –  Singles:  I  Want  You  Back,  Who’s  Lovin’  You  (the  only   Bobby  Taylor-­‐produced  song  to  make  it  onto  the   album)  

•  ABC  (1970)  

–  Produced  by  The  Corpora2on   –  Singles:  ABC,  The  Love  You  Save  

•  Third  Album  (1970)  

–  Produced  by  The  Corpora2on   –  Singles:  I’ll  be  There,  How  Funky  is  Your  Chicken  

Oversatura2on   •  First  few  records  went  to  #1,  though  sales  stalled  aeer   the  1972   •  Merchandising   •  Saturday  Morning  cartoon   •  CBS  Variety  Show   •  Michael’s  growth  on  display,  and  he  became  more   withdrawn  the  more  of  a  commodity  he  became   •  1974:  1  more  hit  with  Dancin’  Machine  and  Michael’s   performance  of  the  Robot  on  Soul  Train   –  First  2me  Michael  aOached  a  signature  dance  to  a  song  

Stalemate  and  the  Move  to  Epic   •  The  boys  wanted  to  write  more  of  their  own  material,  but  Motown   refused   •  Motown  wanted  to  keep  them  within  the  Bubblegum  formula,  they   wanted  to  branch  out     •  Released  6  albums  from  1971-­‐1974   •  Epic  Records,  a  label  owned  by  parent  company,  CBS  Records   bought  out  their  Motown  contract,  paying  the  group  a  20%  per   record  royalty  (compared  to  Motown’s  2.8%)   •  Jermaine  didn’t  make  the  switch  with  the  group  aeer  marrying   Gordy’s  daughter   •  Randy  officially  joined  the  group   •  Switch  names  to  The  Jacksons,  since  “The  Jackson  5”  was  owned  by   Motown  

Epic  Records   •  The  Jacksons  (1976)   –  Produc2on  team  Kenny  Gamble  and  Leon  Huff   –  Mostly  disco/funk  song   –  Single:  Enjoy  Yourself  

•  DesBny  (1978)   –  Self  produced  by  the  Jackson  brothers   –  Michael  was  designated  lead  songwriter   –  Singles:  Blame  It  On  the  Boogie,  Shake  Your  Body   (Down  to  the  Ground)  

From  Child  To  Adult   •  DesBny  proved  to  be  the  defining  moment  for   Michael  and  his  brothers   •  They  had  finally  found  their  songwri2ng  style   –  which  would  feature  Michael’s  expanding   repertoire  of  vocal  sounds  and  dance  moves  

•  Michael  had  also  begun  a  wri2ng  partnership   with  his  baby  brother,  Randy,  that  helped  put   The  Jacksons  on  the  map  as  an  autonomous   group  to  be  taken  seriously  

MJ’s  Turning  Point   • In  1978,  a  20  year  old  Michael  was  invited  to audi2on  for  an  updated  version  of  The  Wizard  of Oz  (1939  MGM  Musical) – This  MGM  classic  was  based  on  The  Wonderful  Wizard of  Oz  a  1900  children’s  novel

• The  musical  was  very  successful  on  Broadway, and  in  1975,  winning  seven  Tony  Awards • Motown  purchased  the  rights  to  the  show  in 1977  which  was  used,  primarily,  as  a  vehicle  for Diana  Ross

All-­‐Star  Cast   • 

Dorothy:  Diana  Ross  

–  Motown’s  biggest  star  at  the  2me,  known  for  her  work  with  The  Supremes  in  the  1960s,  and   her  mainstream  success  as  a  solo  ar2st  in  the  1970s.  

• 

The  Tin  Man:  Nipsey  Russel  

–  Veteran  comedian,  known  in  the  60s  and  70s  for  his  appearances  on  Game  Shows  and  Variety   Programs  

• 

The  Cowardly  Lion:  Ted  Ross  

–  Broadway  actor,  eventually  achieved  mainstream  success  in  the  monumental  sitcom,  The   Jeffersons  

• 

The  Scarecrow:  Michael  Jackson   –  Duh.  

• 

The  Wiz:  Richard  Pryor  

• 

The  Good  Witch:  Lena  Horne  

–  Controversial  stand-­‐up  comedian  and  actor,  who  revolu2onized  comedy  with  his   uncompromising  commentary  about  the  condi2ons  of  his  extravagant  lifestyle,  and  the  social   status  of  African  Americans  in  a  Post-­‐Civil  Rights  US.   –  Among  the  first  African  American  stars  to  achieve  mainstream  success  the  film  industry  in  the   early  20th  century  

• 

Evillene:  Mabel  King  

–  Veteran  Broadway  actress  and  singer,  achieving  success  as  Mamma  in  sitcom,  What’s   Happening  

Why  is  it  so  important?   •  The  Wiz  comments  directly  on  a  racist   American  entertainment  tradi2on,  known  as   Minstrelsy   •  Performance  tradi2on  featuring  both  African   Americans  and  Caucasians  performing   caricatured  depic2ons  of  African  Americans   •  Minstrel  shows  rose  to  prominence  as  the   preferred  form  of  entertainment  in  the  19th   and  early  20th  Centuries  

Caricature:  Jim  Crow   •  Created  by  blackface  performer,  T.D.  Rice   •  The  good-­‐natured  buffoon,  who  was  oeen  asked   to  dance  for  his  supper  and  appear  eternally   grateful  for  any  reward  given  to  him  by  whites   •  Segrega2on  laws  were  named  aeer  this   character.   •  In  popular  culture,  this  character  is  oeen   depicted  by  birds,  the  most  famous  of  which   appeared  in  Disney’s  1941  film,  Dumbo.  

Caricature:  “Stagolee”  or  “Stagger  Lee”   •  Slick,  smooth-­‐talking  guy  whose  moral   compass  was  no-­‐where  to  be  found     •  Represented  more  about  white  society’s   “fantasies  and  fears  about  black  men’s   menacing  sexuality.  The  legacy  of  the  urban   dandy  was  central  to  blues  culture  and  [and   comedians],  to  say  nothing  of  the   blaxsploita2on  film  genre  and  the  myth-­‐ making  of  gangsta  rap.”  –  Warwick,  24    

Caricature:  “Mammy”   •  Characterizes  a  wise  older  woman,  whose  job   was  to  raise  the  children  of  her  slave  owner.   •  The  first  talking  picture,  The  Jazz  Singer,  is   about  a  blackface  vaudeville  performer.     –  Al  Jolson  performing  “Mammy”  

Have  McDaniel     First  African  American  to  win  an  Academy   Award,  portraying  Mammy  in  Gone  With  the   Wind  in  1939    

The  Fall  of  the  Hays  Code  and  its   Influence  on  African  Americans  in  Film   •  The  Hays  Code  was  a  system  of  Standards  and   Prac2ces  that  controlled  everything  that  came   out  of  Hollywood  up  through  the  1960s.   •  This  set  of  values  policed  so-­‐called  obscenity…   among  other  things:   –  Miscegena2on:  a  sexual  rela2onship  between  2   persons  of  different  races   –  Lusxul  Kissing   –  Realis2c  Violence  

All  This  Leads  to  The  Wiz  

Sydney  Lumet,  director   •  Sydney  Lumet  was  an  American  film  director  who   began  making  films  in  the  60s.     •  Immediately,  he  hired  this  guy,  Quincy  Jones,  to   do  his  film  score  for  his  1964  film,  The   Pawnbroker.   •  Lumet  is  known  for  choosing  storylines  that   featured  griOy  social  realism     •  He  would  later  go  on  to  direct  films  like  12  Angry   Men,  The  Network  and  Dog  Day  ATernoon   (which,  incidentally,  features  Al  Pacino  as  the  first   openly  gay  character  to  appear  on  film).    

Quincy  Jones  

Quincy  Jones   •  Got  his  start  as  a  trumpeter  and  arranger  for   Dizzy  Gillespie   •  Went  on  to  be  the  first  African  American   execu2ve  of  Mercury  records   •  Arranged  and  produced  records  for  Frank   Sinatra,  Ella  Fitzgerald,  Sarah  Vaughan,  and   pop  singer,  Lesley  Gore   •  Wrote  33  film  scores…including  this.  

The  Wiz   •  The  film  adapta2on  featured  new  songs  by   Quincy  Jones   •  First  mainstream  film  to  feature  an  all-­‐black  cast   •  American  Musical  Theater   –  African  Americans  in  musicals  had  appeared    primarily   as  accessories  to  the  main  plot,  such  as  in  Show  Boat   (1927)   –  Stormy  Weather  and  Carmen  Jones  featured  all  black   casts,  but  were  largely  only  seen  by  African  American   audiences  

Debunking  Stereotype   “My   character   had   plenty   to   say   and   to   learn.   I   was   propped   up   on   my   pole   with   a   bunch   of   crows   laughing   at   me,   while   I   sang   “You   Can’t   Win.”   The   song   was   about   humilia2on   and   helplessness   –   something   that   so   many   people   have   felt   at   one   2me   or   another   –   and   the   feeling   that   there   are   people   out   there   who   don’t   ac2vely   hold   you   back   as   much   as   they   work   quietly   on   your   insecuri2es   so   that   you   hold  yourself  back.”  –  Michael  Jackson,  140  

MJ  as  Scarecrow   •  “It  is  as  though  Jackson,  in  this  number,  is  extrica2ng   himself  from  the  vaudeville  an2cs  of  Jim  Crow  and   pleading  to  be  recognized  as  fully  human.”  –  252     –  Posturing  him  on  the  pole  in  a  Christ-­‐like  stance   –  Elimina2on  of  his  iconic  dancing   –  Focus  must  be  paid  on  the  voice   •  The  first  2me  MJ  fully  explores  the  lower  register!  

•  Michael  enjoyed  the  escapism  of  Hollywood   –  5-­‐hour  makeup  job   –  Marveled  at  the  process  of  filmmaking   –  Would  plant  the  seed  for  his  future  music  videos…  

Reclama2on   •  Re-­‐appropria2on  of  racist  stereotypes   –  Evillene  “No  Bad  News”  

•  The  film  wasn’t  well-­‐received  by  the  popular   press  and  it  did  poorly  in  the  Box  Office   •  Features  the  moral  tale  of  a  hard-­‐working   educated  woman,  whose  own  insecuri2es  keep   her  from  rising  to  the  top   –  Much  like  Michael,  Diana  Ross  used  the  film  as  a   vehicle  to  sing  more  soulfully  than  Berry  Gordy  ever   permiOed  her  to  do  before.  

Transi2on   •  Michael  was  on  loca2on  in  the  late  1970s  in  New  York   City  at  the  height  of  “Dicso  Fever,”  spending  much  of   his  free  2me  at  Studio  54   •  First  2me  he  spent  any  extended  2me  away  from  his   family   •  MJ  was  suffering  from  immense  anxiety  and  insecurity   about  shouldering  the  burden  of  his  family’s  business   •  While  on  the  set  of  The  Wiz,  Michael  shyly  asked   Quincy  if  he  knew  of  anyone  who  would  like  to   produce  his  next  solo  record.   –  QJ  quickly  offered  himself,  and  a  happy  marriage  was   born!  

The  Art  of  Crossover   •  “[Off  the  Wall  was  seen]  as  the  start  of  a  new  era  of  pop  that  might   transcend  the  racial  segrega2on  that  had  long  dominated  the  music   market,  an  era  that  would  culminate  with  the  rise  to  universal   stardom  of  Michael  Jackson  and  Prince  in  the  1980s.”  –  Danielson,   151   •  Off  the  Wall  performed  equally  well  on  the  Black  R&B  charts  and  on   white  Pop/Rock  charts,   –  First  record  by  a  black  ar2st  to  reach  the  top  of  The  Billboard  200  

•  Successfully  combines  pre-­‐constructed  musical  forms  of  both  sides   of  the  coin,  and  as  such  defines  pop  as  a  color-­‐less,  “mainstream,”   “crossover”  genre.   •  Represented  a  grown-­‐up,  sexy  and  self-­‐aware  MJ  in  it  use  of  trendy   contemporary  musical  styles.  

Off  the  Wall  (1979):     Birth  of  an  Icon  

Off  the  Wall  (1979)   •  Wanted  a  sound  that  was  nothing  like  what  he   had  cul2vated  with  his  family.   –  Mixes  disco,  funk,  pop,  soul,  rock  and  jazz  elements  in   an  effort  to  construct  this  new  sound  

•  Featured  music  that  was  wriOen  mostly  by  him,   though  also  u2lized  veteran  songwriters  and   entertainers  Rod  Temperton,  Stevie  Wonder  and   Paul  McCartney.   •  Mixing  by  Bruce  Swedien,  frequent  collaborator   of  Quincy  Jones  

Off  the  Wall  (1979)   •  MJ  and  QJ  wanted  to  construct  a  pop  record  on  which   there  were  no  filler  tracks   •  This  type  of  produc2on  was  popularized  by  the  Beatles  in   the  60s,  and  successfully  adopted  by  “serious”  music   genres  (Rock,  mostly).     •  Pop  was  s2ll  a  market  of  singles,  not  albums   •  Ten  tracks,  in  total  and  five  singles:  

Don’t  Stop  ‘Til  You  Get  Enough  (MJ)   Rock  With  You  (Rod  Temperton)   Off  the  Wall  (Temperton)   She’s  Out  of  My  Life  (Tom  Bahler;  QJ  had  originally  planned  on   giving  it  to  Frank  Sinatra)   –  Girlfriend  (Paul  McCartney)   –  –  –  – 

Is  this  what  you  associate  with  DISCO?  

Disco   •  Disco  is  a  dance-­‐based  music  genre  that  popularized   cultural  subversion.  

–  Emerged  out  of  the  1970s  discotheque  culture,  in  which  people   of  all  races,  sizes  and  sexual  orienta2ons  could  hang  together  

•  Based  in  funk,  soul  and  la2n  

–  Basic  band:    bass,  guitar,  drums  

•  The  disco  bass  line  acts  as  a  melodic  element.    

–  Also  includes  extensive  string  parts.  Really  long  interludes…   –  Horns  are  included  as  well.   –  Percussion:  cow  bells,  shakers,  congas,  guirros  (La2n   percussion)   –  Soul-­‐based  vocals  with  heavy  reverbera2on.   –  Other  orchestral  elements:  flutes,  reeds.   –  Later,  the  synthesizer  plays  an  important  role.    

Funk   •  The  de-­‐emphasis  on  vocal  melody  and  bringing  the  rhythm  sec2on   to  the  foreground.     –  Musically  constructed  of  small  musical  sec2ons  that  would  get   repeated  (vamped)  to  provide  room  for  vocal  improvisa2on.     –  James  Brown  really  developed  the  sound  in  the  60s,  and  in  the  70s   groups  like  Sly  and  the  Family  Stone,  Tower  of  Power  and  ul2mately,   the  Parliament  Funkadelic  developed  the  form  and  brought  it  to  a   wider  audience.    

•  Elements:  

–  Scratch  guitar   –  Horns  providing  accents  in  loud  hits!!!  Really  complex  horn  interludes.   Highly  rhythmic.   –  Improvised  vocals   –  Syncopated  bass  lines:  the  bass  riff  becomes  an  important  element  in   Funk.  It’s  not  necessarily  used  as  a  melodic  instrument,  but  it  provides   a  very  catchy  founda2on.  

Don’t  Stop  ‘Til  You  Get  Enough   • 

Intro:  

–  Throbbing  bass  under  Michael’s  2mid  (sexual)  whispering   –  HOO!:  Launches  the  soaring  string  parts  

• 

Verses: –  –  –  –  – 

• 

   

FalseOo  singing  voice   Funky  guitar  parts   La2n  percussion   Vocal  Interjec2ons  with  himself   The  hiccups!  

Chorus  

–  Add  horns  and  building  string  texture   –  Recorded  all  the  vocal  parts  himself   –  Hand  claps  

• 

Bridge      

–  Music  interjec2on  between  chorus  and  final  verse   –  Featured  a  rock-­‐heavy  guitar  solo  

• 

Final  Chorus  Repeat  to  Fade  

–  Each  of  the  musical  elements  is  in  a  constant  loop,  while  MJ  improvises  

Lyrics   Touch  me  and  I  feel  on  fire   Ain’t  nothin’  like  a  love  desire   I’m  mel2ng   Like  hot  candle  wax   Sensa2on,  lovely  where  we’re  at   So  let  love  take  us  through  the  hours   I  won’t  be  complainin’     ‘Cause  this  is  love  power  (OOH)  

Combina2on  of  Elements   •  “…pop  fans  have  typically  never  shared  the  rock  audience’s   fascina2on  with  distorted  or  ‘raw’  sounds.”  –  Danielsen,   162   •  Disco’s  2ght  strings  and  smooth  vocals   –  Even  though  Disco  was  quickly  losing  its  popularity  thanks  to   the  film  Saturday  Night  Fever,  and  disco  records  being  released   by  white  rock  acts  (Rolling  Stones  and  Rod  Stewart)  

•  Funk’s  groove-­‐based  bass  lines,  punchy  horns  and  insistent   rhythm  sec2on   •  Pop’s  interest  in  “cleanliness”   –  Elimina2ng  the  subversive  elements  of  the  genres  that   preceded  it   –  Shorten  the  length,  and  use  simple  verse/chorus/bridge   structure  

She’s  Out  of  My  Life   •  Pop  Ballad:  In  the  1970s,  the  pop  sound  referred   to  really  sappy,  emo2onal  and  sen2mental   content.   •  Elements:  

–  Overly  sen2mental  lyrical  content.   –  Heavy  use  of  synthesizers.     –  The  emphasis  is  on  the  recording  produc2on,  making   you  feel  as  if  the  singer  is  talking  directly  to  you.   Genera2ng  in2macy  with  such  a  broad  format.     –  Whitney  would  revolu2onize  the  pop  ballad,  making  it   less  cheezy  and  more  soulful.  Thank  you,  Whitney.    

Des2ny  World  Tour   •  In  December  1979,  The  Jacksons  launched  a  tour  to   promote  their  previous  record,  DesBny   •  The  show  featured  a  set  in  which  Michael  would   perform  his  Off  the  Wall  singles  

–  His  brothers  would  accompany  him  wearing  the  spacesuit   MJ  wore  in  his  Rock  With  You  video  

•  MJ  would  appear  in  his  costumes  used  in  his  solo   videos,  sevng  him  apart  from  his  brothers…but  mostly   solidifying  the  visual  associa2ons  of  Michael  as  a  solo   ar2st   –  Sparkle  socks  and  tuxedo   –  Performance  a  more  sophis2cated  version  of  his  persona  

The  Music  Video!!!   “The  produc2on  values  …  are  typical  of  the  kind   of   low-­‐budget   videos   that   black   ar2sts   would   be   saddled   with   well   into   the   mid-­‐1980s:   on   videotape   before   a   primi2ve   green   screen   where   backgrounds   were   dropped   in   later.   As   special  effects,  they  are  deeply  chintzy,  even  by   the   standards   of   the   era.”   –   Nelson   George,   59-­‐60  

Television  and  Influence   •  As  we  witnessed  in  the  case  of  Elvis  Presley,  and   later   with   The   Jacksons’   appearances   on   Soul   Train,  appearing  on  TV  was  something  that  could   immediately  affect  the  way  music  was  produced.   •  Record  labels,  ini2ally  having  wriOen  off  Rock  and   Roll   as   a   fad,   began   churning   out   Elvis   look   (and   sound)-­‐a-­‐likes  in  droves.     •  Michael   Jackson   would   change   the   way   pop   music  was  regarded,  and  as  we’ll  see  next  week,   effec2vely   change   the   way   music   videos   are   conceived  and  produced.  

Changes   •  1979:  Michael  fired  Joe  as  manager…   •  “I  was  beginning  to  feel  that  I  was  working  for   him  rather  than  that  he  was  working  for  me.”   –  MJ,  152   •  Off  the  Wall  did  well,  but  not  nearly  as  well  as   he’d  hoped.   –  Received  only  1  Grammy  for  Best  Male  R&B  Vocal   Performance  for  “Don’t  Stop  ‘Til  You  Get  Enough”   –  He  felt  ignored  by  his  peers  

“Wait  un2l  next  2me  –  they  won’t  be  able   to  ignore  the  next  album.”  

…un2l  next  2me…