Michael Jackson and YMO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh5gG_NUWTg

MJ wrote lyrics to Yellow Magic Orcestra's Behind the Mask. It was supposed to be on Thriller but they dropped it when they decided to make Thriller a single LP.

MJs keyboard player Greg Philliganes recorded it with MJ's vocal melody and lyrics.

The actual MJ version is going to be on the "new" album.

Michael Jackson and YMO!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHz1P6NGMCw

interesting, Brian E showed me this track, it's pretty decent it's just strange to hear something being that heavily sampled in an MJ track

It's not a sample it's a cover with new lyrics.

Presumably that's not the backing track from the Thriller sessions either. Not quite slick enough.

  On 12/9/2010 at 11:33 PM, analogue wings said:

It's not a sample it's a cover with new lyrics.

strange it sounds very much like a sample of the YMO track to me, if it's not a sample as you say i wouldn't be surprised if they recreated the riffs with a studio band back then instead of now. Similar to how the sugar hill gang hired a backup band to play the loop from Chic's good times

Edit: the song is already leaked(out?) and easily downloadable if anybody was wondering

edit2: the reason i think it sounds so exact is because Greg Philliganes probably slaved away to make it sound identical

it's out in 4 days' time (officially)

Interesting. I haven't heard this new version, but I bet that it can't be worse than the Eric Clapton version.

it's pretty good, it almost seems like something that could have been on an old MJ album, well i correct myself if it weren't for those Justice-y grungey synth chords it would

i like the track 'breaking news' too, the rest of them are pretty forgettable, the stuff on Blood on the Dance Floor and Invincible is still better than most of 'Michael'

i just think it's great that a YMO song is gonna be on one of the most high profile releases of the year.

all the "born again" mj fans who are pretending they never turned on him are going to lap up this record with their guilty little wallets and they're going to be rewarded with classic japanese electronica

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDNHVXSIcM4

edit: you can hear the YMO at the very end of this clip

OH SHIT BILLIE JEAN DRUMS

Early reviews: album is shit except for Behind The Mask

  Quote

But then something remarkable happens. You get to track nine' date=' ‘Behind The Mask’ and it’s an absolute revelation, a swirl of psychedelic, orchestra-twinged R&B. Jackson howls a solid-gold melody at his fearsome best, and blippy production and robotic backing vocals dancing behind it. It could sit quite happily on ‘Dangerous’. It is actually brilliant.[/quote']

 

  Quote

"Behind the Mask" is a fiercely funky cousin to "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' "

 

  Quote

Then' date=' just as you're about to consign Michael to decided mediocrity, along comes the Thriller outtake "Behind the Mask." Driven by warped synths and robotic blips and bleeps, this bout of pseudo-futuristic pop boasts Jackson's finest vocal performance on the album. Complete with all his fêted vocal tics and an inimitable swagger, "Behind the Mask" is an unassailable highlight that reminds us that Jackson, as an artist and a performer, was truly a unique talent.[/quote']

 

I'd love to hear the Thriller version. I mean the remix is really good but it's clearly a remix. I found the track on an "outtakes" collection but it was the Philliganes version

if someone could find the acapella it might be possible to reconstruct it,

Assuming Phillinganes used the Thriller backing track. But his track came out in 85 and Thriller was recorded in 81, so I reckon he would have re-did it. cant see the estate releasing any acapellas until they've milked the "official remix" cow completely dry

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64dUqMxxyjQ

Needed more Phil Collins..

and Eric Clapton..

and Elton John..

You can hear it here... would love to have heard a version on Thriller...

The OG YMO version is still the best.