Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (12" Extended Re-Mix)
- 12 INCH VINYL
- May 4
- 3 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
The timeless success of Billie Jean is likely a result of the extraordinary care and attention to detail that went into its writing, production and promotion.
For example, engineer Bruce Swedien describes sitting alongside Michael Jackson for hours, creating 91 separate mixes as they tried to get just the right sound.
Producer Quincy Jones then walked in to hear the final mix, then asked them to go back and play the second mix they'd made. “That was the most badass mix," says Swedien. "And that’s what went out when they released Billie Jean: mix 2.”
Swedien had gone to great lengths to create unique drum sounds during recording, at Jones and Jackson's instruction. This involved improvised separation between different elements of the kit, improvising screens with sheets of wood, and soft coverings. He was just as careful capturing each of the other sounds, including the orchestra that appears in the bridge to the choruses, and the bass, which is played by Louis Johnson of The Brothers Johnson.
Jones had also considered every detail of the record – even the title, which he'd felt should be changed to Not My Lover, as listeners might think the song was about tennis player Billie Jean King. Jackson refused to sanction the change.
The lyrics were very personal and relevant to Jackson. Since 1968, he'd been a member of The Jackson 5 alongside his four older brothers – Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon – through which he became aware of instances of women falsely claiming his brothers were the fathers of their children, and seeking financial support.
Jackson was then the subject of similar claims after he became a high-profile adult star, including one in which a woman sent him instructions to kill himself at a specific date and time, promising that she and their supposed child would also take their lives so the three could be together in the afterlife. Jackson later learned the woman had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
"There never was a real Billie Jean," explained Jackson. "The girl in the song is a composite of people my brothers have been plagued with over the years. I could never understand how these girls could say they were carrying someone's child when it wasn't true."
As for the famous bassline, two of Jackson's closest peers claimed it was “inspired” by their tracks. Quincy Jones himself said Jackson lifted the notes from State of Independence, which Jones had produced for Donna Summer the previous year ("the notes don't lie, man", he said). While Daryl Hall says Jackson told them it was inspired by the bassline of the Hall & Oates track I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do), which had also been popular the year before ("I said: 'It doesn't sound like 'No Can Do' to me, sure, no problem!'", says Hall).
It's an iconic opening for sure – and highly unusual for a pop single to open with such a long intro of just drums, bassline and synth. Again, Jones questioned whether this was the right approach, but Jackson was insistent. "He said, ‘But that’s the jelly! That’s what makes me want to dance.’ And when Michael Jackson tells you, 'That’s what makes me want to dance,' well, the rest of us just have to shut up," says Jones.
The attention-to-detail went beyond the recording itself. Billie Jean was backed by a video that was perfectly suited for heavy rotation on the newly launched MTV cable channel – so much so that Jackson walking on paving flags that lit up as he stepped on them became one of the iconic pop images of 1983.
Jackson also delivered a famous performance of the track at the televised Motown 25 show, which popularised his moonwalk, along with elements of the outfit that would become Jackson's signature image throughout the 1980s, including short trousers, a tipped hat and a single white glove.
Billie Jean was released on 3 January 1983 on 7" and 12" single. The latter contains an instrumental version of the track, the b-side It's The Falling In Love and the extended remix featured here, which is a minute and a half longer than the single version.
It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also a number one hit in the UK, Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Switzerland and Belgium, selling 10 million copies worldwide.
Billie Jean was the second of seven singles released from the album Thriller. All were Top 10 hits and as much as any of them Billie Jean helped Thriller become the most successful album of all time, having now sold around 70 million copies worldwide.
Year: 1983 Label: Epic Cat no: A13 3084