Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones, one of the world's most awarded
and commercially successful collaborations in all pop music history.
But the two had a rocky road to riches
and superstardom that was characterized just as much by tensions and feuding than
it was by unimaginable success and critical acclaim.
Having first worked together on the set
of 1978's 'The Wiz', the duo would go
on to forge Michael Jackson's iconic sound of the 1980s, a decade Jackson truly
conquered in music with the release of 'Off the Wall', 'Thriller' and 'Bad'.
But after ten years lighting up
the world's music charts, the two all of a sudden stopped their work
together and would go on to publicly distance themselves from thereafter.
So what caused the sudden and indefinite split?
Was it rooted in rivalry? Betrayal?
Sabotage? Or all the above? Here's the detail.
During the recording of 'Off the Wall'
and 'Thriller', Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson formed
a close bond with any creative differences complementing and being
conducive to their ability to make groundbreaking music.
When recording, it felt like there was a push pull between the two of them.
Michael Jackson said that he felt that he was always pushing for more modern sounds.
Jones, on the other hand, would pull back to the more traditional,
having a major pedigree, working with the likes of Louis Armstrong,
Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Sammy Davis Jr.
and Sinatra.
But somewhere in the middle,
the two met and created music that remains timeless and appeals across generations.
However, in the early recordings, it has been suggested that Quincy Jones
took a less collaborative but a more dictatorial approach.
When a spectator of Thriller's recording
sessions remembers walking into the control room to find
that everyone's attention was fixed on the glass window.
On the other side, Quincy Jones was kicking what looked like
a pile of rags on the floor while shouting 'Silent you motherf**ker, I said no squeaks'.
It turned out that the pile of rags was a gibbering
Michael Jackson they were recording a new
song called 'Billie Jean', and Michael Jackson had decided to fill
every gap with his trademark whoops, clicks and squeeze.
Quincy, however, had decided the track would be pared down.
After several hours of trying to get
the singer to do what he wanted, Jones had finally snapped and attacked the singer.
After the outburst, MJ sang the song how he was told
to and 'Billie Jean' would go on to become the monster smash hit we all know today.
Even after the incredible success and prestige that came after the release
of 'Thriller', tensions grew between the producer and artist as credit had
to be fairly allocated and verified for the history books,
with the record going on to become the best selling album of all time by 1984.
After this groundbreaking feat,
Michael allegedly went directly to Grammy officials and requested that any producer
award Quincy was nominated for would go directly to him and not Jones,
who of course was credited in liner notes as the album's producer along with Michael.
Bob Jones, Michael's late spokesperson wrote in his 2005 memoir that, quote,
The King lobbied hard against Quincy getting that Grammy.
He didn't want to share the spotlight at all, with Quincy Jones or anyone else.
Quincy Jones ultimately received the award
alongside Michael, but they, quote, fell out for good as a result of the incident.
Putting their differences aside, the powerhouse duo soon went on to record
their musical follow up to 'Thriller', as it would have been crazy not to given
the incredible run of success they were experiencing at the time.
However, the heady heights of 'Thriller' made the stakes for Jackson's next record
impossibly high, with Michael feeling pressured to sustain
the pop idol hysteria unleashed by the album and prove its success was no fluke.
Putting to rest any questions about
Jackson's artistic capabilities as a songwriter, producer, and a solo artist.
With growing anticipation from CBS
and the whole entertainment industry for Jackson to get on with following up
the aging 'Thriller', Jackson also placed a great deal
of pressure on himself, stating his goal, as written on his bathroom mirror,
was to sell 100 million copies of his next album.
Reaching that goal required hits, and that's where Quincy Jones came in.
Jones's careful song selection, sequencing, and unifying touch were
central to achieving Jackson's commercial vision.
However, the two were becoming
increasingly disjointed and tensions built throughout the mammoth recording.
In 1987, Quincy Jones arranged for Prince to duet with Michael on the song 'Bad'.
Michael kind of looked up to Quincy almost
like he looked at Motown founder Berry Gordy, a Jackson family member said
of the close relationship, quote, So when Quincy got Prince to agree
to the song, Michael felt it would be good only because that's what Quincy promised.
But he didn't know that Quincy had agreed
to give Prince top billing on Michael's own song.
The duet was eventually killed, although it's unclear by who.
But the family member said that Michael,
quote, absolutely lost it when Prince went public about the failed collaboration
and blamed Quincy for getting him involved in the first place.
It was clear that Jackson and Jones were
having ongoing issues as to how Michael Jackson should proceed musically.
As Jackson stated in his autobiography, Moonwalk, quote, we fight,
we disagree on things.
If we struggle at all
it's about the new things, the latest technology.
I say Quincy, you know, music changes all the time.
Sure, the two owned the industry with 'Off
the Wall' and 'Thriller', but during the recording of 'Bad',
Jackson grew increasingly concerned that Jones wasn't hip enough to keep up
with emerging trends coming up in the music scene.
Quincy Jones wanted Michael to incorporate hip hop into his sound for the 'Bad' record.
I remember when we were doing Bad,
I had Run DMC in the studio because I could see what was coming with hip hop,
he said, quote, And Michael was telling Michael's manager, Frank Dileo.
I think Quincy's losing it and doesn't understand the market anymore.
He doesn't know that rap is dead.
Just to be clear,
this is right before NWA, and 'It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back'.
So it appears that a 54 year old Jones had
more awareness of what was happening then a 28 year old Michael Jackson.
Still, 'Bad' would be Jones's final project with Jackson.
Some say it was a clean break
as 'Bad' was the third in a three album contract they had between the two.
Others contend that Jackson wanted more
independence and control over the creative process.
After 'Bad' peaked David Geffen began
advising Jackson in preparation for upcoming contract negotiations
with Sony, Geffen reportedly engineered the departure of Jackson's attorney
John Branca, his manager Frank Dileo and ultimately, Jones.
According to Jones, quote,
Key members of Michael's entourage, including his attorney,
were whispering in his ear that I'd been getting too much credit.
While Quincy's production had yielded great success over the course of three
albums, it's hard to see 'Bad' as a more musically groundbreaking LP,
then releases being produced by Jam and Lewis, LA and Babyface or Riley.
Jackson knew that a change was imminent,
and at the dawn of the 1990s, Jackson was seeking to get back to the cutting edge.
He needed another reinvention,
and he wasn't going to find it with his longtime producer Quincy Jones.
Jones was also unfairly blamed for Bad's
inability to pass Thriller's sales and accolades.
With Jackson leaving the Grammys empty handed in 1988,
'he thought I was getting too old for the business because Bad didn't sell
100 million', Jones said to the Financial Times in 2012.
Quote, I said, Michael, you can't get used to 50 60 million albums.
Come on, man, you can't tell me that 30 million is a bomb.
In any case, Jones didn't want to spend another three years working on one album.
Quote, I ain't going to sit around in the studio for three years to make
an album for Michael, he told the Chicago Tribune in 1995.
Quote, Too long, too long.
'Bad' was too long for me.
None of Jackson's post Jones albums would exceed the success they created together.
While much of this has to do with the controversies that eveloped
Michael Jackson up until his death in 2009, these albums also lack
the discipline and cohesion of 'Off the Wall', 'Thriller' and 'Bad'.
Jones downplayed his integral role
in these albums, saying, quote, that's nothing to do with any one person.
That's the combination of the two of us.
However, 'Dangerous', 'History', 'Blood on the Dance Floor' and 'Invincible'
had multiple producers, and that may have contributed to their
shortcomings. After Michael Jackson's death in 2009
and in more recent years, Quincy Jones has battled with Sony Music
over royalties he believes is still owed to him for the work him and Michael
produced, and that Sony has profited handsomely from. The legendary producer has
also become more candid when speaking about Michael Jackson claiming
that the King of Pop wasn't all that original, stating in a Vulture
interview in 2018, I hate to get into this publicly but Michael stole a lot of stuff.
He stole a lot of songs.
Donna Summer's 'State of Independence'
and 'Billie Jean', the notes don't lie man, he was as Machavellian as they come,
said the mentor and longtime collaborator of Jackson.
Also, while chatting with Vulture, Quincy was equally revealing about
Michael's personal issues, saying he raised concern with the singer
over his lightened appearance and plastic surgery.
I used to kill him about the plastic surgery man.
He always justify it and saying it was because of some disease he had, Bull****.
According to the music producer, Jackson had problems with his looks
because his father told him he was ugly and abused him.
When it comes to the allegations that have been made against Michael over
the years, Quincy Jones has not only solidly refused to discuss and therefore
defend Jackson against these accusations, but Jones has alternatively made attempts
to distance himself from the artists during these periods.
In 2019, during the immediate aftermath of Dan Reed's 'Leaving Neverland'
documentary film, all mentions of Michael Jackson was taken
out of marketing material associated with Quincy Jones's show.
The music producers concert was first announced as a night celebrating
Michael Jackson's most iconic albums with the flyer saying that 'Off the Wall',
'Thriller' and 'Bad' were going to be performed by a live symphony orchestra.
This event was then renamed and changed
to Quincy Jones Presents Soundtrack of the 80s.
Defining albums and iconic songs.
Songs by Michael Jackson were still performed on the night,
but the new flyer focused more on the iconic music rather than
Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones enduring association with the pop icons.
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