Influence of the Century -
James Brown's Influence On
Michael Jackson
Introduction
“The Godfather of Soul”, also called James Brown developed to be a standout amongst the most compelling influences in Michael Jackson’s life. As a kid Michael Jackson was interested by Brown’s flashy exhibitions in front of an audience and would soon start to execute them into his own stage demonstrations. By the age of five Michael Jackson was uplifted into the big leagues by his dad, Joseph Jackson. Denied a normal childhood at an exceptionally youthful age, Michael and his kin started a family-melodic group called “The Jackson 5.” They started playing the popular hits people tuned into on the radio across the nation.
The band visited the Midwest broadly from 1966 to 1968, as often as possible performing at clubs and bars. In 1966, they won a major local talent show with renditions of Motown hits and a cover of “I Feel Good (I Got You)” by James Brown. It wasn’t until July 23, 1968 where they got real acknowledgment by Motown proprietor, Berry Gordy. Gordy was hesitant to sign the “Jackson 5” yet after their tryout audition of the melody “I Got the Feelin”, by James Brown, he altered his mind. In March 1969, “The Jackson 5”, were forever etched into Motown records. This denoted a key point in Michael Jackson’s life where his melodic impacts from James Brown would be taken note. Tune’s from Michael Jackson that demonstrate the impact James Brown had in his life are Don’t Stop’ Til You Get Enough, Billie Jean, Thriller, Smooth Criminal and Beat It.
Don't Stop Till You Get Enough
Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” was credited as a disco-funk melody. It was recorded under Epic Records in 1978 and discharged on July 28, 1979 in his fifth studio collection “Off the Wall”. It turned into Jackson’s first single to hit the United States Billboards Hot 100 in 7 years. The whole way across the world, the song placed top ten. Following a couple of months after the release date, the song wound up going gold then in the long run platinum. “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” was Jackson’s first initial solo recording in which he had complete control. The verses of the melody were befuddled similar to a reference to sex yet Jackson later cleared up that it could be about whatever individuals needed them to be about. All through the six minutes of the tune Michael Jackson presents his falsetto voice and vocal hiccups which later on turned into his mark methods.
Beside his vocal hiccups, Jackson’s voice was portrayed as having vocal tics in the melody. In the tune you can hear a one of a kind “grunt” and the “oho!” sound. This was a typical melodic trademark found in James Brown’s music. In James Brown’s melody “I Got The Feelin'” you can hear a vocal “grunt” and high pitch “shout”. Beside James Brown’s moving aptitudes, Michael Jackson additionally received his vocal qualities. “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” is played in the key of B Mixolydian and in common like time signature. Inside the melody you can hear a few instruments, for example, trumpets, alto sax, tenor sax, trombone, baritone sax, guitars, consoles, bass, drums, and percussion. It has an energetic, quick rhythm with 120 beats a minute.. Both Michael Jackson and James Brown offer a common element. Each time they sing you see that the two specialists put their absolute entirety into the tune, which makes them extremely soulful and powerful.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yURRmWtbTbo[/embedyt]
Billie Jean
Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” is one of those uncommon recordings you immediately fall in love with when you initially hear it. “Billie Jean” is the second single from Michael Jackson’s 6th solo collection, “Thriller”. It was both composed and created by Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones in 1982. Like a large portion of Michael Jackson’s songs, “Billie Jean” wound up plainly extraordinary compared to other singles around the world. This melody is classified under R&B as a result of its deep singing, driving bass line, solid steady rhythm, and instrumentation. As the tune starts the instruments go about as a pre-chorus. The instruments fused inside the song are: a drum set, drum machine, electric bass, guitar and a synthesizer. “Billie Jean” has a moderate tempo where; the instrumentation works as the melody approaches the chorus and develops as the song advances. After two measures of the beat played on the drum set, the driving bass line is presented which is the building foundation of this song. Jackson’s vocals are exceptionally emotive as he sings his story of mistrust.
I trust a critical factor that makes this tune so unique is the execution Michael Jackson gave at Motown’s 25th Anniversary special. This execution turned into a notorious minute for Jackson as a universe of music, dance and fashion impacted at the same time as he appeared his mark move, the “moonwalk”. The evening of Motown’s 25th Anniversary special is unmistakably another case that shows James Brown’s melodic impact. Components of James Brown’s “camel walk” were utilized as a part of Michael Jackson’s “moonwalk”. Jackson gave the audience of people a significant performance; something James Brown undeniably did as he performed. At the point when James Brown would play out the tune “Please, Please, Please”, he would fall in the middle of the melody. His backup vocalists would then cover him with a robe. It would appear as though Brown was sick and he was being escorted off stage however the greater part of the “drama” in his exhibitions were one of his most known melodic characteristics. Jackson wouldn’t be as dramatic as Brown however you can see the high state of energy he had as he performed.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi_XLOBDo_Y[/embedyt]
Thriller
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” originally titled “Starlight”, was a disco-funk song written by Rod Temperton and produced by Quincy Jones. It was recorded in 1982 and released on November 12, 1983 in his sixth studio album “Thriller”, under Epic Records. “Thriller” became Michael Jackson’s seventh top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. The song incorporates frightening themes and elements which can be heard all throughout the song. “Thriller” begins with a screeching door, footsteps on the floor and thunder clashing in the background. As the song continues you can hear other sound effects such as winds and howling dogs. The song has a moderate tempo of 118 beats per minute with instrumentation that consists of synthesizer, guitar, trumpet, flugelhorn, saxophone, flute and trombone. According to Bruce Cannon, the sound-editor for the production of “Thriller,” “Things like the lightning may have come from old Hollywood movies-but the best sound-effects editors do go out in the desert and find a coyote, so I have a feeling that was a real howl.”
One of the greatest influences on Jackson’s musical career was James Brown. Nine years before the release of “Thriller”, James Brown released his 1974 single “The Payback”, which has been known to sound very much like “Thriller”. There is no doubt that James Brown’s musical characteristics can be seen in Michael Jackson. In James Brown’s song “The Payback” you can hear throughout the song a “walking” bass line that can also be heard in Michael Jackson’s song “Thriller”. While performing live both Michael Jackson and James Brown had plenty of backup dancers that surrounded them while they sang. In 1974 James Brown performed “The Payback” live at “The Midnight Special”-an American late-night musical variety series that aired on NBC during the 1970s and early 1980s. While he performed he had a very unique style of performance with flamboyant style of apparel similar to Michael Jackson. You can see this in Michael Jackson’s live performance in Munich on 1997.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA[/embedyt]
Smooth Criminal
“Smooth Criminal” is Michael Jackson’s seventh single off his 1987 “Bad” album. The song was written by Michael Jackson and co-produced with Quincy Jones in 1987, under Epic Records. This song is one of Jackson’s signature songs, which peaked at number seven on the “Billboard Hot 100” upon release. “Smooth Criminal served as the theme song to Jackson’s 1988 film “Moonwalker”. Since its release, it has sold over 7.5 million copies. Prior to its release Jackson wrote two other versions of the song in 1985. The first song was called “Chicago 1945” but it was re-worked and re-written as “Smooth Criminal”. The lyrics are deep and powerful. They touch on an old age problem of spousal abuse. In the song, Jackson asks, “Annie Are You Ok, Will You Tell Us That You’re Ok” and makes reference to asking about the “bloodstains on the carpets” and being “struck down” in another “crescendo” of violence.
Michael Jackson’s A “smooth criminal” carries out the crimes committed within the song because usually the violent acts being committed are followed by apologies and remorse. In the video for “Smooth Criminal” he debuts his anti-gravity lean in which the performer has both feet planted on the floor then leans forward close to a 45 degree angle. This is another example of Michael Jackson’s high passion in creating memorable on-stage performance spectacles such as James Brown. The bass line in “Smooth Criminal” is sort of similar to the bass line in “I Got You (I Feel Good)”. There are pauses in both songs where the bass line is left out. Instruments involved in “Smooth Criminal” are bass, percussion, synthesizer and guitar. The vocals in the song are hushed to create a suspenseful and mysterious tone. The instruments have a “spooky” effect on the song.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_D3VFfhvs4[/embedyt]
Beat It
Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” is the third single from the singer’s sixth solo album, “Thriller”. It was written by Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones and released on February 3, 1983. Eddie Van Halen played the song’s distinctive overdriven guitar solo but due to record label complications he was prevented from performing in the music video. “Beat It’ has received many awards since its release. It was placed in Rolling Stone Magazine in the 344th spot on its list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”. Jackson has always made a powerful statement through his lyrics such as James Brown in “Say it Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud)” but this time he made a powerful statement through his choice of rhythm and beats. The guitar and drums that were used, give the song a dramatic rock vibe. Michael Jackson’s message in the song is about gang violence and about making the right choices. Jackson repeats the phase “Beat It” several times in the chorus of the song in order for the listener to really comprehend the message. Informally the phrase “beat it” is defined as “a rude way of telling some to go away” but Michael Jackson uses the phrase to emphasize that it acceptable to just walk away and avoid a dangerous situation. Features in “Beat It” that reveals influence by James Brown is his attempt to promote an important message through music.
Michael Jackson’s message in “Beat It” was to stop gang violence. This feature was also incorporated in James Brown’s music. An example would be in 1968 after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. That night has been labeled as “The Night James Brown Saved Boston”. James Before Brown’s performance the streets were chaotic. As soon as he stepped on stage, he calmed the cops and the crowd. Brown’s calming effect went beyond this particular “gig”. In Washington D.C., two days after King’s assassination, Brown addressed a crowd who were against a system increasingly perceived as oppressive, corrupt, and beyond reform. Throughout Brown’s musical career he always made an impassioned plea for “black people, poor people” to “organize” against their conditions, rather than riot. Michael Jackson did a similar thing in his song “Beat It”. Instead of being part of violence he simply just said to “beat it”; another way of saying to “walk away”.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym0hZG-zNOk[/embedyt]
Continued Impact
Four years after his departure, Michael Jackson is one of the most standout artists amongst the most persuasive artists of all time. Jackson’s heritage is as continuing as it was multi-faceted. Michael Jackson joined the specialty of sound, move and design across the board keeping in mind the end goal to create something society had never experienced. Be that as it may, as all artist, their creativity is sparked from someone who has inspired them. On account of Jackson it was “The Godfather of Soul”, James Brown. From the interesting “grunts” and “oho!” sounds to the colorful clothing, James Brown played an exceptional part in Michael Jackson’s life. The “moonwalk” which was apparent as he performed “Billie Jean” out of the blue at Motown’s 25th Anniversary Special, was impacted by James Brown’s “camel walk”. The formation of a “dramatic” performance in front of an audience executed by James Brown was another element Jackson incorporated into his musical legacy. A James Brown or Michael Jackson all around performance were not just a show, they were an embodiment of art.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-prince-michael-jackson-james-brown-20160421-snap-htmlstory.html
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Hirshey, Gerri. “Funk’s Founding Father: James Brown, 1933-2006.” Rolling Stone. January 25, 2007. Accessed October 22, 2017. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/funks-founding-father-james-brown-1933-2006-20070125.
JEFFERSON, MARGO. ON MICHAEL JACKSON. S.l.: GRANTA BOOKS, 2018.
Montgomery, Jaems. “MICHAEL JACKSON’S LIFE & LEGACY: DON’T STOP (1979-81).” MTV. July 02, 2009. Accessed October 22, 2017. http://www.mtv.com/news/1615224/michael-jacksons-life-legacy-dont-stop-1979-81/.
Rubin, Rick. 2004. “James Brown.” Rolling Stone no. 946: 78. MAS Ultra – School Edition, EBSCOhost (accessed September 26, 2017).
Lorenz, Aaron R. S. “Reviews.” Popular Music 32, no. 2 (05, 2013): 323-4, https://login.ezproxy.auctr.edu:2050/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.auctr.edu:2050/docview/1437185590?accountid=8422.
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