Behind The Mask

#1 Ben S

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Joined: 19-May 10

Posted 05 December 2010 - 11:23 PM

"Quincy Jones heard Yellow Magic Orchestra’s version during the Thriller sessions, and brought it to Michael Jackson, Michael had recorded it, and added an extra melody line and a few extra lyrics. But legal battles meant Michael’s version didn’t make his Thriller album and remains unreleased[1] until his 2010 posthumous album Michael. The 2010 version was a duet by both Michael and Shanice Wilson."

http://en.wikipedia....Mask_%28song%29

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I've just read the above on Wikipedia which states the recorded Michael Jackson version of Behind The Mask is now a duet with Shanice. I really hope this isn't true, as Behind The Mask is an unreleased Michael song I've wanted to hear the most for years. And from what I was aware is that the song was already completed by Michael for Thriller, and I don't get why it might have been turned in to a duet ?

Does anyone have more information on what Behind The Mask sounds like on the new "Michael" album.

This post has been edited by Ben S: 05 December 2010 - 11:24 PM

Promote to Article
Back to top of the page up there ^

#2 RockinRobin

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Group: Members
Posts: 28
Joined: 19-June 10

Posted 07 December 2010 - 09:18 PM

I haven't heard any songs from the new album yet. I saw the link to it on the other tread. I'll listen to it later. Did "Behind the Mask" turn out as a duet then? I also don't think that the quote on Wikipedia is reliable. It doesn't seem to be on the Wikipedia's usual standards. They never say that "Michael" did this or that but they use "Jackson" instead. But you never know. Do you?

EDIT: "Michael Jackson penned and recorded lots of songs, many of which remain unreleased. Perhaps the most infamous, and rarest recording, is his version of Behind the Mask. Legend has it that upon hearing Yellow Magic Orchestra's original track, somewhen around 1979, Quincy Jones fell in love with the track, and he and Michael worked together on their own version. Jackson wrote new lyrics for it - adding to those of Ryuichi Sakamoto and Chris Mosdell - and eventually recorded it during his Off The Wall sessions. For unknown reasons the track never made the final cut of, arguably, Jones' and Jackson's greatest work. Not long afterwards Greg Phillinganes, Jackson's keyboard player, released his own version of the song, which was later taken up and re-recorded by Eric Clapton for his 1986, Phil Collins produced album, August. The track has since been recorded/remixed by Human League, Senor Coconut, Orbital and others. Does an original Jones/Jackson recording of the song even exist? Perhaps, as the world continues to mourn the star's sad death, someone will finally allow us a listen."
http://www.metafilte...arest-recording

This post has been edited by RockinRobin: 07 December 2010 - 09:25 PM