Well, everyone else is doing it, so I’ll put in my 2 cents on The King of Pop. I wasn’t a fan growing up. My sister had a copy of Thriller and played it over and over and over and after a few months, even through my door & her door and another wall between, those songs were permanently stuck in my head. Looking back, Michael Jackson wrote some great songs and those three albums produced by Quincy Jones – Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad – loom large in the American Pop canon.
The other day, a friend and I were trying to think of people who have covered Michael Jackson songs. They’re few and far between in my mind, but a few days later I was sent this link of Brazilian pop superstar Caetano Veloso’s version of “Billie Jean” and I was blown away. With a Brazilian intro & a Beatles coda, this version strips MJ’s version down to the sweet melody and reveals a beauty I hadn’t heard before.
Rest in peace, Michael Jackson. Thank you, Caetano Veloso.
~abe beeson
July 3, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Michael Jackson wrote some great song and those three albums produced by Quincy Jones – Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad. I like his singing very much.
July 4, 2009 at 12:35 am
I too wondered if there were any jazz covers of MJ songs. Caetano gave “Billie Jean” a whole different feel, almost anguished and regretful, while Michael was defiant. Thanks for sharing!
July 5, 2009 at 1:40 pm
What an arrangement here! Merging these two songs with “feeling and compassion”.
David Benoit has versions of “Human Nature” and “Never Can Say Goodbye” on his recent album “Heroes”.
July 6, 2009 at 7:24 am
I just recalled that Stanley Jordan covered “The Lady In My Life” in his debut recording “Magic Touch” in the mid 1980s.
July 23, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Wow!! That was great. I haven’t heard a Michael Jackson cover like that in a long time. Awesome job there!!