Beat it
| Beat it | |
|---|---|
| Michael Jackson | |
| publication | February 1, 1983 (US) April 2, 1983 (UK, D) |
| length | 4:17 |
| Genre (s) | pop |
| Author (s) | Michael Jackson |
| album | thriller |
Beat It ( English for "Hau ab") is a hit single released in February 1983 by Michael Jackson . The song by Jackson was even written. As a producer had Quincy Jones , where Jackson is listed in the credits as co-producer. "Beat It" is the third release after the singles " The Girl Is Mine " and " Billie Jean " from the most successful album of all time, Thriller (1982).
On "Beat It" you can find some top-class guest musicians. Eddie Van Halen played the guitar solo. It contains his well-known technique, tapping . The rhythm guitar was played by Steve Lukather , guitarist for the US band Toto . On tour , however, Michael Jackson sometimes looked for other well-known guitarists (e.g. Jennifer Batten , Greg Howe or Slash ) for the live performances. Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro was on the drums for the recording of "Beat It" .
With "Beat It" Jackson won two Grammy Awards ("Single of the Year" and "Best Male Vocal Performance - Rock") and two American Music Awards . The video was also inducted into the Music Video Producers Hall of Fame. The Rolling Stone Magazine led "Beat It" to position 344 in the list of " 500 Greatest Songs of All Time ".
A cover version of this song was released in 2008 on the live album ****: Live in Phoenix by the band Fall Out Boy . As early as 1984 had Weird Al Yankovic with Eat It is a parody of Beat it published the number 12 in the American charts reached.
Production and music
"Beat It" was written by Michael Jackson for his album " Thriller ". Producer Quincy Jones wanted a rock 'n' roll song on the album, even though Jackson reportedly hadn't shown any interest in the genre beforehand . Jackson later said of "Beat It":
“I wanted to write a song, the type of song that I would buy if I were to buy a rock song… That is how I approached it and I wanted the kids to really enjoy it — the school kids as well as the college kids . ”
“I wanted to write a song, the type of song I would buy if I bought a rock song ... That's how I did it, and I wanted the kids to like it. The school kids and the college kids . "
After hearing the first few vocal passages, Jones felt it sounded exactly the way he wanted it to. The guitarist Eddie Van Halen , lead guitarist of the hard rock band Van Halen , was then asked to play the guitar solo.
When Van Halen was contacted by Jones, he first thought it was a prank call . After it was made clear that it was not, Van Halen recorded his guitar solo for free.
“I did it as a favor. I was a complete fool, according to the rest of the band, our manager and everyone else. I was not used. I knew what I was doing — I don't do something unless I want to do it. ”
“I wanted to do you a favor. I was a fool according to the band, the manager and everyone else. I was not taken advantage of. I knew what I was doing - I don't do anything unless I want to. "
Van Halen took up his post after Jones and Jackson presented a rough version of the song at his home. The rhythm guitarist on Beat It, Steve Lukather , recalls: “Originally Eddie and I rocked the song and he played a good guitar solo. Quincy thought the song was too hard. So I cut the distortion on my guitar and that was released. ”The song was one of the last four completed for“ Thriller ”. The others were " Human Nature ", " PYT (Pretty Young Thing) " and "The Lady in My Life".
On the album, just before the guitar solo, a knock can be heard, similar to a knock on a door. Allegedly, this actually happened through a knock on the door in Van Halen's recording studio. Other sources say that it was simply the guitarist himself tapping his guitar.
The lyrics of "Beat It" are about defeat and courage . He has been described as a "sad commentary on human nature". The line of text "don't be a macho man" supposedly represents Jackson's aversion to violence and the abuse he experienced in his childhood from his father Joseph Jackson . The song is written in E flat minor and has a relatively fast tempo of 132 beats per minute . Jackson's vocal range ranges from B3 to D5.
publication
"Beat It" was released in the USA on February 1, 1983, after the successful chart placements of " The Girl Is Mine " and " Billie Jean ". Frank DiLeo , the vice president of Epic Records , convinced Jackson to release the song while "Billie Jean" was still on its way to the top of the charts. DiLeo, who later became Jackson's manager , predicted that both songs would stay in the top 10 simultaneously. “Billie Jean” stayed at the top of the US charts for seven weeks before being replaced by “ Come on Eileen ”. The Dexys Midnight Runners song stayed on top for a week before Jackson took the top spot again with "Beat It".
"Billie Jean" and "Beat It" were both in the top 5 at the same time; only a few artists managed to keep two singles in the top 5 at the same time. "Beat It" stayed at number 1 on the charts for three weeks. The song was also a number one hit in the US R & B singles charts and hit number 14 in the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks of Billboard Magazine in the US.
“The uncredited guitarist who whipped out the fluttering, squealing solo on this ode to macho cowardice was Eddie Van Halen. The aerodynamic metal flight pumped crossover fuel that would boost the success of 'Thriller' - a gimmick Jackson would flog later with spots from Slash and Carlos Santana. Without the Van Halen precedent, there might have been no collaboration of Run-DMC and Aerosmith on the 1986 rap / rock version of 'Walk This Way'. "
“The unnamed guitarist who shook the fluttering and screeching solo up his sleeve in this ode to macho cowardice was Eddie Van Halen. The aerodynamic, metal, flight-pumped crossover gasoline that drove 'Thriller' to this success - a trick Jackson would later exploit with performances by Slash and Carlos Santana . Without Van Halen's appearance, Run-DMC and Aerosmith might never have worked on the 1986 rap / rock song ' Walk This Way '. "
In a Rolling Stone Review, Christopher Connelly describes "Beat It" as the best song on "Thriller". In addition, he says that it is "not a disco AOR track" and says of the "nifty dance track": "Jackson's voice rises above the melody, Eddie Van Halen drops by with a glowing guitar solo." Allmusics Stephen Thomas Erlewine says that the song seems "tough" and "intimidated" at the same time. Robert Christgau called the song in which "Eddie van Halen uses his power on behalf of the Antimachotum", the "Triumph and the Thriller". Slant Magazine was of the opinion that the song was an "atypical play with the rock idiom ". Stylus was amazed that Van Halen played a rock guitar solo on an R&B album. The song was also praised by Jackson's biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli , who described the song as "boisterous".
"Beat It" won a number of awards. At the 1984 Grammy Awards , he won two of the eight awards Jackson received that night. It was the song of the year award and the best vocal rock performance. Beat It also won the Billboard Music Award for the most popular dance / disco 12 "LP in 1983. The single went gold a few months after its release , for sales of over a million units. In 1989, the Standard Format Single received the platinum award , as only one million sales were required for this award. The total number of legal downloads up to March 2009 in the USA was 668,000.
Video
The music video for "Beat It" helped Jackson rise to become an international pop icon . The director was Bob Giraldi , the choreographer Michael Peters . In the video, Jackson first dealt with black youth on the streets. Both tracks, "Beat It" and "Thriller" feature a mass choreography of synchronized dancers, a trademark of Jackson. About 80 real gang members and 18 professional dancers played in the video for the authentic effect. Inspired by the Broadway musical West Side Story , the video cost Jackson about $ 150,000. CBS had previously refused to fund the clip. The presented choreography opened many doors for dancers in the USA.
The clip begins with a message circulating in a diner . There was going to be a fight. The same scene then takes place in a billiard hall . The camera then pans to a scene in which Michael Jackson is lying on a bed looking at the senseless violence. After hearing the commotion caused by the gangs, the singer leaves his room. Clad in a red leather jacket, Jackson dances his way through the pool hall to the fight. In a hall he then meets the gangs whose leaders are currently fighting a knife fight. Jackson then stops the fight and starts a dance choreography. The video ends with members of the gangs joining Jackson's dance, realizing that violence is not the solution.
The music video received many awards. The American Music Awards named it Best Pop / Rock Video and Best Soul Video. The Black Gold Awards honored Jackson with the Best Video Award. The Billboard Video Awards gave "Beat It" seven awards. The short film was chosen by "Rolling Stone Magazine" as the number 1 video in their readers and editors' rating. The video was later inducted into the Music Video Producer's Hall Of Fame.
live
On July 4, 1984, Jackson played "Beat It" with his brothers on the Jacksons Victory Tour . The brothers were accompanied on stage by Eddie Van Halen, who played his guitar solo live. The song became one of Jackson's trademarks. He sang the song on all of his world tours. The recording from October 1, 1992 as part of the Dangerous Tour was released on the DVD in the " Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection " box. The DVD was later released separately as " Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour ". Jackson also sang the song at his " 30th Anniversary Special, " consisting of two concerts, to celebrate his 30-year solo career. At these concerts Slash played the lead guitar.
At Jackson's concerts he started the song while standing on a lifting platform . Besides " Thriller ", " Wanna Be Startin 'Somethin' " and " Billie Jean ", "Beat it" was the only song that was played on all of Jackson's solo tours. “Beat It” would have been played on the This Is It tour as well.
Achievements
Michael Jackson's "Beat It" is one of the most successful and well-known songs in the history of pop music. Both the song and the video had a huge impact on pop culture. He is also considered one of the pioneers for black rock music and is one of the essential titles on Thriller . Eddie Van Halen received praise for his solo. It is said to have helped make the song one of the best-selling singles of all time.
Shortly after the release was Beat It for alcohol prevention campaign by the National Highway Safety Commission called "Drinking and Driving Can Kill a Friendship" ( drinking and driving can kill your friendship ) used. The song was also on the accompanying album. Jackson received a White House award from President Ronald Reagan . This was in recognition of his commitment to the campaign.
“Michael Jackson is the best proof of what can be achieved with a lifestyle free of alcohol and drugs. The young and the old respect that. If America followed suit, we could stand up against the problem of driving under the influence of alcohol. We could, in Michael's words, defeat it (on English Beat it ) "
Beat It was named the fourth most popular song in the world in a 2005 Sony Ericsson poll. Over 700,000 people from 60 countries took part in this vote. Voters from Great Britain voted Billie Jean number 1, ahead of the song Thriller . In addition, five other songs by Michael Jackson were in the top 10. Rolling Stone magazine chose the piece in the list of the 500 best songs of all time . In addition, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame named Beat It to the list of 500 songs that made rock and roll a mark . When the song was re-released in 2006 as part of the Visionary campaign, it reached position 15 on the UK charts. The song was used in TV commercials for companies like Budweiser , eBay , Burger King , Delta Airlines , Juicy Fruit Gum , Game Boy , Coldwell Banker , nPower and the NFL .
occupation
- Produced by Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones
- Composed and lyrics, vocals and backing vocals - Michael Jackson
- Guitar Solo - Eddie Van Halen
- Electric guitar - Paul Jackson Jr.
- Electric guitar, electric bass - Steve Lukather
- Drums - Jeff Porcaro
- Keyboard - Bill Wolfer
- Synclavier - Tom Bahler
- Rhodes piano , synthesizer - Greg Phillinganes
- Synthesizer, synthesizer programming - Steve Porcaro
Charts
| Chart (1983) | Top position |
|---|---|
| Austria | 6th |
| Switzerland | 2 |
| Great Britain | 3 |
| Germany | 2 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| Chart (2009) | Top position |
| Switzerland | 5 |
| Great Britain | 19th |
Awards
| country | Award | units |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | gold | 7500 |
Albums, films, singles with Beat It
- Alvin and the Chipmunks TV show (1984)
- Video Greatest Hits - HIStory. Michael Jackson (1995)
- Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration Michael Jackson (2001)
- Behind the Scenes at the Michael Jackson Trial. (2005)
- Michael Jackson Talks ... to Oprah: 90 Primetime Minutes with the King of Pop. (1993)
- The Michael Jackson Interview: The Footage You Were Never Meant to See. (2003)
- Living with Michael Jackson: A Tonight Special. (2003)
- Michael Jackson Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour. (1992)
- Scream - HIStory in the Making. Michael & Janet Jackson (1995)
- The Magic Returns. Michael Jackson (1987)
- Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story. (2004)
- HIStory on Film - Volume II. Michael Jackson (1997)
- The Legend Continues. Michael Jackson (1988)
- Number ones. Michael Jackson (2003)
- The One. Michael Jackson (2004)
- Michael Jackson and the Boy He Paid Off. (2004)
- Michael Jackson - Mega Star. (1987)
- Michael Jackson and Friends: A Concert for Kosovo's Children. (1999).
- Back to the Future II : As a background song in an 80s café in the film era 2015 (1989)
- Zoolander (2001)
- Undercover Brother (2002)
Cover versions
- 2007: Raintime
- 2008: Michael Jackson feat. Fergie
- 2010: Pierce the Veil
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ release date US
- ↑ release date UK / D
- ↑ Jackson, Michael - Thriller (1982, Epic, EPC 504422-2). Lukather plays on "Thriller" at "stevelukathernet.com"
- ↑ Beat It on the RS list
- ↑ a b Thriller 25: The Book, p. 41.
- ↑ a b c Taraborrelli, pp. 224-225.
- ^ Robert E. Johnson: Michael Jackson, the World's Greatest Entertainer . Ebony , May, 1984 (Retrieved March 27, 2009).
- ^ Gerard Shields, Motown going strong into the '80s , The Daily Collegian . April 22, 1983. Retrieved March 25, 2009.
- ↑ a b c d e f Halstead, pp. 27-28.
- ↑ Patrick Day: 25 'Thriller' facts , The Baltimore Sun . February 12, 2008. Retrieved March 25, 2009.
- ^ Dean, p. 463.
- ^ Whiteley, p. 35.
- ↑ a b Beat It - Michael Jackson Digital Sheet Music (Download) . In: MusicNotes.com . Alfred Publishing Co. Inc. Retrieved February 12, 2010.
- ↑ Kristen Baldwin:V for television victory , Entertainment Weekly . April 30, 1999. Retrieved March 26, 2009.
- ↑ a b George, p. 39.
- ↑ Ann Powers: Nine reasons why Jackson masterpiece remains a 'Thriller' , South Coast Today . February 15, 2008. Retrieved March 25, 2009.
- ↑ Christopher Connelly: Rolling Stone's 'Thriller' review . Rolling Stone . January 28, 1983. Retrieved March 26, 2009.
- ↑ Stephen Thomas Erlewine: Allmusic's 'Thriller' review . Allmusic . Retrieved March 26, 2009.
- ↑ Eric Henderson: Slant's 'Thriller' review . Slant Magazine . 2003. Archived from the original on February 28, 2008. Retrieved March 26, 2009.
- ^ Tal Rosenburg: Stylus' 'Thriller' review . Stylus . June 19, 2007. Retrieved March 26, 2009.
- ↑ a b c d e f Halstead, p. 29.
- ↑ RIAA database . Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved February 24, 2009.
- ^ Paul Grein: Week Ending March 15, 2009: The Idol With The Most , Yahoo! Music . March 18, 2009. Retrieved March 26, 2009.
- ↑ Campbell (1993), p. 60.
- ↑ a b Austen, p. 264.
- ↑ Sean Weitner: Michael Jackson: A Life in Film . Flak Magazine . Retrieved February 15, 2009.
- ↑ a b J.D. Reed: New Rock on a Red-Hot Roll . Rolling Stone . July 18, 1983. Retrieved March 28, 2009.
- ↑ Music videos . St. Petersburg Times . September 2, 1983. Retrieved March 27, 2009.
- ↑ a b c Halstead p. 30.
- ↑ a b Thriller 25, p. 41.
- ^ "Remarks at a White House Ceremony Marking Progress Made in the Campaign Against Drunk Driving" . Ronald Reagan Presidential Library . Retrieved on February 3, 2009.
- ↑ The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Rolling Stone, December 9, 2004, archived from the original on August 20, 2006 ; accessed on September 23, 2014 (English).
- ↑ 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, archived from the original on May 13, 2007 ; accessed on January 9, 2010 (English).
- ↑ Beat It in the Austrian charts . austriancharts.at. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
- ↑ a b Beat It in the Swiss Hit Parade . hitparade.ch. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
- ↑ Beat It in the UK charts . officialcharts.com. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- ↑ Beat It in the German charts
- ↑ Beat It on the US charts
- ↑ rianz.org.nz