The Afterword

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A nuanced view on MJ

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My professional eye on sordid unpleasantness always saw MJ as an “emotionally congruent” paedophile. This also informed his talent, such that it was – he understood what young people liked. And this is my point, really. He was a cracking dancer, could sing (sometimes, though the breathy thing was laboured [ha!]), and had the “mad as a badger” persona hand-made for newspaper copy.

The thing I don’t get is folks saying he was a great musician. He wasn’t. There are two proper albums, one better than the other. “Off the Wall” is brilliant, bar “she’s out of my life” which would be better swopped with “Billie Jean” to make something “The Nightfly” in it’s genius. I suppose “Thriller” has its moments (BJ, PYT, Human Nature), though i’m not a fan. The rest is trying-too-hard pish with a sappy dimension that gives me heartburn.

The genius of Michael Jackson’s music was ROD TEMPLETON and QUINCY JONES.

If people must decide they won’t listen to him because of his offences, maybe an album with serious performers cover the best songs would keep it out there? Chaka Khan could do justice to a lot of the material, IMHO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFcXTdRE_wI

Rod Temperton

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He may not score highly in the indie/folk/prog/electro stakes but no question that Rod Temperton is worthy of a passing note upon his passing. From Cleethorpes (fantastic – I have a vision of him explaining to Michael Jackson how everyone confuses Grimsby and Cleethorpes) he was keyboards and the songwriter behind Heatwave’s ‘massive hits’ Boogie Nights, Always and Forever and The Groove Line. This caught the attention of Quincy Jones, who asked him if he fancied writing some songs for a Motown ex-boy band member’s first solo lp… Off The Wall – Off The Wall, Rock With You, Burn this Disco Out Thriller – Thriller and 2 other songs Quincy Jones – The Dude, Razzamatazz, Back on the Block George Benson – Love x Love, Give Me The Night Donna Summer – Love Is In Control Brothers Johnson – Stomp Michael Macdonald – Sweet Freedom Michael Macdonald and James Ingram – Yah Mo B There

Not a bad greatest hits album. I’m guessing – as Thriller still sells 100,000 copies a year – he was never short of a bob or two again. I’m quite partial to a bit of pop funk disco from the Brothers….