Originally Posted by Urban Hat€monger ?

Well that's one of the reasons it interests me.
I was old enough to be aware of all the Thiller stuff and his rise in the 80s and seen so much stuff from that era.
Off The Wall came out when I was something like 6 years old and before I'd really developed any great interest in music, plus that time seems to get overshadowed by what he did later.

I like music documentaries, I even watch ones of bands I don't like and find them interesting.

Originally Posted by Soulflower

Off The Wall


Michael Jackson's fifth solo album. This album was released on August 10, 1979.

Producers: Quincy Jones
Co Producer: Michael Jackson


Fun Fact: Michael Jackson starred as the Scarecrow in the 1978 film "The Wiz" along side superstar and friend Diana Ross. The musical scores were composed by Quincy Jones for the film. MJ and Quincy became friends while working on the film and MJ expressed interest in working with Quincy for his adult solo album and Quincy agreed.




Off The Wall's non-singles and underrated gems:

Track 3: Working Day and Night
Track 4: Get On the Floor
Track 8: I Can't Help It
Track 9: It's The Falling In Love
Track 10: Burn The Disco Out

side note: some of these songs were not singles but still get played like they were but still going to discuss them.

Track 3: Working Day And Night


Songwriters: Michael Jackson
Producer: Quincy Jones
Co Producer: Michael Jackson

Song facts:
The song was not a single but is a B-side for "Rock with You" single in the USA, and B-side for "Off the Wall" single in the UK. The song has a tempo of 128 beats per minute, making it one of Jackson's fastest songs. From wiki

Fun fact: MJ originally composed the song and percussion arrangements at his Jackson family house in Encino California. His siblings Janet and Randy Jackson helped with playing some of the percussion instruments. MJ plays some of the percussion instruments as well in the demo version. Some of these instruments include guitar, drums, synthesizer piano, shakers

Demo version of Working Day and Night:
Grooveshark - Free Music Streaming, Online Music

Please let me know if this link does not work...


Vocal arrangement: Michael Jackson
Lead and Background Vocals: Michael Jackson
Original Demo from 1978 - 4:10 long
The song fuses elements of funk, disco, jazz, dance, and r&b


Percussion arrangement and facts for Studio released song version:

Bass: Louis Johnson
Drums: John Robinson
Guitar: David Williams and Phil Upchurch
Electric piano and synthesizer: Greg Phillinganes
Synthesizer programming: Michael Boddicker
Percussion: Paulinho Da Costa, John Robinson and Michael Jackson
Horns arranged by Jerry Hey and performed by The Seawind Horns:
Trumpet and flugelhorn: Jerry Hey
Tenor, alto saxophones and flute: Larry Williams
Baritone, tenor saxophones and flute: Kim Hutchcroft
Trombone: William Reichenbach
Trumpet: Gary Grant
Rhythm and vocal arrangements by Greg Phillinganes and Michael Jackson. From wiki

My Review: The beginning opening begins with MJ's making voice adlibs and breathing sounds and goes straight into the funky piano synthesizers exactly like the demo version. My favorite portions of this song are the mini break downs within the song that are fancy MJ harmony adlibs repeated together and the jam session toward the end of the song is incredible. I LOVEEEEEEEEE this song! . It is so funky and undeniably catchy you just have to dance to it. The subject matter is great as well and MJ is a great songwriter and shows that he can write a great pop song. MJ is cutting up on this track with his sassy funky vocals and ablibs!

Album Photos:




Track 4: Get On the Floor

Songwriters: Michael Jackson and Louis Johnson
Producer: Quincy Jones
Co Producer: Michael Jackson
Bass: Louis Johnson---- side note: Dude killed on the bass, I LOVE the bass in this song!!!
Genres: The songs fuses is heavily influenced by disco, funk and soul elements.



My Review: This is my all time favorite track on this album. This song is hands down the best song on the album. The main reason why I LOVEEEEEEEEE this song is because of Louis Johnson amazing bassist percussion arrangment ESPECIALLY in the beginning. It is just amazing musicianship and a great opener for the song. The song opens up with catchy bass arrangement and a disco arrangement that is similar for the era. MJ is repeating an adlib over and over in the background that almost sounds like a echoe but is prepping for the chorus. The chorus is amazing and is very disco sounding. I always think of Saturday Night Fever and a shiny disco ball when I listen to the chorus lol MJ sings "Get on the floor and dance with me... I love the way ya shake ya thing... especially" and that is exactly what the chorus will make you want to do!!! The overall composition and percussion is stellar. I really like the breakdown towards the end that is once again repeated MJ adlibs and voice overs.


Off the Wall era MJ Photos:






Track 8: I Can't Help It

Songwriters: Stevie Wonder and Susaye Greene-Browne
Producers: Quincy Jones
Vocal Arrangement: Stevie Wonder


“Stevie came to me and said he wanted to write something for Michael,” Susaye, then in the midst of recording backup vocals for Stevie’s double album, Songs in the Key of Life, tells host Darryl Williams.



Source: Michael Jackson Was Enthralled by Stevie Wonder’s Fabulous, Pulsating Sound, Says Susaye GreeneBlogTalkRadio blog

Fun fact: Susaye Green- Brown was the last official member of the Supremes

My Review: Despite not being a single, this song is critically acclaim and is hailed as one of MJ's best song. I LOVE this song! Stevie was definitely right when he pinned this song for MJ because he was clearly meant for him to sing! I really love the song's opening. The song sounds like it would be a Stevie Wonder song because Stevie has similar openers to his songs. I love the simplistic of the production and the jazz elements about it. I really love MJ's adlibs throughout the song. The song exemplifies MJ's strength as a vocalist and his ability to creatively show emotion through various styles of tones and adlibs.
Genres: The song is a mixture of jazz, soul and r&b



Track 9: It's The Falling In Love


Vocal Duets: Michael Jackson and Patti Austin
Songwriters: Carole Bayer Sager and David Foster
Producers: Quincy Jones


Source: Patti Austin sings Ellington | Washington Examiner
Fun Fact: Patti Austin was a popular 70s R&B singer of the time
Genres: Soul, R&B, Pop

My Review:

This is a beautiful duet. Patti and MJ have great chemistry despite the age difference. Patti;s soft vocals melts with the production and MJ as usual shines vocally. The song is a very soulful typical R&B love song. However, there are some undertones of funk especially with the horns percussion and bass. I usually do not like duets but this is a really nice duet and Patti was an excellent choice.

Track 10: Burn This Disco Out Lyrics

Songwriters: Rod Temperton
Producers: Quincy Jones

My Review: I LOVEEE this song!!! It is a great funk/disco track and Quincy put his foot in the production! I really love the opening and the live instruments. It is a very good uptempo dance funk song. I really love the breakdown in this song. It reminds me of a Earth Wind and Fire song or Sly Family Stone song. This has another great jam session towards the end. If you love the funk then this track is for you!

Credits for Percussion overall on the album:

Michael Jackson – lead and backing vocals, co-producer, percussion
Randy Jackson – percussion
Michael Boddicker – keyboards, synthesizers, programming
Larry Carlton – electric guitar
George Duke – keyboards, synthesizers, programming
David Foster – keyboards, synthesizers, programming
Gary Grant – trumpet, flügelhorn
Marlo Henderson – guitar
Jerry Hey – trumpet, flügelhorn
Kim Hutchcroft – saxophone, flute, trumpet, flügelhorn
Louis Johnson – bass guitar
Quincy Jones – producer
Greg Phillinganes – keyboards, synthesizers, programming
Steve Porcaro – keyboards, synthesizers, programming
William Reichenbach – trombone
John "JR" Robinson – drums
Bruce Swedien – recording engineer
Phil Upchurch – guitar
Bobby Watson – bass guitar
Wah Wah Watson – guitar
David Williams – guitar
Larry Williams – saxophone, flute
Richard Heath – percussion
Paulinho da Costa – percussion
David Williams – guitar
David "Hawk" Wolinski – electric piano
Patti Austin – vocals
Jim Gilstrap – vocals
Augie Johnson – vocals
Mortonette Jenkins – vocals
Paulette Mc Williams – vocals
Zedrick Williams – vocals
Horn and string arrangements by Jerry Hey and performed by The Seawind Horns, Ben Wright, Johnny Mandel. From wiki

Demo version of "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough"

Songwriters: Michael Jackson
Vocal Arrangement: Michael Jackson
Percussion Arrangement: Michael Jackson
It is in the key of B major (or more precisely, B Mixolydian mode) and in common time signature.

This is a single but I just wanted to post the demo. This demo was recorded WAY before Quincy did the final touches as you can see there is not that much difference from the final studio version. MJ also plays some of the percussion instruments in this. This was also recorded at MJ's home.

Fun Fact: In 2001 there was a special edition release of the Off The Wall album that features demo versions of Working Day and Night and Dont Stop Till You Get Enough. It also has interviews from Quincy Jones about the production of the album and certain songs.