Tar Stone
Banned
The year is 1982.
Michael Jackson has just recorded Billie Jean. He sits in the studio with his producer, the brilliant Bruce Swedien.
They get to work and do a couple of mixes.
The track sounds great! Everyone is happy, people are dancing in the studio. They're in the zone. Michael says "Bruce, let's do another mix"
A couple of days pass. More mixes are done. Michael is happy, Bruce is happy. They get to the 20th mix of the track. It's sounding better and better.
Quincy Jones walks into the studio. He loves it, it sounds great. He says "Bruce, just add a little something more to the drums"
Bruce gets back to work, he tweaks the snare and kick drum, just a little.
A few days later, Bruce has 91 mixes of Billie Jean, he has 1/2" tapes stacked to the ceiling. It is sounding amazing.
Quincy Jones walks into the studio, he says "Bruce, just for the sheer hell of it, let's hear the second mix you did"
Bruce digs out the tape of the second mix of Billie Jean.
They listen to mix 2...
... and in Bruce Swedien's own words,
"It was slammin'. Everyone in the studio was groovin' and dancin' and happy."
That my friends and fellow commanders, is the true story of Billie Jean. They did 91 mixes of that track. The single and the album track of Billie Jean from Thriller that we all know and love was number 2 of 91 mixes.
Please Frontier, don't ruin the mix.
Michael Jackson has just recorded Billie Jean. He sits in the studio with his producer, the brilliant Bruce Swedien.
They get to work and do a couple of mixes.
The track sounds great! Everyone is happy, people are dancing in the studio. They're in the zone. Michael says "Bruce, let's do another mix"
A couple of days pass. More mixes are done. Michael is happy, Bruce is happy. They get to the 20th mix of the track. It's sounding better and better.
Quincy Jones walks into the studio. He loves it, it sounds great. He says "Bruce, just add a little something more to the drums"
Bruce gets back to work, he tweaks the snare and kick drum, just a little.
A few days later, Bruce has 91 mixes of Billie Jean, he has 1/2" tapes stacked to the ceiling. It is sounding amazing.
Quincy Jones walks into the studio, he says "Bruce, just for the sheer hell of it, let's hear the second mix you did"
Bruce digs out the tape of the second mix of Billie Jean.
They listen to mix 2...
... and in Bruce Swedien's own words,
"It was slammin'. Everyone in the studio was groovin' and dancin' and happy."
That my friends and fellow commanders, is the true story of Billie Jean. They did 91 mixes of that track. The single and the album track of Billie Jean from Thriller that we all know and love was number 2 of 91 mixes.
Please Frontier, don't ruin the mix.
<moonwalks off>
