| Bad |
 |
| Studio album by Michael Jackson |
| Released |
August 31, 1987 |
| Recorded |
January 5, 1987 - July 9, 1987 |
| Genre |
R&B, pop, rock[1] |
| Length |
48:16 |
| Language |
English (Original 1987 release), English and Spanish (2001 special edition) |
| Label |
Epic
EK-40600 |
| Producer |
Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones |
| Professional reviews |
|
|
| Michael Jackson chronology |
|
|
|
| 2001 Special Edition |
|
The slipcover for the Special Edition of the album. Current pressings of the special edition do not include the slipcover.
|
| Singles from Bad |
- "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"
Released: July 20, 1987
- "Bad"
Released: September 7, 1987
- "The Way You Make Me Feel"
Released: November 9, 1987
- "Man in the Mirror"
Released: January 9, 1988
- "Dirty Diana"
Released: April 18, 1988
- "Another Part of Me"
Released: July 11, 1988
- "Smooth Criminal"
Released: October 24, 1988
- "Leave Me Alone"
Released: February 13, 1989
- "Liberian Girl"
Released: July 3, 1989
- "Speed Demon"
Released: October 12, 1989
|
Bad is the studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on August 31, 1987 by Epic/CBS Records, nearly five years after his previous studio album, Thriller, which went on to become the world's best-selling album. Bad itself went on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide, and shipped eight million units in the United States alone. It is the only album to contain five Billboard Hot 100 #1 singles.[2]
Bad saw Jackson exercise even more artistic freedom than he did with his two previous Epic releases (Off the Wall and Thriller). On Bad, Jackson composed nine of the album's eleven tracks and received co-producer credit for the entire album. The album continued Jackson's commercial success in the late '80s and garnered two Grammy Awards.[3] Bad was ranked number 43 in the 100 Greatest Albums of All Time of the MTV Generation in 2009 by VH1.[4] It was ranked number 202 in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[5] The album marked the final collaboration between Jackson and producer Quincy Jones, who, until the release of 1991's Dangerous, had co-produced all of Jackson's Epic albums.
History
Recording
Jackson began recording demos for the anticipated follow-up to Thriller as he would spend hours in the studio a few months after the 1984 Victory Tour with The Jacksons. Recording took place between January 5, 1987 and July 9, 1987[6]. Jackson wrote a reported sixty songs for the new album and recorded thirty, wanting to use them all on a three-disc set. Longtime producer Quincy Jones cut these down to a ten-track single LP. When the album was released on CD, a bonus 11th track, "Leave Me Alone" was included. It was later released as a single.
Jackson wrote nine of the eleven tracks himself. Terry Britten (writer of Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do With It") and Graham Lyle wrote "Just Good Friends". Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard wrote "Man in the Mirror". Stevie Wonder sings co-lead vocal on "Just Good Friends", and Steve Stevens contributes the guitar solo for "Dirty Diana".
However, while recording the tracks for Bad, there was some debate between Jackson and Jones on which songs would be put on the album. For example, they both had a hard time deciding on either "Streetwalker" or "Another Part of Me" (which was recorded for Captain EO in 1986) to be put on the album. Jackson wanted "Streetwalker", whereas Jones wanted "Another Part of Me". Ultimately, it was decided by Jackson's manager Frank Dileo. According to Quincy Jones from Bad: Special Edition, there was a meeting among the three. In the meeting, Jackson played "Streetwalker" first, and Dileo was not impressed. But Dileo started to dance when "Another Part of Me" came on. This is what eventually put "Another Part of Me" onto the album.
"Bad" was originally intended as a duet between Jackson and Prince. A rivalry had developed between the two over the years, and Jackson's plan was to leak stories to the media about rising tensions between himself and Prince, culminating in the release of the song. Prince turned down the project, explaining to Jones that the song "would be a hit without (him) on it".
"I Just Can't Stop Loving You" was supposed to feature a famous female singer. Reportedly Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and ABBA's Agnetha Faltskog all were busy and their schedules wouldn't allow them to complete the song in time for its release. So Jones chose R&B singer-songwriter Siedah Garrett.
Reception
By the time Jackson released this album, its predecessor, Thriller, had already sold millions, raising expectations for Bad. Bad became the first of Jackson's albums to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 where it remained for the next six consecutive weeks. The RIAA certified Bad for having sold eight million copies in the U.S. alone.[7] In the U.K, the album sold 500,000 copies in just five days and is currently certified 13x platinum, for sales of 3.9 million, making it Jackson's second biggest-selling album in the UK[8]. Globally, it is Jackson's overall third best-selling recording, behind Thriller and Dangerous with 30 million units sold.[9]
Jackson set another record with this album, becoming the first, and currently only, artist to have five songs to hit number one from one album.[10] In July 2006, it was announced by the The Official UK Charts Company that Bad was the ninth biggest selling album in British history.[11] It turned out to be the last collaborative effort by Jackson and Jones, as Jackson moved on to write and produce more of his own records, particularly with Teddy Riley, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Rodney Jerkins.
Rolling Stone stated that "even without a milestone recording like "Billie Jean", Bad is still a better record than Thriller."[12] The magazine further went on to say that the "filler" content in Bad - including songs such as "Speed Demon", "Dirty Diana" and "Liberian Girl" - is written by Jackson himself, making Bad "richer, sexier and better than Thriller's forgettables."[12]
In 2001, a special edition of the album was released with three new songs and a new booklet containing lyrics and previously-unpublished photos.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 202 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[13]
In 1988, "Weird Al" Yankovic's album, Even Worse, parodied the cover and included a parody of Bad, "Fat".
| Year |
Nominated work |
Award |
Result |
| 1988 |
Bad |
Album of the Year |
Nominated |
| Bad |
Best Engineered Recording - Non Classical |
Won |
| Bad |
Best Pop Vocal Performance - Male |
Nominated |
| "Bad" |
Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male |
Nominated |
| 1989 |
"Man In The Mirror" |
Record of the Year |
Nominated |
| 1990 |
"Leave Me Alone" |
Best Music Video - Short Form |
Won |
Marketing
During the Bad period Jackson used marketing to his advantage, more so than he had with Thriller. A year before Bad, Jackson used several tactics to get the media interested in his short film, Captain EO, during the recording of Bad. Jackson played a space captain in the mini-film, which was produced by George Lucas and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. By the time Jackson released Bad, he produced a commemorative special on his life, The Magic Returns, which aired on CBS. At the end of the documentary, the channel debuted Jackson's "Bad" short film, which featured then up-and-coming actor Wesley Snipes. Jackson's marketing strategy, mastered by Frank DiLeo among others, also included Jackson producing another mini-movie around the time of the Bad World Tour. That film, Moonwalker, included performances of songs from Bad, including "Speed Demon", "Leave Me Alone", "Man in the Mirror" and "Smooth Criminal", the latter two released as sole videos at the end of the film. Jackson also used the opportunity to write about his life up until that point releasing 1988's Moonwalk. Jackson's tour for Bad was a major financial success, grossing $125 million by the end of its tenure. Though Jackson furthered his stance as a global pop superstar, in the United States he failed to match the sales of Thriller, causing some in the media to label Bad a "disappointment" in comparison.[17][18]
Track listing
| Writer(s) |
| 12. |
"Interview with Quincy Jones #1: about Bad video and choosing songs" |
|
4:03 |
| 13. |
"Streetwalker" (previously unreleased) |
Michael Jackson |
5:49 |
| 14. |
"Interview with Quincy Jones #2: favourite tracks" |
|
2:53 |
| 15. |
"Todo Mi Amor Eres Tu" (Spanish version of "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", previously unavailable) |
Michael Jackson, Rubén Blades |
4:05 |
| 16. |
"Interview with Quincy Jones #3: about Speed Demon, Liberian Girl, and Dirty Diana" |
|
2:30 |
| 17. |
"Spoken intro to Fly Away" |
|
0:08 |
| 18. |
"Fly Away" (previously unreleased) |
Michael Jackson |
3:26 |
Re-issues of Bad feature a number of changes when compared to the original 1987 release:[20]
- "Bad" has a modified horn arrangement.
- "The Way You Make Me Feel" has richer vocalizations and background vocals.
- "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" omits Michael Jackson's spoken intro.
- "Dirty Diana" is replaced with the 7-inch edit of the song.
- "Smooth Criminal" omits the dramatic breathing within the intro.
Singles
- July 1987 - "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" U.S. #1 / UK #1
- September 1987 - "Bad" U.S. #1 / UK #3
- November 1987 - "The Way You Make Me Feel" U.S. #1 / UK #3
- January 1988 - "Man in the Mirror" U.S. #1 / UK #21 (Rose to UK #2 in 2009 after Michael's death)
- April 1988 - "Dirty Diana" U.S. #1 / UK #4
- July 1988 - "Another Part of Me" U.S. #11 / UK #15
- October 1988 - "Smooth Criminal" U.S. #7 / UK #8
- February 1989 - "Leave Me Alone" UK #2
- July 1989 - "Liberian Girl" UK #13[21]
The duet "Just Good Friends" was the only track on the album not to be released as a single.
Chart performance
Certifications
| Country |
Certification |
Shipments |
| Australia |
6x Platinum |
420,000 [25] |
| Austria |
4x Platinum |
80,000 [26] |
| Canada |
7x Platinum |
700,000 [27] |
| Germany |
4x Platinum |
2,000,000 [28] |
| Europe |
Platinum |
1,000,000[29] |
| France |
Diamond |
1,000,000 [30] |
| Finland |
Gold |
51,287[29] |
| Hong Kong |
Platinum |
20,000[31] |
| Mexico |
Platinum + Gold[32] |
650,000 [33] |
| New Zealand |
9x Platinum |
135,000 [34] |
| Sweden |
2x Platinum |
200,000[35] |
| Switzerland |
5x Platinum |
250,000 [36] |
| UK |
13x Platinum |
3,900,000 [8] |
| U.S. |
8x Platinum |
8,000,000 |
U.S. sales
| Period |
RIAA award |
U.S. shipments |
Total |
| Aug 31, 1987 - Nov 9, 1987 |
Gold, Platinum & 3x Platinum on Nov 9, 1987 |
3,000,000 |
3,000,000 |
| Nov 10, 1987 - Dec 31, 1987 |
4x Platinum on Dec 31, 1987 |
1,000,000 |
4,000,000 |
| Jan 1, 1988 - Mar 21, 1988 |
5x Platinum on Mar 21, 1988 |
1,000,000 |
5,000,000 |
| Mar 22, 1988 - Jun 1, 1988 |
6x Platinum on Jun 1, 1988 |
1,000,000 |
6,000,000 |
| Jun 2, 1988 - Aug 25, 1993 |
7x Platinum on Aug 25, 1993 |
1,000,000 |
7,000,000 |
| Aug 26, 1993 - Sep 29, 1994 |
8x Platinum on Sep 29, 1994 |
1,000,000 |
8,000,000 |
Credits
"Bad"
- Written and composed by Michael Jackson
- Solo and background vocals: Michael Jackson
- Hammond B3 Midi organ solo: Jimmy Smith
- Synthesizer solo: Greg Phillinganes
- Drums: John Robinson
- Drum programming: Douglas Getschal
- Guitar: David Williams
- Saxophones: Kim Hutchcroft and Larry Williams
- Trumpets: Gary Grant and Jerry Hey
- Percussion: Paulinho Da Costa
- Synclavier keyboards, digital guitar and rubboard: Christopher Currell
- Synthesizers: John Barnes, Michael Boddicker and Greg Phillinganes
- Rhythm arrangement by Michael Jackson, Christopher Currell and Quincy Jones
- Horn arrangement by Jerry Hey
- Vocal arrangement by Michael Jackson
"The Way You Make Me Feel"
- Written and composed by Michael Jackson
- Solo and background vocals and finger snaps: Michael Jackson
- Drums: John Robinson
- Drum programming: Douglas Getschal
- Saxophones: Kim Hutchcroft and Larry Williams
- Trumpets: Gary Grant and Jerry Hey
- Percussion: Ollie E. Brown and Paulinho Da Costa
- Synclavier and finger snaps: Christopher Currell
- Synthesizers: John Barnes, Michael Boddicker and Greg Phillinganes
- Synthesizer programming: Larry Williams
- Rhythm and vocal arrangement by Michael Jackson
- Horn arrangement by Jerry Hey
"Speed Demon"
- Written and composed by Michael Jackson
- Solo and background vocals and vocal synthesizer: Michael Jackson
- Midi saxophone solo: Larry Williams
- Drums: Miko Brando, Ollie E. Brown and John Robinson
- Drum programming: Douglas Getschal
- Guitars: Bill Bottrell and David Williams
- Saxophone: Kim Hutchcroft
- Trumpets: Gary Grant and Jerry Hey
- Percussion: Ollie E. Brown and Paulinho Da Costa
- Synclavier and effects: Christopher Currell
- Synthesizers: John Barnes, Michael Boddicker and Greg Phillinganes
- Synthesizer programming: Eric Persing
- Sounds engineered by Ken Caillat and Tom Jones
- Rhythm arrangement by Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones
- Vocal arrangement by Michael Jackson
- Synthesizer and horn arrangements by Jerry Hey
"Liberian Girl"
- Written and composed by Michael Jackson
- Solo and background vocals: Michael Jackson
- Drums: Miko Brando, Ollie E. Brown and John Robinson
- Drum programming: Douglas Getschal
- Percussion: Ollie E. Brown and Paulinho Da Costa
- Synclavier and effects: Christopher Currell
- Synthesizers: John Barnes, Michael Boddicker, David Paich and Larry Williams
- Synthesizer programming: Steve Porcaro
- Swahili chant: Letta Mbulu
- Rhythm arrangement by Michael Jackson, John Barnes and Quincy Jones
- Synthesizer arrangement by Jerry Hey, John Barnes and Quincy Jones
- Vocal arrangement by Michael Jackson and John Barnes
- Swahili chant arrangement by Caiphus Semenya
"Just Good Friends"
- Written and composed by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle
- Vocal duet with Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder
- Synthesizer solo: Stevie Wonder
- Drums: Ollie E. Brown, Humberto Gatica and Bruce Swedien
- Drum programming: Cornelius Mims
- Guitar: Michael Landau
- Saxophones: Kim Hutchcroft and Larry Williams
- Trumpets: Gary Grant and Jerry Hey
- Percussion: Paulinho Da Costa
- Synclavier: Christopher Currell
- Synthesizers: Michael Boddicker, Rhett Lawrence, Greg Phillinganes and Larry Williams
- Rhythm, synthesizer and vocal arrangements by Terry Britten, Graham Lyle and Quincy Jones
- Horn arrangement by Jerry Hey
"Another Part of Me"
- Written and composed by Michael Jackson
- Solo and background vocals: Michael Jackson
- Guitars: Paul Jackson, Jr. and David Williams
- Saxophones: Kim Hutchcroft and Larry Williams
- Trumpets: Gary Grant and Jerry Hey
- Synclavier: Christopher Currell
- Synthesizers: Rhett Lawrence and John Barnes
- Rhythm and vocal arrangements by Michael Jackson and John Barnes
- Horn arrangement by Jerry Hey
"Man in the Mirror"
- Written and composed by Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard
- Solo and background vocals: Michael Jackson featuring Siedah Garrett, the Winans and the Andrae Crouch Choir
- Clap: Ollie E. Brown
- Guitar: Dann Huff
- Keyboards: Stefan Stefanovic
- Synthesizers: Glen Ballard and Randy Kerber
- Background vocals: Siedah Garrett, The Winans (Carvin, Marvin, Michael and Ronald Winans), The Andrae Crouch Choir (Sandra Crouch, Maxi Anderson, Rose Banks, Geary Faggett, Vonciele Faggett, Andrew Gouche, Linda Green, Francine Howard, Jean Johnson, Perry Morgan and Alfie Silas)
- Rhythm arrangements by Glen Ballard and Quincy Jones
- Synthesizer arrangement by Glen Ballard, Quincy Jones and Jerry Hey
- Vocal arrangement by Andrae Crouch
"I Just Can't Stop Loving You"
- Written and composed by Michael Jackson
- Vocal duet with Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett
- Bass: Nathan East
- Drums: N'dugu Chancler
- Guitar: Dann Huff
- Percussion: Paulinho Da Costa
- Piano: John Barnes
- Synclavier: Christopher Currell
- Synthesizers: David Paich and Greg Phillinganes
- Synthesizer programming: Steve Porcaro
- Rhythm arrangement by Quincy Jones
- Synthesizer arrangement by David Paich and Quincy Jones
- Vocal arrangement by Michael Jackson and John
"Dirty Diana"
- Written and composed by Michael Jackson
- Solo and background vocals and clave' clapstick: Michael Jackson
- Guitar solo: Steve Stevens
- Drums: John Robinson
- Drum programming: Douglas Getschal
- Guitar: Paul Jackson, Jr. and David Williams
- Synclavier: Christopher Currell
- Synclavier synthesis: Denny Jaeger
- Synthesizers: John Barnes, Michael Boddicker and Randy Waldman
- Rhythm arrangement by Michael Jackson, John Barnes and Jerry Hey
- Synthesizer arrangement by Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones and John Barnes
- String arrangement by John Barnes
- Vocal arrangement by Michael Jackson
"Smooth Criminal"
- Written and composed by Michael Jackson
- Solo and background vocals and clap: Michael Jackson
- Drums: Bill Bottrell, John Robinson and Bruce Swedien
- Guitar: David Williams
- Saxophones: Kim Hutchcroft and Larry Williams
- Trumpets: Gary Grant and Jerry Hey
- Muted Steinway piano: Kevin Maloney
- Synclavier: Christopher Currell
- Certain Synclavier effects by Denny Jaeger and Michael Rubini
- Synthesizers: John Barnes and Michael Boddicker
- Chief of Police announcement by Bruce Swedien
- Michael Jackson's heartbeat recording by Dr. Eric Chevlan digitally processed in the synclavier
- Rhythm arrangement by Michael Jackson and John Barnes
- Horn arrangement by Jerry Hey
- Vocal arrangement by Michael Jackson
"Leave Me Alone"
- Written and composed by Michael Jackson
- Solo and background vocals and vocal synthesizer: Michael Jackson
- Drum programming and synthesizers: Larry Williams
- Guitar: Paul Jackson, Jr.
- Synclavier and synthesizer programming: Casey Young
- Synthesizer: Greg Phillinganes
- Rhythm and vocal arrangement by Michael Jackson
- Bass Guitar: Louis Johnson
"Streetwalker"
- Written and composed by Michael Jackson
- Produced by Michael Jackson & Bill Bottrell
- Recorded and mixed by Bill Bottrell
- All instrumentation by Bill Bottrell
- Harmonica solo by Jasun Martz
"Todo Mi Amor Eres Tú (I Just Can't Stop Loving You)"
"Fly Away"
- Written and composed by Michael Jackson
Other credits
- Produced by Quincy Jones & Michael Jackson
- Recorded and mixed by Bruce Swedien
- Additional engineering by Humberto Gatica
- Technical director: Craig Johnson
- Additional recording by Claudio Ordenes, Bill Bottrel, Matt Forger, Craig Johnson, Gary Olazabal and Brian Malouf
- Assistant engineers: Debbie Johnson, Claudio Ordenes, Brad Sundberg and Laura Livingstone
Special edition interviews
- Interview with Quincy Jones was done by David Wild
- Pre-production research by Matt Forger and Al Quagelieri
- Voice-over announcer: Jason Deitz
See also
Notes
- ^ "Bad". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:g9foxq95ld6e. Retrieved 2009-04-27.
- ^ MTV - Michael Jackson Biography
- ^ a b "Grammy for Bruce Swedien & Humberto Gatica". Grammy. http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Winners/Results.aspx. Retrieved 2009-02-25.
- ^ Bowman, Edith. "VH1 - Greatest Albums Ever". VH1. http://www.mtv.co.uk/channels/vh1/chart/greatest-albums-ever. Retrieved April 9, 2009.
- ^ "The RS 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938174/the_rs_500_greatest_albums_of_all_time. Retrieved November 18, 2003.
- ^ Bad (Special Edition), liner notes
- ^ "Gold and Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Michael%20Jackson&format=ALBUM&go=Search&perPage=100. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- ^ a b [1]
- ^ Savage, Mark (2008-08-29). "Pop Superstars turn 50". http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7448908.stm. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
- ^ Michael Jackson's History in the 1980s
- ^ http://www.mirror.co.uk/northernireland/news/tm_method=full%26objectid=18104022%26siteid=94762-name_page.html
- ^ a b "Album Reviews: Bad". Rolling Stone. 2001. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/michaeljackson/albums/album/259584/review/6067877/bad. Retrieved 2007-07-02.
- ^ "The RS 500 Greatest Albums of All Time", Rolling Stone (November 18, 2003).
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1988". Rock On The Net. http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1988/grammys.htm. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1989". Rock On The Net. http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1989/grammys.htm. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1990". Rock On The Net. http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1990/grammys.htm. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
- ^ http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/4351-the-essential-michael-jackson/
- ^ http://www.warr.org/jacksons.html
- ^ "Bad/Dangerous". www.amazon.co.uk. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bad-Dangerous-Michael-Jackson/dp/tracks/B0002W1ANC/ref=dp_tracks_all_1#disc_1. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
- ^ Michael Jackson: For The Record. Chris Cadman, Michael Haystead.
- ^ Michael Jackson , The Ultimate Collection, Booklet
- ^ Mexican Albums Chart Week 28 - 2009
- ^ July 6 - July 12, 2009
- ^ http://olis.onyx.pl/listy/index.asp?lang=pl
- ^ - ARIA Charts
- ^ IFPI Austria - Verband der Österreichischen Musikwirtschaft
- ^ Canadian Recording Industry
- ^ Bundesverband Musikindustrie
- ^ a b [2]
- ^ Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique (1995). "French certification". chartsinfrance.net. http://www.chartsinfrance.net/certifications/artiste-302.htm. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
- ^ "IFPI Hong Kong Searchable database - Gold and Platinum". IFPI Hong Kong. http://www.ifpihk.org/www_1/go9e.php. Retrieved 2009-01-28.
- ^ [3]
- ^ [4]
- ^ New Zealand Chart Facts
- ^ International Federation of the Phonographic Industry — Sweden (1995). "Swedish certification" (PDF). ifpi.se. http://www.ifpi.se/wp-content/uploads/guld-platina-1987-1998.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
- ^ "IFPI Sweden Searchable database - Gold and Platinum". IFPI Sweden. http://www.ifpi.se/wp-content/uploads/guld-platina-1987-1998.pdf. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
References
|
Quincy Jones |
|
| Albums |
|
|
| Compilations |
Ndeda · The Best · From Q With Love · Q: The Musical Biography Of Quincy Jones
|
|
| Singles |
|
|
| Other |
|
|
