Michael Jackson: the backing vocalist

arXter

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to be as objective as possible, he has to be the best studio background vocalist i've ever come across. the arrangement, harmonies and the way he compliments the lead vocals (his own and others') is too beautiful to describe.

here are two random examples of the dozens that stand-out:


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Rebbie Jackson - Fly Away










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You Rock My World (b/g vocals only)







 
Nice thread. I have always expressed my acclaim for Michael's backing vocals, whether that be on someone elses track or on one of his own. On his own tracks, his backing vocals add a different dynamic to the song entirely, complimenting his primary vocals so wonderfully. From the powerful backing vocals of 'Leave Me Alone' through to the subtle brilliance and arrangement of 'The Lady In My life' (especially the closing section, gives me goosebumps every time). It just goes to highlight how versatile, beauiful, dynamic, rhobust and down right perfect his voice is and can be.
 
I remember when i was a child listening to the dangerous album and i thought he was magic singing with the two voices lol, the main and the backing vocals, now it sounds stupid but at the time i couldnt understand how he did it lol
 
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Scream has great backing vocals as well. Great thread! I'll get into this after I buy some food! lol.
 
I did NOT know that it was Michael who did the "chorus-type" b/g in You Rock My World! OMG!!! That was entirely awesome. There were several layers, and it was all him. I am even more impressed now than I was before. I mean I knew he did a lot of his own b/g vocals, but not in this fashion. WOW.
 
i love his background vocals. and when his on other tracks. Rockwells "somebody watchin me" i loooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvve his voice ahhhhhhhhhh lol
 
He does the backing in a good portion of his songs, and the way they are sung and then produced are brilliant. I love You Are Not Alone and Remember The Time especially.
 
Nice thread! Michael's background vocals sometimes are just as good, if not better then when he's singing lead . I especially love his backing vocals in "Muscles", "All I Do", "Somebody's Watching Me" and "Eaten Alive". I mean how amazing does he sound here?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diadhWe2RrM
 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHH! YESSSSS!!!
He has the BEST background voice ever! It always sounds soooo beautiful! In his own songs and in other people's!
Like in LIML and PYT demo! *sigh* like, his voice is sooo beautiful! He blends perfectly and has wonderful harmony:wub:

Even in his earlier days! J5 songs like 'forever came today',and 'i am love'
And jacksons songs like 'bless his soul' 'that;s what you get (for being polite)' 'show you the way to go' 'everybody'...and the list goes on and on!!!

Geez- can it get any better?!?!?! -:no:
 
Props arXter. Nice thread:D Can't wait to listen to the YRMW b/g. Can't use speakers and earphones right now.
 
Tell it like it is arXter, lol.

I've always been blown away by how Michael arranges and harmonizes his backing vocals. I've never heard anybody do it like him, or as well. Like if you listen to "In The Closet", "Monkey Business", "Cheater", "Leave Me Alone", "Blood On The Dance Floor", or even "Got The Hots", etc... You can really tell what a musical genius he is by listening to what he does on backing. The way he layers the different vocal parts, how he hears how higher and lower registers will work with one another and then makes them blend so beautifully, and then just the arrangement of the vocals, how he can have 3 or 4 different vocal parts and make them all work together. I ain't ever heard anything better. It blows my mind. He's underrated big time as a singer, in my view.

And wow, I'd never heard the backing vocals on "YRMW" isolated like that. I didn't even realize there were so many parts to it. That's the thing with Michael, he adds all of these parts which are essential to the whole wihout the listener even being aware. We just hear the final product and it sounds brilliant, without really noticing how much detail goes in to the final sound. But without just one of those elements, it wouldn't be the same. I wonder if there's a download of that available?
 
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Tell it like it is arXter, lol.

I've always been blown away by how Michael arranges and harmonizes his backing vocals. I've never heard anybody do it like him, or as well. Like if you listen to "In The Closet", "Monkey Business", "Cheater", "Leave Me Alone", "Blood On The Dance Floor", or even "Got The Hots", etc... You can really tell what a musical genius he is by listening to what he does on backing. The way he layers the different vocal parts, how he hears how higher and lower registers will work with one another and then makes them blend so beautifully, and then just the arrangement of the vocals, how he can have 3 or 4 different vocal parts and make them all work together. I ain't ever heard anything better. It blows my mind. He's underrated big time as a singer, in my view.

And wow, I'd never heard the backing vocals on "YRMW" isolated like that. I didn't even realize there were so many parts to it. That's the thing with Michael, he adds all of these parts which are essential to the whole wihout the listener even being aware. We just hear the final product and it sounds brilliant, without really noticing how much detail goes in to the final sound. But without just one of those elements, it wouldn't be the same. I wonder if there's a download of that available?

i often put MJ songs through Adobe Audition.... so i can hear different parts of the song clearer.

I can do a few if you want :D


It's his backing tracks where can hear the Bee Gees influence.
 
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And wow, I'd never heard the backing vocals on "YRMW" isolated like that. I didn't even realize there were so many parts to it. That's the thing with Michael, he adds all of these parts which are essential to the whole wihout the listener even being aware. We just hear the final product and it sounds brilliant, without really noticing how much detail goes in to the final sound. But without just one of those elements, it wouldn't be the same. I wonder if there's a download of that available?
Well said, Nicole.

here's the full YRMW processed track, in 320kbps MP3:

http://www.box.net/shared/4art2zepdv


giddyup87 said:
so i can hear different parts of the song clearer.
it's an enlightening experience, init?
f_smiley.gif
 
Great topic and a strong focal point to Michael's success. I read when he met up with Quincy Jones he conveyed that he wanted to multi track his voice on the bacvkground parts. Off The Wall is a perfect example of it especially on Rock With You.
 
I am BLOWN AWAY!!!! I have been wanting to dissect these songs to see what each layer of voice and instrument is doing. I want to learn, get ideas for my own music and the layers I am doing in them. In the YRMW vocals I could hear at LEAST 5 parts to his self-choir, which would be behind his lead vocal, which of course would be part 1. And they are so perfectly harmonized, so closely together, and each layer recorded separately. pure brilliance. I want this program you have got. Where can I get it?
 
i often put MJ songs through Adobe Audition.... so i can hear different parts of the song clearer.

I can do a few if you want :D


It's his backing tracks where can hear the Bee Gees influence.


OH YES!!!!! DO IT! DO IT!!!!!:clapping:
puh-lease!
 
I want this program you have got. Where can I get it?
it's not a program, i run the acapella through a hardware equaliser called Z-Sys Z-Q2 and play with it. if you can find a decent digital program that supports M/S (mid/side) mastering then you can probably f**** with that and get similar results.

btw where can i find more of his background vocals?
you mean like the YRMW? i'm working to make a compilation of a dozen suitable tracks. don't know where else you could find it, though.
 
Fuck me sideways, what are the chances I'd find someone with that on here, so you could pretty much make an acapella of anything. Everyone that tries with software usually comes across poor results unless they have the instrumental at the same kbps.
 
haha, na you can't make decent acapellas from the original songs. this backing vox isolation came about using the official YRMW acapella.
 
Well I'm excited you're putting the effort in to do this arXter. I've always been highly taken with Michael's background singing and arrangements.
 
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