Was MJ supposed to be on Whitney Houston's "If I Told You That"?

[Spaceship]

I read somewhere that Jerkins was going to produce an MJ-George Michael duet, but it couldn't happen due to circumstances. Is this song it? Or was it supposed to be MJ and Whitney, and Whitney ultimately cut it with George?

@mj_frenzy

 

[Niteline]

Casting my mind back to 1998, I always thought it was intended as a Whitney MJ duet. The song and that bass were perfect for Michael.

 

[mj_frenzy]

Rodney Jerkins stated in 2023 (during the We Sound Crazy! podcast) that 'If I Told You That' was originally conceived as a duet between Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson.

An early version of the song even featured an unknown singer mimicking Michael Jackson's singing style.

 

[threatened2020]

YRMW reminded me so much of this song when it was released. Very similar arrangement too.

 

[Spaceship]

YRMW reminded me so much of this song when it was released. Very similar arrangement too.

That's just how most of Jerkins's productions sounded at the time. "The Boy is Mine", "If You Had My Love", "Say My Name", "He Wasn't Man Enough", etc

 

[Spaceship]

Rodney Jerkins stated in 2023 (during the We Sound Crazy! podcast) that 'If I Told You That' was originally conceived as a duet between Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson.

An early version of the song even featured an unknown singer mimicking Michael Jackson's singing style.

I'm confused lol. Jerkins stared working with MJ in 1999, right? But this song came out in 1998. I guess Jerkins was just trying to reach MJ for years before he got onboard Invincible?

 

[BlackAnon]

 

[threatened2020]

But YRMW was 3 years later, I remember at the time when it came out that I could not shake how similiar it sounded to IITYT

 

[SmoothCriminal1984]

I loved that song it was good and george michael voice was great

 

[Blues_Away2023]

Great song and video! George Michael was a handsome lad and a brilliant live singer

 

[Spaceship]

I remember reading that Darkchild first met MJ in around 1996 when he was about 16. He told MJ that he would work with him one day and MJ was like, "oh yeah? You really think so?"

So yeah I guess Darkchild was always trying to reach MJ

But YRMW was 3 years later, I remember at the time when it came out that I could not shake how similiar it sounded to IITYT

It being 3 years later adds to the point. By 2001, Darkchild produced many songs like "If I Told You That"; that was the style he was known for