Will ever (some of) the 91 different mixes of ‘Billie Jean’ come to light?

[mj_frenzy]

‘Billie Jean’ was mixed 91 times resulting in 91 different mixes (versions) of that song.

I know it is a rather rhetorical question...



(except for mix No. 2 that made the album)

 

[XscapeTheLies]

Most of those 91 "mixes" would be near identical, with only slight tweaks to EQ and such differentiating them. Though I would like to hear a few more of the early version, prior the the final album recording. We have like what, 4 or 5 of them out atm right? They are cool.

 

[reibish]

1) I thought it was 92 mixes for some reason?
2) The final mix we know was #2.

I'd like to hear the most extreme mixes, maybe top 5 or 10, but all 90+ no. You could literally damage your ears and mess up your hearing doing that. Like XscapetheLies said, most of them would be vastly similar except to those with specifically trained ears.

 

[mj_frenzy]

Most of those 91 "mixes" would be near identical, with only slight tweaks to EQ and such differentiating them. Though I would like to hear a few more of the early version, prior the the final album recording. We have like what, 4 or 5 of them out atm right? They are cool.

This is true. Many of them probably sound almost identical but I am mostly interested in hearing those mixes that differ much from all the others.

1) I thought it was 92 mixes for some reason?
2) The final mix we know was #2.

I'd like to hear the most extreme mixes, maybe top 5 or 10, but all 90+ no. You could literally damage your ears and mess up your hearing doing that. Like XscapetheLies said, most of them would be vastly similar except to those with specifically trained ears.

There are 91 mixes of ‘Billie Jean’ (included No. 2), not 92:

[video=youtube;8OjqM6uHsY4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OjqM6uHsY4[/video]

 

[reibish]

Huh, weird. Not at all refuting it, just weird that my brain remembered 92, lol.

Either way - that is a craaazy number of mixes for a single song. Hot dang!

 

[Electro]

I wonder if those 91 mixes are all from the second part of the mixing sessions,
after Michael reportedly at one point was so unhappy with the album mix that he even wanted to cancel it.
Or if those 91 include really ALL mixes made from start till end, meaning they actually settled for
a mix from the beginning, they/Michael were unhappy with at first.

 

[Electro]

Huh, weird. Not at all refuting it, just weird that my brain remembered 92, lol.

Either way - that is a craaazy number of mixes for a single song. Hot dang!

It's not that crazy. That's the normal process to make new mixdowns again and again, and come back to the studio with fresh ears and redoing it.

You really have to make a difference to what's known as "remixes" / "mixes" that get released in some form,
where the actual composition is changed for extended mixes or completly redone by other people.

 

[mj_frenzy]

I wonder if those 91 mixes are all from the second part of the mixing sessions,
after Michael reportedly at one point was so unhappy with the album mix that he even wanted to cancel it.
Or if those 91 include really ALL mixes made from start till end, meaning they actually settled for
a mix from the beginning, they/Michael were unhappy with at first.

Not reportedly, but according to ‘Moonwalk’.

Also, during the second stage of mixing they “began to mix two songs a week”, so it is very likely that a few mixes of ‘Billie Jean’ probably came from that (second) session.

In any case, your question is really interesting.

 

[laconcombremasque]

I’ve always been wondering the exact same thing ! Did other mixes than #2, which made it into the album, ever surfaced ?

I would particularity love to hear mixes #1, and… #91 ! To better appreciate the story of this mixing session, as related by Mr Bruce Swedien himself :

Originally Posted by Bruce Swedien
"Billie Jean" is just such a superb song! Of course, Michael wrote "Billie Jean"..

Quincy says that the lyric that Michael wrote is highly personal. I’m sure that’s true. Michael told us... it was about a girl, that climbed over the wall at Michael’s house, and was lounging out there, by the swimming pool.... she was laying out there, near the pool , lounging... hangin’ out... with shades on, her bathing suit on. One morning she just showed up! Kind of like a stalker, almost. She had accused Michael of being the father of ONE of her twins... Is that possible? I don’t think so....

When it came time for me to mix "Billie Jean", it was business as usual... When I am working with Michael, Quincy, Rod, Jennifer, Sergio and so on..... I am allowed total ceative freedom with the sonics of the music... In other words, I am always left to myself when it is time to mix. My mixes can take hours, days or even weeks.... I firmly believe that a mix is not finished, until it is on a Record for sale at Tower....

So I had been mixing "Billie Jean" for a day or two. I’d do a mix. ..... Say I was up to mix number 2.... (At that time I was mixing onto 1/2” analogue.) I thought it was killer!!!

I called MJ, Quincy and Rod into the control room and played mix 2 for them. They loved it!!! They were all dancing and carrying on like crazy!!! Smiles all around! Then Michael slipped out of the control room, turned around and motioned to me to follow him... Then he whispered to me, “Please Bruce, it’s perfect, but turn the Bass up just a tiny bit, and do one more mix, please....” I said to him...”OK Smelly, no problem”...

(When we were recording “Off The Wall”, Quincy gave Michael the nickname of “Smelly” because when Michael liked a groove, he’d call it “Smelly Jelly.” Also Michael doesn’t curse, and when MJ wants to say a bad word he’ll simply call it “Smelly”... The name has stuck...)

Then I went back into the control room to add Michael’s tiny bit of bass to my mix... Quincy pulled me over into the corner and said “Please Svensk... “(Svensk is Quincy’s nickname for me. It means “Swedish Man” in Swedish... When you have a genuine Quincy Jones nickname like ‘Svensk” - You are truly honored....) Q said to me.... “Add a little garlic salt to the snare and the kick. Just a squirt!!!”) so I went back into the control room and added a little garlic salt to the snare and the kick. Just a squirt!!! Now I was up to mix 20 on "Billie Jean".

Well, this went on for about a week. Soon I was up to mix 91!!! I had a stack of 1/2 inch tapes almost to the ceiling!!! I would do a few mixes, we’d listen... Then do a few more. We had it PERFECT!!! We thought we had a really ‘HOT’ mix on “Billie Jean”. I played Mix 91 for the boys... Everybody smiled... but Quincy had one of his funny looks on his face...

I thought.... Hmmmm.... Oh, Oh....

Quincy said “You know Svensk, just for the fun of it, can we listen to one of your earlier mixes???” My heart jumped because I knew that my earlier mixes were dynamite!!! Then Quincy said, “Let’s hear mix number 2!!!” Oh WOW!!!! Hallelujah!!! I love mix 2!!!!

We listened to mix 2... IT WAS SLAMMIN’!!! EVERYONE IN THE STUDIO WAS GROOVIN’ AND DANCIN’ and HAPPY, and actin’ IGNORANT!!!!

Well, here’s the deal. When “Thriller” was released to the Whole World by Epic Records, on Tuesday, November 30, 1982, it went to Tower Records with MIX 2 OF "Billie Jean" on it!!! AND, when the single of "Billie Jean" came out it was MIX 2!!!

The REAL Story of "Billie Jean"...

Bruce Swedien

Source : the great thread “post here if you worked on the dangerous album” on gearspace website (formerly known as “gearslutz”)

https://gearspace.com/board/showpost.php?p=4327737&postcount=108

 

[mj_frenzy]

Quincy said “You know Svensk, just for the fun of it, can we listen to one of your earlier mixes???” My heart jumped because I knew that my earlier mixes were dynamite!!! Then Quincy said, “Let’s hear mix number 2!!!” Oh WOW!!!! Hallelujah!!! I love mix 2!!!!

We listened to mix 2... IT WAS SLAMMIN’!!! EVERYONE IN THE STUDIO WAS GROOVIN’ AND DANCIN’ and HAPPY, and actin’ IGNORANT!!!!

Well, here’s the deal. When “Thriller” was released to the Whole World by Epic Records, on Tuesday, November 30, 1982, it went to Tower Records with MIX 2 OF "Billie Jean" on it!!! AND, when the single of "Billie Jean" came out it was MIX 2!!!

This also proves how crucial was Quincy Jones' role to the big success of the 'Thriller' album.

 

[mjjcn1432]

We've heard actually 3 mixes: The original album version (less bass and reverbs), single version (album version #2 with louder "oh no") and 12" verison (this version features different mixing too)