Document clip from Quincy Jones, Rod Temperton etc. by BBC4
“Rod Temperton’s hardly a household name – in fact, many Jackson fans will have been unaware of him until recent events led to a few mentions in dispatches – but the veteran Englishman wrote many of Jackson’s most famous songs, including Rock With You, Off the Wall and Thriller. And his contribution to pop doesn’t stop there. In fact, it’s Herculean.” Dave Simpson, Guardian
Michael Jackson: Billie Jean (at Motown 25 y.o. show)
“the Austin Chronicle: You produced both Off the Wall and Thriller. Can anyone do today what Michael Jackson did 25 years ago?
Quincy Jones: You’d have two problems. Number one, we had vinyl. And vinyl would wear out after three years, so people would buy three copies. Also, MTV and Michael Jackson rode each other to glory. Michael Jackson was the first black artist MTV ever played. They didn’t play black artists before him. Rick James was trying to get “Super Freak” on there, and they wouldn’t let it on. But Michael, until it came out June ‘84, man. They do this contest all over the world every year. And even the Asian prisoners do it. You saw it. You saw it on TV, them doing their crazy “Thriller” dance. All over the world, every year.”
