Thriller (song)
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| "Thriller" | |||||
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| Image:Thriller (Michael Jackson).jpg | |||||
| Single by Michael Jackson from the album Thriller | |||||
| Released | January 1984 | ||||
| Format | 7", 12", CD single | ||||
| Recorded | 1982 | ||||
| Genre | Disco / Funk | ||||
| Length | 5:57 | ||||
| Label | Epic Records | ||||
| Writer | Rod Temperton | ||||
| Producer | Quincy Jones | ||||
| Michael Jackson singles chronology | |||||
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| Michael Jackson's Visionary chronology | |||||
| "One More Chance" (2003) | "Thriller" (2006) | "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (2006)
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| Thriller track listing | |||||
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| HIStory track listing | |||||
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"Thriller" is an early 1984 hit single recorded by Michael Jackson for the Epic label. On February 20, 2006, the single, as well as the video, was re-released as part of the Visionary: The Video Singles package. The 14-minute video clip is regarded by many as the greatest music video of all time and the song itself is considered one of Jackson's signature songs.
Contents |
[edit] Song information
Written by Rod Temperton, produced by Quincy Jones, and featuring a guest soliloquy from Vincent Price, "Thriller" is one of Jackson's signature songs, in no small part because of its music video. The single was included on Jackson's Thriller album, which was released on December 1, 1982 and was the final single pulled from it. A voice-over recording session of "Thriller" appears on the special edition version of the album, released in 2001. This session features additional verses of the rap performed by Vincent Price, which were removed from the final version of the song.
[edit] Track listings
[edit] Original release
[edit] UK single
- "Thriller" (7" Edit) – 4:37
- "The Things I Do for You" (live with The Jacksons) – 3:39
[edit] U.S. single
- "Thriller" (Remixed Short Version) – 4:05
- "Can't Get Outta the Rain" – 4:02
[edit] Visionary single
- CD side
- "Thriller" (Remixed Short Version) – 4:09
- "Thriller" – 5:57
- DVD side
- "Thriller" (Music video)
[edit] Ringle
- Thriller (Remixed Short Version) – 4:05
- Can't Get Outta The Rain – 4:05
[edit] Mixes
- Album Version – 5:56
- Instrumental – 5:56
- 7" Edit – 4:37
- Remixed Short Version – 4:09
- Single Edit w/Rap – 5:11
[edit] Credits
- Written and composed by Rod Temperton
- Produced by Quincy Jones
- Featuring: rap by Vincent Price
- Synthesizers: Greg Philinganes, Rod Temperton and Brian Banks
- Synthesizer programming: Anthony Marinelli
- Guitar: David Williams
- Trumpet and flügelhorn: Jerry Hey
- Trumpet and flügelhorn: Gary Grant
- Saxophone and flute: Larry Williams
- Trombone: Bill Reichenbach
- Vocal, rhythm and synthesizer arrangement by Rod Temperton
- Horn arrangement by Jerry Hey
- Effects by Bruce Cannon and Bruce Swedien
[edit] Sampled
The song (particularly Vincent Price's laughter at the end of the song) has been sampled in numerous songs:
- Biz Markie - "Muddfoot"
- Def Squad - "No Guest List"
- DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - "Rhythm Trax — House Party Style"
- Large Professor - "Mad Scientist"
- N.W.A. - "100 Miles and Runnin'"
- The Prodigy - "The Way It Is"
- Public Enemy - "911 Is a Joke"
- Lidzlicious the Velvet Pole - "Thriller (Stanley Remix)"
- Kool Moe Dee - "Let's Go"
- Esham - "Closed Casket"
[edit] Trivia
| Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- The original name for the "Thriller" single was "Starlight Love."[citation needed]
- In the South Park episode "Pinkeye", members of the town are turned into zombies. Chef (as a zombie) sings part of the song, but with different lyrics. He was also dressed as Michael Jackson as seen in the video for a halloween party.
- In an episode of Animaniacs, the character Buttons deters a horde of zombies from his young charge by imitating the dance from the music video.
- The band Fall Out Boy gives several respects to the song. In their "Dance, Dance" video, bassist Pete Wentz starts to do the dance in the music video. Also, they have a song called "Thriller", but just the title is a nod to this song.
- The New Found Glory song "Hit Or Miss" contains the lyric, "Remember the time we realized 'Thriller' was our favorite song?"
- The song was danced by numerous Filipino prisoners at CPDRC(Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center) as a morning exercise.
- In a sketch on Chappelle's Show, Dave Chappelle is being interviewed to be a part of the jury in the Michael Jackson child molestation case. When asked if he believed Jackson was guilty, he replied, "No man. He made Thriller. (repeats with emphasis) Thriller!"
- Vincent Price's soliloquy is parodied in The Aquabats' song "Fashion Zombies!" as "Darkness falls across the land. The midnight hour is close at hand. Creatures crawl in search of blood to accessorize their black zipper hood. And monster children with monster faces are looking for love in all the wrong places."
- British singer and former Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown covered this song on the b-side of his single Golden Gaze.
- Pop girl group Girl Authority covered the song for their EP Halloween Party Songs.
- The instrumental version was used for the opening theme to WWF Championship Wrestling from 1984-1986.
- At the MTV Europe Music Awards 2007, Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton said that he wished he'd wrote Thriller.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
es:Thriller (canción) fr:Thriller (chanson) nl:Thriller (nummer) ja:スリラー (シングル) no:Thriller (sang) pl:Thriller (piosenka Michaela Jacksona) sv:Thriller (låt)
