"Black or White" is a song by Michael Jackson released as the eighth track from the Dangerous album. It was released as a single on November 11, 1991, serving as the lead single from the album. It features Bill Bottrell on the rap verse (under the alias: "L.T.B.") and also features Slash as the lead guitar for the skit intro.
A radio mix, which was done by The Clivillés & Cole for the "Remember the Time" single released on The Ultimate Collection.
Background[]
The track was recorded in August of 1989, and finalized in October of 1991. The vocal take featured is actually the scratch vocals from the '89 recording, while the intro was based on a demo from the Bad sessions.[1] Bottrell originally wanted the rap verse to feature someone else, e.g. Bryan Loren, LL Cool J or Heavy D, however Michael insisted on keeping Bill's take, even though he suggested to get a "real rapper" on the song.
According to Bottrell, Slash was brought in to the recording sessions only for the track's intro, while the main guitars were performed by Bill and Tim Pierce (the latter played the heavy metal guitar).[2] According to Rob Disner, the bridge guitar riff is based on Motley Crue's Dr. Feelgood main riff.
Music video[]
The track received a music video, directed by John Landis, who previously helped with the Thriller short film, and released on November 14, 1991. It features an intro with Macaulay Culkin and George Wendt, and later Jackson with dancers of various cultures, dancing through many different parts of the world.
Additionally, the scene taking place near the end of the short film features the "morphing" filming technique. It was the second time to ever be used, followed by Terminator 2: Judgment Day which released just a few months prior.[3]
Making of "Black or White"[]
On November 14, 2016, the author of a biography book, Making Michael: Inside the Career of Michael Jackson, Mike Smallcombe posted on his YouTube channel a VHS rip of behind-the-scenes footage of the "Black or White" music video.
Controversy[]
The video's outro, features Michael dancing on the top of the car, which included sexually suggestive scenes. As a result, the media heavily criticized him for it. He apologized, explaining it was a "dance-style interpretation of the animalistic instincts of a panther". In 2001 a digitally-altered version was released, where racially-offensive graffiti was mposed on the windows destroyed: the car displays "Hitler Lives", "NI66eR 6O HOMe", "No More Wetbacks", and the storefront door sports "KKK Rules". Such alterations gave the sequence a new reasoning of Jackson's vandalism.
Live performances[]
Michael performed "Black or White" for the first time during the 1991 MTV 10th Anniversary show. He continued to do so throughout the Dangerous World Tour, HIStory World Tour, 30th Anniversary Celebration and the 2002 Apollo performance. Jackson performed to the song for the last time on June 23, 2009 during the This Is It rehearsals.
During most of the performances, Jackson would be joined by Jennifer Batten to perform on the guitar. The only exceptions were several shows of the Dangerous World Tour where Slash would take the role, and the 2009 rehearsals, as a new guitarist, Orianthi would be hired.
Awards[]
"Black or White" received many awards and has been a great success. It has become the fastest Billboard 100 since 1969 for 7 weeks, when Get Back by The Beatles also conquered the chart in just 3 weeks. It also received No.3 on the R&B singles chart, RIAA Platinum Record Award (USA million seller), No.8 best selling single of 1991 in the States, the very first single by an American to enter the UK singles chart at no.1 since Elvis Presley’s It’s Now Or Never in 1960 that has spent two weeks in the pole position, and no.1 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cuba, Denmark, Finland, France, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Zimbabwe.[4]
Audio[]
On January 27, 2023 a remix of "Black or White" dubbed "Nick's Drum and Guitar Mix" leaked after the Brad Sundberg laptop theft. Judging by the title, it could be crafted by the YouTuber, Remixed by Nick*.
- Nick's Drum and Guitar Mix - (
listen)
Lyrics[]
[Skit]
Dad: Hey!
Kid: What?!
Dad: Turn that off!
Kid: Dad, this is the best part!
Dad: Turn it off!
Kid: No!
Dad: It's too late for this. Turn it off!
Kid: Dad, this is the best part, come on!
Dad: No, turn it off now!
Kid: No, this is the-I want to listen to it, OK?
Dad: You've got things to do tomorrow, turn it off now!
Kid: Yeah, right. Too late. Sure. Eat this.
[Intro; Michael Jackson]
Aouw! (Ooh)
Aouw!
[Verse 1]
I took my baby on a Saturday bang
Boy, is that girl with you?
Yes, we're one and the same
[Chorus]
Now, I believe in miracles
And a miracle has happened tonight (hee)
But if you're thinking about my baby
It don't matter if you're black or white (ooh)
[Verse 2]
They print my message in The Saturday Sun
I had to tell 'em,
"I ain't second to none"
[Chorus]
And I told 'em 'bout equality and it's true
Either you're wrong or you're right (hee-hee-ee)
But if you're thinking about my baby
It don't matter if you're black or white (hoo)
[Break]
Gone witcha, babe!
Hee-hee!
[Bridge]
I am tired of this Devil
I am tired of this stuff
I am tired of this business
Oh, when the going gets rough
I ain't scared of your brother
I ain't scared of no sheets
I ain't scared of nobody
Girl, when the going gets mean
[Bill Bottrell]
Protection for gangs, clubs, and nations
Causing grief in human relations
It's a turf war on a global scale
I'd rather hear both sides of the tale
See, it's not about races, just places, faces
Where your blood comes from is where your space is
I've seen the bright get duller
I'm not gonna spend my life being a color
[Michael]
Don't tell me you agree with me
When I saw you kicking dirt in my eye (hee-hee)
But if you're thinking about my baby
It don't matter if you're black or white
[Post-Chorus]
I said if you're thinking of being my baby
It don't matter if you're black or white
I said if you're thinking of being my brother
It don't matter if you're black or white
[Outro]
Alright, alright
(Ooh-ooh-ooh)
Alright (yeah, yeah, yeah), yeah, now
Alright, alright (ooh-ooh-ooh)
Shamone, don't (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Yeah, now, alright
It's black, it's white
It's tough for you to beat that (yeah, yeah, yeah)
It's black, it's white, hoo!
It's black, it's white
It's tough for you to beat that (yeah, yeah, yeah)
It's black, it's white, hoo!
Gallery[]
Physical copies[]
![Vinyl back cover[5]](/wiki/File:Blackorwhitevinylback.jpg "Blackorwhitevinylback.jpg (66 KB)")
![Vinyl[5]](/wiki/File:Blackorwhitevinyl.jpg "Blackorwhitevinyl.jpg (95 KB)")
Video[]
|
"Look deep within yourself, and you'll find something amazing." To view the Black or White gallery, click here. |
Trivia[]
- In 1992, "Weird Al" Yankovic recorded a parody of "Black or White", titled "Snack All Night", continuing his trend with food-themed parodies of Jackson's songs. However, he never released it. The reason why Jackson stopped giving Weird Al permission to make parodies of his music videos is because that "Black or White" was a big social, political statement, and that it was not something to parody off of.[6]
- The aforementioned radio mix done by The Clivillés & Cole was planned to be on the cancelled Dangerous: Bonus Cuts.
References[]
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220528121711/https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/michael-jackson-the-making-of-the-king-of-pop-240783/
- ↑ https://x.com/BillBottrell/status/1784339788038131752
- ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0255006/trivia/
- ↑ http://www.mjtunes.com/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=51
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 https://www.discogs.com/master/14861-Michael-Jackson-Black-Or-White/image/SW1hZ2U6NDc5MTE5MzU=
- ↑ https://www.spin.com/2012/10/weird-al-yankovic-looks-back-at-20-years-of-smells-like-nirvana/#:~:text=Jon%20%E2%80%9CBermuda%E2%80%9D%20Schwartz%2C%20drums%3A%20Frankly%2C%20the%20Michael%20Jackson%20song%20that%20he%20had%2C%20%E2%80%9CSnack%20All%20Night%2C%E2%80%9D%20was%20not%20destined%20to%20be%20big%2C%20by%20any%20means.%20The%20fact%20that%20Michael%20turned%20him%20down%20was%20a%20great%20stroke%20of%20luck.