Unrelated to the 2009 Steve Porcaro demo.
"Changes" is an unreleased song by Michael Jackson intended for the Bad and HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I albums. On August 23rd, 2023 a seven-second snippet of the recording leaked online. (
listen)
Background[]
"Changes" was written by Jackson, John Barnes and Bill Bottrell (the latter of whom also produced it), and recorded during the Hayvenhurst sessions between Spring 1985-December 22, 1986 for the Bad album, although didn't make the final cut.[2] The song was revisited by Jackson during the HIStory sessions between Summer 1994-September 1995, although it was scrapped again.
The song was registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 2010, meaning that it was reworked during the eleventh studio album sessions. This version credits Brad Buxer as both the writer, and the producer.[3]
| “ | John Barnes recalls the song originating from the Hayvenhurst sessions. When I asked him about it, he sang the hook to me, to confirm we were talking about the same song. It was brought back during the HIStory sessions, but never finished. [...] Changes feels like church. Piano + gospel choir with a totally mumbled, low-effort scratch vocal. | ” |
On August 13, 2023, a collector leaked a two-second snippet of Michael singing "that's what they told me". Two days later, it was confirmed by Damien Shields that it originated from "Changes".[6] He also stated that "Changes" mostly consists of mumbling, what leaked is "the clearest and most powerful line in the entire demo", and that the whole recording lasts over 7 minutes.[1] The metadata of the mix Shields heard at the U.S. Copyright Office indicated the vocal take originates from September 1995, a few months after HIStory was released.[7]
On August 23rd, 2023 the same section of the song got leaked again only this time with music and more vocals, lasting about seven seconds. On May 4th, 2024, Korg Nex leaked a longer version of the same snippet but edited with different percussion. This time, the snippet was fifty-seconds long.
On December 5, 2024, Bottrell shared a list of notes of songs made or recorded during the Bad sessions, which showed "Changes", which in this note is called by it's working title "The Choir Song".[8]
Lyrics[]
Please note that these aren't the full lyrics
[Verse]
...of their water (Changes)
You know the system, brother (Trying to do to me)
That's what they told me (Changes)
Don't wanna lose 'em, brother (Trying to do to me)
Look at their water (Changes)
You got to love them, brother (Trying to do to me)
Look what they told me (Changes)
Look what they're preachin', brother (Trying to do to me), woah-oh
[Chorus]
Can't cope with (Changes) (Oooh!)
Can't deal with (Trying to do it to me) (Across the water, yeah!)
Can't cope with (Changes) (Hee)
Can't deal with (Trying to do to me) (You can't control me!)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://x.com/DamienShields/status/1691387772525817856?s=20
- ↑ https://x.com/DamienShields/status/1691393761769611265?s=20
- ↑ https://publicrecords.copyright.gov/detailed-record/23433875?associatedRecords=Jackson,%20Michael
- ↑ https://twitter.com/DamienShields/status/1614535688665587713?s=20
- ↑ https://twitter.com/DamienShields/status/1581696028893655040?s=20
- ↑ https://twitter.com/DamienShields/status/1691375448536514560?t=b9BWFamFJfr5WhGP3lfJ8w&s=19
- ↑ https://x.com/DamienShields/status/1691393761769611265?s=20
- ↑ https://x.com/BillBottrell/status/1864716640098852948