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Black or White

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"Black or White"
Song

"Black or White" was the first single taken from Michael Jackson's Dangerous album, released on November 1991. The single is considered the biggest selling rock song of the 1990s. "Black or White" is a mix of hard rock, dance and rap, but basically it is a hard rock song like "Beat It".

Written, composed, and arranged by Jackson with the rap lyrics by Bill Bottrell, it is a song that promotes racial unity. The song's introduction and main riff, reminiscent of that of "Hurts So Good" by John Mellencamp are performed by guitarist Slash and Bill Bottrell.

The song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, as well as in 18 other countries.

History

Release

To prepare the audience for the special occasion of the televised premiere of the "Black or White" video, Epic records released the song (whithout the accompanying images) to radio stations just two days in advance.[2] In a period of twenty-four hours, "Black or White", described by the record company as "a rock 'n' roll dance song about racial harmony", had been added to the playlists of 96 percent of 237 of the United States of America's top forty radio stations the first day of release.[2][3]

"Black or White" was the first single off of Dangerous, produced by Michael Jackson and Bill Bottrell, it began to be promoted on radio stations the first week of November 1991 in New York and Los Angeles.[4][3] "Black or White" was officially released one week later.[3] It was written and composed by Jackson with rap lyrics by Bill Bottrell, the song's introduction and main riff were played by Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash and Bill Bottrell.[4]

"Black or White" is also described as a mix of hard rock, dance and rap, but basically it is a hard rock song like "Beat It".[1][5][6][7][8] These songs are also compared by Rolling Stone's Allan Light in his Dangerous review, he says, "Neither this slow-burn solo nor the Stones-derived riff on 'Black or White' offers the catharsis of Eddie Van Halen's blazing break on 'Beat It'".[9]

Reception

"Black or White" stormed into Billboard's Hot 100 at number thirty five.[10] A week later it shot up to number three and on its third week, December 7 1991, it ascended to number one, making it the fastest chart topper since the Beatles' "Get Back" also won the Hot 100 in just three weeks in 1969.[10][11] It achieved the year at number one, and remained at the top of the singles chart into 1992, for a total of seven weeks, making Michael Jackson the first artist to get number one popular hits in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.[11]

The single also made an extraordinary and amazing debut in the UK, where it became the first single by an American to go into the singles chart at number one since 1960, when "It's Now Or Never" by Elvis Presley did in the same manner.[10] Around the world, "Black or White" hit number one in the US, UK, Mexico, Cuba, Zimbabwe, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Israel, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweeden, Switzerland and the Euro Chart Hot 100, number two in Germany and number three in Holland.[11][10] The single was certified platinum in the US, selling over one million copies.[11]

Music video

Synopsis

The music video for "Black or White" was first broadcast on MTV, BET, VH1, and FOX (giving them their highest Nielson Ratings ever)[12] on November 14 1991.[13] Along with Jackson, it featured Macaulay Culkin, Tess Harper, and George Wendt. It helped usher in surround sound and morphing as new technologies in music videos, the latter pioneered by Godley & Creme's "Cry" video in 1985. The video was directed by John Landis, who also directed Thriller.

The first few minutes of the video featured an extended version of the song's intro, in which a young kid (Macaulay Culkin) is playing loud music in his bedroom at night, and is yelled at by his enraged father (George Wendt), who demands he stops playing the music and go to bed. Culkin decides to forego his father's request to go to sleep by setting up large speaker cabinets behind his father's reclining chair, donning leather gloves and sunglasses, and playing an extremely loud power chord on an electric guitar. The sound then shatters the house's windows and sends his father (seated in his chair) halfway around the world, where the actual song begins. Culkin's mother declares that his father will be "very upset" upon his return. The song from the CD does not use Culkin's nor Wendt's voice; they are replaced by voice actors performing a similar intro. Wendt winds up in Africa, and Jackson begins to sing "Black or White", surrounded by various different cultures scene-by-scene.

A young Tyra Banks, just beginning her career as a supermodel, is seen dancing to the song in the ending of the video, as well as actress Cree Summer and Peggy Lipton.[14]

Controversy

Controversy was generated concerning the last four minutes of the original music video. Jackson walks out of the studio as a black panther and then morphs into himself.[13] Then he walks outside to perform some of his most physically complicated dance techniques, in a similar way to "Billie Jean". This part contained sexually suggestive scenes when Jackson starts to grab his crotch[12], and then zips his pants up. In the original version, Jackson is seen smashing windows[12], destroying a car and causing an inn (called the "Royal Arms") to explode. Jackson later apologized saying that the violent and suggestive behaviour was an interpretation of the animal instinct of a black panther, and MTV and other music video networks removed the last four minutes from subsequent broadcasts.[13] To make the vandalism more palatable to viewers, racist graffiti was digitally added to the windows that Jackson smashes (reading "KKK Rules", "Nigger Go Home", "Hitler Lives" and "No More Wetbacks").

To date, the uncut version has generally been seen in the United States on MTV2 only between the hours of 01:00 and 04:00, as part of their special uncensored airing of the "Most Controversial Music Videos" of all time. The extended version is also available on Jackson's DVDs. The original version (without graffiti) is available only on the VHS cassette HIStory - The Video Greatest Hits and online at MTVMusic.com. The DVD with the same name contains only the "graffiti version". The video was parodied by the sketch comedy TV show In Living Color, and by the band Genesis in their video for "I Can't Dance" in which Phil Collins imitates Michael's 'panther' fit in front of a stark white background. It was still shown in its entirety for some years in Europe. Indeed, it was seen on VH1 in the UK as recently as October 11th 2008, though most recent airings have omitted the last portion of the video, which also included a brief cameo by Bart and Homer Simpson before the "prejudice is ignorance" image. The version available in the iTunes Music Store contains neither the panther scene nor the Simpsons cameo, and is cut after the morphing sequence.

Starting in 1992, Nocturne Video Productions began playing the "Panther Segment" of the video as an interlude during Michael's Dangerous and HIStory World tours. The clip is 20 seconds shorter than the original with all the violence and the sexually suggestive scenes removed.[13] However, the part where he re-zipped his pants was kept in.

The full video, still shown regularly today, featured a montage of sequences in which Jackson is choreographed engaging in dances among people of different cultures of the world (African, South-East Asian (most likely Thailand), Native American, Culture of India, Russian).[13] Jackson walks through visual collages of fire (defiantly declaring "I ain't scared of no sheets; I ain't scared of nobody"), referring to KKK torch ceremonies before a mock rap scene shared with Culkin and other children.[13] The group collectively states, "I'm not gonna spend my life being a color." At the end of the song, different people dance as they morph into one another (shown as "talking heads"), which is reminiscent of the earlier music video for the Godley & Creme song "Cry". This technique, known as morphing, had been previously used only in films such as Willow and Terminator 2. The morphing visual effects were created by Pacific Data Images.

The short, censored version continues to air periodically to this day.

The video was voted #1 on Australian VH1's "90's Cameo Appearances" top 10.

Clivillés & Cole Remixes

Black or White was remixed in 1992. The singles was known as "Black or White Clivilles & Cole Remix" or simply as "Black or White (Remix)"

The single was released in October 1991 in several European countries, charting in the UK, where it reached #14, and in Ireland, peaking at #11. The single also surprisingly peaked at #18 in Australia[15]. Despite the favourable European response to this remix, it was never included on a Michael Jackson album or compilation, except on the third disc of the French version of Jackson's greatest hits album 'King Of Pop'.

Covers

In 2008, Australian Idol contestant (and eventual winner) Wes Carr covered the song in the top 5 of the show. His performance was highly praised by all judges and received a touchdown from Michael Jackson's brother Jermaine Jackson.

The British pop/rock band McFly covered this song on their 2008 Radio:ACTIVE tour. They had the vocalist from the band V rap for them.

In 2009, American Idol contestant, Adam Lambert covered the song in the top 13 of the show. His performance received excellent reviews from all four judges, and Simon Cowell said it was in a different league from the other performances.

Weird Al Yankovic asked Jackson for permission to parody the song, but he refused, saying the meaning was too important. Therefore, the song was never release as a single or on an album, but a portion of it has been performed in concert.

Parodies

  • The song and its music video are spoofed on the FOX sketch comedy series In Living Color as "Am I Black or White," a reference to Jackson's skin color turning brighter. At the end of the video, Jackson (played by Tommy Davidson) breaks a car window and is subsequently arrested by police, causing Jackson to declare that he must be black.
  • Rock band Alien Ant Farm parodied the controversial car-wrecking scene in their cover of the Michael Jackson song, "Smooth Criminal". The only difference is that in the band's video, lead singer Dryden Mitchell grabs his crotch and screams, causing the windows to shatter.

Track listing

Original release

  1. "Black or White" (7" Version) – 3:22
  2. "Black or White" (Instrumental) – 3:22
  3. "Smooth Criminal" – 4:10

Black or White: The Remixes

  1. The Clivillés & Cole House/Club Mix
  2. The Clivillés & Cole House/Dub Mix
  3. The Underground Club Mix
  4. House With Guitar Radio Mix
  5. Tribal Beats

Visionary single

CD side
  1. "Black or White" (Single version) – 3:22
  2. "Black or White" (Clivillés & Cole House Guitar Radio Mix) – 3:50
DVD side
  1. "Black or White" (Music video)

Mixes

  1. Album version – 4:17
  2. Single version – 3:22
  3. Instrumental – 3:22
  4. Clivillés & Cole House/Club Mix - 7:32
  5. Clivillés & Cole Radio Mix – 3:33
  6. Clivillés & Cole House w/Guitar Radio Mix – 3:50
  7. Underground Club Mix

Charts

Chart (1991) Peak
position
United States Billboard Hot 100 1
Australian ARIA Singles Chart 1
Belgium 1
Canada 1
France 1
Ireland 1
Italy 1
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart 1
Norway 1
Spain 2
Sweden 1
Switzerland 1
United Kingdom 1
UK Singles Chart (1991 Year-End) 13
Austria 2
Germany 2
Denmark 3
Netherlands 2
Chart (2009) Peak
position
Danish Singles Chart 33
Irish Singles Chart 22
New Zealand Singles Chart 29
UK Singles Chart 45
U.S. Billboard Hot Digital Songs[16] 13

Credits

  • Written and composed by Michael Jackson
  • Rap lyrics by Bill Bottrell
  • Produced by Michael Jackson and Bill Bottrell
  • Recorded and mixed by Bill Bottrell
  • Solo and background vocals: Michael Jackson
  • Drums: Bryan Loren
  • Percussion: Brad Buxer and Bill Bottrell
  • Bass: Bryan Loren (moog) and Terry Jackson (bass guitar)
  • Keyboards: Brad Buxer, John Barnes and Jason Martz
  • Guitar: Bill Bottrell
  • Heavy metal guitar: Tim Pierce
  • Speed sequencer: Michael Boddicker and Kevin Gilbert
  • Morphing Sound Effect: Scott Frankfurt
  • Rap performed by L.T.B.
  • "Intro":
    • Special guitar performance by Slash
    • Directed by Michael Jackson
    • Composed by Bill Bottrell
    • Engineering and sound design: Matt Forger
    • Son played by Andres McKenzie
    • Father played by L.T.B.

References

  1. ^ a b Sony Music (2001). "Michael Jackson Dangerous Review". Sony Music Entertainment. Retrieved May 4, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ a b Ramage, John D.; Bean, John C.; Johnson, June (2001). Writing arguments: a rhetoric with readings. Allyn and Bacon. p. 491. ISBN 0205317456. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
  3. ^ a b c Campbell, Lisa (1993). Michael Jackson: The King of Pop. Branden Books. p. 301. ISBN 082831957X. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
  4. ^ a b Jackson, Michael (1991). Dangerous booklet. Epic records. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  5. ^ "Peligroso regreso", Michael Jackson: El mito indescifrable (in Spanish), Revista Jeans, p. 7 {{citation}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ Halstead, Craig; Cadman, Chris (2003). Michael Jackson the Solo Years. Authors On Line Ltd. p. 40. ISBN 0755200918. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
  7. ^ Andersen, Christopher P. (1994). Michael Jackson: unauthorized. Simon & Schuster. p. 105. ISBN 0671892398. Retrieved May 29, 2009.
  8. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Michael Jackson Thriller Review". Allmusic. Retrieved May 24, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ Light, Allan (Jan 9, 1992). "Michael Jackson Dangerous Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 22, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ a b c d Halstead, Craig; Cadman, Chris (2003). Michael Jackson the Solo Years. Authors On Line Ltd. p. 99. ISBN 0755200918. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
  11. ^ a b c d Campbell, Lisa (1993). Michael Jackson: The King of Pop. Branden Books. p. 302. ISBN 082831957X. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
  12. ^ a b c Pareles, Jon. "Review/Rock; New Video Opens the Jackson Blitz", The New York Times
  13. ^ a b c d e f Phalen, Tom. "Jackson alters his new video", The Seattle Times
  14. ^ Garcia, Alex. "Michael Jackson "Black or white"". mvdbase. Retrieved Jun 2, 2009.
  15. ^ "Black or White (The Clivillés & Cole (C&C) Remixes" at australian-charts.com
  16. ^ US Hot Digital Songs Chart
Preceded by Australian ARIA Singles Chart number-one single
November 30, 1991 - January 18, 1992 		Succeeded by
Preceded by UK number-one single
November 17 1991 for 2 weeks 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
December 7 1991 - January 18 1992 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
"Song of Ocarina"
by Jean-Philippe Audin and Diego Modena
 French (SNEP) number one single
January 25 1992 - February 2 1992 		Succeeded by
"Song of Ocarina"
by Jean-Philippe Audin and Diego Modena
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