Beat It

"Beat It" is a hit single from Michael Jackson's album Thriller, released in 1983 (see 1983 in music). It was the third single from the album, following "The Girl Is Mine" (a duet with Paul McCartney) and "Billie Jean".

"Beat It" won Jackson two Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. It was also nominated for Song of the Year along with Jackson's "Billie Jean". The song was ranked #337 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. "Beat It" is also notable for its guitar solo, a guest performance by Eddie Van Halen. In the 30th anniversary show live on television, Slash, the former lead guitarist from Guns N' Roses, played with Michael during the performance of the song. In a reader's poll made by Guitar World magazine the solo was voted as the 67th greatest guitar solo of all time. The lyrics are about life on the streets and gang fighting and killings, as inspired by a quote in "West Side Story".

In 2008, the song was re-recorded by Jackson and R&B artist Fergie for Thriller 25, a special edition of the original album, commemorating the 25th anniversary of its release. American rock band Fall Out Boy also released a cover of the song which featured John Mayer playing the guitar solo.

This song also appears in video games Karaoke Revolution Volume 3 and Guitar Hero World Tour.

History

In the years directly preceding "Beat It", Jackson had already composed several of his own hit songs. His Off the Wall album, released in 1979 (see 1979 in music) and produced by Quincy Jones, featured two of his compositions – "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Working Day and Night" – as well as a third co-written with Louis Johnson, "Get on the Floor". (Similarly, The Jacksons' 1978 album Destiny showcased his hit song "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" and 1980's Triumph had the even more prescient "This Place Hotel"). In many respects the Off the Wall album served as a measure of things to come. Jackson and Jones had laid a foundation for putting songs appealing to different segments of their audience together on one seamless record. Jackson's loyal fan base amongst his R&B audience had spread into mainstream for more than a decade, and his songs displayed an uncanny ability to appeal to a fairly wide-ranging group of listeners: those who liked ballads, or dance tunes, or disco, or slightly funkier grooves, or even lighter fare could all find something to appreciate on Off the Wall.

With Thriller, Jackson and Jones would attempt at once to hone, embellish, and surpass this feat. One of their ambitions was to include a rock song on the new album. They took partial inspiration from another chart-topping rock song by The Knack. According to Jones, "I said at the time, 'I need a song like "My Sharona"... A black version of a strong rock and roll thing, with the power of everything else he [wrote].' And [Jackson] hit it right on the head."

Kicking off with an instantly recognizable gong (from a Synclavier) which quickly segues into an equally distinctive rapid fire drum machine beat and then the ongoing heavy drumming and guitar riff, "Beat It" speaks of urgency from the outset and indeed plays out like the urban cousin of "My Sharona". The lyrics to "Beat It" are an immediate, frightful warning to avoid fighting and violence at all costs, especially when honor seems to be at stake ("Show them how funky long is your fight") and Jackson sings them forcefully, near the top of his register.

Providing a dramatic electric guitar solo during the bridge of the song is Eddie Van Halen from the rock group Van Halen. According to Jones, when he first contacted the guitarist about appearing on the song, Eddie Van Halen didn't believe he was who he said he was, or that the offer was authentic. Nevertheless, he went on to provide the defining element that set the song apart from other Jackson tunes to date. Eddie Van Halen, famously, did not request payment for his performance.

Steve Lukather, who played lead guitar on the track, stated: "Quincy Jones and Michael took a skeleton version of "Beat It" up to Eddie Van Halen's place as they wanted him to solo over the verse section. However, he played over a section that had more chord changes. So to fit his solo to where it went in the song, they had to cut the tape which took a lot of time to synchronise together." "After they had managed this, Jeff Porcaro and me were called in to bind Eddie's solo and some haphazard percussion which was a major headache. Initially, we rocked it out as Eddie had played a good solo but Quincy thought it too tough. So I had to reduce the distorted guitar sound and this is what was released. It was a huge R&B/rock success for us all really and helped pave the way for the bands of today that fuse these styles."

In 2001, during Jackson's 30th Anniversary Special, he and guitarist Slash performed "Beat It" on stage, accompanied by dancers portraying gangsters. He ended the performance by recreating the dance scene from the video.

Music video and choreography

The video for "Beat It" follows an uncomplicated narrative: it opens in a diner/pool hall, where two men walk outside (the music begins when the doors slam shut behind them) and then the members of two warring gangs gather and march to a "rumble" inspired by the film West Side Story, at a warehouse. Throughout, Jackson appears as a lone figure, dancing throughout the diner, eventually arriving at the warehouse just as the gang leaders (one of whom is portrayed in a white outfit and sunglasses by choreographer Michael Peters) are engaged in a knife fight. Viewers watching closely can see elements of another early-to-mid 1970s phenomenon being performed by some of the cast - the physically complicated breakdancing technique. "Beat It" included real gang members from LA mixed in with experienced dancers. In the diner, the girl getting kissed has fake bullet holes complete with blood stains riddling her t-shirt, which adds to the violent atmosphere.

The basic structure of "Beat It" was instantly and endlessly copied, which continues to this day. Pat Benatar's "Love Is a Battlefield" – also directed by Giraldi and choreographed by Peters – could be viewed as the ultimate female counterpart to the video, so similar is its content, editing and theme. Other artists including Lionel Richie (who worked with the same director/choreographer team on his "Running with the Night" video), Janet Jackson, the Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync, Christina Aguilera, Usher, Amy Winehouse and countless others all borrowed from the template of the winning video to craft their own entries into the medium — much to the delight of video stations everywhere. Even "Weird Al" Yankovic used the video (more specifically the entire video) for his parody "Eat It", which outperformed the original song in Australia, reaching the #1 spot in 1984.

Such was the strength of Peters' choreographic skills that well over a decade after the release of the video, live Jackson performances of "Beat It" typically included many of the original arrangements and steps. These were however embellished for purposes of live theatricality.

Eddie Van Halen, who played the solo, was scheduled to have a spot in the music video. However, he decided not to show up to filming because he "didn't think it would be a hit."

Several recognizable actors and dancers appear as faux "gang-members" in the video, among them Stoney Jackson (no relation), Michael DeLorenzo, Tracii Guns, Peter Tramm (Kevin Bacon's dance double for "Footloose"), and Tony Fields (from the television show Solid Gold and the movie A Chorus Line). Eagle-eyed viewers can catch Fields (wearing a brown jacket, behind and to the left of Peters - from the viewer's perspective) flubbing steps in the background behind Jackson towards the video's close.

Impact of song and music video

By all accounts, "Beat It" was an unqualified smash hit and is often heralded as the ultimate crossover hit. Not only did "Beat It" fare well with Jackson's R&B fans, but it also did with rock and heavy metal fans because of Eddie Van Halen's contributions. Radio stations still playing the song's album-mate "Billie Jean" added the new one to their playlists, and it also rapidly advanced to the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Jackson and Jones had succeeded in getting R&B radio stations to play a song featuring hard rock elements, and rock stations to play a song delivered from a formidable R&B performer. Van Halen's legendary guitar solo became ubiquitous across radio dials around the world.

Future Jackson albums would similarly rely on the proven gambit of attempted broad-based appeal, to varying results, and each would include a hard rock song of its own. Most of these also featured superstar guest-guitarists providing solo performances in the Van Halen mold. These included:

• "Dirty Diana" featuring Steve Stevens (Bad, 1987)
• "Black or White" featuring Slash (Dangerous, 1991)
• "Give in to Me" featuring Slash (Dangerous)
• "D.S." featuring Slash (HIStory, 1995)
• "Morphine" (Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, 1997)
• "Privacy" featuring Slash (Invincible)
• "Whatever Happens" featuring Carlos Santana (Invincible)

Also, as with its predecessor "Billie Jean", "Beat It" enjoyed unprecedented success on the still-growing cable network MTV. In fact, the music video for the new song was even granted an exclusive nighttime "World Premiere" on the channel, establishing a long-running tradition for top artists. Soon after it was also running on other cable networks and video programs including BET's Video Soul and WTBS's Night Tracks. "Beat It" was also the first video shown on NBC's offering in this new market, Friday Night Videos. Coupled with the success of the original song, the two fueled the ever-growing Jackson-mania that captivated millions around the world.

The video was directed by Bob Giraldi (who would go on to direct Jackson and his brothers in two Pepsi commercials) and choreographed by Michael Peters (who would later tackle the same task on Jackson's epic "Thriller" video). Many of the participants in the video's dance sequences were actual street gang members, brought in to authenticate the look and feel of the piece.

The multi-zippered red jacket worn by Jackson throughout the video would become iconic in its own right, and children and teenagers across the country of all races sported copies of the design. The jacket was seen in spot graphics in a TIME magazine article on Jackson that year, and was offered as an alternative outfit for the pop star's action figure. In one of the two Pepsi commercials featuring the Jacksons, a young Alfonso Ribeiro (having recently starred in Broadway's The Tap Dance Kid) wears a "Beat It" jacket as he dances in the street with other youths before literally moonwalking into his hero.

Chart performance

Track listings

Original release

U.S. single

1. "Beat It" – 4:17
2. "Burn This Disco Out" – 3:48

UK single

7" single

1. "Beat It" – 4:17
2. "Burn This Disco Out" – 3:48

12" single

1. "Beat It" – 4:17
2. "Get on the Floor" – 4:57
3. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (edit) – 4:22

Visionary single

CD side

1. "Beat It" - 4:18
2. "Beat It" (Moby's Sub Mix) - 6:11

DVD side

1. "Beat It" (Music video)

Official alternate versions

1. Album Version - 4:16
2. 7" Version - 4:11
3. Moby's Sub Mix - 6:11
4. "Beat It 2008" (with Fergie) - 4:10 (for Thriller 25)

Credits

• Written, arranged and composed by Michael Jackson
• Produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson
• Lead and background vocals by Michael Jackson
• Guitar Solo by Eddie Van Halen
• Guitar by Paul Jackson
• Electric bass and guitar by Steve Lukather
• Drums by Jeff Porcaro
• Drum case beater by Michael Jackson
• Keyboards by Bill Wolfer
• Synclavier by Tom Bahler
• Rhodes and synthesizer by Greg Phillinganes
• Synthesizer and synthesizer programming by Steve Porcaro
• Vocal arrangement by Michael Jackson
• Rhythm arrangement by Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones
• Costumes designed by Gordon Clarke

Thriller 25 version

A remix of "Beat It" featuring R&B artist Fergie, "Beat It 2008" was released on Thriller 25 in 2008. It mixed Jackson's original vocals with Fergie's new ones. This new song has charted from download sales, though it has not been released as a single.

Credits

• Original song written by Jackson
• Original recording produced by Jones/Jackson
• Remix drums: will.i.am
• Remix keyboards and synths: will.i.am
• Remix engineered by will.i.am and Kerin
• Remix produced and mixed by will.i.am
• Remix recorded in November 2007

Chart performance

Fall Out Boy featuring John Mayer version

In 2007, Fall Out Boy began covering "Beat It" and performed the song during the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. The band also played it for the 2008 New Year's Party on the U.S. television network FOX. In February 2008, the band released a studio version of "Beat It" featuring John Mayer playing the guitar solo part on their live album, ****: Live in Phoenix.^[8][9]. It made its debut as a single in early April 2008. The song was released as a digital download only. It has been a moderate success, it has debuted at #8 on the Canadian Hot 100 and debuted at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100. A music video was made for the song, and debuted in April 2008. Hal Sparks, Tony Hale, Joel David Moore, and Donald Faison make cameos in the video. The video was directed by Shane Drake. The video was nominated for Best Rock Video at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards.

Track listing (iTunes)

1. "Beat It" (featuring John Mayer) - 3:48
2. "Beat It" (Live) - 2:36

The song also was a hit on the Iran hit single by reaching number 4.

Charts

Other notable covers

• "Weird Al" Yankovic parodied the song and video as "Eat It" in 1984.
• Wyclef Jean replays the main bass line on Guitar on The Refugee camp remix of "2 Bad" from Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix.
• Heavy metal band Metallica played an excerpt of this song at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards.
• UK death metal band Ten Masked Men covered "Beat It" on their self-titled 1999 debut album Ten Masked Men.
• Richard Cheese covered the song as a lounge style version on his 2004 album I'd Like a Virgin.
• Italian melodic death metal band Raintime featured a cover of the song on their 2007 release Flies & Lies.
• Greek melodic death metal band Inactive Messiah featured a cover of the song on their 2006 release Be My Drug
• Supergrass, included a cover as a B-side to their 2008 single "Bad Blood".
• Streetpunk band The Unseen cover this song on their 1999 album So This is Freedom?.
• Post-Hardcore band Pierce The Veil recorded a cover to this song which is only available on their myspace, and can be freely downloaded from there.
• In 1999, popular Brazilian musician Milton Nascimento covered this song on his "Crooner" album.
• In 2004, Señor Coconut and His Orchestra released a latin influenced cover of Beat It as a single.
• In 2007, Chinese singer Gong Ge'er performed a Chinese parody of the song as "Forced" in Hu Ge's short film "007 and the Man in Black."
• There is also a cover by Alvin and the Chipmunks

References

• Moonwalk — by Michael Jackson, edited by Jackie Onassis (Doubleday 1988, ISBN 0-385-24712-5)
• The Michael Jackson Story — by Nelson George (Dell 1983, ISBN 0-440-15592-4)
• Trapped: Michael Jackson and the Crossover Dream — by Dave Marsh (Bantam 1985, ISBN 0-553-34241-X)
• Thriller – Special Edition (Epic Records, 2001 — selected interviews)
• Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection (Epic Records, 2004 — liner notes)

Footnotes