Don't Be Messin' 'Round

Last updated

"Don't Be Messin' 'Round"
Song by Michael Jackson
from the album Bad 25
A-side "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"
ReleasedJune 5, 2012 (2012-06-05) [1] [2]
Recorded
  • 1982
  • 1986
  • 1990–1991
  • 1994–1995
  • 2009
Studio
Genre
Length4:20
Label MJJ
Songwriter(s) Michael Jackson
Producer(s) Michael Jackson
Licensed audio
"Don't Be Messin' 'Round" on YouTube

"Don't Be Messin' 'Round" is a song by American recording artist and singer Michael Jackson. The song was originally recorded in 1986 during initial recording sessions for Jackson's seventh studio album, Bad , but was never finished and was left off the album. [3] Jackson reportedly revisited the track for his eighth and ninth studio albums, and again in 2009. In May 2012, it was announced that Jackson's original 1986 demo for "Don't Be Messin' 'Round" was to be included on a re-release of the original first single from Bad, "I Just Can't Stop Loving You". This release marked the beginning of the promotional campaign for Bad 25, a twenty-fifth-anniversary re-release of the Bad album. As of 2020, the Thriller-era demo has been leaked under the name "Korgnex remix".

Contents

Background and release

Michael Jackson wrote and recorded "Don't Be Messin' 'Round" at some point during recording sessions for his sixth studio album, Thriller . However, due to an overflow of new material at the time, Jackson pushed the song aside for his next album. Years later, in 1986, Jackson revisited the track with longtime collaborators Matt Forger and Bill Bottrell at the Laboratory, the nickname for Jackson's renovated Hayvenhurst recording studio. According to Forger, the original demo for "Don't Be Messin' 'Round" was nearly eight minutes long, leading to Jackson "brutally" cutting it down to its current 4:20 length. Jackson continued to work on the track throughout 1986 both at Hayvenhurst and Westlake Recording Studios; however, once album producer Quincy Jones began working with Jackson, the track was abandoned. Jackson reportedly revisited the song during sessions for both his Dangerous and HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I albums, as well as another revisit in early 2009, but passed on it numerous times.

In early April 2012, unauthorized pre-sales for the "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" CD single began online, prematurely leaking news of the upcoming release of "Don't Be Messin' 'Round". Later in May 2012, the Estate of Michael Jackson issued a statement officially announcing the song's release. The released version is a new mix done by Forger, which he made from combining elements recorded on across multiple different multitrack tapes in attempt to best represent the Bad-era version of the track. [4]

Composition

"Don't Be Messin' 'Round" is a funk and R&B-influenced track, along with flavors of jazz and pop, that lasts for four minutes and 20 seconds. The song incorporates cowbells and thick snares into its beat, along with plucking guitars. Because the song is a demo, Jackson often mumbles through sections rather than singing actual lyrics, making an accurate translation of the lyrics difficult. The song opens with Jackson playing chords on an acoustic piano, after which he sings, "Are you ready for a real good time, my love?/Are you ready for a real good treat?/There'll be so much dancing, singing/Ah, you came falling into me." As the chorus follows, Jackson repeats "So don't be messin' 'round, don't be messin' 'round" in a soft falsetto register. The instrumentation infuses digital drum snares over cowbells and shakers. Jackson fans often noted similarities between "Don't Be Messin' 'Round" and "Streetwalker", another Bad outtake. It has also been compared to various Stevie Wonder songs.

Critical reception

Ray Rahman was proud of the song, highlighting it and praising it: "Noticeably unfinished (refreshingly so, given Bad 25's hermetic polish) numbers like rhythmic earworm 'Don't Be Messin' Around'." [5] The Morton Report felt more mixed: "It [album] kicks off with the mid-tempo, piano-driven 'Don't Be Messin' 'Round'. Too bad he didn't finish this one off, it would've made a far better duet vehicle for him and Stevie Wonder." [6] Evan Sawdey called this song "feel-good". [7]

Track listing

  1. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (album version) – 4:23
  2. "Don't Be Messin' 'Round" (demo) – 4:19

Release history

Release history and formats for "Don't Be Messin' 'Round"
CountryDateFormat
GermanyJune 1, 2012 [9] CD single
FranceJune 4, 2012 [10]
United StatesJune 5, 2012
JapanJune 6, 2012 [11]
AustriaJune 8, 2012 [12]
United KingdomJune 12, 2012 [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Bad</i> (album) 1987 studio album by Michael Jackson

Bad is the seventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. It was released on August 31, 1987, by Epic Records. Written and recorded between 1985 and 1987, Bad was Jackson's third and final collaboration with the producer Quincy Jones. Jackson co-produced and composed all but two tracks, and adopted an edgier image and sound, departing from his signature groove-based style and falsetto. Bad incorporates pop, rock, funk, R&B, dance, soul, and hard rock styles, and incorporated new recording technology, including digital synthesizers. The lyrical themes include media bias, paranoia, racial profiling, romance, self-improvement, and world peace. The album features appearances from Siedah Garrett and Stevie Wonder.

<i>The Ultimate Collection</i> (Michael Jackson album) 2004 box set by Michael Jackson

The Ultimate Collection is a box set by American singer and recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 16, 2004, by Epic Records and consists of four audio CDs and one DVD. The album sold 57,000 copies in 2004 alone, and on May 16, 2013, it was certified Platinum as a multi-disk package by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for physical shipments of 200,000 copies in the United States. The DVD marked the first physical release of Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour, initially an HBO concert special in 1992, which was later released as an individual title on July 25, 2005. The set also features a 60-page booklet that contains photos and text by the American music critic Nelson George summarizing the artist's career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siedah Garrett</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1960)

Deborah Christine "Siedah" Garrett is an American singer and songwriter who has written songs and performed backing vocals for many recording artists in the music industry, such as Michael Jackson, the Pointer Sisters, Brand New Heavies, Quincy Jones, Tevin Campbell, Donna Summer, Madonna, Jennifer Hudson among others. Garrett has been nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Original Song, and won the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards for co-writing "Love You I Do" for the 2006 musical film, Dreamgirls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Just Can't Stop Loving You</span> 1987 single by Michael Jackson

"I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is a 1987 duet ballad by American singers Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett, and was released as the first single on July 20, 1987, by Epic Records from his seventh album, Bad. The song was written by Jackson, and co-produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. The presence of Garrett on the track was a last-minute decision by Jackson and Jones, after Jackson's first two choices for the duet both decided against participating. Garrett, a protégé of Jones's who co-wrote another song on Bad, "Man in the Mirror", did not know that she would be singing the song until the day of the recording session. It became her first hit since Dennis Edwards' 1984 song "Don't Look Any Further". Garrett remains known primarily for her work with Jackson to this day.

"Gold Dust Woman" is a song from British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac's 11th studio album, Rumours (1977). The song was written and sung by Stevie Nicks and released as a B-side to the "Don't Stop" single and the "You Make Loving Fun" single. The song's title, "Gold Dust Woman", comes from Gold Dust Lane, a street in Wickenburg, Arizona where Nicks spent time as a child.

"Just Good Friends" is a song from American recording artist Michael Jackson's 1987 album Bad. The song is one of two duets on the album, the other being "I Just Can't Stop Loving You". The song features Jackson and Stevie Wonder quarrelling over a girl in a light, cheerful manner. "Just Good Friends" is the fifth track on Bad with a duration of 4:06. It is the only song from the album to have never been released as a single. "Just Good Friends" is one of only two songs on Bad which were not written by Jackson himself, the other being "Man in the Mirror". The song was written and composed by the '80s song writing-partnership of Terry Britten and Graham Lyle.

"Stop Messin' Round" is a song first recorded by English blues rock group Fleetwood Mac in 1968. It was written by the group's principal guitarist and singer Peter Green, with an additional credit for manager C.G. Adams. The song is an upbeat 12-bar blues shuffle and is representative of the group's early repertoire of conventional electric blues. The lyrics deal with the common blues theme of the unfaithful lover and share elements with earlier songs.

"Price of Fame" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was originally planned to be the theme for a Pepsi commercial but was replaced by an edited version of "Bad". It was released on the Bad 25 album. Later, the Pepsi version was released online on 2015.

"Working Day and Night" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It is the third track from his fifth studio album, Off the Wall (1979). The song was written by Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones, with Jackson in the role of co-producer. Despite not being released as a single, Jackson performed the song live for his first two solo tours. It is also featured on the video game Michael Jackson: The Experience. The song has been sampled by several artists. It was remixed and released on the remix/soundtrack album, Immortal, in 2011. In 2014, producer Timbaland sampled percussion and breaths from the song in the duet version of "Love Never Felt So Good" ; the duet was released as a single from Xscape.

<i>King of Pop</i> (album) 2008 compilation album by Michael Jackson

King of Pop is a compilation album by American singer and recording artist Michael Jackson, released in commemoration of his 50th birthday in 2008. The album title comes from the honorific title Jackson himself acquired approximately 20 years earlier.

<i>Raditude</i> 2009 studio album by Weezer

Raditude is the seventh studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on October 30, 2009 and is their final album on DGC Records, Geffen Records and Interscope Records. The title of the album was suggested to Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo by actor Rainn Wilson. The album's first single, "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To", was released in August 2009. The album debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200. The album's cover artwork is a photo of a dog named Sidney, originally published in the August 2009 issue of National Geographic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Is It (Michael Jackson song)</span> 2009 promotional single by Michael Jackson

"This Is It" is a song co-written by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson and Canadian singer-songwriter Paul Anka. The song was recorded by the former and featured as a track on the album of the same name which accompanies the 2009 concert documentary Michael Jackson's This Is It.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheater (song)</span> 2004 promotional single by Michael Jackson

"Cheater" is a song written by Michael Jackson and Greg Phillinganes and was originally slated to appear on Jackson's seventh studio album, Bad (1987), but it was removed from the track listing for unknown reasons.

<i>Immortal</i> (Michael Jackson album) 2011 soundtrack album and remix album by Michael Jackson

Immortal is a remix album of music originally recorded by American recording artist Michael Jackson, released on November 18, 2011, by Epic Records. The album is also a soundtrack to Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour, which debuted on October 2, 2011, in Montreal. It was preceded by the release of the title track in the form of a megamix: "Immortal Megamix: "Can You Feel It" / "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" / "Billie Jean" / "Black or White" which features the songs: "Can You Feel It", "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", "Billie Jean" and "Black or White".

<i>Bad 25</i> 2012 studio album (reissue) by Michael Jackson

Bad 25 is the 25th anniversary edition reissue of American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson's seventh studio album Bad (1987). This is the second album by Jackson re-released on its 25th anniversary, the first being Thriller 25 (2008). Bad has sold 35 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. Bad 25 was released on September 18, 2012, with co-operation with Epic, Legacy Recordings and MJJ Productions. Along with the original album, Bad 25 contains demo recordings recorded during the Bad era, with the deluxe edition also containing a live CD and DVD of Live at Wembley July 16, 1988, Jackson's performance at Wembley Stadium in the United Kingdom during his Bad world tour.

<i>Live at Wembley July 16, 1988</i> 2012 video by Michael Jackson

Live at Wembley July 16, 1988 is a live concert DVD by American recording artist Michael Jackson released on September 18, 2012. It was included with the Bad 25 reissue, as well as by itself. This is the third Jackson tour stop released on home video. The recording is a performance of the Bad World Tour, which took place from 1987–1989.

<i>Come and Get It: The Rare Pearls</i> 2012 compilation album by The Jackson 5

Come And Get It: The Rare Pearls is a compilation album of previously unreleased tracks by American family group The Jackson 5, which was released digitally on August 28, 2012 and physically on September 18, 2012.

<i>Bad 25</i> (film) 2012 film by Spike Lee

Bad 25 is a 2012 documentary film about the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson's 1987 album Bad. The film was directed by Spike Lee who previously directed Jackson in the music video for "They Don't Care About Us", as well as directing the posthumous music video for the song "This Is It". A 25th anniversary edition reissue of the Bad album was also released on September 18, 2012, sharing the same name as the film.

<i>Thriller 40</i> 2022 studio album (reissue) by Michael Jackson

Thriller 40 is the 40th-anniversary edition reissue of Thriller (1982), the sixth album by the American singer Michael Jackson. It was released on November 18, 2022, by Epic, Legacy Recordings and MJJ Productions. Thriller 40 is the third reissue of Thriller, following the 2001 special edition and Thriller 25 (2008).

References

  1. ↑ "Michael Jackson's BAD 25th Anniversary Edition Already has its First #1 Single". Vocus. June 14, 2012. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  2. ↑ Goodwyn, Tom (June 8, 2012). "Michael Jackson's estate hit with billion lawsuit". NME . Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  3. ↑ Joseph Vogel (June 5, 2012). "The Story Behind Michael Jackson's Infectious, Newly Released Song". The Atlantic . Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  4. ↑ “Chicago 1945 was done prior to Al Capone”, Matt Forger: the secrets of BAD 25 (EN)
  5. ↑ Rahman, Ray (September 7, 2012). "Bad 25 – review – Michael Jackson". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  6. ↑ Lipp, Chaz (September 16, 2012). "Music Review: Michael Jackson – Bad 25 – 25th Anniversary Edition (3-CD/1-DVD)". The Morton Report. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
  7. ↑ Sawdey, Evan (September 21, 2012). "Michael Jackson: Bad 25 [Deluxe Edition]". PopMatters. Archived from the original on May 23, 2013. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Michael Jackson - I Just Can't Stop Loving You - Sony Music Entertainment Germany GmbH". Archived from the original on August 14, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  9. ↑ "I Just Can't Stop Loving You: Michael Jackson: Amazon.de: Musik". Amazon.de. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  10. ↑ "I Just Can'T Stop Loving You: Michael Jackson: Amazon.fr: Musique". Amazon.fr. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  11. ↑ "I Just Can'T Stop Loving You: Michael Jackson: HMV Japan". hmv.co.jp. Retrieved June 6, 2012.
  12. ↑ "I Just Can'T Stop Loving You: Michael Jackson: Amazon.at: Musique". Amazon.at. Archived from the original on January 14, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  13. ↑ "I Just Can't Stop Loving You: Michael Jackson: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.