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"Record Mirror" Newspaper Interview

Date of publication confirmed in Chris Cadman’s “Michael Jackson the Maestro”

“Record Mirror” (October 7, 1978), from Chris Cadman’s “Michael Jackson the Maestro” (article summary/quotes)

At the time of Paul Sexton’s interview, the Jackson were enjoying a resurgence in the UK, having played at the Royal Variety show in Glasgow and having their first number one single. Things were looking up for the Jacksons with their new song, ‘Blame It On The Boogie.’ Michael spoke with Sexton over the telephone from the family Hayvenhurst home.

Highlights:

How did they come across ‘Blame It On The Boogie.’

“We heard, ‘Blame It On The Boogie’ when we were listening to a series of tapes, and this song was six years old. We recorded it as soon as we heard it and put it out as a single.”

Writer Mick Jackson, no relation, had his version released by the record company no sooner the Jacksons had issued theirs, something that didn’t go down to well with Michael.

“I’ve heard the other version and its okay, but it just hasn’t got the groove like ours has. He only put out his version when he heard ours which wasn’t a very nice thing to do because the record company had promised us they wouldn’t.”

On their first written and produced album, Destiny:

“I wrote three of the songs with my brother Randy: ‘All Night Dancin’, Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)’ which is really long, like about eight minutes, and really in the groove, and ‘That’s What You Get (For Being Polite).”

At the time of the interview Michael said he thought either ‘Things I Do For You’ or ‘That’s What You Get (For Being Polite)’ would be the follow up to ‘Blame It On The Boogie’.

On the old days in the UK:

“Those were really happy days. I’ve got great memories of them.”