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"Black Echoes" Magazine Interview

Date of publication confirmed in Chris Cadman’s “Michael Jackson the Maestro” (“24th February, 1979”)

“Black Echoes” magazine (February 24, 1979), from Chris Cadman’s “Michael Jackson the Maestro (article summary/quotes)

The interviewer for this article came under the alias of ‘Snoopy’ who had been a fan of the Jacksons since their debut single, ‘I Want You Back.’ He spent four hours with the Jacksons asking about the new album Destiny and various other career achievements.

Highlights included:

Was Destiny their best album.

Marlon said:

“I wouldn’t use the word ‘best.’”

Explaining it was their first time as producers and writers of all of the songs but one. He went on.

“We were all involved in the mixing stages, and also in the final mix down, because we wanted a certain sound, and we feel we got it in the end. We call it ‘Freaky Soul.’ Jackie said there were not any leftover tracks from the Destiny sessions. What was on the record is all they wrote.

“All the songs that are on the album were made for it.”

The interview turned to Michael’s debut appearance in the Wiz movie. He said he had seen the stage show several times and always watched the original film version every Christmas. Describing his opening appearance he said:

“In the States when I first appear in the film with the Funky Crows, those birds get hissed and booed at. They are m-e-a-n-y you know.”

Was he reading the quotes from paper in the original play?

“No, in fact although the storyline is virtually the same as the Broadway show, there’s a million new ideas that have gone into the film. Each of those paper bits were put in to my clothing just before I was due to take it out.”

Michael’s upcoming Off The Wall is mentioned with songs from Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney and Tom Bahler mentioned.

On Michael’s musical influences.

“There are lots of singers I love to listen to. I like people like Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Nat King Cole. I like Elvis too – but it makes me sad when they call him the king, as if he was the founder of rock & roll. He was good and everything, but it’;s people like Little Richard and Chuck Berry who were the grass root singers who began the rock movement. I think the Beatles revolutionized the pop industry though. I love their records.”

...Talking about the Jackson 5 cartoon series in Black Echoes in February, 1979 Michael said:

“That wasn’t us doing the voices, they had the film company send over some people to move with us for a month or so – they found out all they needed to know about our individual personalities. It was Berry Gordy’s idea to do the series. They still show it in the States.”