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Lisa Robinson Phone Interview

Date confirmed in Vanity Fair

Lisa Robinson, Vanity Fair (September 2009)

Interview with Michael by phone from Encino, California, September 4, 1979:

Michael said he knew that the Jacksons could do their own record production, and the success of Destiny (released in 1978 and yielding the platinum single “Shake Your Body”) proved them right.

“Our persistence in not giving up, continually telling the record company we didn’t want other writers, was what finally changed their mind. You’ve got to remember I’ve been around studios since I was a child, and I’ve just picked it up. You learn, you watch . . . I’d sit in on Stevie [Wonder]’s sessions and just be amazed. He’d sit there and do everything.”

L.R.Why did you go outside the family and work with Quincy [Jones] on Off the Wall?

M.J. I felt there are still so many different things I want to learn that I didn’t want to go in myself and do it. I wanted to watch a giant and learn from him. That’s why I wanted to work with Quincy. He’s the kind of guy who’s unlimited musically: classical, jazz, disco, soul, pop—he’s done operas, movie soundtracks, he’s worked with Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, all the greats, he can do everything. He can work with me and do anything I want. I wanted an album that wouldn’t just consist of one kind of music, because I love all kinds of music. I see it all as music; I don’t like to label it. It’s like saying this child is white, this child is black, this child is Japanese—but they’re all children. It reminds me of prejudice. I hate labels. I went to a record store the other day and I saw the Bee Gees in the “Black” category. I mean, what is that? It’s so crazy. If somebody has a wonderful song that’s right for me, I’d love to do it. I wouldn’t pass up a good song just because I didn’t write it. On the Jacksons’ albums we write all the songs, but I love hearing other people’s material. It’s so much fun hearing things that I didn’t write; I think, How did you write that? How did you do that? That’s what I enjoy most about doing solo albums. You get to see how different people work in the studio. With the Jacksons we’re just doing our own thing in our little private world. That’s why I didn’t want the Jacksons to produce my album. I don’t want the same sound, because mine is different.

L.R.How was it filming The Wiz?

M.J. I had the time of my life. It was an experience I’ll never forget. I’m just dying to do the next film. It’s really killing me—and when I say killing me, I really mean it. Sometimes I could just scream, but I’m so busy with other things, and what I really want to do more than anything is film. Film will last forever. I can go on tour and it’s exciting, but when it’s done, it’ll be lost to the world. But if I do a movie, it’ll be there forever, that’s what I love about film: it’s something captured, a moment captured that’ll be there for eternity. The stars die, like Charlie Chaplin—he’s gone, but his films will be here forever. If he did Broadway and plays while he was alive, he would have been lost to the world. I’d have to set time aside to do films, but I always do things through force and feeling, and I always follow my instincts. If it’s meant to be, it’ll come, it’ll happen. It will make itself known.