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"Why"

Date range assessed by the fact that Michael joined the team in New York for work on the HIStory album in March 1994, and the mastering for HIStory was completed in March 1995 (Mike Smallcombe’s “Making Michael”). TJ says that “it was one of our uncle's songs for the HIStory album” and that Michael let them listen to the song “before the release of the album”. It is also implied that the song was recorded during this period, because they were told to “keep the chorus as it was” .

3T, singers, “Black and White” magazine (1996) (archived mirror)

Black and White Magazine: What's your favorite song on the Brotherhood album?

Taryll: …”Anything" is a very special song, but I also love "Why" very much. Just working with Michael... it's a dream come true. I didn't think it'd happen so quickly. I was very happy to work with him, to be together on one song really is a dream come true…

B&W: Where does [“Why”] come from?

TJ: At first, it was one of our uncle's songs for the HIStory album. He made the mistake to let us listen to it before the release of the album and we fell in love with this track--as it happens with all of his songs--but he gave us that one. We admire Babyface a lot, which could explain the reason why Michael gave us this particular song. So we could have the song, but under one condition: we should keep his voice on it. So we kept the chorus as it was, sang by Michael, and we re-sang the verses. Uncle Michael was with us during the recording, he helped us with our singing as well as getting into the atmosphere of the song. You should hear Michael's version of "Why", that would be cool.

HIStory Magazine, 1996 (mirror)

TJ: Originally, it was our uncle's song for the HIStory album, but he made the mistake of playing it for us before the album was already out! We fell in love with the song, like the rest of them, but this one he actually gave to us.

We really admire Babyface as well (he composed "Why") which is probably why he gave it to us, under one condition: that we keep his vocals. So we kept his vocals for the chorus, and redid the verses in our own voices.

Uncle Michael was there with us for the recording. He helped us out on the placement of our verses and just the whole feeling of the song. You should hear the version with him, that would be cool.

Taj Jackson, 3T member, “The MJCast” (November 15, 2015) (archived)

MJCast (Jamon): Even though you and your brothers were in the public eye from a very young age, for example, the "2300 Jackson Street" video or that Donahue special I was talking about a bit earlier, it probably wasn't until they brought in the era of "Brotherhood" that fans of the Jacksons really got a taste of 3T, especially with the music video for "Why". Can you tell us about the history of that song in particular, the recording sessions around it, and then, ultimately, the filming of the music video?

Taj: Yeah, of course. It's not that exciting of a story for the recording process. Basically, it was a song written by Babyface for my uncle's album, and he didn't have the room for the song. And so, he kind of offered it to us, and we were like, "Are you serious? You want us to have this song that was written by Babyface, and you're singing backgrounds on it?" And so, we were so excited about it, and we actually didn't record with our uncle for that song [in] particular. The backgrounds were already done, and that's why it was hard, because it was in a different key than what we were used to, because the song was already pretty much done. So, we had to adapt to our uncle's key. So, it's a lot higher than we normally were used to. Nevertheless, we sang the leads on that song or resung leads, and it was just such a great gift that our uncle gave us--and even that Babyface gave us. It's like, I just--I look at that song, and I'm like--our uncle did certain things in his life to kind of say, "Okay, I want you guys to succeed, and he always--and it wasn't as Michael Jackson, the musician, it was Michael Jackson, the uncle, that he would do these things for us. And so, I'm just really appreciative of that aspect of it.

...Jamon (The MJCast): You mentioned just a few seconds ago that you re-sung the the leads there. Now one of the biggest mysteries in the Jackson fan world is whether there is a solo version of "Why" sung by Michael that actually exists?

Taj: I don't think there is. I don't think there is. I know there's one with Babyface. But... my uncle only sung the backgrounds. I'm 90% sure. I could be proven wrong, but I don't think it exists. I think it was only Babyface.

Taj: But I could be wrong... Taryll might be like, "Nope, you're wrong", 'cause Taryll is like the fact checker of everything of us. So, don't hold everything I say, but I don't remember it. I don't remember hearing--even though I do remember he did sing--we did have his last vocal on there, his last "tell you, tell me why". So, maybe there is something of him in there, but I know that the parts that we sung to, it was Babyface's voice that we were hearing when we were mimic--not mimicking, but when we were trying to figure out the lyrics.

Jamon (The MJCast): Re-recording--

Taj: Yeah, we didn't even have the lyric sheet, so we were basically listening to what was being sung, and then re-singing it.