Note: If viewing Michael Jackson Ultimate Archive on archive.org (Wayback Machine), please view the latest snapshot of this page for the most up-to-date information and media.

Rick Dees (KIIS-FM) Radio Interview

Transcript

Rick: Okay, it's 7:18 right now, I’m receiving information. We just talked to Mark. We went to Mark and then we ping ponged Ellen back to Rudy, then Rudy ping ponged us back to Elloise, who then ping ponged us back to another telephone. The telephone was then transferred to a cellular, back to a land line to the giraffe cottage, back to the popcorn machine and then to the RC car off of the, off of the…

Ellen: Wow, it's bouncing everywhere, the signal is out of control

Rick: off of the radio control car to a video machine in the arcade, then wired into the video machine into Michael Jackson’s room. There is a chance that we've lost transmissioin in there

Ellen:- No!

Rick: but..let's see…Hello?

MJ: Hello.

Rick: MIKE!!

Ellen:- Oh, It's Michael!

MJ: Rick Dees...

Rick: Hey buddy, I miss you.

MJ: I miss you too.

Rick: Oh, you looked great on TV the other night and also, before we get into this world premiere, a lot of people are calling for this already. Thank you so much for allowing us to premiere it.

MJ: What a wonderful man you are. Thank you so much.

Rick: Oh, you're so welcome. Now are you on the ranch now?

MJ: No, I'm still doing some business out of town.

Rick: Uh-huh. I can barely hear you. I guess this is…

MJ: Uh, I’m still doing meetings and things, I'm not back in California yet but I'll be there soon.

Rick: Good. Good deal. So, you obviously don't get up at 7:20 in the morning, do you?

MJ: (chuckle) No. but I usually work all night, I usually go to bed at this time.

Rick: Yeah, Mike..you're a night person. I mean last time I saw you you'd stayed up and written about four different songs, practiced…

MJ: Yeah, I’m very nocturnal

Rick: Yeah, I mean this is..(laughing) you're very nocturnal guy. Hey, this is your day coming up. I mean if it's not Halloween for Michael Jackson it's not for anybody.

MJ: Hehe. right...

Rick: Are you gonna go out and trick-or-treat?

MJ: Yes, I'm going trick-or-treating, taking my children.

Ellen: Do they have costumes?

MJ: Yees.

Ellen: What are they? What will Paris…

Rick: First of all let's talk about… we got Prince and Paris and Tito.

MJ: They're Prince, Paris and Blanket. Prince wants to be the black panther, Paris who is the girl..she's a tomboy..she wants to be Spiderman.

Rick: Oh yeah!

MJ: And the little one wants to be Spiderman, too, and I'm gonna be a Ghost.

Rick: Oh yeah!

MJ: Hehe.

Rick: So (*laughing*).. Listen, if you get a chance..I mean if you're in the neighborhood..I have these huge, beautiful candy apples and also you know the long huge candy bars, the ones that no one gives out anymore.

Ellen: The movie size

Rick: The movie size candy bars, like you serve at your place there.

MJ: Yeah..

Rick: So come on in and I would love to throw down a little something for Prince and Paris, and the Ghost.

MJ: Oh, I would love it.

Rick: Yeah!

Ellen: Do you have a favourite chocolate, Michael?

MJ: I like..believe it or not..milk chocolate.

Rick: You like..you like..you say..milk chocolate?

MJ: Yeah..hehe.

Rick: I love milk chocolate!

MJ: Me too!

Rick: You know what I did this week, Michael? I…I have to confess. I went in and these kids came by here and sold a thousand dollars worth of chocolate to the radio station.

MJ: Wow..

Rick: And so I said I was donating it to charity. I did all of it except for thirty candy bars. (laughing)

MJ: Wow!

Ellen: Oh Rick. Take it down…

Rick: (still laughing) I’ve been eating this chocolate for 30 days! It’s been every morning! I got this thing about milk chocolate and..

MJ: (laughing) You ate the candy?

Rick: I ate the candy and I'm sorry! Last time I was at your place I got so hungry and this chef goes in here and I could smell this wonderful vegetarian pizza all afternoon.

MJ: There's candy everywhere in Neverland.

Rick: There's candy everywhere in your home.

Ellen: Love that..

Rick: And I just love that. You know that’s something, when you walk into Michael Jackson's place it's fresh candy and there’s a… the fragrance in his home is like a, a cross between chocolate and vanilla. And there's kind of a buttery smell and a fragrance.

Ellen: I could definitely hang out.

Rick: Well, you just want to.

MJ: You're welcome anytime.

Ellen: Oh, thank you.

Rick: Thank you so much.

MJ: You're always welcome.

Rick: Now, did you have breakfast yet?

MJ: Pardon?

(Laughing in the Studio)

Ellen: (laughing) What’s that? He doesn't know what that is.

Rick: Listen, Michael, we have a bet going on right now, and you can certainly tell me no but I'm dying..look I’m gonna end up playing "Thriller" a tremendous number of times between now and this time tomorrow…

MJ: Ok.

Rick: Ok. and I’m gonna, of course your world premiere, people are calling for this song over and over and over.

MJ: Oh, God bless.

Rick: What More Can I Give. But, umm…

MJ: It's for the children. It's so important.

Rick: I'm trying to get something for the kids. Is there anyway you can say “hey what's up it's Michael Jackson with Rick Dees and as my Halloween gift to you, here's "Thriller"? Obviously, I gonna warn you in advance that I’m gonna tape it if you will say that.

MJ: Ok, I'll do it for…

Rick: Ok, here we go. Yeah, and use your own words if you want but with good energy like you're on the Mike Douglas show for the first time.

MJ: Ok.

Rick: Ok. Three, two, one.

MJ: Hi, this is Michael Jackson with Rick Dees - Halloween! This is Thriller. Enjoy it.

Rick: Good. Now just say "2003 Halloween".

MJ: Ok. 2003 Halloween with Rick Dees.

(Studio claps and cheers)

Rick: Ooooh! That's like heaven. Okay, Ellen lost the bet.

Ellen: I was saying that you probably might not do it.

Rick: Let's go back to the song for just a second. This has been sometime putting it together. Did it come to you once or was it something you were working on, with the tune and everything over period of time?

MJ: No, it just came at once. The art of songwriting is a totally a different art, it really is a, it really is a gift from God. It really is. And I feel guilty putting my name on it because it falls into my lap, it's gift from the heaven. It really is.

Rick: It's just a gift, isn't it..

MJ: It REALLY is.

Rick: Wow. So between now and the holidays are you gonna stick around home, you're gonna head back to Hayvenhurst Avenue ever?

MJ: Umm, I think we're going overseas.

Rick: There is so much that goes on over there. Once you hit the tarmac, like in London or Paris, it doesn't stop, does it?

MJ: It doesn't. yeah. we’ll go to London and Ireland and then we go over to Africa and then we come back.

- Where do they get that craziest? I saw some shots, like the Budicon, also in Japan. They're carrying people out and everything. Does it get craziest in Japan or where?

MJ: It's… I tell you the honest truth Rick, it's just the same wherever we go. It really is. They - The love and appreciation is so wonderful. The fans are so happy and animated, it just touches my heart with love. It really does. I pray for that goodness.

Rick: Well, so super.

MJ: and thank God.

Rick: Any word on whether you're gonna put together a tour for 2003 or is it too early to tell.

MJ: Yeah, I really don't... I don't know myself now. No I don’t think so, we're really concentrating on other areas now.

MJ: You’ll never know it might be a special event for something.

Rick: Good deal, well we’ll certainly keep it open for ya…

Ellen: All those beautiful babies...are there plans for anymore babies in your life?

MJ: Oh, I’m gonna have a big family. More and more and more children.

Rick: Really?

MJ: I'll double my father.

Rick: You wanna beat your dad? He's the father of our country. Michael Jackson is here!

Radio Announcement: OUR WORLD PREMIERE!

Rick: Doesn't this feel great to hear it on the radio?

MJ: Yes.

Rick: Oh yes. What More Can I Give, with a lot of help from a lot of friends. Listen.