Behind The Mask

"Behind the Mask" is a synthpop song by electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra, written by member Ryuichi Sakamoto and first produced in 1978 for a Seiko commercial. It was later released in 1979 as part of the band's Solid State Survivor album with English lyrics added by Chris Mosdell. The song has been performed by many artists since its original release. In the early 1980s, Michael Jackson wrote additional lyrics for the song with an accompanying melody, which has been recorded by himself, Greg Phillinganes, Eric Clapton, and Ryuichi Sakamoto (as a solo artist), among others.


"Behind the Mask" was a single from Michael Jackson's keyboardist Greg Phillinganes's 1985 album Pulse. Phillinganes first met Michael and his brothers during the sessions for The Jacksons' Destiny album in 1978, and went on to serve as musical director for Michael's Bad World Tour.
Greg had released the song as a single in 1985,[10] which reached No.4 on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs, No.77 on the Billboard R&B singles chart in the United States, but failed to make the Hot 100 and UK charts.

Michael Jackson Version

"Behind the Mask"

Single by Michael Jackson
from the album Michael

B-side "Hollywood Tonight" (Vinyl)
Released February 21, 2011
Format CD, digital download, Vinyl
Recorded 1982-2010
Genre Synthpop, Dance-pop, R&B
Length 5:02 (album version)
3:39 (edit)
Label Epic


Writer(s) Michael Jackson
Chris Mosdell
Ryuichi Sakamoto[17]
Producer Michael Jackson
John McClain


Michael Jackson singles chronology
"Hollywood Tonight"
(2011) "Behind the Mask"
(2011) "(I Like) The Way You Love Me"
(2011)
Michael track listing
"(I Can't Make It) Another Day"
( 8 ) "Behind the Mask"
( 9 ) "Much Too Soon"
( 10 Audio sample


"Behind the Mask" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson included on his posthumous album Michael. The song was released by Epic Records on February 21, 2011 as the third single from Michael. Shanice provides background vocals on the song. In February 2011, the song was released as a single in France.

Background And Release




Quincy Jones heard Yellow Magic Orchestra’s version during the Thriller sessions, and brought it to Michael Jackson, Michael had recorded the song, adding an extra melody line and a few extra lyrics to Chris Mosdell's original. Mosdell has said of the collaboration, "when Michael Jackson took it, it made it into a love song about a woman. It was a completely different premise to me, I was talking about a very impersonal, socially controlled society, a future technological era, and the mask represented that immobile, unemotional state. But hey, I let him have that one." An agreement to share the royalties equally between Sakamoto, Mosdell and Jackson broke down when the management of Yellow Magic Orchestra disagreed and it prevented the song to be released on Jackson's sixth studio album, Thriller, and remained unreleased for over 25 years.

However, as a part of Sony Music's 10-album recording deal with the Estate of Michael Jackson, the song was announced to be released on the posthumous album of Jackson's, titled Michael. In a later announcement from Jackson' official website, the song will be released as a radio single in not only France, but also the United States, Canada, and Japan.

Critical Reception




The song received mainly positive reviews from music critics. Jody Rosen from Rolling Stone called the song "a fiercely funky cousin to "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' ." Dan Martin from NME thought the song was "an absolute revelation, a swirl of psychedelic, orchestra-twinged R&B", and said "Jackson howls a solid-gold melody at his fearsome best, and blippy production and robotic backing vocals dancing behind it." Jason Lipshutz with Gail Mitchell and Gary Graff from Billboard thought the song was "a must-listen songs on Michael", and it "holds the highest number of Jackson's signature 'hee-hee!' exclaims". Joe Pareles from New York Times said, the song was originally a 1979 hit by Ryuichi Sakamoto’s group Yellow Magic Orchestra with Jackson's lyrics about a coldhearted woman, but the final version which was completed by Mr. McClain was mixed with applause and squeals from concert crowds from Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour DVD. Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly thought the song seemed "oddly dated by sax flourishes — though perhaps that makes it a good companion to the lilting closer Much Too Soon, an actual relic of the early ’80s". The author of the forthcoming book, Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson, Joe Vogel thought John McClain's update to the song was skillful, making it sound brand new and retro at the same time. And he thought the song is "definitely one of the highlights of the album".

Negative review comes from Carl Cortez of Assignment X, he said the version on the 7" single version "is an 'edit' version here (not even a true remix) so it's at least shorter than the album version which is the only thing that makes it better."

Music Video




As the single release officially announced, a music video for this song was also announced to be released worldwide. On February 28, 2011, a project for this song's music video titled "Behind the Mask Project" was announced: "the Estate of Michael Jackson and Sony Music will provide everyone who likes music an opportunity to help create online a unique groundbreaking music video for the single 'Behind the Mask'." All the world can use a simple online tool to take part in making the music video since March 7, 2011.

On March 30, 2011, a 17-second video of what Sony Music had been doing with some of the thousands of submissions for the "Behind the Mask Project" was released.

On April 29, 2011, another video teaser for the project was released on michaeljackson.com, and it is announced that the final day to submit for the Behind the Mask Project is Tuesday May 3, 2011.

On June 6, 2011 was published the official trailer announcing when the final video would be published.

On June 14, 2011 the official and final video was posted on the official Michael Jackson`s channel on YouTube, but only accessible on the King of Pop's page on social networking site Facebook.

A day after, the video was classified and is now more widely available. This video has become in the most international, multi-collaborative of all times. In the 1600 clips that compose it can be seen people from the Sahara to the main cities of the world, through the Taj Mahal and the Arctic Circle. The clip is currently under evaluation for inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records as the music video with the largest audience of participants. The oldest screen of this music video was recorded in 1996 by a Turkish boy Turgay Suat Tarcan.

Track Listing




Digital Download



No. Title Length
1. "Behind the Mask" (Album Version) 5:01
Total length:
5:01





Behind the Mask/Hollywood Tonight 7" Vinyl Single


No. Title Length
1. "Behind the Mask" (Radio Edit) 3:39
2. "Hollywood Tonight" (Throwback Mix) 3:46
Total length:
07:00




Poland Promotional CD Single
No. Title Length
1. "Behind the Mask" (Radio Edit) 3:39
Total length:
3:39




Official Versions

Album Version 5:02
Edit / Radio Edit 3:39
Instrumental 5:02
Edited Instrumental 3:39

Charts


Chart (2010–2011) Peak position
Belgium (Ultratip 50 Wallonia) 24
Japan Hot 100 71




Release History



France

February 21, 2011 CD single (promo), Radio airplay
April 11, 2011 Vinyl Single

Italy

April 12, 2011 Vinyl Single

Poland

July 4, 2011 Radio airplay

Personnel




Written by Michael Jackson, Chris Mosdell and Ryuichi Sakamoto
Produced by Michael Jackson, Jon Nettlesbey and John McClain
Mixed by Jon Nettlesbey and Khaliq Glover
Solo vocal and beat box by Michael Jackson
Background vocals by Michael Jackson, Shanice and Alphonso Jones
Additional Background Vocals Arranged by Leon F. Sylvers III
Engineered by Leon F. Sylvers III, Jon Nettlesbey, Allen Sides and Khaliq Glover
Saxophone and Saxophonic Percussion: Mike Phillips courtesy of Hidden Beach Recordings
Drums by Big Jim Wright and Greg Phillinganes
Keyboards & Drum Programming: Big Jim Wright
Bass by Alex Al
Digital Editing by Jon Nettlesbey
Additional Keyboards: Greg Phillinganes
Percussion: Paulino Da Costa
Guitar: David Williams
Additional Keyboards, Drum Programming, Sequencing & Digital Editing: Jon Nettlesbey