Bruce Swedien on Michael Losing His Room Key During the Dangerous Recording Sessions 1990-1991

When Michael and I began work on the Dangerous album, we were recording at Larrabee North Studios in Hollywood. As usual, we had run over the deadline required by the record label. So Michael, Bea and I moved to the Hilton Universal City Hotel to be near the studio. Staying at the Hilton, in the morning all we would have to do was have Bea take Michael down the service elevator and through the kitchen. Then we would get in my Big Bronco and go to the studio.

One night, or I should say one morning, we returned to the hotel at 3:00 a.m. only to discover that Michael had misplaced his room key. So we all went to my room. Bea called the front desk and asked for a replacement key for Mr. Sherman (Michael’s code name at the time), at 3:00 a.m. When we called the front desk, we were told that there was no one in the hotel that could authorize this. We suggested that perhaps they could send up a cot. (No response from the hotel night manager.) Well, we sat around with Michael and had a great time joking and telling crazy stories. Finally, the night manager arrived with a key for Michael for his room.