Released 10/26/09
Universal Motown Records in New York has enlisted the hottest producers in the game to pay homage to Michael Jackson by remixing their favorite tracks from The Jackson 5's timeless catalogue of gems and jams. Boasting innovative renditions of popular hits such as "ABC" and "Dancing Machine," along with obscure classics like "Maria" and "Skywriter," MICHAEL JACKSON: THE REMIX SUITE is as diverse in sound as its dazzling array of notable producers. Akon, Polow Da Don and Stargate are some of the celestial names enlisted to pay tribute to their hero. Also represented are dance music's biggest names like Paul Oakenfold, Dimitri From Paris, Kenny Hayes, Frankie Knuckles and Steve Aoki. "It's no secret that Michael Jackson's phenomenal talent inspired countless entertainers," says Universal Motown President Sylvia Rhone, who spearheaded the making of MICHAEL JACKSON: THE REMIX SUITE. "But his music also inspired many of today's finest producers. That's why we thought it would be exciting to invite them to put their own unique spin on his work. From Michael's amazing vocals to the great melodies, grooves, and arrangements?the material they had to work with is so incredibly rich. It's inspiration feeding inspiration and the results are fantastic."
WHAT THE STAR PRODUCERS SAID:
SALAAM REMI "I was born a fan of the Jackson 5, so any chance to work with Michael Jackson at any point is an honor. Michael defined the world of music for everyone before, in, and after our generation. That's why I'm glad to see my reggae remix of "ABC" come to light. For inspiration, I imagined the Jackson's taking a trip to Jamaica in the early '70s with a Jamaican band playing behind them, and I wanted to channel what that band would sound like playing behind them."
FRANKIE KNUCKLES "In my opinion, Michael Jackson was the single greatest recording artist and performer of our time. To have the opportunity to work with MJ in any capacity as a producer is nothing short of working with a God. To be able to study MJ's visions up close and personal and be a part of the magic is nothing short of bringing my life and career full circle. As a kid, I sang along to all of his songs. As a DJ, I played all of his songs. And as a Grammy winning producer/remixer, I aspired to work with him. To date, I have remixed five songs for Michael Jackson. Now that's a "Thriller"! For this project, I chose to remix "Forever Came Today" because of my history with the song. As a DJ, it has always been my favorite song by the J5. It has great energy, fabulous rhythm, and always rocked my dance floor in Chicago at the Warehouse. It's definitely one of the original Warehouse classics that still packs dance-floors in Chicago to this day. My creative vision was to make it "a groove thing." I love the way Michael and Jermaine play off one another in the vamp, along with Tito's guitar licks and that infectious bass line, so it just made sense to give it that funky deep-house groove that would make it impossible to resist. Plus, those brilliant strings and brass arrangements highlighting the track make everything sparkle."
PHARRELL WILLIAMS FROM THE NEPTUNES "We jumped at the opportunity to be involved with Universal Motown's Michael Jackson remix project because Michael is a legendthe greatest of greats. He influenced our entire career and redefined the world of music. In fact, he redefined the world. That's why it was an honor to remix "Never Can Say Goodbye." Michael is the creative inspiration for our remix. I'm a huge fan of his, plus "Never Can Say Goodbye" is my mom's favorite song and I knew she would be excited when she heard it."
MICHAEL JACKSON: THE REMIX SUITE is a fun, fresh, and funky testament to the infinite appeal of the early works of Michael Jackson and The Jackson 5 that will inspire, uplift, and electrify listeners for generations to come.