Quincy Jones Asked Steve Lukather to Calm Down on “Beat It”

The song “Beat It” Of Michael Jackson was initially much more metal oriented before that Quincy Jones suggested changing it, he said Steve Lukether the guitarist of “Thriller”, the masterpiece signed by Michael Jackson and produced by the recently deceased Quincy Jones.

Steve Lukather, Michael Jackson’s guitarist and founder of Totospoke to The Guardian about Quincy Jones’ influence to commemorate his passing earlier this month at 91.

Knowing that Eddie Van Halen had already participated in the song, Lukather was inspired by his “colleague”. However, producer Quincy Jones later reminded him that they were trying to create something pop. “I played a bunch of really wild guitar parts, because I knew Eddie’s solo was on it,” Lukather said. “I was doing real hard rock, a four-track riff.”

“Quincy wasn’t even there, he was at Westlake doing overdubs on ‘Billie Jean‘ while we were fixing ‘Beat It’ – he continued – So we spoke on the phone and he said: ‘It’s too metal, you need to calm down. Gotta get this on pop radio! Use the small amp, not a lot of distortion.”

After recalling this episode, Lukather paid tribute to Jones: “Quincy is the only one who can make a solo album without playing or writing anything. Somehow, whatever he did, there was a Quincy Jones sound, even if he wasn’t playing, singing, writing or anything.”

“Beat It” was a huge success upon its release as a single in February 1983, reaching the top of the charts in five countries. It was certified eight times platinum in the United States and two times platinum in the United Kingdom and Denmark.

The song is the last born for the album “Thriller” (released in November 1982) and was born from Jones’ desire to insert a more rock song into a very varied album and that song perfectly represented the synthesis between the black music style and the white rock. Steve Lukather played bass and guitar, while the solo was entrusted to Eddie Van Halen. The final result was obtained by assembling the different guitar parts.

Jones also produced Jackson’s landmark albums”Off The Wall” (1979) and “Bad” (1987). He also oversaw the recording of the 1985 benefit album “We Are The World“, directed by himself, Jackson, Lionel Richie and producer Michael Omartian, who raised money for the famine in Ethiopia in 1985.

Quincy Jones was buried at a private family funeral in Los Angeles exactly one week after his death. A larger, more public commemoration is also planned. His family told The Associated Press that the “intimate ceremony included Mr. Jones’ seven children, his brother, two sisters and immediate family members.”