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| "Best of Joy" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Michael Jackson | |
| from the album Michael | |
| Released | December 10, 2010 |
| Genre |
|
| Length | 3:04 (original)
|
| Label | Epic |
| Songwriter(s) | Michael Jackson |
| Producer(s) |
|
"Best of Joy" originally "The Toy" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson, included on his posthumous album, Michael. It was originally conceived as "The Toy" in 1981 during Thriller Sessions.[1] Its demo was released on the 40th anniversary edition of Thriller.
Background and Release
editThe song was originally conceived as "The Toy" during Thriller Sessions,[1] and it was inspired by the Richard Pryor film of the same title[2], during the Summer of 1982. In a deposition for the Jet magazine, Michael named songs he felt are "just as strong or stronger than the stuff that was on the Thriller album", including "The Toy. After he said "Quincy wanted me to write a song for the Richard Pryor movie, The Toy, and it got too close to my doing Thriller. So I canned it, but I did write the song and I did a demo of 'The Toy.'"[3]
After not making the cut for the Thriller album, Michael continued to work on the song.[2] In April 1991, during Dangerous Sessions, Michael recorded new vocals for the track, including a new opening lyric. The original lyric, "I am your toy, I am your boy," was changed to: "I am your joy, your best of joy." The rest of the track is lyrically the same as "Best of Joy".[4]
Later, Jackson recorded new lead and background vocals in his suite at the Bel-Air hotel in Los Angeles in November 2008, those vocals are heard on the Michael album, though there’s also an alternate third verse which was never released, which says "Remember the time you said your life was through? That's when I held and carried you. These arms are to hold you. I am forever. I am the rock that stays on solid ground. I am that friend always around when things are shady. We are forever".[5] That version stood Brad Buxer behind the production (the same as "The Toy" and Neff-U.[1] Part of that verse was leaked on Youtube by the Collector Korg Nex. "Best of Joy" appears on the list of tracks Michael wanted to work on during his final tour, This Is It. Alongside “Breathe,” “River Ripple,” and “This Is It,” it is one of the last songs Jackson was known to have worked on before his death in 2009.[1]
After Michael's passing out, Neff-U remixed the track in 2010, for the Michael album, which featured a new instrumental but kept the 2008 vocals. For unknown reasons, the third verse was cut out, as it was probably left in an unfinished state.
Personnel
editOriginal Version
edit- Lead Vocals: Michael Jackson
- Background Vocals: Michael Jackson
- Drum Machine: [Unknown]
- E. Piano: [Unknown]
- Piano: [Unknown]
- Strings: [Unknown]
- Songwriter: Michael Jackson
- Composer: Michael Jackson
- Songwriter: Michael Jackson
- Producer: Michael Jackson, Neff-U Feemster and Brad Buxer (Co-producer)
- Mixing: Serban Ghenea
- Mixing Engineer: John Hanes, assisted by Tim Roberts
- Vocals: Michael Jackson, Michael Durham Prince,
- Additional Background Vocals: Mischke
- Audio engineer: James Murray
- Guitar: Erick Donell Walls
- All other instruments: Neff-U Feemster[6]
- ^ a b c d Michael Jackson – Best of Joy, retrieved 2024-09-15
- ^ a b "Michael Jackson Thriller 40 - The Toy". Michael Jackson Official Site. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
- ^ Jet. Johnson Publishing Company (published January 31, 1985). 1985. p. 57.
- ^ Shields, Damien (September 22, 2022). "Damien Shields' X post". Archived from the original on September 15, 2024.
- ^ Shields, Damien (November 28, 2022). "Damien Shields' X post". Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- ^ "Best Of Joy". Michael Jackson Official Site. Retrieved 2024-09-16.