MICHAEL JACKSON Melinda Jackson

 

“..... We wrote it quickly. I called him and said, “I can't wait until Monday!” He told me to bring the tape over. So I did.

Four hours later - four hours! - he called me. He said, “Baby, this song is great. It's really good.

Three days later I got a call from Quincy and he told me that Michael loved the song and wanted to cut it.

I screamed out! I couldn't believe it.

A few days before the session, I got a call from Quincy. He told me that Michael wanted to extend the bridge and needed new lyrics. And he tried to tell me the message that should be in this new lyric. He said, “Michael wants this and that,” and then I heard in the background [softly and high-pitched] “Mmmrrrrrrmmrrr...” And that was Michael, you know?

This went on for a while, with Quincy translating for Michael. Finally, Quincy says, “Hold on,” and gets Michael Jackson on the phone, right? I'm at home cooking dinner, right? And inside I'm thinking OMIGOD!!! It's MICHAEL JACKSON!!!” But on the phone I say [quietly and coolly], “Yeah, Michael?” Really cool, you know? So Michael tells me what he wants, and I head off to the studio to find the answer to his dilemma in the bridge

He said, “I love your song and I think you have a great voice.”

I said, “Wow. Thank you! Thanks for doing this, buddy!”

Before he started recording, I was packing up my stuff and getting ready to leave. All of a sudden he said, “Hey, where are you going?”

I said, “Aren't we done? Isn't this history, buddy?

He said, “No! We're getting ready for 'Man In The Mirror' and you have to stay because I want to sing it like you.”

Yeah, good! I wasn't expecting that! I stayed!

At one point Michael asked me where I got the idea for the song. I answered him, “I asked for it.” I didn't mention God because I didn't know where he stood on religion at that point. But he knew who I was talking about.

I asked God for help. That's God's honest truth! I said, “I want to write a song for Michael Jackson.” Since I wanted Michael to know who I was, I thought, “What can I tell him that he wouldn't dare tell the rest of the world?” And that's where this song came from. And that's the truth.”

“Man in the Mirror”

By Glen Ballard & Siedah Garrett