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Thriller

By: Rod Temperton

At a glance

  • Album: Thriller
  • Released: January 23rd, 1984
  • Recorded: Apr 14th - Nov 8th, 1982
  • Length: 5:57
  • Billboard: 4
  • UK Charts: 10
  • Featuring: Rap by Vincent Price
  • Greg Phillinganes, Rod Temperton & Brian Banks: Synthesizer
  • Anthony Marinelli: Synthesizer Programming
  • David Williams: Guitar
  • Jerry Hey: Trumpet, Flugelhorn
  • Gary Grant: Trumpet, Flugelhorn
  • Larry Williams: Sax, Flute
  • Bill Reichenbach: Trombone
  • Vocal, rhythm and synthesizer arrangement by: Rod Temperton
  • Horn arrangement by: Jerry Hey
  • Effects by: Bruce Cannon & Bruce Swedien
  • Lead vocals: Michael Jackson
  • Produced by: Quincy Jones
  • Recorded and mixed by: Bruce Swedien
  • Technical engineer: Matt Forger

Credits

Taken from the original "Thriller" LP linear notes.
  • Featuring: Rap by Vincent Price
  • Greg Phillinganes, Rod Temperton & Brian Banks: Synthesizer
  • Anthony Marinelli: Synthesizer Programming
  • David Williams: Guitar
  • Jerry Hey: Trumpet, Flugelhorn
  • Gary Grant: Trumpet, Flugelhorn
  • Larry Williams: Sax, Flute
  • Bill Reichenbach: Trombone
  • Vocal, rhythm and synthesizer arrangement by: Rod Temperton
  • Horn arrangement by: Jerry Hey
  • Effects by: Bruce Cannon & Bruce Swedien
  • Lead vocals: Michael Jackson
  • Produced by: Quincy Jones
  • Recorded and mixed by: Bruce Swedien
  • Technical engineer: Matt Forger

A brief history

The title track for the album is track four, and the final song on Side A of the original vinyl release. It was Frank Dileo who suggested releasing “Thriller” as the final single from the album. They oddly missed the opportunity to capitalize on Halloween and released it in January in the US (November in the UK). That hasn’t stopped it though from becoming one of the biggest Halloween party hits of all time. It has re-entered the charts for the past 14 out of 15 years since 2006. In 2021 it even became a top 20 hit again on the Billboard charts and a top 20 hit on the UK charts in 2022. When Michael died in 2009, the song became his bestselling track in the US.

The demo version Michael recorded was titled “Starlight.” The demo has since leaked online. Another title for the song that was considered (but never recorded) was “Midnight Man.” The spoken rap was narrated by horror movie legend Vincent Price. Rod Temperton, who wrote the song, wrote the song lyrics within a couple of hours. For the rap it was an even shorter amount of time as he penned the lyrics in a taxi on the way to the studio, the day of recording.

Fun fact

Howls can be heard during the opening of “Thriller.” They were unsuccessful at recording dogs howling, so Michael himself made the sounds.

Music video

The accompanying short film is arguably the most famous music video of all time. It is also considered to be the best in many public polls and publications. Running at 13 minutes, at the time of making it “Thriller” was the longest and most expensive music video of all time. It was directed by John Landis, who wrote it with Michael. Landis had made a name for himself in the horror industry with “An American Werewolf in London.” Epic Records refused to pay for the short film, so Michael funded it himself. He later released a making-of documentary on VHS to pay for it.

The release of the music video helped double sales of “Thriller.” It’s also credited for popularizing the making-of documentary format. It went on to become the best-selling videotape at the time. The dance sequence has become so iconic that along with his famous red leather jacket, it is performed every year around the world. It also became the first music video to be inducted into the National Film Registry.

The video was restored into 4K resolution and made available on streaming services in November 2022, in the lead up to the release of “Thriller 40.”

Fun fact

Vincent Price had to rerecord his rap especially for the music video. On his original recording a synthesizer could still be heard, making it unusable.

Gallery

Alternative single covers

Listen on Spotify

Below is the album as well as the 7″ single version of “Thriller.”

It’s close to midnight and something evil’s lurking in the dark
Under the moonlight you see a sight that almost stops your heart
You try to scream…but terror takes the sound before you make it
You start to freeze…as horror looks you right between the eyes,
You’re paralysed

‘Cause this is thriller, thriller night
And no one’s gonna save you from the beast about to strike
You know it’s thriller, thriller night
You’re fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight

You hear the door slam and realise there’s nowhere left to run

You feel the cold hand and wonder if you’ll ever see the sun
You close your eyes…and hope that this is just imagination
But all the while…you hear the creature creepin’ up behind
You’re out of time

‘Cause this is thriller, thriller night
There ain’t no second chance against the thing with forty eyes
You know it’s thriller, thriller night
You’re fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight

Night creatures call
And the dead start to walk in their masquerade
There’s no escapin’ the jaws of the alien this time (they’re open wide)
This is the end of your life

They’re out to get you, there’s demons closing in on every side
They will possess you unless you change the number on your dial
Now is the time…for you and I to cuddle close together
All thru’ the night…I’ll save you from the terrors on the screen,
I’ll make you see

That it’s a thriller, thriller night
‘Cause I can thrill you more than any ghost would dare to try
Thriller, thriller night
So let me hold you tight and share a killer, diller, chiller, thriller here tonight
Coz that it’s a thriller, thriller night
‘Cause I can thrill you more than any ghost would dare to try
Thriller, thriller night
So let me hold you tight and share a killer, thriller
I’m going to thrill you tonight.

(Rap performed by Vincent Price)
Darkness falls across the land
The midnight hour is close at hand
Creatures crawl in search of blood
To terrorise your neighbourhood
And whosoever shall be found
Without the soul for getting down
Must stand and face the hounds of hell
And rot inside a corpse’s shell

The foulest stench is in the air
The funk of forty thousand years
And grizzly ghouls from every tomb
Are closing in to seal your doom
And though you fight to stay alive
Your body starts to shiver
For no mere mortal can resist
The evil of the thriller
(Laugh)

Lyrics

It’s close to midnight and something evil’s lurking in the dark
Under the moonlight you see a sight that almost stops your heart
You try to scream…but terror takes the sound before you make it
You start to freeze…as horror looks you right between the eyes,
You’re paralysed

‘Cause this is thriller, thriller night
And no one’s gonna save you from the beast about to strike
You know it’s thriller, thriller night
You’re fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight

You hear the door slam and realise there’s nowhere left to run

You feel the cold hand and wonder if you’ll ever see the sun
You close your eyes…and hope that this is just imagination
But all the while…you hear the creature creepin’ up behind
You’re out of time

‘Cause this is thriller, thriller night
There ain’t no second chance against the thing with forty eyes
You know it’s thriller, thriller night
You’re fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight

Night creatures call
And the dead start to walk in their masquerade
There’s no escapin’ the jaws of the alien this time (they’re open wide)
This is the end of your life

They’re out to get you, there’s demons closing in on every side
They will possess you unless you change the number on your dial
Now is the time…for you and I to cuddle close together
All thru’ the night…I’ll save you from the terrors on the screen,
I’ll make you see

That it’s a thriller, thriller night
‘Cause I can thrill you more than any ghost would dare to try
Thriller, thriller night
So let me hold you tight and share a killer, diller, chiller, thriller here tonight
Coz that it’s a thriller, thriller night
‘Cause I can thrill you more than any ghost would dare to try
Thriller, thriller night
So let me hold you tight and share a killer, thriller
I’m going to thrill you tonight.

(Rap performed by Vincent Price)
Darkness falls across the land
The midnight hour is close at hand
Creatures crawl in search of blood
To terrorise your neighbourhood
And whosoever shall be found
Without the soul for getting down
Must stand and face the hounds of hell
And rot inside a corpse’s shell

The foulest stench is in the air
The funk of forty thousand years
And grizzly ghouls from every tomb
Are closing in to seal your doom
And though you fight to stay alive
Your body starts to shiver
For no mere mortal can resist
The evil of the thriller
(Laugh)

The Michael Jackson World Network

The Michael Jackson World Network

This project is part of The Michael Jackson World Network, the UK's oldest MJ Fan Club. We provide official news to millions of fans and are proud to continue to support Michael! We're here to keep his magic alive and in 2022 celebrate 40 years of Thriller!

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