Thursday, April 14, 2022
Thursday, April 14, 2022, the sun is shining in the Parisian region, so much so that I’m having lunch on a terrace for the first time this year, with the risk of sunburn that goes with it. Still, at the beginning of the afternoon, in spite of the lovely weather, I have only one desire: to lock myself up. This choice can be surprising but I must specify that it is related to the album “Thriller” whose first sessions in studio took place 40 years earlier, to the day… You are probably amazed again by my legendary culture regarding dates, but this time, I deserve no special credit.
I have only seen the trailer of the documentary “Sonic Fantasy” by Spanish director Marcos Cabotá, which mentions this date very accurately. This project dedicated to the “Thriller” album, as well as to Bruce Swedien and Michael Jackson, has caught my attention since it has been announced. It is true that it follows the medium-length film “King Of Sound” that was shown exclusively at the first edition of the MJ MusicDay in Lille in 2017, in the presence of its director Gareth Maynard. Not only did the audience got the first glimpse of his film, but they also appreciated Gareth’s initiative to call Bruce for a few minutes that will remain engraved in the heart of everybody there on that day. I was pleased to invite Gareth to present “King Of Sound” because that screening seemed to be a non-starter. In this context, I was far from imagining that the screening in Lille would have so much importance. Indeed, and fortunately, Marcos Cabotá, the director of the documentary “I am Your Father”, was in the room to attend the event as a Michael Jackson fan. He then suggested to Gareth that he contact Bruce Swedien for a new documentary of which he would be the associate producer. That’s how “Sonic Fantasy” was born, and of course I was eager to see what would come out of it, like any project related to Michael Jackson’s musical world.
I must admit that I am discovering the film in a context that I had not imagined, far beyond my expectations. Until now, I didn’t know Marcos Cabotá personally, but the first screening of the film in a Festival in Mallorca was a sign of something starting regarding its release. Bruce Swedien had passed the year before, and that immense loss gave “Sonic Fantasy” the status of a last account as a tribute that could only be filled with emotions. It was therefore natural that Marcos and I got in touch so that he would be invited by the association On The Line for the screening of the film. We agreed on June for a preview in a Parisian cinema followed by another screening at the “Making HIStory with MJ” event at Dierks Studios in Germany, with Brad Buxer and Michael Prince. The latter two are among the protagonists of the documentary, and the fact that Brad composed the music has been public knowledge since the beginning of the project. Their coming to Paris in April was therefore a great opportunity for Marcos to show them the film. That’s how on Thursday April 14, 2022, Laetitia and I are invited, in a hotel room, to a private screening organized by the director with Brad and Michael. I can only feel privileged to share this moment with them, but this is no time to let myself be overwhelmed by emotion since the lights are going out and the film is starting.
I should rather say that the journey in time is beginning because it is indeed a journey to Los Angeles in 1982, more precisely in the Hollywood district. As I am writing this, I am trying to reread my notes, which were written in the dark to the point of being illegible like my doctor’s prescription. Fortunately, the film has many interesting aspects that I could not afford to forget. Indeed, when one thinks of the album “Thriller”, one would tend to think only of its status as the best selling album of all time. The strength of “Sonic Fantasy” is to approach it only in its creative process, unaware of what will come the following day. There are no Grammy Awards here, no groundbreaking music videos on MTV that revolutionized music history. This is a far cry from the glitz and glamour that is rightly linked to “Thriller” in our imagination. Usually, magicians don’t like to reveal their tricks, but here is an opportunity to discover a context, another era that had an impact on the history of music in general. As Bruce rightly recalls in the film, Quincy Jones had declared that they were there to save the record industry: a mission fraught with difficulties in the context of the terrible “Disco Sucks” propaganda with many vinyl records burned in the stadiums, like a very dark page of our history. This is why the insight of Freddy DeMann, Michael Jackson’s manager at the time, offers an interesting perspective. Rarely present in the media to evoke his collaboration with the King of Pop, DeMann tells about his conversations with the singer in the elaboration of the project and its difficult context. It is true that the pressure coming from the record company to finalize the album in time is another element to be taken into account in the atmosphere that had to result from it at Westlake studios subjected to an oppressive deadline with a lot of money invested for a project that had to go forward. That’s why one of the attractions of “Sonic Fantasy” is to seek information at the source with excellent protagonists. They are numerous and we can also mention Matt Forger, Steve Porcaro, Greg Phillinganes, Steve Lukather and Thomas Bähler as important insiders of these studio sessions with Michael, Bruce and Quincy, bringing credibility to the final cut. Other anecdotes related to the “Off The Wall” album enrich the content. They serve as an introduction to the “Thriller” sessions because Quincy Jones’ first production for a Jackson solo album remains closely linked to its successor.
It is true that the aura and the status of “Thriller” are undeniable for music lovers but also for the general public. This is the ideal subject for Marcos Cabota to approach Michael Jackson as a professional. The director is a big fan of the singer, but he wanted to approach him in a project that would be aimed at the general public and not only at his fans. Dealing with the best-selling album of all time makes it easier for him. Marcos does not want to emphasize his status as a fan of the King of Pop, but still takes the time to talk about Michael in a more general way, not limiting himself to “Thriller. This is evidenced by other protagonists present in the film who worked with him and Bruce Swedien in the 90s. Of course, I mean Brad Buxer who was very much involved in the project to the point of composing the music of the film. I could also mention Brad Sundberg, Michael Prince and Brian Vibberts, but this list is not exhaustive. Especially since Taryll Jackson, a member of the 3T and the nephew of the star, tells about his childhood memories linked to his uncle, and we can feel how much they have shaped him as an artist too. This is the opportunity to approach Michael Jackson from an uncommon angle via the context of the work in studio and the professionalism which results from it. On this subject, I particularly liked a quote from Michael in the film: “The best education in the world is to watch the masters at work”. It is very appropriate here because it is one of the missions of “Sonic Fantasy” and it is successfully achieved.
Speaking of masters at work, it is time to mention the great Bruce Swedien. There is no doubt that the film is one of the most beautiful tributes to him, and we wish he could have experienced it with us. The director takes the time to introduce us to his multifaceted background and what made him want to make music. One can only get attached to this figure, not without grasping all the admiration he deserves. Thus, I can not help but draw a parallel with “I Am Your Father”. In his previous film, the Spanish director paid tribute to David Prowse, the actor who played Darth Vader in the first “Star Wars” trilogy. It is a beautiful tribute to Prowse who remained in the shadow of his famous character to the point of never revealing his face to the camera. Marcos Cabota’s approach is quite similar for “Sonic Fantasy” as Bruce Swedien is a shadowy craftsman for something world renowned. The film seeks to dig at the source and tries to understand and analyze a finished work to better pay a tribute up to the artist. Well, yes, beyond being a high level technician, Bruce Swedien deserves to be considered as an artist in his own right. The title “Sonic Fantasy” refers to “The Acusonic Process” system, and it is good to specify that this process exists only in Bruce’s brain. It’s all about inspiration, letting yourself be carried away by the music to better celebrate it and immortalize it under the most beautiful aspect of a mix.
We can feel Bruce’s talent in a very emotional way and my words will not be able to match what one experiences when discovering the film. Still, I can say that one perceives the complicity and the spirit of genuine camaraderie in the studio despite the high stakes at work. This is evidenced by a few anecdotes about Rod Temperton, another “Thriller” craftsman who left this planet too soon, and Quincy Jones. With the latter, Bruce used a particular language that allowed them to understand each other and illustrates a beautiful complicity that must be discovered in the film. No one else could have done that. At a certain point, music can become spiritual…
“Get Quincy, Bruce and Michael together, and you get Thriller. Take one of the three away, and you never get Thriller.” This quote from the movie is very accurate because after the release of the album, the various labels finally understood that having a great singer and a great producer on a project was not necessarily enough if they didn’t have a sound engineer of the same caliber.
The screening is ending, the lights are coming back on, and I’m back in 2022… Michael Prince declares that he wishes the film would never end, while Brad Buxer congratulates Marcos saying that it’s the best Michael-related documentary. However, I’ll stay in my place and let the film’s protagonists react. Still, I am glad I was there with them on that day, April 14, 2022. I look forward to relive this moment with Marcos Cabotá, in June, with the fans. We will see you in Paris and Cologne for an unforgettable experience and immersion in the world of “Thriller”. Thank you Marcos for this very moving tribute: you are an artist too.