Listen: I just deleted a bunch of comments. From here on, I am going to show ZERO TOLERANCE for anyone posting this tired unproven bullsh*t gossip about Michael. I am here celebrating my experiences working with him, and if you can’t be respectful, then go post your salacious slander on the tabloid channels. It’s not welcome here. Am I clear?
It's great that you're taking action. It's about the music and its history and nobody wants these stupid comments. Thank you so much for telling this story!
I just found that the demo of Paul and Michael that we made the rhythm arrangement from is here on RUclips-search for Say Say Say demo. Funny that, I hadn’t heard it since Michael brought it over to my house all those years ago!
@@chrissmith5706 How very cool! I may have been at the studio when you did that, but I can’t be sure. I visited the studio a few times after recording my parts. You did a great job on it!
@@billwolfer4020 Thank you : I enjoyed learning about the production of the song but must admit being rankled at twice being referred to as "a (anonymous) harmonica player" . You never mentioned my name and I think my contribution was significant. Besides that, I enjoyed it and you too did a great job on keyboards, etc.
@@chrissmith5706 OMG, Chris, I am so sorry! I can’t blame you a bit. It was unintentional, believe me. I also didn’t mention all the horn players by name. I make these videos without a script, or even notes, because I think it’s more natural that way. You did a great job on it, though-your harp sits in the track like it was born there. Again, no slight was intended. I’ve had my name left off of records I worked on, so I know the feeling!
You all did a more than great job. After all these years 'Say, Say, Say' remains one of my personal favourite songs of all time and the harmonica part is still so funky and hits you right in the feels. So, in short: thank you very much.
Man.. I so appreciate you sharing this.. Currently ( a SongWriter- Arranger)... Going to recordings school and really learning a lot and understanding how important it is to get the best people for each task to make something great. Thank you for sharing your experience. Cheers!
Hi Bill, huge fan of your work. Didn’t realise your influence on 80s pop. Very incredible that you’ve started a RUclips channel to share your memories of working with Michael. I’m born in 2003 myself and my father introduced me into 70s and 80s music at an early age. He admires the breakdown and production of music such as Rod Tempertons Work and Quincy jones! Thanks for the upload. Hoping to see more😄
this is HISTORY!!! I LOVE how you make Michael human .. a real person, not just an idol!! we need more of these stories as Michael was a bit of a mystery behind the scenes! THX so much for sharing!!❤❤
I hope Paul will see this! He was in Brooklyn not too long ago teasing a fan from a video recording in the 1960s who wanted to meet him in Brooklyn backed then. He said something like, "Hey... I'm in town this week if you want to meet. " 😂 Thank you so much for sharing your stories, Bill! I had no clues about MJ being the genius composer and writer behind his songs.
Wow. What an incredible experience. Thank you for sharing all of these remarkable and historical stories. Nate Watts is a national treasure. Paul McCartney has been a hero of mine forever. MJ, what can I say.
Hi Bill, great video!~ Great content and great production - looks and sounds really nice. I think the algorithm is recognising you because this came into my feed from nowhere - and I loved it. Everyone loves a good show and tell so keep up the content and your channel will be up there with Lee Sklar's in no time! Now I'm off to view all of your content (yes I've subscribed!).
@@mathumphreys Yay, that’s great news! I’m very encouraged by all the responses lately. I’ve got a lot more stuff coming up! Thanks for the kind words, the views and for subscribing! It makes all the difference, apparently. Cheers!
Great story Mr. Wolfer. "Say Say Say" is one of those classics that was part of my soundtracks during the start of my high school years. Just subscribed to your channel to hear more of your amazing stories of you taking part of lengendary recordings.
Time line makes sense. Grease ie was on national tv via abc on November 8 1981. This is before thriller sessions Paul did demo with Michael in May 1981 in London. And mj spent time with Paul in London Later in April 1982 Paul came to Los Angeles at start of thriller.
@@opticscolossalandepicvideo4879 That’s very helpful information. I’ve just been going by my memory of it all. For some reason I never seem to attach dates to the memories. I wish I had kept a diary, but the remembrances are still vivid, because it was exciting for me as an upcoming musician to be working with people like MJ, Quincy and Stevie.
@@billwolfer4020 your time line is perfect. Paul and Michael met up in London in May 1981. Paul was at Cherokee studios in April 1982 to kick off girl is mine from thriller. Remember this was only a few weeks before Natalie wood passed. Grease was shown on November 8 1981 on abc tv Sunday night. Natalie wood died just three weeks later which devastated Michael.
@@jakspin Thanks! I do still have that Rhodes, and it will be the subject of a forthcoming video-so stay tuned-all will be revealed. I mis-spoke on the video: I said it had an active pickup, but it’s an active preamp.
@billwolfer4020 Thank you, that's awesome that you got right back to me. It would be cool to hear a More prominent vocals from Michael on that song. Anyway to remaster that
I didnt warm up to music outside of country music until i was about 19 years old and i so i shunned pop and rook noise as city slicker music. I was into waylon, merle, coe, hank sr, tanya tucker, loretta, don williams and cash, willie and so on. But for some reason, when that song say say say came out, i had to go to the store and buy the 45, which i still have. There is something about that sound and delivery of the singing that touches an emotion somewhere in my wiring.
Did you and MJ ever consider leaving the drum machine on the song and not hiring a drummer? I know the Linndrum was beginning to replace drummers around this time. Was MJ more of a “live drummer” person at this time?
@@DuggerMan We didn’t discuss it. At the time, the LM-1 was seen as something for demos, and the normal thing was to replace it with drums for the recording. Stevie told me he thought I should replace the drum machine on my album “WOLF,” but I told him I felt that my playing all the parts was important because I don’t sing. We were both right: some of those songs would have benefited from a real drummer. And in terms of SAY SAY SAY, Ricky Lawson beat the drum machine easily! What a great drummer he was!
@@billwolfer4020 Thanks for the response! I'm a long-time fan! And I once had a long chat with Ricky. I play drums myself and my style is similar to his. I miss him, and I'm surprised that (disregarding Say Say Say and some songs on Destiny) MJ never used Ricky on his albums.
@@theluckyman74 I you mean Paul, yes,he treated my daughter and I to the deluxe VIP version of his show. And yes, he remembers, because his office contacted me to find out how the LA sessions happened.
Listen: I just deleted a bunch of comments. From here on, I am going to show ZERO TOLERANCE for anyone posting this tired unproven bullsh*t gossip about Michael. I am here celebrating my experiences working with him, and if you can’t be respectful, then go post your salacious slander on the tabloid channels. It’s not welcome here. Am I clear?
Well done. That needed to be said.
It's great that you're taking action. It's about the music and its history and nobody wants these stupid comments. Thank you so much for telling this story!
Thank you
Thanks for sharing history!
Thank you for doing that. These Tik Tok brains are just looking for attention.
I just found that the demo of Paul and Michael that we made the rhythm arrangement from is here on RUclips-search for Say Say Say demo. Funny that, I hadn’t heard it since Michael brought it over to my house all those years ago!
His mouth is so juicy 😂
Wtf followed bro
Hi, this is interesting : I played harmonica on this song 43 years ago ! I'm Chris Smith.
@@chrissmith5706 How very cool! I may have been at the studio when you did that, but I can’t be sure. I visited the studio a few times after recording my parts. You did a great job on it!
@@billwolfer4020 Thank you : I enjoyed learning about the production of the song but must admit being rankled at twice being referred to as "a (anonymous) harmonica player" . You never mentioned my name and I think my contribution was significant. Besides that, I enjoyed it and you too did a great job on keyboards, etc.
@@chrissmith5706 OMG, Chris, I am so sorry! I can’t blame you a bit. It was unintentional, believe me. I also didn’t mention all the horn players by name. I make these videos without a script, or even notes, because I think it’s more natural that way. You did a great job on it, though-your harp sits in the track like it was born there. Again, no slight was intended. I’ve had my name left off of records I worked on, so I know the feeling!
You all did a more than great job. After all these years 'Say, Say, Say' remains one of my personal favourite songs of all time and the harmonica part is still so funky and hits you right in the feels. So, in short: thank you very much.
Thanks so much for a behind-the-scenes peak I love these stories
Man.. I so appreciate you sharing this.. Currently ( a SongWriter- Arranger)... Going to recordings school and really learning a lot and understanding how important it is to get the best people for each task to make something great. Thank you for sharing your experience. Cheers!
One of my favorite pop songs of all time. Thank you for sharing this story!
Thank you for sharing, Bill. I love the stories. Legends never die. And what a legacy of work you've been a part of.
Hi Bill, huge fan of your work. Didn’t realise your influence on 80s pop. Very incredible that you’ve started a RUclips channel to share your memories of working with Michael. I’m born in 2003 myself and my father introduced me into 70s and 80s music at an early age. He admires the breakdown and production of music such as Rod Tempertons Work and Quincy jones! Thanks for the upload. Hoping to see more😄
this is HISTORY!!! I LOVE how you make Michael human .. a real person, not just an idol!! we need more of these stories as Michael was a bit of a mystery behind the scenes! THX so much for sharing!!❤❤
Thank you so much for sharing your memories of 2 of my all-time favorite artists!
Masterful storytelling Bill, MJ is truly missed for eternity!👑❤✨
What an insightful story, thanks for telling!
Great story! Tks a lot for sharing and congrats for the brilliant sound on Say say say and the Pipes of piece medal!! What an honor!!
Waiting for Say Say Say to be remastered in 1080p or 4K. Since it was filmed in 35mm, this should be no problem.
I hope Paul will see this! He was in Brooklyn not too long ago teasing a fan from a video recording in the 1960s who wanted to meet him in Brooklyn backed then. He said something like, "Hey... I'm in town this week if you want to meet. " 😂
Thank you so much for sharing your stories, Bill!
I had no clues about MJ being the genius composer and writer behind his songs.
I heard Say Cubed yesterday for the first time in ages and I was blown away by the Rhodes feel .. so great!
Incredible video straight from the source! Thank you so much, the production on Say Say Say absolutely rocks 😎❤️
Thank you Mr. Wolfer for sharing your amazing stories about working with Michael. I love hearing about the process of making these timeless records🫶🤝
❤
Wow. What an incredible experience. Thank you for sharing all of these remarkable and historical stories. Nate Watts is a national treasure. Paul McCartney has been a hero of mine forever. MJ, what can I say.
Totally agree! How lucky am I, because all these people are my heroes, and I was a fan before I got to work with them. Thanks for watching!
awesome story, thanks for telling it. Love insights into sessions like this.
Great video! From my fan perspective, it's amazing to feel a little bit like being in the room with Michael and McCartney! Loved it, thanks!
Wonderful video! Glad I got to listen to this after jamming out to the song, love the record. Thank you for sharing!
Amazing ❤️💯
Thank you
What a story! Really enjoyed that from beginning to end!
Good work. Professionally done. Thank you for sharing.
This just popped up in my RUclips-feed; great stuff! Grew up on that tune. 👍 Consider yourself liked and subscribed. 😊
What an incredible story, thank you for sharing sir!
Hi Bill, great video!~ Great content and great production - looks and sounds really nice. I think the algorithm is recognising you because this came into my feed from nowhere - and I loved it. Everyone loves a good show and tell so keep up the content and your channel will be up there with Lee Sklar's in no time! Now I'm off to view all of your content (yes I've subscribed!).
@@mathumphreys Yay, that’s great news! I’m very encouraged by all the responses lately. I’ve got a lot more stuff coming up! Thanks for the kind words, the views and for subscribing! It makes all the difference, apparently. Cheers!
Man you are so cool 😎 I hope this message finds you thanks for sharing the history much Love !!!
Very interesting. Thank you for sharing.
MJ look so healthy and wholesome in 1981
WOW!!! ALL LEGENDS!!
Paul’s MPL MUSIC owns the publishing to the original Grease musical songs.
Lovely story, thanks Bill.
By the way, thats a really good Scouse accent, I'm impressed 😏😂
Great story Mr. Wolfer. "Say Say Say" is one of those classics that was part of my soundtracks during the start of my high school years. Just subscribed to your channel to hear more of your amazing stories of you taking part of lengendary recordings.
@@blachubear Yay! Thanks 🙏
13:51 Jesus I thought he was for real, I was thinking the switch up is crazy 🤣
Macca is the top of the tree. You've worked with the best.
Time line makes sense. Grease ie was on national tv via abc on November 8 1981. This is before thriller sessions Paul did demo with Michael in May 1981 in London. And mj spent time with Paul in London Later in April 1982 Paul came to Los Angeles at start of thriller.
@@opticscolossalandepicvideo4879 That’s very helpful information. I’ve just been going by my memory of it all. For some reason I never seem to attach dates to the memories. I wish I had kept a diary, but the remembrances are still vivid, because it was exciting for me as an upcoming musician to be working with people like MJ, Quincy and Stevie.
@@billwolfer4020 your time line is perfect. Paul and Michael met up in London in May 1981. Paul was at Cherokee studios in April 1982 to kick off girl is mine from thriller. Remember this was only a few weeks before Natalie wood passed. Grease was shown on November 8 1981 on abc tv Sunday night. Natalie wood died just three weeks later which devastated Michael.
@@billwolfer4020 there’s a tape of Michael meeting George Harrison in March 1979 in a radio interview in London.
Wow that was great. Thank you for sharing this. Could you elaborate on the modified Rhodes? Do you still have it?
@@jakspin Thanks! I do still have that Rhodes, and it will be the subject of a forthcoming video-so stay tuned-all will be revealed. I mis-spoke on the video: I said it had an active pickup, but it’s an active preamp.
Is that the new legend HZ vst in the background? If so, what do you think of it?
@@jimmieto4635 It is. I love it. Look around the channel here, and you’ll find four jams made entirely with The Legend HZ, even down to the effects!
I was trying to figure out which that was. I knew I had it. I suffer from option fatigue LOL
that is amazing what synths did you use entirely on that song other than the cs80?
No I used Kontakt NI instruments and Cherry audio GX- 80 in Reaper v7 . Hope this helps!
Did you work on the man as well? If so can we get a video of that id love to hear it please!
@@trentonbates3114 No, I didn’t work on that one. Sorry
Bill is that you playing on "Who Do You Know" and "The Toy" demo's by MJ
@@DJGary0910 nope, not me.
Can you talk about the other song you did with Michael? I believe it was the cover of papa was a rolling stone????
@@codychavarria6088 Yes! All in good time! Stay tuned, all will be revealed! Subscribe for notifications if you haven’t. Thanks for watching!
@billwolfer4020 Thank you, that's awesome that you got right back to me. It would be cool to hear a More prominent vocals from Michael on that song. Anyway to remaster that
Interesting story, thanks. Btw, don't try that accent in Liverpool x
It’s not like Michael didn’t have several TONS of dimes!
Would be more fitting than ever to talk about your experiences with the other Jackson’s, especially Tito. May he rest in peace.
@@statefromjakefarm1 I posted a short video on Tito this morning. His passing was sad and unexpected.
@@billwolfer4020 I just saw the video earlier today. Thanks for posting about it.
I didnt warm up to music outside of country music until i was about 19 years old and i so i shunned pop and rook noise as city slicker music. I was into waylon, merle, coe, hank sr, tanya tucker, loretta, don williams and cash, willie and so on. But for some reason, when that song say say say came out, i had to go to the store and buy the 45, which i still have. There is something about that sound and delivery of the singing that touches an emotion somewhere in my wiring.
Did you and MJ ever consider leaving the drum machine on the song and not hiring a drummer? I know the Linndrum was beginning to replace drummers around this time. Was MJ more of a “live drummer” person at this time?
@@DuggerMan We didn’t discuss it. At the time, the LM-1 was seen as something for demos, and the normal thing was to replace it with drums for the recording. Stevie told me he thought I should replace the drum machine on my album “WOLF,” but I told him I felt that my playing all the parts was important because I don’t sing. We were both right: some of those songs would have benefited from a real drummer.
And in terms of SAY SAY SAY, Ricky Lawson beat the drum machine easily! What a great drummer he was!
@@billwolfer4020 Thanks for the response! I'm a long-time fan! And I once had a long chat with Ricky. I play drums myself and my style is similar to his. I miss him, and I'm surprised that (disregarding Say Say Say and some songs on Destiny) MJ never used Ricky on his albums.
What is it ?
I remember that concert back in the 80s when paul mccartney bit the head off a chicken, a real wild man back in those days
13:26 So your services weren't even needed?
I’m sad your expertise in show and tell didn’t translate to good grades! Bad luck for you but good luck for the rest of us!
Did he give free tickets does he even Remember you helped him?
@@theluckyman74 I you mean Paul, yes,he treated my daughter and I to the deluxe VIP version of his show. And yes, he remembers, because his office contacted me to find out how the LA sessions happened.
Jesus - they're still releasing Paul McCartney records?
*Foghorn noise*
As always …..so very inreresting 🫡 i hope you get more subscribers !