In honor of the legendary pop icon, Michael Jackson, who died tragically on June 25th, Universal Motown Records is releasing Michael Jackson: The Remix Suite on October 20th.
The project is a tribute CD comprised of a collection of top producers commissioned to remix 12 of their favorite songs from the Jackson 5’s catalogue during the Motown era, including popular tunes by the group such as “ABC and “Dancing Machine,” as well as more obscure records like “Maria” and “Skywriter.”
“It’s no secret that Michael Jackson’s phenomenal talent inspired countless entertainers,” says Universal Motown President Sylvia Rhone. “But his music also inspired many of today’s finest producers. That’s why we thought it would be exciting to invite them to put their own unique spin on his work.”
Enlisted on the project are top-notch producers such as Akon, Polow (Da Don), The Neptunes, Stargate, Dallas Austin, Salaam Remi, and Mark Hoppus (Blink-182), just to name a few.
“We jumped at the opportunity to be involved with this project because Michael is a legend who influenced our entire career and redefined the world of music,” says Pharrell Williams (of The Neptunes), who remixed “Never Can Say Goodbye.”
Producer Salaam Remi, who has worked with Nas, The Fugees, and Amy Winehouse (amongst others), remixed the classic “ABC” by adding a reggae vibe to the song. Commenting on the new version, Remi says he “imagined the Jackson’s taking a trip to Jamaica in the early ’70s with a Jamaican band playing behind them.”
For Polow (Da Don), the challenge he faced in re-creating “Dancing Machine” was “to mix what the Jacksons had done in 1974 with today’s music to create something new that sounds just as good now as it did back in the day.”
The release of Michael Jackson: The Remix Suite follows the model of Universal Motown’s bi-weekly four-part digital suite series, which started online on August 25th until it ended on October 6th.
