Baby Be Mine (Michael Jackson song)

Background

In a conversation with publication Vulture that was later adapted into a Time retrospective on Thriller, producer Jones mentioned the record paid homage to jazz saxophonist John Coltrane. Jones said that "Baby Be Mine" was "the best example of me trying to feed the musical principles of the past — I’m talking about bebop." “Getting the young kids to hear bebop is what I’m talking about,” he said. “Jazz is at the top of the hierarchy of music because the musicians learned everything they could about music.” Billboard described the song as "...upbeat, danceable and punctuated by twittering keyboards and punchy horn fills."

Critical reception

In a 2016 retrospective for Billboard, writer Andrew Unterberger lauded the song (and Thriller′s other non-single, "The Lady in My Life") as "earn[ing] every bit of the real estate they command on the biggest nine-track album in history." In a five-star retrospective review of Thriller, Slant Magazine lauded the song for being a "lush disco paradise." On a Billboard 2022 ranked list of the entire album, the song placed eighth, with writer Chuck Arnold noting the record "shimmers with a soul-disco swag" before highlighting the "smooth, roller-skating groove that the late Heatwave honcho [also] brought to “Rock with You” on Off the Wall."

In a more negative review, Pitchfork thought the song caused the momentum built from opening track “Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'” to fade. "['Wanna Be Startin' Somethin’'] holds up for six minutes and two seconds, during which Jackson and Quincy Jones mix the tension of rock'n'roll with the rapture of disco and hit perfection. But then you get "Baby Be Mine"—one of the original tracks that wasn't a single—and the momentum fades: On the heels of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", it should maintain the temperature; instead, it goes nowhere, starts nothing."

Personnel

Personnel as listed in the album's liner notes are:

• Songwriting by Rod Temperton
• Music Production by Quincy Jones
• Mastering by Bernie Grundman
• David Williams: Guitar
• Larry Williams: Saxophone, Flute
• Bill Reichenbach Jr.: Trombone
• Jerry Hey and Gary Grant: Horn Arrangement, Trumpet, Flugelhorn
• Leon "Ndugu" Chancler: Drums
• Greg Phillinganes Keyboards, Synthesizer
• Michael Boddicker & David Paich: Synthesizer
• Steve Porcaro, Brian Banks & Anthony Marinelli: Synthesizer programming
• Ryan Forger: Engineer

References

References

1. Grimes, William. (October 6, 2016). "Rod Temperton, Who Wrote 'Thriller' for Michael Jackson and 'Boogie Nights,' Dies".
2. Brownfield, Troy. (December 1, 2022). "Michael Jackson's Thriller by the Numbers".
3. Unterberger, Andrew. (October 5, 2016). "Rod Temperton's Underrated Legacy: Writing the Two Most Famous Un-Famous Songs Ever".
4. Marchese, David. (November 4, 2024). "Quincy Jones on the Secret Michael Jackson and the Problem With Modern Pop".
5. Chow, Andrew R.. (November 4, 2024). "How Quincy Jones Helped Make 'Thriller' The Biggest Album of All Time".
6. (June 25, 2014). "Michael Jackson Remembered: The Tributes".
7. Durchholz, Daniel. (November 30, 2012). "Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' At 30: Classic Track-By-Track Review".
8. Henderson, Eric. (October 18, 2003). "Review: Michael Jackson, 'Thriller'".
9. Arnold, Chuck. (November 30, 2022). "Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' at 40: Every Song Ranked From Worst to Best".
10. Ewing, Tom. "Michael Jackson: Thriller: 25th Anniversary Edition".
11. (1982). "Thriller, US Vinyl Pressing". [[Epic Records.
12. Kreps, Daniel. (February 4, 2018). "Ndugu Chancler, Drummer on Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean,' Dead at 65".