Why Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury Were Such A Great Combination I am a huge fan of the Jackson/Jagger version of State of Shock. I loved it back in 84 and still love it today. But I was very surprised to learn after Michaels death that there existed another, unreleased version of this song with Freddie Mercury. Eventually, I learned about all of the great Jackson/Mercury duets that were never released. I didnt know at first how my ears would react to the Jackson/Mercury version of the song. When youve only heard one version of a song for almost thirty years, it kind of grows on you. But I soon realized why Freddie Mercury was a much more suited partner for Michael than Mick Jagger. This isnt really to knock Mick Jagger. I love him, but hes not what I would call a great singer. He is a great PERFORMER, and perform is exactly what he does on State of Shock. He does what he does best, and basically struts all over that track like a bantam rooster. His style is dominant and forceful, and he never seems really able to turn off being Mick. This is evident even on his background vocals, such as Carly Simons Youre So Vain where he very nearly overtakes the track by its end. I do listen to a lot of Stones music, and I think Jagger is in many regards an underrated vocalist. But he is among the category of singers who have achieved fame largely through finding a niche. He knows what works for him, and has learned how to milk it. When paired with Michael Jackson, a singer with an impressive 4 octave range, it seemed the only thing Jagger could do was over compensate. His is actually the dominant voice on the State of Shock track. Was that intentional? Was Michael being gracious? Michael could have easily overpowered him had he really cut loose on that track, but he held it in check. However, I loved what emerged as a kind of friendly competition between them (or maybe not so friendly, if some of Michaels words about the RS singer are to be believed). Just like with Paul McCartney on The Girl Is Mine, the performance between the two male vocalists becomes a kind of sparring match to see who will actually get the girl. Come here! Mick shouts at one point, which Michael yells, No, come over here! Now THAT would have been my teenage fantasy, to have Michael and Mick on either side of me, shouting who I should go to! It is never clear exactly who gets the girl in the end. Mick is all bradaggio as the track winds down-Look at me, ahhhh, look at me!-but that little orgasmic sigh at the end sounds suspiciously like Mikes, leaving the listener to assume that, yes, he was the one who got lucky. (Maybe, as one DJ joked back in the 80s, Sorry, Mick, she looked at you and you were just too ugly!). But when listening to Michael and Freddie perform together, it is an altogether different vibe. The sense of competition isnt really there; the whole playful sparring aspect of the song is gone. But maybe there is a simple reason for that. Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury were vocal equals; thus, there was no need for the kind of over compensation that Jagger brought to the track. Freddie Mercury was said to have a five-octave vocal range. He was as adept at singing opera as rock. While Michael may not have had quite the vocal range as Freddies, he was certainly close enough. Pairing a 5-octave range with a 4-octave range was still a guarantee that some great, impressive vocal harmony was going to come out of their sessions. And boy, did it! It was easy to see when Michael and Freddie got together that no one felt the need to try to outdo the other. This was not a competition, and perhaps that is what makes their duets so brilliant. I still think the Jagger/Jackson version of State of Shock is a lot of fun. But it doesnt give me chills like listening to the combined harmonies of Jackson and Mercury. Hearing those two actually hit the same notes, and realizing that Michael could hold his own quite comfortably against an opera trained singer, is a great testament to his artistry. I think the world is ready to hear these songs. Its time.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Sep 2014 20:51:57 +0000
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