Beat It Multitrack Exclusive: Michael Jackson

An unused alternate harmony track, where Michael sings the “They told him don’t you ever come around here” line in a surprisingly tender, almost vulnerable falsetto—later replaced by the aggressive sneer we know.

Solo the . You’ll hear a standard 22” kick. Now listen to Track 5 (Synth Bass) . A sub-octave pulse (sine wave, triggered by a Roland Jupiter-8 arpeggiator) hits exactly with the kick. This creates the illusion of an impossibly deep kick without mud. Modern technique: side-chain a sine wave generator to your kick. michael jackson beat it multitrack exclusive

Furthermore, the multitrack demystifies the song’s most controversial and brilliant element: Eddie Van Halen’s guitar solo. In the final mix, the solo is a blazing eruption of heavy metal that seamlessly bridges the gap between the Apollo Theater and the Sunset Strip. Listening to the isolated guitar stem, one hears Van Halen’s casual brilliance—the unpolished, spontaneous nature of the take. It was reportedly recorded in one take, with Van Halen even hearing his own pick hitting the guitar strings in the quiet parts of the track. Hearing it isolated allows the listener to appreciate the stereo panning and the specific distortion tone chosen to cut through the mix without drowning out the melody. It wasn't just a guest spot; it was a textural counterpoint to Jackson’s percussive vocal style. An unused alternate harmony track, where Michael sings

The discovery of the stems offers a rare, surgical look into one of history's most meticulously crafted pop-rock anthems. Originally recorded for the 1982 Thriller album, these individual session tracks reveal the "secret sauce" behind the song's groundbreaking fusion of hard rock and funk. The Anatomy of a Masterpiece Now listen to Track 5 (Synth Bass)