Say Say Say

"Say Say Say" is a song by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson. The track was written by the duo and produced by George Martin for McCartney's fifth solo album, Pipes of Peace (1983). The song was the pair's second duet to be released, as it followed "The Girl Is Mine" from Jackson's Thriller (1982). However, it had been recorded one year before "The Girl Is Mine", at the same time as McCartney's 1982 Tug of War album. Upon its release in October 1983, "Say Say Say" became Jackson's seventh top ten hit in a year. It was a number one hit in the US and reached number two in the UK. Also number one in Canada, Finland, Italy, Norway and Sweden, the single peaked within the top ten in Australia, Austria and New Zealand.

Certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, the song was promoted with a music video directed by Bob Giraldi. The video, filmed in Santa Ynez Valley, California, featured cameo appearances by Linda McCartney and La Toya Jackson. The short film centers around two con artists, "Mac and Jack", and is credited for the introduction of dialogue and storyline to music videos. After its debut, the music video was considered too violent by the National Coalition on Television Violence. "Say Say Say" was covered by the Dutch music group Hi-Tack in early 2006. They took the song to number four on the UK singles chart.

Recording

Prior to the release of "Say Say Say", McCartney had collaborated with Jackson on "The Girl Is Mine", for the latter's Thriller album. In return, Jackson agreed to include "Say Say Say" on McCartney's Pipes of Peace. The song was recorded at Abbey Road Studios between May and September 1981. During this time, McCartney was also recording Tug of War, his first solo album since splitting from his band Wings. Jackson stayed at the home of McCartney and his wife Linda during the recording sessions, becoming friends with both. One evening whilst at the dining table, McCartney brought out a booklet displaying all of the songs to which he owned the publishing rights. "This is the way to make big money", the musician informed Jackson. "Every time someone records one of these songs, I get paid. Every time someone plays these songs on the radio, or in live performances, I get paid." McCartney's words later influenced Jackson's purchase of the Northern Songs song catalogue in 1985. The recording of "Say Say Say" was completed in February 1983. George Martin, who had worked with The Beatles, produced the song. He said of Jackson, "He actually does radiate an aura when he comes into the studio, there's no question about it. He's not a musician in the sense that Paul is...but he does know what he wants in music and he has very firm ideas."

Release and reception

Following the release of Thriller and its accompanying singles, "Say Say Say" was released on October 9, 1983. Remaining atop the Billboard's Hot 100 for six weeks, the single was Jackson's seventh top ten hit in a year—breaking a record previously held by The Beatles and Elvis Presley. It was also the pop singer's third single to top the Hot 100; "Say Say Say", "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" logged Jackson a total of sixteen combined weeks at the top. Peaking at number two on the R&B chart, "Say Say Say" also reached number three on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. The song had peaked at number ten in the UK and was slowly dropping in the charts. An interview was subsequently held with McCartney, who discussed the song's music video. Screenings of the video on Top of the Pops (who only played singles that were rising in the charts and uniquely played this as it was falling), The Tube and Noel Edmonds' The Late, Late Breakfast Show helped propel the song back up to number two on the UK Singles Chart. Reaching number one in Canada, Finland, Italy, Norway and Sweden, the single was also within the top ten of Austria and New Zealand.

"Say Say Say" received mixed reviews from music critics. The song was named as having the worst lyrics of 1983 by Anthony Violanti of The Buffalo News. The Lexington Herald-Leader stated that aside from "Say Say Say" and "The Man", "McCartney wastes the rest of the album [Pipes of Peace] on bathos and whimsy". Los Angeles Times' Paul Grein claimed that McCartney redeemed himself with the success of the "spunky" song "but plunged back into wimpdom with 'No More Lonely Nights'". Whitney Pastorek compared the song to McCartney's duet with Stevie Wonder, "Ebony and Ivory". She asserted that "Say Say Say" was a better song and had a better, "though slightly more nonsensical", video. She added that the song had no "heavy-handed social content". The Daily Collegian of Penn State described the track as a good song, despite the ad nauseam broadcasts of it. The Deseret News noted that the "pleading love song" had a "masterful, catchy hook". In a Rolling Stone review, the track was described as an "amiable though vapid dance groove". The reviewer, Parke Puterbaugh, added that it was "instantly hit-bound froth-funk that tends, after all, toward banality". Salon.com later described the song as a "sappy duet". They concluded that McCartney had become a "wimpy old fart". The single was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments of at least one million units. The song was also covered by the Dutch music group Hi-Tack in early 2006. Hi-Tack took the song, entitled "Say Say Say (Waiting For U), to number four on the UK singles chart.

Music video

Vorlage:Listen Directed by Bob Giraldi, who also directed "Beat It", the music video for "Say Say Say" featured cameo appearances by Linda McCartney, La Toya Jackson and Mr. T. It was filmed in Santa Ynez Valley, California, and McCartney had to fly out to Jackson; the latter's schedule was busy. As "Mac and Jack", the duo play a pair of conmen selling a "miracle potion". The salesman (McCartney) offers Jackson the potion, claiming it's "guaranteed to give you the strength of a raging bull". Jackson drinks the potion and challenges a large man, also in on the scam, to arm wrestle. Upon Jackson winning, the crowd surges forward, hoping to buy the magical potion. With the money earned from the scam, Mac and Jack donate it all to an orphanage. In their hotel, Jackson enters the bathroom while McCartney is shaving. McCartney playfully dabs shaving foam on Jackson's cheek, despite the fact that Jackson does not need a shave. McCartney and Jackson then star as vaudeville performers singing and dancing at a bar. On stage, the duo appear in clown makeup at one point and quickly go through a number of costume changes. Jackson's love interest, with whom he flirts, was played by his sister La Toya. The video ends with Paul, Linda and Michael driving off into the sunset. La Toya, handed a bunch of flowers by McCartney, is left at the roadside. The video cost the singers $500,000 to make.

Giraldi said of the duo, "Michael didn't outdance Paul, and Paul didn't outsing Michael". He added that making the video was hard work; "The egos could fill a room". The video introduced both dialogue and storyline, an element extended upon in Thriller. Upon its release, the National Coalition of Television Violence classified the music video as too violent to be aired. They also classified Thriller and more than half of the 200 videos surveyed from MTV as being overtly violent. The Manchester Evening News later described the video as an "anarchic caper" that "plays out like an Emir Kusturica feature". PopMatters stated that the music videos of "Say Say Say" and "Goodnight Tonight" turned "a pair of otherwise forgettable songs into something worth watching". Steven Greenlee of The Boston Globe reflected that the video was both "horrifying and compelling", while noting the ridiculousness of a potion aiding Jackson in beating somebody at arm wrestling. He added, "It's even harder to believe that the two of them didn't get the pulp beaten out of them in that bar for dressing like a pair of Chess King employees". The video was later included on the McCartney DVD, The McCartney Years.

Credits

• Written, arranged and composed by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney
• Lead and background vocals by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney
• Produced by George Martin
• Engineered by Geoff Emerick
• Harmonica by Chris Smith
• Guitar by Paul McCartney
• Rhythm Guitar by David Williams
• Bass guitar by Paul McCartney
• Drums by Paul McCartney
• Synthesizer by Paul McCartney

Track listings

7" single

1. "Say Say Say"
2. "Ode to a Koala Bear"

12" single

1. "Say Say Say" (remix by John "Jellybean" Benitez)
2. "Say Say Say" (instrumental)
3. "Ode to a Koala Bear"

Charts

Chart	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart	4
Austrian Singles Chart	10
Dutch Singles Chart	8
Finnish Singles Chart	1
Italian Singles Chart	1
Norwegian Singles Chart	1
Swedish Singles Chart	1
Swiss Singles Chart	2
UK Singles Chart	2
US Billboard Hot 100	1
US R&B Singles Chart	2

References

Bibliography

• Tony Barrow: Inside the Music Business. Routledge, 1994, ISBN 0-415-13660-1. 
• Lisa Campbell: Michael Jackson: The King of Pop. Branden, 1993, ISBN 0-8283-1957-X. 
• James M. Curtis: Rock Eras. Popular Press, 1987, ISBN 0-87972-369-6. 
• George, Nelson (2004). Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection booklet. Sony BMG.
• Craig Halstead: Michael Jackson: For the Record. Authors OnLine, 2007, ISBN 978-0-7552-0267-6. 
• W.H. Lhamon: Raising Cain. Harvard University Press, 1998, ISBN 0-674-74711-9. 
• J. Randy Taraborrelli: The Magic and the Madness. Headline, 2004, ISBN 0-330-42005-4.