Part Twelve: Me And my Shadow:
“Funny how it all started when you think about it. Frank was at the Grammys, ready to accept his award for his album and Mikey was there because there was a rumour going round that John Lennon was attending but turned out he was in England at the time. Mikey was the centre of attention of course, guy was becoming the hottest thing in music since us. It was at a mingling session before or after the awards, I forget which, and Mikey was there talking about that Doctor Who show, it being really popular at the time. He was going on about how scary it was and how the monsters were giving him nightmares. Well, there was Frank not far from him and he was looking over like Mikey as if he'd wet his pants or something. Frank, being Frank, eventually just told him to toughen up and if he wanted to do that, he could come down to Vegas for a week while Frank was doing a show and he'd show Mikey how to toughen up. Mikey, being Mikey, took him at his word.”
- Extract from an interview with Dean Martin, 1991
The relationship was a strange one to many who knew either Michael or Frank in 1981. The former was the rising star of the decade, but ultimately quite naïve and still marked by his childhood as a member of the Jackson Five. The latter was a veteran of show business for forty years, having known everyone and done almost everything he could during his time on top. Their respective personalities alone would make many think it'd be an unlikely friendship and, it turned out to be just that. Unlikely, but a friendship all the same. One that would see Michael's own career outlook change greatly.
- Extract from '
Man in The Mirror', 2010
Musically, it was clear from the outset that Sinatra and Jackson were two different kinds entirely. Jackson was reaching the top of his game with Thriller becoming a smash success in 1982 and 1983. In that sense, Jackson didn't need Sinatra's guidance. Instead, Sinatra helped Michael in a business sense and in guiding him away from more bizarre urges. In many ways, Sinatra acted as more of a father figure for Jackson than his own father did, looking more towards tough love as he took Jackson under his wing. This was added to during the gradual reunion between Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Junior throughout the 80's that saw the Rat Pack being joined by Michael semi-frequently during their spots in Vegas. It was due to this that the Pack members saw a rebound in their careers later on in the 80's, Sinatra even giving advice during Jackson's Pepsi advertising campaign when it was filmed in Vegas in 1984. With Sinatra's career experiencing a rebound as he associated himself with Jackson, so too did the pop star find himself given more straightforward advice on where to take his career.
- Extract from '
Time at The Top: The Later Years of Frank Sinatra', 2006
“What the Hell is this Mikey? You can't be serious about telling the press about this!”
“Well I just thought the attention.”
“Attention?! Attention?! You do this Mikey and the only attention you'll be getting is part of a freak show! You ever go to the carnival Mikey? You ever pay to see the freak show?!”
“Well, no...”
“That's because no one pays to see the freak show! They pay for the main event! You want to be the main event, or get laughed at with the rest of the freaks?!”
“... I wanna be in the main event Frank.”
“That's good Mikey, that's good. Just keep it together and I'll make sure you do OK.”
- Alleged telephone conversation between Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra, 1985
Michael's affiliation with the Rat Pack continued throughout the 80's, gaining some fame as if he would be part of the 'new generation' of such a group. Such speculation would never come to fruition but Michael's continued friendship with the group would lead to results that fans of all of them would love. The joint Sammy Davis Junior and Michael Jackson produced album
Shadows would be released in 1987 to high success. The high point of this collaboration in popular culture would come at the 27th annual Grammy Awards.
- Extract from '
Man in The Mirror', 2010
“Well, I didn't know if you could get away with skits on the Grammys. But I guess when the Rat Pack and Michael Jackson go up to you with an idea, you go through with it.”
- Extract from an interview with Cyndi Lauper, 1989
[After accepting his award for best video album, Michael Jackson is interrupted by the Rat Pack on stage, the group coming up to Michael in an amiable fashion.]
SAMMY:
Hey Mikey! Looking good!
FRANK:
Not bad there Mikey, even if it's only for videos.
DEAN:
Tell me about it. You had all those shambling dead things moving about there Mikey, what were they supposed to be?
MICHAEL:
Well I thought it was obvious Dean, they were your careers.
[The Rat Pack pauses as the audience laughs at this, causing Dean to turn to Sammy.]
DEAN:
You're up Sammy. Give 'im Hell.
SAMMY:
Look Mikey, what we're trying to say is that there are some things you don't need. I mean that video was all style, you need the substance to go with it. I mean, look at you, and then look at us, what do you have that we don't?
MICHAEL:
My original hips?
[Another pause from the Pack as the audience laughs at this. Sammy tags in Frank.]
SAMMY:
I'm done, I'm out.
FRANK:
Look, Mikey, we're trying to give you advice here. I mean, you want to be as well known as us, right?
MICHAEL:
I don't know Frank. I mean, after all [Starts to sing], I have heard, now and then, you are called forgotten men.
SAMMY:
Is that what they're saying?
DEAN:
Terrific.
FRANK:
What a swell evening this is...
MICHAEL:
And have you heard, around this time
We gonna get another show from Sondheim
DEAN:
Oh, more soap opera
SAMMY:
Tune in tomorrow.
FRANK:
What a swell evening this is.
[Pointing towards Michael's Grammy] What gold, what a shock.
DEAN:
That they've got four of these for rock?
MICHAEL:
It's beautiful!
SAMMY:
That's enough already!
FRANK:
You ain't gonna see as many as us anyway.
SAMMY:
Now that's a sin.
FRANK:
What is?
DEAN:
Up next is Phil Collins.
SAMMY:
That's what I was gonna say!
MICHAEL:
I think he's a great artist!
FRANK:
Ah please don't go to far Mikey.
Have you heard about Turner?
Got this one and now she'll be on the back burner.
DEAN:
No!
SAMMY:
She's old, needs a rest.
MICHAEL:
Sure that's Tina?
Sounds like all three of ya.
FRANK:
Have you heard of miss Lauper?
MICHAEL:
Oh now what?
FRANK:
Got set up with some wrestler.
SAMMY:
Gorgeous George still playing?
FRANK:
Nah, it's the Captain.
SAMMY:
Did you ever?
DEAN:
What a swell evening this is...
MICHAEL:
It's great!
FRANK:
Less grand.
MICHAEL:
It's grand!
RAT PACK:
It's Wonderland!
SAMMY:
We sing!
DEAN:
We sing!
SAMMY:
So rare!
DEAN:
So rare!
RAT PACK:
Like old Camembert,
Like baba au rhum.
FRANK:
Ba, ba, ba bum!
MICHAEL:
Don't dig that kind of crooning guys.
FRANK:
[To the audience.] Forgive him, he's new here. [Back to Michael.] So what is it time for?
[In response, Michael takes off his hat and throws it into the audience. He starts off with his dance moves, speeding up as they get more extrovert an smooth with it culminating in a moonwalk across the stage that has the audience cheering wildly and the Rat Pack watching on dumbly.]
FRANK:
… [To the Rat Pack]Time to call it a night boys.
MICHAEL:
Wait! Just one more thing.
FRANK:
What's that?
MICHAEL:
While we're here, among the stars
Can't you see we're gonna go far?
Well did you ever?
MICHAEL & RAT PACK:
What a swell evening, a swell evening, a swellegant, elegant evening, this is!
- Extract from the performance by Michael Jackson and the Rat Pack at the 27th Grammy Awards
“A lot of what I learned about how to show myself in public came from Frank. I was potentially going in a strange direction in the 80's before he pulled me back from it. He taught me not to rely on shocks and let my talent do the work for me. It was something I learned a lot from Dean and Sammy as well, to just let my music do my talking for me and keep away from gossip that could wreck a career. I owe a lot to him, Sammy and Dean. I honestly don't think my career would have been the same without them.”
- Extract from an interview with Michael Jackson 2009
JACKSON CONTRACT WITH VIRGIN SIGNED
- Headline from '
The Times' cultural section regarding Michael Jackson agreeing to compose music for various video games under Virgin's new handheld release, 1997