The album " off the wall" was released in August 1979 — the same month I turned twenty-one, and I began to run my own business, which, of course, was one of the major milestones in my life. For me, this meant a lot: the success that fell to my lot, with all the certainty proved that the former "boy star" has grown into a pop artist, liked by the modern public. "Get off the wall" was also a step up from the dance tunes we had created before. With the launching of this project, we Quincy have agreed about how it felt to be able to transmit and record the passion and strong feelings. I still think we achieved this in the ballad "She's gone from my life" and to a lesser extent in"rock with you".
Looking back, I can see the whole picture and how "Get off the wall" prepared me to work on an album called "Thriller". Quincy, Rod Temperton, and many of the musicians who played for "Get off the wall" helped me realize a dream that I had cherished for many years. "Get off the wall" sold almost six million copies in our country, but I wanted to create an album that would be bought by even more people. From the very beginning of my performances on the stage, I wanted to record a record that would break all records for sale. I remember when I was a kid, I used to go swimming and make a wish before I jumped into the water. Keep in mind that I grew up, so to speak, in the bowels of the craft, understood the challenges it faced, and knew the limits of what was possible. I wanted to do something special. I raised my arms above me as if I were sending my thoughts into space, making a wish, and diving. But before I jumped into the water, I always told myself: "This is my dream. This is my wish." I believe that if you make a wish and want very much, everything will come true. Really believe. Every time I watch the sun go down, I silently make a wish so that I can make it before the sun goes below the horizon, when it seemed to Me that the sun would take my wish with it. And I have time to make a wish before the last ray grows. And my desire is not just a desire, it is a goal. Something that your conscious and subconscious mind can turn into reality. I remember once working on "Thriller" with Quincy and Rod Temperton in the Studio. I was playing with a slot machine, and one of them asked me:
— If this album doesn't sell as well as Get off the wall, will you be upset?"
I remember that I was upset — I was offended that such a question could even arise. I told them that "Thriller" should be better than"Get off the wall". And I admitted that I want this album to become the best-selling album in the world. They laughed. The desire seemed unreal.
During the recording of "Thriller" I was sometimes nervous or upset because I couldn't get the people who worked with me to see things my way. It still happens to me sometimes. People often just don't see what I see. They are too full of doubts. And if you are not sure of yourself, nothing good will ever happen. After all, if you don't believe in yourself, who will? It is not enough to show yourself as you did last time. I think it's a philosophy: "get what you can."
I believe that man can do many things, but we do not use the full potential of the mind. The mind can help you achieve what you want. I know what you can achieve with this record. We had a great team, a lot of talented people with good ideas, and I knew what we were capable of. The success of "Thriller" made many of my dreams come true. It really broke all the record sales of albums in history — this fact is noted on the cover of the "Guinness Book of records".
We had to work hard to create the album "Thriller", but, as they say, how much you invest, so much you get. I try to bring everything to a perfect state — I work until I drop. And I worked with the same dedication on this album. Quincy helped us, and he believed in the success of what we were doing. I think that in the course of our work on "Get off the step" I have already proved to him what I can do. He listened to me when we recorded that album and helped me achieve what I wanted, but during the recording of "Thriller", he expressed even more faith in me. He realized that I had the experience and knowledge necessary to create this album, and so sometimes even left the Studio, I'm really very confident when it comes to work. If I take on a project, I believe in it 100 percent. I put my heart and soul into it. That's the way I am.
