1 Hidden Gem From Every Michael Jackson Album
7. Thriller - Baby Be Mine
Can there really be an overlooked gem on the biggest selling album of all time? More people have owned a copy of Baby Be Mine, via its parent album, than almost any other song in music history.
That said, how many people actually listen to the track? How often do people even listen to Thriller? The album’s many hits have all made it onto compilation albums and playlists at this point, making the biggest album of all time strangely inessential.
But it’s well worth seeking out Baby Be Mine; a bouncy, infectious pop confection from the pen of Rod Temperton, the man behind Thriller. The track sounds superficially straightforward, the lyrics less distinctive than those offered by the album’s various hits, but producer Quincy Jones was adamant there’s some sophistication under the surface.
He cites jazz legend John Coltrane as an influence on Temperton’s songwriting.
"Take a close look at 'Baby Be Mine’… Rod is a genius. It goes 'Deedle, dee-do- dee-dee- dee…' That's Coltrane, man. It's got pop lyrics and a beat, but it's Coltrane. It all came from the same place."