THRILLER 40: THE END OF A LONG JOURNEY

The doc celebrating the 40th anniversary of Michael Jackson's blockbuster airs Dec. 2nd on Paramount Plus worldwide

Starting in 2019, going right through the pandemic year of 2020 into 2021, and right through 2022, I was involved as a director or producer in five projects: ‘Say Hey, Willie Mays’ for HBO/MAX as a director, ‘Dear Mama’ for FX/HULU as an executive producer, ‘Flower’ short film that’s played Tribeca and other festivals, ‘Black Life: Untold Stories’ as executive producer for the CBC, and ‘Thriller 40’ as director for Paramount Plus.

It has been an incredible period of work and, at the start of this, year I actually got sick as the run was wrapping up. Much of this work was happening at the same time. There were days when I would do three different Zoom meetings. Others were I prepped interviews for one project and then did interviews for two different documentaries. I got Covid-19 near the end of ‘Say Hey’ and in the middle of ‘Thriller 40’ and had do a number of important interviews via Zoom. Not ideal, but I don’t think viewers will know the difference. I have to especially thank producer Sean Stuart and editor Darrin Roberts, who supported and collaborated with me, as we did ‘Say Hey’ and ‘Thriller,’ not simply back to back, but often simultaneously.

I am extremely proud of ‘Thriller 40’ on a number of levels. It was great to interview a slew of musicians who worked on the landmark album, as well as a generation of performers who were impacted by Michael Jackson’s artistry. I was honored to have had access to a lot of previously unseen footage of the ‘Thriller’ sessions and the Victory tour, which was often jaw dropping (MJ and Paul McCartney in the studio!). Thanks to the MJ estate and Sony Music, I was able to listen to, and then include, accapella examples of Michael’s vocal mastery. My good friends in the dance world, choreographers Rich and Tone, and ballerina Misty Copeland, allowed me to provide extraordinary insights to Michael’s dancing that will be help audiences “see” his moves in a fresh, unprecedented way, especially “Billie Jean” on Motown 25, one of the most important performances in popular culture history.

Special shout out to my old friend Steve Ivory, who’s been a fixture on the LA music scene for decades and, as you’ll see, has most of the best lines in ‘Thriller 40.’

MICHAEL JACKSON, PAUL MCCARTNEY, QUINCY JONES AND GREG PHILLINGANES AT WESTLAKE STUDIOS IN L.A. MARCH 1982.

WITH MARY J. BLIGE IN LOWER MANHATTAN SUMMER 2022.

MISTY COPELAND IN MIDTOWN MANHATTAN SPRING 2022.

RAPHAEL SAADIQ AT HIS STUDIO IN NORTH HOLLYWOOD SPRING 2022.

MAXWELL PERFORMING “LADY IN MY LIFE” AT THE BILLBOARD AWARDS IN LAS VEGAS MAY 2022.

BROOKE SHIELDS IN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 2022.

USHER IN LAS VEGAS SUMMER 2022.

In 1982 I returned to Billboard magazine, where I’d been a college intern. Now I was an editor and there was no bigger story than Michael Jackson coming off ‘Off the Wall.’ I did a ton of writing about ‘Thriller’ over the next four years. Three of the most important pieces from that period are collected in The Nelson George Mixtape Volume 1.

The first is a 1982 profile of Quincy Jones for Musician magazine. I visited Quincy at Westlake Studio while he was finishing work on a Donna Summer album and prepping the album that would become ‘Thriller.’ Q spoke at lenght about Michael Jackson, his goals for the new album, and his philosophy of musical greatness.

The second is a long piece in Musician on the massive success of ‘Thriller,’ with interviews with many musicians who I’d speak to for the documentary.

The third is a Village Voice piece, ‘Chocolate Chips at the Ice capades,’ that looked at three different Victory tour performances — Kansas City, New Jersey and New York.

I had no idea that forty years later all three pieces would inform the new doc. Being a pack rat has its value.

Cover story on the success of Thriller from Musician magazine 1983.

Review of the Victory tour published in the Village Voice August 1984.

Those three pieces, written contemporary with Jacksonmania, are collected in The Nelson George Mixtape Volume 1, available via.pacificpacific.pub in paperback.

Thriller 40 airs worldwide on Paramount Plus December 2nd at 8pm eastern time.