Michael Jackson’s Thriller-era guitarist says Beat It was “too metal” before producer Quincy Jones stepped in.
Steve Lukather, who performed session work for Jackson, reflects on Jones’ influence on the titanic track in a new interview with The Guardian. He reveals that, pulling inspiration from Eddie Van Halen’s already-recorded guitar solo, he initially played Beat It in a heavy metal style.
“I played a bunch of really wild guitar parts, because I knew Eddie’s solo was on it,” says Lukather. “I was doing real hard rock, a quadruple-track riff.”
Jones, who passed away earlier this month, quickly intervened when he heard where the song was going, reminding Lukather that he was after a pop radio hit.
“Quincy wasn’t even there, he was at Westlake doing overdubs on Billie Jean while we were fixing Beat It,” the guitar player continues. “So we’d be on the phone and he goes: ‘It’s too metal, you gotta calm down. I gotta get it on pop radio! Use the small amp, not so much distortion.’”
Beat It was released as a single in 1983 and quickly became one of Jackson’s biggest hits. It topped the charts in five countries and has been certified eight times Platinum in the United States, as well as two times Platinum in the UK and Denmark.
Jones – who also produced Jackson’s Off The Wall and Bad, as well as records by Aretha Franklin and Little Richard – died on November 3, aged 91. His cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
In the Guardian interview, Lakuther offers a passionate tribute to Jones, saying, “Quincy is the only guy that can do a solo album without playing or writing anything. Somehow, no matter what he did, there was a Quincy Jones sound, even if he didn’t play, sing, write or whatever. He was a director.”
