Smooth Criminal

"Smooth Criminal"
Single by Michael Jackson
from the album Bad
Released October 21, 1988 (1988-10-21)[1]
Format 7" single, 12" single, CD single, cassette single
Genre Electro funk[2]
Length 4:17
Label Epic
Writer(s) Michael Jackson
Producer(s) Quincy Jones
Michael Jackson (co-producer)
Michael Jackson singles chronology
"Another Part of Me"
(1988)		 "Smooth Criminal"
(1988)		 "Leave Me Alone"
(1989)
Music video
"Smooth Criminal" (Michael Jackson's Vision)
on YouTube
Audio sample
file info · help

"Smooth Criminal" is the seventh single from American recording artist Michael Jackson's 1987 Bad album. The song contains a fast-paced beat intertwined with Jackson's lyrics about a woman named Annie, who has been violently attacked in her apartment by a "smooth" assailant. First broadcast on television as a video in early October, it was released as a single on October 21, 1988, and peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.[3] It was re-released on April 10, 2006, as a part of the Visionary: The Video Singles box set. The re-released Visionary single charted at number 19 in the UK. The piece is one of Jackson's signature songs, and has appeared on numerous greatest hits albums, including Number Ones, The Essential Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection, King of Pop, This Is It, and Immortal.

The song serves as the theme song to Jackson's 1988 film Moonwalker, and plays as the background soundtrack in a section of the video game Michael Jackson's Moonwalker.

Background and composition

"Smooth Criminal" is a song written by Jackson and co-produced with Quincy Jones. Two early versions of the song were written in 1985 and the original demo was recorded in 1986. The first song was called "Chicago 1945" which evolved into "Al Capone" (which was later released on the 25th anniversary edition of the album). This version did not make the album and was re-worked and re-written as "Smooth Criminal".

This song is played in the key of A minor.[4] Jackson's vocal spans from G3 to E5.[4] It has a moderate tempo of 118 beats per minute.[4]The refrain of the song contains the phrase "Annie, are you OK?" This is a phrase used in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training courses, and Michael Jackson is known to have taken a CPR course.[5] Resusci Anne, otherwise known as "Annie" in English-speaking countries, is the name of a mannequin commonly used in CPR training. As part of the course, trainees are taught to say "Annie, are you OK?" to the dummy in order to check that the patient is conscious and responsive.[6]

Critical response

Jason Elias of Allmusic called the song one of Jackson's best: "Despite the content "Smooth Criminal" is a gorgeous and exhilarating record."[7] The New York Times' Jon Pareles wrote: "in Smooth Criminal, the singer finds a bloodstained carpet and an unconscious body, and asks, obsessively, Annie are you O.K.? when, clearly, she's not."[8] Rolling Stone's Davitt Sigerson wrote: "Smooth Criminal" may be the result of retiring too soon after a Brian de Palma picture."[9]

Music video

Jackson originally wanted to make the music video in the western genre, but he later decided after watching The Third Man with director Colin Chilvers to change it to a 1930s gangster style.[10] Film was shot between mid-February and April 1987.

Jeffrey Daniel of the soul music group Shalamar co-choreographed the "Smooth Criminal" video with Jackson and Vincent Paterson, who was a back-up dancer in "Beat It" and "Thriller". It was directed by special effects coordinator Colin Chilvers. The dance sequence of the video in the 1930s style lounge (and Michael's white suit and fedora) pays tribute to the Fred Astaire musical comedy film The Band Wagon. Currently there are four different versions of the video for "Smooth Criminal", as well as an additional vignette created for the 2009 This Is It concert series:

The video won Best Music Video at the 1989 Brit Awards and the Critic's Choice awarded Jackson the "Best Video" award and the People's Choice Awards for "Favorite Music Video" for that same year.

The style of clothing as well as mannerisms Jackson portrayed were reused in the numerous adaptations of the video game Michael Jackson's Moonwalker. The song itself serves as the background music for the "Club 30s" stage, the nightclub seen in the music video, that appears in the game.

Anti-gravity lean

Jackson performs an anti-gravity lean in the "Smooth Criminal" music video.

In the music video, Michael Jackson and the dancers immediately around him perform a seemingly impossible forward lean. To accomplish this maneuver, a hitching mechanism which Jackson co-patented was built into the floor of the stage and the performers' shoes, thereby allowing performers to lean without needing to keep their centers of mass directly over their feet.[11] The system consists of pegs that rise from the stage at the appropriate moment and special shoes with ankle supports and cutouts in the heels which can slide over the pegs and be temporarily attached to the stage.[12]

In the patent, it is stated that the illusion in the music video was achieved by means of harnesses and cables which had to be connected to and disconnected from the floor by stagehands,[12] a claim that is inconsistent with the footage itself in which shiny objects resembling pegs later used in live performances appear from underneath the dancers' shoes as the illusion is concluded.[13]

Live performances

The song was performed live in all of Jackson's tours, the Bad, Dangerous and HIStory tours.

Bad Tour: During the second leg of Jackson's 1988–89 Bad World Tour, directed and choreographed by Jackson and Vincent Paterson. The performance featured a dance routine modeled after the scene from Moonwalker. This version of the song is available on the DVD Live at Wembley July 16, 1988. In this version, he wears the signature white suit coat with blue armband and pocket square and the white fedora over his normal outfit. Normally lip-synced, sometimes was sung live, such as in New York on March 5, 1988. The "Hotel" intro was performed, similar to the opening of This Place Hotel in the 1987 leg of the Bad Tour, containing a spoken introduction and Jackson's silhouette dancing behind a lit curtain.

Dangerous World Tour: By the time the 1992 Dangerous World Tour came around, this performance became a regular on Jackson tours, including his HIStory World Tour. This time, the jacket and hat were put on top of the gold leotard. Also, the lean was started during this tour, because in the Bad Tour, the lean was a drop to the floor, but Jackson stopped himself before hitting it. This performance can be seen on the Bucharest Dangerous Tour performance which is included as a DVD in The Ultimate Collection box set.

Part of the song was also briefly used in the middle of the live version of the song "Dangerous" since Jackson's performance at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards.

History World Tour: During the 1996-1997 History World Tour, the costume was the coat, hat and a blue shirt and a white tie over the gold pants. The "Hotel" opening was scrapped for a similar opening with no spoken line, instead showcasing the background dancers and a keyboard interlude by Brad Buxer.

Film adaptation

Further information: Moonwalker

The song was adapted into a short film directed by Colin Chilvers which was the centerpiece of the 1988 film Moonwalker starring Michael Jackson and Joe Pesci in the lead roles.

Plot

The film begins with three homeless children—Sean, Katie and Zeke (Sean Lennon, Kellie Parker and Brandon Quintin Adams)—sneaking through a big city to see their friend Michael walk out of his store in a black suit covered over with his white jacket. As Michael stands in front of the door, he gazes at the night sky before he is attacked by mobsters with machine guns. The film then backtracks to show Michael and the children playing in a meadow in happier times. Their dog Skipper runs away, and as Michael and Katie look for him, they uncover the lair of Mr. Big (Joe Pesci). Mr. Big—whose real name is Frankie LiDeo, which is an anagram of Frank DiLeo—is a drug-dealing mobster with a disciplined private army at his command. He wants to get the entire population of Earth addicted to drugs, starting with children. He likes to eat nuts and leaves nutshells wherever he goes. He is obsessed with spiders, as displayed by their abundance at the entrance to his lair and his operation named "bugs and drugs". Further, all his henchmen sport a spider crest on their uniforms. Katie screams when she sees a spider on her hand, and Mr. Big discovers them spying on his operation.

The story returns to the shooting in front of Michael's store. Unknown to the mobsters, Michael has a lucky star, and using it, he escaped the gunfire. Upon realizing that Michael has escaped again, Mr. Big orders his henchmen to track him down with dogs. Michael is eventually cornered in an alley, where he uses his lucky star again to turn into a sportscar (the 1970 Lancia Stratos prototype) that mows down several of Mr. Big's henchmen. Michael is pursued through the city streets until he loses the henchmen. Meanwhile, the children scout out Club 30's, where Michael had told them to meet him, and find only an abandoned and haunted nightclub. As Michael arrives, Katie sees a silhouette of him turning back from a car into himself, this time in a white and blue suit. The door of the club opens with a gust of wind, and Michael walks in to find it filled with zoot suiters and swing dancers. The children gather outside a window of the club and watch Michael dance to "Smooth Criminal."

The song used in the film is much longer than the album release, with several lyrics that clarify the story. There is also an interlude wherein Jackson joins the other dancers in a modern interpretive dance. At the climax of the song, Mr. Big lays siege to the club and kidnaps Katie. Michael follows them back to Big's lair and ends up surrounded by his henchmen. Mr. Big appears and taunts Michael by threatening to inject Katie with highly addictive narcotics. Katie breaks free for a moment, but Mr. Big grabs her again and starts kicking Michael. As Mr. Big stands over Michael and orders his henchmen to kill him and Katie, Michael looks up and sees his lucky star. He transforms into a giant robot and kills all of Mr. Big's soldiers, then turns into a spaceship. Mr. Big gets into a large hillside-mounted energy cannon, firing on the spaceship as it flies into a nearby ravine. The children are his next target, but the spaceship returns from the ravine just in time to fire a beam into the cannon with Mr. Big inside, destroying it and killing him. The children watch the ship fly into the night sky with a shower of light.

The children return to the city, believing that Michael is gone forever. As the boys talk about Michael, Katie walks away crying and clutching a paper star. As she sits in a corner wishing for him to come back, the paper star flies out of her hand and Michael walks out of the night fog. He takes them to Club 30's, where they find that the club has turned into the backstage area of a concert. Michael's stage crew return the children's missing dog and then escort Michael onto the stage where he performs "Come Together".

Personnel

Chart performance

Chart (1988–1989) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[14] 29
France (SNEP)[15] 4
Germany (Official German Charts)[16] 9
Ireland (IRMA)[17] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[18] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[19] 29
Spain (AFYVE)[20] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] 5
UK (Official Charts Company)[22] 8
US Billboard Hot 100[3] 7
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[3] 10
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales[3] 13
US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles[3] 2
Chart (2006) Peak
position
France (SNEP)[15] 61
Ireland (IRMA)[17] 14
Italy (FIMI)[23] 6
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[24] 20
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[25] 1
UK (The Official Charts Company)[22] 19
Chart (2009) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[14] 16
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[26] 30
Denmark (Tracklisten)[27] 28
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles[28] 20
French Digital Singles Chart[29] 10
Hot Canadian Digital Singles[3] 22
Italy (FIMI)[23] 17
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[24] 22
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[19] 37
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[25] 33
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[30] 12
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] 12
UK (Official Charts Company)[22] 13
UK Download Chart[31] 13
US Billboard Hot Digital Songs[3] 12
Chart (2013) Peak
position
France (SNEP)[15] 172

Track listing

  1. "Smooth Criminal" (single mix) – 4:10
  2. "Smooth Criminal" (instrumental) – 4:10
  • 12" maxi and CD-maxi:[32]
  1. "Smooth Criminal" (extended dance mix) – 7:46
  2. "Smooth Criminal" (extended dance mix radio edit) – 5:20
  3. "Smooth Criminal" ("Annie" mix) – 5:35
  4. "Smooth Criminal" (dance mix – dub version) – 4:45
  5. "Smooth Criminal" (a cappella) – 4:12
  • Visionary single:[32]

CD side:

  1. "Smooth Criminal" – 4:10
  2. "Smooth Criminal" (extended dance mix) – 7:45

DVD side:

  1. "Smooth Criminal" (music video)
  1. "Smooth Criminal" (extended dance mix) – 7:46
  2. "Smooth Criminal" ("Annie" mix) – 5:35
  3. "Smooth Criminal" (dance mix – dub version) – 4:45
  1. "Smooth Criminal" (single mix) – 4:12
  2. "Smooth Criminal" (extended dance mix) – 7:46
  3. "Smooth Criminal" (extended dance mix radio edit) – 5:20
  4. "Smooth Criminal" ("Annie" mix)  (different from other releases) – 5:35
  5. "Smooth Criminal" (dance mix – dub version) – 4:45
  6. "Smooth Criminal" (a cappella) – 4:12

Alien Ant Farm cover

"Smooth Criminal"
Single by Alien Ant Farm
from the album Anthology
Released July 24, 2001
Format CD single
Recorded 2001
Genre Funk metal,[33] nu metal[34]
Length 3:29
Label SKG Music
Writer(s) Michael Jackson
Producer(s) Jay Baumgardner
Alien Ant Farm singles chronology
"Smooth Criminal"
(2001)		 "Movies"
(2001)

In 2001, Alien Ant Farm released a cover of "Smooth Criminal" as their debut single from their album Anthology. According to the band members, they would play a few riffs of the Jackson song while warming up before gigs and audience members would request them to play the entire song. This positive feedback encouraged them to record their own rendition of "Smooth Criminal" and include it on Anthology. It became a number one hit on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart and was also a number one in Australia. The music video was directed by Marc Klasfeld. The song was also featured in the 2001 film American Pie 2. The album Greatest Hits (1999) includes a hidden track named "Slick Thief", which is in fact an early version of "Smooth Criminal". This version was featured in several video games including Karaoke Revolution, Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades and as downloadable content for the Rock Band series. It was also featured in the TV spot for Horrible Bosses 2.

Charts

Chart (2001) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[35] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[36] 6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[37] 3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[38] 4
Denmark (Tracklisten)[39] 3
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[40] 2
France (SNEP)[41] 27
Germany (Official German Charts)[42] 5
Ireland (IRMA)[17] 2
Italy (FIMI)[43] 11
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[44] 4
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[45] 4
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[46] 4
Norway (VG-lista)[47] 7
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[48] 5
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[49] 4
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[50] 3
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[51] 23
U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks[51] 18
U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks[51] 1
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream[51] 12
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Tracks[51] 24

Cover and parody versions

Appearances in other media

References

  1. ↑ "Smooth Criminal". Michael Jackson Music. michaeljackson.com. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  2. ↑ Lester, Paul (2009). "Michael Jackson's Twenty Greatest Hits". In Mark Fisher. The Resistible Demise of Michael Jackson. John Hunt. p. 29. ISBN 9781846943485.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Bad > Awards". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
  4. 1 2 3 "Smooth Criminal – Michael Jackson Digital Sheet Music (Digital Download)". MusicNotes.com. Alfred Publishing Co. Inc. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
  5. ↑ http://www.laerdal.com/us/News/49080368/Annie-are-you-OK
  6. ↑ "Ophelia of the Seine", The Guardian, December 1, 2007
  7. ↑
  8. ↑ Pareles, Jon (1987-08-31). "Pop: Michael Jackson's 'Bad,' Follow-Up To A Blockbuster". The New York Times.
  9. ↑
  10. ↑ Michael Jackson's Private Home Movies, 2003
  11. ↑ US 5255452
  12. 1 2 "Patent US5255452 - Method and means for creating anti-gravity illusion - Google Patents". Google.com. Retrieved 2013-03-23.
  13. ↑ Various, Jackson, Michael (November 22, 2010). Michael Jackson's Vision (DVD). Epic, Legacy Recordings, MJJ Productions. ASIN B004498KPU.
  14. 1 2 "Australian-charts.com – Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  15. 1 2 3 "Lescharts.com – Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal" (in French). Les classement single.
  16. ↑ "Musicline.de – Michael Jackson Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  17. 1 2 3 "Smooth criminal in Irish Chart". IRMA. Retrieved 11 June 2013. Only results when searching "Smooth criminal"
  18. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Michael Jackson search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  19. 1 2 "Charts.org.nz – Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal". Top 40 Singles.
  20. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  21. 1 2 "Swisscharts.com – Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal". Swiss Singles Chart.
  22. 1 2 3 "Michael Jackson". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  23. 1 2 "Italiancharts.com – Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal". Top Digital Download.
  24. 1 2 "Dutchcharts.nl – Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  25. 1 2 "Spanishcharts.com – Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal" Canciones Top 50.
  26. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  27. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal". Tracklisten.
  28. ↑ http://www.billboard.com/artist/1490059/michael+jackson/chart?f=349
  29. ↑ "Download French Single Top 50 - July 11, 2009". LesCahrts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
  30. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal". Singles Top 100.
  31. ↑ "Top 40 Downloads Archive :: WEEK 28 : 05/07/2009 - 11/07/2009". TheOfficialCharts.com. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 "Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal (Chanson)". LesCharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
  33. ↑ MacKenzie Wilson. "Alien Ant Farm". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  34. ↑ Rock and Pop Reviews (2011-10-10). "Michael Forever, MIllenium Stadium, Cardiff, review". The Telegraph (London). Retrieved 2013-03-23.
  35. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Alien Ant Farm – Smooth Criminal". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  36. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Alien Ant Farm – Smooth Criminal" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  37. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Alien Ant Farm – Smooth Criminal" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  38. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Alien Ant Farm – Smooth Criminal" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  39. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Alien Ant Farm – Smooth Criminal". Tracklisten.
  40. ↑ "Alien Ant Farm: Smooth Criminal" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  41. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Alien Ant Farm – Smooth Criminal" (in French). Les classement single.
  42. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Alien Ant Farm – Smooth Criminal". GfK Entertainment Charts.
  43. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Alien Ant Farm – Smooth Criminal". Top Digital Download.
  44. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Alien Ant Farm search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  45. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Alien Ant Farm – Smooth Criminal" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  46. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Alien Ant Farm – Smooth Criminal". Top 40 Singles.
  47. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Alien Ant Farm – Smooth Criminal". VG-lista.
  48. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Alien Ant Farm – Smooth Criminal". Singles Top 100.
  49. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Alien Ant Farm – Smooth Criminal". Swiss Singles Chart.
  50. ↑ "2001 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive - 29th September 2001". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  51. 1 2 3 4 5 "ANThology awards on Allmusic". Allmusic. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  52. ↑ ApologetiX's official site album information
  53. ↑ "Ginny, Are You OK? | The 8th Horcrux". The 8th Horcrux. 2009-10-22. Retrieved 2013-03-23.
  54. ↑ "Slovenian, Croatian Cellists Make Breakthrough on YouTube". STA (Slovenian Press Agency). 19 May 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
  55. ↑ Gary Trust (2012-02-10). "Weekly Chart Notes: Madonna, Michael Jackson, 'Godspell'". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
  56. ↑

External links

Preceded by
"Because I Got High" by Afroman		 ARIA (Australia) number one single
November 4 – December 23, 2001 		Succeeded by
"Get the Party Started" by Pink
Preceded by
"Fat Lip" by Sum 41		 Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one single
August 25, 2001 		Succeeded by
"How You Remind Me" by Nickelback
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