#ThomasDolby - Thomas Dolby - Hyperactive (1984)
Een weekje de spots op een zonderlinge en intrigerende figuur, die als muzikant, producer of innovator tout court sporen achter liet, die meer dan de moeite lonen om op in te zoomen: Thomas Dolby.
Michael Jackson en Thomas Dolby, jazeker! Dit nummer schreef hij voor Michael Jackson. Toch Thomas? “I did, yeah. I mean it's a strange coincidence", legt hij uit. "He was in London and was editing the videos for Billy Jean in the edit suite next to me, when I was doing She Blinded Me With Science, and we actually met at the water cooler one day and got talking. So, much to my surprise, he'd heard of my music and was very curious about the equipment I was using and production techniques."
"He said, you know, 'Well, look me up if you're ever in L.A.", and on a very rainy night a few months later, I was in L.A. doing a live TV show. I was jetlagged and suffering from mononucleosis, and my record had just taken off in the States, and I had this entourage of record company executives who wanted to take me out on the town. I had images of me being hauled around Sunset Strip by these execs and their limo. I said, 'Well, actually, I've arranged to see a friend tonight'. They sort of handed me a silence and said, 'Well, go ahead, we'll drop you off wherever you like'.
"Basically, the only Los Angeles number I had in my Filofax was Michael Jackson's; to my surprise, he answered himself and said, you know, well, come on over. So I spent the rest of the evening at his mansion in a casino. It was bizarre, but it was very enjoyable.” De ontmoeting verliep in opperbeste stemming en het ging over grooves en vooral over nieuwe technieken en of Dolby hem een demo wou bezorgen die uiteindelijk niet geschikt bleek voor de nieuwe plaat (‘Bad’) zodat hij het nummer dan maar zelf opnam. Het werd zijn grootste hit in thuisland UK.
Het was het meest extroverte wat hij al gedaan had en paste behoorlijk goed in de mainstream van de jaren tachtig. Prima song, Jackson vergiste zich schromelijk. En herkent iemand nog die bassynth die herbruikt werd in de openingstune van 'Seinfeld'?