The Back Story
“The agent hemmed and hawed and was just about to dismiss the whole nutty idea when a little, high-pitched voice softly squeaked, ‘I like it,’ and Michael stepped out from behind the drape covering the large office window. ‘Let’s just do it,’ he said, and so we did” . . .
Famed designer Mike Salisbury, is the genius behind Michael Jackson’s iconic image in black pants, glittery socks, and loafers wearing a single white glove.
Despite having worked with a multitude of celebrities as both a designer and photographer, Salisbury had never worked with Michael Jackson but after seeing him in the movie, The Wiz, he contacted his agent. “I knew his agent and called him to say that Michael Jackson was going to be the biggest star ever and I would be anxious to work on something with him,” said Salisbury. “Michael’s agent called me in to his office and showed me an album cover mock up for his solo album and asked me what I thought. I told him that it looked like a cheap ad for the children’s department at Macy’s. ‘I know,’ he said. ‘It sucks.’ I thought Michael Jackson had the potential to be huge—the biggest, so I suggested he let me develop some ideas.”
Salisbury returned to the agent’s office with several variations of his concept, which only seemed to perplex the agent. “I explained that I was creating a metaphor. I told him that Michael was just a kid out from under his dad so I think the album cover should make a statement that his solo debut is as big as Sinatra coming on stage in Vegas.”
According to Salisbury, at that time, young Michael was gangly and had an Afro. “I explained the concept by pointing to the fashion type drawing and saying, I put him in a tuxedo. That says big deal!”
“The agent hemmed and hawed and was just about to dismiss the whole nutty idea when a little, high-pitched voice softly squeaked, ‘I like it,’ and Michael stepped out from behind the drape covering the large office window. ‘Let’s just do it,’ he said, and so we did,” explained Salisbury.
Jackson liked everything about Salisbury’s concept from the get-go and only requested one change. “‘I want to wear white socks,’ Michael whispered to me. They have to be über socks then…really glamorous,” remembered Salisbury.
The photo shoot was taken at the Griffith Observatory at the Hollywood Planetarium. Salisbury’s wife at the time found an Yves St. Laurent woman’s tux in Beverly Hills that fit Michael. “I also told him to get loafers like Gene Kelly wore in An American in Paris. When we went to shoot the photo, I instructed him, to roll up his pant legs, put his fingers in his pockets and pull his pants up like Gene Kelly—to show off the socks. The loafers really made the white socks work. By the way, the socks were custom-made for Michael by famous Hollywood costume designer Bob Mackie.
“Michael drove up the hill to where we were at in the front of the building, the same location where they shot the knife fight in the movie, Rebel Without a Cause,” Salisbury continued. “He was just 21 and had a new Rolls Royce. It was smashed up a bit and he was driving badly.”
There was no place for Jackson to change and Salisbury and his team were under a time constraint because they had no permit to shoot there. “Fortunately for us, the women’s restroom was open and like a real trouper he ran in there and put on the tux,” Salisbury noted.
After reviewing his first shot for the album cover, Salisbury didn’t think it showed the real Michael. “We were rushed and Michael was just not that into it,” he said. “I thought he was a little too serious. We needed to shoot this differently. I mean, this album cover was just for him, not him and four other brothers. I suggested we re-shoot it and when we did, I directed him to be more animated. I suggested he smile and exaggerate the pulling up of his pants and get into it like he was dancing. He was a great sport and agreed to do the re-shoot. We did the second photo shoot against a wall and voilá! There was our cover for ‘Off the Wall.’”
The white socks were so successful in drawing attention to Michael and his dance moves, there was a conversation about doing gloves, too. “I felt that would start looking literally Mickey Mouse (and of course Michael was a big Mickey Mouse fan). Between the agent and Michael and me, we got it down to one white glitzy glove. Another great move for attention,” Salisbury concluded.
Salisbury created Michael Jackson’s “Off the Wall” debut album cover art in 1979. Today, Salisbury is recognized worldwide as one of the leading talents in American brand design.
"So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee." W. Shakespeare
(Spike to Buffy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.)
"So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee." W. Shakespeare
"----->His intelligence is instinctual and emotional, like a child’s. If any artist loses that childlikeness, you lose a lot of creative juice. So Michael creates around himself a world that protects his creativity”. ~ Jane Fonda
I wanted to read this…but somehow I cannot make it past the picture at the top…
My God, look at that that body!
I’m sorry…
*thud*
I wonder if we are both looking at the same picture…
I was just thinking – what a nice… errrr bottom.
Yes, yes, bottom… aarrrrgghhhh…
*thud*
hehehe
*slapping Enola*
wake up honey…. here have a golden boy… that might help, or make it feel better..
man I need to work and stop messing around..
someone get the is girl to da recovery room!!
:blink:
Oh.. thights – so strong and muscular..
*thud*
LOL!!! OMG you guys.
:angry: Grrrrrrr, I can t see what all the ruckus is about the picture is not there. What is wrong? Is it my compute or the image? Sabine help! :cwy:
I’m not sure, let me check, but lol! When you see the picture you’re gonna laugh. You can’t see a thing. There’s no bulges or nothin’ :lol:
There, fixed. Young Michael looking handsome as f*ck!
:w00t: I see him, I see him. LOL, he looks like a little boy VERY cute. Oh gosh, if we could just turn back time. :wub: He would be mine and I would know exactly what to do for him. HA! :heart:
That is not the picture I am talking about… the picture on the side – underneath New Shipments!
YUMMY!
Yes, I see the cutest ass on the right side of the screen. Is that what you guys are talking about? :biggrin: Firm strong thighs indeed!. Very sexy shot of him. Michael was just deliciouis and I hope he knew that. Brooke, Lisa and Debbie were just nuts to let that go. :wub: :tongue:
Well I know that is what i was talking about… and I am pretty sure that those are fine legs Enola was drooling over – but we will have to ask her when she comes to…
*shaking Enola*
oh thighs
*thud*
:blush:
M, Yes, you cant miss it…firm and tight. LOL!!! Sexy indeed. :tongue: I wonder what the front looked like? Hmmmmm
So you can see the pic now Mjj, cool. It was gone for some reason. Me and Ladake were just talking about that other pic on the side in the bar — she’s lovin’ it too.
I mean, of course I’m lovin’ it — that’s why I put it up. :wub:
I bet the front looked just as *ummm* delicious
:blink:
OYE why do I do this to myself first thing in the morning?
*covering her eyes*
I love the article. Reading about his poor driving skills and him changing in the ladies room brought a huge smile to my face. And look at him in that tux – so cute. His hairdo could need a little taming though…
:wink:
So, now I’ve commented.
*uncovering her eyes again*
Awww….oooooo….there it is again….the body…
*thud*
:heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: it!!!! I love it so much finding out stuff about him!!!!
I love Michael’s hair :heart:
Katerina, isnt it. Im learning more and more about Michael that I did not know. I’ve been a fan for a long time and he was so mysterious when he was alive. It’s so nice to learn more about him and the more I learn about this dear sweet man, the more I love him. :heart: It really makes me appreciate the man that he was, and miss him ever so dearly. :sad: I think he was so special. Yes, I can see him darting into the bathroom like a good sport and putting on that tux. Poor Mike he needed his hair refixed. Augh, he was so young and so innocent then. :wub:
You guys don’t like the press and curl? :tongue:
Seems like Jackie, Tito and Marlon said, Hell no, I’m not doing it! :cheerful:
Aaaaawwwww, he’s adorable!
:heart: OMG, that’s a beautiful picture in the tux…so young and sweet, i love his hair! i want to reach out and tousle it! :wub:
:happy: what a sweet story too.
:tongue: oooo, don’t think i’m a fan of the “press and curl”…it reminds me of my grandmother’s hair
Awww Gracie, that’s exactly how I feel like, I just wanna come up and rub my hands through it!!!!!
And lol, that press and curl DOES look like a Grandma’s hairdo!!!!! :silly: I love it when they come out and it’s like a helmet!!!! 50 mile an hour wind and it doesn’t move, all that hair spray!!!!!!!
But you gotta love a grandma who is still getting her hair done in the hairdresser! :wub:
Someone sent me this video! Precious!
Aw me and my children just watched that – loved it. I love Sesame Street – do you remember It’s Not Easy Being Green? One of my favourites :cheerful:
Jenny, not a week ago, we were in the middle of Times Square and I was singing, It’s Not that Easy Being Green — my daugher kept laughing at me and asking me what my problem was.
I told her I will never forget that song!!! It’s such a beautiful song. It was so funny :lol: She kept running away from me and I kept telling her I would stop, but then when she least expected it, I would be like:
But Green is the color of spring!!!! :whistle:
Sabah loves Horton, but I love Kermie!!!! :heart:
AWwww Kermit….that song always makes me cry… :cwy:
well, particularly the original when Jim Henson was still doing Kermit.
I LOVED the Muppets when i was a kid, living where i did, we couldn’t get Sesame Street or any of that stuff but Saturday evenings we watched the Muppet Show.
The musical numbers were the best….and PIGS INNN SPAAAAACE!!
I like Sesame Street too now but i had never seen it until i had my own kids!
Sabine, you know my grammy? Every Saturday morning at the beauty parlor (not a “salon” mind you , a “beauty parlor”!) for the last 40+ years! and then complains about it for the whole week until it’s time to do it all over again. :lol:
I am so blessed to have both my grandmothers still…one is 93, the other 83! You just don’t get love anywhere like you get from your grandma. :heart:
Awwww, man, you have a grammy!!!! I want one!!!!
My mom’s mother died when she was 17 :sad:
I think Grandmothers are special, even when they were mean to their own kids, they can’t help but love the grandchildren!!!!! Like I imagine Anotinette would be great with her grandkids, you just kinda have to watch that she doesn’t get them to do dishonest things :lol:
But I loved Muppets! I loved the hecklers, remember? Over the theatre? They were tooooo funny! And of course Ms. Piggy, who was out of her mind! :cheerful:
Good times :smile: :wub: :heart:
Hi again Jenny, if you’re still around, I was looking through old comments and found your old user name. You logged in w/ a google account, does that sound familiar? with “ann”. Hope that helps! :smile:
OMG! :lol: They remixed that cute video this one is just as good!