On February 14, 1994, Michael Jackson walked into a federal courtroom in Denver facing a multimillion-dollar copyright lawsuit.
Then something unusual happened.
Instead of simply answering questions about contracts and dates, Michael began singing and creating rhythms with his voice to explain exactly how music formed inside his head.
Denver songwriter Crystal Cartier claimed Michael had copied her song titled “Dangerous.” She said she had written her version years earlier and distributed demo tapes in Los Angeles before Michael recorded his own “Dangerous” in September 1990.
Michael denied ever hearing her song.
During roughly 50 minutes on the witness stand, he explained that his “Dangerous” had developed from an earlier song called “Streetwalker,” which he had worked on with engineer and songwriter Bill Bottrell during the Bad era.
Then the courtroom got a rare glimpse into Michael’s creative process.
Michael explained that he did not read music. Instead, when an idea appeared, he would sing the parts into a tape recorder.
If he heard a bass line, he vocalized the bass.
If he heard chords, he sang them.
If drums were forming in his head, he created the rhythm with his mouth.
To demonstrate, Michael used “Billie Jean” as an example, vocalizing its famous bass line before singing the chords and melody that existed above it. He explained that lyrics, strings, rhythm and melody could sometimes arrive together almost instantly.
Michael Jackson Demonstrates His Songwriting Process in Court
The surviving courtroom audio became so fascinating that after the trial, the U.S. District Court in Denver actually sold copies of Michael’s testimony for $15. Billboard reported that requests poured in because the recording included a cappella passages from both “Billie Jean” and “Dangerous.”
Michael also explained how “Dangerous” evolved.
He said Bottrell had taken material connected to “Streetwalker” and stripped it down to a bass foundation. Michael then spent weeks listening to that groove while allowing a new melody, chords and lyrics to develop around it.
Cartier faced a major problem with her own evidence.
She said she had distributed around 25 demo cassettes, but by the time of trial she could not produce a single copy. The original studio master had also been recycled. A judge excluded reconstructed evidence after finding that an adequate search for the original demo tapes had not been made.
On February 15, 1994, the eight-person jury deliberated for about three and a half hours before finding in Michael’s favor. The verdict was unanimous.
Cartier later appealed, but the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ruling in 1995.
Michael Jackson entered that courtroom defending one song.
But what survives today is something much more interesting.
For nearly an hour, people got to hear what normally happened inside Michael Jackson’s head before the rest of the world ever heard a finished record.