SATURDAY'S SINGLES : MICHAEL JACKSON and "WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC

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Good morning gang and welcome back to Saturday's Singles. It was on this very day in 1987, that the title track to Michael Jackson's 7th studio album landed at #1 on the Billboard 200 after being released on September 7th on Epic Records. The song written by Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones also hit #1 in Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, US Dance Club Songs, US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales, US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, US Rhythmic, and the US Cash Box Top 100 charts. It's B-side is "I Can't Help It". 

Written, composed, vocal arrangement and co-produced by Michael Jackson
Produced by Quincy Jones
Michael Jackson: solo and background vocals
Jimmy Smith: Hammond B3 Midi organ solo
Greg Phillinganes: synthesizer solo
John Robinson: drums
Douglas Getschal: drum programming
David Williams: guitar
Kim Hutchcroft, Larry Williams: saxophones
Gary Grant, Jerry Hey: trumpets
Paulinho Da Costa: percussion
Christopher Currell: Synclavier keyboards, digital guitar, rubboard
John Barnes, Michael Boddicker, Greg Phillinganes: synthesizers
Rhythm arrangement by Michael Jackson, Christopher Currell and Quincy Jones
Horn arrangement by Jerry Hey

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The next year, April 12, 1988, to be exact, satirist "Weird Al" Yankovic (who celebrated his 61st Birthday yesterday -- Happy Birthday Al !) released a parody version of "Bad" called "Fat" on the Scotti Brothers label (from his 5th studio album, Even Worse). It was produced by Rick Derringer and peaked at #99 on the Hot 100, #80 in the UK and Canada, #11 in Australia, and #3 in New Zealand. Our copy is a white label promotional copy with "Fat" on both sides. Lynn bought it just the other day in Winter Haven, at Treasure House Antiques and Collectibles, where she has her own booth set up with the clever title of "Lynn's Den Of Antiquities". When she came home the other day she handed me the 45 and said, 'This is for you'. Which I responded, 'Is this a Fat joke" ?

"Weird Al" Yankovic - accordion, keyboards, vocals, background vocals
Jim West - guitar, mandolin, background vocals
Steve Jay - banjo, bass guitar, background vocals
Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz - percussion, drums
Rick Derringer - guitar, producer
Tony Papa - engineer
Jamey Dell - assistant engineer
Tony Lane - art direction
Nancy Donald - art direction
Lou Beach - illustrations
Sam Emerson - photography
Christine Wilson - Even Worse lettering
Kim Bullard - synthesizer
Joe Sublett - saxophone
Ronny Jay - record scratching
Nicolette Larson - background vocals

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