“The Way You Make Me Feel” is the third single from ‘Bad’, Michael Jackson’s third solo album on Epic Records. The song, written and composed by Michael Jackson, became the third of five consecutive singles to peak at #1 on the Billboard charts upon its release as a single on November 9th, 1987. Rolling Stone describes the song as “four and a half minutes of unadulterated bliss”.
Keyboardist Greg Phillinganes: “It’s a really intense shuffle. I remember how much fun I had laying down those offbeat parts, the bass line, all that stuff, and watching the expression on Michael’s face – he’d get that big grin that meant you had it.”
Michael Jackson: “‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ and ‘Smooth Criminal’ are simply the grooves I was in at the time. That’s how I would put it.”
Quincy Jones: “‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ – killer! The fun part of working with Michael is painting….you’re painting all the time to get colors…”
Engineer Bruce Swedien: “‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ is a good example of Michael Jackson’s incredible vocal talent. Michael sang all the parts on this song. Nothing in this remarkable recording is sampled or copied in any way. We had no pitch correction or any such device at this point in time in the studio: we relied entirely on Michael’s own incredible sense of pitch…..I’ve always felt that if a lesser artist than Michael Jackson had sung ‘The Way You Make Me Feel,’ it would never have seen the light of day!”
Michael Jackson: “Music is like tapestry. It’s different layers, it’s weaving in and out, and if you look at it in layers you understand it better.”
“The Way You Make Me Feel” was released as a 12” single on Epic Records on November 9th, 1987, featuring the songs “The Way You Make Me Feel – Extended Dance Mix” (7:54), “The Way You Make Me Feel – Dance Remix Radio Edit” (5:20); and on the ‘B’-side: “The Way You Make Me Feel – Dub Version” (5:06), and “The Way You Make Me Feel – A Capella” (4:30).
“The Way You Make Me Feel” was released as a CD single on Epic Records on November 9th, 1987, featuring “The Way You Make Me Feel – 7″ Version” (4:26), and “The Way You Make Me Feel – Extended Dance Mix” (7:53).
Engineer Bruce Swedien: “Michael asked me to do a dance mix of this fantastic piece of music. I thought this would be a perfect place to try out my then-brand-new Dbx subharmonic generator to trigger a really low note on the down beats. [I was] sitting down at home in California having breakfast one Saturday morning, when I got a phone call from Frankfurt, Germany. The owner of a very popular dance club in Frankfurt came on the phone and said, in a thick German accent, ‘You owe me eight voofers!’ It seems that one of my huge low notes had knocked out eight of his very expensive sub-woofers on the first note! That’s one of the biggest compliments I ever got!”
Written and Composed by Michael Jackson
Hee – hee!
Ooh!
Go on girl!
Aaow!
Hey pretty baby with the high heels on
You give me fever
Like I’ve never, ever known
You’re just a product of loveliness
I like the groove of your walk,
Your talk, your dress
I feel your fever
From miles around
I’ll pick you up in my car
And we’ll paint the town
Just kiss me baby
And tell me twice
That you’re the one for me
The way you make me feel
(The way you make me feel)
You really turn me on
(You really turn me on)
You knock me off of my feet
(You knock me off of my feet)
My lonely days are gone
(My lonely days are gone)
I like the feelin’ you’re givin’ me
Just hold me baby and I’m in ecstasy
Oh I’ll be workin’ from nine to five
To buy you things to keep you by my side
I never felt so in love before
Just promise baby, you’ll love me forevermore
I swear I’m keepin’ you satisfied
’Cause you’re the one for me
The way you make me feel
(The way you make me feel)
You really turn me on
(You really turn me on)
You knock me off of my feet now baby – hee!
(You knock me off of my feet)
My lonely days are gone – a – acha – acha
(My lonely days are gone)
Acha – ooh!
Go on girl!
Go on! Hee! Hee! Aaow!
Go on girl!
I never felt so in love before
Promise baby, you’ll love me forevermore
I swear I’m keepin’ you satisfied
’Cause you’re the one for me…
The way you make me feel
(The way you make me feel)
You really turn me on
(You really turn me on)
You knock me off of my feet now baby – hee!
(You knock me off of my feet)
My lonely days are gone
(My lonely days are gone)
The way you make me feel
(The way you make me feel)
You really turn me on
(You really turn me on)
You knock me off of my feet now baby – hee!
(You knock me off of my feet)
My lonely days are gone
(My lonely days are gone)
Ain’t nobody’s business, ain’t nobody’s business
(The way you make me feel)
Ain’t nobody’s business,
Ain’t nobody’s business but mine and my baby
(You really turn me on)
Hee hee!
(You knock me off of my feet)
Hee hee! Ooh!
(My lonely days are gone)
Give it to me – give me some time
(The way you make me feel)
Come on be my girl – I wanna be with mine
(You really turn me on)
Ain’t nobody’s business –
(You knock me off of my feet)
Ain’t nobody’s business but mine and my baby’s
Go on girl! Aaow!
(My lonely days are gone)
Hee hee! Aaow!
Chika-chika
Chika-chika-chika
Go on girl! Hee hee!
(The way you make me feel)
Hee hee hee!
(You really turn me on)
(You knock me off of my feet)
(My lonely days are gone)
(The way you make me feel)
(You really turn me on)
(You knock me off of my feet)
(My lonely days are gone)
©1987 Mijac Music. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
CREDITS:
“The Way You Make Me Feel” - written and composed by Michael Jackson.
Michael Jackson: Solo and background vocals, Finger snaps.
John Robinson: Drums.
Douglas Getschal: Drum programming.
Eric Gale, David Williams: Guitars.
Kim Hutchcroft, Larry Williams: Saxophones.
Gary Grant, Jerry Hey: Trumpets.
Ollie E. Brown, Paulinho Da Costa: Percussion.
Christopher Currell: Synclavier, Finger snaps.
John Barnes, Michael Boddicker, Greg Phillinganes: Synthesizers.
Larry Williams: Synthesizer programming.
Rhythm and vocal arrangements by Michael Jackson.
Horn arrangement by Jerry Hey.
©1987 Mijac Music