Cambridge “Thriller” Flash Mob On Halloween Is Coming!
BOO!! The Cambridge “Thriller” Flash Mob is coming on Halloween!
It’s your chance to recreate the iconic dance made popular by of course Michael Jackson in the 1980’s. Each year around the world, his legacy comes to life, from death, to life. Flash mobs around the world recreate the recording breaking video. Before we see how to sign up to dance, let’s look at the iconic history of Thriller.
Thriller-The Stats
Of course almost EVERYTHING Michael Jackson did was groundbreaking. For example, his hit Billie Jean became SO popular, MTV had to change their policy of just playing rock videos, and allow black, dance artists videos on the channel. It happened on March 10, 1983. It sounds ridiculous seeing how MTV embraces black artists today.
According to the Guardian.com:
-I found interesting to read that it was Michael himself that reached out to horror movie director John Landis to talking about creating a movie-type music video, that would be MUCH longer than conventional music videos. What makes this interesting is that Landis had not ever heard the song Thriller, and Michael Jackson had never seen the Landis directed film, American Werewolf in London.
-By the time the video was completed, it was 12 months after the Thriller single was released, long enough for Michael’s plastic surgery to change his nose in the video, from the cover of the album.
-CBS Records didn’t want pay for a THIRD video off the album Thriller. Believe it or not the first single off Thriller was #2 hit The Girl Is Mine, a duet with Paul McCartney! The Billie Jean followed. According to Rolling Stone:
The video cost half-a-million dollars; at the time, it was the most expensive video ever made. Jackson and Landis funded their budget by getting MTV and Showtime to pay $250,000 each for the rights to show the 45-minute The Making of “Thriller.”
Today, Thriller has 937 MILLION views on You Tube, and is the first music video to be inducted into The Library Of Congress National Film Registry. Yet, Jackson’s record label didn’t want to pay to make it. They got someone else to. Is that stupid or brilliant?
Cambridge “Thriller” Flash Mob
Calling all Zombies! If you’re a good dancer, The Boston Dance Alliance in Cambridge, Massachusetts is sponsoring the event on Halloween! They are rehearing now!