"The Girl Is Mine" | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Single by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney | |||||||||||||||||||||||
from the album Thriller | |||||||||||||||||||||||
B-side | "Can't Get Out of the Rain" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Released | October 18, 1982 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Recorded | April 14–16, 1982 at Westlake Studios, Los Angeles | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Genre | Soft rock | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Length | 3:42 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Writer(s) | Michael Jackson | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Michael Jackson singles chronology | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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"The Girl Is Mine 2008" | |||||||||||||||||||
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Single by Michael Jackson featuring will.i.am | |||||||||||||||||||
from the album Thriller 25 | |||||||||||||||||||
Released | January 14, 2008 (Digital download) January 25, 2008 (Europe CD) February 4, 2008 (UK CD) |
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Format | CD, digital download, 12", 7" (French release) | ||||||||||||||||||
Recorded | November 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||
Genre | Pop, R&B, hip hop | ||||||||||||||||||
Length | 3:11 | ||||||||||||||||||
Label | Epic, Legacy Recordings | ||||||||||||||||||
Writer(s) | Michael Jackson, William Adams, Keith Harris | ||||||||||||||||||
Producer(s) | Michael Jackson, will.i.am | ||||||||||||||||||
Michael Jackson singles chronology | |||||||||||||||||||
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"The Girl Is Mine" is a song recorded by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney. The track was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. It was released as the first single for Jackson's sixth solo album, Thriller (1982). The song was recorded at Westlake Studios, Los Angeles, from April 14 to 16, 1982. The year before, Jackson and McCartney had recorded "Say Say Say" and "The Man" for the latter's fifth solo album, Pipes of Peace (1983). Although it was released as a single, Jackson never performed the song live.
"The Girl Is Mine" achieved success in the music charts. Aside from topping the R&B singles chart, the single peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number eight in the UK. By 1985, it had sold 1.3 million copies, and was eventually certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments of at least one million units. Despite the song's success, it received generally mixed reviews from critics who consider it to be the weakest song on Thriller.
"The Girl Is Mine" has been the subject of two plagiarism lawsuits, the first in 1984 and the latter in 1993. Both instances required Jackson to testify in court, and each lawsuit found in the favour of the singer and his record label.
In 2008, for the 25th anniversary edition of Thriller, Black Eyed Peas singer will.i.am remixed "The Girl Is Mine". The remix received generally unfavourable reviews from music critics.
The writing of "The Girl Is Mine" was completed by Jackson as he watched cartoons with Paul McCartney. Producer Quincy Jones had initially told Jackson to write a song about two men fighting over a girl. Inspired, Jackson awoke during the night and sang the song into a tape recorder. He later said, "I sang exactly what I heard in my head, starting with the melody and the keyboard and the strings and everything. So, I just orally put it all on tape." Jones also asked Jackson to add a rap verse. The song was then recorded by Jackson and McCartney at Westlake Studios, Los Angeles, from April 14 to 16, 1982. The year before, the duo had recorded "Say Say Say" and "The Man" for McCartney's fifth solo album, Pipes of Peace (1983).