HIStory (song)

"HIStory" is a 1995 song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. It was composed by Jackson, James Harris III and Terry Lewis, and was included on his album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. Although the original version of "HIStory" was not released as a single, it was later remixed in 1997 as part of Jackson's remix album project Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix. These remixes would be released as part of "HIStory/Ghosts", a double A-side single with the newly recorded song "Ghosts" as the second single from that album.

For similarly titled songs, see History (disambiguation).
"HIStory"
Single by Michael Jackson
from the album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I and Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix
ReleasedJuly 30, 1997
Recorded1994
Genre
Length4:01 (radio edit)
6:37 (original album version)
8:00 (remix album version)
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Michael Jackson
  • James Harris III
  • Terry Lewis
Michael Jackson singles chronology
"Blood on the Dance Floor"
(1997)		 "HIStory" / "Ghosts"
(1997)		 "Is It Scary"
(1998)

Production

"HIStory" was originally written and composed by Michael Jackson, James Harris III and Terry Lewis in 1995.[1] It was the thirteenth track on the studio album HIStory, but was not released as a single. The song sampled multiple musical compositions and historical audio quotes, all of which were dispersed throughout the track. Early in the track, one included quotes from an interview with a young Michael Jackson from 1970. Musical compositions sampled include "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" and "The Great Gate of Kiev" from Pictures at an Exhibition. In reissues of the album, the Pictures at an Exhibition piece was replaced by a similar improvised orchestra piece, but the original sample was used in Jackson's live performances in the HIStory Tour. Audio quotes sampled were Lowell Thomas's "Charles Lindbergh Report" of Lindbergh's 1927 landing in Paris,[2] a report on Hank Aaron, Ted Kennedy's 1968 eulogy for brother Robert F. Kennedy, the 1939 "Farewell to Baseball" by Lou Gehrig, the 1940 "Greetings to the Children of England" radio address by Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret,[3] quotes from Muhammad Ali, Thomas Edison, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 speech "I Have a Dream".[4]

In 1997, Jackson issued the remix album Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix. Remixes were done by Tony Moran, Mark Picchiotti, and The Ummah, although only one of Tony Moran's remixes, titled "HIStory (Tony Moran's HIStory Lesson)" was included on the album. This and the rest of the remixes were included on various commercial and promotional releases of the double A-side release "HIStory/Ghosts", the second single from the album.[5]

Music video

The music video that accompanied the remix opens with the scene of a woman, relaxing on a futuristic sofa, watching the music video through metallic virtual reality goggles. The video is set in a nightclub. Inside the club, televisions, monitors and walls display the history of Jackson's filmography such as "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", "Rock with You", "Beat It", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", "Dirty Diana", "Smooth Criminal", "Black or White", "Remember the Time", "In the Closet", "Jam", "Will You Be There", "Scream", "Earth Song", "They Don't Care About Us", "Stranger in Moscow", "Blood on the Dance Floor", scenes from his short film Ghosts, and live performances from the Bad and Dangerous tours. Wearing the goggles, the woman is led to believe she is in the nightclub too. The video ends with the woman removing the goggles.

Chart performance

"HIStory/Ghosts" did generally well in music charts worldwide, having charted within the top-ten and top-twenty in multiple countries. In the Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden "HIStory/Ghosts" spent seventeen to eighteen weeks on the charts. In Australia "HIStory/Ghosts" peaked at forty-three before falling off the chart.[6][7] The single did not appear on any United States Billboard charts.[8]

Track listing
CD Single
  1. "HIStory (7" HIStory Lesson Edit)" – 4:08
  2. "HIStory (Mark!'s Radio Edit)" – 4:16
  3. "HIStory (Mark!'s Vocal Club Mix)" – 9:11
  4. "HIStory (The Ummah Radio Mix)" – 5:00
  5. "HIStory (The Ummah DJ Mix)" – 3:04
  6. "HIStory (The Ummah Main A Cappella)" – 4:06
  7. "Ghosts (Radio Edit)" – 3:50
12" Single
  1. "Ghosts (Mousse T's Club Mix)" – 6:03
  2. "Ghosts (Mousse T's Radio Rock)" – 4:25
  3. "HIStory (Tony Moran's HIStorical Dub)" – 7:56
  4. "HIStory (7" HIStory Lesson Edit)" – 4:09

Remixes

Note: The Mark Picchiotti remixes were alternatively titled "HIStory (Mark!'s Phly Vocal)" and "HIStory (Mark!'s Future Dub)" on certain releases, notably a few widely distributed promo records in the United Kingdom.

Charts

All entries charts as "HIStory / Ghosts" except where noted.

Weekly charts
Chart (1997) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[9] 43
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[10] 36
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[11] 17
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[12] 10
Europe (European Hot 100)[13] 11
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[14] 16
France (SNEP)[15] 26
Hungary (Mahasz)[16] 2
Ireland (IRMA)[17] 16
Italy (Hit Parade Italia)[18]
"HIStory"		 29
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[19] 16
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[20] 14
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[21] 29
Poland (LP3)[22] 28
Scotland (OCC)[23] 4
Spain (AFYVE)[24] 4
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[25] 12
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[26] 16
UK Singles (OCC)[27] 5

Year-end charts
Chart (1997) Position
Germany (Official German Charts)[28] 58

Personnel

Tony Moran's HIStory Lesson remix

  • Written and composed Michael Jackson, James Harris III and Terry Lewis
  • Produced by Michael Jackson, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
  • Remix by Tony Moran
  • Additional production by Tony Moran and Bob Rosa
  • Mixed by Bob Rosa
  • Engineered and programming by Tony Coluccio
  • Additional programming by Giuseppe D.
  • Vocals by Michael Jackson and Boyz II Men
  • Ending solo vocal by Leah Frazier

See also

Notes
  1. Jackson, Michael. HIStory booklet. Sony BMG. p 39
  2. Thomas, Lowell (May 21, 1927). "Charles "Lucky Lindy" Lindbergh". www.archer2000.com. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  3. "Wartime broadcast, 1940". www.royal.uk. October 13, 1940. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  4. Jackson, Michael. HIStory booklet. Sony BMG. p 50
  5. https://www.michaeljackson.com/news/michael-jacksons-history-ghosts-released-as-a-double-a-side-single/
  6. George, p. 48–50
  7. "M. Jackson - HIStory/Ghosts (nummer)". www.ultratop.be. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
  8. "Artist Chart History - Michael Jackson". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 6, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
  9. "Australian-charts.com – Michael Jackson – History / Ghosts". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  10. "Austriancharts.at – Michael Jackson – History / Ghosts" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  11. "Ultratop.be – Michael Jackson – History / Ghosts" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  12. "Ultratop.be – Michael Jackson – History / Ghosts" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  13. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles Week 31/97" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  14. "Michael Jackson: History / Ghosts" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  15. "Lescharts.com – Michael Jackson – History / Ghosts" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  16. "Top 10 Hungary" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  17. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – History/Ghosts". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  18. "Indice per Interprete: J" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia.
  19. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 32, 1997" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  20. "Dutchcharts.nl – Michael Jackson – History / Ghosts" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  21. "Charts.nz – Michael Jackson – History / Ghosts". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  22. "Dead link". Nowe Media, Polskie Radio S.A. LP3.polskieradio.pl. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  23. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  24. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  25. "Swedishcharts.com – Michael Jackson – History / Ghosts". Singles Top 100. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  26. "Swisscharts.com – Michael Jackson – History / Ghosts". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  27. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  28. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved April 17, 2018.

References
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