Off the Wall

About Off the Wall

Off the Wall is the fifth solo studio album by American singer Michael Jackson, released on August 10, 1979 by Epic Records. It was Jackson's first album released through Epic Records, the label he recorded under until his death in 2009, and the first produced by Quincy Jones, whom he met while working on the 1978 film The Wiz. Several critics observed that Off the Wall was crafted from disco, pop, funk, R&B, soft rock and Broadway ballads. Its lyrical themes include escapism, liberation, loneliness, hedonism and romance. Between 1972 and 1975, Jackson released a total of four solo studio albums with Motown as part of The Jackson 5 franchise; Got to Be There (1972), Ben (1972), Music & Me (1973) and Forever, Michael (1975). In 1978, Jackson starred as Scarecrow in the film musical The Wiz. The musical scores were arranged by Jones, who formed a partnership with Jackson during the film's production and agreed to produce Off the Wall. Before recording the project, Jackson desired to create a record not sounding like a Jacksons record but rather showcasing creative freedom and individualism. Regarding his new image for the Off the Wall era, Jackson's manager stated, "The tuxedo was the overall plan for the Off the Wall project and package. The tuxedo was our idea, the socks were Michael'".  more »