Talk about getting the most out of an instrument. The four members of Barcelona Guitar Trio (Xavier Coll Quetglas, Luis Robisco, Alí Arango, and drummer Paquito Escudero Sevilla) played a stunning version of Michael Jackson’s 1982 megahit “Billie Jean” all on one guitar.
Sevilla used the body of the guitar to play the rhythm, Robisco played the lead melody, Arango played the keyboard part and Quetglas rocked the iconic bass line.
The performance really takes off 48 seconds in, at the part where Jackson sings, “People always told me be careful of what you do/And don’t go around breaking young girls’ hearts.”
“Billie Jean” was written about a woman who falsely claims Jackson is the father of one of her sons. Jackson says that the character was a composite of the numerous women who had made such claims about his family.
“The girl in the song is a composite of people my brothers have been plagued with over the years. I could never understand how these girls could say they were carrying someone’s child when it wasn’t true,” he said according to American Songwriter.
The song’s producer, Quincy Jones, wanted the song to be called “Not My Lover” so that people didn’t think it was about tennis star Billie Jean King. But Jackson refused to change the song’s name.
“Billie Jean” was released as a single in January 1983 and would stay at the top of the charts for seven weeks. It was the most popular track on Jackson’s “Thriller” album, which went on to sell 66 million copies worldwide.
