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michael jackson

The “Chili’s (Welcome To Chili’s)" singers putting it down.

Few jingles get stuck in your head as easily as the Chili's "Baby Back Ribs" song, officially known as “Chili’s (Welcome To Chili’s),” which was first broadcast in 1996. The music starts with a deep-voiced man singing, “I want my baby back, baby back, baby back,” and builds from there to a sweet and tangy crescendo of “I want my baby back ribs!”

Guy Bommarito, the songwriter who wrote the jingle, says that Chilli’s execs weren’t initially too excited by his creation. "The response was, 'Yeah, that should work.' Nobody was blown away or overly impressed," he told Delish. "But it could've been my singing."

The song was later rerecorded in 1998 by a team of studio pros who took it to the next level with their soulful professionalism. The recording session video was shared on YouTube by singer Alvin Chea, and there’s something so satisfying and nostalgic about watching these guys put it down together at the same time.

In the new version, the iconic “baby back” bassline is sung by Alvin Chea, the bass singer for Grammy-winning gospel a cappella group Take 6, who also sang on Michael Jackson’s “This is It.” Dorian Holley, in the vest and tie, sang harmonies and also worked with the King of Pop as a background singer.

Oren Waters takes the lead on the “Chili’s” line and is part of the Waters family who sang background on MJ’s “Thriller" album. Louis Price sings the “barbeque sauce” line and was the lead singer of The Temptations from 1977 to 1980.

Alien Ant Farm's "Smooth Criminal" cover still rocks.

When Micheal Jackson released "Smooth Criminal" in 1988, I was a 13-year-old named Annie. As you can imagine, the "Annie, are you okay?" jokes came fast and furious, and they haven't let up much in the three and a half decades since.

It's all good. Those jokes gave me a respite from the "Annie get your gun" and "little orphan Annie" ones, and besides, it's a great song. It wasn't Jackson's biggest hit, but it was always my favorite, and not just because it bore my name. The music video—a nine-minute, dance-heavy mini-movie set in the 1930s gangster era—made it even better.

But apparently, mentioning "Smooth Criminal" or "Annie, are you okay?" to the younger folks doesn't conjure up the zoot suits and dimly lit speakeasy images it does for me. For them, it brings up images of an alternative rock punk band playing in a … boxing ring?

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Podcast

Upworthy Weekly podcast: Kids name things, positive conspiracies, world's oldest doctor

What are Alison and Tod talking about this week? A TikTokker who sounds just like Michael Jackson, funny terms kids use and things people prefer to do “the old-fashioned way.” Listen and subscribe today!

Upworthy Weekly podcast for August 13, 2022

On this Saturday’s show, Alison and Tod talk about the funny names that kids use for things. Later, they listen to a TikTokker who sounds exactly like Michael Jackson and discuss the things people prefer to do “the old-fashioned way.”

Plus, Tod has a controversial strategy to take the podcast to new heights.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeart Radio.

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Pop Culture

Four musicians play a great version of 'Billie Jean' on one guitar

The performance really takes off at the 48-second mark.

via Pixabay

A man playing an acoustic guitar.

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.”

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