: Despite the complex production, Jackson reportedly nailed the lead vocal in a single take after warming up his voice every morning during the recording period. The 91-Mix Perfectionism

One of the most famous stories regarding these tracks is that Swedien mixed the song 91 times .

Here is an exploration of the unique elements found within these layers: The "Sonic Personality" of the Drums

: For the vocal overdubs, Swedien had Michael Jackson sing through a six-foot-long cardboard tube to create a specific acoustic distance and texture.

: Swedien was instructed by producer Quincy Jones to create a "sonic personality" for the drums that had never been heard before. To achieve this, he built a custom wooden platform for the drum kit and placed a flat piece of wood between the snare and hi-hat to isolate the sounds.

: To keep the drum sound "fresh" and avoid tape wear, Swedien recorded the initial drums to a "slave reel" for overdubbing, ensuring the final mixdown used the original, untouched drum recordings . Vocal Innovations

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