Stranger in Moscow
"Stranger in Moscow" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson from his ninth studio album, HIStory (1995). The song was released as the sixth and final single worldwide on November 4, 1996 by Epic Records.[2] It was not released in the United States until much later on July 7, 1997.[3] The track was written in September 1993, while on the Dangerous World Tour stop in Moscow. An early version of the track's chord structure appears in the video game Sonic the Hedgehog 3; according to conflicting accounts, Jackson and his team composed music for the game before leaving the project or choosing to stay uncredited for their work.
"Stranger in Moscow"
"Off the Wall" (Junior Vasquez Mix)
- November 4, 1996 (worldwide)
- July 4, 1997 (US)
1993 – January 1994[1]
- Neverland Ranch (Los Olivos, California)
- The Hit Factory (New York City)
- Sony Music (New York City)
- 5:44 (album version)
- 5:24 (album edit)
- 4:05 (radio edit)
- 5:32 (video mix)
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
The song's music video depicts the lives of six individuals, including Jackson, who are left isolated and disconnected from the world around them. "Stranger in Moscow" charted highly in the top 10 of numerous countries music charts worldwide, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. However, it only peaked at number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Jackson's lowest peaking on the chart. The song was performed on the HIStory World Tour in 1996–1997. The song has been covered a few times by other artists.
Background[edit]
"Stranger in Moscow", like several other HIStory tracks, was Jackson's response to recent events in his personal life.[4] In 1993, the relationship between Jackson and the press soured entirely when he was accused of child sexual abuse. Though not charged with a crime, Jackson was intensely scrutinized by the media during the criminal investigation. Complaints about the coverage and media included using sensational headlines[5] and headlines that implied guilt,[6] accepting stories of Jackson's alleged criminal activity and leaked police material in exchange for money,[7][8] deliberately using unflattering pictures of Jackson,[6] and a lack of objectivity.[6]
The coverage upset Jackson, and damaged his health; Jackson's health had deteriorated such that he canceled the remainder of his Dangerous World Tour and went into rehabilitation.[9][10] The media showed him little sympathy. The Daily Mirror held a "Spot the Jacko" contest, offering readers a trip to Walt Disney World if they could correctly predict where the entertainer's next appearance would be.[9] A Daily Express headline read, "Drug Treatment Star Faces Life on the Run", while a News of the World headline accused Jackson of being a fugitive. These tabloids also falsely alleged that Jackson had traveled to Europe to have cosmetic surgery that would make him unrecognizable upon return.[9] Geraldo Rivera set up a mock trial, with a jury made up of audience members, even though Jackson had not been charged with a crime.[11]
Music[edit]
"Stranger in Moscow" is an R&B ballad[12][13] with a tempo of 65 beats per minute, making it one of Jackson's slowest songs.[14] Guitars were played by Steve Lukather while keyboards, synthesizers and bass are credited to David Paich and Steve Porcaro.[15]
Jackson used Russian imagery and symbolism to underscore the track's sense of fear and alienation.[16] It concludes with a narrative, spoken in Russian, by a KGB interrogator (Ed Wiesnieski).[17] The narrative, translated into English is, "Why have you come from the west? Confess! To steal the great achievements of the people, the accomplishments of the workers..."[18]
Writing[edit]
The song is based on the credits theme of the 1994 video game Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which Jackson and his tour keyboardist Brad Buxer were hired to compose for.[19][20] According to Buxer, Jackson called him to his hotel room in Moscow during the Dangerous World Tour. Thinking he wanted to hear his new game cues, Buxer played several songs on the piano in the room, including the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 credits theme cue. Buxer and Jackson worked together on developing the chords and changes for the rest of the song over an hour and a half. While the track is an example of the collaborative process between the two, only Jackson received writing credit on the record, and Buxer did not push for credit. [21] Conflicting accounts state that Jackson either dropped out of the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 project following the sexual abuse allegations around this time or, chose to be uncredited in-game because of his dissatisfaction with the limitations of the Sega Genesis sound chip.[22]
Originally, HIStory was planned as a greatest hits album, with a few new tracks. However, Jackson and his collaborators were so pleased with the result of "Stranger in Moscow" that they decided to give HIStory a full studio album as the second disc.[23]
Live performances[edit]
The song was performed during the HIStory World Tour (1996–1997).[40][41]
As per the liner notes of The Ultimate Collection:[44]