Backup singer on 'Bad' cites journey

By ALEXA VAUGHN
Valley Press Staff Writer

Noriega already has a platinum record hanging inside his home for backup singing and arranging music on Jackson's "Bad" album, which came out in 1987 with hits such as "Man in the Mirror," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Dirty Diana," "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" and, of course, "Bad." At the time, Noriega also got to perform the album's songs on stage with Jackson at the Grammys.

Noriega was planning on hitting a Los Angeles studio Tuesday to put vocals on a song he wrote called "Reach Out, Make a Difference." Andrae Crouch, the producer of Jackson's next potential album, had asked for the song to pitch it to the pop legend, he said.

"He wanted another 'We Are the World'-type of song for the next album because of the times he thought we were in," Noriega said.

"Michael writes songs in a different way than most. He pieces it together like a big cake," said Noriega, who said the plan was to have Jackson check out their work soon so they could tinker with it more while he was out on tour.

Jackson was in Los Angeles preparing for a series of 50 London concerts he said would be his final onstage solo performances.

The musicians, who are often contracted by multi-Grammy award-winning producer Crouch, are still getting together Tuesday, but will have to rethink for which artist they will be composing and performing next.

That's not really what is on his mind yet, though, Noriega said - the world's loss of the "King of Pop" is.

"It's tragic. Michael would work five years on something and then explode with this whole mechanism for entertainment," Noriega said. "He had the ability to make magic when he was in the mood."

Noriega said he will never forget the first time he met Jackson.

"I had come in to meet with Quincy Jones, who I had just worked with on the music for 'The Color Purple,' and Michael was behind him," Noriega said. "I'll never forget the grip of his hand on mine when he greeted me."

Jackson, though extremely serious on stage, was funny and playful in the studio, Norriega said. He recalled a time when Jones brought a group of 13 singers who did not know Jackson was in the studio.

"Then Quincy said, 'Everybody stand still. Don't move,' and turned out the lights," Noriega said. "Then Michael hid right behind the singers and he turned on the light. He laughed so hard."

After collaborating with Jackson and Jones on the "Bad" album, Noriega had a backstage pass not only to his concerts, but also to his home and Neverland Ranch, where he took his family twice.

"The kids had a fantastic time. When we pulled up to Michael's house, the kids were just flabbergasted," Noriega said. "But it's a wild, spiraling world, and you have to wean yourself back from it sometimes to make life feel more normal."

That's why Noriega said he moved his family to the Antelope Valley and started working with Ron Emard at Robertson's Palmdale Honda to improve sales. He said his flexible schedule there allows him to periodically work as a contracted musician.

The roller-coaster that was Jackson's life - with all its thrills and scares - had to end someday, Noriega thought, but he just did not know how and he didn't know how sudden it would be.

"I didn't believe it. But when they told me, 'No, he's dead,' I was absolutely stunned," Noriega said. "Because I know how he does things. Michael enjoyed playing with the press, and I thought he was taking advantage of this to promote his next tour. It's such a shock to realize this was one time he was not going to recover."

"In the same way one's life flashes before their eyes when they're going to die, all my experiences with him flashed before my eyes when I knew he was really dead - all the times we crossed paths, met in the studio, shaking my hand, playing around.

"It was a fabulous journey though, and the fabulous thing about working with Michael is that once you stepped into that music laboratory with him, you have the power to affect people's personalities, what they think about. To be part of that huge impact he had on the music industry, what was amazing about it is that what you worked on lives forever. What you did with him lasts forever."

Noriega also has a platinum record for working with Julio Iglesias and awards from making other songs like "She Blinded Me With Science," and Madonna's "Like a Prayer."

Nothing quite holds a candle, though, to that one "Bad" platinum album that hangs in the Noriega household.

avaughn@avpress.com