Sources : My personal research, Wikipedia, Michael Jackson: For The Record by Chris Cadman & Craig Halstead, Twitter account of Damien Shields and the amazing archives of the MJCast.
RECORDING DATE
Michael Jackson wrote and recorded “Don’t Be Messin’ ‘Round” in 1982 at some point during recording sessions for his sixth studio album, Thriller. However, due to an overflow of new material at the time, Jackson pushed the song aside for his next album. Years later, in 1986, Jackson revisited the track with longtime collaborators Matt Forger and Bill Bottrell at the Laboratory, the nickname for Jackson’s renovated Hayvenhurst recording studio. According to Forger, the original demo for “Don’t Be Messin’ ‘Round” was nearly eight minutes long, leading to Jackson “brutally” cutting it down to its current 4:20 length. Jackson continued to work on the track throughout 1986 both at Hayvenhurst and Westlake Recording Studios; however, once album producer Quincy Jones began working with Jackson, the track was abandoned. Jackson reportedly revisited the song during sessions for both his Dangerous (in 1990-1991) and HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1994-1995) albums, as well as another revisit in early 2009, but passed on it numerous times.
The song’s producers seem to have changed overtime as well. Throughout its early stages, Michael Jackson was credited solely, although the Dangerous version was made with Teddy Riley and the 2000’s rework had Brad Buxer tinkering with it.
It is unknown if MJ had ever re-recorded the vocals past its early stages.
February 19, 1986 : Recording session at Michael’s Hayvenhurst home studio. MJ, Bill Bottrell, John Barnes and Matt Forger work on the song “Don’t Be Messin”.
February 20, 1986 : Recording session at Michael’s Hayvenhurst home studio. MJ, Bill Bottrell, John Barnes and Matt Forger work on the song “Don’t Be Messin”.
August 24, 1986 : Recording session at Michael’s Hayvenhurst home studio. MJ, Bill Bottrell, John Barnes and Matt Forger work on the song “Don’t Be Messin’Round”.
August 25, 1986 : Recording session at Michael’s Hayvenhurst home studio. MJ, Bill Bottrell, John Barnes and Matt Forger work on the song “Don’t Be Messin’Round”.
August 26, 1986 : Recording session at Michael’s Hayvenhurst home studio. MJ, Bill Bottrell, John Barnes and Matt Forger work on the song “Don’t Be Messin’Round”.
October 25, 1986 : Recording session at Michael’s Hayvenhurst home studio. MJ, Bill Bottrell, John Barnes and Matt Forger work on the song “Don’t Be Messin’Round”.
STUDIO(S)
Hayvenhurst Studio (California)
Westlake Recording Studios
SONGWRITER(S)
Michael Jackson
PRODUCER(S)
Michael Jackson
RELEASE DATE :
1986 demo released posthumously on June 2, 2012 (B-side of “I Just Can”t Stop Loving You” reissue)
In early April 2012, unauthorized pre-sales for the “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” CD single began online, prematurely leaking news of the upcoming release of “Don’t Be Messin’ ‘Round”. Later in May 2012, the Estate of Michael Jackson issued a statement officially announcing the song’s release. The released version is a new mix done by Forger, which he made from combining elements recorded on across multiple different multitrack tapes in attempt to best represent the Bad-era version of the track.[
LABEL
Sony
LENGTH
4:20
ALTERNATE VERSIONS RECORDED BY MJ (covers and remixes by other artists are not included)
In 2020, a collector, Korgnex leaked his redux of the 1982 demo of “Don’t Be Messin’ ‘Round”.
MUSICIANS
PEAK ON HOT 100 BILLBOARD :
Unreleased
SHORT FILM (filmed by MJ during his lifetime)
No short film
LIVE PERFORMANCES ON TV SHOWS
Never performed on a TV show
LIVE PERFORMANCES IN CONCERTS
Never performed in concerts
Jackson Dynasty 