Janet Jackson | When I Think Of You (Change Request ReVision)
For this ReVision, I recreated my favorite song off of my favorite album of Ms. Jackson’s.
Written by Jackson, and her newly adopted two dads: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Already having much success with their recent productions for SOS Band, and a host of the endless talent that Minneapolis was manufacturing at that time—such as Cherrelle and Alexander O’ Neal—this dynamite trio would go on to influence pop music immeasurable over the next three decades, as a team, and individually.
The third single from Janet Jackson's third studio album, 1986’s Control, “When I Think of You" would be Janet Jackson’s first Billboard Hot 100 Number 1 Hit.
At just 20 years old, she was the youngest artist since Stevie Wonder to have a Number 1 Billboard Top 100 record, which also made her and brother Michael the first two siblings to both share that accomplishment.
This song—as well the album Control—features the very early era of Jam and Lewis adapting their Minneapolis Sound of electronic funk—developed alongside former band members, and high school mates, Morris Day, and The Purple One, Mister Jamie Starr—to Pop Music.
The second single, “Nasty”—with its innovative phrase sampling usage and a unique timpani melody—is widely regarded as the blueprint for the birth of a genre they would ultimately godfather, New Jack Swing.
I reimagined this song with the standard Minneapolis Orchestrations in play: pitched up LinnDrum, snappy and mid-range Oberheim DX, Moog Bass, and the new editions of early FM Synth sound with the Yamaha DX7, Roland D-50, and 1984’s Roland Super Jupiter, the MKS-80.
