"Torture" is the second single released off the album Victory by the band, The Jacksons. Written by Jackie Jackson and fellow Motown veteran Kathy Wakefield, the song is about someone ending a relationship, and the torture that a person can receive whilst trying to end it. Jackie was originally going to sing the song with his brother, Michael, but Jackie's role instead went to Jermaine Jackson, whose availability for the album was in question until the last minute. The rest of the Jacksons sang the chorus along with Michael and Jermaine.

The song received a mixed reaction from critics. The music video was most well known for Michael not being available, in which case a dummy had to be put in his place throughout the video. Paula Abdul choreographed the video, in which various scenes of torture are displayed, with the Jacksons being on the receiving end of most of the torture. The song peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it the second best selling single on the album, behind "State of Shock". It also peaked at number 26 on the UK charts.

Writing and recording

"Torture" was written by Jackie Jackson. Motown writer Kathy Wakefield also helped in writing the song. Originally, Jackie was going to record the vocals along with Michael. However, Jermaine Jackson sang vocals in Jackie's place, because he did not know if he'd be fully involved with the Victory album until the last minute. On the recording, Michael and Jermaine sing a duet, with the rest of the group providing backing vocals. "Torture" was Jermaine's only main contribution to the Victory album. The B-side of the single was an instrumental version of the song.

A common misconception is that the lyrics are about sadomasochism and physical torture, claims which Susan Baker of the Parents Music Resource Center had at one time made.[6][7] The lyrics to the song are about a relationship that is about to end, and how the feelings of love become "torture" when a break-up is nearing. One of the members of the relationship is still in love with the other, and feels that the break-up is "torture".

Music video

Jeff Stein directed the music video, and Bryce Walmsley was the scenic designer for the video.] Jackie also oversaw the production of the video, acting as an advisor. Filming took place at Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, New York. Paula Abdul became the choreographer for the video. Abdul was a Laker Girl at the time. Some of the members of the band approached her after attending a Laker game, and asked if she wanted to choreograph their video. "My only problem was how to tell the Jacksons how to dance," Abdul later recalled. "Imagine me telling them what routines to do. I was young, I was scared. I'm not quite sure how I got through that." The success of the choreography in the video helped lead to Abdul's then new career of choreographer in music videos. It was also due to the success of the video that Abdul was chosen to be the choreographer for the Jacksons' Victory tour.

In the video, various acts of torture are displayed, and various members of the band are usually on the receiving end. At some points, the video looks like a horror movie. Later in the video, a group of skeletons that are supposed to represent the Jacksons, are shown dancing. Neither Michael nor Jermaine appears in the video: Michael was busy with other obligations, and Jermaine refused to be in the video. The rest of the group decided to film the video without them. In replacement of Michael, a wax dummy in his likeness was used in the video. The dummy was used in three separate sequences, including the ending sequence that shows the rest of the group standing in a shot similar to the album's cover. The television show, PM Magazine, was the show where the discovery was first made. They slowed down the video at the exact points where the dummy appears in the video, and pointed out the differences.

Reception

Reception for the song was mixed.The Philadelphia Inquirer said that the song was "a hard-rock dance tune with blaring synthesizers and buzzing guitars." The reviewer however, didn't like the song, summing up their distaste in one word, "Yawn." The Sacramento Bee complimented Jackie Jackson for being the only person "besides Michael," to "rise above the generic," citing "Torture" as one of the two songs by Jackie that were more than exceptional on the album.

William Ruhlmann of Allmusic considered the song a "Track pick", and mentioned that the song's popularity probably had to do more with the fact that Michael Jackson was involved. "So, here one has the ludicrous situation of an album in which Marlon Jackson has as prominent a role as Michael Jackson. That's how it sounded to listeners in 1984, anyway, and they weren't fooled — "State of Shock", on which Michael shared vocals with Mick Jagger, was a gold Top Ten hit, and "Torture", which teamed Michael with Jermaine, made the Top 40, while the album went platinum. But the tracks by other group members went virtually ignored," Ruhlmann said.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture_(The_Jacksons_song)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq9y6oitslQ

Torture

[1st Verse - Jermine Jackson:]
It was on a street so evil
So bad that even hell disowned it
Every single step was trouble
For the fool who stumbled on it
Eyes within the dark were watching
I felt the sudden chill of danger
Something told me keep on walking
Told me I should not have come there

[Chorus - The Jacksons:]
Baby, 'cause you cut me like a knife
Without your love in my life
Alone I walk in the night
'Cause I just can't stop this feelin'
It's torture
It's torture
It's torture

[2nd Verse - Michael Jackson:]
She was up a stair to nowhere
A room forever I'll remember
She stared as though I should have known her
Tell me what's your pain or pleasure
Every little thing you find here
Is simply for the thrill you're after
Loneliness or hearts of fire
I am here to serve all masters

[Chorus - The Jacksons:]
She said reality is a knife
When there's no love in your life
And merciful is the night
When you just can't stop this feeling
It's torture
It's torture
It's torture

[Bridge - Jermine Jackson:]
And I still can't find the meaning, no no no
Of the face I keep on seeing
Was she real or am I dreaming

[Michael Jackson:]
Did the sound of your name
Turn a wheel, start the flame in me

[Chorus - The Jacksons 2x]

Пытка

[1 куплет – Джермейн Джэксон:]
Это случилось на улице, такой темной,
Такой мрачной, что даже демон отрёкся от неё.
Малейший шаг по ней сулил проблемы
Для любого дурака, кто смел ступить туда.
Из тьмы таращатся глаза,
Холодок страха вдруг прошёлся по мне,
Но что-то заставляло меня идти дальше,
Хоть я чувствовал, что не надо было приходить сюда.

[Припев Джексоны:]
Детка, хоть ты режешь меня, как нож,
Без твоей любви в моей жизни
Одиноко я ступаю в ночи,
Потому что это чувство не проходит.
Это пытка,
Это пытка,
Это пытка...

[2 куплет – Майкл Джексон:]
Она была ступенькой в никуда,
В комнату, которую я никогда не забуду.
Она смотрела на меня так, будто я должен её знать,
Скажи мне, что есть твоя боль или наслаждение.
Всё, что ты найдёшь здесь,
Вызывает нервную дрожь, за которой ты гонишься.
Одиночество или горящие сердца,
Я здесь, чтобы служить им всем.

[Припев Джексоны:]
Она сказала, что реальность – это нож,
Когда нет любви в твоей жизни,
И милосердна ночь,
Когда это чувство не проходит.
Это пытка,
Это пытка,
Это пытка...

[Переход – Джермейн Джексон:]
А я всё ещё не могу понять, нет, нет, нет,
Лица, на которое продолжаю смотреть.
Реальна ли она была, или я просто сплю?

[Майкл Джексон:]
Поворачивает ли звук твоего имени
Колесо, зажигая огонь во мне?

[Припев Джексоны 2 раза]

Источник

Отредактировано Fortune (10-08-2011 02:15:11)