Hope this hasn't been posted lately. On my way into work this morning, I heard Rockwell's hit "Somebody's Watching Me."

My question: is that Michael Jackson singing back-up, or does it just really, really sound like him? :D

Thanks for helping preserve my fragile sanity!!

From memory it was Michael Jackson on back ups.

I really liked that song back in the 80s, but recently I downloaded the mp3 for it, listened to it, couldn't quite figure out why I liked it so much and deleted it.

Yes, indeed, it was MJ singing back-up on "Somebody's Watching Me". Rockwell, who was the son of Motown chieftan Berry Gordy, more or less grew up with the Jacksons, so MJ decided to help make Rockwell a One Hit Wonder! :)

Remember his follow up single "Obscene Phone Caller"? OK, definitely not a hit, but with the same sence of humour.

You are correct Wonder Twin! Rockwell didn't want anyone to know he was the son of Berry Gordy, he wanted to make it on his own credentials!

Thanks for the info, guys! :D I appreciate it.

'course, now I have the silly song stuck in my head.... urf.

One of the best 80's songs ever, IMHO!

That's when Jacko was great.

Yeah, that song automatically brings Michael to mind.. that song sometimes gave me the creeps.. but I loved it!! :D

Your question has been already answered, Mary (yes, it was really a Michael Jackson sample). But thinking about this song I've reminded that a lot of songs were based on samples extracted from the album "Thriller"... and I've started to think in another song... with samples of "Billie Jean". Was a girl singing, and the song was likely to be an answer to the Michael's one. Anyone remembers this song?. Who was the singer?

Originally posted by Guancho
Your question has been already answered, Mary (yes, it was really a Michael Jackson sample). But thinking about this song I've reminded that a lot of songs were based on samples extracted from the album "Thriller"... and I've started to think in another song... with samples of "Billie Jean". Was a girl singing, and the song was likely to be an answer to the Michael's one. Anyone remembers this song?. Who was the singer?

Guancho, could you be thinking about Madonna sampling the song, or rather singing part of it durning "Like A Virgin" during the Virgin Tour? She would work a few lines from "Billie Jean" into the song, it was cool!! :thumb:

Thanks, TrixterThanks, Trixter, but that's not what I've in mind.... was a whole song with the same rythm as "Billie Jean" (sampled), and the lyrics were a kind of simulation of "Billie Jean answering Michael Jackson"... (I think she called him by his name: "You, Mike).
I posted it there because I thought it would be easy for someone to remember that. But now I think I'm going to post my question in the "Where can I find this song" thread, it's the best place for that.
It's curious, I had not reminded this song for years, before reading about the Rockwell's song.... and now I can't keep it out of my mind! :lol:

I saw a clip of the video on an old episode of Beavis and Butthead (it p*sses me off that the B & B videos for sale edit out all the music videos), and its really stayed with me- it had a great 80's suburbia surrealism atmosphere.

Remember his follow up single "Obscene Phone Caller"? OK, definitely not a hit, but with the same sence of humour.

Obscene Phone Caller reached the American Top 40, but it was not nearly as good as Somebody's Watching Me

Somebody's Watching Me is very strange video...zombie postman in the end !!??

I always thought this song was succesful solely based on who was singing back-up, just like Glass Tiger's "Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone" and Frida's "I Know There's Something Going On."

From memory it was Michael Jackson on back ups.

I really liked that song back in the 80s, but recently I downloaded the mp3 for it, listened to it, couldn't quite figure out why I liked it so much and deleted it.


You know what..I feel the same. I even had my mom buy me the album this came from back in the day. I listened to it lately and had to turn it off. I might be wrong but I believe he is a cousin (or nephew) of Barry Gordy.