The Michael Jackson Reel
Keni St. Lewis
Keni St. Lewis
You’ve been a songwriter for countless years. How did your musical journey begin?
For me, music is all I’ve ever known. I’m a songwriter and it’s what I’ve been doing for so many years, and it’s what I love. I used to sing doo-wop in Washington DC and we used to go to the Apollo Theater every Wednesday for talent shows, and after watching groups perform, that was what I wanted to do. I wanted to build a career in music. I had that music bug inside of me and thought to myself, ‘Man, this is what I really want to do!'
What's the story behind the creation of 'Farewell My Summer Love' and how did you create it?
Freddie Perren and I were friends in Washington, DC, and at some point, he moved out to California. He was working with a lot of big artists, including the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson solo. Well one day after I moved out to California, he and I bumped into each other. It was like fate, too. Freddie and I were talking and he asked me, ‘Hey, do you have any young love-sounding songs that we could use for Michael [Jackson]?’ Well, I wasn’t going to say 'no,' but the truth was that I didn’t have any at that time. But, when Freddie asked me, I told him ‘Yeah, I’ve got something you could use.’ So when I got home, I just ran with pen in hand and begin to write down lyrics as quickly as I could. That’s why ‘Farewell My Summer Love’ was written in the first place. It was written specifically for Michael.
For me, music is all I’ve ever known. I’m a songwriter and it’s what I’ve been doing for so many years, and it’s what I love. I used to sing doo-wop in Washington DC and we used to go to the Apollo Theater every Wednesday for talent shows, and after watching groups perform, that was what I wanted to do. I wanted to build a career in music. I had that music bug inside of me and thought to myself, ‘Man, this is what I really want to do!'
What's the story behind the creation of 'Farewell My Summer Love' and how did you create it?
Freddie Perren and I were friends in Washington, DC, and at some point, he moved out to California. He was working with a lot of big artists, including the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson solo. Well one day after I moved out to California, he and I bumped into each other. It was like fate, too. Freddie and I were talking and he asked me, ‘Hey, do you have any young love-sounding songs that we could use for Michael [Jackson]?’ Well, I wasn’t going to say 'no,' but the truth was that I didn’t have any at that time. But, when Freddie asked me, I told him ‘Yeah, I’ve got something you could use.’ So when I got home, I just ran with pen in hand and begin to write down lyrics as quickly as I could. That’s why ‘Farewell My Summer Love’ was written in the first place. It was written specifically for Michael.
Writing the song lyrics was memorable for me at the time because it took me back to my childhood days when I wrote it. It was all about young love and since it was written for a kid to sing it, I was focused on creating a storyline for young people in love, and I remember thinking to myself, 'What would it feel like to be young and in love when the girl is about to go away at the end of the summer?' So after getting all of the lyrics written, I recorded my little demo version and I remember thinking, 'This has a really good sound to it.'
When was 'Farewell My Summer Love' written in comparison to when it was recorded?
The song was recorded in 1973 and was written pretty close to that time as well. Freddie and I ran into each other shortly after I moved to California and that’s when he asked me if I had any songs that were fitting for Michael. So the song was fresh off the press when I wrote it. Michael was just 14 years old at the time and his voice was right there, and he was so natural too. He was effortless. I didn’t have to struggle to get him to record the song well at all because he was just a true natural.
When was 'Farewell My Summer Love' written in comparison to when it was recorded?
The song was recorded in 1973 and was written pretty close to that time as well. Freddie and I ran into each other shortly after I moved to California and that’s when he asked me if I had any songs that were fitting for Michael. So the song was fresh off the press when I wrote it. Michael was just 14 years old at the time and his voice was right there, and he was so natural too. He was effortless. I didn’t have to struggle to get him to record the song well at all because he was just a true natural.
"Farewell My Summer Love" recorded by Michael Jackson in 1973, released in 1984.
Were you at the recording session? What do you remember about the session?
Oh yeah, I was there in the session with him and so was Freddie. Since Michael was only 14 at the time, he could only record for so many hours a day. Then when his time to record reached its limit, his tutor would pull him away from so he could do his schooling. When we recorded ‘Farewell My Summer Love,’ he recorded for a little bit of time, took a break to study and then came back.
Being in the studio with Michael even back then was such an honor. You know, back then, he was just a kid. But, at the same time, he was Michael Jackson. He was this incredibly gifted, talented young man, and was so humble and very conscientious. That was something I noticed about him with this song. He wanted it to not only be the best, but to be recorded the way I intended it to sound. He would ask me questions in such a humble way too. I remember him asking me during the recording session, ‘Keni, what do you think about this? Should I do it differently?’ I remember thinking, ‘Wow, Michael. You don’t need my advice. Just sing it.’ And I meant that because he was just so good, strong and talented. I was humbled for him to even ask me my opinion, but he didn’t even need to because his voice was just so pure.
How long did the recording session last?
It took Michael about 4 hours to record the song and to get it perfect. He was a true professional, but like I said, he was so focused on making the phrasing of the lyrics perfect. So many times during the session, I said to him, ‘Just be yourself, Michael and sing it the way you would sing it. You can’t sing everything like a machine. You just have to relax and create the sound.’ So he just went in and he nailed it, and I was totally satisfied.
How did Michael learn the melody of the song?
He learned it by a demo that I recorded. I recorded my own little version of it in my home and once I gave it to Freddie, he then had Michael hear it. He learned the song through the demo I made for him. That's also why he was trying to see what I thought of the way he was singing it because he was trying to get it to be exact and didn't want to make a mistake. That's why I was trying to tell him that his voice doesn't make mistakes. I told him to sing it the way he would sing it, and like I said, he nailed it.
Though the song was recorded in 1973, it didn't release until 1984. How excited were you?
*Laughs* Is that even a question? Very excited! I remember thinking 'It's out! I can't believe it! Finally!'
Michael was a total gentleman when we recorded the song and very well-mannered. He made my time in the studio special, so for the song to finally get released after all of those years was well worth the wait.
Oh yeah, I was there in the session with him and so was Freddie. Since Michael was only 14 at the time, he could only record for so many hours a day. Then when his time to record reached its limit, his tutor would pull him away from so he could do his schooling. When we recorded ‘Farewell My Summer Love,’ he recorded for a little bit of time, took a break to study and then came back.
Being in the studio with Michael even back then was such an honor. You know, back then, he was just a kid. But, at the same time, he was Michael Jackson. He was this incredibly gifted, talented young man, and was so humble and very conscientious. That was something I noticed about him with this song. He wanted it to not only be the best, but to be recorded the way I intended it to sound. He would ask me questions in such a humble way too. I remember him asking me during the recording session, ‘Keni, what do you think about this? Should I do it differently?’ I remember thinking, ‘Wow, Michael. You don’t need my advice. Just sing it.’ And I meant that because he was just so good, strong and talented. I was humbled for him to even ask me my opinion, but he didn’t even need to because his voice was just so pure.
How long did the recording session last?
It took Michael about 4 hours to record the song and to get it perfect. He was a true professional, but like I said, he was so focused on making the phrasing of the lyrics perfect. So many times during the session, I said to him, ‘Just be yourself, Michael and sing it the way you would sing it. You can’t sing everything like a machine. You just have to relax and create the sound.’ So he just went in and he nailed it, and I was totally satisfied.
How did Michael learn the melody of the song?
He learned it by a demo that I recorded. I recorded my own little version of it in my home and once I gave it to Freddie, he then had Michael hear it. He learned the song through the demo I made for him. That's also why he was trying to see what I thought of the way he was singing it because he was trying to get it to be exact and didn't want to make a mistake. That's why I was trying to tell him that his voice doesn't make mistakes. I told him to sing it the way he would sing it, and like I said, he nailed it.
Though the song was recorded in 1973, it didn't release until 1984. How excited were you?
*Laughs* Is that even a question? Very excited! I remember thinking 'It's out! I can't believe it! Finally!'
Michael was a total gentleman when we recorded the song and very well-mannered. He made my time in the studio special, so for the song to finally get released after all of those years was well worth the wait.
Copyright Keni St. Lewis, Motown Archives.
