![Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (Original Mix) [2026 Restoration] @queenliverarities](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yh6OowNeTp0/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
Nice (and overdue) addition to the 'Thriller' installment of the Restoration project 👌 The most notable difference between this and the more common mix comes at 2:24, where "oh no" is a lot less audible. Another noteworthy difference is the reverb on the drums. There's less of it here compared to the remix.
To any MJ fans who may be here for the first time, WELCOME! The intention of this project is to find the album's best digital source(s), undo all previous remastering work and restore the music to exactly how the artist originally intended to sound! In this case, the USA 1st LP release was our measuring stick, which to this day is still considered by many to be the best-sounding version of Thriller.
A little backstory as to why now, and what else has been added/improved for Thriller. For a number of years now, I believed I had a digital rip of the 'original' USA Thriller vinyl pressing. Fairly recently, I came to realize this was actually a later 80s cut, featuring the common mix of Billie Jean and slightly different mastering overall. Meaning, our original restoration for Thriller doesn't exactly live up to the aim of the project 😬 My bad!!
After tracking down a reliable source for the ACTUAL original USA pressing, I got to work immediately. This one indeed features the original mix of Billie Jean. It gave me the assurance I needed to finally include it in the restoration. The 1983 CD was my base for this track, and the MoFi SACD remained the base for the rest 👍
Check out the other MJ albums apart of the Restoration project 👀⬇
Thriller - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLu-EQLp8hCCAtvka1rODGuu
Invincible - youtu.be/CeFle3bHlAQ
Dangerous - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLsXHde0dY2Qp6nh4xQ5WOGX
Off The Wall - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLtUdnaFqs_rTyaZU25RlM_M
Blood On The Dance Floor - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLsq9YAxSiy7BWj-i7RXZ0dY
HIStory Begins - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLtNCg8ybZJL2gkIkjkzHKTa
Nice (and overdue) addition to the 'Thriller' installment of the Restoration project 👌 The most notable difference between this and the more common mix comes at 2:24, where "oh no" is a lot less audible. Another noteworthy difference is the reverb on the drums. There's less of it here compared to the remix.
To any MJ fans who may be here for the first time, WELCOME! The intention of this project is to find the album's best digital source(s), undo all previous remastering work and restore the music to exactly how the artist originally intended to sound! In this case, the USA 1st LP release was our measuring stick, which to this day is still considered by many to be the best-sounding version of Thriller.
A little backstory as to why now, and what else has been added/improved for Thriller. For a number of years now, I believed I had a digital rip of the 'original' USA Thriller vinyl pressing. Fairly recently, I came to realize this was actually a later 80s cut, featuring the common mix of Billie Jean and slightly different mastering overall. Meaning, our original restoration for Thriller doesn't exactly live up to the aim of the project 😬 My bad!!
After tracking down a reliable source for the ACTUAL original USA pressing, I got to work immediately. This one indeed features the original mix of Billie Jean. It gave me the assurance I needed to finally include it in the restoration. The 1983 CD was my base for this track, and the MoFi SACD remained the base for the rest 👍
Check out the other MJ albums apart of the Restoration project 👀⬇
Thriller - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLu-EQLp8hCCAtvka1rODGuu
Invincible - youtu.be/CeFle3bHlAQ
Dangerous - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLsXHde0dY2Qp6nh4xQ5WOGX
Off The Wall - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLtUdnaFqs_rTyaZU25RlM_M
Blood On The Dance Floor - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLsq9YAxSiy7BWj-i7RXZ0dY
HIStory Begins - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLtNCg8ybZJL2gkIkjkzHKTa
![Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (Original Mix) [2026 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yh6OowNeTp0/mqdefault.jpg "Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (Original Mix) [2026 Restoration]
Nice (and overdue) addition to the Thriller installment of the Restoration project 👌 The most notable difference between this and the more common mix comes at 2:24, where oh no is a lot less audible. Another noteworthy difference is the reverb on the drums. Theres less of it here compared to the remix.
To any MJ fans who may be here for the first time, WELCOME! The intention of this project is to find the albums best digital source(s), undo all previous remastering work and restore the music to exactly how the artist originally intended to sound! In this case, the USA 1st LP release was our measuring stick, which to this day is still considered by many to be the best-sounding version of Thriller.
A little backstory as to why now, and what else has been added/improved for Thriller. For a number of years now, I believed I had a digital rip of the original USA Thriller vinyl pressing. Fairly recently, I came to realize this was actually a later 80s cut, featuring the common mix of Billie Jean and slightly different mastering overall. Meaning, our original restoration for Thriller doesnt exactly live up to the aim of the project 😬 My bad!!
After tracking down a reliable source for the ACTUAL original USA pressing, I got to work immediately. This one indeed features the original mix of Billie Jean. It gave me the assurance I needed to finally include it in the restoration. The 1983 CD was my base for this track, and the MoFi SACD remained the base for the rest 👍
Check out the other MJ albums apart of the Restoration project 👀⬇
Thriller - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLu-EQLp8hCCAtvka1rODGuu
Invincible - https://youtu.be/CeFle3bHlAQ
Dangerous - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLsXHde0dY2Qp6nh4xQ5WOGX
Off The Wall - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLtUdnaFqs_rTyaZU25RlM_M
Blood On The Dance Floor - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLsq9YAxSiy7BWj-i7RXZ0dY
HIStory Begins - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLtNCg8ybZJL2gkIkjkzHKTa")
![Michael Jackson - Girlfriend [2025 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zYHJ9Bjjrss/mqdefault.jpg "Michael Jackson - Girlfriend [2025 Restoration]
Teased this one all the way back in June during the unveiling of the Invincible restoration! It did take a brief backseat as the urgency to restore Dangerous came about (following the MOFI release), but the wait should HOPEFULLY be worth it here 🤞
To anyone who may be here for the first time, welcome! The intention of this project is to find the albums best digital source(s), undo any & all previous remastering work and restore the music to exactly how the artist originally intended it to sound!
As far as sound-quality is concerned, this is probably my favourite MJ album of the bunch! Just a sonic masterclass 🙌 Still leaves me in awe just how pristine everything sounds. It outshines all modern music in that regard if you ask me.
Off The Wall has had some really solid digital releases overall. The standouts being the initial 1983 CD, and the more recent MOFI SACD. The former was relatively faithful to the original vinyl releases, just with inferior EQ. If the latter included the original mixes for Rock With You and Get On The Floor, I mightve considered it my go-to version, but the remixes disrupt the flow too much for my taste.
Id previously completed a (unreleased) restoration for this album using solely the 1983 CD as the base. That CD was sourced from 1st gen production tapes (used for cutting the vinyls), but the important thing was the dynamics which were completely intact. However, the recent MOFI release changes everything! For the first time ever, these tracks came straight from the master-tapes, and STILL retain their dynamics 🔥
I didnt quite anticipate the level of improvement from the MOFI-sourced tracks 🤯 Ever so slightly cleaner as expected, but the difference in stereo separation was especially impressive 👌 Unsurprisingly, Ive kept the 1983 CD as the source for Rock With You and Get On The Floor (which still works completely fine with the rest of the tracks)!
The end result of this 2025 Restoration? Its a digital clone of original USA vinyl in terms of mastering, but the pristine nature of the master-tape sources gives it a newly found edge 👍 I couldnt recommend giving this a listen enough! Im confident you wont be disappointed 👏👏👏
Check out the other MJ albums apart of the Restoration project 👀⬇
Thriller - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLu-EQLp8hCCAtvka1rODGuu
Invincible - https://youtu.be/CeFle3bHlAQ
Dangerous - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLsXHde0dY2Qp6nh4xQ5WOGX")
![Queen - You Don’t Fool Me (Withdrawn Mix) [2025 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/znr_jsdYoPs/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - You Don’t Fool Me (Withdrawn Mix) [2025 Restoration]
Its here! Our 15th and FINAL installment of the 2024/25 Restoration project 🙌 How fitting that we end on this note 🙏
Firstly, this installment would not be possible without the help of CMI ☝ Immense thanks to him for supplying the artwork used on the LP releases, as well as two bonus alternate (and very rare) withdrawn mixes 🤫 I put out the proverbial bat signal, and he was literally there in minutes with the necessary assets. What an absolute legend 👌
Ive grown even more appreciation for this album throughout the process. What a beautifully-crafted body of work by Roger, John and Brian to honour their dear friend ❤
In many ways, this was one of the most straight-forward installments to complete, but some significant steps were still necessary to get it across the finish line. Couldnt be happier with the result 🙂
The comparisons video goes into an insane amount of detail so I highly recommend you head over there if youd like to learn more about this one: https://youtu.be/XnpWAvblUc4
DOWNLOAD FOLDER:
linktr.ee/qlrvault
Full album YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLs4b5wvIaEg7gfrfFRONlwn
The 2024/25 Restoration Collection:
Sheer Heart Attack - https://youtu.be/YWuGgZHHvII
Innuendo - https://youtu.be/iF537EjjzcM
The Works - https://youtu.be/iiq9A1XseL4
Queen II - https://youtu.be/K1mFRRLRy_c
Hot Space - https://youtu.be/7AuAEfxuuV8
A Kind Of Magic - https://youtu.be/0wnsVmHaWnE
The Game - https://youtu.be/5hCZ4xylu_4
Queen - https://youtu.be/JHy1XXVdkWM
Jazz - https://youtu.be/KZca62jaJBU
News Of The World - https://youtu.be/psxYh1Ne5J4
A Night At The Opera - https://youtu.be/zfgkTPPIayQ
A Day At The Races - https://youtu.be/OyNTCm0VPPM
The Miracle - https://youtu.be/SVPwF7H2eyg
Flash Gordon - https://youtu.be/fonQaYLQbNc
▶ Made In Heaven")
![Michael Jackson - Thriller [2026 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zuqpXPHEAfs/mqdefault.jpg "Michael Jackson - Thriller [2026 Restoration]
Following Brad Sundbergs new Vinyl Battle series on YouTube, Ive been inspired to fast-track a restoration for this 1st portion of Michael Jacksons HIStory album, as a sort of companion piece 😃
At the time of writing, Brad (one of Michaels former engineers) has compared vinyl releases for two tracks - The Way You Make Me Feel and Man In The Mirror. On both occasions, the original HIStory vinyl has been his winner, with the original Bad vinyl coming in 2nd place. Thats mammoth praise 🤯
I must admit, until a week or two ago, Id never given HIStory Begins a fair shot in terms of sound quality. This is because compression and limiting handcuffs the digital releases, making it harder for me to appreciate it in that aspect. But as the story usually goes, the original vinyl release wasnt a victim of the same hinderances. If you own that LP, huge congrats 🎉 Thats a very rare piece! But for most of us who dont, this is where the restoration project comes into play 👀
Fortunately, thanks to the MoFi releases of Off The Wall, Thriller and Dangerous, we now have perfect, dynamic digital sources for ALL versions of the tracks featured on HIStory Begins! For Bad, the initial CD releases from the late 80s/early 90s were already unhindered to start with, so no need for a MoFi release 🙌
With the correct versions chosen, the work was more straight-forward than any other MJ album Ive tackled to this point! A teeny bit of volume fluctuations needed to be addressed during a few tracks, but other than that, all I needed to do was EQ the left and right channels of each track to mirror Bruce Swedien & Bernie Grundmans remastering for HIStory.
For this initial stage, I matched the EQ with the tracks from the CD, and waited til the very end to implement the EQ curve from the vinyl release across the whole album. I tend to trust this method more (depending on where I can source my vinyl rips). Inner groove distortion can occasionally affect the EQ curve for tracks near the end of a side. Referencing the CD first will ensure a 100% authentic result across every track 🙂
Track-spacing is also an important step I often forget to mention on these restorations. I made sure the gap between each track was as close to the actual release as possible 👍 On this occasion, my source for the vinyl rip is the same as our Invincible, Dangerous and Blood On The Dance Floor restorations, so Id already undergone all the steps to ensuring weve landed on an accurate (flat) EQ curve 👌
Can happily report this 2026 Restoration has a healthy DR value of 13, vs the original CD which sits at a 9 🔥
I must say, with the installment completed, I couldnt agree any more with Brads assessments 😱 This is one of VERY few remastered releases Ive ever encountered where the tracks actually benefit (IMO). As Brad recalls in his episodes regarding those two Bad tracks, he and the team were 7-8 years older and more experienced by the time they reached HIStory, and mastering preferences can change in that time. Every track has a super deliberate balance between the lows, mids and highs 👏👏
According to Brad, the initial remastering was done in-house by Bruce, before sending it off to Bernie. Lets not forget, these two guys had been on every MJ project from Off The Wall onwards! It could not have been in better hands 🙏 This is without a doubt the most carefully-curated MJ hit collection therell ever be. Michael and his team were apart of every single step, from the track-selection to the very end...
If these restorations are your cup of tea, youll likely be into Brads series too! He breaks everything down thoroughly, from both the listeners point of view, and the actual process he and Bruce underwent during the making of said releases, such as the original mastering stages and critically approving/rejecting test pressings. Intriguing stuff! Heres his page: @inthestudiowithmj
Check out the full album playlist here ⬇
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLtNCg8ybZJL2gkIkjkzHKTa")
