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"Remember the Time" is a song by American singer and songwriter
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
. It was released by
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...
on January 14, 1992, as the second single from Jackson's eighth studio album, '' Dangerous'' (1991). The song was written and composed by
Teddy Riley Edward Theodore Riley (born October 8, 1967) is an American record producer, singer, and songwriter credited with the creation of the R&B and hip-hop fusion genre, new jack swing. Musical artists who utilized Riley's production and songwri ...
, Jackson and Bernard Belle, and produced by Riley and Jackson. The song's lyrics are written about remembering having fallen in love with someone. "Remember the Time" was generally well received by contemporary critics. The song was commercially successful, peaking at number three on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number one on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''
Hot R&B Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 po ...
and Top 40/Mainstream charts. It is certified 3× Platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). Internationally, the song was a top 10 hit in nine countries, peaking at number 1 in New Zealand, number 2 in Spain and number 3 in the United Kingdom. A nine-minute music video directed by
John Singleton John Daniel Singleton (January 6, 1968 April 28, 2019) was an American director, screenwriter, and producer. He made his feature film debut writing and directing '' Boyz n the Hood'' (1991), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for ...
, was released for the song and broadcast live on Fox, BET and MTV on February 2, 1992, the video received a Nielsen Rating of 13.1 on Fox. The video is set in
Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...
and features appearances of Jackson,
Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
, Iman, Tommy "Tiny" Lister and
Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson List of NBA players who have spent their entire career w ...
. It has appeared on the video albums: '' Dangerous: The Short Films'', '' Video Greatest Hits – HIStory'' and '' Michael Jackson's Vision''. The music video, along with other videos from ''Dangerous'', was frequently shown on MTV.


Background

"Remember the Time" was written by
Teddy Riley Edward Theodore Riley (born October 8, 1967) is an American record producer, singer, and songwriter credited with the creation of the R&B and hip-hop fusion genre, new jack swing. Musical artists who utilized Riley's production and songwri ...
, Michael Jackson and Bernard Belle, and was produced by Riley and Jackson. It was recorded at
Record One Record One is a recording studio complex in the Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Originally founded in 1979, the studio has been the site of numerous commercially successful and award-winning record ...
studios. It was released as the second single from
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
's eighth studio album, '' Dangerous'', on January 14, 1992. The song's music was compared to Jackson's 1979 single, "
Rock with You "Rock with You" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson, written by Rod Temperton and produced by Quincy Jones. It was first offered to Karen Carpenter, while she was working on her first solo album, but she turned it down. It was release ...
" from his ''
Off the Wall ''Off the Wall'' is the fifth studio album by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on August 10, 1979, by Epic Records. It was Jackson's first album released through Epic Records, and the first produced by Quincy Jones, whom he met ...
'' album. Co-writer Teddy Riley supposedly stated in a 1996 ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' interview that he was inspired to write the song after hearing Jackson describe "falling in love with the woman he just married". The article assumes he is referring to
Debbie Rowe Deborah Jeanne Rowe (born December 6, 1958) is an American nurse known for being the wife of pop musician Michael Jackson, with whom she had two children. Early life Debbie Rowe was born on December 6, 1958, in Spokane, Washington, to Barbara C ...
but Riley himself makes no mention of her. In a 2011 reply to a fan on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
, Riley denied that the song was about Rowe. Others have noted that when the single was originally released in 1992, Jackson dedicated the song to
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...
.


Composition

"Remember the Time" is a R&B song fused with
new jack swing New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle, Jimmy Jam and Te ...
. The lyrics recall a youthful love affair: "Do you remember when we fell in love/We were young and innocent then". The song is set in the key of
F minor F minor is a minor scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature consists of four flats. Its relative major is A-flat major and its parallel major is F major. Its enharmonic equivalent, E-sharp ...
with Jackson's voice range from E3 to B5. The song's
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
is moderate at 108
beats per minute Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...
.


Live performances

"Remember the Time" was rehearsed for the Dangerous World Tour but was ultimately cut due to wardrobe malfunctions. At the 1993 Soul Train Music Awards, the song won the award for Best R&B/Soul Single – Male. Jackson appeared with an injured foot and on crutches, but was able to perform the song seated on the throne, surrounded by dancers.


Critical reception

"Remember the Time" was generally well received by contemporary music critics. Chris Lacy from Albumism noted that "the warmth and nostalgia" of the song "harkens back to Jackson's
Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
roots".
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
, a writer for
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
, commented that '' Dangerous'' had "plenty" of "professional craftsmanship at its peak" because of "such fine singles" like " In the Closet" and "Remember the Time". Erlewine also listed it as being a highlight from the album.
Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the musi ...
from ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' said the song "shows the King of Pop downplaying his signature whoops and shrieks in favor a decidedly soulful and affecting vocal performance. Insinuating new-jack grooves work well, encasing an immediately memorable hook." A reviewer from '' Cashbox'' named it Pick of the Week, noting, "This smooth dance ballad sounds like it could have come from the ''Off the Wall'' album and has more of the mouth noise, whoops and hollers that we guess will take Mr. Jackson several more albums to out-grow." Pan-European magazine ''
Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later m ...
'' wrote that it is a "danceable multi-format smash, dedicated to his mentor
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...
."
Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' commented that "titles like 'Remember the Time', 'She Drives Me Wild' and ' Give In to Me'" tell the lyrics' "whole story—though they don't suggest the wretched tone he has when he sings them." A writer from ''
People Magazine ''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC (company), IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''Peopl ...
'' said that "the strength of this record stems from bouncy, up-tempo pop" like "Remember the Time".
Alan Light Alan Light (born August 4, 1966) is an American journalist who has been a rock critic for ''Rolling Stone'' and the editor-in-chief for '' Vibe,'' '' Spin,'' and ''Tracks''. Early life Light grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he attended Cincin ...
, a writer for ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'', stated that he felt it was the "most lighthearted musical track on the album" and described the song's lyrics as telling of a "blissful romance only to ask, 'So why did it end?'" Richard Harrington, a writer for ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'', described "Remember the Time" as being "wistful", commenting that he felt that the song featured Jackson's "least affected vocal performance" but that it "builds an engaging, radio-friendly momentum".


Chart performance

"Remember the Time" peaked at number three on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on March 7, 1992, seven weeks after the single release. The song saw similar success on other ''Billboard'' charts; topping the
Hot R&B Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 po ...
chart on March 7, and peaking at number two in Dance Club Play chart on April 4, 1992, and number 15 in
Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
chart on March 21 in the same year. The song peaked at number two on ''Billboard''s Hot Dance Music/Maxi Singles Sales. It was certified Gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
for the shipment of over 500,000 units in the United States in March 1992, and later Triple Platinum in 2022. The song saw similar commercial success internationally, charting in the top 20 in all major territories at the time of its release. In the United Kingdom, "Remember the Time" first entered the chart on February 15, 1992, placing at number six. The following week, on February 22, the song charted at number three, where it peaked; the song remained on the chart for a total of eight weeks. "Remember the Time" topped the New Zealand chart for two consecutive weeks, having first entered the chart at number three on February 23. It peaked at number four in the Netherlands and Switzerland. The song also charted within the top ten on the French, Australian, Swedish, Italian, and Norwegian charts; peaking at number five, six, eight and ten. It charted in the top 20, peaking at number 16, in Austria. Having been re-issued for Jackson's ''Visionary'' campaign in 2006, "Remember the Time" peaked at number two in Spain on the issue dated May 14, 2006. After Jackson's death in June 2009, his music saw a surge in popularity. In the United Kingdom, on the chart of July 11, the song re-entered at number 81.


Music video

The accompanying music video for "Remember the Time" was filmed in January 1992 at the
Universal Studios Hollywood Universal Studios Hollywood is a film studio and Amusement park, theme park located in Universal City, California, near Hollywood, Los Angeles. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood film studios still in use. Its official marketin ...
backlot A backlot is an area behind or adjoining a movie studio containing permanent exterior buildings for outdoor scenes in filmmaking or television productions, or space for temporary set construction. Uses Some movie studios build a wide variety of ...
. Prior to the release of the video, Jackson's record label promoted it by releasing clips, as well as releasing behind the scenes clips of making the video. The nine-minute video was promoted as a "short film". It premiered on ABC, NBC,
Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
,
BET Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...
, and
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
on February 2, 1992, the Fox broadcast of Remember the Time recorded a Nielsen rating of 13.1. After the video premiered on MTV, the channel aired a "
rockumentary A concert film or concert movie is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert, by either a musician or a stand-up comedian. Early history One ...
" called "More Dangerous Than Ever" which included glimpses of the making of the video. Jackson's record label would not release the video's budget figures. Directed by
John Singleton John Daniel Singleton (January 6, 1968 April 28, 2019) was an American director, screenwriter, and producer. He made his feature film debut writing and directing '' Boyz n the Hood'' (1991), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for ...
and choreographed by Fatima Robinson, the video was an elaborate production and became one of Jackson's longest videos at over nine minutes. It was set in
ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...
and featured groundbreaking
visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated as VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action fo ...
and appearances by
Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
, Iman,
Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson List of NBA players who have spent their entire career w ...
, Tom "Tiny" Lister Jr. and Wylie Draper, who portrayed Jackson as an older teenager and a young adult in the made-for-TV movie '' The Jacksons: An American Dream''. Jackson appears in the video as a hooded wizard who enters an Egyptian palace and attempts to entertain the pharaoh Ramses the Great's bored wife,
Nefertari Nefertari, also known as Nefertari Meritmut, was an Egyptian queen and the first of the Great Royal Wife, Great Royal Wives (or principal wives) of Ramesses II, Ramesses the Great. She is one of the best known Egyptian queens, among such women ...
(Iman). Two other entertainers had previously failed, and she has sent them to be executed. The queen sees that this wizard is different: instead of juggling or eating fire, he walks up the steps to her throne and sings to her, asking her if she "remembers the time" they were together. The pharaoh (Murphy) hardly appreciates this move and summons his guards. The wizard hides from the searching guards, secretly meets Nefertari and they kiss passionately. Then Jackson begins an elaborate, Egyptian-style choreography with the pharaoh's servants. When the guards find him, Jackson turns into golden sand. In the video, Jackson was dressed in a costume made of gold satin. He wore golden chain mail, a white skirt with a phallic dangling sash, black pants and black boots. This video features a physically complicated dance routine that became the centerpiece of other videos from the ''Dangerous'' album. The music video was generally well received by music critics. Ira Robbins of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' described the "Remember the Time" video as being a "gorgeous ancient Egyptian extravaganza". The music video appeared on the video albums: '' Dangerous: The Short Films'', '' Video Greatest Hits – HIStory'' and '' Michael Jackson's Vision''. The music video, along with other videos from ''Dangerous'', was frequently shown on MTV.


Track listing

* US maxi CD single #"Remember the Time" (Silky Soul 7" Mix) – 4:21 #"Remember the Time" (New Jack Radio Mix) – 4:00 #"Remember the Time" (12" Main Mix) – 4:47 #"Remember the Time" (E-Smoove's Late Nite Mix) – 7:20 #"Remember the Time" (Maurice's Underground Mix) – 7:29 #"Black or White" (Clivillés & Cole Radio Mix) – 3:33 #"Black or White" (House With Guitar Radio Mix) – 3:53 #"Black or White" (Clivillés & Cole House/Club Mix) – 7:33 #"Black or White" (The Underground Club Mix) – 7:30 * European maxi CD single #"Remember the Time" – 3:59 #"Remember the Time" (Silky Soul 7" Mix) – 4:18 #"Remember the Time" (New Jack Main Mix) – 6:50 #"Remember the Time" (12" Main Mix) – 4:37 #"Remember the Time" (New Jack Mix) – 6:40 #"Remember the Time" (Silky Soul 12" Mix) – 7:03 #"Remember the Time" (Silky Soul Dub) – 6:23 #"Remember the Time" (E-Smoove's Late Nite Mix) – 7:14 #"
Come Together "Come Together" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is the opening track on the band's 1969 studio album ''Abbey Road''. It was also a double A-side single in the U ...
" – 5:27


Personnel

* Written and composed by Teddy Riley, Michael Jackson and Bernard Belle * Produced by Teddy Riley and Michael Jackson * Recorded and mixed by Bruce Swedien, Teddy Riley and Dave Way * Solo and background vocals, vocal arrangement by Michael Jackson * Keyboards, synthesizers, drum programming and synthesizer arrangements by Teddy Riley * Sequencing and programming by Wayne Cobham


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


See also

* List of number-one R&B singles of 1992 (U.S.)


References

{{Authority control 1991 songs 1992 singles Ancient Egypt in the American imagination Epic Records singles Michael Jackson songs New jack swing songs Songs about nostalgia Songs written by Michael Jackson Song recordings produced by Teddy Riley Song recordings produced by Michael Jackson Songs written by Teddy Riley Songs written by Bernard Belle