Behind the Mask (Michael Jackson song) Behind the Mask (Michael Jackson song) "Behind the Mask" is a song written and originally recorded by Japanese electronic band Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978 and 1979 in Japan. In 1982, a cover version was recorded by American singer Michael Jackson for his album "Thriller", but managerial disputes prevented its release. His version has been recorded by Greg Phillinganes (1985) and Eric Clapton (1986). On February 21, 2010, the song was released by Epic Records as the third single from the posthumous album "Michael". The singer Shanice provides background vocals on the song. Quincy Jones heard Yellow Magic Orchestra's version
Michael Jackson honor his legacy. A portion of the proceeds were presented to some of Jackson's favorite charities. In the 12 months after his death, Jackson sold more than 8.2 million albums in the United States and 35 million albums worldwide, making him the best-selling albums artist of 2009. He became the first artist to sell one million downloads in a week in music download history, with a record-breaking 2.6 million downloads of his songs. Three of his albums, "Thriller", "Number Ones" and "The Essential Michael Jackson", sold more than any new album, the first time a catalog album has ever scanned