Back when the song "The Secret Garden" was released by Quincy Jones (Featuring vocals by Barry White, Al B. Sure, James Ingram, and El Debarge), I always felt as though Michael should have sung on the hot and sexy slow jam! And then, a few years later, I learned that Michael was actually supposed to have a solo verse on the track, but that information hadn't been confirmed as far as I knew at that time. However! I'm glad to find that information has more or less been validated.
Throughout the years, I've heard many say that they thought it was MJ singing El Debarge's part, which I find interesting because I always felt as though Al. B Sure's verse had a more Michael Jackson Vibe on the song—and I wasn't too far off the mark! In a 2018 interview, Al B. Sure revealed that Michael Jackson was to be featured on the song but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts.
"For a long time, people thought the very first verse was Michael Jackson, and that's only because I Michael out," laughs Sure, who was discovered by Jones in 1987. "It was really an appreciation because he was actually supposed to be a part of the song. But as schedules and record releases came about [ it didn't happen]. We are very happy with the result, but it went through a metamorphosis." ~ Al. B Sure (Quote Source: https://www.hiphollywood.com/2018/08/fun-fact-al-b-sure-says-michael-jackson-was-originally-supposed-to-sing-on-track-the-secret-garden/)
Al. B Sure's statement about people thinking his verse was Michael singing surprised me because I always encountered people who believed it was "Michael Jackson" who was singing on El Debarge's verse—(and how? I don't know? I love me some El Debarge, but he doesn't sound like MJ singing on that track—least, not to me.)
Undoubtedly, Secret Garden is one of the most sultry, romantic, and steamy slow jams of all time—and I shall forever weep that Michael wasn't able to contribute his vocals. But maybe it was for the best, lol! Women were already fainting at the sight of Michael; I could only imagine what would have happened if his sexy, delicate, and powerful vocals had been featured on the track—he'd caused even more women to faint and experience multiple eargasms for sure!
Peep the song/video below!
