Michael Jackson Apparently Had One Very Specific Shanice Bedtime Ritual
Now this is the kind of Michael Jackson story we will gladly stop everything for. Shanice has revisited a wonderfully specific memory from her teenage years: the King of Pop was apparently such a fan of her 1987 single “No 1/2 Steppin’” that he told her he danced to it in his studio every night before going to bed.
The story takes us all the way back to Shanice’s first album, Discovery, released by A&M Records in 1987 when she was only 14. Long before “I Love Your Smile” turned her into an international R&B-pop favorite, Shanice was already landing Top 10 R&B singles — and apparently catching Michael Jackson’s ear in a very big way.
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Rediscover Shanice’s First Era
Before “I Love Your Smile,” there was a teenage Shanice, a killer debut record and one song Michael Jackson apparently could not stop dancing to.
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Shanice Was Just 14 When Michael Jackson Asked To Meet Her
Shanice has recalled that she was 14 years old when a limousine picked her up and took her to meet Jackson during the filming of his Moonwalker project. She sat with him in his trailer, and somewhere in that conversation Michael brought up “No 1/2 Steppin’.”
According to Shanice, Jackson told her it was his favorite song on Discovery and said he would dance to the track in his dance studio every night before bed. That is not casual praise. That is Michael Jackson giving your record a nightly choreography appointment.
And “No 1/2 Steppin’” Deserved A Much Bigger Pop Moment
Released as the second single from Discovery, “No 1/2 Steppin’” became Shanice’s second Top 10 hit on Billboard’s R&B chart, reaching No. 6. The record has that bright, tightly wound late-’80s snap — part R&B, part dance-pop, part Minneapolis-flavored funk — with Shanice singing far beyond what anyone expects from a 14-year-old.
Producer Bryan Loren pushed Shanice to sing the track with more attitude, and she later said he encouraged her to tap into a funkier, almost character-like delivery inspired by Mavis Staples. It gave the record a confidence that sounded older than the teenager behind the microphone.
The Song Was Already A Favorite Long Before “I Love Your Smile”
The story is especially fun because “No 1/2 Steppin’” belongs to the chapter of Shanice’s career that often gets overshadowed by what came next. Her 1991 Inner Child album and “I Love Your Smile” became the crossover breakthrough, but Discovery had already established her as a serious young vocalist with real R&B momentum.
Even decades later, Shanice has continued to single out “No 1/2 Steppin’” as one of her own favorites. And knowing Michael Jackson was apparently dancing to it at home makes thee record hit just a little differently now.
Watch Shanice’s “No 1/2 Steppin’” Music Video
The 1987 single came from Shanice’s A&M debut Discovery and became her second Top 10 R&B hit.
And because hearing Shanice tell the story herself is the whole reason we are here, the interview clip is below.
Watch Shanice Tell The Michael Jackson “No 1/2 Steppin’” Story
In the supplied interview, Shanice revisits Michael Jackson’s reaction to the song and the memory of meeting him during her teenage years.
Sources: Shanice interview footage; Rated R&B; A&M Records discography archives.
