History of the Jackson 5:

The Jackson 5 (also spelled The Jackson Five or The Jackson 5ive, and later known as The Jacksons) were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana. Founding group members Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael formed the group after performing in an early incarnation called The Jackson Brothers, which originally consisted of a trio of the three older brothers. Active from 1964 to 1989, the Jacksons played from a repertoire of R&B, soul, pop and later disco. During their six and a half-year Motown tenure, The Jackson 5 were one of the biggest pop-music phenomena of the 1970s^[1], and the band served as the launching pad for the solo careers of their lead singers Jermaine and Michael, the latter brother later transforming his early Motown solo fame into greater success as an adult artist.

The Jackson 5 were the first act in recording history to have their first four major label singles (“I Want You Back”, “ABC”, “The Love You Save”, and “I’ll Be There”) reach the top of the American charts.^[2] Several later singles, among them “Mama’s Pearl”, “Never Can Say Goodbye” and “Dancing Machine”, were Top 5 pop hits and number-one hits on the R&B singles chart. Most of the early hits were written and produced by a specialized songwriting team known as “The Corporation”; later Jackson 5 hits were crafted chiefly by Hal Davis, while early Jacksons hits were compiled by the team of Gamble and Huff before The Jacksons began writing and producing themselves in the late 1970s.

Significantly, they were the first black teen idols to appeal equally to white audiences thanks partially to the successful promotional relations skills of Motown Records CEO Berry Gordy. With their departure from Motown to CBS in 1976, The Jacksons were forced to change their name and Jermaine was replaced with younger brother Randy as Jermaine chose to stay at Motown. After two years under the Philadelphia International Records label, they signed with Epic Records and asserted control of their songwriting, production, and image, and their success continued into the 1980s with hits such as “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)”, “Lovely One”, and “State of Shock”. Their 1989 album 2300 Jackson Street was recorded without Michael and Marlon. Michael and Marlon did appear, however, on the title track. The disappointing sales of the album led to the group being dropped by their record label at the end of the year. The group has never formally broken up, but has been dormant since then, although all five brothers performed together at two Michael Jackson tribute concerts in September 2001.

Career

Early years

Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, the Jackson brothers were guided early in their careers by their father Joseph Jackson, a steel mill crane operator and former musician, and their mother Katherine Jackson, who watched over the boys during the early years. Tito recalled playing around with his father’s guitar while he was away working on Gary’s steel mills. One night, Joe discovered Tito playing his guitar after he broke a string. Initially upset with his sons playing behind his back, he saw their potential and in 1964, Jackie, Tito and Jermaine formed The Jackson Brothers, including hometown friends Reynaud Jones and Milford Hite on guitar and drums respectively. By the end of the following year, the group’s younger brothers Marlon and Michael joined the instrumental band playing tambourine and congas.

Showing extraordinary talent at a tender age, young Michael began demonstrating his dance moves and singing ability around mid-1966. Before his eighth birthday, Michael was allowed to perform his song-and-dance routine at a talent contest held at Jackie’s Roosevelt High School in Gary, helping his brothers win the competition. It was at that point that Tito’s junior high school orchestra teacher Shirley Cartman began mentoring the group and suggested a name change referring to the boys as The Jackson 5. She also suggested replacing Jones and Hite with talented musicians Johnny Jackson (no relation) on drums and Ronnie Rancifer on keyboards. Tito moved up to lead guitar while Jermaine played bass guitar after several years as a rhythm guitarist.

After the contest win, the group began playing professional gigs in Indiana, Chicago and across the U.S. Many of these performances were in a string of black clubs and venues collectively known as the “chitlin’ circuit”. The group also found themselves performing at strip joints to earn money. Cartman got the Jackson 5 a record deal with Gordon Keith’s local Steeltown label, and the group began making their first recordings in October 1967. Their first single, “Big Boy”, was released in January 1968 and became a regional hit. This was followed by a second single, “We Don’t Have to Be Over 21 (To Fall in Love)”.^[3] A third, “Let Me Carry Your School Books”, features Michael Jackson singing with backing provided by The Ripples and Waves.^[4]

The Jackson 5 had a number of admirers in their early days, including Sam & Dave, who helped the group secure a spot in the famous Amateur Night competition at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. The group won the August 13, 1967, competition during the Amateur Night showdown at the Apollo, impressing Motown Records artist Gladys Knight. Knight recommended the group to Motown chief Berry Gordy, but Gordy, who already had teenager Stevie Wonder on his roster, was hesitant to take on another child act because of the child labor laws and other problems involved.

The Jackson 5′s sound was influenced by many of the biggest stars of the 1960s, including the self-contained funk bands Sly & the Family Stone and The Isley Brothers, Motown group The Temptations, soul legend Marvin Gaye, rock ‘n’ roll kid group The Teenagers and soul shouters like Wilson Pickett, Jackie Wilson, Stevie Wonder, Joe Tex and James Brown.^[5] At the time of their early success, R&B stars, especially coming from Motown Records, were among the most popular musicians; Motown had launched the careers of dozens of the decade’s biggest stars, most notably The Supremes, The Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Four Tops and the Temptations.

Joining Motown

By 1968, the Jackson 5 were a headlining act for the All Star Floor Show at Chicago’s The Guys’ and Gals’ Cocktail Lounge and Restaurant. From August 12–27, 1968, the Jackson 5 opened for Motown acts Gladys Knight & The Pips and Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers at Chicago’s Regal Theater. The brothers caught Knight’s attention, whereby she tried to get Motown brass to come to Chicago to see the boys. Taylor was also very impressed with the boys, and he decided to make the commitment to bring them to Detroit and Motown. Joseph and The Jackson Five stayed on the floor of Bobby Taylor’s Detroit apartment the night of July 22, while Taylor and Motown executive Suzanne de Passe arranged for the Jackson 5 to audition for the label.

On July 23, the Jackson 5 had their Motown audition, for which they performed James Brown’s then current hit “I Got the Feelin’”. Berry Gordy was not in attendance, but the audition was videotaped and sent to him in Los Angeles. Gordy’s initial reluctance to sign the group disappeared when he finally saw the boys perform. Gordy decided to sign the Jackson 5 to Motown, and hosted a party at his Detroit mansion on November 25, 1968 to introduce them to the Motown staff and stars.

Motown began negotiations to buy out the Jackson 5′s Steeltown contract, completing the deal in March 1969. By the summer, Bobby Taylor began producing the group’s first recordings at Motown’s Hitsville U.S.A. recording studio in Detroit. The early Taylor-produced Jackson 5 records were all covers of both contemporary hits and Motown-standards, including Sly & the Family Stone’s “Stand!” and their famous rendition of The Miracles’ “Who’s Lovin’ You”, written by Smokey Robinson.

Gordy moved the Jackson 5 and Joseph to California, and he and Suzanne de Passe began the process of grooming them as the label’s next big act, while the rest of the family remained in Gary. While looking for a house in California, Joseph, Jermaine, Tito, and Jackie lived with Berry Gordy, Marlon and Michael lived with Diana Ross in her California home.

Motown’s marketing team prepared press kits and other promotional material to begin The Jackson 5′s entrance into the mainstream music industry. Motown publicity significantly altered the group’s history, publicizing the ages of most of its band mates as younger than they were — Michael’s age changed from eleven to eight to make him appear cuter — and identifying unrelated band musicians Johnny Jackson and Ronnie Rancifer as cousins of the Jacksons. In a major marketing coup, Gordy and Motown decided to attach the group to an established star to increase public curiosity. Thus, it was decided that Motown star Diana Ross would “discover” the group as was explained in all early press kits.^[6] According to their official Motown biography, referenced in several early interviews and liner notes, Diana Ross (and, in some versions of the story, Berry Gordy alongside her) was introduced to the Jackson 5 by Gary, Indiana’s mayor, Richard G. Hatcher, at a benefit concert that the Jackson 5 were described as having played for the mayor in 1969. Impressed, Ross (and Gordy) had the act signed.

Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5

The Jackson 5 practiced and rehearsed continuously during the late summer and early fall of 1969. Diana Ross formally introduced The Jackson 5 to the public on August 11, 1969, at a Beverly Hills, California club called “The Daisy.” Towards the end of August, The Jackson 5 made their first television appearance, singing The Isley Brothers’ “It’s Your Thing” at the Miss Black America Pageant in Madison Square Garden, New York City.

The Jackson 5′s first single, “I Want You Back”, was written and produced by four Motown songwriters and producers — Berry Gordy, Alphonzo Mizell, Deke Richards, and Freddie Perren — who were collectively billed as “The Corporation”. “I Want You Back” was released as a single for The Jackson 5, as Motown decided to officially bill the group, on October 7. The group performed “I Want You Back”, Sly & the Family Stone’s “Sing a Simple Song”, The Delfonics’ “Can You Remember”, and James Brown’s “There Was a Time” as part of their appearance on The Hollywood Palace as special guests of Diana Ross & the Supremes. “I Want You Back” was the only single from The Jackson 5′s first album, Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5, which was released in December 1969. The song reached number one in January, 1970.

Popularization and franchise expansion

Most of the early Jackson 5 singles were written and produced by The Corporation, who crafted for The Jackson 5 a sound that mixed the traditional “Motown Sound” with teenage-honed lyrics that they termed “bubblegum soul”. The Jackson 5 became an instant sensation, with “I Want You Back” and its 1970 follow-ups “ABC”, “The Love You Save,” and “I’ll Be There” all going to #1 on both the Billboard Pop Singles chart and the Billboard Soul Singles (R&B) chart. Other early Top 5 hits included “Mama’s Pearl” and “Never Can Say Goodbye.”

Now successful, Joseph was finally able to arrange to move Katherine and the rest of the family out to California in 1970. First moving into a two-story residence at 1616 Queens Road in Los Angeles, the Jackson family moved to a gated mansion they called “Hayvenhurst”, which was purchased by Joseph in March 1971.

“Jacksonmania” swept the nation, and within a year of their debut The Jackson 5 were among the biggest names in popular music. The group essentially replaced The Supremes as Motown’s main marketing focus, and, capitalizing upon the youth-oriented appeal of the Jackson brothers, Motown licensed dozens of Jackson 5-related juvenile products, including the now famous J5 Heart logo which appears on Johnny Jacksons drum kit and many of The Jackson 5′s album covers, stickers, sewable patches, posters, and coloring books. A new teen magazine aimed at African-American youth, Right On!, began publication in 1971, and focused heavily on The Jackson 5; at least one Jackson adorned the cover of every issue published between January 1972 and April 1974. Animation producers Rankin/Bass produced The Jackson 5ive, a Saturday morning cartoon that debuted on September 11, 1971 and ran for two seasons on ABC. The Jackson 5 starred in two of their own television specials, Goin’ Back to Indiana (aired September 16, 1971) and The Jackson 5 Show (aired November 5, 1972).

In 1971, Motown began a spin-off solo career for Michael, whose first single, “Got to Be There,” was a Top 5 hit. Michael also sang the title track for the 1972 motion picture Ben. His other successful solo singles included “Rockin’ Robin” and “I Wanna Be Where You Are” (both 1972). Jermaine started a solo career of his own in 1972, and had a Top Ten hit with his Shep and the Limelites cover “Daddy’s Home”. Jackie also recorded a solo album, but his releases failed to chart. Despite fan rumors that all three Jacksons might leave the group as they released solo work, the solo careers of Michael, Jermaine, and Jackie co-existed alongside that of the group as a whole, allowing Motown to expand the success and sales of Jackson 5-related releases.

Decline

After 1972, The Jackson 5′s releases were less successful, but they still did very well. Later top-20 hits, mostly written and produced by Hal Davis, included “Lookin’ Through the Windows” (1972) and the disco-styled “Dancing Machine” (1974), which popularized the “Robot” dance routine. Jackson 5 albums declined somewhat in critical acclaim and financial success during the latter part of their Motown tenure, although LPs such as Lookin’ Through the Windows (1972) and G.I.T.: Get It Together (1973) frequently included successful album tracks, including their version of “Hum Along and Dance”, a popular number in their live act.

Critics, The Jackson 5, and Joseph Jackson agreed that the main reason for the group’s declining success was Motown’s refusal to update their image. Although they played their own instruments on stage and had begun writing and producing songs in their own home recording studio, The Jacksons later said that Motown wouldn’t allow them to record their own compositions nor play instruments in their studio recordings. The group’s studio recordings were first handled by Motown’s famed in-house studio band The Funk Brothers during their brief recording tenure at Hitsville and later instrumentation was played by many of the members of The Wrecking Crew, which formed Motown’s Hitsville West studio band. Feeling that The Jackson 5 could be more of a success without Motown, which was by this time declining in success and popularity, Joseph began shopping for a new record deal for his sons.

The move to CBS Records

In 1975, Joseph negotiated a new recording contract with CBS Records, who offered a royalty rate of 20% per record, compared to Motown’s standard 2.8%; and would allow the Jackson brothers to write and produce their own records and play their own instruments. After unsuccessfully attempting to talk the group into staying on the label, Motown sued for breach of contract. Although Motown eventually let the group go, The Jackson 5 were forced to change their name to The Jacksons, because Motown retained the “Jackson 5″ trademark during the settlement of the lawsuit. The Jacksons also replaced Jermaine with the youngest Jackson brother, fourteen year old Randy, since Jermaine chose to stay with Motown and his father-in-law Berry Gordy (In 1973, Jermaine married Gordy’s daughter Hazel). Randy had been an unofficial member of The Jackson 5 since 1972, playing congas onstage as part of their live act.

After losing The Jacksons, Motown would not have another success of their caliber for the duration of Berry Gordy’s ownership of the label. Gordy often said of The Jackson 5 that they were, coming after the label’s most famous acts, “the last big stars to come rolling off the [Motown] assembly line.”^[7]

In summer 1976, CBS television signed the Jackson family (including Michael, Marlon, Tito, Jackie, Randy, Rebbie, LaToya, and Janet) to appear in their own variety show, The Jacksons, to compete with ABC’s Donny & Marie. The Jacksons debuted on June 16, 1976, and ran on CBS until its cancellation the following March. The show was the first variety show hosted by an African American family.

First as part of CBS’s Philadelphia International Records division, and later moving over to Epic Records, The Jacksons continued releasing popular singles such as “Enjoy Yourself” (1976), produced by Philadelphia International’s Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff. After two LPs produced by Gamble and Huff, The Jacksons wanted artistic control, and produced their next LP, 1978′s Destiny, on their own. The album included The Jacksons’ biggest post-Motown single, “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)”, which charted at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number three on the Billboard R&B Singles chart. “Shake Your Body”, written by Michael and Randy, sold over two million copies, attaining double-platinum status. Destiny also went platinum, and peaked at number 11 on the Billboard 200 album chart and number three on the R&B album charts. In 1979, The Jacksons received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 1978, Michael starred alongside Diana Ross in the Motown/Universal Pictures motion picture The Wiz, an adaptation of the Broadway musical based upon L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Quincy Jones was the producer of the film’s songs, and he and Michael began work on Michael’s first Epic solo album, Off the Wall, the next year. Off the Wall, released in 1979, sold 20 million copies worldwide and featured four Top 10 hit singles and two number-one singles, causing some speculation about whether Michael would leave The Jacksons though Michael told several reporters at the time that such speculation was untrue.

1980-present

In 1980 the group released the Triumph album, which featured the hits “This Place Hotel” and “Can You Feel It”, as well as the dance club hit “Walk Right Now”. The following year’s The Jacksons Live! used recordings from the group’s Triumph Tour, which in 1988 was described by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the best 25 tours from 1967 to 1987. The group’s success was outperformed, however, by Michael’s 1982 LP Thriller. Thriller went on to become the most successful album ever in the United States, and to date stands as the world’s best-selling album of all time.

The Motown 25 television special, broadcast on NBC on May 16, 1983, featured a reunion performance between Jermaine and the other brothers. Outside of one 1979 appearance on the TV show Midnight Special this was the original Jackson 5′s first performance in nearly seven years. The Motown 25 Jackson 5 reunion was overshadowed, however, by Michael’s landmark performance of “Billie Jean” on the same program, which introduced his trademark “moonwalk” dance.

The Jacksons released the album Victory in 1984, featuring the hit single “State of Shock” with guest star Mick Jagger, and supported the album with the Victory World Tour. The Victory album and tour marked the official return of Jermaine to the group’s lineup, making them a sextet.

Shortly after the Victory Tour, Michael left The Jacksons, as his solo career had led to the success of Thriller and its singles. His name recognition as a solo act had also grown, despite touring as part of a group. Marlon followed Michael out of the group a year later during a group meeting. The other brothers eventually drifted apart to take on solo projects (although most of them appeared with Michael on the U.S. For Africa single “We Are the World” in 1985). The Jacksons reunited for one last album, 2300 Jackson Street in 1989. While every Jackson sibling except for LaToya appeared on the title track, a #9 R&B hit single, most of the album featured Jermaine, Jackie, Tito, and Randy as the line up. Michael Jackson’s fame as a solo act as well as the growing fame of the group’s youngest sister, Janet Jackson, had overshadowed the group entirely. A CD compilation of hits from the CBS/Epic years, The Essential Jacksons, was released in 2004, as was a separate compilation assembled by Universal/Hip-O, The Jacksons Story.

Legacy

Tito Jackson, like his father before him, organized his three sons into a musical group called 3T, who had a #2 UK hit, titled “Why”, as well as a big US hit with “Anything”, both in 1996 (“Why” featured a guest appearance from Michael Jackson). Soon afterwards, Tito began a low-key career as a blues musician. Randy Jackson was involved for some time with a group known as Randy and the Gypsies, who enjoyed minor success. In 2004, Randy was also the webmaster for Michael’s last official website, MJJ Source, which was closed in 2005. Jackie Jackson’s son, Siggy, is a successful rapper and DJ under the stage name DealZ.

Marlon would eventually pursue a career as a real estate agent.

The Jackson 5 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. In addition, two of their songs (“ABC” and “I Want You Back”) are among The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In 1999, “I Want You Back” was also inducted in Grammy Hall of Fame.^[8]

In 1992, Suzanne de Passe and Jermaine Jackson worked with Motown to produce The Jacksons: An American Dream, a five-hour television miniseries broadcast based on the history of The Jacksons in two parts on ABC. The first installment of the miniseries covered the decades from Katherine and Joseph Jackson’s first meeting in the late-1940s up until the first Jackson 5 releases on Motown in 1969, while the second part covered the years from 1970 to 1984, and the effects of The Jackson 5′s phenomenal success on the family. The miniseries was the highest rated show of the week, won an Emmy Award and was nominated for three more, and won two Young Artist Awards.

In 2009, following the death of brother Michael, the remaining performing Jacksons re-united in a studio to record background vocals for a previously unreleased song, “This Is It” (the theme for the movie of the same name), which originally had been a demo. The single was released in October of that same year.

• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 2
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 1
• 1989 – 2300 Jackson Street
• 1984 – Torture
• 1980 – Can You Feel It
• 1978 – Shake Your Body
• 1978 – Blame It On the Boogie
• 1974 – With A Child’s Heart
• 1973 – Dancing Machine
• 1972 – Got to Be There
• 1972 – Soultrain Medley
• 1972 – Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin
• 1970 – The Love You Save
• 1970 – ABC

Related posts

• 1969 – I Want You Back (1)
• 1970 – ABC (1)
• 1970 – The Love You Save (1)
• 1971 – Never Can Say Goodbye (2)
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin (1)

The concerts are mentioned in the VH1 biopic Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story, which notes that the last of the two concerts wrapped up just hours before planes rammed into the Twin Towers of Lower Manhattan’s World Trade Center (see September 11th terrorist attacks). The concerts featured in the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special were his final performances. Jackson would have embarked on the This Is It tour, a 50-date residency at the O2 arena; however, he died less than three weeks prior to the first planned performance.

Marlon Brando appeared in the concert to speak about humanitarian work but it was not broadcast due to poor response from the audience. Raw footage can be found online.

The second hour of the show is by far the best remembered, featuring the exciting reunion of Michael and his brothers Jermaine, Jackie, Randy, Marlon, and Tito for a “greatest hits” medley, including their headlining songs “Can You Feel It”, “ABC”, “The Love You Save”, “I Want You Back”, “I’ll Be There” and “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)”. Following the reunion, Michael announced surprise guests for the Jackson 5 hit “Dancing Machine”: *NSYNC.

• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 1
• 1989 – 2300 Jackson Street
• 1984 – Torture
• 1980 – Can You Feel It
• 1978 – Shake Your Body
• 1978 – Blame It On the Boogie
• 1974 – With A Child’s Heart
• 1973 – Dancing Machine
• 1972 – Got to Be There
• 1972 – Soultrain Medley
• 1972 – Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin
• 1970 – The Love You Save
• 1970 – ABC

Related posts

• 1969 – I Want You Back (1)
• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History (2)
• 1970 – ABC (1)
• 1970 – The Love You Save (1)
• 1971 – Never Can Say Goodbye (2)

The concerts are mentioned in the VH1 biopic Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story, which notes that the last of the two concerts wrapped up just hours before planes rammed into the Twin Towers of Lower Manhattan’s World Trade Center (see September 11th terrorist attacks). The concerts featured in the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special were his final performances. Jackson would have embarked on the This Is It tour, a 50-date residency at the O2 arena; however, he died less than three weeks prior to the first planned performance.

Marlon Brando appeared in the concert to speak about humanitarian work but it was not broadcast due to poor response from the audience. Raw footage can be found online.

The second hour of the show is by far the best remembered, featuring the exciting reunion of Michael and his brothers Jermaine, Jackie, Randy, Marlon, and Tito for a “greatest hits” medley, including their headlining songs “Can You Feel It”, “ABC”, “The Love You Save”, “I Want You Back”, “I’ll Be There” and “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)”. Following the reunion, Michael announced surprise guests for the Jackson 5 hit “Dancing Machine”: *NSYNC.

• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 2
• 1989 – 2300 Jackson Street
• 1984 – Torture
• 1980 – Can You Feel It
• 1978 – Shake Your Body
• 1978 – Blame It On the Boogie
• 1974 – With A Child’s Heart
• 1973 – Dancing Machine
• 1972 – Got to Be There
• 1972 – Soultrain Medley
• 1972 – Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin
• 1970 – The Love You Save
• 1970 – ABC

Related posts

• 1969 – I Want You Back (1)
• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History (2)
• 1970 – ABC (1)
• 1970 – The Love You Save (1)
• 1971 – Never Can Say Goodbye (2)

2300 Jackson Street

Overview

For most of this album, The Jacksons consisted of Jermaine, Jackie, Randy, and Tito Jackson. Michael Jackson and Marlon Jackson appear only on the title track, along with their other four brothers, and their sisters Rebbie and Janet (middle sister LaToya was, at the time of this album, estranged from the family and therefore does not appear on the song).

The Jacksons decided to enter new territory by working with new jack swing producers Teddy Riley and Gene Griffin on “She” and the title track (first collaboration with Michael, before the album Dangerous) and the team Antonio “L.A.” Reid and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds on the single “Nothin’ (That Compares 2 U)”. The Jacksons co-produced four tracks with Attala Zane Giles, three songs were produced by Michael Omartian (one co-produced by The Jacksons), while “Maria” was produced by Jermaine Jackson.

The album’s title and cover photograph represent the Jacksons’ boyhood home in Gary, Indiana. 2300 Jackson Street received some notice in R&B venues (alongside the title track), but was largely ignored by pop audiences. The Jacksons formally disbanded after its release, with Jermaine returning to his solo career, and Randy, Tito, and Jackie going on to become noted session musicians.

• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 2
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 1
• 1984 – Torture
• 1980 – Can You Feel It
• 1978 – Shake Your Body
• 1978 – Blame It On the Boogie
• 1974 – With A Child’s Heart
• 1973 – Dancing Machine
• 1972 – Got to Be There
• 1972 – Soultrain Medley
• 1972 – Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin
• 1970 – The Love You Save
• 1970 – ABC

Related posts

• 1969 – I Want You Back (1)
• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History (2)
• 1970 – ABC (1)
• 1970 – The Love You Save (1)
• 1971 – Never Can Say Goodbye (2)

The song received a mixed reaction from critics. The music video was most well known for Michael not being available, in which case a dummy had to be put in his place throughout the video. Paula Abdul choreographed the video, in which various scenes of torture are displayed, with the Jacksons being on the receiving end of most of the torture. The song peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it the second best selling single on the album, behind “State of Shock”. It also peaked at #26 on the UK charts.

Music video

Jeff Stein directed the music video, and Al Kirschman was the scenic designer for the video. Jackie also oversaw the production of the video, acting as an advisor. Paula Abdul became the choreographer for the video. Abdul was a Laker Girl at the time. Some of the members of the band approached her after attending a Laker game, and asked if she wanted to choreograph their video. “My only problem was how to tell the Jacksons how to dance,” Abdul later recalled. “Imagine me telling them what routines to do. I was young, I was scared. I’m not quite sure how I got through that.” The success of the choreography in the video helped lead to Abdul’s then new career of choreographer in music videos. It was also due to the success of the video that Abdul was chosen to be the choreographer for the Jacksons’ Victory tour.

In the video, various acts of torture are displayed, and various members of the band are usually on the receiving end. At some points, the video looks like a horror movie. Later in the video, a group of skeletons that are supposed to represent the Jacksons, are shown dancing. Neither Michael nor Jermaine appears in the video: Michael was busy with other obligations,, and Jermaine refused to be in the video. The rest of the group decided to film the video without them. In replacement of Michael, a wax dummy in his likeness was used in the video. The dummy was used in three separate sequences, including the ending sequence that shows the rest of the group standing in a shot similar to the album’s cover. The television show, PM Magazine, was the show where the discovery was first made.^[16] They slowed down the video at the exact points where the dummy appears in the video, and pointed out the differences.

Reception

Reception for the song was mixed.The Philadelphia Inquirer said that the song was “a hard-rock dance tune with blaring synthesizers and buzzing guitars.” The reviewer however, didn’t like the song, summing up their distaste in one word, “Yawn.” The Sacramento Bee complimented Jackie Jackson for being the only person “besides Michael,” to “rise above the generic,” citing “Torture” as one of the two songs by Jackie that were more than exceptional on the album.

William Ruhlmann of Allmusic considered the song a “Track pick”, and mentioned that the song’s popularity probably had to do more with the fact that Michael Jackson was involved. “So, here one has the ludicrous situation of an album in which Marlon Jackson has as prominent a role as Michael Jackson. That’s how it sounded to listeners in 1984, anyway, and they weren’t fooled — “State of Shock,” on which Michael shared vocals with Mick Jagger, was a gold Top Ten hit, and “Torture,” which teamed Michael with Jermaine, made the Top 40, while the album went platinum. But the tracks by other group members went virtually ignored,” Ruhlmann said.

• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 2
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 1
• 1989 – 2300 Jackson Street
• 1980 – Can You Feel It
• 1978 – Shake Your Body
• 1978 – Blame It On the Boogie
• 1974 – With A Child’s Heart
• 1973 – Dancing Machine
• 1972 – Got to Be There
• 1972 – Soultrain Medley
• 1972 – Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin
• 1970 – The Love You Save
• 1970 – ABC

Related posts

• 1969 – I Want You Back (1)
• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History (2)
• 1970 – ABC (1)
• 1970 – The Love You Save (1)
• 1971 – Never Can Say Goodbye (2)

Written by brothers Jackie and Michael, the song featured solo leads by Randy and Michael. Released as a single in 1981, the song reached #77 on the pop charts and number thirty on the R&B charts in United States, but reached number six in the UK and number two in The Netherlands in 1981.

The accompanying video, directed by Bruce Gowers and Robert Abel was noted for its remarkable special effects created by Robert Abel and Associates. Michael created the video’s concept, and Tito’s sons Taj and Taryll appeared as extras. In 2001, it was voted one of the 100 best videos of all time, in a poll to mark the 20th anniversary of MTV.

• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 2
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 1
• 1989 – 2300 Jackson Street
• 1984 – Torture
• 1978 – Shake Your Body
• 1978 – Blame It On the Boogie
• 1974 – With A Child’s Heart
• 1973 – Dancing Machine
• 1972 – Got to Be There
• 1972 – Soultrain Medley
• 1972 – Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin
• 1970 – The Love You Save
• 1970 – ABC

Related posts

• 1969 – I Want You Back (1)
• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History (2)
• 1970 – ABC (1)
• 1970 – The Love You Save (1)
• 1971 – Never Can Say Goodbye (2)

The most successful of the Jacksons’ disco/funk-era recordings for Epic, “Shake Your Body” (originally demoed as “Shake a Body”) was produced by the Jackson brothers, written by Michael Jackson and Randy Jackson, and featured Michael on lead vocals.

Released to radio in a single edit of three minutes and forty-five seconds and played in its full eight-minute album version by clubs, the single charted at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number three on the Billboard R&B Singles chart. The ensuing 12″ Disco Single Remix featured a more focused drum and rhythm track, as well as the new synthesizer-voiced 3 octave climbing glissando that was not heard on the album version. “Shake Your Body” sold over two million copies, attaining double-platinum status from the Recording Industry Association of America.

• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 2
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 1
• 1989 – 2300 Jackson Street
• 1984 – Torture
• 1980 – Can You Feel It
• 1978 – Blame It On the Boogie
• 1974 – With A Child’s Heart
• 1973 – Dancing Machine
• 1972 – Got to Be There
• 1972 – Soultrain Medley
• 1972 – Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin
• 1970 – The Love You Save
• 1970 – ABC

Related posts

• 1969 – I Want You Back (1)
• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History (2)
• 1970 – ABC (1)
• 1970 – The Love You Save (1)
• 1971 – Never Can Say Goodbye (2)

Although Mick Jackson recorded the song in 1977 “Blame It on the Boogie” was written in hopes of being shopped to Stevie Wonder.

The Mick Jackson track was showcased in 1978 at Midem where according to Mick Jackson: “The Jackson’s manager [Peter Kerstin] heard the track being played…and took a tape recording of it…back to the States [where] The Jackson’s quickly recorded a version so it would be out before mine.”

In fact the Mick Jackson recording was released by Atlantic Records in the US in August of 1978 becoming a minor hit (#61). Epic Records released the Jacksons’ version that October and although it did return the group to the charts after five flop releases “Blame It on the Boogie” – with which peaked at number fifty-four on the Hot 100 – was not the single to effect a major comeback for the Jacksons; it would be the subsequent single: “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)”, also from the Destiny album, which would briefly restore the Jacksons’ Top Ten fortunes. However, “Blame It on the Boogie” did reach number three on the R&B charts for three weeks . In addition, Blame It on the Boogie” would be coupled with “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” on an extended club play single which would reach number twenty on the dance charts in 1979^.

In the UK both the Mick Jackson version and the Jacksons’ were released within a few days of each other in October 1978 in both the UK and the US. The UK music press, struck by the rival versions being by similarly named artists, declared a “Battle of the Boogie” which Mick Jackson recalls as “great publicity…There was an equal balance of interest from the media about both releases – A good example is that my version came out first on Top Of The Pops… The Jackson’s had the second week…Radio One played The Jackson’s version and Capital Radio only played mine – It was fair.”

The Jacksons’ version – lauded by Melody Maker as their “self-penned song” (16th Sept 1978) – was the more successful version reaching #8 on the chart dated 4 November 1978; the Mick Jackson version – hailed by NME as ” far superior” (7th Oct 1978) – had peaked at #15 on the chart for that 21 October.

Mick Jackson himself in 2003 would say of the Jacksons’ version of “Blame It on the Boogie”: “[the original] version had 100% of our heart and soul in it but the Jackson’s version had the magic extra 2% that made it incredible.”

• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 2
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 1
• 1989 – 2300 Jackson Street
• 1984 – Torture
• 1980 – Can You Feel It
• 1978 – Shake Your Body
• 1974 – With A Child’s Heart
• 1973 – Dancing Machine
• 1972 – Got to Be There
• 1972 – Soultrain Medley
• 1972 – Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin
• 1970 – The Love You Save
• 1970 – ABC

Related posts

• 1969 – I Want You Back (1)
• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History (2)
• 1970 – ABC (1)
• 1970 – The Love You Save (1)
• 1971 – Never Can Say Goodbye (2)

• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 2
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 1
• 1989 – 2300 Jackson Street
• 1984 – Torture
• 1980 – Can You Feel It
• 1978 – Shake Your Body
• 1978 – Blame It On the Boogie
• 1973 – Dancing Machine
• 1972 – Got to Be There
• 1972 – Soultrain Medley
• 1972 – Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin
• 1970 – The Love You Save
• 1970 – ABC

Related posts

• 1969 – I Want You Back (1)
• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History (2)
• 1970 – ABC (1)
• 1970 – The Love You Save (1)
• 1971 – Never Can Say Goodbye (2)

Background

The song, which sold over three million copies, popularized the physically complicated Robot dance technique, devised by Charles Washington in the late 1960′s. Jackson first performed the dance on television while singing “Dancing Machine” with the Jackson 5 on an episode of Soul Train and several other shows for the next three years.

“Dancing Machine”, originally recorded for the group’s 1973 album G.I.T.: Get It Together, was also the title track of their 1974 album Dancing Machine released in 1974 as a remix for a response to the success of the single.

• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 2
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 1
• 1989 – 2300 Jackson Street
• 1984 – Torture
• 1980 – Can You Feel It
• 1978 – Shake Your Body
• 1978 – Blame It On the Boogie
• 1974 – With A Child’s Heart
• 1972 – Got to Be There
• 1972 – Soultrain Medley
• 1972 – Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin
• 1970 – The Love You Save
• 1970 – ABC

Related posts

• 1969 – I Want You Back (1)
• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History (2)
• 1970 – ABC (1)
• 1970 – The Love You Save (1)
• 1971 – Never Can Say Goodbye (2)

Got to Be There was the solo debut album by then-adolescent Michael Jackson, released by Motown Records on January 24, 1972. It includes the song of the same name, which was released in the October 7, 1971 as Jackson’s debut solo single. It would go on to sell over five million copies worldwide. The album was later remastered and reissued in 2009 as part of the 3-disc compilation Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection.

Album information

Motown released Jackson’s solo album around the same time that another famous brother from a famous family was doing the same: Donny Osmond, who was hitting with songs like “Sweet & Innocent” and “Puppy Love”. Jackson’s and Osmond’s debut efforts almost paralleled each other, as Jackson scored a hit with the title track and “Rockin’ Robin”, which like Osmond’s “Puppy Love”, was a remake of an old ’50s rock song. The album also included covers of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine”, Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend” and the Supremes’ “Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone”.

Reception

The album peaked at number fourteen on the US pop albums chart and number three on the US R&B album chart when it was released.

Rolling Stone (12/7/72, p.68) – “..slick, artful and every bit as good as the regular Jackson 5 product…a sweetly touching voice…innocence and utter professionalism…fascinating and finally irresistible..”

Other memorable recordings on the album include “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “You’ve Got A Friend.”

• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 2
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 1
• 1989 – 2300 Jackson Street
• 1984 – Torture
• 1980 – Can You Feel It
• 1978 – Shake Your Body
• 1978 – Blame It On the Boogie
• 1974 – With A Child’s Heart
• 1973 – Dancing Machine
• 1972 – Soultrain Medley
• 1972 – Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin
• 1970 – The Love You Save
• 1970 – ABC

Related posts

• 1969 – I Want You Back (1)
• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History (2)
• 1970 – ABC (1)
• 1970 – The Love You Save (1)
• 1971 – Never Can Say Goodbye (2)

• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 2
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 1
• 1989 – 2300 Jackson Street
• 1984 – Torture
• 1980 – Can You Feel It
• 1978 – Shake Your Body
• 1978 – Blame It On the Boogie
• 1974 – With A Child’s Heart
• 1973 – Dancing Machine
• 1972 – Got to Be There
• 1972 – Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin
• 1970 – The Love You Save
• 1970 – ABC

Related posts

• 1969 – I Want You Back (1)
• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History (2)
• 1970 – ABC (1)
• 1970 – The Love You Save (1)
• 1971 – Never Can Say Goodbye (2)

• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 2
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 1
• 1989 – 2300 Jackson Street
• 1984 – Torture
• 1980 – Can You Feel It
• 1978 – Shake Your Body
• 1978 – Blame It On the Boogie
• 1974 – With A Child’s Heart
• 1973 – Dancing Machine
• 1972 – Got to Be There
• 1972 – Soultrain Medley
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin
• 1970 – The Love You Save
• 1970 – ABC

Related posts

• 1969 – I Want You Back (1)
• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History (2)
• 1970 – ABC (1)
• 1970 – The Love You Save (1)
• 1971 – Never Can Say Goodbye (2)

• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 2
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 1
• 1989 – 2300 Jackson Street
• 1984 – Torture
• 1980 – Can You Feel It
• 1978 – Shake Your Body
• 1978 – Blame It On the Boogie
• 1974 – With A Child’s Heart
• 1973 – Dancing Machine
• 1972 – Got to Be There
• 1972 – Soultrain Medley
• 1972 – Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
• 1970 – The Love You Save
• 1970 – ABC

Related posts

• 1969 – I Want You Back (1)
• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History (2)
• 1970 – ABC (1)
• 1970 – The Love You Save (1)
• 1971 – Never Can Say Goodbye (2)

While “The Love You Save” is the least-known of the four Jackson 5 number-ones, it has one of the most distinctive melodies and is the most musically complex of the four singles. The song’s lyrics feature Michael and Jermaine Jackson warning a “fast” girl to slow down and “stop!” because “the love you save may be your own!”

The opening exclamation of “stop” and the footstomps that complement the rhythm during the latter part of the song are allusions to the 1965 number-one Motown single by The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love”. The Jackson 5 essentially replaced The Supremes as Motown’s main focus in the early 1970s, although Diana Ross, who left the group for a solo career not long before the release of this single, was publicized as having discovered the Jackson 5.

Like most of the other early Jackson 5 hits, “The Love You Save” was written and produced by The Corporation, a team composed of Motown chief Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonzo Mizell, and Deke Richards and recorded in Los Angeles, California, away from the old Motown studio at Hitsville USA in Detroit, Michigan.

“The Love You Save” was the second single from the second Jackson 5 album, ABC.

Allmusic Review

The Jackson 5′s “The Love You Save” has the same elements used on the group’s last two number one records: the super-charged youthful energy of the brothers, the interplay between Michael and Jermaine, Tito’s kid-bass voice, and top L.A. session musicians. The formula was foolproof. “The Love You Save” hit number one R&B in the summer of 1970 and parked at the top of the pop charts for two weeks. The lyrics of the song were a play of words of the traffic safety slogan “the life you save maybe your own.” Transformed into an admonishment of “fast girl” behavior, the song shares an opening similar in form to the Supremes’ “Stop in the Name of Love”; while lead singer Diana Ross’ “stop!” opening is ’60s cool, Michael and the J-5′s “stop!!” stops listeners in their tracks like the seering siren of an full-throttle ambulance. Arguably no other track in the group’s catalog attained so much mesmerizing mania. “The Love You Save,” along with their other chart-toppers, “ABC” and “I Want You Back,” was used in the opening montage for the early-’70s ABC-TV cartoon series based on the group.

• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 2
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 1
• 1989 – 2300 Jackson Street
• 1984 – Torture
• 1980 – Can You Feel It
• 1978 – Shake Your Body
• 1978 – Blame It On the Boogie
• 1974 – With A Child’s Heart
• 1973 – Dancing Machine
• 1972 – Got to Be There
• 1972 – Soultrain Medley
• 1972 – Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin
• 1970 – ABC

Related posts

• 1969 – I Want You Back (1)
• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History (2)
• 1970 – ABC (1)
• 1971 – Never Can Say Goodbye (2)
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin (1)

“ABC” was the first single from the second Jackson 5 album, ABC. It is today one of the Jackson 5′s signature songs.

Allmusic Review:

A stop and start bass line and drum part, and propulsive percussion — congas, tambourine, shakers — horns, a fuzz-box guitar, dual Afro-Cuban-influenced piano parts, and, of course, the adolescent call-and-response vocals of the Jackson 5 brothers drive this Motown classic and one of the sweetest and simultaneously most satisfying confections of the 1970s. The song displaced the Beatles’ “Let It Be” in the number one spot on the pop chart. Opening with the fuzz guitar, an off-beat percussive piano note, and a “doo-dooh” vocal hook line, the drums kick in on the down beat with Michael Jackson, then all of 12 years old, who starts in on the school metaphor: “You went to school to learn girl/Things you never knew before/Like “I” before “E” except after “C”/And why two plus two makes four/Now, now, now I’m gonna teach you, teach you, teach you/All about love girl, all about love/Sit yourself down, take a seat/All you gotta do is repeat after me.” The school scenario was no accident; Freddie Perren, a member of the Corporation, the writing/producing collective behind “ABC,” was a former school teacher. He has noted in interviews that producing — especially a group comprised of teens and preteens — is much like teaching: outlining a plan and having the students execute it until the teacher is satisfied. The similarity of the song’s groove to the Jackson 5′s first hit single, “I Want You Back,” is also no accident; “ABC” is essentially the chorus of the former single (and by theory a pop song’s catchiest part), repeated and looped for the body of the newer single. The walking bass line forms the backbone — bass having always been a top priority in Motown recordings. The arrangement builds to a rowdy drum breakdown in the middle of the song, Michael Jackson shouting out to the object of his young heart’s desire: “Sit down girl! I think I love you!” He is egged on by his brothers, “No! Get up girl! Show me what you can do!” At which point, the brothers start to harmonize on “Shake it, shake it baby.” Through the whole arrangement, the brothers share the lead vocals, trading lines, Michael taking the lion’s share. The urgency in Michael’s young voice is befuddling; this is no child novelty act — a youngster propped up and made up to look and sound like an adult; Jackson just belts it out as soulfully as an adult, yet still sounds natural, effortless, and untrained, simply gifted. One wonders why such gifts became watered down and squandered to the extent that they did in the 1980s and beyond. For, while this early stage of his career was often called bubblegum soul, the emphasis must surely be placed on soul. There is little cuteness beyond the knowing school metaphor and Michael Jackson is not handled with kid gloves in the arrangement. The resulting recording avoids a ham-fisted, over-processed, and produced child act. As with their previous hit, the Jackson 5 are clearly influenced by the Temptations, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, and Sly and the Family Stone. And one would be remiss not to mention a distinct Stevie Wonder vibe here, another boy wonder. But the Jackson 5 do not sound like any of them; they end up sounding completely unique. The collaborative group called the Corporation was made up primarily of Berry Gordy, Motown founder and president; Perren; Fonce Mizell; and Deke Richards. There was some speculation that the group was formed to sublimate individual identities and, thus, egos, and possibly avoid future legal wrangling. The three aside from Gordy had known each other for years and had written “Love Child” for the Supremes and then “I Want You Back.” The recording features two of the Corporation’s members, Perren and Mizell on piano, as well as top sessionmen, assuring the funky soul groove.

• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 2
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 1
• 1989 – 2300 Jackson Street
• 1984 – Torture
• 1980 – Can You Feel It
• 1978 – Shake Your Body
• 1978 – Blame It On the Boogie
• 1974 – With A Child’s Heart
• 1973 – Dancing Machine
• 1972 – Got to Be There
• 1972 – Soultrain Medley
• 1972 – Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin
• 1970 – The Love You Save

Related posts

• 1969 – I Want You Back (1)
• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History (2)
• 1970 – The Love You Save (1)
• 1971 – Never Can Say Goodbye (2)
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin (1)

Originally considered for Gladys Knight & the Pips and later for Diana Ross, as “I Wanna Be Free”, “I Want You Back” explores the theme of a lover who decides that he was too hasty in dropping his partner. An unusual aspect about “I Want You Back” was that its main lead vocal was performed by a preteen, Michael Jackson.

The single was a notable first in many respects: it was the first Jackson 5 single to be released on Motown the first of four Jackson 5 number-ones released in a row (the others being “ABC”, “The Love You Save”, and “I’ll Be There”), and the first song written and produced by The Corporation, a team comprising Motown chief Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonzo Mizell, and Deke Richards.

“I Want You Back” was also the first Jackson 5 song recorded in Los Angeles, California; the quintet had previously been recording Bobby Taylor-produced covers, including “Who’s Lovin’ You”, the B-side to “I Want You Back”, at Hitsville U.S.A. in Detroit, Michigan.

Although Gladys Knight and Bobby Taylor of the Vancouvers had been the ones to bring the Jackson brothers to Motown, Motown credited Diana Ross with discovering them, not only to help promote the Jackson 5, but also to help ease Ross’ transition into a solo career, a career begun soon after the Jackson 5 became a success.

The Jackson 5 performed “I Want You Back,” along with Sly & the Family Stone’s “Sing a Simple Song,” The Delfonics’ “Can You Remember,” and James Brown’s “There Was a Time” during their first television appearance on The Hollywood Palace in an episode hosted by Diana Ross & the Supremes.

Reception

It has sold 6 million copies worldwide. In 1999, “I Want You Back” was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

“I Want You Back” ranks number 120 on Rolling Stone‘s list of the ’500 Greatest Songs of All Time’. It also ranks ninth on Rolling Stone’s list of the ’100 Greatest Pop Songs since 1963′.

In 2006, Pitchfork Media named it the second best song of the 1960s, adding that the chorus contains “possibly the best chord progression in pop music history.”  A June 2009 article by The Daily Telegraph called it “arguably the greatest pop record of all time”.

• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 2
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 1
• 1989 – 2300 Jackson Street
• 1984 – Torture
• 1980 – Can You Feel It
• 1978 – Shake Your Body
• 1978 – Blame It On the Boogie
• 1974 – With A Child’s Heart
• 1973 – Dancing Machine
• 1972 – Got to Be There
• 1972 – Soultrain Medley
• 1972 – Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin
• 1970 – The Love You Save

Related posts

• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History (2)
• 1970 – ABC (1)
• 1970 – The Love You Save (1)
• 1971 – Never Can Say Goodbye (2)
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin (1)

The recording features 12-year-old Michael Jackson singing a serious song about a love, with accompaniment from his brothers. Although such a record was unusual for a teenage group, “Never Can Say Goodbye” was a number-two hit on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and a number-one hit on the Billboard Black Singles chart in the United States. . In the United Kingdom, it reached number thirty-three on the UK Singles Chart.

Allmusic Review:

Sometimes, happenstance plays an importance part in the making of hit records. Producer Hal Davis was in his Los Angeles office at Motown Records when he heard a catchy melody being played on a piano in the next room. Investigating, he found aspiring songwriter Clifton Davis who’d come to the label to shop his song “Never Can Say Goodbye” to its publishing firm, Jobete Music. Expressing interest in recording the song, Clifton was happily taken aback when Hal told him that he’d produced the Jackson 5′s R&B/ pop chart-topper “I’ll Be There.” Producer Davis booked a recording session for that night, assembling such first-call talent as guitarist David T. Walker, Art Wright, drummer Gene Pello, bassist Bob West, and pianist Joe Sample of the Crusaders, some of whom had played on some of the J-5′s biggest hits. The beautiful arrangement by Gene Page perfectly fits the quiet, introspective tone of the lyrics. It was also a very “grown up” ballad for the group and to some extent balanced out their ” bubblegum soul” image. Amazing as it sounds, there was some dissent in the label’s A&R department, with some thinking the record would blow a good thing by alienating the group’s massive teen following. Luckily label founder Berry Gordy intervened and “Never Can Say Goodbye” topped the R&B charts for three weeks in spring 1971. Clifton also wrote another number one R&B hit for the Jackson 5, “Lookin’ Through the Windows,” and starred in the TV sitcoms That’s My Mama and Amen.

• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 2
• 2001 – Anniversary Special Pt. 1
• 1989 – 2300 Jackson Street
• 1984 – Torture
• 1980 – Can You Feel It
• 1978 – Shake Your Body
• 1978 – Blame It On the Boogie
• 1974 – With A Child’s Heart
• 1973 – Dancing Machine
• 1972 – Got to Be There
• 1972 – Soultrain Medley
• 1972 – Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin
• 1970 – The Love You Save

Related posts

• 1969 – I Want You Back (1)
• 1969 Jackson 5 1st TV Appearance & History (2)
• 1970 – ABC (1)
• 1970 – The Love You Save (1)
• 1971 – Rockin’ Robin (1)

• 1974 – WITH A CHILD’S HEART
• THRILLER
• BILLIE JEAN
• BEAT IT
• HIStory Teaser
• EARTH SONG
• THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT US
• BAD
• SMOOTH CRIMINAL
• BLACK OR WHITE
• DIRTY DIANA
• GONE TOO SOON
• ROCK WITH YOU
• LEAVE ME ALONE
• JAM with Michael Jordan

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