Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5
Encyclopedia
Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 is the debut album from Gary, Indiana
-based soul
family band The Jackson 5
, released on the Motown label in December 1969. The Jackson 5's lead singer, a preteen
age boy named Michael
(who later became a universally-recognized pop star on his own and "The King of Pop") , and his older brothers Jackie
, Jermaine
, Tito
, and Marlon
, became pop successes within months of this album's release. Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5's only single, "I Want You Back
", became a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100
within weeks of the album's release and eventually sold five million copies worldwide. The album reached #5 on the Pop Albums chart, and spent nine weeks at #1 on the R&B/Black Albums chart.
The album title suggested that Motown star Diana Ross
had discovered the group, as do the Ross-penned liner notes on the back cover. Ross' supposed discovery of the Jackson 5 was in fact part of Motown's marketing and promotions plan for the Jackson 5; Motown artists Bobby Taylor
and Gladys Knight
were the ones who had actually discovered the Jacksons. Ross did, however, introduce the group to the public both in concert and on television.
brought the group to Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. studio in Detroit, Michigan
, and assigned them to work with Bobby Taylor as their producer. Taylor, who had personally brought the Jacksons to Motown, began having Michael, Jermaine, and Jackie record cover version
s of current and past soul compositions, including many in the Motown catalog. Over two dozen of these recordings were done, including covers of songs by The Temptations
("(I Know) I'm Losing You
", "Born to Love You"), Marvin Gaye
("Chained"), Stevie Wonder
("My Cherie Amour"), The Miracles
("Who's Lovin' You
"), and the Four Tops
("Standing in the Shadows of Love
"). Among the non-Motown covers done were versions of Sly & the Family Stone
's "Stand!
", The Delfonics
' "Can You Remember", and "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
" from the Walt Disney
film Song of the South
. The Jackson 5 also re-recorded "You've Changed", a song they'd recorded for Gordon Keith's small Steeltown label before joining the Motown roster.
All of the songs Taylor recorded with the group during these summer 1969 sessions held close to the group's traditional R&B/soul sound, a sound somewhat less pop-aware than Motown's signature "Motown Sound". Of these recordings, the most famous became the cover of "Who's Lovin' You", with Michael Jackson re-delivering Smokey Robinson
's often-covered plea for the return of a long-gone lover. The Jackson 5 version of the song supplanted the Miracles' original as the definitive recording of the song, and many of the future covers of the song (for example, En Vogue
's cover at the beginning of their 1990 single "Hold On"), are based upon this version.
The Jacksons recorded a number of songs with Bobby Taylor during these summer 1969 sessions that remained in the Motown vault for several years, including covers of Ray Charles
' "A Fool for You", the Four Tops' "Reach Out, I'll Be There", The Isley Brothers
' "It's Your Thing", and a version of Bobby Taylor's own "Oh, I've Been Blessed". These recordings would turn up on various Jackson 5 compilations, and virtually all of them were included on the boxed set
Soulsation!
.
, where Gordy had a satellite studio (the entire Motown operation would move to Los Angeles by 1972). Taylor followed the group, and continued to work on the cover songs.
Gordy formed a group called The Corporation to handle future Jackson 5 recordings. The Corporation included Gordy, Perren, Mizell, and Richards; left out was Taylor, who also worked with the group on the second Jackson 5 album, ABC
and its singles without credit. All of the songs produced and written by Gordy, Richards, Mizell, and Perren were billed under the Corporation name, to avoid a repeat of the issues that arose when former Motown songwriters / producers Holland-Dozier-Holland
were known by name and became as famous as the artists they produced for.
During this period, Gordy came across "I Want to Be Free", a composition written by West Coast-based Motown producers Freddie Perren
, Alphonzo Mizell, and Deke Richards
for Gladys Knight. At first, Gordy wanted the three producers to instead record the song with Diana Ross, but soon decided to give the song "the Frankie Lymon
treatment" and record it with the Jackson 5. Richards, Mizell, and Perren began re-working the song, and Gordy and Taylor also became involved in the revision process. The result was "I Want You Back", which became the Jackson 5's first Motown single, and the first of four Jackson 5 songs that went to number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1970.
"I Want You Back" became the blueprint for future Jackson 5 recordings: there was now less of an emphasis on traditional soul, and more prominent elements of doo-wop
and bubblegum pop
music. In fact, Motown's publicity department dubbed the Jackson 5's sound "bubblegum soul". Gordy, Richards, Mizell, and Perren also contributed the album track "Nobody" to Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5.
Other tracks from Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 recording sessions
To Sir, With Love
Oh, I've Been Blessed
Sunny Boy
You Can't Hurry Love
You've Really Got A Hold On Me
Twenty-Five Miles
La-la Means I Love You
. One bonus track was included in a cover of Bobby Taylor's "Oh, I've Been Bless'd", a song also released on the rare 1979 outtakes album Boogie.
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
-based soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
family band The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
, released on the Motown label in December 1969. The Jackson 5's lead singer, a preteen
Preteen
Preadolescence is a stage of human development following early childhood and prior to adolescence. It may be defined as ending with the beginning of puberty or with the beginning of the teenage stage, the time frames in which adolescence is considered to begin. In terms of age in years,...
age boy named Michael
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
(who later became a universally-recognized pop star on his own and "The King of Pop") , and his older brothers Jackie
Jackie Jackson
Sigmund Esco "Jackie" Jackson is an American singer and musician, a member of The Jackson 5, and the second child in the Jackson family.-Life and career:...
, Jermaine
Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine La Jaune Jackson is an American singer, bassist, composer, a member of The Jackson 5, older brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson and occasional film director...
, Tito
Tito Jackson
Toriano Adaryll "Tito" Jackson is an American singer and lead guitarist and original member of The Jackson 5. He is the older brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson.-Early life and rise to stardom:...
, and Marlon
Marlon Jackson
Marlon David Jackson is an American entertainer singer, dancer, former member of The Jackson 5, and elder brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson.-Personal life:...
, became pop successes within months of this album's release. Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5's only single, "I Want You Back
I Want You Back
"I Want You Back" was released in 1969 and in early 1970s became a number-one hit single recorded by The Jackson 5 for the Motown label. The song, along with a b-side cover of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' "Who's Lovin' You", was the only single from the first Jackson 5 album, Diana Ross Presents...
", became a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
within weeks of the album's release and eventually sold five million copies worldwide. The album reached #5 on the Pop Albums chart, and spent nine weeks at #1 on the R&B/Black Albums chart.
The album title suggested that Motown star Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
had discovered the group, as do the Ross-penned liner notes on the back cover. Ross' supposed discovery of the Jackson 5 was in fact part of Motown's marketing and promotions plan for the Jackson 5; Motown artists Bobby Taylor
Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers
Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers were a soul band from Vancouver, British Columbia. Briefly signed to Motown Records in the late 1960s, they had one top 30 hit single, "Does Your Mama Know About Me". As a producer and solo artist, Bobby Taylor contributed to several other soul recordings, both inside...
and Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
were the ones who had actually discovered the Jacksons. Ross did, however, introduce the group to the public both in concert and on television.
Working with Bobby Taylor
After signing the Jackson 5 in March 1969, Motown CEO Berry GordyBerry Gordy
Berry Gordy, Jr. is an American record producer, and the founder of the Motown record label, as well as its many subsidiaries.-Early years:...
brought the group to Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. studio in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, and assigned them to work with Bobby Taylor as their producer. Taylor, who had personally brought the Jacksons to Motown, began having Michael, Jermaine, and Jackie record cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of current and past soul compositions, including many in the Motown catalog. Over two dozen of these recordings were done, including covers of songs by The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
("(I Know) I'm Losing You
(I Know) I'm Losing You
" I'm Losing You" is a 1966 hit single recorded by The Temptations for the Gordy label and produced by Norman Whitfield.- History :...
", "Born to Love You"), Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
("Chained"), Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
("My Cherie Amour"), The Miracles
The Miracles
The Miracles are an American rhythm and blues group from Detroit, Michigan, notable as the first successful group act for Berry Gordy's Motown Record Corporation . Their single "Shop Around" was Motown's first million-selling hit record, and the group went on to become one of Motown's signature...
("Who's Lovin' You
Who's Lovin' You
"Who's Lovin' You" is a Motown soul song, written in 1960 by William "Smokey" Robinson. The song has been recorded by many different artists including The Miracles, who recorded the 1960 original version, The Temptations, The Supremes, Terence Trent-D'arby, Brenda and The Tabulations, John Farnham,...
"), and the Four Tops
Four Tops
The Four Tops are an American vocal quartet, whose repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, hard rock, and showtunes...
("Standing in the Shadows of Love
Standing in the Shadows of Love
"Standing in the Shadows of Love" is a 1966 hit single recorded by the Four Tops for the Motown label. Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song is one of the most well-known Motown tunes of the 1960s...
"). Among the non-Motown covers done were versions of Sly & the Family Stone
Sly & the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music...
's "Stand!
Stand! (song)
"Stand!" is a 1969 song by the soul/rock/funk band Sly & the Family Stone. The song's title and lyrics are a call for its listeners to "stand" up for themselves, their communities, and what they believe in...
", The Delfonics
The Delfonics
The Delfonics are a pioneering Philadelphia soul singing group, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include "La-La ", "Didn't I ", "Break Your Promise," "I'm Sorry," and "Ready or Not Here I Come "...
' "Can You Remember", and "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah
"Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" is a song from the Disney 1946 live action and animated movie Song of the South, sung by James Baskett. With music by Allie Wrubel and lyrics by Ray Gilbert, "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song...
" from the Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
film Song of the South
Song of the South
Song of the South is a 1946 American musical film produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film is based on the Uncle Remus cycle of stories by Joel Chandler Harris. The live actors provide a sentimental frame story, in which Uncle Remus relates the folk tales of the...
. The Jackson 5 also re-recorded "You've Changed", a song they'd recorded for Gordon Keith's small Steeltown label before joining the Motown roster.
All of the songs Taylor recorded with the group during these summer 1969 sessions held close to the group's traditional R&B/soul sound, a sound somewhat less pop-aware than Motown's signature "Motown Sound". Of these recordings, the most famous became the cover of "Who's Lovin' You", with Michael Jackson re-delivering Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
's often-covered plea for the return of a long-gone lover. The Jackson 5 version of the song supplanted the Miracles' original as the definitive recording of the song, and many of the future covers of the song (for example, En Vogue
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
's cover at the beginning of their 1990 single "Hold On"), are based upon this version.
The Jacksons recorded a number of songs with Bobby Taylor during these summer 1969 sessions that remained in the Motown vault for several years, including covers of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
' "A Fool for You", the Four Tops' "Reach Out, I'll Be There", The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...
' "It's Your Thing", and a version of Bobby Taylor's own "Oh, I've Been Blessed". These recordings would turn up on various Jackson 5 compilations, and virtually all of them were included on the boxed set
Boxed set
A box set is a compilation of various musical recordings, films, television programs, or other collection of related items that are contained in a box.-Music box sets:...
Soulsation!
Soulsation!
Soulsation! is a 4-CD box set of music performed by The Jackson 5 throughout their tenure in Motown spanning from 1969 to 1975, when they left for CBS Records...
.
Enter The Corporation
In August 1969, Berry Gordy decided to take a more direct role in the Jackson 5's career. He had the Jacksons and their father, Joseph, move from Detroit to Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, where Gordy had a satellite studio (the entire Motown operation would move to Los Angeles by 1972). Taylor followed the group, and continued to work on the cover songs.
Gordy formed a group called The Corporation to handle future Jackson 5 recordings. The Corporation included Gordy, Perren, Mizell, and Richards; left out was Taylor, who also worked with the group on the second Jackson 5 album, ABC
ABC (album)
-Recording Sessions:August 1969 - March 1970Other tracks from ABC recording sessionsI Was Made To Love HerI Hear A SymphonyYou Ain't Giving Me What I Want We Can Have FunHoney Chile...
and its singles without credit. All of the songs produced and written by Gordy, Richards, Mizell, and Perren were billed under the Corporation name, to avoid a repeat of the issues that arose when former Motown songwriters / producers Holland-Dozier-Holland
Holland-Dozier-Holland
Holland–Dozier–Holland is a songwriting and production team made up of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Edward Holland, Jr. They are considered to be one of the greatest songwriting teams in popular music...
were known by name and became as famous as the artists they produced for.
During this period, Gordy came across "I Want to Be Free", a composition written by West Coast-based Motown producers Freddie Perren
Freddie Perren
Frederick "Freddie" Perren was an American songwriter, record producer, arranger, and orchestra conductor best known for as a co-songwriter and co-producer of such mega-hits as "Boogie Fever" by the Sylvers, "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor, and "Shake Your Groove Thing" by Peaches &...
, Alphonzo Mizell, and Deke Richards
Deke Richards
Deke Richards, also known as Dennis Lussier and Deke Lussier, is a songwriter and record producer, one of many white musicians/songwriters who were affiliated with Motown...
for Gladys Knight. At first, Gordy wanted the three producers to instead record the song with Diana Ross, but soon decided to give the song "the Frankie Lymon
Frankie Lymon
Franklin Joseph "Frankie" Lymon was an American rock and roll/rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, best known as the boy soprano lead singer of a New York City-based early rock and roll group, The Teenagers. The group was composed of five boys, all in their early to mid teens...
treatment" and record it with the Jackson 5. Richards, Mizell, and Perren began re-working the song, and Gordy and Taylor also became involved in the revision process. The result was "I Want You Back", which became the Jackson 5's first Motown single, and the first of four Jackson 5 songs that went to number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1970.
"I Want You Back" became the blueprint for future Jackson 5 recordings: there was now less of an emphasis on traditional soul, and more prominent elements of doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
and bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
music. In fact, Motown's publicity department dubbed the Jackson 5's sound "bubblegum soul". Gordy, Richards, Mizell, and Perren also contributed the album track "Nobody" to Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5.
Track listing
All songs produced by Bobby Taylor except for "Nobody" and "I Want You Back", produced by The Corporation.- "Reach Out, I'll Be There" was considered to be on the album, and appears on the back of early pressings, but was replaced by "Born to Love You." It would appear 26 years later on Soulsation!
Recording Sessions
May - August 1969Other tracks from Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 recording sessions
To Sir, With Love
Oh, I've Been Blessed
Sunny Boy
You Can't Hurry Love
You've Really Got A Hold On Me
Twenty-Five Miles
La-la Means I Love You
Re-release
In 2001, Motown Records remastered all Jackson 5 albums in a "Two Classic Albums/One CD" series, as they had previously done in the late 1980s. Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 was paired up with ABCABC (album)
-Recording Sessions:August 1969 - March 1970Other tracks from ABC recording sessionsI Was Made To Love HerI Hear A SymphonyYou Ain't Giving Me What I Want We Can Have FunHoney Chile...
. One bonus track was included in a cover of Bobby Taylor's "Oh, I've Been Bless'd", a song also released on the rare 1979 outtakes album Boogie.