Week 2: THE JACKSON 5 (420 to 30: A Music Retrospective)
If you dig Motown era soul music, The Jackson 5, despite being comprised of children and teenagers, is easily one of the best groups to check out. I grew up hearing their music from what my family would play, it always impressed me, still does, and it’s no wonder Michael Jackson became the musician he did, as sad as the underlying qualities to his story may be.
420 to 30: A Music Retrospective
Here's 7 of my favorites from The Jackson 5 (later known as the Jacksons).
Week 2: THE JACKSON 5/THE JACKSONS
#008/420 - The Jackson 5, “Never Can Say Goodbye”
Michael Jackson recorded this song when he was only 12 years-old… A true wunderkind. It’s remarkable that he could express these lyrics in a such a meaningful way without possibly being able to understand them at the time as an adult would.
It’s an interesting component of the person himself that he could emulate an adult’s feelings so incredibly well in his childhood, but turned into something of a child as an adult.
#009/420 - The Jackson 5, “I Want You Back”
The first single by The Jackson 5 and of Michael Jackson’s career was a number one hit in the U.S. in 1970, followed by 3 more consecutive number ones. Written by the Motown songwriting team known as “The Corporation” (who wrote many of their hits) and featured on The Jackson 5’s debut album entitled Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5, they had some heavyweights in their favor, but Michael was already the star of the show. And he was 10 when he recorded this! 10!!!
Also, I think everybody likes this song? Even cold-hearted mountain ogres would find this an enjoyable listening experience at least once, I’d think. Just listen to him scream at the end. How was there ever a kid this talented? I mean, yeah most kids can scream, but not like James Brown!!
#010/420 - The Jacksons, “Lovely One”
I never even knew about this album until I was in my 20s. I just sort of assumed a clean migration from Jackson 5 -> Michael Jackson, but actually he was still simultaneously performing with his brothers for most of his career, and had been doubling up releasing solo albums as early as 1972 (some of which I had previously thought were by the Jackson 5, but are credited to only Michael, like “Got to Be There” and “Ben”).
Well, this is what he was doing in between Off the Wall and Thriller, making another ridiculously good album with his brothers. “Lovely One” is good enough to have been a signature song for another musician, but for Michael it seems to get lost in the shuffle.
It shouldn’t though, if you like Off the Wall or Thriller, this is a great song that stacks right up and is, in my opinion, one of the funkiest songs ever made. In fact, I think this song could have lifted all 4 of Charlie’s grandparents right out of bed.
#011/420 - The Jackson 5, “I'll Be There”
The lead single from The Jackson 5’s Third Album, this was also Motown’s most successful single out of Detroit, and the fourth number one by The Jackson 5 in a row.
This is a song that speaks to my soul. Hearing this song as a kid to me was like hearing an instructional on how to treat a relationship and be a decent man, and its words and the emotion behind them have stuck with me throughout my life. The lyrics are really nice and it’s sung in such a gentle, sincere, and caring way with instrumentation that hits all the feels. I feel fortunate to have had music of this caliber in my ears while growing up. A song for the ages.
“If you should ever find someone new, I know he better be good to you, ‘cause if he doesn’t, I’ll be there.”
I’ll love you no matter what.
#012/420 - The Jacksons, “Can You Feel It”
Penned by Michael and his brother Jackie in 1980, its lyrics and ideas are just as relevant and worth hearing in 2018, maybe more-so. I also think this song features some of the finest vocals Michael ever recorded. He kills it when he comes in at 1:06 with the bridge. The man had rhythm.
“All the colors of the world should be lovin' each other wholeheartedly. Yes, it's alright, take my message to your brother and tell him twice. Spread the word who tried to teach the man who is hatin' his brother, when hate won't do. ‘Cause we're all the same. Yes, the blood inside of me is inside of you. Now tell me, can you feel it?”
I love funky, righteous songs like this, the 30 member choir they have on here with them is great, and I appreciate the willingness Michael Jackson had from early on in his career to write messages like this into popular music (“Black or White”, “Earth Song”, “Money”, etc.) so cheers to the Jacksons.
Can you feel it?
#013/420 - The Jackson 5, “The Love You Save”
Growing up, we had a cassette of the “14 Original Greatest Hits with The Jackson 5” and this was easily my favorite one of the Jackson 5 songs included on there. Any song that began with “when we played tag” was very likely to win me over at an age where playing tag was my favorite pastime, but good music can have a transportive quality and hearing this song was like transporting myself to the playground with these 5 other kids who sounded like they were having a shit ton of fun doing this song, even if I was actually just sitting in the back of a mini van.
I especially like the delivery on “I’m the one who loves ya! I’m the one you neeed!” at 2:16 where Michael sounds downright possessed and when Jermaine comes in at the end with “Don’tcha know! Don’tcha know! Someday, baby, you’ll be all alone.” at 2:44. Pros.
Also, since I was so young that I had never heard the word “flirt” before hearing this song, I initially thought they were saying “they’ll label you a fart” instead of flirt. And then I learned what the word “flirt” meant, and trouble soon followed.
#014/420 - The Jackson 5, “Who's Lovin' You”
Sweet mother of god… If you’ve never listened to this song before, please do, because I believe this is one of the great vocal performances of the 20th century. It had been done by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, and David Ruffin and The Temptations, some of the greatest voices in all of soul music, but it would be 10 year-old Michael Jackson who (in my humble opinion) would make the ultimate version by a long shot.
What were you doing when you were 10 years-old? Not this. I can’t even imagine. If I were one of those talent show judges and a kid came in and sang this, I would probably cry and applaud as if I were a pageant mom. I’ve played this song to people for the first time and watched them go silent and, even once, cry. You hear a song like this and it’s no wonder he became the biggest musician in the world for a time.
How did he even have this much soul at that age? You listen to him describe his failures and insecurities in love here and you buy the emotion behind every word, and then you’re like, but he’s 10?!? What. How? No matter how many times I hear this, I am always impressed.
This is my favorite Jackson 5 song, which I highly recommend for any music collection.
If you like any combination of soul, R&B, pop, funk, disco, or vocal groups, you can’t pass on The Jackson 5. And if you’re a fan of Michael Jackson but have never given his early years much of a shot, you really ought to. I love hateful music as much as the next guy (ok maybe not as much as some people, but we’ll get to that in future weeks). But equilibrium calls for music like this too, and I’ve really enjoyed revisiting their catalog this week and it has taken me back to plenty of happy times.
Next week, we’re heading east from Detroit and forward a few decades from the late 60s to the late 80s in New York City with 3 of the very best in hip-hop, A Tribe Called Quest.
420 to 30: A Music Retrospective
View the full list of "420 Songs" here: https://tinyurl.com/y8fboudu (Google spreadsheet link)
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