The Jackson 5
Label: Motown
Released: 1973
By the time they recorded this Norman Whitfield track, The Jackson 5’s longtime association with Motown was slowly coming to an end. The brothers were bristling under Berry Gordy’s bubblegum thumb, eager to explore the kind of epic funk exemplified here, but on their own terms. (When the boys implore, “Play it, Tito!” it’s not Tito who responds.) Two years later, with the exception of Jermaine, they jumped to CBS, where they became captains of their own success rather than the cherubic front for armies of songwriters and session musicians. Little Michael, rest his soul, topped them all by becoming a worldwide institution, an icon for all time. Some 40 years after their debut—breathless trails of headlines aside—the lasting essence of the Jackson legacy is the ability to evolve past childhood novelty into an independent creative force. We didn’t have to just dance and hum along.
—Cory Frye
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February 5th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
THAT’S what I’m talkin about, thanks DFD.
February 5th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Interesting choice - definitely different from the two Jackson 5 discs I have.
While I enjoy the Jackson 5, I believe the cannonization of Michael needs to stop. He was a pedofile, (truth - he paid off several people instead of facing them in court- you don’t pay shut-up money if you’re innocent), and a weirdo, and this country’s children were a little safer when he moved away to Dubai. Just because he made some record-breaking music doesn’t excuse him as a person. Too many people put this creep on a pedestal instead of the trash pile he belongs in. Pray for his children to not be scarred by his legacy.
February 5th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
I was listening to other music around this time and never heard this era J5. Not exactly their best work but a fun track. Thanks, DFD.
February 5th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
I like this choice, and this funkified J5…though this track is a bit too long and gets a bit squirrely at the end. With regard to kpipe’s comments, while I don’t necessarily disagree, we have a penchant in this country (perhaps worldwide) of separating out an artist’s contributions from his/her personal choices/actions — which I don’t think is necessarily a bad thing. In the music industry alone, look no further than Elvis Presley, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix or Janis Joplin. I’m not sure I’d want my kids or loved ones hanging out and interacting with some of these folks, but I would like to think that they can appreciate what they are able to accomplish artistically. We’re all complex creatures, both with good and bad traits. ‘Nuf said, and sorry about the little Soapbox Opera…
February 5th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
As they say in the song, “there ain’t no words to this song”, so there ain’t no words in this review…JAM ON!!!!!!!!
February 5th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
I like it — even the over-the-top voice-over (”We didn’t have no time to write none!”)… But I’ve got to admit, I’m completely unfamiliar with any “Epic Funk” created by the Jackson 5 after they left for CBS. Can someone point me in the right direction?
And a slight gripe — is it just me, or does this seem like it was outdated even for 1973?
February 5th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
OK we get it! It’s Black History Month already!
February 5th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Kpipe-get off the pipe and your soapbox. No one cares that you don’t believe in due process and innocent until proven guilty. Go to Dubai if that’s the society you want to live in.
February 5th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Wow, that was pretty aggressive & groovin’ - not at all what I expected… and I don’t think it sounded dated for 1973. Cool choice - thanks DFD
February 5th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
That groove is worthy of it’s length. The last J5 I heard was “The Love You Save” & as good as it is I much prefer this funky stuff.
February 5th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
KPIPE,
agreed. I can’t ignore MJ’s contribution to music in general, but his weirdness and buying himself innocent will always stand heads above what he did on stage or in a studio. I’m sick of people acknowledging the art, ignoring the crime. Jim Morrison was a wife beating drunk too….
February 5th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
Ok DFD, you are forgiven for the previous week of “music”. Black music month has to include something from the brothers and this is a little heard tune by most here I assume. I think it sounds a little ahead of the curve in terms of 1973 music. A great year for music by the way ! Should have been an AOR radio late night staple for the stoner crowd. Nice way to end the week.
February 5th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
Lester, Morrison was obviously a drunk–an illness, not a perversion–and he was never married unless you count the satanical rites he shared with a woman with whom he never lived. The love of his life was a strung out as he was and who knows what their private life was like. She stayed with him through it all.
February 5th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
I’m gonna be a little patient…we do have a whole month. And it was hopeful that this tune went back to the 70’s. So maybe you folks at DFD are teasing us and will finally reach back into some real deep musical history of the black experience. So don’t disappoint me!
February 5th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
okay, alright, not bad, whatever. Please get the labels right: they moved to Epic, not CBS, by which you meant Columbia. You also could’ve said Sony and been equally wrong. Do a little research, peeps.
February 5th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
right on kpipe.they were asking the question a few months back on a local boston radio station if they should keep playing Mama’s & Papa’s songs after Mckenzie came out about her late father. and people called in and said what’s the difference between him and what Michael Jackson did. will they stop playing the Jackson 5 music? they still play both groups music. it’s unfotunate they have to make a doctor a scapegoat for his addictions. but we musn’t tarnish St.Michael. plus this is Not a very good song.
February 5th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
Don’t know if anyone else mentioned this, but RARE EARTH did a great job of covering this song also. Think this is the first time I’ve heard the Jacksons do it….I like it!
February 5th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
I think it’s great that Universal remastered & reissued the latter J5 Motown albums a few weeks ago. And this is funk rave-up is amazing. But it galls me that *not one* retail store I’ve been to is carrying these CD’s (or even knows about them). This isn’t some obscure one-hit wonder…this is the J5! Are You listening Best Buy, Broders, Target, FYE, WalMart, Barnes & Noble?! Guess I’ll be placing an order with Amazon this weekend…
February 5th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
No! No! No!
February 5th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
I’m confused as to what you’re honoring. Okay track. I’d bet the group doesn’t care about it.
February 5th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Re: Mike, Best Buy, Borders, Target, FYE, WalMart, Barnes & Noble All cater to the common denominator. While WalMArt causes many human right violations in China and elsewhere, I refuse to shop at WalMart no matter how low (supposedly) their prices are. They are the worst example of how to abuse everyone in their world from the employees to their suppliers.
Amazon is a good online spot as is Tower Records online!
Interesting track, never heard it!
For the soapbox people, Shut it! We all know what happened. This is about the music!!!
February 5th, 2010 at 6:31 pm
@Mick. welcome to the 21st century. Now I would like to hear this track on vinyl, but that not going to happen. I don’t want to see disks disappear ,,,,,,,, but they are. I think by 2015 you will go to Target so they can wireless load your phone with music. Then I will take it home burn a CD and put it on a shelve next to my LPs.
February 5th, 2010 at 11:26 pm
What a bad way to end the week. I am not, never was, and never will be a fan of the Jackson 5 (Michael in particular).
There are so many other very good and talented African American performers that could be honored on this site. This bubble gum band has received enough applause already, and they weren’t even any good!
Give us some blues or jazz next week, and enough with this over hyped crap like this!!
February 6th, 2010 at 9:17 am
Boy, I’m glad Black History month only has 28 days!
February 6th, 2010 at 9:55 am
Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Carmen McRae, Sarah Vaughan, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Horace Silver, Cannonball Adderley, J. J. Johnson, McCoy Tyner, Dizzy Gillespie, Oliver Nelson, Oscar Peterson, Fats Navarro, Johnny Hodges, Johnny Hartman, Billy Eckstine, the list of greats goes on and on. How about some picks from that list?
February 6th, 2010 at 10:45 am
I’m going to keep listening to the music and stop reading the comments. Snobbery and closed-minded analysis both get old.
February 7th, 2010 at 5:43 am
what is this junk?
February 11th, 2010 at 2:06 am
from motzart to don henly, van goh to warhol, artist have always been eccentric, often involved in socially questionable behaiver and in trouble with the laws of their times. If society cannot seperate the art from the artist ,then the museums and radios of the world would be considerably void of time honored classics and reflections of moments in time and culture.
February 12th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
never heard (of) this before, so thanks, DFD. can you include the credits for the tracks you pick? in this case, who plays what instruments?
February 13th, 2010 at 5:30 am
I like it!! I like it alot!! Wingman is right - there would be no art if there are no eccentrics.
February 18th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
Never was a fan but this surprised me…Peace, John
June 27th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Who was the littlest guy in the picture? I listened to this today and realized I was located not far from Glendale Forest Lawn, Michael’s final resting place. The radio stations are playing lots of MJ tracks to commemorate the one year anniversary of his passing. This is a great track with an incredible bass player! - Jon Wyderka -