The primary members of the group were all the sons of Katherine and Joseph Jackson: Jackie Jackson, Tito Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Michael Jackson, and Randy Jackson. Joseph Jackson formed the band in 1964 and served as its manager, with Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and unrelated youths Reynaud Jones and Milton Hite comprising its original lineup. Within a year, Michael and Marlon joined the band, and Michael became lead singer as the group developed a following in the eastern and midwestern United States during the mid-1960s. Signed to the Motown label from 1969 to 1975, and to CBS Records (as "The Jacksons") from 1975 until their disbanding in 1990, the Jackson 5 were one of the most popular groups of the era and became the first recording act 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. Several future 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 not the first act considered a "boy band", The Jackson 5 is one of the earliest examples of the type as it is defined today: five adolescents specifically packaged and marketed by a record label for crossover pop success. Upon their departure from Motown for CBS in 1975, the Jacksons, were forced to change their name and trade Jermaine (who remained at Motown) for Randy. The group took 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)" and "State of Shock", and a highly successful 1984 Victory tour. The Jacksons officially disbanded in 1990.
History
Early works
The Jacksons were a working-class family from Gary, Indiana. Katherine, being a Jehovah's Witness, raised the children as such, while their father, Joe, was not of that faith. Their father, a steel mill employee who often performed in an R&B band called "The Falcons" with his brother Luther, was a strict disciplinarian. Many of the Jackson children recall being severely beaten by Joe for misbehaving.
The children found an outlet in music, with elder brothers Jackie (born Sigmund Esco Jackson, 1951), Tito (born Toriano Jackson, 1953), and Jermaine (b. 1954) borrowing their father's guitar without his permission and playing along to the radio. Younger brothers Marlon (b. 1957) and Michael (b. 1958) were allowed to watch as long as they did not tell. Joseph eventually discovered that the older three boys were playing his guitar when one of the strings broke[2]. Although he was furious at first, Joseph realized the boys had talent and began making plans to create a musical act for them.
In 1965, Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine began performing around the Gary area with two neighborhood children, Milford Hite (on drums) and Reynaud Jones (on keyboards), in a group called The Jackson Brothers. Joe Jackson served as the manager, at first only part-time, and then eventually quitting his job at the steel mill. Jermaine sang lead and played bass, and Tito played guitar.
In 1966, younger brothers Marlon and Michael, joined the group as its tambourine and bongo players. Already showing talent as a singer and dancer[3], Michael replaced Jermaine as lead vocalist by mid-1967. Shirley Cartman, Tito's junior high orchestra teacher, noticed the group's talents and served as an early mentor to the group, by then calling itself The Jackson Five.
During this period, the boys toured Indiana extensively, and after winning a major local talent show in 1966 with a rendition of The Temptations' "My Girl", led by Michael, they began playing professional gigs in Chicago, Illinois and across the mid-eastern U.S. Many of these gigs were in a string of black clubs and venues collectively known as the "chitlin' circuit", and the young kids sometimes had to open for strip teasers and other adult acts in order to earn money.
Shirley Cartman got the Jackson Five a record deal with Gordon Keith's local Steeltown label, and the group began making their first recordings in 1967. Their first single, "Big Boy", became a regional hit. During this period, Johnny Jackson (no relation) on drums and Ronnie Rancifer on keys replaced Milford Hite and Reynaud Jones.
The Jackson Five 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 of The Pips. 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 Five's sound was influenced by many of the biggest stars of the 1960s, especially including family funk bands Sly & the Family Stone and The Isley Brothers, soul pioneer Marvin Gaye, doo-wop boy band Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, and soul shouters like Wilson Pickett, Jackie Wilson, Stevie Wonder and James Brown [4]. At the time of their early success, soul and funk 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 Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and Diana Ross & the Supremes.
Influences
From these sources, The Jackson Five developed many of their vocal arrangement styles and dance movements. The group's multi-lead vocal style was inspired by that of The Family Stone, while young Michael adapted Jackie Wilson and James Brown's impassioned singing and dancing styles into his own.
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 July 12 - 27, 1968, the Jackson 5 opened for Motown group Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers at Chicago's Regal Theater. 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 Five to audition for the label.
On July 23, the Jackson Five 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 Five 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 Five'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 Five 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.
In mid-August 1969, Gordy moved the Jackson Five 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, while Michael and Marlon lived with Motown star Diana Ross.
A B C
The Jackson 5 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A buh-buh buh buh-buh
You went to school to learn, girl
Things you never, 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, dear
All about love
Sit yourself down, take a seat
All you gotta do is repeat after me
ABC
Easy as
One, two, three
Or simple as
Do re mi
ABC, one, two, three, baby, you and me girl!
ABC
Easy as
One, two, three
Or simple as
Do re mi
ABC, one, two, three, baby, you and me!
Come on, let me love you just a little bit!
Come on, let me love you just a little bit!
I'm a going to teach how to sing it out!
Michael, come on, come on, come on
Let me show you what it's all about!
Reading, writing and arithmetic
Are the branches of the learning tree
But without the roots of love every day, girl
Your education ain't complete
T-T-T-Teacher's gonna show you
Show you, show you
How to get an A!
Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah!
Spell "me" "you"
Add the two!
Listen to me baby, that's all you gotta do!
Oh, ABC
As easy as
One, two, three
Or simple as
Do re mi
ABC, one, two, three, baby, you and me girl!
ABC
It's easy,
It's like counting up to three (One, two, three)
Sing a simple melody (Do re mi, ABC)
That's how easy love can be!
Sit down, girl!
I think I love you!
No!
Get up, girl!
Show me what you can do!
Shake it, shake it, baby, come on now!
Shake it, shake it, baby, ooh ooh!
Shake it shake it, baby, huh!
One, two, three, baby, ooh ooh!
ABC, baby, nah nah!
Do re mi, baby, huh!
That's how easy love can be.
ABC, it's easy
It's like counting up to three (One, two, three)
Sing a simple melody (Do re mi, ABC)
That's how easy love can be!
(I'm not gonna teach you how to sing it out)
Come on come on come on let me show you what it's all about
ABC, it's easy
It's like counting up to three (One, two, three)
Sing a simple melody (Do re mi, ABC)
That's how easy love can be!
(I'm not gonna teach you how to sing it out)
Sing it out, sing it, sing it, sing it
Oh baby, ABC, it's easy
It's like counting up to three (One, two, three)
Sing a simple melody (Do re mi, ABC)
That's how easy love can be!
The Jackson 5's "ABC" is a cheerful and highly infectious tune aimed at teaching children their ABCs. Nevertheless, this song is far from the basic ABC song. The track opens with the familiar "buh-buh buh buh-buh" from the opening refrain before commencing with Michael's lead vocal. The first verse begins with Michael describing how the girl he is addressing has gone to school to learn, only to be taught the basics of language and math. Instead, he offers to teach her about love, which he considers the key component missing from her education. He asks the girl to repeat after him, and the rest of the song serves as an example of the lessons he's providing to her.
The song's upbeat rhythm and catchy chorus make it nearly impossible not to sing along. Although the lyrics appear to be simplistic and for children, the song's theme of teaching love showcases the group's desire to spread positivity and joy, two things that were in short supply in the 1960s when the song was released. As Michael and his brothers sing, they emphasise how simple it is to learn the ABCs, just like learning the basics of love. "ABC" has remained popular for generations and continues to be played at parties and on the radio.
Line by Line Meaning
A buh-buh buh buh-buh
Introductory sound effects
You went to school to learn, girl
You attended school for education, girl
Things you never, never knew before
Concepts that were previously unknown to you
Like I before E except after C
A grammar rule that places 'I' before 'E' except after the letter 'C'
And why two plus two makes four
The reason why the sum of two and two is four
Now now now, I'm gonna teach you
I will educate you now
Teach you, teach you
Educate you, educate you
All about love, dear
All the things related to love, dear
All about love
Everything there is to know about love
Sit yourself down, take a seat
Please sit and relax
All you gotta do is repeat after me
All you need to do is copy what I do
ABC
The letters A, B, C
Easy as
As simple as
One, two, three
The numbers one, two, three
Or simple as
Or as straightforward as
Do re mi
The musical notes do, re, mi
ABC, one, two, three, baby, you and me girl!
The letters A, B, C, followed by the numbers one, two, three, baby, you and me girl!
Come on, let me love you just a little bit!
Let me express affection to you in small ways
I'm a going to teach how to sing it out!
I will teach you how to sing
Michael, come on, come on, come on
A call to the singer Michael to join in
Let me show you what it's all about!
Allow me to demonstrate what it means
Reading, writing and arithmetic
The activities of reading, writing, and performing mathematical calculations
Are the branches of the learning tree
These activities are integral to education
But without the roots of love every day, girl
However, without the foundational aspects of love every day, girl
Your education ain't complete
Your education is not whole
T-T-T-Teacher's gonna show you
The teacher will demonstrate
How to get an A!
How to achieve the grade of A
Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah!
Sound effects or gibberish with no clear meaning
Spell 'me' 'you'
Spell the word 'me' as 'you'
Add the two!
Combine the two words
Listen to me baby, that's all you gotta do!
Listen carefully, that's all that's required of you
Oh, ABC
Oh, the letters A, B, C
As easy as
As straightforward as
Sing a simple melody
Perform an uncomplicated tune
That's how easy love can be!
That's how effortless love can be
Sit down, girl!
Please take a seat, girl
I think I love you!
I believe I have romantic feelings towards you
No!
Negative expression or denial
Get up, girl!
Please rise, girl
Show me what you can do!
Demonstrate your abilities to me
Shake it, shake it, baby, come on now!
Move your body, baby, right now!
Shake it, shake it, baby, ooh ooh!
Move your body back and forth, baby
Shake it shake it, baby, huh!
Please move in a shaking motion, baby
One, two, three, baby, ooh ooh!
One, two, three, baby, ooh ooh!
ABC, baby, nah nah!
The letters A, B, C, baby, nah nah!
Do re mi, baby, huh!
The musical notes do, re, mi, baby, huh!
ABC, it's easy
The letters A, B, C are simple
It's like counting up to three (One, two, three)
It's as easy as incrementing from one to three
That's how easy love can be!
That's how effortless love can be!
Sing it out, sing it, sing it, sing it
Sing boldly, repeatedly
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Berry Gordy, Dennis Lussier, Alphonzo Mizell, Freddie Perren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cris Sabanpan
on I Want You Back
Hlo