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.
Can You Remember
The Jackson 5 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Can you remember?)
When we were babies?
(Babies, who)
We were always together
When we were in kindergarten
(kindergarten)
So girl you left me all alone.
And you know I'll never find,
No one to call my own.
So girl I love you, don't you I love you
(Don't you know I love you)
My cherie, like for you
Like for you
To remember if you can
Hey, can you remember, yeah
(The times we had and the times we shared)
Sitting, playing in the grass.
In the grass, yeah!
Can you remember?
(Can you remember?)
When we were babies?
(Babies, who)
We were always together
And I never had no one
(No one)
Sunny skies are blue,
So girl you know that I love you.
And I'll always promise you
That this is what I'll do.
So girl I love you, I love you, don't you know I love you
Don't you know I love you?
I love ya, yeah!
My cherie, like for you
Like for you
To remember if you can
To remember if you can,
Hey, can you remember?
The times we had and the time we shared
Sitting, playing in the grass.
Sitting in the grass yeah
Who
Yeah! Can you remember?
My cherie, like for you
To remember, if you can
The times we had
The times we had
And the times we shared, oh yeah
And the times we shared,
Sitting, playing in the grass
We're sittin' in the park, playin' in the grass
Yeah!
My cherie, like for you
To remember, if you can
The times we had
The Jackson 5’s song “Can You Remember” is a wistful and romantic ballad that reminisces about childhood memories and lost love. The song opens with Michael Jackson’s plaintive question, “Can you remember?” He then proceeds to take the listener on a nostalgic journey back to his kindergarten days, when he and his love interest were “always together”. However, as they grew older, she left him alone, and he is resigned to the fact that he will never find anyone to replace her. He ends the song by pleading with her to remember the good times they shared, sitting and playing in the grass.
The lyrics of the song are laced with bittersweet longing and regret, as Michael Jackson croons about a love that was lost too soon. He sings with tenderness and vulnerability, capturing the sadness and hopelessness of unrequited love. The theme of lost innocence is also prevalent in the song, as the singer laments the end of his childhood and the loss of the carefree innocence that he shared with his love interest.
The melody of the song is simple and poignant, providing a suitable backdrop for the tender lyrics. The use of harmonies and counterpoint creates a sense of intimacy and yearning, drawing the listener in and making them feel the depth of the singer’s emotions. Overall, “Can You Remember” is a timeless classic that speaks to the universal experience of lost love and the irreparable damage that it can cause.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you remember?
Asking if the person can recall something
(Can you remember?)
Reiterating the question
When we were babies?
Reminiscing about the persons' past
(Babies, who)
Asking who the people were when they were babies
We were always together
Reflecting on how they were inseparable as children
When we were in kindergarten
Recalling another time in their childhood
(kindergarten)
Clarifying which specific time period they are referring to
Now that you're grown,
Acknowledging that the person is now an adult
So girl you left me all alone.
Expressing loneliness due to the other person leaving
And you know I'll never find,
Acknowledging that it's unlikely to find another person like them
No one to call my own.
Feeling like there is no one else who belongs to them
So girl I love you, don't you I love you
Expressing love for the other person
(Don't you know I love you)
Repeating the expression of love
My cherie, like for you
Addressing the other person in a loving way
Like for you
Continuing to address them lovingly
To remember if you can
Asking if the other person can recall a certain memory
Hey, can you remember, yeah
Asking again if the other person remembers
(The times we had and the times we shared)
Clarifying what they want the other person to remember
Sitting, playing in the grass.
Recalling a specific memory of playing outside
In the grass, yeah!
Adding a fun, nostalgic tone to the memory
And I never had no one
Reflecting on never having anyone else like the other person
(No one)
Affirming that there was no one else
Sunny skies are blue,
Describing the weather outside
So girl you know that I love you.
Reiterating love for the other person
And I'll always promise you
Making a promise for the future
That this is what I'll do.
Stating what they will do for the other person
I love ya, yeah!
Expressing love for the other person
To remember if you can,
Asking again if the other person can recall a certain memory
To remember if you can,
Continuing to ask
Hey, can you remember?
Asking one more time if they remember
And the times we shared, oh yeah
Reminiscing about shared memories
We're sittin' in the park, playin' in the grass
Recalling another specific memory of playing outside
My cherie, like for you
Addressing the other person in a loving way
To remember, if you can
Encouraging the other person to keep remembering
The times we had
Reflecting on the happy times they spent together
And the times we shared,
Overlapping similar lines to emphasize the shared memories
Sitting, playing in the grass
Recalling a happy childhood memory of playing outside
Yeah!
Adding a fun, nostalgic tone to the end of the song
(Can you remember?)
Asking the same question as in the beginning to bring the song full-circle
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: THOMAS RANDOLPH BELL, WILLIAM ALEXANDER N HART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cris Sabanpan
on I Want You Back
Hlo