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.
I Am Love Pts. 1 & 2
The Jackson 5 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As you go from day to day
The hands of love will catch you
When you fall along the way
My arms will hold and be with you
Your whole life through
'Cause I am love
I'm in love with you
I find myself in wonder
Of why I've been misused
When love brings understand
How can it be confused
War and poverty wasn't meant to be
Hate is drivin' me away
'Cause I am love
And I'd love to stay
Come back love oh come back
This is where you belong
Come back love oh come back
This is where you belong
Come back love oh come back
This is where you belong
Come back love oh come back
This is where you belong
Come back love oh come back
This is where you belong
Come back love oh come back
This is where you belong
Come back love oh come back
This is where you belong
Come back love oh come back
This is where you belong
I am love
Sprinkle myself around you
I am love
Shower my warmth upon you
I'm the answer to the question
My key unlocks your heart
I'm your friend and your lover
Your sister and your brother
Let me in your mind
(Let's get together)
You're runnin' out of time
(Let's get together)
Your wish is my command
(Let's get together)
People take my hand
(Let's get together
(Love, love, love, love)
(Let's get together, let's get together)
I am love
Sprinkle myself around you
I am love
Shower my warmth upon you
I am love
La la la la la
I am love
La la la la la
I am love
La la la la la
I am love
La la la la la
I am love
La la la la la
I am love
La la la la la
I am love
La la la la la
I am love
La la la la la
In the lyrics of The Jackson 5's song I Am Love, the singer personifies love as a being that watches over and protects the singer. According to the lyrics, love has eyes that watch the singer as they go about their daily life and hands that catch them when they stumble. The singer promises to be with the recipient of this love, holding them and protecting them throughout their life, because they themselves are love and are in love with the recipient.
However, the song becomes introspective when the singer wonders why love has been misused and why it can be so easily confused. The lyrics start to question the existence of war, poverty, and hate, which is driving the singer away from the idea of love. Despite this, the singer asks love to come back, saying that it belongs with them.
The song seems to be an exploration of the power of love and the need for it in the world. The singer sees themselves as embodying this concept and sees love as an antidote to the problems and conflicts in the world. The lyrics are a plea for the return of love and an understanding of its importance in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
The eyes of love will watch you
You will always be under the watchful eye of love.
As you go from day to day
No matter where you go, love will always follow you.
The hands of love will catch you
When you stumble in life, love will always be there to pick you up.
When you fall along the way
When life knocks you down, love will always be there to help you back up.
My arms will hold and be with you
Love will always be there to embrace you and stay with you always.
Your whole life through
Love will be with you for the entirety of your life.
'Cause I am love
Love is who I am and everything I represent.
I'm in love with you
Love is directed towards you, the person who is listening to this song.
I find myself in wonder
I am surprised and confused about the misuse of love in the world.
Of why I've been misused
I wonder why love is not being utilized to its fullest potential.
When love brings understand
Love is meant to bring understanding.
How can it be confused
It is confusing and disheartening that love is not always understood for what it truly is.
War and poverty wasn't meant to be
Love was meant to prevent war and poverty from taking over the world.
Hate is drivin' me away
The presence of hate is pushing love away.
Come back love oh come back
Love, please come back and stay.
This is where you belong
Love belongs here with us, in our lives and in the world.
I am love
Love is a part of me and who I am.
Sprinkle myself around you
I will shower love around you, covering you in love.
Shower my warmth upon you
I will provide comfort and warmth through my love for you.
I'm the answer to the question
Love is the solution to life's questions and problems.
My key unlocks your heart
Love is the key to unlock the heart and reveal true emotions.
I'm your friend and your lover
Love plays many roles, including being both a friend and a romantic partner.
Your sister and your brother
Love is the tie that binds all people together as family.
Let me in your mind
Allow love to enter your mind and influence your thoughts.
(Let's get together)
Let us come together in love.
You're runnin' out of time
Don't waste any more time without love in your life.
Your wish is my command
Love is willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill your wishes and desires.
People take my hand
Let love guide you through life by taking its hand.
(Love, love, love, love)
Love is present and abundant in life.
(Let's get together, let's get together)
Come together in love, let's join hands and unite.
La la la la la
There are no words to express the depth of love, only sound.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DON FENCETON, JERRY MARCELLINO, MEL LARSON, RODERICK RANCIFER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cris Sabanpan
on I Want You Back
Hlo