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 Can't Quit Your Love
The Jackson 5 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do do do do wah
The love was standing on is shakey ground
There ain't no way on earth to hold you down
And every road I take to you instead oh losing ooh yea ha
I gonna find a boat to row away
Where there's no windows ain't no doors
To let your love in ooh I, I
[Chorus]
I can't quit your love, ooh yea
No matter how hard I try to
I can't quit your love, no I can't
I keep running back to you
You know I can't quit your love ooh yeah!
You snap your fingers and I feel on fire
Like silly spinning wheels of desire
You have to be a bird with wings to get me higher
The minor things for me has lose control
The weakness of my judgment rules my soul
You know you got each claim in me after the wire ooh!
I can't quit your love, ooh yea
No matter how hard I try to
I can't quit your love, no I can't
I keep running back to you
You know I can't quit your love
Can't quit your love, baby
Can't quit your love
Can't quit your love
Can't quit your love
I can't quit your love
Do do do do wha, ha
I can't quit your love, ooh yea
No matter how hard I try to
(can't quit, can't quit, can't quit, can't quit)
I can't quit your love, can't quit your love
I keep running back to you
(can't quit, can't quit, can't quit, can't quit)
I can't quit your love, ooh yea
No matter how hard I try to
(can't quit, can't quit, can't quit, can't quit)
I can't quit your love, can't quit your love
I keep running back to you
(can't quit, can't quit, can't quit, can't quit)
I can't quit your love, ooh yea
No matter how hard I try to
(can't quit, can't quit, can't quit, can't quit)
The Jackson 5's song I Can't Quit Your Love is about being unable to resist the temptation of a toxic love. The opening lines of "do do do do wah ohhh" set the tone of the song with a simple melody and rhythm that highlights the simplicity of being in love. The song discusses how the love the singer is experiencing is on "shaky ground" and there is "no way on earth to hold you down". The love interest is difficult to keep and it becomes an obsession for the singer. There are no windows or doors to escape and shut out the love. Despite this, the singer knows they need to leave and find a way out, but they cannot help being drawn back to the love they cannot quit.
The lyrics indicate that the love is all-consuming and overwhelming, with the love interest having complete control over the singer's judgement and heart. The love interest can "snap their fingers" and the singer is instantly "on fire". The singer is willing to lose control and be vulnerable to maintain the love that they cannot quit. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the singer's inability to give up on this love, despite their best efforts.
Overall, the song showcases the power of love, the desperation and addiction of being unable to quit addictive relationships. The song can be interpreted as a cautionary tale, highlighting the warning signs of toxic relationships, and the need to know when to step back and take care of oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
The love was standing on is shakey ground
Our relationship is unstable and uncertain.
There ain't no way on earth to hold you down
I cannot keep you loyal or faithful to me no matter what I do.
And every road I take to you instead oh losing ooh yea ha
Even when I try to find a way to you, I end up losing myself in the process.
I gonna find a boat to row away
I need to get away from you and our toxic relationship.
Where I won't be reaching for you night and day
I need to be free from my constant desire and obsession with you.
Where there's no windows ain't no doors to let your love in
I need to find a place where your manipulative love cannot reach me.
You snap your fingers and I feel on fire
Your slightest gestures and actions have a powerful effect on me.
Like silly spinning wheels of desire
My wild and uncontrollable desire for you makes me feel dizzy and foolish.
The minor things for me has lose control
I have lost control of myself and my emotions, even over small things.
The weakness of my judgment rules my soul
I am unable to make rational decisions and my foolishness is taking over me.
You know you got each claim in me after the wire ooh!
You have a strong hold on me, even after we have been disconnected from each other.
I can't quit your love, ooh yea
I am unable to break free from your manipulative love.
No matter how hard I try to
Even when I make an effort to end our relationship, I fail.
I keep running back to you
I am unable to resist the pull of your toxic love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KATHY WAKEFIELD, LEONARD CASTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cris Sabanpan
on I Want You Back
Hlo