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.
Just Because I Love You
The Jackson 5 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Buh buh buh buh
I love you.
Whoa, little girl
Whoa, little girl
You wonder why I stop and stare
Just because I love you.
The silly things I say and do
Are all designed to get attention from you
Just because I love you.
(Listen)
Hey, girl, would you believe
He's slowly going out of his head.
And it's just because, just because I love you.
Ah, if you were mine I'd promise you
I'd do all I can to make your dreams come true
Just because I love you.
(Listen)
Hey, girl, would you believe
He's slowly going out of his head.
Oh, and it's just because, just because I love you.
Whoa, little girl, just because I love you
Believe me, girl, this is true
Don't want no other love but you.
Just because I love you.
Oh, watch me, baby, hear me say
Gonna marry you, girl, and take you away.
Just because I love you.
Oh, that is why I stop and stare
Every time you are near.
Just because I love you.
Believe me, girl, this is true
Don't want nobody else but you
The Jackson 5's song "Just Because I Love You" is about a guy who is in love with a girl and goes to great lengths to capture her attention. The opening lines, which consist of "Buh buh buh buh" repeated twice and followed by "I love you," acts as an abrupt but simple way of expressing the song's central message. The lyrics describe how the guy can't help but stop and stare every time the girl is near him. He does absurd and silly things just to get her attention because he loves her. The song portrays the emotional highs and lows of being in love and acts as a romantic ode to the girl who has captured the singer's heart.
The lyrics also include a section where the guy talks to the girl directly, telling her that he's slowly going out of his mind because of his love for her. He promises her that if she was with him, he would do everything to make her happy and fulfill her dreams. The song has an upbeat and catchy melody that matches the excitement and fervor of falling in love. The repeated line of "Just because I love you" serves as a reminder that sometimes love is irrational and we do things we wouldn't otherwise do, only because of the deep feelings we have for someone.
Line by Line Meaning
Buh buh buh buh
Expressing excitement or nervousness
Buh buh buh buh
Continuation of excitement or nervousness
I love you.
A sincere expression of affection
Whoa, little girl
A term of endearment for the person being addressed
You wonder why I stop and stare
Explaining the reason behind the artist's actions
Every time that you are near
Describing the circumstance in which the singer's actions occur
Just because I love you.
Clarifying that love is the sole motivator for the singer's behavior
The silly things I say and do
Admitting that the artist's actions may seem foolish or unnecessary
Are all designed to get attention from you
Explaining the intention behind the artist's actions
Hey, girl, would you believe
Addressing the person being talked to in a conversational way
He's slowly going out of his head.
A humorously exaggerated way of expressing how much the singer cares for the other person
And it's just because, just because I love you.
Reiterating that love is the reason behind the artist's actions
Ah, if you were mine I'd promise you
Expressing a hypothetical statement about the singer's intentions
I'd do all I can to make your dreams come true
Outlining the lengths that the singer would go to for the other person
Just because I love you.
Stating that the love is the driving force behind the singer's actions
Whoa, little girl, just because I love you
Reiterating that love is the reason behind the artist's behavior
Believe me, girl, this is true
Assuring the other person of the artist's sincerity
Don't want no other love but you.
Declaring the exclusivity of the singer's love
Oh, watch me, baby, hear me say
Speaking with confidence and conviction
Gonna marry you, girl, and take you away.
Expressing the artist's intention to commit to the other person
Believe me, girl, this is true
Reiterating the sincerity of the artist's feelings
Don't want nobody else but you
Affirming the exclusivity of the artist's love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES W. ALEXANDER, WILLIE HUTCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cris Sabanpan
on I Want You Back
Hlo