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.
Let's Go Back To Day One
The Jackson 5 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(let’s go back) relive the story about
Day one (let’s go back) let’s go back
(let’s go back) relive the
Story about day one
Let’s go back relive the story about day one
When you first kissed my lips
I thought I knew love before but
I was only having fun
As we’re turning the pages of time
Your love faded girl not mine
Let’s go back
(let’s go back) relive the story about
Day one (let’s go back) let’s go back
(let’s go back) to the first
Chapter where our love begun
People say look to tomorrow but
I can’t even live today
Not unless you say that you love
Me I’d rather stay in yesterday
No temptation no duplication to keep me away
Let’s go back relive the story about day one
(let’s go back) let’s go back to the first
Chapter when our love begun
We got to change the plot of Chapter 2
You can live without me I
Can’t live without you
Move on to Chapter 3 when you are next
To me where you’re supposed to be
Let’s go back to relive the
Story about day one
Let’s go back to relive the
Story about day one (let’s go back)
Let’s go back to relive the
Story about day one (let’s go back)
Let’s go back relive the story about day one
(Let’s go back) let’s go back to relive the
Story about day one (let’s go back)
In the song "Let's Go Back to Day One" by The Jackson 5, the lyrics express a desire to rekindle the initial spark and excitement of a love story. The singer longs to go back to the beginning, to "day one," when their relationship was fresh and full of promise. The first verse reminisces about the magical moment of their first kiss, declaring that it marked the beginning of a new life for the singer. They admit that they thought they understood love before, but now they realize they were merely playing around. As time passed, the love between the couple started to fade for one of them, but not for the singer.
The second verse reflects the singer's refusal to focus on the future or embrace the present unless their love interest confirms their love. They would rather stay in the past, where their love was strong and unyielding. The singer rejects any temptation or distraction that could keep them away from their love interest. They emphasize the importance of returning to the start, to "day one," and rewriting the story's plot in order to reconnect and reclaim the love they once had. The lyrics convey a plea for the love interest to recognize the deep and unwavering bond between them, urging them to come back and recreate the magic they once shared.
Overall, "Let's Go Back to Day One" encapsulates the yearning to recapture the initial bliss of a love story and the hope for a renewed connection in a relationship that may have faded over time.
Line by Line Meaning
Let’s go back (let’s go back) let’s go back
We should return to a previous time or situation
(let’s go back) relive the story about
Recreate and experience again the narrative
Day one (let’s go back) let’s go back
To the very beginning, the start of something
(let’s go back) relive the
Re-experience and feel once more
Story about day one
The tale of our initial encounter
When you first kissed my lips
The moment our physical connection began
That’s when my life begun
It marked the start of my existence in a profound way
I thought I knew love before but
I believed to have experienced love previously, yet
I was only having fun
I was merely engaging in lighthearted enjoyment
As we’re turning the pages of time
While we move forward through the passage of days
Your love faded girl not mine
Your affection diminished, girl, but not mine
Let’s go back
We should return
(let’s go back) relive the story about
Recreate and experience again the narrative
Day one (let’s go back) let’s go back
To the very beginning, the start of something
(let’s go back) to the first
Return to the initial
Chapter where our love begun
The section where our love story started
People say look to tomorrow but
Others advise to focus on the future, however
I can’t even live today
I find it impossible to live in the present
Not unless you say that you love
Unless you express your affection
Me I’d rather stay in yesterday
I would prefer to remain in the past
No temptation no duplication to keep me away
There are no allurements or replicas that can separate us
Let’s go back relive the story about day one
We should return and experience again the tale of our initial encounter
(let’s go back) let’s go back to the first
Return to the very beginning
Chapter when our love begun
The section where our love story started
We got to change the plot of Chapter 2
We must modify the course of events in the second section
You can live without me I
You are able to exist without me, but
Can’t live without you
I cannot exist without you
Move on to Chapter 3 when you are next
Proceed to the third section when you are beside
To me where you’re supposed to be
Close to me where you are meant to be
Let’s go back to relive the
We should return to experience again
Story about day one
The tale of our initial encounter
Let’s go back to relive the
We should return to experience again
Story about day one (let’s go back)
The tale of our initial encounter, let's return
Let’s go back to relive the
We should return to experience again
Story about day one (let’s go back)
The tale of our initial encounter, let's return
Let’s go back relive the story about day one
We should return and experience again the tale of our initial encounter
(Let’s go back) let’s go back to relive the
Return to experience again
Story about day one (let’s go back)
The tale of our initial encounter, let's return
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cris Sabanpan
on I Want You Back
Hlo