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.
Reach Out I'll Be There
The Jackson 5 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause all your hope is gone
And your life is filled with confusion
And happiness is just an illusion
And your world around is crumblin' down
Darlin' (reach out) come on girl, reach out for me
Reach out, (reach out) reach out for me
Just look over your shoulders honey
With the love that will shelter you
And I'll be there (be there)
With the love that will see you through
(Ooh) when you feel lost and about to give up
'Cause your best ain't good enough
And the world around you feels cold
And you're driftin' all on your own
When you need a hand to hold
Darlin' (reach out) come on girl, reach out for me
Reach out, (reach out) reach out, reach out for me
Just open up them eyes baby
I'll be there (be there)
With the love that will comfort you
And I'll be there (be there)
With the love to care for you
I'll be there (yes I will)
To always see you through
I'll be there (I'll be there)
To love and comfort you
I can tell the way you hang your head
You're without love, and now you're afraid
And through your tears you look around
But there's no peace of mind to be found
I know what you're thinkin'
You're alone now, no love of your own (there's nothing there)
Darlin' (reach out) come on girl, reach out for me
Reach out, (reach out) reach out, reach out for me
Just call my name honey
I'll be there (I'll be there)
To give you all the love you need
I'll be there (be there)
You can always depend on me (always depend on me)
I'll be there (I'll be there, yes I will)
With the love that will shelter you
The Jackson 5’s song "Reach Out I’ll Be There" is a song about offering help to someone who is going through a tough time mentally, emotionally or physically. The first and second verses of the song address the person who is struggling, telling them that the singer is there for them with the love and shelter they need to get through their tough times. The bridge of the song acknowledges the pain that the person is feeling, and reassures them that they are not alone. The song urges the person to reach out and seek help or guidance, promising that the singer will always be there to help them no matter what.
The song talks about how people can feel hopeless and how their worlds can crumble down, leaving them feeling lost and alone. The verses stress on the fact that the singer understands these pains and is willing to offer a hand to hold, some love to comfort, and the assurance that they are not alone. The refrain emphasizes the timeless message of the song- that when you need help, all you have to do is reach out and someone will be there to offer their support and love.
In conclusion, “Reach Out I’ll Be There” is a beautiful song that showcases the importance of being there for someone who is struggling. The lyrics show the empathy of the singer towards a struggling person, and the song as a whole encourages people to reach out and seek help when they need it.
Line by Line Meaning
Now if you feel you can't go on
If you're feeling like you can't move forward
'Cause all your hope is gone
Because you've lost all your hope
And your life is filled with confusion
And your life is full of confusion
And happiness is just an illusion
And happiness seems unreachable
And your world around is crumblin' down
And everything around you is falling apart
Darlin' (reach out) come on girl, reach out for me
Sweetheart, reach out for me and don't be afraid to ask for help
Reach out, (reach out) reach out for me
Reach out to me, ask for my help
Just look over your shoulders honey
Just look behind you, my dear
I'll be there (be there)
I'll be there to support you
With the love that will shelter you
I'll provide you with love that will protect you
And I'll be there (be there)
And I'll be there with you through it all
With the love that will see you through
With the love that will help you to overcome your struggles
(Ooh) when you feel lost and about to give up
When you feel like you're lost and ready to give up
'Cause your best ain't good enough
Because the best you can do doesn't seem to be enough
And the world around you feels cold
And you feel like the world around you is cold and harsh
And you're driftin' all on your own
And you feel like you're drifting all alone
When you need a hand to hold
When you need someone to hold your hand and support you
Darlin' (reach out) come on girl, reach out for me
Sweetheart, reach out to me, ask me for help
Reach out, (reach out) reach out, reach out for me
Reach out to me and ask for help as many times as you need to
Just open up them eyes baby
Just open your eyes, my dear
I'll be there (be there)
I'll be there by your side
With the love that will comfort you
With love that will provide you comfort
And I'll be there (be there)
And I'll stay by your side
With the love to care for you
With love that will care for you
I'll be there (yes I will)
I'll be there for you, I promise
To always see you through
To always be with you through the hard times
I'll be there (I'll be there)
I'll be there to support you
To love and comfort you
To love and provide you comfort
I can tell the way you hang your head
I can tell from the way you hold your head
You're without love, and now you're afraid
You're without love, and it's making you feel scared
And through your tears you look around
And as you cry, you look around
But there's no peace of mind to be found
But you can't find peace of mind anywhere
I know what you're thinkin'
I know what you're thinking
You're alone now, no love of your own (there's nothing there)
You feel alone and like you have no love in your life
Darlin' (reach out) come on girl, reach out for me
Sweetheart, please reach out to me, ask for my help
Reach out, (reach out) reach out, reach out for me
Please reach out to me, ask for my help as many times as you need to
Just call my name honey
Just call out my name, my dear
I'll be there (I'll be there)
I'll be there to support you
To give you all the love you need
To provide you with all the love you need
You can always depend on me (always depend on me)
You can always rely on me
I'll be there (I'll be there, yes I will)
I'll always be there for you
With the love that will shelter you
With love that will protect you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Edward Holland Jr., Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cris Sabanpan
on I Want You Back
Hlo