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 (see Randy & The Gypsys). 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. 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, 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. 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.
You Are Not Alone
The Jacksons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm still all alone
How could this be
You're not here with me
You never said goodbye
Someone tell me why
Did you have to go
And leave my world so cold
Everyday I sit and ask myself
How did love slip away
Something whispers in my ear and says
That you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay
But you are not alone
I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart
You are not alone
Alone, alone
Why, alone
Just the other night
I thought I heard you cry
Asking me to come
And hold you in my arms
I can hear your prayers
Your burdens I will bear
But first I need your hand
Then forever can begin
Everyday I sit and ask myself
How did love slip away
Something whispers in my ear and says
That you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay
But you are not alone
And I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart
For you are not alone
Whisper three words and I'll come runnin'
And I and girl you know that I'll be there
I'll be there
You are not alone
I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay
For you are not alone
I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart
For you are not alone (you are not alone)
For I am here with you (I am here with you)
Though you're far away (though you're far away)
(You and me) I am here to stay
For you are not alone (you are always in my heart)
For I am here with you though we're far apart
You're always in my heart
For you are not alone not alone, oh
The Jacksons' song "You Are Not Alone" is a touching love ballad that expresses the deep emotions of a person who is missing their significant other. The song begins with the singer expressing his loneliness and how he wishes his loved one could be there with him. He questions why his lover had to leave him without saying goodbye, leaving his world cold and dark. The song takes a positive turn when the singer reassures his lover that despite their distance, they are not alone as he is always there for them. The line "Whisper three words and I'll come running" accentuates the extent of his devotion, showcasing his willingness to do anything for his loved one.
The chorus of the song repeats the line “You are not alone” to emphasize the message that despite the distance, the singer’s love for his partner will remain eternal. The song’s verses and chorus together serve as a beacon of hope for those who have lost their loved ones, reassuring them that they are not alone in their grief, and love will always hold them together.
Line by Line Meaning
Another day has gone
Time has passed.
I'm still all alone
I am still alone.
How could this be
I am in disbelief that I am still alone.
You're not here with me
You are not here by my side.
You never said goodbye
You left without a proper farewell.
Someone tell me why
I am searching for answers.
Did you have to go
I am questioning your departure.
And leave my world so cold
Your absence has left my world feeling empty and cold.
Everyday I sit and ask myself
Every day, I question my current situation.
How did love slip away
I wonder how our love deteriorated.
Something whispers in my ear and says
I hear a faint voice inside my mind.
That you are not alone
I want to remind you that you are not alone.
For I am here with you
I am here to support and comfort you.
Though you're far away
Even though you are physically distant.
I am here to stay
I will always be there for you.
But you are not alone
I want to remind you that you are not alone.
And I am here with you
I want you to know that I am by your side.
Though we're far apart
Even though we are physically distant.
You're always in my heart
You hold a special place in my heart.
Alone, alone
I am alone.
Why, alone
I am questioning my solitude.
Just the other night
Recently, in the past few nights.
I thought I heard you cry
I believed I heard you weeping.
Asking me to come
Requesting my presence.
And hold you in my arms
To embrace you in a warm hug.
I can hear your prayers
I am aware of your prayers.
Your burdens I will bear
I am willing to take on your burdens.
But first I need your hand
I require your support and partnership.
Then forever can begin
Only then can we truly start our journey together.
Whisper three words and I'll come runnin'
If you call out to me with three specific words, I will rush to your aid.
And I and girl you know that I'll be there
You know that I will always be there for you, my dear.
For I am here with you
I want to affirm that I am here for you.
For you are not alone
I want to remind you that you are not alone.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROBERT S. KELLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@chicken
It's march 2024, let's see how many legends are listening to this incredible Michael Jackson song😌
@marklitwa5514
Here with ya.
@keluargakecikku3857
Michel Jackson tenar saat q kecil, blum mengerti tentang Michelle. Krna itu aku klik pencarian namanya, ternyata sepopuler itu. Tp dia pergi bgtu cepat😢
@desireefranco9250
here i am
@youknow95
✅
@Brandon.Thompson_610
R.I.P Michael Jackson the king of pop he will be missed
@Una_Random_Chan
- 0% autotune
- 100% real voice
- 100% talent
- 100% not alone
@gianamara9124
Linda música 🥰🇧🇷
@Lucas_Antar
100% many modern artists don’t use autotune
@claudeterocha3068
Lindíssima canção 😍❤️❤️❤️