Jackson 5 / Michael Jackson / The Jacksons Album-by-Album Thread

Jackie had two. I can only imagine that you're trying to forget about "Be the One". LOL!!

Sorry about it but...



Ed

 

I had forgotten that Jackie had another solo album.

And good lord, that song is so 1989 and awful, ha.

 

Not everybody concentrates on vocals. The music itself matters, too. His music was good, but it didn't blow anyone's mind. That was the problem. Michael and Janet managed to get some really good people to work with. Jermaine produced himself. He wasn't a bad producer, but he's just too mellow of a guy. That's why he rarely stretched beyond the R&B world.

 

LOL! Yeah, I know not everyone focuses on that like I do. You're right, of course. The music matters too. For a decent singer like Jermaine, the material has to be great. A few things were great; most weren't. Janet isn't much of a singer but she had great material that got her over. Jermaine didn't have that.

Ed

 

Really the best singing I heard from Jermaine was on those Norman Harris songs from that shelved 1976 album. I've heard about 4 of the songs, the rest is in a vault somewhere...

 

A shelved Norman Harris record???? I had no idea! Tell me MORE!

Ed

 

Yep, Jermaine did a record with Norman Harris in 1975 at Sigma Sound in Philly, all the players were on there. Anyway Berry Gordy shelved it for some reason. Perhaps it was due to problems Jermaine and the Jackson 5 were having or maybe it was because he didn't like the work. Who knows, Berry is capricious and sometimes foolish to be honest.

Here's the song list of the tracks they recorded

Do Unto Others
50/50
Lucky Charm
Hide and Seek
Just Can't Get Around You
Somewhere From Now
Keep Our Fingers Crossed
Startin' Out On The Wrong Foot
Two Is Company
(What's) Good For The Gander
Home
Win Or Lose

Do Unto Others, Hide and Seek, Keep Our Fingers Crossed and What's Good For The Gander have been available to here. "What's Good For The Gander" was released on a Spirit of Philadelphia compilation album from a while back. I'm sure these four songs are on YouTube. Sounds like Norman got Jermaine to sing a bit differently, he actually emoted on some of the tracks.


A J*SKI DISCO MIX: JERMAINE JACKSON------The Unreleased Norman Harris Sessions---1976

 

I will soooooo be checking these out when I can do some listening. THANK you!

Ed

 

I always wondered if it was ego, the desire for him to say "Look, my little brother has made some really good records, and we're all proud of that, be he couldn't have done it all by himself. I can".

 

Yeah, and then look what Epic did once they signed the other brothers: they gave them to Philly! Maybe Gordy thought the record came too close to what Norman Harris was doing with Eddie Kendricks at the time.

 

...and then, largely, he didn't. In most cases, he worked with other people...just like his brother.

Ed

 

Jam/Lewis were integral to Janet's success. She was essential, of course - she was fantastic performer back in the day (anyone with doubts can check out her Live in Hawaii video). It was a true partnership that utilized the talents of all.

I used to think the same of Quincy Jones and MJ, until I listened to his home demo tapes that show him singing all of the instrumental parts (including percussion and strings) on a song. Left me wondering what the Q did - hire the musicians?

 

The clue was Diana Ross Muscles. MJ produced and it would not have been out of place on Bad aurally.

 

It still took someone with skill to translate MJ's ideas to tape.

 

No problem

Yep Probably so, it was a great sound though...

 

Yes, I was being somewhat facetious. But, I never understood how people who can't read music and never had musical training could supposedly write and arrange music, until I listened to the Jackson testimony and the Brian Wilson Pet Sounds tapes. There's a great segment in the Pet Sounds tape where Brian is trying to explain to a French horn player a change he wants to make to the intro of "God Only Knows". Brian says something like "not 'dee-duhhh', more like ''di-li-li-dee-duhhh'", and the french horn guy is baffled. Then, another studio musician, realizing what Brian wants, says "oh, he wants you to play a glissando from the prior note", and the french horn player understands immediately. And that's why there's a glissando in the now-iconic intro to "God Only Knows". I thought that was so cool.

 

Well, Barry White is another person who couldn't read or write music. I'm just not sure if he really knew how to play piano, either. He was often pictured at one.

 

To be fair, there were better photos of him from that same time than what was used on the album cover. I don't think the cover photo is that great.

 

A full analysis of Jackson 5 / Jacksons' records sales for people interested in that aspect.

 

God I hate articles with multiple pages to click.

It's a shame that some of their best Motown albums sold so poorly. Maybe Berry Gordy should have allowed the group artistic freedom when they had them.

 

The article is way too long to put it in 1 page plus it would then be impossible to put it as a reference for figures on Wikipedia and the likes! There is a summary in page 3 to go directly to what we would like to see

The same template is now out with Michael Jackson's records sales.

 

It wouldn't be so long if they didn't have to give the adverts all that real estate.

 

Huh? Have you even check the content before making such wild and silly conclusions?

 

My mistake. I meant to say comments. I am not a fan of comments on web sites, anyway. They are usually filled with trolling.

 

@kanno1ae