A J5 Christmas Portrait

Although Motown used photos from the Third Album's photo session on the Christmas Album, it's likely that the latter had its own photo session. I have in my collection three original 8 x 10 glossies that show the J5 posing around a Christmas tree, surrounded by gifts, that were obviously taken in 1970.




A fourth shot from this session appeared in the 2009 cd release, Jackson 5 Ultimate Christmas Collection. (If you don't have this, by the way, I highly recommend it, just for the a Capella version of "Give Love on Christmas Day.") It gives us a shot in full color, and I do mean full. You might want to put your sunglasses on before you look at Michael's outfit.

The photos were never used and, so far as I know, the only time one of them appeared in print prior to 2008 was in the December 31, 1970, issue of Jet magazine to accompany the Jackson 5's Holiday Tour schedule.