Marlon's Secret Marriage

Today marks the 35th anniversary of Marlon's secret marriage to Carol Parker, a lucky fan who caught Marlon's attention during a concert appearance in New Orleans. Marlon and Carol carried on a secret long-distance relationship for years, and when they married, no one in the Jackson family knew about it -- except maybe for Tito and Dee Dee, with whom Carol had been living prior to the marriage.

So secret was their wedding that Soul didn't find out about it until six months later -- they broke the news in their January 19, 1976 issue. When they called Marlon to corroborate, his response was, "Did you call my office? I have to go by what the office says." But then the Soul reporter got the bright idea of congratulating him on his marriage, and Marlon essentially confirmed the news by replying, "Oh, thank you!"

Of all the brothers, Marlon has had the longest and most stable marriage. Maybe they all should have picked fans out of the audience.

Johnny Jackson (No Relation)

Johnny Jackson joined the Jackson 5 as their drummer in the late 1960s, when they were still in Gary. In his early days with the group, they called themselves "The Jackson Five and Johnny," and he was nearly always featured in photos as a bona fide member of the group. He signed with Motown at the same time the Jackson 5 did, and moved with them from Indiana to California. But things changed once they were in L.A. Although Johnny (and organist Ronnie Rancifer) lived with the Jackson family, was referred to as their "cousin," and toured with the Jackson 5, it was almost as if he no longer existed. He was just there, in the background, playing drums.

So I was thrilled when I came across this in-store promo display for Ludwig drums featuring Johnny Jackson as one of three drummers (along with Roger Pope and John Bonham) who used the brand.

Drummer's revolution, indeed!

Song of the Week: (You Were Made) Especially for Me

by Corey Sheppard

"(You Were Made) Especially for Me" is a song off of the Jackson 5’s last album for Motown entitled Moving Violation. This album (like most of the Jackson 5’s last albums for Motown Records) was released during a transitional phase for not only the group but also soul music. At this time the Jackson brothers reunited with the Holland brothers for the album, as with Michael’s early 1975 solo album entitled Forever Michael. Working with new producers gave the boys an opportunity to try out new material and new vocal styles. And this was the perfect song for that.

If you already haven’t picked up, I love record intros. I feel that any artist, any song, has about ten seconds to impress me to either want to listen to the record, or skipped it J. The opening presentation is extremely important to me, and luckily, the Jackson 5 (or should I say Motown) had no problems in this department. From "I Want You Back," to "Lookin’ Through the Windows," all these songs immediately grab you and take you along the ride. This 1975 record was no different.


The intro to this track is the major highlight. Not to say anything bad about the rest of the song, but, once again, the intro is amazing. There are so many things going on in this record. The strings are so haunting, and the flutes are just terrific. Next time you listen to this record, I dare you to close your eyes and let the music take you away!

Once again with this album cut (being one of the last recordings the J5 made at Motown), you get a real sense of the future vocal style of all the brothers but especially Michael. On this record, the sixteen-year-old totally uses a lot of the same vocal runs and effects as he did in his adult years. I find it very interesting to listen to Michael’s man-child voice throughout his teen years. I love the way he makes his voice sound when he sings "for ME" on the chorus especially at 1:59. Jermaine comes in on a line or two for support, but the song mainly relies on Michael

I think perhaps some people criticize this record for being a little repetitive. I can agree with that; it does tend to rely heavy on the chorus. I also feel that maybe some of the J5 fans at the time might have thought this record was not really the boys' style. I do agree that the record could have been recorded by the O’Jays or the Blue Notes (to just name two groups). In my opinion, this record sort of takes its inspiration from the Philadelphia sound created by legendary producers Gamble & Huff. Most of the mid-70s soul was inspired by the symphonic and orchestrated sounds from the innovative Philadelphia International Records, and Motown was no exception.

This song was given a rapid increase in tempo when performed by the Jackson 5 during their last concerts with Motown. It actually became their opening number on a concert in Mexico in late '75 (shortly after Jermaine had departed from the group). This performance (along with their television performance of the track on the debut season of the variety show in 1976) is very entertaining. The dancing is faster than anything they had attempted before it and thanks to Marlon filling in Jermaine’s line in the song; we still get to hear vocal variety among the boys.

Overall, a good record by the boys. It gives you a slight hint of the direction the Jackson brothers would be going in the next two years. So the record has a strong purpose for the J5, because in a way, they were practicing and preparing for the future just like in the Gary days.


Next Week’s Song Hint: If you’re looking for a chance / to move it on up. / To get yourself / on the right track.

- - - - - - -
Corey Sheppard, 20, has been a Jackson 5 fan since 1993. His favorite hobbies are listening to music, playing racquetball at the YMCA, and hanging out with friends. Corey’s life passion is centered on music. His latest project is an all-new production company shared with Robert White Jr. entitled "Ask About It Productions."

Fashion Friday: Tito's Hats

I recently came across this new product line for Tito Jackson's Signature hats, and it made me think back to the early days of the Jackson 5 when Tito became known as "the brother with the hat" because in early pictures he was rarely seen without one. Hats were, indeed, his signature, especially the apple cap he wore on the cover of the first two Jackson 5 LPs.


Even his baby picture showed him wearing a hat.


He wore hats in concert...


...playing basketball...


...at the Watts Christmas Parade...


...in Hawaii...


...and when he was just hanging out at home with his brothers.


Even his gratitude wore a hat.


Today, Tito still wears a hat, but his style has changed a little bit and he wears a classic black bowler hat he calls "The Toriano."



Hmmmm...

Unpacking

I am making slow progress with unpacking my J5 Collection, since I have been having to work and, you know, unpack other parts of the house, like the kitchen. But I thought I'd show you what I've done so far.

The Off the Wall standee was the easiest thing to unpack, but that's not why I unpacked it first. I've had it for ages, but I've never had enough room to have it out. I know it's post-J5 era, but I love it and it's one of my favorite collectibles. (As you can see, the magazines have not yet been unpacked.)


Because I am a librarian, the first major part of the collection I got unpacked and organized were the books, of course! I'm lucky that the room has built-in shelves for books and cds, right next to the Dancing Machine (a.k.a. my computer).



I'm still working on unpacking the cds, though. I'll need an entire shelf just for compilations. It's the curse of the completist collector.



I've got the 45s all unpacked (hey, it was a lot of work to set those boxes on the shelves!), and am about 1/3 of the way through unpacking the vinyl LPs. It's amazing how vinyl still retains its smell after 40 years. This will be the vinyl corner, with drawers for vinyl's poor cousins, the audiotape family -- reel-to-reel, 8-track, and cassette.



I'll keep you posted as I make more progress. I can't wait to get some pictures on these walls -- although I doubt they will ever rival the 1972 bedroom wall of ChiDrummer.

Most Wanted: Dancing Machine LP from Spain

Every collector has a Most Wanted list, and the Spanish release of the Dancing Machine LP is at the top of mine. It comes up on eBay occasionally, and I always get outbid. I snagged these lovely photos the last time I saw it there, just to prove to myself that it really exists.


The only thing that makes it special is that it has a rare gatefold sleeve, with this photo from early 1970 inside. The photo was taken during the Ebony cover shoot, and they all look like they are completely tuckered out and ready for a nap.


Sure the photo was a bit dated for the "Dancing Machine" era, but I love the simple elegance of the way this looks. Someday I hope to hold one in my hands.

"Who knows what hits lurk in the hearts of the Jackson 5?"

In Scoop Newsworthy's insightful interview last week with Weldon McDougal III, they talked about was how important it was for Motown to "sell" the Jackson 5 to radio disc jockeys, so they would get wide exposure through regular radio airplay.

One of the ways Motown called attention to new singles was to press the promo copies on color vinyl that would make them stand out amidst all the other white label dj copies that were sent out to radio stations. The first three Jackson 5 singles were pressed on red vinyl, and "I Want You Back" was issued with special promo sleeve that introduced the group.





When "ABC" was released a few months later, the initial standard white label promo was followed twelve days later with a "golden reservice" record, released with a printed sleeve to drive the point home.




Their third single, "The Love You Save" was also issued in red vinyl, as was the single's B-side, "I Found That Girl."


With two number one singles and a third single working its way up the charts, the Jackson 5 took time to pose with a local L.A. disc jockey, Shadoe Stevens. This photo appeared on KHJ's radio survey for the week of July 8, 1970.

By the time "I'll Be There" came out, the Jackson 5 were so hot that the record didn't need much in the way of flashy promotional gimmicks. It became the group's best selling single, just on the strength of the song itself. But Motown didn't forget the role djs had played in helping to get the Jackson 5 to the top of the charts, and they sent out a special postcard to thank them.

What Color Is Your Parachute?

I've always loved the sepia-toned photos on the cover of the Jackson 5's 1973 LP, Skywriter. The photos on the front and the back were made to look like old photos, and the clothes the boys wore also went with the vintage look of the bi-plane they are posing around.



So it came as a surprise to me the first time I saw this shot from the Skywriter photo session in living color. I had never imaged they were all wearing colorful scarves, or that the plane itself was red.


And it came as an even bigger surprise to me the first time I came across photos from this session that included Randy.


Okay, so here's what I wonder... were there plans to include Randy on the LP sleeve? This album would have been released shortly after Randy started making regular television appearances and touring with his brothers. And it's not as if Randy would have just wandered into a photo shoot, as it sometimes appeared at around this time. Here he is, for example, looking like he horned his way into the Lookin' through the Windows photo session.


But, no, the Skywriter photo session involved obvious costuming. It's not as if Randy would have been wandering around Southern California in a bomber jacket, aviator cap and goggles.


To add to the mystery, Randy was also included in a brief filmed Motown promo that showed all the brothers in their Skywriter gear, jumping into the screen with parachutes, each one saying his name as he jumped into view. At the end, Randy comes in with "Me, too, I'm Randy!"

So what gives? Do these photos -- and the promo -- provide evidence that Motown was on the fence about whether to give Randy his due as a full member of the Jackson 5? Were they holding him in reserve, in case Michael should decide to leave the group for his solo career, as was the pattern with other lead singers of Motown groups? Or were they just humoring a little kid who wanted to do what his big brothers were doing? I don't suppose we'll ever know for sure, but these photos sure are intriguing.

Michael Monday: A Star Is Born

I love this series of photos of young Michael in an early recording session.










We can identify these as being from one of the early Bobby Taylor sessions in Detroit because of this photo of Bobby with Michael, Jackie, and Jermaine.


Whatever they were recording here, Jermaine found it amusing.

Words, Chords, and Pictures

Back in the early 1970s, daily newspapers regularly printed the lyrics and guitar chords for Top 40 songs. These usually ran in the entertainment section of the Sunday newspaper. When I was a young J5 fan, I would rush to check the entertainment section each Sunday morning to see if they had a J5 song, for two reasons: (1) to read the lyrics that were often difficult to completely understand, even after playing a 45 over and over again, and (2) because the lyrics always included a group photo. The very first photo of the J5 I had on my bedroom wall, in fact, was cut out of the newspaper and it had accompanied the lyrics to "I Want You Back." I watched the newsprint slowly yellow for the next few months while I waited patiently for another photo.

So when I saw this set of newspaper printing plates for "Mama's Pearl" offered on eBay several years ago, I recognized what they were immediately and placed a bid. I was the only bidder. No one else seemed to want them, and I'm not even sure today why I thought I needed them. Maybe it was because my dad was a newspaperman, so I was being hit with two-fisted nostalgia. With changing technology, these sorts of things are going the way of the dinosaur. They will one day be as hard to find as J5 photos were in early 1970.


It's kind of hard to see from the scan above, but for the "Mama's Pearl" lyrics they were still using the same photo they had used for "I Want You Back"more than a year before. It was one of the earliest Motown press photos of the Jackson 5, and it's one of the first photos I ever saw of them. It's the one I used to study when I was learning their names and ages, and deciding that Jermaine was my favorite. I loved that photo.

And because my dad worked for the newspaper and I knew he had access to files of press photos, I used to beg him for a photo of the Jackson 5. Any photo. But a real photo, one that wouldn't turn yellow. He would always say no, he couldn't do that because they didn't belong to him, that would be stealing from the newspaper. But one day, he came home from work and handed me this 8 x 10 glossy:
The newspaper had gotten a duplicate and the librarian said he could have it. I was thrilled to see he had gotten me my favorite photo. It is still my favorite photo for sentimental reasons. And it became the very first item in my Jackson 5 collection.

Song of the Week: Can't Get Ready for Losing You

by Corey Sheppard

Various people have asked me throughout my lifetime of being a Jackson fan “What is your favorite Michael Jackson song” or “What is your favorite Jackson 5 record?” I, for one, find this virtually impossible to even narrow it down to five. I personally have favorite Jackson songs for all moods and emotions I’m feeling at each certain time. So when people usually ask me that famous question, I always use my famous cop-out, “There are too many songs to choose from!”

But there is something about this 1972 unreleased record that is soooo infectious and catchy, that I just can’t stop listening to it. I can say semi-confidently (J) that it is my favorite Jackson 5 song of all time. I’ve known the song and loved it for over a decade, but now I feel as though I have a much bigger appreciation and admiration for this cut.


Written by legendary songwriter Willie Hutch (co-writer of “I’ll Be There”) and his brother Richard Hutch, “Can’t Get Ready for You” is the ultimate J5 party jam. It has so much excitement and buildup right from the beginning opening notes that I find it totally shocking that this record was never released during the J5 heyday. I surely would’ve loved it if the track had gotten released as an album cut or, better yet, a single. It had all the potential to be a great release for the boys.

Judging by Michael’s vocal performance on this track, it sounds as though he recorded it sometime after “Lookin’ Through the Windows” in late-72 possibly around the time of the single “Corner of the Sky” (which was released months before the Skywriter album in October 1972). I truly love his voice here; he adds so much hype to the record. And the background vocals by the brothers are fantastic. They add a lot of flavor to the punch by using the famous call-and-response method on the chorus. And, to be honest, I am a little surprised that Jermaine didn’t sing a line or two on this record (maybe it was meant to be a MJ recording…who knows).

How a record with as much excitement and such catchy lyrics as this song could not get released on any Jackson 5 album is beyond me. I’m just so happy and appreciative that this gem finally saw the light of day in 1995 (when it was released on the outstanding Soulsation! box set). It adds so much excitement and anticipation to Soulsation! As the opening track on Disc 4. I remember when I was younger and I first received the Soulsation! set. I would constantly listen to the entire fourth “Rare and Unreleased” CD and I’d continue to repeat this particular number over and over again.

I have always felt that the “Rare and Unreleased” CD from the Soulsation! collection is truly amazing and is sometimes an overlooked collection. Most of the 19 cuts on the album are 100% unedited performances from the Jackson 5. Songs like “Everybody is a Star” and “I’m Glad It Rained” would have surely been edited to fit on to the Motown albums, so you truly get the entire vocal and instrumentation performances from the Jackson 5 and the Motown session players.


While the Jackson 5’s original version of this song remained unreleased until Soulsation!, Willie Hutch released a version of this record on his debut solo album for Motown entitled Fully Exposed. While I’m an admirer of Willie’s songwriting career and his singing, I’m not the biggest fan of his version of his own song. It seems like the record is missing the exciting, yet demanding lead of Michael, and the dynamite, live-house band sound of the 5ive’s original recording. But maybe one of the reasons that the J5 version wasn’t released was due to the fact it eventually was covered by Willie Hutch himself.

Next time you listen to “Can’t Get Ready for Losing You” I want you to listen in on the many things going on with the music. There is so much to listen for! Listen for the cowbell that was used throughout the verses (a percussion instrument rarely by the Five).Listen to the melodic strings that are mainly only on the second chorus. Listen to the second hook and notice the similarities between the drum pattern of that and “Lookin’ Through the Windows” at 2:17. Pay attention to the audio defect at 2:28 which lowers all the vocals from the brothers and pans their singing slightly to the left channel. Enjoy the jazz-band style horns at the very end of the song, where it leads you to the following track “You Ain’t Giving Me What I Want (So I’m Taking It All Back)” – I’ve always loved when old school songs fade into each other. Enjoy Michael’s exciting young lead throughout the entire track. And most of all listen to (what I feel) is one of the greatest openings/intros I’ve ever heard in soul music.

When I played this song for my musical partner, Robert, it literally knocked his socks off. He was in love with it from the get go and was upset with me for not playing the song for him any earlier. I count that as a victory because now he wants to hear everything pertaining to the Jackson 5. So this record has passed the ultimate test in my book. I’ve always truly love the song. But it wasn’t until very recently that I totally fully appreciated the song for its complete worth. What a great record by the boys, what a great record!

- - - - - - -
Corey Sheppard, 20, has been a Jackson 5 fan since 1993. His favorite hobbies are listening to music, playing racquetball at the YMCA, and hanging out with friends. Corey’s life passion is centered on music. His latest project is an all-new production company shared with Robert White Jr. entitled "Ask About It Productions."