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.

J5 in the Studio

In the spring of 1974, Rock & Soul Songs sent reporter Lisa Robinson to the Motown Studios to observe a Jackson 5 recording session first-hand. As it turned out, Jermaine had the flu that day, so what she witnessed was a two-hour session of Michael, Marlon, and Jackie recording the backing vocals for "It All Begins and Ends with Love," a cut that appeared on the Dancing Machine LP. I'm sure the whole experience would have been more exciting for the young reporter if the lead singer had been been laying down vocal tracks, but she did manage to make her account interesting, in any case, and offered rare insight into the day-to-day studio work of two of the group's frequently unsung members, Marlon and Jackie.