Love at the Forum

Jackson 5 at the Forum, how I love thee! Seriously, I have been playing this cd nonstop since I got it. It is truly a wonder, and I would be hard-pressed to say what my favorite track is. So I have decided to make a list of my top ten favorite things about it.

Top Ten Things I Love about The Jackson 5 Live at the Forum

10) The harmonies are amazing and you can hear all the voices -- even Marlon in the 1970 concert

9) The humor! The clever repartee between songs is actually, you know, clever repartee.

8) Michael's amazingly mature vocal performances from 1970.

7) Tito's guitar playing

6) Jermaine fixing to do his thing.

5) Marlon taking "requests"

4) The crystal clear sound quality (we couldn't really hear them live live)

3) The girls who are screaming when Michael sings "soon you'll hear me knocking at your door" in You've Got a Friend. We can only imagine the stage business

2) The cowbells at the beginning of It's Your Thing

1) Two versions of I Found That Girl!

For those of you who've heard it, what would be on your Top Ten list? And for those of you who haven't, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Double Delight

When Jackson 5's third single, "The Love You Save," was issued on May 16, 1970, Motown found that it had two hits -- and two J5 lead singers -- on its hands. There was the upbeat A-side of the single, and the slow tempo, more mellow B-side "I Found That Girl," with lead vocals by Jermaine, the group's bass player. At 16, Jermaine was the right age to be a teen heart-throb. It didn't hurt that his good looks, shy demeanor, and sexy singing voice drove all the girls wild.

In the early years, Michael was the obvious stand-out in the group, with his talent and stage presence. Michael was entertaining, but Jermaine was the one we all wanted to go home with. The Corporation-penned song "I Found That Girl," seemed to be custom-made for Jermaine and his female fans, who could all fantasize that he was singing about them. When the single came out, it was issued as a double A-side, and color vinyl promo copies of "I Found That Girl" were sent to radio stations, along with "The Love You Save."



It climbed the charts throughout the summer of 1970 and Jet magazine's Soul Brothers Top 20 during that time showed it neck to neck with "The Love You Save."


One of the coolest things about the new Jackson 5 Live at the Forum cd is that we get to hear two different versions of "I Found That Girl," the first recorded on June 20, 1970, soon after the song had come out, and the second recorded two years later on August 26, 1972 when Jermaine's sex symbol status had been well established. It's fascinating to hear how he works the crowd, in the earlier version as the soft-spoken boy next door who, on Jackie's prodding, shyly points out the girl he's found ("She's the one over there in the yellow dress."), and two years later as the smooth superfly who teases the audience ("My rap is too heavy for them. They can't dig it.") Both songs end with Jermaine singing an extra song-within-the song that starts "Won't you take me with you?" Girls regularly fainted at J5 concerts when Jermaine sang that line. In some cases they even stormed the stage, trying to get to him. Just a few weeks before the 1972 concert at the Forum, Jermaine had been mobbed by 6,000 fans at Chicago's Midway airport.


And by then he was already secretly dating Hazel Gordy, so he had indeed found his girl. Perhaps that's why he could make the song sound so convincing.

Out in our audience tonight...

Yesterday's post on the J5Live blog mentioned that Diana Ross, Berry Gordy, and Deke Richards were all sitting together in the audience at the J5's 1970 concert at the Forum. That inspired me to dig out a press photo in my collection from the Forum concert that shows the people sitting in the front rows of the audience -- at least those seated stage left (Jermaine's side).



I re-scanned the photo and enlarged the audience to see if I could see any of the three of them. I don't -- unless Berry Gordy is the one in the center, bending over to hear something from the man in the hat who's crouching down in front of him.


But there are some other familiar faces here. There are two women holding children in the center of the photo. The one on the right is Katherine Jackson and the child she is holding, covered with a blanket, is probably Janet. The elderly couple beside her are the J5's grandparents, and I think the young woman sitting beside them in the short black dress is Dee Dee Martes, the future Mrs. Tito Jackson.

Looking to the far left side of the photo, there are two teenage girls seated next to a bearded man holding a little boy. The girl on the right with the big afro, wearing the darker pantsuit, looks like it might be Hazel Gordy. And it would make sense that she would get a front row seat, with a great view of Jermaine.

If you recognize anyone else in the audience, let me know.

J5 Heaven!

I just got the new Live at the Forum cd, and it is absolutely incredible! I've listened to the 1970 concert in its entirety, and loved every minute. I'm just about to move on to the second disc with the 1972 concert.

I continue to be amazed at the depth of the J5's talent and showmanship. Michael's patter between songs is hilarious. I find myself laughing aloud one minute at how funny and brilliant he is, and the next minute I am moved to tears by his limitless gifts and our unfathomable loss. What a wonder this live music is.

Jackson 5ive Live at the Forum is a Double-Disc Success

by Christina Chaffin

When it comes to the Jackson 5, words such as “legendary,” “memorable” and “soulful” come to mind. These words traveled far throughout the years, describing Hip-O Select’s latest Motown release “Jackson 5ive Live at the Forum.” Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Michael and Marlon fed high energy to charged-up fans on both occasions, (June 20, 1970 and Aug. 26, 1972,) and the double-disc collection proves it.

Motown’s string of live performances is a treat for J5 fans of all ages, revealing hidden treasures along the way. One of those treasures unfolds at the beginning of “Who’s Lovin’ You” from 1970’s show, with an extra monologue from Michael. (If you ever wondered what kind of cookies he shared with that girl, they were Oreos.)

Another underground gem comes to light in the middle of “Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin,” when the Jackson 5 harmonized their song “We Thank You.” Both songs performed together were exciting, but not surprising. (Video footage from a promotional film shows the group performing both tracks together.) The shocker kicks in after hearing the complete version of “We Thank You,” where the song is both dedicated to Diana Ross and includes her name in the chorus. Unlike Motown’s editing crew in the early 1970’s, Hip-O Select kept the full version of “We Thank You.”

This double-disc collection is the total package. Sure, the J5’s live version of “Stand,” is missed from the first show, but technical difficulties with audio are understandable. Also, it would have been refreshing to see a photo from either Forum appearance as the front cover of the release. But since “Mama’s Pearl ” from their 1971 show in Indianapolis makes the track listing, the cover is acceptable. Still, there are multiple reasons to keep listening – 38 to be exact. Full versions of “I Want You Back,” “ABC” and “The Love You Save” are reasons enough to keep enjoying to the ground-breaking performances.

By 1972, the Jackson 5 had a variety of television appearances under their belt, and their own Saturday morning cartoon, which is noted in the “Live at the Forum” booklet. At the same time, they were gearing up for several shows a week, in multiple cities. From the Forum, one of the exciting sounds from disc two is the medley, “I Want You Back/ABC/Mama’s Pearl.” That’s a J5 track-variety fans don’t hear every day.

In addition to the rare medley, the Jackson 5’s Simon & Garfunkel cover “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” from their 1970 album “Third Album” is soulfully executed by Jermaine. The performance itself is “pretty good,” but the fact that a live recording of the song made its way onto a Motown release is prodigious.

The “big introduction” expected by Michael on disc two is actually a feature by all of the brothers, with Tito and Marlon leading the way. (And in proper fashion, Marlon plays a “ham.”) “Jackie’s introduction” of the upcoming Michael-classics is actually Tito speaking.

For Jackson 5 fans, details matter, but with a collection like this, small errors are forgiven. This collection took time. Just glancing through the 23-page booklet shows a strong effort on Hip-O Select’s part. Take a look at the front cover of the booklet and feast your eyes on the Jackson 5’s 1970 tour program. The cover alone shows creativity. If the music and professionally packaged booklet aren’t enough, check out the postcards on the other side. The pictures are admirable, but aren’t nearly as cool as the facts featured on the back about each J5 member. It’s like reading Right On! magazine all over again.

With the help of Motown, Hip-O Select put together a powerful album of an extraordinary group – especially when performing live. Their 1970 appearance is raw with straight-up soul. In two years time, the group kept their charm, but enhanced their sound by throwing funk into the mix. Songs “Ain’t No Sunshine,” off Michael’s Got to Be There album, "You've Got a Friend"(a Carole King original), and the J5’s “Lookin' Through the Windows” holds enough funk to electrify fans to this day.

Motown’s Jackson 5ive Live at the Forum captures growth in their sound and maturity in their vocals. Above everything, it’s a package of that classic “J5 sound” fans remember, speak of, and love.

---
Christina Chaffin is a freelance writer from Dayton, Ohio, and a long-time Jackson 5 fan. She administers the Michael Jackson Vault.

"Of That Time"

The first book published about the Jackson 5 was this unassuming little paperback original by Ellen Motoviloff, published by Scholastic in 1972. (A note on the copyright page specifies that the book was written in June/July 1971 and "all ages mentioned are of that time.")

The book has the usual breathless reporting of a teen magazine, and there's not much in the text that fans wouldn't already know, except perhaps that Jermaine hates oatmeal. But what makes the book worth seeking out are the photos, some of them taken by the author herself when she visited the J5 at home, and several from their 1970 appearance at the Los Angeles Forum. In fact, the only concert photos are from this performance where there must have been dozens of photos taken.

As you wait for the Jackson 5 Live at the Forum cd to be released, you can feast your eyes on the photos of the concert from the book, seen here in their entirety.

1972 Forum Concert Review

As we all eagerly await the release of the new Jackson 5 cd, Live at the Forum later this month, I will be making posts related to the two concerts that will be released. In case this is the first time you're reading about the release, the double cd set will include the audio for two Jackson 5 concerts that were taped at the Los Angeles Forum, one on June 20, 1970 and one on August 26, 1972.

Soul covered the 1972 and published not one but two reviews of it side by side in their October 23, issue. One of the reviews was written by Jackson family friend, David Gest, who grew up with the Jackson kids in Encino. His odd reference to Randy as "Randy Lucifer Jackson" must be a private joke.

Live at the Forum Delayed?

Amazon.com is now showing the release date for Jackson 5 Live at the Forum as June 29, instead of June 22. Over on the Hip-o-Select site, the release date still shows as June 4, so it's hard to know when we'll see the disc. I figure we've waited 40 years -- what's another week or two?

Live at the Forum Available for Pre-Sale

You will now find Jackson 5 Live at the Forum available for pre-sale on the Hip-o-Select site, along with a picture of the cd cover, track listing, and info about the cd itself. If the dates on the site are accurate, if looks like it ships from Hip-o-Select three weeks earlier than from other sources. Of course, it's best not to get our hopes up -- it may just be an error. But I'll be ordering from Hip-o anyway because I boycott Amazon.

C'mon, J5 fans -- let's put our money where our mouth is and make this a sell-out. Maybe then they'll be encouraged to poke around a bit more in those vaults.

What Happened to Stand!

When I first saw the track listing for the 1970 Forum concert, I wondered why they hadn't opened the concert with their usual Sly & the Family Stone cover, Stand!, especially since they were clearly performing this song live back in 1969 when they debuted it on The Ed Sullivan Show. It was a great concert opener because it allowed for Johnny and Ronnie to play the opening bars over and over again on the darkened stage, building up excitement and frenzied anticipation in the crowd -- as if any more was needed after the interminable opening acts. The stage lights would suddenly go on and there would be the Jackson 5, standing at their microphones, singing "Oom-pah, bah-bah..."

I posed the question yesterday on Soulful Detroit, and within 24 hours had an answer from Harry Weinger of the Universal Music Group. (That's the thing I love about this forum -- you ask a question and it gets answered, usually by someone who's an expert or industry insider.) HW said that they had opened the 1970 Forum concert with Stand! but they were experiencing technical difficulties at first, so the recording was unusable.

Luckily, we have both audio and video of the original opening number in the Going Back to Indiana special, which you can see here on YouTube. This was recorded nearly a year later in Indianapolis on May 29, 1971, and by then the J5 were performing like a well-oiled machine.



For the TV special, the performance of Stand! was cut from 4:16 to 3:00, but you can hear the full version on the J5's Goin' Back to Indiana soundtrack LP. In his stage patter, Jermaine promises to "get things groovin' up here" by encouraging the audience to sing along to the "Huh! Hah! Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya" part but it sounds like he didn't have much luck. Maybe it's because everyone was too busy watching Jackie, Marlon and Michael's fancy footwork.

Art for Live at the Forum

It's not surprising that our friend Yoann is the first kid on the block to have the cover art for the new Live at the Forum cd, more than a month before its release, which you can find over on his fabulous Jackson5ABC.com site. But what is surprising is that of all the photos that were taken of the Jackson 5 performing at the Forum, especially from their 1970 concert, Hip-0-Select would choose this photo from a 1971 concert in Indianapolis.


Too bad someone over at Soulful Detroit couldn't hook them up with Weldon McDougal III, an active participant in their online forum, who was Motown's still photographer at the time. I'm sure he has dozens of unpublished photos they could have used.

Track Listing Announced

I am still on the road but had to pop in with some breaking news about the upcoming Live at the Forum double-cd that is scheduled for release on June 22. It will include two full-length Jackson 5 concerts, both recorded at the Los Angeles Forum, one in 1970 and one in 1972. At the left you see the J5 promoting the 1970 concert at the Forum with Elgin Baylor (better known for his professional basketball career than he was for his brief stint as a concert promoter).

My friend Justin has just sent me the track listing for the cds:

Disc 1 – June 20, 1970
1. Introduction
2. I Want You Back
3. Feelin' Alright
4. Who's Lovin' You
5. Walk On
6. Don't Know Why I Love You
7. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
8. ABC
9. It's Your Thing
10. I Found That Girl
11. There Was A Time
12. Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin
13. The Love You Save

Bonus Track
14. Mama's Pearl - May 29, 1971 - Live from Indianapolis



Disc 2 – August 26, 1972
1. Brand New Thing
2. Medley: I Want You Back/ABC/Mama's Pearl
3. Sugar Daddy
4. I'll Be There
5. Introduction by Michael
6. Goin' Back to Indiana/Brand New Thing/Goin' Back to Indiana
7. Bridge Over Troubled Water
8. I Found That Girl
9. I'm So Happy
10. Lookin' Through The Windows
11. Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing
12. Introduction by Jackie
13. Ben
14. Rockin' Robin
15. Got To Be There
16. You've Got A Friend
17. Ain't No Sunshine
18. I Wanna Be Where You Are
19. Introduction by Jermaine
20. That's How Love Goes
21. Never Can Say Goodbye
22. Walk On
23. The Love You Save

Bonus Track
24. I Wanna Be Where You Are - September 1972 - Live from Chicago - from Save The Children

It looks great! Now all we have to do is wait. And wait.