Michael's Secret Phone Calls

In May 1972 16 magazine promised to reveal some juicy secrets, gleaned from listening in on Michael and Jermaine's phone calls.

As usual, the teasers promised more than they delivered. First, we saw the banner headline on the cover, announcing:  MICHAEL JERMAINE Listen to Their Secret Phone Calls.

Right inside the front cover, we got another invitation, this time in the form of a full color glossy photo of  lovely Jermaine, asking the question: What do I talk about on the phone?

And in case you missed it, there was Michael inside the back cover, also in the form of a glossy color poster, begging us to turn to page 16 to find out his secrets:

By now, you're probably dying to know his secrets and surprises, right? But if you've read enough teen magazines, you probably think they're going to reveal their summer concert dates, don't you? Ah, but this is even better. In this case, it's not so much what Michael says on the phone as it is who he says it to. Read on.

Oldies Week: Rockin' Robin

The Jackson 5 recorded several cover versions of old songs that were classic doo-wop. This week, we'll take a closer look at them, starting with one of Michael's solo release that was released as a single 39 years ago this month.

In February of 1972, Michael released his second solo single, "Rockin' Robin." The song hadn't originally been scheduled as a single, and it was only after radio djs started playing the song from Michael's first LP, Got to Be There, that Motown decided to release it as the second single, instead of of "I Wanna Be Where You Are."

The djs who has originally played the album cut in the first place probably chose it because it was a familiar song to them, having first been released as a single back by Bobby Day back in 1958, the year Michael was born.

Here's Bobby Day's version for comparison.

The Jackson 5 performed the song live on Top of the Pops when they were in England in November 1972. Tito has a nice guiar solo, and be sure to check out the very end where Marlon, Jackie, and Michael do a little bit of the funky chicken.

The song was released as a single not just in the United States but in other countries, as well. Here are some of the foreign pressings I have in my collection.

Germany, Japan, Spain, and Sweden all issued the single with different picture sleeves. All were backed with "Love Is here and Now You're Gone," as was the U.S. pressing.





Greece didn't issue it with a picture sleeve, but this is one the few Greek pressings I have in my collection. They issued it as the B-side of "Got to Be There."


The picture sleeve from Spain had an interesting back cover, too, showing the different photo they used on the LP release of Maybe Tomorrow (MS-9030) -- a rarity I have so far been unable to find.


The search never ends for a Jackson 5 collector.

TcB!: Michael's Love Letter to YOU

Awwww....

TcB!'s Super Giant Color Pinups!

One of the best features of any teen fan magazine was the color posters they included in each issue. The creators of TcB! must have known how important they were because they highlighted them on the front of the magazine:



There are four color posters inside the issue. Right inside the front cover was an adorable poster of Michael.


And inside the back cover was a beautiful poster of Jermaine.

This marked the first time that any individual Jackson brother was featured in a full-color full-page glossy poster. By the end of 1970, many fans like me felt we should have been getting posters like this in the mainstream fan magazines. But it wasn't until TcB! came out that the brothers got their due. Of course, I wanted to see full-page glossy color posters for each of the brothers, but Michael and Jermaine were at least a start. The others would come in time in Right On! (but never in one of the mainstream mags, which only ever gave Michael and Jermaine the full-page color poster treatment reserved for the big stars).

But for me, the best poster in TcB! was the centerfold.

It was the first full-color glossy centerfold poster I ever had to hang on my wall. Its publication in TcB! marked the first time I had ever seen this photo (or the one that's the same pose where they are holding their gold records, which I use as my avatar on this blog).

The back of the magazine was a fourth color poster with a great photo that was obviously taken at the same time as the centerfold. It shows the brothers in a an adorable pyramid-type pose -- I always felt sorry for Tito and Jackie, bearing all that weight! -- with Michael in the middle blowing a bubble. Although the bubblegum covers up most of Michael's mouth, you can still see the edges of a smile around it. It looks like he was pleased with the pose and quite proud of the bubble.

Rare Photos of Michael in the Motown Studio

Photos of the Jackson 5 at work in the Motown studio are hard to come by, which is surprising when you consider how many hours they spent there. Here are a couple of early photos that I just came across of Michael in the studio. I like them because they are candid shots, obviously snapped between takes. In the second one, you can see the dent the earphones made in Michael's afro.

When Michael Danced with David Bowie

One of my recent eBay purchases was the January 1975 issue of Rock 'n' Soul Songs, which I bought for the J5 centerfold (hey, you've got to get your mid '70s J5 photos from wherever you can!)

The centerfold is great -- watch this space for a scan in the near future -- but even better is a little half-page article about a party Tito and Dee Dee hosted for Al Green.


Among the star-studded guest list was glam-rocker David Bowie, who by the mid 1970s was enjoying some crossover success on the R&B charts. At first I thought this article was just another mildly interesting account of yet another party I would have liked to have attended but wasn't invited to, until I got to the last paragraph.


Michael and Al Green teaching David Bowie how to do the robot??? How I wish we had video footage of it! I guess we'll have to settle for Bowie's appearance later that year on Soul Train where he performed his hit, "Fame." It looks like he wants so much to break into the robot -- he definitely has the stiff dance moves for it -- but just can't bring himself to do it in front of the Soul Train Gang. But with their audible enthusiasm and encouragement, you'll see him, near the end of the performance at about 2:54, do one of the classic robot moves that Michael had perfected for "Dancing Machine" two years earlier.

Michael Monday: I Wanna Be Where You Are

When Corey wrote the other day about "Maria (You Were the Only One)," the B-side of Michael's first solo single, a reader asked about picture sleeves for Michael's solo 45s. There was only one picture sleeve issued in the U.S. for a Michael solo on Motown, and that was for "I Wanna Be Where You Are," the third single pulled from his debut solo LP.


The sleeve uses the same photograph of Michael that appeared on the LP, so it wasn't terribly creative or exciting, but it was better than nothing, which is what we usually got with our American 45s.

Kids in other fared better when it came to picture sleeves. Germany could always be counted on for a nice picture sleeve...



...as could Italy.


The Italian sleeve had the added bonus of using a rare photo of Michael which was seldom seen in 1972.

And when it came to dependability and consistency for exciting and beautiful packaging, no one topped the Japanese...


...although this photo paired with the song title does make Michael look a little bit like a stalker.

The Japanese could always be depended on, too, for including a lyric sheet. And in the case of "I Wanna Be Where You Are," the lyrics were correctly translated, except for the second verse.



But considering Motown's stinginess with picture sleeves here in the U.S., maybe the Japanese translation comes closer to the truth: Motown, you are "making to disturb us" when you show us you can make picture sleeves, but choose not to.

Song of the Week: Maria (You Were the Only One)

by Corey Sheppard

Two weeks ago, I hit a ‘first’ by writing about Jermaine’s early solo lead on “My Cherie Amour.” This week I am once again hitting a ‘first’ by commentating on a Michael Jackson solo (Motown) number.

Now at first, I was pretty hesitant on writing about solo numbers from Michael, Jermaine, and Jackie, basically because I felt that the songs I choose should be strictly Jackson 5. But now, I feel that these songs need to be included as well. The Jackson solo tracks make up for a big part of the Jackson 5’s history. For example in 1972, two solo hits by Michael, and one of Jermaine’s, placed higher than all the Jackson 5 single releases that year. And occasionally, the Jackson brothers sung backgrounds for some particular Jackson solo numbers as well. So starting with this post, I will include Motown solo cuts from all three Jackson Brothers.

The Jackson 5 were the first Motown group that had certain members record solo albums and singles while still remaining in a group. This decision was mainly inspired by Donny Osmond (of the teen-group the Osmonds) who became a solo star while still in his group. I believe Motown’s goal for each solo album recorded by the boys, was to show the many sides and abilities of that particular Jackson . Instead of recording the typical two-and-a-half minute ‘bubble-gum soul’ number, most Jackson-solo songs were melodic-orchestrated ballads. Thirteen-year-old Michael Jackson led the pack with his debut single “Got to Be There” released in October 1971, and his debut album (of the same name) coming out in January of 1972.

When die-hard Jackson 5 fans first listened to Michael Jackson’s first single “Got to Be There,” they saw that Michael (or Motown really) had continued the ballad trend that the Jackson boys had picked up the previous year. Everything about “Got to Be There” gives you an easy listening R&B/pop feel until you reach the B-side. As soon as you hear the opening toms, of “Maria (You Where the Only One)” you know you are in for a different kind of musical journey.

This song is such an unusual number for Michael to sing. It really doesn’t compare to anything that the brothers had recorded at previously. It’s a song that goes a lot of places musically. It starts off with a very soulful blues feeling, then ends up an up-tempo pop- sounding ditty. Not a lot of artists would be able to pull this track off successfully. I can possibly hear The Four Tops singing this number, or maybe Diana Ross. Whoever sings it, would have to be prepare for a song with a lot of versatility.

This song was recorded earlier than the majority of tracks from his debut album. Since it was issued as the B-side of “Got to Be There” I would say it was recorded in the summer of 1971. The only thing that doesn’t surprise me about this record is Michael’s delivery. He sings this song with a red-hot passion. The use of double tracking on his voice when he sings “Maria” is a very effective tool, and it’s something that Motown had just started experimenting with. He makes the song what it is, in my opinion. I would not want to hear anyone else singing this song other than Michael Jackson because no kid (or adult even) could ever sing the blues like Michael Jackson.


The production on this track is very new and inventive for Motown. It starts off with the harpsichord instrument (something used very frequently for the Jackson 5 around this time) and the tom toms I mention before. Then it turns pretty funky with the heavy bass line and the use of the percussion instruments vibraslap and casbassa, (which gets very off tempo, from time to time). Also listen out for some kind of studio chatter in the right channel at 0.18. The haunting arrangement intensifies when beautiful strings accompany the track, making the mood even more dramatic.

Michael’s biggest shining moment comes at the final verse before the rapid finale. He totally takes advantage of the lyrics and put his all into it, which translates into a great vocal performance. But to be honest, the up-tempo finale (with it’s slightly Egyptian vibe, I might add) is my least favorite part of the record. It’s hard to go from just down-right soul, to an arrangement that doesn’t fit the mood of the track. The ending reminds me of something the Fifth Dimension would record in their heyday. Nevertheless, Michael still sings like “Maria” is farther and farther away from him, with each passing section.

Just like last week’s “To Know,” I was very sad to see that “Maria” wasn’t performed on the 1972 forum show (released on CD). I know Michael and his brothers would have totally worn this arrangement out. “Maria” seems to be a very popular album cut for Michael. So popular that in 2009 it was included on the remix tribute album to Michael entitled The Remix Suite. The remix is not bad at all, some of the instrumentation (such as the strings) are more isolated than in the original version, so for that reason alone, I’d recommend checking it out.

I’m very happy that this song was chosen as the B-side of “Got to Be There.” It shows that Motown was willing to take a chance on a new sound. It also shows that the company had full confidence that Michael would be able to once again, entertain his fans and attract new ones with his capabilities. So clearly “Maria” WASN’T the only one...

Next Week’s Song Hint: He’s no Prince Charmin’ but still he keeps tryin’ girl, you’re so unkind

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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."

Interviewing Michael: "I just tell the truth"

Here's a cute picture of Michael being interviewed by Lisa Robinson at his home in 1972. See that little portable tape recorder Lisa is holding? That means there was an audio record of this interview. And guess what? The tape is still in Lisa's possession. She also saved tapes from later interviews she did with Michael, and she interviewed him a lot.

I didn't know that tapes still existed until one of readers (thanks, Dannie!) sent me a link to this YouTube video where you can hear Lisa talking about what it was like to interview Michael through the years. She includes snippets of the actual interviews throughout her ten-minute monologue. And you can find more from her about her interviews in this article that she published last year in Vanity Fair.

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.

Song of the Week: What You Don't Know

by Corey Sheppard

“What You Don’t Know” is a song off of the Jackson 5’s 1974 album Dancing Machine. During this transitional time for the group, Motown tried a variety of different musical styles on the now young adult group. This song was clearly created to explore a more disco side of the Jackson brothers, instead of the funk/soul direction of their previous album Get It Together. I believe that the boys handled most of these numbers well, and I feel this record was an early example of what they could do. Actually I should say what Michael could do.

This song, along with “If I Don’t Love You This Way” and the top-ten R&B single “Whatever You Got, I Want,” were recorded by Michael only. The trio of songs was originally intended for Michael’s 1974 follow-up to Music & Me but the album was later withdrawn and the tracks were given to the Jackson 5. These recordings were made before the majority of songs from this album were finished. Judging by Michael’s man-child voice on the record, I would say that the songs were recorded sometime in late 73/early 74. It is also possible that “What You Don’t Know” was recorded around the same time as the songs that would eventually feature on the Farewell My Summer Love album were recorded.

It’s very clear to me that Motown was possibly looking to reboot Michael’s solo career after the lackluster sales of 1973’s Music & Me. If they had released these three records as MJ solo tracks, that particular album by far would have been one of his most exciting and rhythmic solo albums to date. But all that changed when "Dancing Machine" exploded onto the charts in early 1974. All the attention from Michael’s album (and possibly Marlon’s) went directly into the Jackson 5’s follow up to Get It Together.


Now let’s get into the actual song, shall we? Right away, the song starts excitingly with its killer bass intro. I have never heard a song start off like this before! That particular bass line might have provided Michael with a little inspiration to create “Billie Jean” (along with Hall & Oates’ “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)”). And the conga work on this record is also very nice (I always thought it was Randy, but this has been proven otherwise).

On the down side, I’ve always thought the lyrics were rather pointless. Michael tries everything he can to make the record interesting but the song seems to get a bit repetitive. Basically the lyrics are about the friends of a man who tell him to not worry about what his woman is doing when she is not around. I would have preferred if the songwriters had gotten more in-depth into what exactly was happening, but they never did in this record. Obviously, this track was based more on the catchy rhythm of the music and words, than the lyrics.

Essentially since this song is a solo recording, we hear lot of ad-libs from MJ. Because there are no background contributions from the other Jackson brothers, you get an early hint of MJ’s future vocal style on this song. He hits some pretty low notes for a 15 year old on the chorus when he does the harmony with himself (something he would do for many years subsequently as a solo act). I always thought it was Jermaine singing the low part on the chorus, but now I’m pretty sure it’s Michael since we’ve learned that this song was meant to be a solo recording. I especially love his low notes at 3:03 and 3:38. Nice range, Mike!

I have to say I do love the bridge section where it’s just the drums and congas stripped with Michael doing numerous ad-libs in this section (very Marvin-Gaye-ish, I might add). This portion of the recording has always been my favorite and I’m sure it was Michael’s favorite, as well, because it was the perfect opportunity to show his dance moves. Some very early synthesizer work is also included on the final part of the bridge, which help bring the record back to the hook.

One major thing I’ve noticed about this track for years is the edit in the recording (basically when the producers stitched two different takes together) that comes right when the chorus repeats once again at 2:02. And once again at 3:39 the record returns to the first hook section at 0:49. I came to this conclusion after hearing the identical snare drum rhythm parts for each section, as well as hearing Michael say the end of the word “but” at 3:39 when he says “But I can’t find” (the part was clearly cut off). This kind of edit was done on another recording off the album, “Dancing Machine.” (Can’t figure out which one… I will post the answer on the comments section below this post.)

Michael actually performed this song twice on television, once by himself, and once with his brothers (that’s a lot for him considering it was never a single). In late 1974, Michael made a solo appearance on Soul Train where he lip-synched his 3 original solo tracks for the Soul Train gang. Not much to comment about on this performance, except for the fact that he chooses to once again wear his infamous brown/orange outrageous hideous looking suit (originally introduced on the boys’ first appearance of The Carol Burnett Show, and worn occasionally on the first run of Las Vegas shows). Michael definitely takes advantage of all the space available on the stage without his brothers (but he does look slightly uncomfortable during the interview with Don Cornelius).

Three years later, in 1977, the brothers revived the song on the second season of The Jacksons television variety show. The brothers turn the heat up for this performance and, if there was any doubt that the original recording was an early example of disco, please watch this performance. Michael handles the lead with more confidence in this performance than ever. Even though the lead was pre-recorded for the show, it sounds like he is totally into the song. I’m pretty sure the song was performed on the early Jacksons’ tours in 1976-1977. It was probably very refreshing for MJ to sing a lesser-known song from his repertoire.

In the end, I feel “What You Don’t Know” was a nice album cut for the group. If more work had been put onto the lyrics, and perhaps if the song had been a bit shorter -- and more radio-friendly -- it could have been considered as a single for the group. Nevertheless, this song gave Michael an opportunity to show more of his frequent changing vocal style than ever before.

Next week's song hint: “Girl I took your love, for granted. I know, I know I treated you, so unkind.”

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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."

Michael Monday: Digging Mathis, Three Dog Night

The very first issue of Right On! (October 1971) carried a four page piece with Michael talking about his favorite actor and his favorite music artists.



Some of his choices were surprising at the time -- especially Johnny Mathis as his favorite singer, when most of us only knew him from records our Grandmas had. But Michael was so consistent with his responses for so many years that we all soon got used to his eclectic tastes.

He cited his favorite group as Three Dog Night, and said his favorite song from them was "Mama Told Me Not to Come." Rumor has it that the Jackson 5 recorded a cover version of this song, but I find it hard to believe, because it seems so wildly inappropriate for young teens to record. But here is the original, performed live by Three Dog Night, so you can judge for yourself. Can you picture 13-year-old Michael singing this?

J5 Fashion Friday: Hair and Make Up

Most of the photos we have of the Jackson 5 show them posing in very carefully planned photo sessions, but we rarely get a look of the Five behind the scenes, making themselves beautiful for their close ups. Here are some rare shots of Michael, Marlon and Jermaine getting ready for photos shoots.

First up is Michael, getting his make up applied, followed by a captioned photo that makes it seems as if he is seeing make up for the first time in his life.





Next is Marlon, being helped into his snakeskin suit for the African-inspired suits the brothers posed in in 1970.



Here's Marlon having his make up applied. If you look behind him, you'll see a rack of shirts for the brothers to change into during the course of the photo session.





Marlon's ready to go but Papa Joe has to put a few finishing touches on his hair.



Jermaine puts on his own finishing touches...



...and admires himself in the mirror.