I'm Leaving It All Up To You by Donny and Marie

Leaving it All up to You

1974

Donny and Marie

Donny Osmond wouldn't see another solo hit for a decade and a half, and the Osmonds' days as a major force in Pop (And some would argue, if very briefly, Rock) had pretty much ended, but MGM decided there was still some mileage (And most importantly profit) left in them.

See, there was yet another musical Osmond, and this one was every bit as talented and way prettier than the rest of The Osmonds...and her name was Marie. She hadn't just been hanging around gossiping with her girlfriends, shopping, and obsessing over male singers not her brothers over the last few years, either...Marie had gone the Country route with her own music, and had already made a name for herself in that genre while she was at it. In 1973, at 14 years old, she took her cover of the Anita Bryant's 1960 Pop-Country cross-over ballad 'Paper Roses' to #1 on the Country charts, and # 5 on the Hot 100...

So the suits at MGM, Mike Curb among them, looked at Donny and Marie, wondered if the two of them would work as a Duo (Wonder if they even really had to think about that one????) and wondered if there was a song out there that was just freakin' made to be covered by a boy/girl duo. Guess what gang...there were two of 'em. The first one, in fact, topped the Billboard Hot 100 as a girl-guy duet back in 1963

That was the year that the newly-minted Pop duo of Dale and Grace (Dale Houston and Grace Broussard) covered a tune called 'I'm leavin' It Up To You' that had been written, recorded and released (But apparently didn't chart,) by Don Harris and Dewey Terry. Dale and Grace saw their cover of the song climb to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for two weeks, in November of 1963. Their version of the song was a classic Sixties pop tune, and it's passed the test of time with flying colors.

Then Linda Ronstadt covered it on her 1970 album 'Silk Purse', and, with the addition of some steel guitar, took it in a more country direction. It was never released as a single, but still got a good bit of airplay on both Country and Top Forty stations as I recall.

Then four years later, in mid-1974, Mike Curb and the rest of the suits at MGM were looking for a song for Donnie and Marie to cover as a duet...and someone brought this tune to their attention. They buttonholed Donny and his pretty and uber-talented little sis, let them take a listen, and from what I've heard Marie really fell in love with it (I've also read, in a comment or two on a couple of YouTube vids, that she was the one who actually suggested it).

They stayed absolutely true to the melody with only a couple of tweaks here and there, and the only change they made to the lyrics was the addition of 'all' in the lead off line (And title) of the song. They done good, as the old fella says...I'm leaving It (All) Up To You' would be their top-charting single as a duo. Donnie and Marie recorded it in June of 1974, and it debuted on The Billboard Hot 100, at #90, on July 6^th, '74. It grabbed a following fairly quickly, cracking the Top 20, at #19, on Week 6, and the Top 10, at #9, a week later on August 17^th, 1974. It'd spend the next four weeks climbing through the Top 10, peaking at # 4 on September 14^th, and staying there for a single week. It'd drop off of the charts fairly quickly, dropping out entirely on October 12^th. And, somehow, I get the feeling that this kind of became The Osmonds'/Donny Osmond's/Donny and Marie's sort-of forgotten hit.

This one got lots of air-play on both WLEE and Richmond's upstart FM Top-40 station, WRVQ as my Senior year in high school started, and I remember hearing it, but there was so much truly awesome music...much of it destined to be classic music...around back then that it kind of got overshadowed. Think about it...when you think 'Top 10 Hits in 1974'. how far down the list is 'I'm Leaving it All Up To You' by Donny and Marie Osmond?? Is it even on your list? Thought not. Full disclosure here...it's not even in the first 20 songs I'd think of.

Both the original and Donny and Marie's cover of the tune can be heard very occasionally on Oldies stations , though not as often as they should be heard...both are great little tunes, that'll have you head swaying and at least humming along with 'em before the first few bars are finished. Interestingly enough, you're almost as likely to hear Linda Ronstadt's very Country-leaning version of the tune as either the original Dale and Grace version or Donny and Marie's cover...even though her version was never released as a single.  It's been quite awhile, though, since I've heard any of them on an Oldies station. 

Thing is, that's not fair to either the song or the singers, because it really is a great little tune and Donny and Marie's cover of the song really is that good...their voices blend into near perfect harmony, and both of 'em really can sing (And I use the present tense because, well, they can still sing.). Of course, when a legitimately good song like this sort of gets pushed back into the shadows of time a bit that says something about the quality of music during the era during which it was released...I keep telling you guys, Seventies Music really was the most awesome music ever.

So Enjoy! I'm Leaving It All Up To You' by Donny and Marie Osmond.


A pair of bonuses with this one...First up, the original, from 1963, by Dale and Grace.



Next up...Linda Ronstadt's cover from her 1970 album Silk Purse. You don't even have to listen all that hard to hear her cover's obvious Country leanings.

An interesting little factoid about the Dale and Grace version...In one of the all time dark coincidences of all time, the song was #1 during the Week of November, 1963 that Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President John F Kennedy in Houston, Texas, and Dale and Grace were scheduled to perform that same night...they had actually waved to the President only minutes before he was assassinated.

Morning Side of The Mountain by Donny and Marie

Morning Side Of The Mountain

1974

Donny and Marie Osmond

MGM...like any and all businesses anywhere...likes to strike when the iron is hot, and they really wanted to get another single out while the soothing notes of 'I'm leaving It All Up To You' were still echoing in the heads of the music-buying public at large. Donnie and Marie had proven that they were more than able to sell records as a duo, so the obvious, sensible and likely profitable thing to do would be to record and release a second single. And, though they didn't realize it until the search for this second single was well under way, they already had Donny and Marie's next Top 10 hit in their own house, tucked up in the back of a shelf in one of the spare room closets, so to speak.

See, back in 1951 the team of Lawrence Stock and Dick Manning wrote, and Tommy Edwards recorded, a little tune about a boy and a girl from different worlds, towns and maybe even regions...two kids who would have very likely fallen head over heals for each other had they ever met, but, alas, they never did and one of the great loves of modern times never got to bloom. Stock and Manning used a mountain as the metaphor for what ever barrier separated our star-crossed never-got-to-be-lovers and Tommy Edwards took it to #24 on the charts. He then re-recorded it in 1959, annnnnd...took it to #27. It wasn't gonna set the music-world on fire. So it was put on a shelf to gather dust and slowly slip from the memories of most people other than Tommy Edwards and various record label execs...OH!...did I mention that Tommy Edwards' label was MGM???

And lets be honest here...it was all but freakin' written for a girl/boy duet. So, as all the MGM execs pondered on just how they were going to strike while the afore-mentioned iron was still hot, someone said something like 'Wait A minute!” or 'AHA!' or some other exclamation of enlightenment, turned to the rest of the MGM suits-in-attendance, and said 'Anyone remember that old Tommy Edwards song...?

SO they got Donnie and Marie Osmond in on it, probably let the two of them listen to Tommy Edwards' original version, and I have a feeling that the two of them smiled those famous smiles of theirs and had already figured out exactly how they were going to sing it before the song was half over.

I wish I could have found more behind the scenes info (Or, indeed, any behind the scenes info ) about the recording of their hits, because if Donny and Marie Osmond stayed true to form, both musically and professionally...and I have absolutely no reason to think they didn't...they probably had what would become arguably their best remembered hit down before lunch on the day they recorded it. Really, gang, this tune was all but made for them.

They stayed faithful to both the lyrics and melody, taking it up-tempo and changing the instrumentals (Read that 'Getting rid of the flute).  Vocals-wise, Donny took the first verse, Marie took the second, and the two of them harmonized on the third. They followed this same theme throughout the song's just under three and a third minutes. Very effectively I might add, and it was pretty much a hit from the first time a DJ spun it.

Notice I didn't say a huge hit, or even big hit, but it drew a following...it debuted on The Hot 100 at #74 on Nov 16^th, 1974 and jumped about 10-12 spots a week for the next five weeks before barely cracking the Top 20, at #20, three days after Christmas of 1974. It slipped into the Top 10, at #9, 18 days into 1975 and peaked at #8, a week later, on January 25^th, 1975. It'd stay there for a pair of weeks before heading back down, dropping off the chart on the first of March for a not at all shabby sixteen week chart run.

I think everyone who was around in the mid Seventies remembers this one, and not just us Seventies Kids, because of the video...one of the first 'Music Videos'...for a short version of the song that was shown on The Donny and Marie variety show. This, keep in mind, was at least two years and change after the song actually charted. The two of them also performed the song when they appeared on numerous other variety and Late Night talk shows during that same time-frame. Really, it was hard to get away from 'Morning Side Of The Mountain' over the course of the next several years...it pretty much became their unofficial theme song (Much as 'A Little Bit Country...Little Bit Rock And Roll' became their ...and their show's, or at least a major segment of the show's...official theme song.)

And it really was...and still is...a great little tune. Their voices blended perfectly, it was a fun little song to listen to (And sing along to), and it was performed by a pair of...well...pretty natural performers. It wouldn't break through any new boundaries, or set new benchmarks, or even break any records...but it was and indeed, still is, pretty well loved and well remembered, and you can still hear it...and, BTW, I'm not talking about hearing it on the radio (In fact it's been a good while since I've heard it on an Oldies station) I'm talkin' live, Because Donny and Marie are still performing at The Flamingo in Las Vegas, usually to sold out crowds, and 'Morning Side Of The Mountain' is one of the songs they regularly perform.

The magic's still there, too, from what I've seen and heard...They've been regular performers at The Flamingo since 2009, their contract has been extended through the end of 2015, and they've been voted 'Best show in Las Vegas' several times, because of the same thing that was evident in The Morning Side Of The Mountain from the first time they went in the studio to record it...they truly are that close, and they really do love to perform together. You just absolutely can not fake that kind of chemistry

And to think it all started because MGM wanted to see if they could squeeze a second Top 10 hit out of 'em.

So Enjoy! The Duet That, happily, will probably never die...Morning Side Of The Mountain by Donnie and Marie Osmond.


A trio of bonuses on this one. First bonus...Donny and Marie's official video for the song. This is the vid that appeared on their variety show, Donny and Marie', a couple of years after the song had dropped off of the charts. There's a shot, about midway through the vid, of Marie riding hell-bent-for-leather, straight at the camera, with a huge smile on her face and her hair bouncing on her shoulders...a really, truly beautiful shot of her. I'm firmly convinced every teenage boy in the U.S. who didn't already have a bit of a crush on the Prettiest Osmond fell head over heels for her because of that few seconds of video.



Second bonus, Donny and Marie perform Morning Side of the Mountain live at Ceaser's Atlantic City, in August of 2012, proving that they do indeed still have it!  They changed it up here...Donny led it off instead of Marie...and you also get to hear the good natured bantering that's always been a trademark of their act.


Final bonus...The original, by Tommy Edwards, from 1951. He nevver got it int the Top 2, despite re-recording and re-releasing it. Donny and Marie proved what they should have realized from the get-go. This was made to be a boy-girl duet! And they needed to loose the flutes!

A Little Bit Country...A Little Bit Rock And Roll

A Little Bit Country...A Little Bit Rock And Roll

1976

Donny And Marie Osmond

Every successful artist has at least one sing that's a hit 'Everywhere but the scoreboard', so to speak...one that everyone's heard and lots of people like, but never charted because it was never released as a single. 'A Little Bit Country...A little Bit Rock And Roll' was a special case, though...the reason it got so well known was because of 'Donny and Marie'. No, not just the talented brother and sister duo with the identically and almost unnaturally perfect dental work...I'm also talking about the TV show that was both named after them, and hosted by them. The song was the theme song for a segment of the show where, every week, Marie would cover a country song and her bro would knock out a rock song. Both tended to knock the week's song of choice out of the park. And the segment's theme song ultimately became the unofficial theme song theme song for the show itself.

'Wait....?' you ask 'Donny and Marie Osmond had their own TV show????...' Really? If you're really asking that question, you obviously didn't grow up in the Seventies (If you were born after about 1975 or so, making you, at the oldest, a toddler as the decade wound down, I'll give you a pass on this one...) And, if we're gonna look at the history of the song, we kinda got to look at the history of the show, too, because they pretty much go hand in hand.

The Show was ABC's  successful effort to, temporarily at least, breath new life into a dying format...the variety show. And it came about because Donnie and Marie Osmond spent a week co-hosting The Mike Douglas Show (A morning talk show) sometime around 1975, and their back and forth banter and natural chemistry so impressed Fred Silverman, who was the head honcho at ABC at the time, that he decided he just had  to use them for something..

He approached Donny and Marie and broached the possibility of giving them a weekly variety show. Now, as noted above, the variety show as a format was on the way out. If you don't know what a variety show is, it was a usually hour long show hosted by a well known celebrity (Usually a comedian or comedienne) that featured jokes, musical guests, famous guest stars, songs, and comedy skits. They got their start in the Fifties, and there were loads of them in the Sixties and early Seventies, several of which were not only good, but legendary.

They probably peaked, quality-wise, in the late Sixties and early Seventies, but by the latter half of the Seventies, they were dying out. 'Sonny and Cher' and 'The Carol Burnett Show', the last two really big, long-lasting variety shows, would end in 1977 and 1978 respectively, so launching a new variety show in 1976 was a huge risk. On top of that, Donny and Marie would, at 18 and 16, be the youngest two celebs to ever host their own weekly, prime-time show. Of course, as big a risk as that was, their youth would very likely add a breath of fresh air to the genre as well as drawing a slew of younger viewers.

Donny and Marie accepted, and the show kicked off in January 1976...everyone knew it'd be different when a slew of ice-skaters appeared at the beginning to kick it off. And it was a fresh look at the Variety show. Donny and Marie's youth, energy, and chemistry was unique and refreshing, and their constant banter, and joking barbs at each other (Usually Marie affectionately slamming her older brother) was just as funny as some of the comedy sketches, which, as I recall, were usually pretty good. The kids proved them selves just as good at comedy as they were at music.

As for music...they really didn't need musical guests because they could provide their own music. Donny's musical talent was a given, but Marie was just as talented (And a hell of a lot cuter) than her big brother...at fourteen years old she became the youngest singer to snag the top spot on the Billboard Country Singles chart with her cover of Paper Roses. So you had two extremely talented young singers , both of whom had awesome voices, who sang in two different genres. And they were brother and sister. And had their own variety show...

I have a feeling that it really didn't take too long for the Suits at ABC to come up with the concept of, weekly, having Marie sing a Country tune, while Donny followed up with a Rock or Pop song. This segment, which they christened 'The Concert Spot', would later evolve to both covering popular songs of all genres, and it became one of the most popular parts of the show. It usually kicked off with the two of them playing off of each other in a short Comedy monologue (Duologue??) that then segued into the music, with Donny and Marie kicking off the tunes with the first verse of 'A little Bit Country...A Little Bit Rock And Roll', and ending the segment with the two of them doing an alternate version of the first lines...Donny singing 'She's a Little Bit Country', then Marie singing 'He's a Little Bit Rock and Roll. As with the rest of the show (And any other time they appeared together) you could see the genuine affection they had for each other, which was a big part of what made the show a success.

'A Little bit Country...A little Bit Rock' And Roll quickly became the show's unofficial theme song, and I really wish there was more info on just how the song came to be. I believe Donny and Marie co-wrote the tune, which was not only an integral part of the show for it's first two seasons, it was also included on a 1976 sound-track album from the show, which was certified Gold, and made it to #60 o the Billboard Hot 200 Album charts.

Musically, this was a Country song...really, just listen to the instrumentals. Steel guitars all over the place, with that characteristic 'Twang' that all those 'Laid-back Country Song's that Marie sings of are loaded with. (And this fact alone kinda tells me which one of them had the most say in how it would sound). The concept was simple...Marie and Donny, in that order, switching off singing about their favored music genre. (Marie being the lead-off singer is probably another reason for it's very-country instrumentals)

It was, and is, a truly fun little tune...both to listen to, and I have a feeling, to perform...and there were two versions of it. The short version, which was basically the first verse of the tune, kicked off The Concert Spot, but there was also a full version that clocked in at just shy of 2:30...this was the version that they sang regularly at other venues and was, of course, the version that was included on the sound track album. I may be mistaken here, but I think I remember it getting some air-play here and there, too, once the soundtrack album was released.

The show only lasted for two seasons in it's original form, then spent a third season as The Osmonds' Family Hour, featuring the rest of the clan, and not featuring The Concert Spot. After 'Donnie and Marie' was canceled, ABC attempted one more season with just Marie hosting (Changing the name of the show to 'Marie') before pulling the plug and pretty much giving up the ghost on Prime-time variety shows, though they're still very popular on late Night (I'm looking at you Saturday Night Live) and Kid's networks ('All That' on Nickelodeon comes instantly to mind).

Though the Prime Time Variety Show's dead and gone, 'A Little Bit Country-A Little Bit Rock And Roll' lives on, still performed by Donnie and Marie for their long-running show at the Flamingo Las Vegas,where they still have the same chemistry, and still engage in the same light-hearted banter.. So yep, ya can still hear this one live.

So Enjoy! A Little Bit Country...A Little Bit Rock and Roll by Donny and Marie Osmond.


First bonus...We get another legendary performer! Donny and Marie perform 'A Little Bit Country...A Little Bit Rock And Roll' on a Bob Hope National Bicentennial special on July 4th, 1976. Donny and Marie kinda ganged up on Bob Hope and aimed their good natured banter at him rather than each other here...of course this was scripted, where a good bit of it on their show was spontaneous. Needless to say, their performance was flawless.

Second Bonus...one of  the 'Concert Spots' from their show...they kick this one off with 'Ask Donny and Marie', a common comedic lead-in to the spot. Though this lead-in was, of course, always scripted the two of them made it sound spontaneous with-out even breaking a sweat (And likely improved here and there as well). Also, the youngest Osmond...Jimmy...got in on this one, making it even funnier.  Listen closely to Marie...she was about to loose it, and her laughter was most definitely not scripted.

Their performance was on-point in a big way...Donnie could most definitely cut a rug, and Marie's voice, IMHO, was particularly lovely when she swung into 'Don't Say You Don't Remember'.  Happily, you can find a bunch of the 'Concert Spot's (As well as full shows) on YouTube, but I picked this one specifically because of the song they finished up with. They sang a medley of songs that were popular during the era, and I'm not gonna spoil it...you'll have to listen to see what tune it was. Lets just say that this video kinda ends where The Osmonds came in.

I Want You Back The Jackson 5

I Want You Back

1969

The Jackson Five

Sometimes legends are kicked off by truly inconsequential events. This guy named Michael Jackson, for example...his career started because his older brother broke a guitar string. No, seriously...

Back in 1964 a kid named Tito Jackson, who lived in Gary, Indiana with his dad and a quartet of brothers, found his dad's guitar and began doodling around with it. In the process of creating a sweet chord or two, he heard the 'Twang!!!' of a guitar string letting go, as did his dad. His dad...a fellow named Joe Jackson...took the guitar, muttered threats of punishment as he replaced the broken string, then gave in to young Tito's begging to let him play it. I have a feeling that Tito used the words 'Play it', rather than 'Play with it'. Joe handed the little guy the guitar, probably expecting at best cat-fight-like screes and such and at worst another string repair job, and was both surprised and impressed when his son actually made the guitar pretty much sing. Impressed enough, in fact, to get him his own guitar.

Tito and two of his brothers...Jermaine and Jackie...formed a trio at the urging of their dad, to be joined a bit later by a couple of childhood friends, brother Marlon, and, on the tambourine, the youngest of the five, a little guy named Michael.

The group morphed and practiced, finding it's sound, the two childhood friends dropped out leaving the five brothers, and the resulting group played local events and talent shows like Gary, Indiana's Tiny Tot's Jamboree. It was at this event, in 1965, that a suggestion was made to name the group The Jackson Five Singing Group, which was later shortened to simply 'The Jackson Five'. 

They were so-named in '65, then won a local talent show in '67 (At Gary's Theodore Roosevelt High School), where they knocked several Motown hits out of the park...particularly Michael, who's vocals pretty much won 'em the contest when he sang lead on their cover of James Brown's 'I Got You (I Feel Good)'. They scored several more talent show wins over the next year or so, then Joe Jackson decided to take the show on the road...specifically the very well respected 'Chitlin' Circuit', where they played several equally well respected music venues, such as a little Harlem joint known as The Apollo, as well as Chicago's Regal. They scored talent wins at both, BTW, as well as impressing a lady of some musical talent named Gladys Knight well enough for her to convince Joe Jackson to cut a demo tape and let her send it to Motown Records. Motown received it. perused it, chins were likely rubbed meaningfully, aaaaand they...rejected it.

'Say what???' You ask.

Yep, on their first try with Motown, The Jackson 5 was soundly rejected. In late 1967 Joe did get them a record deal with Steeltown Records, where they released a pair of not overly memorable singles, and he kept them on the Chitlin' Circuit, where they continued to impress...and impress people in high places at that.

In July '68 they opened for Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers for a week long run of shows at The Regal, and during this same week, Taylor set up another audition for The Jackson 5 with Motown, this one live, in the flesh, and held at Motown's headquarters in Detroit on July 23^rd, 1968. The audition was taped, and the tape was sent to label founder and CEO Berry Gordy, in L.A., where he took a listen, was duly impressed this time, and immediately sent word to sign 'em.

The Jackson 5 were about to make themselves some music history while kicking off one of the most legendary music careers of the modern era. Not at all bad for a group of kids whose lead singer was still a couple of years away from puberty.

They recorded at Motown's Hitsville Studio, on Grand Ave in Detroit initially, then headed for L.A., where they'd open for Diana Ross and The Supremes for a few weeks.  While they hung out with that very lovely and talented group of ladies, Berry Gordy was putting together a team of songwriters who'd become known as The Corporation...Composer/songwriters Freddie Perren, Deke Richards, and Alphonso Mizell. Berry Gordy made himself the forth member of the group, and they began...well, song-writing. The first song they knocked out was a little tune called 'I Want You Back'.

The song had a simple and common concept...a guy regretting leaving his girl, and trying to win her back, and interestingly it wasn't originally written for The J-5, nor was it originally named 'I Want You Back. It was originally named 'I Wanna Be Free' and was first offered to Gladys Knight and The Pips, then when they turned it down, it was offered to Diana Ross. Depending on which source you believe...and I've read both...either Ross suggested that Berry Gordy give it to the newly signed Jackson Five, or Berry Gordy himself decided that, with a little tweaking, it'd be a perfect match for the group.

The Corporation tweaked the lyrics a bit to make it more of a love song, changed the title, gave it a bit more of a 'Pop' vibe, and gave it to The Brothers Jackson to give it what would be their signature sound. It kicks off with a peppy piano/guitar intro that slides into a high energy melody that dares you not to move something (You will)paired with equally spirited vocals courtesy of then-11 year old Michael Jackson, backed up by his brothers. It would very very quickly become obvious who was the star in the group.

'I Want You Back' debuted at on The Billboard Hot 100 at #90 on Nov. 15, 1969 and spent the holidays climbing the charts, cracking the Top 20 (#19) on December 13^th, and the Top 10 (#7) two days after Christmas. It snagged the #1 spot on the last day of January, 1970, hanging on to #1 for a single week before dropping to #2 for a pair of weeks, #4 for a single week, and dropping off the charts entirely on March 21^st, for a nineteen week chart run...nine of them in the Top 10. It would also be the first of four back to back #1 hits for The Jackson 5 and make Michael Jackson the youngest performer ever to sing lead on a #1 hit. While it was doing all of that, it also made it clear that Motown could definitely hold it's own in the very profitable 'Pop' genre. 

'I Want You Back' was...and is...one of those songs that's plain long fun to listen to...a musical character trait that was common to all of the J-5's songs, as well as Michael Jackson's early hits from the same era. And speaking of Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5, lets be honest here. The majority of The J-5's hits were, basically, Michael Jackson songs with his brothers as back-up singers. He sang lead on, and petty much dominated, nearly all of them...at 11 years old the kid had immense stores of talent that were barely being tapped .

This one was all over Top-40 radio during the winter of '70, and it was just the beginning...but we didn't know that yet. What Us 70s kids knew was, we really liked the sound. Heck, we took 'em to # 1 not once but four times...back to back.

Like all of Michael Jackson's (And the J-5's) hits, it had immense staying power, and not only hung around the charts for over three months, it's still around...you'll hear it on Oldies stations every once in awhile today (Another trait common to all four of the J-5's first hits).

So, when you're listening to some oldies, and hear that high-energy intro, and hear an eleven year old Michael Jackson's ' Uh-Huh-Huh-uhhhh...Let Me Tell Ya Now' kicking off this classic take a second to reflect on the song that started a legend. And while you're at it, just try to not head-bop to it!

So Enjoy! 'I Want You Back' by the Jackson 5


Bonus Number One, and it's a true, true classic...Diana Ross introduces The Jackson Five at The Hollywood Palace, on their very first-ever-televised live performance of their very first hit. If you don't smile a bit at the intro, you have a heart of concrete...Michael was a little salesman even back then, and a little flirt as well...note the give and take with Diana Ross. She truly adored her young label-mates. 
 Note that for a moment or so at the beginning, Michel's lip movements are way out of sync with the audio..that's not the video...Motown wanted them to lip-sync to the single as released, and it took Michael a bit to get in sync with the recording. Still...he had talent overload even back then. How many just-turned-eleven year old kids are the lead singers of a band poised on the brink of super-stardom?

And Seventies Music of all genres just lives on...I love it when today's kids embrace our music! There's a show in Germany, called The Voice Kids, open to kids from 6-14, that's pretty much in the very same vein as The Voice we're so familiar with.

In 2013, a little lady named Fabienne pretty much blew the judges/coaches away when in the blind audition when she sang 'I Want You Back'...she knocked it slam out of the park, she did!  Did I mention that she was only 10 or so when she performed this? And that she doesn't speak English, so she had to learn the lyrics phonetically? (You can hear her accent at several places , which just makes it more adorable) .

ABC The Jackson 5

ABC

1970

The Jackson Five

Motown's 'The Corporation' didn't waste any time what-so-ever after 'I Want You Back' took off before they knocked out another hit for The J-5. In fact, 'I Want You Back' was still comfortably in the Top 10 and still a good month away from dropping off of the charts when the Jackson 5 released what would not only be their second #1 in a row, but would also become what many, if not most, fans consider their signature song.

Like 'I Want You Back', ABC's concept was pretty basic...a young man explaining to a young lady just how easy loving him would be....but the way The Corporation went about writing it was a bit unique, as they equated the lesson of love, so to speak, to the basic Three R's of education...with a little music class thrown in. Supposedly, Deke Richards was playing around with some piano chords, and as he doodled on the ol' ivories, those legendary lyrics (ABC...Easy as 1,2,3, Do Ray Me, Baby You and Me) just popped into his head.

 The tune he was creating those lyrics to? According to Freddy Perrin, Deke already knew those chords by heart because The Corporation, wanting to get The J-5's second single out while 'I Want You Back' was still on the charts, grabbed the music from I Want You Back's chorus, tweaked it a little, made a couple of other changes and used it as the melody for the song that would become 'ABC'.  Like 'I Want You Back', it was a fun-to-listen-to, high-energy tune that showcased Michael Jackson's then pre-pubescent vocals, and like their previous #1, it wasted no time in climbing the charts to the top spot. Needless to say, The Corporation done good, and The J-5 took it into orbit.

ABC was also the title song from The Jackson 5's second album, and the now-familiar, 'Bu-buh-bu-bu-bu-buh!!!' that kicked it off was first heard on American Bandstand three days before it's February 24^th release. It debuted on The Billboard Hot 100 at #41 on March 14^th and wasted no time what so ever climbing the charts...the next week it broke into the Top 20 at # 14, and cracked the Top 10 a week after that, on March 28^th, at #6. It snagged the #1 spot on April 25^th 1970...Knocking a little tune named 'Let It Be' by some group from England out of the top spot in the process...and hung on to #1 for two weeks before dropping back to #2 , staying there for a pair of weeks before spending one more week in the Top 10 (#9), a single week in the Top 20 (#15) and finishing out it's chart run at #30, dropping off altogether on June 6^th.

'ABC' enjoyed a 13 week chart run...Nine of them in the Top 10, eleven of them in the Top 20, and all but one of them in the Top 40...and that one week it missed the Top 40...it's debut 'week...it barely missed. While it was at it, Billboard also listed 'ABC' as the fifteenth biggest song of 1970 (Spoiler Alert...it beat out another of their first four #1s by one spot)

ABC was all over Top 40 radio as my 7th grade year wound down and the summer before 8th grade kicked off (Yes,,,I in fact am making myself feel old here.) and when I say all over Top 40 radio, I mean of course, all over AM Top 40 radio. I hadn't moved to the Richmond area yet, so I and my cohorts heard it on Tidewater Virginia's legendary AM Top 40  powerhouse, WGH (Famous 1310).

 If anything, ABC was even more frenetic and energetic that their first hit, and had a feel-good-move-yer-body-to-it vibe that just couldn't be ignored or resisted. It was not only one of The J-5's signature hits, it was a text-book example of what was called 'Bubblegum Rock'...light-hearted, simple, fun, high energy tunes aimed directly at the pre-pubescent and barely pubescent crowd that are today known as 'Tweens'. It worked in a big way. For a lot of us younger Seventies kids...most especially the young ladies among us...the J-5's songs, along with songs by another well known dude from the era named Donny Osmond, were among the first hits songs we really got into

ABC...Like pretty much any hit associated with Michael Jackson...has had some serious staying power. You'll hear it pretty regularly on Oldies stations even now, as well as in the Movie 'Daddy Daycare, and when The Jackson 5 played a reunion show back in 2001 it was one of the songs that led the show off, much to the crowd's delight.

Us Seventies Kids remember it as a fun little tune from our pre-high-school youth that harks back to a far simpler time, when passing Ms Fishbreath's Evil Algebra Test and wondering whether your crush would notice the fact of your existence were the biggest worries life had to offer. When you hear that familiar ''Bu-buh-bu-bu-bu-buh!!!', you're back to a simpler time for just a click under three minutes. Probably with a smile on your face. While head-bopping and lip-syncing. And that's a good thing!

So Enjoy!  'ABC, by The Jackson 5


The Jackson Five performed their brand new, soon-to-be-chart-topper on Dick Clark's American Band Stand on February 21st, 1970 , just three days before it debuted on the Hot 100. It's easy to see the star MJ was becoming here, as well as easy to see why many J-5 fans say that their songs were a bit removed from being true Bubblegum Pop, even though that's the demographic that the music was aimed at. The Jackson Five truly performed their music, and there were a lot of R&B and Soul elements incorporated into their music that other 'Bubblegum Pop' songs just didn't have. Their music was truly unique, as well as classic.

 

As a second bonus...take a look at this meeting of classics. The Jackson Five appeared on the Carol Burnett Show to not only perform their then-new hit, ABC, they smoothly incorporated it with one of that classic and long-running variety show's comedy sketch's...a sketch starring, of course, the incomparable Carol Burnett. OH....yeah...an earthquake occurred as this was being filmed...watch for it, it's noted pretty prominently in the video. Carol Burnett being as professional, cool, and collected as they come, improvised and incorporated it into the sketch without missing a beat. 

The J-5 performed the full version of ABC in the sketch...looks like they had a blast filming it!

The Love You Save by The Jackson Five

The Love You Save

1970

The Jackson Five

This one put 'The Jackson Five' in the record books. While paying tribute to a quartet of very famous gentlemen from our past. At the same time passing the 'Motown's Top Group' title from 'The Supremes' to 'The Jackson Five'. All in the name of warning a 'fast' girl to slow down.

Like 'ABC', 'The Love You Save' was released while the hit preceding it was still on the charts, and like both previous J-5 singles it made it to The Billboard Hot 100's top spot, making the Jackson 5 the first Black male group, ever, to have all three of their first singles make it to that exalted spot....they would, of course, do that record one better very shortly.

'The Love You Save' debuted on The Billboard Hot 100 at #45 on May 30^th, 1970, and pretty much mirrored ABC's chart performance when it shot up the charts like the oft-noted homesick angel. It cracked the Top 20 it's second week in (#15), and just made it into the top 10, at #10, a week later. They were at #2 on their 4^th week in, and on the 27th day of June, 1970, 'The Love You Save' snagged the Hot 100's top spot, where it would stay for two weeks...also becoming the second J-5 song to knock a Beatles song (The Long And Winding Road) out of #1. It hung around the Top 10 for five more weeks before dropping to #17, then to #31 for it's final week...staying in the Top 10 for nine of it's thirteen weeks on the chart, and never dropping out of the Top 40 after it's second week. Oh...as an interesting little factoid, chartwise, the two Beatles songs kicked out of the Hot 100's Top Spot by ABC and The Love You Save were also the last two singles that iconic group released before they broke up.

 The song also featured a little nod to history that a lot of people tend to overlook. While trying to convince the girl that she needs to change her ways, the song reminds her what some of the guys she's flirted with say about her...

Isaac said he kissed you
Beneath the apple tree
When Benjie held your hand he felt
E-lec-tri-ci-tee!
When Alexander called you
He said he rang your chimes.
Christopher discovered
You're way ahead of your times!

And in doing so, the lyrics hark back to some guys who were pretty famous, as well as the events that brought them fame. Isaac refers to Issac Newton, with the apple tree, of course, referring to the incident that allowed him to discover the concept of gravity. Benjie alludes to Ben Franklin and his storm-busting kite. Alexander refers to Alexander Graham Bell, and the telephone. And finally, Christopher refers to Chris Columbus himself, as well as his discovery of The New World.

“The Love You Save' also threw some props to the Diana Ross And The Supremes hit 'Stop! In The Name Of Love'...That exuberantly exclaimed 'Stop!' at the beginning of the song, and the foot-stomps to the rhythm towards the end? They were inspired by the 'Supremes' hit. (While we're at it, Diana Ross is also credited by many people for discovering The Jackson Five, though others credit Bobby Taylor, of 'Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers' fame with discovering them. Bobby Taylor also produced their first album, which, BTW was entitled 'Diana Ross Presents The Jackson Five'. Hmmmmmm....)

While you can argue that the subject behind 'The Love You Save' was a bit more serious than that of the J-5's first two hits, and it's message and advice to young girls was just as valid 45 years ago as it would be today, the song was still meant to be basically a quick, fun, Bubblegum Rock tune. In that vein, it hit it's mark just about perfectly.

I (As well as a lot of other people ) remember the melody of this one more so than the intro...like all of The J-5's hits it was peppy, light, and fun to listen to, and the melody and sound was particularly liked by the younger fans even if they really didn't entirely understand the lyrics.

An interesting side note...Michael met his very first minor bit of controversy when the J-5 scored those first four #1s because here he was, singing about love and, in The Love You Save, what was apparently a loose woman at only eleven or so...an age when most boys still assumed girls had cooties. Nothing at all really came of it, but it should be noted that Berry Gordy took note, kind of agreed, and made a few changes, before  'The Love You Save'... which was arguably more mature, lyrically, than ABC if not 'I Want You Back'...was written. Again, this mini-controversy didn't affect record sales nor did it keep the hits from coming.

'The Love You Save's fondly remembered, as are all of the Jackson Fives hits, especially those iconic first four...they hark back to a simpler time for us Seventies Kids, literally to a time before even the stresses of high school for a lot of us. That's more than enough of a reason for us to wax nostalgic when we hear a very young Michael Jackson proclaim 'Stop!' when The Jackson Five's third #1 in a row shows up on an Oldies Station playlist...and it will. Maybe not as often as some of either the J-5's or Michael Jackson's early hits, definitely not as often as, say, some America, Eagles, or Skynrd tracks, but if you're listening at just the right time you'll still hear it once in a while.

And this is a good thing! So enjoy. 'The Love You Save' by The Jackson Five.

I'll Be There-The Jackson Five

I'll Be There

1970

The Jackson Five

If you were a kid back in 1970 and you hear a certain twice-repeated 8-note piano intro on the local Oldies station today, it's a pretty good bet that you know what song's starting up without even having to think about it. If you don't recognize it...which would likely mean you had the misfortune to spend your teen years in some music-free vacuum...that intro kicks off the song that probably became The Jackson Five's most beloved hit and definitely became their most successful hit.  'I'll Be There' was so popular, and so good, in fact, that it scored the top spot on the Hot 100 for not just one, but two legendary artists about two decades or so apart.

'I'll Be There' was a major change-up for The Jackson Five. The group was rightly considered to be one of the ambassadors of Bubblegum Pop, and that's the sound that had earned them a hat-trick of #1 hits...but Berry Gordy wanted to show the world that The J-5 could do more than just crank out Bubblegum Pop. HMMMMM...how do do this....a Ballad? Yes! A ballad! OF course, when Berry Gordy decided to go with a ballad for the J-5's next single, he knew he was taking a risk. It wasn't the kind of music they were known for, and most importantly, it wasn't a type of song they'd ever sung for the masses.

The first thing he had to do was give The Corporation some time off...Ballads weren't their forte'. He called in Hal Davis, Willie Hutch, and Bob West, talented and experienced songwriters all, especially Hal Davis. Take a look at the record jackets for any and all of Motown's biggest artists and hits and you'll see his name in the writing and /or producing credits. Once Berry Gordy got this cadre of hit-makers gathered in one place he sat 'em down and told them what he needed. And, with instructions in hand, they preceded to crank out a legendary classic.

This team put together a simple, gentle ballad for The J-5, taking Michael Jackson's already  extraordinary singing talents and paring his voice with older bro Jermaine for what is, arguably, one of the prettiest, most soulful ballads to come out of the early Seventies. Like all of the J-5's songs the concept was pretty straight-forward as well as a feeling every guy alive can probably identify with. That feeling being letting a girl he still loves and adores know that he'll always be there for her. 

They done good...heck, they knocked it out of the park, with the bases loaded. Those sweet, soulful lyrics sung to a soft, flowing melody and slow, wistful rhythm are timeless, and the song's still a favorite forty five years later because of it. Anyone who says they haven't thought about someone they love while listening to those soulful, haunting lyrics is lying. Those same qualities are what made it an instant, run-away hit

'I'll Be There' was a hit from the instant it debuted on The Billboard Hot 100...no, seriously, I'm not kidding...it cracked the Top 40, at #40, on September 19th, 1970...the same day it debuted. It then commenced to chart-climbing like a homesick space-alien, slipping into the Top 20 (#19) on it's second week in and the Top 10 (#6) on Week 3. Four weeks in it was at #2, and on week 5, it snagged the coveted 1-spot, where it'd stay for five weeks, making it The Jackson Five's most successful hit by far. While it was at it, it also snagged the top spot on the Billboard Black Singles Chart and #24 on the Billboard Easy Listening Chart (What's known today as Adult Contemporary)

I'll Be There pulled something off that very few other tunes can boast of...it never dropped out of the Top 40 during it's 16 week chart run. Not only that, it hung around the Top 10 for eleven of those sixteen weeks...in fact the only two weeks that it wasn't in the Top 20 or better were it's first and last weeks on the chart...it was still at #29 when it finally dropped off the charts, still putting it in the Top 30. It was, by far, their most successful single, moving 4.2 million singles in the U.S., and 6. million world-wide.. It'd apparently also be a tough act to follow...The J-5'd never again snag the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100, though they'd grab the runner-up position a few times.

 Michael Jackson noted himself, in his autobiography 'Moonwalk', that 'I'll Be There' is the tune that lifted The Jackson Five beyond 'Bubblegum Pop', and I'll take that a step further and say that it's very likely the song that lit off the afterburners on Micheal's career...his solo career began just about a year later, and anyone living on Planet Earth and having some vague knowledge of music over the last 45 or so years knows what a talent he was and what a career he had.

'I'll Be There' was not only The Jackson Fives best-loved hit, it was likely their most covered hit, with the covers starting early...Andy Williams released a version in 1971...but the absolute best known cover was released twenty years and small change after The J-5 snagged the Hot 100's top spot with it...and  also grabbed The Billboard 100's top spot, The artist? A young lady named Mariah Carey

The way that cover happened is an interesting little story in itself...back in 1992, when MTV actually played Music and showed music videos, they had a show called 'MTV Unplugged, which featured popular artists and acts playing acoustic instruments. Mariah Cary was to appear on the show, and was told that 'Everyone covers an early hit'. Annnnd...she hadn't really prepared one. She and R&B singer Trey Lorenz knocked out a version, with Mariah singing Michael Jackson's parts, and Trey handling Jermaine Jackson's parts, added it to their 'MTV Unplugged set list, then told the crew at Music Television 'This is what we came up with, knocked it out kinda quick, hope it'll do...'

Really, Mariah...really...Hope it'll do???

Needless to say, Mariah Carey knocked it slam out of the park because, well because she's Mariah Carey. The wild thing was...they weren't planning on releasing it as a single. Again, it was basically knocked out on the quick so they'd have a cover for their 'Unplugged' set. The phone calls...both to MTV and to Mariah Carey's label...wanting to know where they could buy the single started almost as soon as the final credits for that ep of 'Unplugged' rolled.

They edited the performance and released it as a single to a waiting public. The Mariah Carey version debuted on The Hot 100 on Memorial Day Weekend, 1992 at #13, broke into the Top 10 at #4 a week later, and snagged #1...where it'd stay for two weeks...on June 20th. It'd be in the Top 10 for eight of it's twenty weeks on the charts, and while it was at it, would score a Grammy Nomination for Best R&B Duo performance(They lost to 'Boyz II Men). Mariah Carey never forgot where the song came from, BTW. She and Trey reunited on July 7th, 2009, at Michael Jackson's memorial service, to sing their version as a tribute to The Gloved One.

Mariah Carey's version was awesome, but the original's, of course, the one that's best loved. This is the Jackson Five song that you'll absolutely, definitely and inevitably hear on the Oldies stations today. It made the group a serious contender in the record industry, and really kicked off the career of a true legend.  It's probably also inspired a few million wistful thoughts as it was listened to by a guy or gal who'd always be there for the one they loved, and that smooth, sweet melody, and those soulful lyrics still bring smiles to lots of faces today when it shows up on an Oldies station (That'd be WBBT, 107.3 in the Richmond area).

'I'll Be There'll probably be inspiring those wistful thoughts for decades after Us Seventies Kids are gone...it's a classic, and it really is that pretty and that awesome.

So Enjoy!   I'll Be There', by The Jackson Five.  


As a bonus,  Mariah Carie's adds her own style to the tune in her chart-topping cover of I'll Be There...she has always made any song she sings a treat. Better yet, this is the studio version, which was never released publicly. Needless to say she nails it to the wall...after all, she's Mariah Cary!


Bonus Numero Dos...speakin' of keepin' the music of The Seventies alive and young ladies who make any song they sing a treat, take a listen to this. The lovely and uber-talented young lady you'll hear nailing 'I'll Be There' to the wall in this video is Andi Kitten, and she was the lead singer of a quartet of  lovely and uber-talented young ladies hailing from Lubbock, Texas and calling themselves the Cactus Cuties. They rose to a pretty decent level of fame after a video of them at a Texas Tech Women's Basketball game singing what, IMHO, is the best rendition of The Star Spangled Banner ever performed anywhere  went viral. People took notice. Big-time. The girls specialized in religious and patriotic songs, then crossed over to singing Oldies and some modern Pop, with a couple of original songs thrown into the mix. They appeared on Disney Channel's Cory In The House, toured the country, sang for the President, sang the National Anthem at more than a few pro football games in their home state, and won the hearts of millions before the group folded and the girls...all still close friends...went their separate ways.

When they were still The Cactus Cuties, they were music students at Lubbock's Cactus Theater...The  Cuties were the best known sub-set of a large group of talented kids known as The Cactus Kids...and back in September 2009 The Cactus put on a Michael Jackson Tribute Concert.  All of the kids were given a MJ song to research and sing, and when their teacher and mentor Cami Caldwell gave Andi her assignment for the concert, it was 'I'll Be There', which was suited just about perfectly to her singing voice. As you'll hear she not only knocked it outa the park, she just might have out-done the original! Oh...she was still a couple of days away from her 13th birthday when she made 'I'll Be There' her own. She still sings, often partnering up with Madeline Powell, another former Cutie, and the granddaughter of the gent who made the video that put them in the spotlight, and she's only gotten better and better as she's gotten older. (She's still an Oldies fanatic from what I hear, too!). 

Take a listen, especially when she really kicks the afterburners in at about 3:50 into the video!

A couple of interesting little factoids.

 Remember when Michael Jackson says 'Just look over your shoulders, Honey!' towards the end of the song? Well...he kinda flubbed his line. Berry Gordy added in this spoken line as a tribute to The Four Tops tune 'Reach Out, I'll Be There', and told Michael to say it as ...over your shoulder...' Singular. As in one shoulder or the other.

When they recorded it, MJ spoke the line as it still is...shoulders...and the slightly flubbed line was allowed to stay. I mean really...the song's pretty much perfect. Were they really gonna do another take because of a misplaced 's' that most likely no one'd really notice anyway?

SO the line stayed as is.

<***>

Of all the different versions of 'I'll Be There', one of the most interesting is when Michael Jackson did a duet with his younger self, all in the name of  'The Pepsi Generation'

Michael Jackson did a slew of commercials for Pepsi during a ten or so year span from the early 80s to the early 90s, all of which were more production than mere commercial. The last commercial he filmed for Pepsi was back in 1992, during the Dangerous Tour. In this last well-paid shout-out to Pepsi he was sitting at a piano, singing I'll Be There as he reminisced about the Jackson Five days, when his 11 year old self appeared at the doorway to the room and joined in. It was a fun little TV ad...Especially for MJ fans, of which there were more than a few...but of course, it wasn't all that simple. This last MJ Pepsi commercial bred it's own bit of controversy.

First, we never got to see it in the U.S. (At least not until YouTube came along). See, this commercial was never aired in the US because it was meant for the international audiences...not at all unusual for any celeb, so that's not where the controversy arose...the controversy arose because of the young actor chosen to portray young Michael.

The boy chosen to portray the younger MJ was Caucasian. This probably wouldn't have been a problem until the New York Post found out about it, and in the best tabloid tradition, made it into a headline...and their article was pretty vocal as to their thoughts on just why the choice was made.

Now, keep in mind this was 1992, twenty years and change after 'I'll Be There' rocketed to #1 and well into the plastic surgery/skin bleaching phase of Michael Jackson's life. The general consensus, pushed hard by The Post, was that he chose a white child so it wouldn't be as obvious that present-day Michael's skin was shades lighter than then younger Michael's. Of course, with that being said, the boy's face was digitally replaced and darkened so it resembled...closely...a young Michael Jackson, which would have made the choice of actor somewhat of a moot point.

M.J. himself made it clear in his famous Oprah Winfree interview that he didn't have a whole lot of input on the choice of actor, and that the kid's chemistry with cast and crew, and most importantly, his ability to...well...act...were the qualities that got him the gig. You know, like pretty much any acting job.

The only things the controversy actually did was whet the ad-watching public's appetite for the commercial to see what all the hub-bub was about, tick off M.J. American fans because they couldn't see the commercial, and give Pepsi all kind of publicity, which is pretty much the general purpose of any ad.

Controversy aside, it was still well received, and well liked because, like lots of Pepsi commercials, it was enjoyable...a trait not many commercials can lay claim to. Pepsi commercials, from time eternal have all been productions on a massive scale and three versions of this commercial were filmed.

And of course I found it on You Tube...a video with all three versions at that!