The Jackson 5 The 1980s
 Most of the early Jackson 5 singles were written and produced by The Corporation, who crafted for the Jackson 5 a sound that mixed the traditional Motown Sound with teenage-honed lyrics that they termed bubblegum soul. The Jackson 5 became an instant sensation, with I Want You Back and its 1970 follow-ups ABC, The Love You Save, and I'll Be There all going to #1 on both the Billboard Pop Singles chart and the Billboard Soul Singles (R&B) chart. Other early Top 5 hits included Mama's Pearl and Never Can Say Goodbye.
Now successful, Joseph was finally able to arrange to move Katherine and the rest of the family out to California in 1970. First moving into a two-story residence at 1616 Queens Road in Los Angeles, the Jackson family moved to a gated mansion they called Hayvenhurst, which was purchased by Joseph in March 1971.
Jacksonmania swept the nation, and within a year of their debut the Jackson 5 were among the biggest names in popular music. The group essentially replaced The Supremes as Motown's main marketing focus, and, capitalizing upon the youth-oriented appeal of the Jackson brothers, Motown licensed dozens of Jackson 5-related juvenile products, including the now famous J5 Heart logo which appears on Johnny Jacksons drum kit and many of the Jackson 5's album covers, stickers, sewable patches, posters, and coloring books. A new teen magazine aimed at African-American youth, Right On!, began publication in 1971, and focused heavily on the Jackson 5; at least one Jackson adorned the cover of every issue published between January 1972 and April 1974. Animation producers Rankin/Bass produced The Jackson 5ive, a Saturday morning cartoon that debuted on September 11, 1971 and ran for two seasons on ABC. The Jackson 5 starred in two of their own television specials, Goin' Back to Indiana (aired September 16, 1971) and The Jackson 5 Show (aired November 5, 1972).
A scene from Rankin-Bass's The Jackson 5ive Saturday morning cartoon.In 1971, Motown began a spin-off solo career for Michael, whose first single, Got to Be There, was a Top 5 hit. Michael also sang the title track for the 1972 motion picture Ben. His other successful solo singles included Rockin' Robin and I Wanna Be Where You Are (both 1972). Jermaine started a solo career of his own in 1972, and had a Top Ten hit with his Shep and the Limelites cover Daddy's Home. Jackie also recorded a solo album, but his releases failed to chart. Despite fan rumors that all three Jacksons might leave the group as they released solo work, the solo careers of Michael, Jermaine, and Jackie co-existed alongside that of the group as a whole, allowing Motown to expand the success and sales of Jackson 5-related releases.
Relationships and marriages
The Jackson 5 was also notable for its significant popularity with adolescent girls during the early 1970s. Thousands of young girls fell in love with the Jackson brothers, especially Jermaine and Michael. Michael Jackson's biographer, J. Randy Taraborrelli, has said that the elder brothers engaged in sexual relations with several of their female fans at hotels shared between them while younger brothers Michael and Marlon watched in the same room. Michael himself, despite being the most popular member of the group, would remain shy about dating for most of his adolescence. Tito was the first Jackson brother to marry, marrying his high school girlfriend Dee Dee in June 1972.
Against the wishes of his father, Jermaine began a relationship with Berry Gordy's daughter Hazel. Jermaine and Hazel Gordy's relationship was highly publicized in magazines such as Right On!, Ebony, and Jet, and the two were married at a gala wedding ceremony held on December 15, 1973 at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
Decline
After 1972, the Jackson 5's releases were less successful, but they still did very well. Later Top 20 hits, mostly written and produced by Hal Davis, included Lookin' Through the Windows (1972) and the disco-styled Dancing Machine (1974), which popularized the Robot dance routine. Jackson 5 albums declined somewhat in critical acclaim and financial success during the latter part of their Motown tenure, although LPs such as Lookin' Through the Windows (1972) and G.I.T.: Get It Together (1973) frequently included successful album tracks, including their version of Hum Along and Dance, a popular number in their live act.
Critics, the Jackson 5, and Joseph Jackson agreed that the main reason for the group's declining success was Motown's refusal to update their image or allow them creative control. Although they played their own instruments on stage and had begun writing and producing songs in their own home recording studio, the Jacksons were not allowed to play on their own records or record their own material. Feeling that the Jackson 5 could be more of a success without Motown, which was by this time declining in success and popularity, Joseph began shopping for a new record deal for his sons.
The move to CBS Records
The cover to the 1978 album Destiny.In 1975, Joseph negotiated a new recording contract with CBS Records, who offered a royalty rate of 20% per record, compared to Motown's standard 2.8%; and would allow the Jackson brothers to write and produce their own records and play their own instruments. After unsuccessfully attempting to talk the group into staying on the label, Motown sued for breach of contract. Although Motown eventually let the group go, the Jackson 5 were forced to change their name to The Jacksons, because Motown retained the Jackson 5 trademark during the settlement of the lawsuit. The Jacksons also replaced Jermaine with the youngest Jackson brother, 14-year-old Randy, since Jermaine chose to stay with Motown and the Gordys. Randy had been an unofficial member of The Jackson 5 since 1972, playing congas onstage as part of their live act.
After losing the Jacksons, Motown would not have another success of their caliber for the duration of Berry Gordy's ownership of the label. Gordy often said of the Jackson 5 that they were, coming after the label's most famous acts, the last big stars to come rolling off the [Motown] assembly line.
In summer 1976, CBS television signed the Jackson family (including Michael, Marlon, Tito, Jackie, Randy, Rebbie, LaToya, and Janet) to appear in their own variety show, to compete with ABC's The Osmonds. The Jacksons debuted on June 16, 1976, and ran on CBS until its cancellation the following March. The show was the first variety show hosted by an African American family.
At first, part of CBS's Philadelphia International Records division, and later moving over to Epic Records, the Jacksons continued releasing popular singles such as Enjoy Yourself (1976), produced by Philadelphia International's Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff. After two LPs produced by Gamble and Huff, the Jacksons wanted artistic control, and produced their next LP, 1978's Destiny, on their own. The album included the Jacksons' biggest post-Motown single, Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground), which charted at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number three on the Billboard R&B Singles chart. Shake Your Body, written by Michael and Randy, sold over two million copies, attaining double-platinum status. Destiny also went platinum, and peaked at number 11 on the Billboard 200 album chart and number three on the R&B album charts. In 1979, the Jacksons received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
|
