On this day in music history: December 18, 1969 - Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5, the debut album by The Jackson 5 is released. Produced by Bobby Taylor and The Corporation, it is recorded at The Sound Factory in Hollywood, CA and Motown Studio A and Studio B in Detroit, MI from May - August, and October 1969. The albums title will suggest that the group was discovered by Ross, when in truth they had been initially been brought to Motown Records attention by Bobby Taylor and Gladys Knight. Though Ross had presented them in their first national television appearance in October of 1969. After The Jackson 5 are officially signed to Motown in March of 1969, Taylor will be the first to take the group into the studio and begin recording them. Initially, he will have them recording covers of songs from the Motown catalog like Whos Lovin You? and Standing In The Shadows Of Love to more recent material like versions of Sly & The Family Stones Stand! and The Delfonics Can You Remember. Feeling that the group needs some original material, Berry Gordy will create The Corporation, a team of songwriters and producers headed up by Deke Richards, including Freddie Perren, and Fonce Mizell. While Richards, Perren and Mizell will do the majority of the writing, arranging and production work, Gordy himself acts as the fourth member of the team, acting as a sounding board, contributing lyrics and song concepts. Issued the week of The Jackson 5s first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, the album will be major success. It will spin off their debut smash I Want You Back (#1 R&B and Pop) and go on to sell over five million copies worldwide. Diana Ross Presents will spend nine weeks at number one on the Billboard R&B album chart, peaking at number five on the Top 200.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 23:00:15 +0000
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