Panther's picks - Michael Jackson: Got To Be There - 1972

 

This was Michael Jackson's first studio album. In places it is a remarkably mature performance from Jackson, such as on the wonderful cover of Bill Withers' Ain't No Sunshine. His voice is still considerably in "transition", shall we say, (not quite there yet) but he has a great ability to deal with whatever song he is asked to sing. He nails it.

Berry Gordy brought in lots of Motown big hitters to play on the album and the backing and sound quality is excellent. At the time, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder were releasing seriously credible, socio-political and adult romantic material, but it has to remembered that Jackson was still just a twelve year-old boy and they were grown men. There was still a huge market for teen pop, and this was teen pop-soul of the highest quality. 

Obviously, Ain't No Sunshine is the stand-out track, but I Wanna Be Where You Are is lively and soulful, with a great bass line and solid groove. It has a nice funk-lite appeal. Those Michael Jackson/Jacksons disco vibes were definitely taking root right here, weren't they? Girl Don't Take Love From Me is a good one too. These songs are so nostalgic of those early seventies years. I was born in the same year as Michael Jackson. 

In Our Small Way is cheesy but simply lovely all the same and, of course, Got To Be There is just sublime. It was his first solo single and Motown wanted him to rival Donny Osmond. They needn't have worried. Just as vocal coach Suzee Ikeda said - "Michael is a much better singer than Donny Osmond". He proved her right. I can't believe Berry Gordy etc thought it not to be the right choice at the time. It is one of his best songs, even though he was only twelve when he recorded it. Just astonishingly precocious, wasn't he?

Yes, Rockin' Robin is pure bubblegum, but I still love it. I guess it just takes me back to my childhood. I was twelve, Jackson was twelve. I thought both it and he were great at the time. Listening to it now, it still resonates as being a really good album. For a twelve year-old boy, it is pretty impressive. Love the bongo and drums backing too. Flap those wings now.....

Wings Of My Love is highly orchestrated, with sweeping strings. Perfect early seventies teen schmaltz, but nothing wrong with that. Jimmy Ruffin's Maria (You Were The Only One) is covered highly convincingly, with some funky buzzy guitar backing and a gritty soulful atmosphere. Again, Jackson proves his potential on this one. Diana Ross & The Supremes' Love Is Here And Now You're Gone gets a similar, really confident treatment. It is very much the equal of the original and actually sounds quite a lot like it. James Taylor's Carole King-penned You've Got A Friend is handled well by Jackson too. This lad had something. Of course he did.

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