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J5 backing vocals in brothers early solo songs?

Dart_Jack

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In what solo Michael songs did J5 sing along with him?

Backing vocalists did not receive recording credits in those years. It is difficult to establish.

In some of Michael's songs, vocals reminiscent of Jermaine or Jackie are clearly audible, but it is not always sure that this is
exactly they. Motown had in-house backing vocalists who were similar in vocals to the brothers.

J5's backing vocals on Jermaine's solo recordings set:

-That's How Love Goes / I Only Have Eyes for You / Daddys Home (in Jermaine'72)
-You're In Good Hands / Does Your Mama Know About Me / So in Love (in Come Into My Life)
-I Need You (in Soulsation)

J5's backing vocal on Jackie Jackson solo album:

-Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time) / Do I Owe

Is this a complete list or are there more solo songs Jermaine and Jackie with J5 contributions?
 
I sometimes wonder about some MJ songs if they actually include other J5.

But you seem to be more interested in Jackie and Jermaine's songs. I don't really listen to them so often (though I like some of the songs you mentionned).

They're not credited here at all: http://www.soullyoldies.com/backup-singers.html
 
Maxym said:
I sometimes wonder about some MJ songs if they actually include other J5.

But you seem to be more interested in Jackie and Jermaine's songs. I don't really listen to them so often (though I like some of the songs you mentionned).

They're not credited here at all: http://www.soullyoldies.com/backup-singers.html
Click to expand...

Not. I'm interested in Michael's early solo songs.

The brothers' contributions to Jermaine and Jackie's solo songs were established, but contribution in Michael's solo were not.
 
Then I don't have the answers but I think that there a lot of confusion regards songs released under "Michael Jackson" name after they left Motown. Typically songs from "Looking back to yesterday" that also appear in MJ's anthologies/best of.

Example: "Love's gone bad" is usually released as a MJ song, but I think it sound a lot like a J5 song and yet it's is from the "Skywriter" sessions, and even this Wikipedia page doesn't include it as a J5 song --> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looking_Back_to_Yesterday
More or less the same for "That's what love is made of"
(I'm also surprised that "When I come of age" is from the G.I.T. sessions, thought it was from earlier.)

Otherwise, re-checking quickly GTBT, B and M&M, I really have the impression to hear the J5 in "With a child's Earth", "Too young", "Doggin' around".
So song I always thought soudned like they could J5 songs "Rockin' Robin", "I wanna be where you are"... but I didn't catch the backing vocals during this quick check.
 
Maxym said:
Example: "Love's gone bad" is usually released as a MJ song, but I think it sound a lot like a J5 song and yet it's is from the "Skywriter" sessions, and even this Wikipedia page doesn't include it as a J5 song --> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looking_Back_to_Yesterday
More or less the same for "That's what love is made of"
(I'm also surprised that "When I come of age" is from the G.I.T. sessions, thought it was from earlier.)

Otherwise, re-checking quickly GTBT, B and M&M, I really have the impression to hear the J5 in "With a child's Earth", "Too young", "Doggin' around".
So song I always thought soudned like they could J5 songs "Rockin' Robin", "I wanna be where you are"... but I didn't catch the backing vocals during this quick check.
Click to expand...

"Love's gone bad" firts released in compilation "Boogie" as J5 song.

In "Looking Back to Yesterday" released as MJ solo version.
 
You mean it's not the same version on Boogie and LBTY? I must say I never gave much attention to Boogie...
 
Maxym;4318144 said:
You mean it's not the same version on Boogie and LBTY? I must say I never gave much attention to Boogie...
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Yes! Chris Cadman writes about this in his book "For the Record")) These are different versions, although at first glance they seem identical.

"You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me" also released over the years as Michael's solo song (1984) and J5's song (1998). These were two different versions.

Also "My Girl" has a J5 version in Steeltown.
 
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Not sure if it's that one, but I think there was a book explaining ALL the MJ songs, maybe it was in French, I was considering buy it ... I don't knew what they explain exactly, the lyrics, the recording process and/or discographical details like this. Maybe I should try to find such a book ... but I always fear they will actually be incomplete...

I actually have the CD with "You really got a hold on me 1969/1998", it's also got an "I want you back" cover by some other artist, and by the way all "Farewell my summer love songs" have a 1973 and 1984 versions. (And this is a rare case but for most of them I prefer 1984.)

I've also got all or most of the steeltown recordings. "You've changed" was also a Steeltown song before it was recorded for "Diana Ross presents".

I posted some similar details about 3 others songs in this post:
https://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/...ted-Purchase?p=4317750&viewfull=1#post4317750
( Thread: Your Last MJ-Related Purchase , date: 2021-02-17 )
They include "Love's gone bad 1972" as an unreleased track... I'm now wondering it's actually the Boogie version or yet a third version. (Not checking right now.)
 
Maxym said:
"Farewell my summer love songs" have a 1973 and 1984 versions.
Click to expand...

And yet "Melodie", along with "Twenty five miles", "It's too late to change the time", "Dancing machine", and "You've got a friend", have a 1987 (re)mix on "The original soul of Michael Jackson".
 
It isn't unusual that we hear J5 BV on some of the brothers solo albums. Many of them were actually recorded as J5 songs, but have found their way onto a solo album.

For instance, Come&Get It - The Rare Pearls' booklet has some reprints of studio logs on its covers inner sleeves - one of them clearly states "With A Childs Heart" being a J5 recording.




Maxym said:
"Farewell my summer love songs" have a 1973 and 1984 versions.
Click to expand...

Maxym said:
And yet "Melodie", along with "Twenty five miles", "It's too late to change the time", "Dancing machine", and "You've got a friend", have a 1987 (re)mix on "The original soul of Michael Jackson".
Click to expand...

These aren't different recordings, per se. Their 1984 respectively 1987 versions were just overdubbed with new instruments.
 
Fuzball said:
It isn't unusual that we hear J5 BV on some of the brothers solo albums. Many of them were actually recorded as J5 songs, but have found their way onto a solo album.

For instance, Come&Get It - The Rare Pearls' booklet has some reprints of studio logs on its covers inner sleeves - one of them clearly states "With A Childs Heart" being a J5 recording.
Click to expand...

I do not argue about this. My goal is to find out all the solo songs of MJ in which the brothers sang with him (all together or separately).:rolleyes:

Als if possible, clarify the solo songs of Jermaine and Jackie with the backing vocals of J5. I saw a debate about "Love Don't Want to Leave" Jackie, but personally I am inclined that J5 did not participate there.

Some of the solo tracks Michael/Jermaine/Jackie had backing vocals similar to J5's or separately one of the brothers, but there is no exact certainty. Because some of the Motown session backing vocalists were vocally similar to them.
 
Maxym said:
Not sure if it's that one, but I think there was a book explaining ALL the MJ songs, maybe it was in French...
Click to expand...

Just found it back it's title "Michael Jackson - La totale", in French and I still don't remember if it's translated.
Just ordered it as it seems to give a lot of discgraophical details as I like and some explainations about the meaning of the songs.
It seems to go deep into the discography but I don't know yet how far. I'd expect it will be missing some of the J5/Jackasons stuff, so I don't expect it to have details about such unreleased tracks (which would have been appropriate for this thread).
 
Maxym said:
Just found it back it's title "Michael Jackson - La totale", in French and I still don't remember if it's translated.
Just ordered it as it seems to give a lot of discgraophical details as I like and some explainations about the meaning of the songs.
It seems to go deep into the discography but I don't know yet how far. I'd expect it will be missing some of the J5/Jackasons stuff, so I don't expect it to have details about such unreleased tracks (which would have been appropriate for this thread).
Click to expand...
That book's written Richard Lecocq & Francois Allard. It has been released in French and English. English version is titled "Michael Jackson All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track"
 
Fuzball said:
That book's written Richard Lecocq & Francois Allard. It has been released in French and English. English version is titled "Michael Jackson All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track"
Click to expand...

I have it now, the French version.

It's very extensive regarding MJ's solo career, it even mentions "When we grow up (Michael Jackson and Roberta Flack, 1974). Not sure why this one and not some other TV/live songs. Regarding J5, it's focusing on the very big hits, regarding the Jacksons it's more extensive than for the J5, but it's less clear to me how the songs are selected (except for Vicotry where they selected the songs with MJ in it, including "The Hurt" where he does backing vocals).

But yet it doesn't have all the details about backing vocals on Motown solo songs. I could check if there are some answer when I get time.
 
I'd be curious to know about "Got to Be There", "Maria", "We've Got a Good Thing Going", "In Our Small Way", "Euphoria" and "We've Got Forever".
 
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