I Want You Back

FROM : Original track listing of the “Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5” album

RELEASE DATE :  December 12, 1969 (album version)

October 6, 1969 (single version)

LENGHT : 2:59 (album version)

LABEL : Motown Records

RECORDING DATES : July-September 1969

STUDIOS : The Sound Factory, West Hollywood.

SONGWRITER(S) : The Corporation – (Berry GordyFreddie PerrenAlphonso MizellDeke Richards)

PRODUCER(S) : Bobby Taylor

RECORDING ENGINEER :

LEAD VOCALS : Michael Jackson

BACKING VOCALS : Jackie Jackson, Tito Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Michael Jackson.

MUSICIANS :

Michael Jackson – lead vocals
Tito Jackson – vocals, backing vocals
Jackie Jackson – vocals, backing vocals
Jermaine Jackson – vocals, backing vocals
Marlon Jackson – vocals, backing vocals
Keith Washington – backing vocals
Ludie Washington – backing vocals
Fonce Mizell – piano
Freddie Perren – piano
Louis Shelton – guitar
David T. Walker – rhythm guitar
Wilton Felder – bass guitar
Don Peake – guitar
Gene Pello – drums
Clarence McDonald – keyboards
Joe Sample – piano
Sandra Crouch – tambourine
Unknown musician – bongos

Credits are adapted from Michael Jackson All The Songs and AllMusic.

ALTERNATIVE VERSIONS*

*Worked by MJ during his lifetime. Covers and remixes by other artists are not included.

-A different mix was used on the Hollywood Special on October 18, 1969.

-A different version with an introduction by Bill Cosby included in the Goin’ Back To Indiana album.

LIVE PERFORMANCES BY MICHAEL JACKSON :

-October 18, 1969 : Diana Ross & The Supremes introduce the Jackson 5 on ABC’s Hollywood Palace Special where they perform Sing A Simple Song, Can You Remember, I want You Back and There Was A Time (with Diana Ross & Sammy Davis Jr)

-December 14, 1969 : The Jackson 5 appear on The Ed Sullivan Show where they perform Stand, Who’s Loving You and I Want You Back. Diana Ross is in the audience and she takes credit for discovering them.

-Later, the group performs I Want You Back on the Joey Bishop Show.

-January 31, 1970 : The Jackson 5 perform I Want You Back on the Andy Williams Show.

-February 21, 1970 : The Jackson 5 perform I Want You Back, ABC and a medley of Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah/There Was A Time on American Bandstand hosted by Dick Clark.

-May 10, 1970 : The Jackson 5 perform I Want You Back/ABC/The Love You Save on the Ed Sullivan Show.

-November 14, 1971 : The Jackson 5 perform a medley of I Want You Back/ABC/The Love You Save, Never Can Say Goodbye + a skit on the Flip Wilson Show.

-November 4, 1972 : In the US, Soul Train Show airs a Jackson Five special where they perform I Want You Back, Lookin’ Through The Windows & Corner Of The Sky. Jermaine performs That’s How Love Goes & Daddy’s Home. Michael performs Ben.

-January 10, 1974 : One More Chance, a Jackson 5 TV Special is aired on CBS. The group performs Get It Together + a medley of I Want You Back/ABC/I’ll Be There/Ben/Daddy’s Home/Never Can Say Goodbye/The Love You Save and another medley Up a Lazy River/Opus One (with the Mills Brothers).

-April 10, 1974 : The Jackson 5 perform I Want You Back/ABC at the Sandy in Disneyland TV special.

-March 16, 1975 : The Jackson 5 appear on the Cher TV show.They are introduced by Janet and they perform I Am Love + a skit called The World Is a Mess and finally Cher joins the group to perform a medley of I Want You Back/I’ll Be There/Never Can Say Goodbye/The Love You Save/Dancing Machine.

-The song was performed during all the Jackson 5 concerts from 1970 to 1976

-The song was performed in July 1976 on The Jackson TV series on CBS.

-The song was performed during all the Jacksons concerts from 1976 to 1984 (The Jacksons Tour 1977, Goin Places Tour 1978, Destiny Tour 1979, Triumph Tour 1981, Victory Tour 1984).

-April 9 , 1983 : All the Jackson brothers (including Jermaine & Randy) rehearse and tape a medley of songs including “I Want You Back” of the Motown 25th Special at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium (aired on May 16, 1983).

-The song was performed during all Michael Jackson solo concerts from 1987 to 1997 (Bad Tour 1987-1989, Dangerous Tour 1992-1993, History Tour 1996-1997).

-The song was last performed live during Michael Jackson’s 30th anniversary celebration concerts on September 7 + 10, 2001 in New York City.

-The song was rehearsed for the planned This Is It concerts in June 2009 and some footage appear in the “This Is It” movie released in 2009.

SHORT FILM : No short film

PEAK ON HOT 100 BILLBOARD : 1

DID YOU KNOW THAT?

-Originally considered for Gladys Knight & the Pips and later for Diana Ross, as “I Wanna Be Free”, “I Want You Back” explores the theme of a lover who decides that he was too hasty in dropping his partner.

-The song has sold six million copies worldwide. In 1999, “I Want You Back” was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

-English girl group Cleopatra recorded a cover version of “I Want You Back” for their 1998 debut studio album, Comin’ Atcha!. It was released as the album’s third single on August 10, 1998, and received mixed reviews from music critics. “I Want You Back” became the group’s third and final top-five hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number four and staying on the chart for 11 weeks, making it their longest-charting single along with “Cleopatra’s Theme”.