ABC

Sources : My personal research, Wikipedia, Michael Jackson: For The Record by Chris Cadman & Craig Halstead, Twitter account of Damien Shields and the amazing archives of the MJCast.

RECORDING DATE

December 1969 with The Jackson 5

STUDIO(S)

Motown’s California Studios

SONGWRITER(S)

The Corporation (Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonzo Mizell and Deke Richards)

PRODUCER(S)

The Corporation

RELEASE DATE :

February 24, 1970 (single version)

May 8, 1970 (album version ABC)

LABEL

Motow,

LENGTH

2:55

ALTERNATE VERSIONS RECORDED BY MJ (covers and remixes by other artists are not included)

I Want You Back aka 1-2-3 (demo Version) : recorded in 1969 and released posthumously on November 10, 2009 (I Want You Back, Unreleased Masters).

MUSICIANS

Musicians on the song’s session were uncredited, per Motown policy. Motown did not list session musician credits on their releases until 1971. The musicians who performed on “ABC” are believed to be as follows.[10]

David T. Walker – guitar
Louis Shelton – guitar
Don Peake – guitar
Wilton Felder – bass guitar
Gene Pello – drums
Freddie Perren – keyboards
Sandra Crouch – tambourine
Unknown musician – bongos

PEAK ON HOT 100 BILLBOARD :

1

SHORT FILM

No short film

LIVE PERFORMANCES ON TV SHOWS

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.

June 10, 1970 : The Jackson 5 perform The Love You Save & ABC on the Groovy Show TV program in Los Angeles.

September 16, 1971 : Goin’ Back to Indiana TV Special

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 5, 1972 :  In The UK he Royal Variety Performance featuring the J5 is aired on the BBC. The group sings I Want You back, ABC, Rockin Robin, We Thank You & The Love You Save.

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)

March 16, 1974 : The Jackson 5 perform Dancing Machine & This Old Man/ABC at the Carol Burnett Show. Janet makes her TV debut and performs with Randy a Sonny & Cher skit.

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

July 7, 1976 : CBS airs the 4th episode of The Jacksons Variety Show.  Special guest star : Joey Bishop. Songs performed :”ABC” “Fever”, “I Got You Babe”,”Down by the Old Mill Stream”, “Never Can Say Goodbye”.

November 13, 2001 : Michael Jackson 30th Anniversary Special in September 2001

LIVE PERFORMANCES ON CONCERTS

The Jackson 5 First National Tour (May 2 – December 30, 1970)
The Jackson 5 Second National Tour (January 2 – October 15, 1971)
The Jackson 5 US Tour (December 27, 1971 – October 5, 1972)
The Jackson 5 European Tour (November 2–12, 1972)
The Jackson 5 World Tour (March 2, 1973 – Late December 1975)
The Jackson 5 Final Tour (February 2–14, 1976)
The Jacksons Tour (May 19 – 24, 1977)
Goin’ Places Tour (January 22 – May 13, 1978)
Destiny World Tour (January 22, 1979 – January 13, 1980)
Triumph Tour (July 8 – September 26, 1981)
Michael Jackson 30th Anniversary Special (September 7+ 10, 2001)