"I Want You Back" is a 1969 number-one single recorded by The Jackson 5 for the Motown label. The song, backed with a cover of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' "Who's Lovin' You", was the only single from the first Jackson 5 album, Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5. It went to number one on the soul singles chart for four weeks and held the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for the week ending January 31, 1970.^[3]

[edit] Production

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. An unusual aspect about "I Want You Back" was that its main lead vocal was performed by a preteen, Michael Jackson.

The single was a notable first in many respects: it was the first Jackson 5 single to be released on Motown^[4]the first of four Jackson 5 number-ones released in a row (the others being "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There"), and the first song written and produced by The Corporation, a team comprising Motown chief Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonzo Mizell, and Deke Richards.^[1]

"I Want You Back" was also the first Jackson 5 song recorded in Los Angeles, California; the quintet had previously been recording Bobby Taylor-produced covers, including "Who's Lovin' You", the B-side to "I Want You Back", at Hitsville U.S.A. in Detroit, Michigan.

Although Gladys Knight and Bobby Taylor of the Vancouvers had been the ones to bring the Jackson brothers to Motown^{[citation needed]}, Motown credited Ross with discovering them, not only to help promote the Jackson 5, but also to help ease Ross' transition into a solo career.^{[citation needed]}, a career begun soon after the Jackson 5 became a success.

The Jackson 5 performed "I Want You Back," along with Sly & the Family Stone's "Sing a Simple Song," The Delfonics' "Can You Remember," and James Brown's "There Was a Time" during their first television appearance on The Hollywood Palace in an episode hosted by Diana Ross & the Supremes.

[edit] Reception

It has sold 6 million copies worldwide.^[5] In 1999, "I Want You Back" was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.^[6]

"I Want You Back" ranks number 120 on Rolling Stone's list of the '500 Greatest Songs of All Time'.^[1] It also ranks ninth on Rolling Stone's list of the '100 Greatest Pop Songs since 1963'.^[5]

In 2006, Pitchfork Media named it the second best song of the 1960s, adding that the chorus contains "possibly the best chord progression in pop music history." ^[7] A June 2009 article by The Daily Telegraph called it "arguably the greatest pop record of all time". ^[8]

The song is featured in the Lego Rock Band video game. However, it sounds different than the original version as vocals from the other Jacksons are not heard.

[edit] Charts

[edit] Credits

• Lead vocals by Michael Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Jackie Jackson and Marlon Jackson
• Background vocals by Michael Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Tito Jackson, Jackie Jackson and Marlon Jackson
• Written, produced and arranged by The Corporation
• Keyboards by Freddie Perren
• Piano by Joe Sample^{[citation needed]}
• Guitar by David T. Walker, Louis Shelton and Don Peake
• Bass guitar by Wilton Felder
• Drums by Gene Pello
• Tambourine by Sandra Crouch^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Cover versions

A "live" version by Graham Parker and The Rumour garnered mild success in 1979; its title is sometimes shown as "I Want You Back (Alive)". David Ruffin recorded a version with The Funk Brothers at Hitsville in Detroit with the familiar Motown sound. It was to be included on his unreleased LP "David".

Canadian girl group West End Girls had a top-10 single in 1991 with their cover.

British girl group Cleopatra released their cover version, which reached number four in the UK official top 40 in 1998.

A progressive bluegrass version of "I Want You Back", featuring mandolin and guitar, was performed by American acoustic trio Nickel Creek on their "Farewell (For Now) Tour" in 2007.

The song has been repeatedly sampled, with notable uses by Kris Kross ("Jump", 1992), Tamia ("Imagination, 1998), Jay-Z ("Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"), 2001), and Lil Romeo ("My Baby", 2001). The song was interpolated by BLACKstreet and Mya featuring Ma$e and Blinky Blink for the remix of "Take Me There" from the Rugrats Movie soundtrack. A lesser-known sample was the one used in "Fantastic" by will.i.am.

The single was re-issued in the UK in 1988 as a remix by Pete Waterman's PWL label. They remixed the song to include a snippet of "ABC". The remix reached #8 in the UK.^{[citation needed]}

The Swedish singer Tove Naess covers the track on the album Remixed Records 22, 1988.

The band Discovery, featuring members of Ra Ra Riot and Vampire Weekend, cover the track on their 2009 debut album, LP.

The British singer Mika sang the song during on of his Europeans tours, and the song appears on the Live in Cartoon Motion DVD.

British singer-songwriter KT Tunstall performed the song on an edition of "Later... with Jools Holland" using her trademark loop pedal.

Korean singer 박봄 (Park Bom) from 2NE1 sang "I Want You Back" on KBS's sketchbook as a solo.

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• Overview of "I Want You Back", featuring picture sleeves from all over the world

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