Jackson Five success rate for six years at Motown

[woodward]

I read in another article elsewhere that the J-5 were with Motown for six years.

The author of the article states that during the six years at Motown the group recorded 469 songs of which 174 were released. 37% of the recorded songs were released.

That would be an interesting statistic for some of the other groups. This is the first I ever heard a statistic such as this. Has anyone else heard any others?

[mysterysinger]

The Jackson 5 signed with Berry on March 11, 1969 and in 1975 the Jackson 5 announced they were breaking their contract with Motown to sign with Epic Records, which they did on March 10, 1976. That's a 7 year period. DFTMC lists 151 songs by the J5 but that only list songs recorded up to 1972 so would be much more by the time they moved to EPIC.

DFTMC includes songs released later that were in the vault so "previously unreleased". I should think that the figure you quote of 174 released songs doesn't include the stuff that was released later and so there will not now be such a big stockpile of still unreleased tracks. There have been a few major releases containing many "previously unreleased" J5 tracks over the years.

Also do your figures relate solely to the J5 or do they also count solo recordings by Michael, Jermaine and Jackie for example? I'm assuming live tracks don't feature in the numbers quoted.

[gman]

I would think if they had that much material in the vaults, they would have released a larger portion of it over the years.....especially soon following Motown 25 and Michaels huge success....

[mysterysinger]

Whilst there does seem to be a certain consensus as to 469 recorded songs at Motown, it's not clear which recordings would be included in that figure. It's pretty sure that it will include the solo tracks from Michael and the early solo tracks from Jermaine - though I'm unsure about Jackie.

On a Michael Jackson Forum, JAO records list J5/MJ recordings by recording date that they've painstakingly put together from other sources. This only amounts to 235 songs but doesn't include the 11 songs from the Christmas Album recorded around July 1970. It does seem to include some still unreleased tracks.

Here goes with the list [[which they've also listed separately by album sessions) - you can see the Forum here
https://www.mjjcommunity.com/threads/what-titles-do-we-know-of-when-it-comes-to-song-outtakes-from-the-jackson-5-and-michael.200946/

the rather long list .....

MAY 1969
Stand!
Listen I'll Tell You How
Oh, I've Been Bless'd [[14th)
To Sir With Love
Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah [[through October)

JUNE 1969
Standing In The Shadows Of Love
I'm Your Sunny One [[Sunny Boy)
Born To Love You

JULY 1969
I Want You Back
[[I Know) I'm Losing You
After You Leave Girl
Can You Remember [[10th & 15th)
You've Changed [[19th & 29th)
Who's Lovin' You [[19th, 24th & 29th)
Reach Out I'll Be There
My Cherie Amour
You've Really Got A Hold On Me [[30th)

AUGUST 1969

What’s So Good About Goodbye [[2nd for vocals)
It's Your Thing [[7th)
Chained
Since I Lost My Baby
La La [[Means I Love You)
Nobody

DECEMBER 1969
ABC
I Was Made To Love Her

JANUARY 1970
One More Chance
I Got A Sure Thing
I Hear A Symphony
You Ain't Giving Me What I Want [[So I'm Gonna Take It All Back) [[8th)
I Found That Girl
Keep An Eye
I'll Bet You [[through February)

FEBRUARY 1970
Lavender Blue
Don't Let Your Baby Catch You
We Can Have Fun [[11th)
True Love Can Be Beautiful [[11th)
A Fool For You [[12th)
Man's Temptation [[12th)
Money Honey
Don't Know Why I Love You
Honey Chile
The Young Folks
Twenty-Five Miles
Movin'
2-4-6-8 [[through March)

MARCH 1970
Never Had A Dream Come True
That's How Love Is
[[Come 'Round Here) I'm The Only One You Need
Come And Get It [[Love's On The Fire)
The Love You Save

APRIL 1970
How Funky Is Your Chicken [[through May)
Ask The Lonely
Goin' Back To Indiana [[through May)

MAY 1970
The Love I Saw In You Was Just A Mirage
Everybody Is A Star
Oh How Happy
Darling Dear [[24th)

JUNE 1970
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Love Comes In Different Flavors
Ready Or Not [[Here I Come)
One Day I'll Marry You
Never Can Say Goodbye
Give Me Half A Chance
Mama Told Me Not To Come
Can I See You In The Morning
After The Storm
I'll Be There [[through July)

JULY 1970
Reach In
Iddinit
Mama's Pearl

AUGUST 1970
Jamie
Petals
If The Shoe Don't Fit
Just A Little Misunderstanding
The Wall [[through September)

DECEMBER 1970
16 Candles

JANUARY 1971
I Will Find A Way
I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore
My Little Baby
She's Good
Someone's Standing In My Love Light
It's Great To Be Here [[through February)

FEBRUARY 1971
If You Want Heaven
[[We've Got) Blue Skies
Just Because I Love You
Maybe Tomorrow

MAY 1971
I Like You The Way You Are [[Don't Change Your Love On Me)
Feelin' Alright [[studio version)

JUNE 1971
Got To Be There [[through July)

JULY 1971
Maria [[You Were The Only One) [[through September)

OCTOBER 1971
I've Gotta Be Me
I'm So Happy
Rockin' Robin
Little Bitty Pretty One
You Can't Hurry Love
Sugar Daddy
Penny Arcade
I Can Only Give You Love [[through December)
Love Call
Children Of The Light [[through January)
Be My Girl
Ain't Nothin' Like The Real Thing [[through January)
You Better Watch Out
E-Ne-Me-Ne-Mi-Ni-Moe [[The Choice Is Yours To Pull) [[through April)

NOVEMBER 1971
Wings Of My Love
I Wanna Be Where You Are
Coming Home
You've Got A Friend
You Can Cry On My Shoulder
Ain't No Sunshine
Lulu
Girl Don't Take Your Love From Me

DECEMBER 1971
That's What Love Is Made Of
We've Got A Good Thing Going
Doctor My Eyes
In Our Small Way
If I Have To Move A Moutain [[through January)
Love Is Here And Now You're Gone
Lookin' Through The Windows [[through January)
What Goes Around Comes Around [[through February 1972)
We're The Music Makers

JANUARY 1972
Ben
That's How Love Goes
My Girl [[through February)
Don't Want To See Tomorrow [[through April)
Everybody's Somebody's Fool [[through February)
People Make The World Go 'Round [[through February)

FEBRUARY 1972
Love's Gone Bad [[Early Version)
Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Dah-Day
Going My Way [[through March)
Greatest Show On Earth

MARCH 1972
Makin' Life A Little Easier For You
Music And Me
Love Song
With A Child's Heart
To Know
When I Come Of Age
Up On The Roof

APRIL 1972
Corner Of The Sky [[through May)
Keep Off The Grass
You Made Me What I Am [[through August)

AUGUST 1972
Lonely Teardrops
I'm Glad It Rained
Happy
Love's Gone Bad
Can't Get Ready For Losing You
Skywriter [[through October)
Let's Have A Party
Too Young [[through November)
Touch [[through November)
Doggin' Around [[through November)
Love Scenes
Euphoria [[through December)

OCTOBER 1972
Our Love
World Of Sunshine [[through November)

NOVEMBER 1972
She Say Want
Little Christmas Tree
Ooh, I'd Love To Be With You
If I Can't Nobody Can
Love Is The Thing You Need
Hallelujah Day [[through January)
Teenage Symphony [[through April 1973)

DECEMBER 1972
Up Again [[started in March)
Uppermost [[started in August)
I'll Try You'll Try [[Maybe We'll All Get By)
Would Ya Would Ya Baby
Who's Lookin' For A Lover
The Boogie Man [[through January)
All The Things You Are [[through January)

JANUARY 1973
I Can't Quit Your Love
Melodie [[15th)
Johnny Raven [[through March)

FEBRUARY 1973
Love Trip [[through March)

MARCH 1973
Morning Glow [[started in December)
Jumbo Sam [[started in February)

APRIL 1973
To Make My Father Proud [[11th)
If'N I Was God
Dancing Machine [[through May)
Reflections [[through May)

MAY 1973
Label Me Love
Don't Say Goodbye Again
Pride And Joy
Get It Together
Hum Along And Dance

JUNE 1973
Here I Am [[Come And Take Me) [[6th)
Mama I Gotta Brand New Thing [[Don't Say No)
You've Really Got A Hold On Me [[11th)
If I Don't Love You This Way [[MJ solo vocals)[[J5 background rec. March 1974)
Touch The One You Love [[14th)
You Need Love Like I Do [[Don't You) [[through July)
Let's Go Back To Day One [[started April 1972)
Make Tonight All Mine [[through July)
It's Too Late To Change The Time [[through July)

JULY 1973
What You Don't Know [[solo MJ vocal)[[MJ adlibs recorded December 1973)
Whatever You Got, I Want [[MJ's solo vocals)[[J5 backgrounds rec. March 1974)

AUGUST 1973
Farwell My Summer Love [[31st)
Girl You're So Together [[31st)
Don't Let It Get You Down [[31st)

SEPTEMBER 1973
Call On Me [[4th)

DECEMBER 1973
I Can't Get Enough Of You
Window Shopping [[8th)
You're Good For Me
I'll Come Home To You

JANUARY 1974
Cupid
Lucky Day [[through February)

MARCH 1974
Joyful Jukebox Music
We're Here To Entertain You

APRIL 1974
It All Begins And Ends With Love
The Life Of The Party [[through July)
She's A Rhythm Child [[through July)

MAY 1974
The Eternal Light
Buttercup
The Mirrors Of My Mind [[through June)

JUNE 1974
I Am Love

OCTOBER 1974
Time Explosion
Call Of The Wild
Take Me Back
Honey Love [[through February 1975)
Just A Little Bit Of You
Breezy [[through February 1975)
We've Got Forever
[[You Were Made) Especially For Me [[through February 1975)
Moving Violation [[through March 1975)

NOVEMBER 1974
Dapper Dan
Cinderella Stay Awhile
Through Thick And Thin
You Are There

DECEMBER 1974
One Day In Your Life
You're My Best Friend, My Love
Dear Michael
We're Almost There

FEBRUARY 1975
All I Do Is Think Of You
We're Gonna Change Our Style
Body Language [[Do The Love Dance)

MARCH 1975
Forever Came Today

So 246 from 469 = only another 223 songs to account for. There are no live recordings in the above list.

[mysterysinger]

This list indicates 495 "lyrics" over 42 albums - it includes pre and post Motown songs as well as live tracks plus remixes etc. So not really 495 songs.

https://mojim.com/ush102906.htm



There's also a list of songs recorded by the J5 on Wikipedia - I haven't counted them but again it includes pre and post Motown recordings. It also shows a raft of over 70 unreleased songs - these include a raft of Christmas Album out-takes but we already know that there are none of these in the vaults - so pinch of salt time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_recorded_by_the_Jackson_5


None of which answers your real question - how do the J5 compare to other male groups in terms of released vs unreleased material? We know that most acts had a lot of unreleased material recorded. Isleys, Spinners, Contours, Tops etc but over the years it's pretty much all become available [[I don't think there are any more Isley's left).

[Thatkliqkid]

I would think if they had that much material in the vaults, they would have released a larger portion of it over the years.....especially soon following Motown 25 and Michaels huge success....


They did tend to release [[or re-release!) something following/preceding an MJ release. Soulsation and Come and get it followed MJ releases by literal days.

Joyful Jukebox Music [[Oct 1976) - The Jacksons [[Nov 1976)
Boogie [[Jan 1979) - Off the Wall [[Aug 1979)
Thriller [[Nov 1982) - Farewell my summer love [[May 1984)
Lookin' back to yesterday [[Feb 1986) - Bad [[August 1987)
HIStory [[June 1995) - Soulsation! [[June 1995)
This is it [[2009) - I want you back Unreleased masters [[2009)
Bad 25 [[Sept 2012) - Come and get it rare pearls [[sept 2012)


I wonder if we'd have gotten more J5 releases from the vault had the unreleased Motown albums continued for 1970.