Early Jackson 5 Motown Classics

**woodward** · 03-25-2018, 03:09 PM

After seeing the posting that Marv2 made on the Gordon Keith interview about the early days of the Jackson 5, I dug out my Jackson 5 Pre-History, the Lost Steeltown Recordings, issued in 1996 by Inverted Records/Brunswick Records. I listened to the 14 songs again. I noticed a version of My Girl as well as a version of Tracks of My Tears. I must admit they were weak compared to the Temptations and Miracles later versions. It got me to thinking what if they waited until they were with Motown and gotten the Motown treatment what would their later versions of both of these songs sound like? I forgot that these two were included in the Pre-History collection. Do you think they would have been superior to the Temptations and the Miracles?

What do other J5 enthusiasts think about this situation?

**marv2** · 03-25-2018, 03:18 PM

I know they would have done a great job and sounded great as well if they had done them at Motown. It is a bit hard to compare the earlier versions they did without hearing them. I will do a search and see if I can come up with anything.

**marv2** · 03-25-2018, 03:23 PM

Ok, now this is the version they recorded in 1966:

**marv2** · 03-25-2018, 03:24 PM

The harmonies were fine, maybe the could have modulated them a bit more. That tambourine is a bit loud and annoying.

**marv2** · 03-25-2018, 03:27 PM

Here's their Motown version. You can immediately tell it is much more polished and professional:

**marv2** · 03-25-2018, 03:32 PM

This is the original recording made in 1967 for Steeltown Records. Again with the tambourine. LOL! Michael seems like his is trying to sing in a lower voice and it is a bit fast:

**midnightman** · 03-25-2018, 03:50 PM

Their first official single:

It's still rumored that some of Steeltown's session singers sung background with Michael on this.

**midnightman** · 03-25-2018, 03:56 PM

The same song, recorded on One-Der-Ful Records:

This was recorded in July 1967 and very fast. You kinda hear MJ's maturity a little in the Steeltown version. This is when he was 8.

You can obviously hear Jackie, Tito and Jermaine [[don't think Marlon did anything but bang on the tambourine at the time) on it that you can't hear on the Steeltown version.

**mysterysinger** · 03-25-2018, 07:16 PM

this CD contains 2 early versions of "The Tracks Of My Tears", "My Girl" etc. A Motown version of "You've Changed" was on their Diana Ross Presents album.

Attachment 14076

**marv2** · 03-25-2018, 07:22 PM

Originally Posted by mysterysinger

this CD contains 2 early versions of "The Tracks Of My Tears", "My Girl" etc. A Motown version of "You've Changed" was on their Diana Ross Presents album.

Attachment 14076

Thank you Mysterysinger. I would not have guess that the Jackson 5 had this many recordings before Motown.

**sansradio** · 03-25-2018, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by mysterysinger

this CD contains 2 early versions of "The Tracks Of My Tears", "My Girl" etc. A Motown version of "You've Changed" was on their Diana Ross Presents album.

Attachment 14076

I recently scored a used CD of this material that looks suspiciously like a bootleg. Still, it's a fascinating glimpse at diamonds in the rough...and i do mean rough.

**midnightman** · 03-25-2018, 11:10 PM

I'm glad Motown got them though because I don't think Gordon Keith knew what he was doing tbh...

**robb_k** · 03-25-2018, 11:22 PM

Originally Posted by woodward

After seeing the posting that Marv2 made on the Gordon Keith interview about the early days of the Jackson 5, I dug out my Jackson 5 Pre-History, the Lost Steeltown Recordings, issued in 1996 by Inverted Records/Brunswick Records. I listened to the 14 songs again. I noticed a version of My Girl as well as a version of Tracks of My Tears. I must admit they were weak compared to the Temptations and Miracles later versions. It got me to thinking what if they waited until they were with Motown and gotten the Motown treatment what would their later versions of both of these songs sound like? I forgot that these two were included in the Pre-History collection. Do you think they would have been superior to the Temptations and the Miracles?

What do other J5 enthusiasts think about this situation?

No! Jackson 5 wouldn't have sung Temptations and Miracles songs better than their original groups singing their best songs that were among their best efforts.

**marv2** · 03-26-2018, 07:48 AM

Originally Posted by robb_k

No! Jackson 5 wouldn't have sung Temptations and Miracles songs better than their original groups singing their best songs that were among their best efforts.

I agree with that. I think I misunderstood Woodward. I thought he meant would they have done a better job with the songs once they were old and at Motown compare to their early versions of them.

**woodward** · 03-26-2018, 09:02 AM

Originally Posted by marv2

I agree with that. I think I misunderstood Woodward. I thought he meant would they have done a better job with the songs once they were old and at Motown compare to their early versions of them.

That is what I meant. I guess I didn't explain it better. Sorry.

**soulster** · 03-26-2018, 12:09 PM

Originally Posted by woodward

After seeing the posting that Marv2 made on the Gordon Keith interview about the early days of the Jackson 5, I dug out my Jackson 5 Pre-History, the Lost Steeltown Recordings, issued in 1996 by Inverted Records/Brunswick Records. I listened to the 14 songs again. I noticed a version of My Girl as well as a version of Tracks of My Tears. I must admit they were weak compared to the Temptations and Miracles later versions. It got me to thinking what if they waited until they were with Motown and gotten the Motown treatment what would their later versions of both of these songs sound like? I forgot that these two were included in the Pre-History collection. Do you think they would have been superior to the Temptations and the Miracles?

What do other J5 enthusiasts think about this situation?

No way, man! No one can top the Temptations' original "My Girl".

I never liked the song "Tracks Of My Tears".

**marv2** · 03-26-2018, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by woodward

That is what I meant. I guess I didn't explain it better. Sorry.

Thank you for this thread Woodward.

**Motown Eddie** · 03-27-2018, 05:39 AM

Originally Posted by woodward

After seeing the posting that Marv2 made on the Gordon Keith interview about the early days of the Jackson 5, I dug out my Jackson 5 Pre-History, the Lost Steeltown Recordings, issued in 1996 by Inverted Records/Brunswick Records. I listened to the 14 songs again. I noticed a version of My Girl as well as a version of Tracks of My Tears. I must admit they were weak compared to the Temptations and Miracles later versions. It got me to thinking what if they waited until they were with Motown and gotten the Motown treatment what would their later versions of both of these songs sound like? I forgot that these two were included in the Pre-History collection. Do you think they would have been superior to the Temptations and the Miracles?

What do other J5 enthusiasts think about this situation?

I agree with other posters who feel that even if The Jackson 5 had recorded "My Girl" & "The Tracks Of My Tears" at Motown, they would not have been superior to the original versions by The Temptations & The Miracles. After all, other artists at Motown [[such as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight & the Pips among others) tackled those songs and while the results are listenable, they don't come close to the originals. That said, The Jackson 5's takes on "My Girl" & "The Tracks Of My Tears" would've been more polished had they done them at Motown [[thanks to the label's various producers and higher recording budget).

**Thatkliqkid** · 03-27-2018, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by marv2

This is the original recording made in 1967 for Steeltown Records. Again with the tambourine. LOL! Michael seems like his is trying to sing in a lower voice and it is a bit fast:

It's so hard to gauge much from these recordings. It's hard to tell if the lead is Michael or Jermaine in some of these songs. The lady who recorded these demos in their living room singing along just muddies the water further!

**marv2** · 03-27-2018, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by Thatkliqkid

It's so hard to gauge much from these recordings. It's hard to tell if the lead is Michael or Jermaine in some of these songs. The lady who recorded these demos in their living room singing along just muddies the water further!

It sounds like Michael on lead to me. That damned tambourine is just way too loud.

**midnightman** · 03-27-2018, 06:49 PM

Tracks of My Tears without the ridiculous overdubbing:

Marlon was banging that tambourine like his life depended on it.

I think that's Michael too because at the end, he does that falsetto that is obviously something Michael would do. Jermaine's falsetto wasn't as crisp lol

**marv2** · 03-27-2018, 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by midnightman

Tracks of My Tears without the ridiculous overdubbing:

Marlon was banging that tambourine like his life depended on it.

I think that's Michael too because at the end, he does that falsetto that is obviously something Michael would do. Jermaine's falsetto wasn't as crisp lol

This was when he was really 9 years old and not when Motown said he was 9 years old. LOL!!!

**marv2** · 03-27-2018, 07:13 PM

I now wonder who was the kid with the high voice in the background. It sounds too young to be Jackie as he would have been around 17 years old by the time of this recording.

**midnightman** · 03-28-2018, 01:27 AM

^ I'm guessing Jermaine. Jermaine was around 12 when they recorded this [[and they said MJ and Jermaine vocally sounded alike as kids). I read the Jackson family bios and it don't seem Papa Joe's mean a$$ didn't let Marlon sing until they signed with Motown.

**midnightman** · 03-28-2018, 01:29 AM

Originally Posted by marv2

This was when he was really 9 years old and not when Motown said he was 9 years old. LOL!!!

This may have been recorded BEFORE signing with Steeltown, which was November 1967. So he could've been eight when they recorded it unless there's like session dates for recordings like this. Looks like this was recorded at the Jackson family house lol

**Thatkliqkid** · 03-28-2018, 08:38 AM

Originally Posted by midnightman

This may have been recorded BEFORE signing with Steeltown, which was November 1967. So he could've been eight when they recorded it unless there's like session dates for recordings like this. Looks like this was recorded at the Jackson family house lol

Mjtunes has this info on the song "Lonely Heart" which tends to show up on those Steeltown compilations:
"Believed to originate from a demo tape recorded in the living room of 2300 Jackson Street or Tito’s music teacher Shirley Cartman, which Cartman planned to pass on to Gordon Keith, founder and owner of
Steel-Town Records – however, instead Keith accepted an invitation to hear the Jackson 5 play, and signed them soon after. "