Got to Be There explained

Got to Be There
Type:studio
Artist:Michael Jackson
Cover:Mj1971-got-to-be-there.jpg
Released:January 24, 1972
Recorded:1971[1]
Genre:
Length:35:45
Label:Motown
Next Title:Ben
Next Year:1972

Got to Be There is the debut solo studio album by American singer Michael Jackson, released by Motown on January 24, 1972,[4] four weeks after the Jackson 5's Greatest Hits (1971). It includes the song of the same name, which was released on October 7, 1971, as Jackson's debut solo single.

On August 2, 2013, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over 500,000 copies. The album was later remastered and reissued in 2009 as part of the 3-disc compilation .

Background

The album was arranged by The Corporation, Eddy Manson, James Anthony Carmichael, Gene Page, and Dave Blumberg. Berry Gordy served as Got to Be Theres executive producer, while Jim Britt was credited for photography. The album included remakes of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine", Carole King's "You've Got a Friend" and The Supremes' "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone". The album's songs have a tempo ranging from 74 beats per minute on "Ain't No Sunshine", to 170 on "Rockin' Robin."[5]

Promotion

The title track and "Rockin' Robin," a Bobby Day cover, were released as Got to Be Theres first two singles and became back-to-back hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number four and number two, respectively. Third single "I Wanna Be Where You Are" peaked at number 29 on the same chart on June 24, 1972. In the United Kingdom, Jackson's version of Withers's "Ain't No Sunshine" was issued as the album's third single. It reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart.[6]

Critical reception

Rolling Stone (12/7/1972, p. 68) - "...slick, artful and every bit as good as the regular Jackson 5 product...a sweetly touching voice...innocence and utter professionalism...fascinating and finally irresistible..." In a retrospective review, Rob Theakston from AllMusic rated the album two and a half out of five stars. He found that "as a cohesive album, Got to Be There is wildly erratic, and his covers of "You've Got a Friend" and "Ain't No Sunshine" show Jackson's versatility as a singer." Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+ rating. She found that "highlights include a jaunty cover of "Rockin' Robin," the wistful title track, and the soaring '"I Wanna Be Where You Are"."

Commercial performance

Got to Be There peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard 200 and number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart when it was released. On August 2, 2013, over forty years after its original release, it was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over 500,000 copies. In 2009, The album was later remastered and reissued as part of the 3-disc compilation .[7] Got to Be There sold over 750,000 copies within the first 3 weeks of release.[8] Sources differ as to the number of copies sold worldwide, some say 1.5 million,[9] while others say 3.2 million.[10]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Richard . Lecocq . François . Allard . 2018 . Michael Jackson All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track . Bad . London, England . . 9781788400572 . https://books.google.com/books?id=4qJfDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT500.
  2. Web site: Michael Jackson's music: the solo albums. Bernadette McNulty. The Telegraph. 26 June 2009. 14 November 2019. Motown chief Berry Gordy pushed Jackson's first solo album firmly into the mould of his label's sound: lush, harmonious, optimistic, innocent pop.
  3. Chery, Carl: XXL: Michael Jackson Special Collectors Edition, page 100. American Press.
  4. http://www.dftmc.info/main.html Don't Forget the Motor City
  5. The Complete Michael Jackson, International Music Publications Ltd, 1997,
  6. Web site: Michael Jackson: Artist Chart History . Official Charts Company . 24 April 2020.
  7. Web site: Reviews of new box sets for the music fans on your list . . 2009-12-12. The Seattle Times. The Associated Press. 2020-02-14.
  8. Book: Jackson 5 Lead Singer is "Best in 1971" - Natchez News Leader . 27 Feb 1972 . Natchez News Leader . 1972 . en.
  9. Web site: Michael Jackson: a estrela sem cor. Blitz. Impresa. October 13, 2021. Ruy Miguel. Abreu. Portuguese. https://web.archive.org/web/20211014003432/https://blitz.pt/principal/update/2016-02-21-Michael-Jackson-a-estrela-sem-cor. October 14, 2021. live. "Got to Be There" was the first release integrated into this strategy, Michael's official solo debut that sold well in excess of a million and a half copies and immediately made it clear that the Top 5 was within reach of a child..
  10. Book: Classic Pop Presents - Michael Jackson 2016 . English.