The Jacksons is the eleventh studio album by the Jacksons, the band's first album for Epic Records and under the name "the Jacksons", following their seven-year tenure at Motown as "the Jackson 5". Jackson 5 member Jermaine Jackson stayed with Motown when his brothers broke their contracts and left for Epic, and he was replaced by youngest Jackson brother Randy. The album was released in 1976 for Epic Records and Philadelphia International Records as a joint venture.
Contents
Critical reception
Philadelphia International heads Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff produced and executive produced the album, including their first top ten hit in two years, "Enjoy Yourself", but had a difficult time focusing on a sound for the now-grown-up boy band. However, the group was able for the first time to record their own material, something that had been denied to them at Motown. The Jacksons composed "Style of Life" and "Blues Away" on their own. "Blues Away" was the first published song written by lead singer Michael Jackson, who began to take a more percussive vocal approach on this album. The album also spawned a second successful R&B single, "Show You the Way to Go" (UK no. 1). Though never released as a single, "Good Times" became a popular album cut from regular quiet storm airplay.
Commercial performance
The album was the Jacksons' first gold album, despite their having sold more than 10 million albums while at Motown (Motown's sales and financial records were not presented for auditing by the RIAA until 1976).
Personnel
Arrangements
Bobby Martin, Jack Faith, Dexter Wansel
Producers
1–3, 6, 9 – Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff
4, 7 – Dexter Wansel
5, 10 – Gamble, Huff, Wansel, the Jacksons, Gene McFadden and John Whitehead
8 – McFadden, Whitehead and Victor Carstarphen
Music
MFSB, Tito Jackson, Randy Jackson
Technical
Jay Mark, Joe Tarsia – mixing
Joe Tarsia – recording
John Berg – album design
Harou Miyauchi – cover drawings
Norman Seeff – photography