Michael Jackson Michael Jackson: Got to Be There

Michael Jackson Albums

Got to Be There (1972)

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Riding high on the wild success of the Jackson 5, Motown ringleader Berry Gordy assembled every single notable production team member and songwriter in his arsenal to contribute to the solo debut of the J5's boy wonder, Michael. By the time Got to Be There was released, much had changed in the Jackson dynamic, none the least Michael's voice. But this album launched three chart singles: a cover of the bubblegum classic "Rockin' Robin," Leon Ware's "I Wanna Be Where You Are," and the title track. 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. It was a world away from the politically charged sound of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and the introspection that would later grace some of the best works of Stevie Wonder. But Got to Be There kept Gordy as king of the sound of young America — at least for a few months longer. by Rob Theakston

Tracks


Ain't No Sunshine		watch
I Wanna Be Where You Are	1	watch
Girl Don't Take Your Love from Me		watch
In Our Small Way		watch
Got to Be There		watch
Rockin' Robin		watch
Wings of My Love		watch
Maria (You Were the Only One)		watch
Love Is Here and Now You're Gone		watch
You've Got a Friend		watch

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Comments (17)

Re: Got to Be There

Posted by khaledtarek20222 on Dec 02, 2011 at 9:03 AM

I Love U Michael , Rest In Peace

Re: Got to Be There

Posted by cool billiejean on May 16, 2011 at 4:29 PM

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allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love you michael jackson:)

Re: Got to Be There

Posted by miss umicheal21 on Oct 30, 2010 at 6:36 PM

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I am only 13 years old and i love michael jackson as a family member! I love the jackson family and i wish them a blessed year,Michael will be forever missed!!!!!!! Love kaniyah Robles!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Got to Be There

Posted by anotherpartofme123 on Aug 10, 2010 at 1:34 PM

i love him from cradle to grave and beyond.

Re: Got to Be There

Posted by amyajulius456 on Jul 12, 2010 at 12:03 PM

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i like this

Re: Got to Be There

Posted by twintoner on May 19, 2010 at 10:02 AM

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cool!

The album that started it all.........

Posted by thrillerfan13579 on Apr 26, 2010 at 8:58 PM

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Wow, this is the album that started MJ's solo started to get big. But, then this was WAY before Thriller came out.... Love this album!!

Re: Got to Be There

Posted by Unbreakable1 on Apr 09, 2010 at 1:13 PM

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I grew up with Motown and the Jackson FIve records. Michael's soulful and angelic voice is the soundtrack to my adolescent and teen years. I bought 45s of "Got To Be There," "Rockin' Robin," and the R&B classic, "I Wanna Be Where You Are," - which all played on New York's WABC radio's Top Forty rotation.

I later bought this album. I won't comment on the obvious motives of Berry Gordy. "Got To Be There" is a compilation of songs that illustrate the versatility - R&B, soul, rock, pop, ballad - of Michael's vocal style that will come into full bloom in less than ten years with the release of "Off The Wall."

In order to fully hear - and especially feel - the evolution of Michael's unique voice and his approach to a song - his phrasing and timing - you need to go back to these first solo ventures. He takes well-known hits like Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine," The Supremes" "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone," and even Carole Kings" "You've Got A Friend, " and makes them truly his own.

Michael's expressive voice, as young as he was when these recordings were made, has a maturity and depth that you'd be hard-pressed to find in singers twice his age. Even today, there are no adolescent vocalists who could come close to communicating personal feelings to their audience the way Michael could to us.