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I Want You Back

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This article is about the Jackson 5 song. For other uses, see I Want You Back (disambiguation).

"I Want You Back"
Germany vinyl single
Single by The Jackson 5
from the album Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5
B-side"Who's Lovin' You"
ReleasedOctober 6, 1969 (US)[1]
RecordedJuly–September 1969
StudioThe Sound Factory, West Hollywood
Genre
Length2:59
LabelMotown
M 1157
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)The Corporation
The Jackson 5 singles chronology
"Big Boy"
(1968) 		"I Want You Back"
(1969) 		"ABC"
(1970)
Video
"I Want You Back" on The Ed Sullivan Show on YouTube

"I Want You Back" is the first national single by the Jackson 5.[3] It was released by Motown on October 6, 1969, and became the first number-one hit for the band on January 31, 1970.[4] It was performed on the band's first television appearances, on October 18, 1969, on Diana Ross's The Hollywood Palace and on their milestone performance on December 14, 1969, on The Ed Sullivan Show.[4]

The song, along with a B-side remake of "Who's Lovin' You" by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, was the only single to be released from the Jackson 5's first album, Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5. It went to number one on the Soul singles chart for four weeks and held the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for the week ending January 31, 1970.[5]

"I Want You Back" was ranked 104 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[6]

Production

Originally considered for Gladys Knight & the Pips and later for Diana Ross, as "I Wanna Be Free", "I Want You Back" explores the theme of a lover who decides that he was too hasty in dropping his partner. An unusual aspect about "I Want You Back" was that its main lead vocal was performed by a tween, Michael Jackson.

"I Want You Back" was released on October 6, 1969,[7] and was the first Jackson 5 single to be released by Motown[8] and the first song written and produced by The Corporation, a team comprising Motown chief Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonso Mizell, and Deke Richards.[6] It also is the first of four Jackson 5 number-ones released in a row (the others being "ABC" – 1970, "The Love You Save" – 1970, and "I'll Be There" – 1970) and the first Jackson 5 song recorded in Los Angeles, California; the quintet had previously been recording Bobby Taylor-produced remakes of other artists' hits, including "Who's Lovin' You", the B-side to "I Want You Back", at Hitsville U.S.A. in Detroit, Michigan. From late 1969 and on, nearly all of the Jackson 5's recordings were done in Los Angeles when the majority of recordings for other artists on the label were done in Detroit.

Although Gladys Knight had been the first to mention the Jacksons to Berry Gordy, and Bobby Taylor brought the Jackson brothers to Motown,[8] Motown credited Diana Ross with discovering them.[8] This was done not only to help promote the Jackson 5, but also to help ease Ross' transition into a solo career,[8] which she began in 1970 soon after the Jackson 5 became a success.[8]

The song was remixed for the 2009 release The Remix Suite.

Live performances

The Jackson 5 performed "I Want You Back" during all of their world tours, either as a full song or as a part of the Jackson 5 Medley in concerts (which also included "ABC" and "Mama's Pearl", later on switched with "The Love You Save" in 1973). During their second-ever television appearance (in an episode of The Hollywood Palace hosted by Diana Ross & the Supremes),[9] the Jackson 5 performed "I Want You Back" along with Sly & the Family Stone's "Sing a Simple Song", The Delfonics' "Can You Remember", and James Brown's "There Was a Time". They also performed the song on American Bandstand and The Andy Williams Show.[10]

Michael Jackson performed the song as part of the "Jackson 5 Medley" (which also included the songs "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There") during all of his world tours - the Bad World Tour, the Dangerous World Tour and the HIStory World Tour.[11] The song was performed live at the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special in 2001, in which Jackson reunited with his brothers on stage for the first time since 1984.[12] The song was to be performed at Jackson's This Is It comeback concerts in London, which were cancelled due to his death.[citation needed]

Reception and legacy

The song has sold six million copies worldwide.[13] In 1999, "I Want You Back" was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[14]

"I Want You Back" ranks number 104 on Rolling Stone's list of the '500 Greatest Songs of All Time'.[6] It also ranks ninth on Rolling Stone's list of the '100 Greatest Pop Songs since 1963'.[13] In 2020, it was ranked number 2 on Rolling Stone's list of 'The 100 Greatest Debut Singles of All Time'.[15]

In 2006, Pitchfork named it the second best song of the 1960s, adding that the chorus contains "possibly the best chord progression in pop music history".[16] A June 2009 article by The Daily Telegraph called it "arguably the greatest pop record of all time".[17] Digital Spy called the song "one of the most enduring pop singles of the sixties".[18]

According to Acclaimed Music, it is the 45th most celebrated song in popular music history, and the 2nd best song of 1969.[19]

The single has been awarded Silver certification on August 22, 2014, by the British Phonographic Industry Association.[20]

"I Want You Back" has long been considered one of the most sampled songs in all of hip hop music.[21] The song has been sampled over 60 times since its release[citation needed] by artists including Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G.[22]

The song was included in the soundtrack for the 2014 film Guardians of the Galaxy.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from Michael Jackson All The Songs[23] and AllMusic.[24]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "I Want You Back"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[35] Gold 45,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[36]
sales since 2009 		Gold 25,000‡
Japan (RIAJ)[37] Gold 100,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[38] 2× Platinum 1,200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[39] Platinum 1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Cleopatra version

"I Want You Back"
Single by Cleopatra
from the album Comin' Atcha!
ReleasedAugust 10, 1998 (1998-08-10)[40]
Studio
  • Cookhouse (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
  • The Loft (Los Angeles)
  • RAK (London, England)
  • Plus XXX (Paris, France)
Length4:02
LabelWEA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Shaun LaBelle
Cleopatra singles chronology
"Life Ain't Easy"
(1998) 		"I Want You Back"
(1998) 		"A Touch of Love"
(1999)
Music video
"I Want You Back" on YouTube

English girl group Cleopatra recorded a cover version of "I Want You Back" for their 1998 debut studio album, Comin' Atcha!. It was released as the album's third single on August 10, 1998, and received mixed reviews from music critics. "I Want You Back" became the group's third and final top-five hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number four and staying on the chart for 11 weeks, making it their longest-charting single along with "Cleopatra's Theme". It also charted in several other countries, reaching the top 20 in France and New Zealand.

Critical reception

British trade paper Music Week reviewed the song before its release, calling it "close-to-the-original" and giving it a "side-thumb" rating.[41] British columnist James Masterton wrote that this cover version has "no merit whatsoever" but ultimately called the track "forgivable" due to Cleopatra's talents and worldwide popularity, referring to the single as "nothing short of a superb but faithful rendition of an all time classic song by a group with the voices to carry it off perfectly".[42]

Track listings

UK CD1[43]

  1. "I Want You Back" – 4:02
  2. "I Want You Back" (Darkchild remix) – 4:06
  3. "I Want You Back" (Stepchild remix) – 4:52

UK CD2[44]

  1. "I Want You Back" – 4:02
  2. "I Want You Back" (Direktorz of the Mix R+B remix) – 3:55
  3. "I Want You Back" (Ordinary People club mix) – 4:40

UK 12-inch single[45]

A1. "I Want You Back" (Darkchild remix) – 4:02
A2. "I Want You Back" (Stepchild remix) – 4:52
B1. "I Want You Back" (Direktorz of the Mix R+B remix) – 3:55
B2. "I Want You Back" (Ordinary People club mix) – 4:40

UK cassette single and European CD single[46][47]

  1. "I Want You Back" – 4:02
  2. "I Want You Back" (Darkchild remix) – 4:06

Australian CD single[48]

  1. "I Want You Back"
  2. "I Want You Back" (Darkchild remix)
  3. "I Want You Back" (Stepchild remix)
  4. "I Want You Back" (Direktorz of the Mix R+B remix)
  5. "I Want You Back" (Ordinary People club mix)

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the UK CD1 liner notes.[43]

Studios

  • Recorded at Cookhouse Recording Studios (Minneapolis, Minnesota), The Loft Studios (Los Angeles), RAK Studios (London, England), and Plus XXX Studios (Paris, France)

Personnel

  • Freddie Perren – writing
  • Alphonso Mizell – writing
  • Berry Gordy – writing
  • Deke Richards – writing
  • Cleopatra Higgins – lead vocals
  • Zainam Higgins – backing vocals
  • Yonah Higgins – backing vocals
  • Christina Higgins – additional backing vocals
  • Tiara Le Macks – additional backing vocals
  • 'Lil Roger Troutman Jr. – talk box
  • David Barry – guitar
  • Shaun LaBelle – keyboards, synthesizers, drum programming, strings, production
  • Dik Shopteau – recording (Cookhouse)
  • Brad Haehnel – recording (The Loft)
  • Graeme Stewart – recording (RAK)
  • Marcellus Fernandes – recording (Plus XXX), mixing

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "I Want You Back"
Chart (1998) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[49] 6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[50] 36
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[51] 29
France (SNEP)[52] 19
Germany (GfK)[53] 98
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[54] 39
Ireland (IRMA)[55] 26
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[56] 67
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[57] 13
Scotland (OCC)[58] 6
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[59] 49
UK Singles (OCC)[60] 4
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[61] 2

Twice version

"I Want You Back"
Digital cover
Single by Twice
from the album BDZ
ReleasedJune 15, 2018
Length3:23
LabelWarner Music Japan
Twice singles chronology
"Wake Me Up"
(2018) 		"I Want You Back"
(2018) 		"Dance the Night Away"
(2018)
Twice Japanese singles chronology
"Wake Me Up"
(2018) 		"I Want You Back"
(2018) 		"BDZ"
(2018)
Music video
"I Want You Back" on YouTube

A cover of "I Want You Back" by South Korean girl group Twice was released by Warner Music Japan on June 15, 2018, as a digital single.[62]

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "I Want You Back"
Chart (2018) Peak
position
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[63] 12
Japan Digital Singles (Oricon)[64] 7
US World Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[65] 20

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "I Want You Back"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Streaming
Japan (RIAJ)[66] Silver 30,000,000†

† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "History 1969". Thejacksons.com. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
  2. ^ ASCAP entry for song Archived May 30, 2011, at the Wayback Machine ASCAP, accessed May 28, 2011
  3. ^ A Guide To Michael Jackson's Albums, Sha'Linda Jeanine, "first national single"
  4. ^ a b David V. Moskowitz (November 10, 2015). The 100 Greatest Bands of All Time: A Guide to the Legends Who Rocked the World [2 volumes]: A Guide to the Legends Who Rocked the World. ABC-CLIO. pp. 325–. ISBN 978-1-4408-0340-6.
  5. ^ Neely, Tim (2000). Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records 1950-1975 2nd Ed. Iola, WI: Krause. ISBN 0-87341-934-0.
  6. ^ a b c "I Want You Back". Rolling Stone. April 7, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  7. ^ "Michaeljackson829". Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  8. ^ a b c d e George, Nelson (2007). Where Did Our Love Go? The Rise and Fall of the Motown Sound. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press. pp. 159–60, 183–188. ISBN 978-0-252-07498-1.
  9. ^ "Jackson 5 | On TV!". Jackson5abc.com. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  10. ^ "Jackson 5 | On TV!". Jackson5abc.com. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  11. ^ "Michael Jackson Average Setlists of tour: Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special". Setlist.fm. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  12. ^ "Pop Review : A Cautious Return To His Throne with Air Kisses for Loyal Subjects". The New York Times. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  13. ^ a b Masley, Ed. "Boy bands throughout history". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
  14. ^ "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame". GRAMMY.org. Archived from the original on July 7, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  15. ^ "The 100 Greatest Debut Singles of All Time". Rolling Stones. May 19, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  16. ^ Ricardson, Mark (August 18, 2006). "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
  17. ^ a b Brown, Helen (June 26, 2009). "Michael Jackson and Motown: the boy behind the marketing". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
  18. ^ Levine, Nick (July 7, 2009). "Michael Jackson's Top 20 Singles: Part One". Digital Spy. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  19. ^ "I Want You Back ranked 45th most celebrated song". Acclaimed Music. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  20. ^ "Certified Awards". Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
  21. ^ "History of the Jackson 5 song I Want You Back". ThoughtCo. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  22. ^ "Samples of I Want You Back by The Jackson 5 on WhoSampled". WhoSampled. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  23. ^ Lecocq, Richard; Allard, Francois (2018). Michael Jackson All The Songs. London: Cassell. ISBN 9781788400572.
  24. ^ "I Want You Back". AllMusic. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  25. ^ "Archived copy". Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on October 3, 2016. Retrieved July 4, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  26. ^ "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  27. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  28. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 1/24/70". February 11, 2016.
  29. ^ "Download French Single Top 50". France. lescharts. Archived from the original on August 16, 2011. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
  30. ^ Steffen Hung. "The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back". swedishcharts.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
  31. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca. July 17, 2013.
  32. ^ "Top 100 1970 - UK Music Charts". Uk-charts.top-source.info. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  33. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1970/Top 100 Songs of 1970". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  34. ^ "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1970". Cash Box. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  35. ^ "Danish single certifications – The Jackson 5 – I Want You Back". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  36. ^ "Italian single certifications – Jackson 5 – I Want You Back" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved December 30, 2020. Select "2018" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "I Want You Back" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  37. ^ "Japanese digital single certifications – Jackson 5 – I Want You Back" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved December 30, 2020. Select 2015年2月 on the drop-down menu
  38. ^ "British single certifications – Jackson 5 – I Want You Back". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  39. ^ "American single certifications – The Jackson Five – I Want You Back". Recording Industry Association of America.
  40. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. August 8, 1998. p. 31.
  41. ^ "Reviews: Single Reviews". Music Week. August 1, 1998. p. 25.
  42. ^ Masterton, James (August 16, 1998). "Week Ending August 22nd 1998". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  43. ^ a b I Want You Back (UK CD1 liner notes). Cleopatra. WEA. 1998. WEA172CD1, 3984 24380 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  44. ^ I Want You Back (UK CD2 liner notes). Cleopatra. WEA. 1998. WEA172CD2, 3984 24381 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  45. ^ I Want You Back (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Cleopatra. WEA. 1998. WEA172T, 3984246560.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  46. ^ I Want You Back (UK cassette single sleeve). Cleopatra. WEA. 1998. WEA172C, 3984 24382 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  47. ^ I Want You Back (European CD single liner notes). Cleopatra. WEA. 1998. 3984 24813-9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  48. ^ I Want You Back (Australian CD single liner notes). Cleopatra. WEA. 1998. 3984253892.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  49. ^ "Cleopatra – I Want You Back" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  50. ^ "Cleopatra – I Want You Back" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  51. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 35. August 29, 1998. p. 13.
  52. ^ "Cleopatra – I Want You Back" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  53. ^ "Cleopatra – I Want You Back" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  54. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (3.9–10.9. 1998)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). September 4, 1998. p. 10. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  55. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Want You Back". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  56. ^ "Cleopatra – I Want You Back" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  57. ^ "Cleopatra – I Want You Back". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  58. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  59. ^ "Cleopatra – I Want You Back". Singles Top 100. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  60. ^ "Cleopatra: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  61. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  62. ^ Billboard Japan (June 1, 2018). "TWICE's Cover of 'I Want You Back' Features in New Japanese Rom-Com: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  63. ^ "Twice Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  64. ^ "I Want You Back" (in Japanese). Oricon. June 25, 2018. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018.
  65. ^ "Twice Chart History: World Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  66. ^ "Japanese single streaming certifications – Twice – I Want You Back" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved January 27, 2022. Select 2021年12月 on the drop-down menu
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