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"I Want You Back" is the first national single by
the Jackson 5 The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Ti ...
. It was released by
Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
on October 7, 1969, and became the first number-one hit for the band on January 31, 1970. It was performed on the band's first television appearances, on October 18, 1969, on '' The Hollywood Palace'' and on their milestone performance on December 14, 1969, on ''
The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...
''. "I Want You Back" has sold over 6 million copies worldwide. The song, along with a B-side
remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same s ...
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. "I Want You Back" was ranked 104 on ''Rolling Stone''s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.


Production

Originally considered for
Gladys Knight & the Pips Gladys Knight & the Pips were an American Rhythm and blues, R&B, soul music, soul, and funk family music group from Atlanta, Georgia, that remained active on the music charts and performing circuit for over three decades starting from the early ...
and later for
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...
, 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, a then-11-year-old
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
. The song is composed in A-flat major. "I Want You Back" was released on October 6, 1969, and was the first Jackson 5 single to be released by Motown and the first song written and produced by The Corporation, a team comprising Motown chief Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonso Mizell, and Deke Richards. Upon the single release, '' Record World'' said "The Jackson 5 are Motown's new soul kings who will quickly charm Top 40 and R&B lovers." It 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 Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
; 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 Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
. 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, Motown credited Diana Ross with discovering them. This was done not only to help promote the Jackson 5, but also to help ease Ross' transition into a solo career, which she began in 1970 soon after the Jackson 5 became a success. The song was remixed by Dimitri from Paris and Kenny Hayes 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), 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 James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...
's "There Was a Time". They also performed the song on ''
American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'' (AB) is an American Music television, music performance and dance television series that aired in various iterations from 1952 to 1989. It was hosted by Dick Clark who also served as the program's Television producer, pr ...
'' and '' The Andy Williams Show''. 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: Bad, the Dangerous World Tour and the
HIStory World Tour The ''HIS''tory World Tour was the third and final worldwide solo concert tour by American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson, covering Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa and North America. The tour included a total of 82 concerts spanning the gl ...
. 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. The song was to be performed at Jackson's This Is It comeback concerts in London, which were cancelled due to his death.


Reception and legacy

The song has sold six million copies worldwide. In 1999, "I Want You Back" was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. "I Want You Back" ranks number 104 on ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
s list of the ' 500 Greatest Songs of All Time'. It also ranks ninth on ''Rolling Stone's'' list of the '100 Greatest Pop Songs since 1963'. In 2020, it was ranked number 2 on ''Rolling Stone's'' list of 'The 100 Greatest Debut Singles of All Time'. In 1995, two Rappin' 4-Tay songs—"Problems" and "A Message for Your Mind"—were featured on the ''Dangerous Minds'' soundtrack. "A Message For Your Mind" sampled "I Want You Back" by
The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Ti ...
. In 2006, ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
'' named it the second best song of the 1960s, adding that the chorus contains "possibly the best chord progression in pop music history". A June 2009 article by ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' called it "arguably the greatest pop record of all time".
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
called the song "one of the most enduring pop singles of the sixties". The single has been awarded 3× Platinum certification in 2021, by the
British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
Association. "I Want You Back" has long been considered one of the most sampled songs in all of
hip hop music Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music Music genre, genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African Americans, African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide r ...
. The song has been sampled over 90 times since its release by artists including
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
and The Notorious B.I.G.


Personnel

Credits are adapted from ''Michael Jackson All The Songs'' and
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
. *
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
– lead vocals * Tito Jackson – vocals, backing vocals * Jackie Jackson – vocals, backing vocals * Jermaine Jackson – vocals, backing vocals * Marlon Jackson – vocals, backing vocals * Keith Washington – backing vocals * Ludie Washington – backing vocals * Fonce Mizell – piano * Freddie Perren – piano * Louis Shelton – guitar * David T. Walker – rhythm guitar * Wilton Felder – bass guitar * Don Peake – guitar * Gene Pello – drums * Clarence McDonald – keyboards * Joe Sample – piano * Sandra Crouch – tambourine * Unknown musician –
congas The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are stave (wood), staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (drum), quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), an ...


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Cleopatra version

English girl group
Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...
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 ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as ''Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music We ...
'' reviewed the song before its release, calling it "close-to-the-original" and giving it a "side-thumb" rating. 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".


Track listings

UK CD1 # "I Want You Back" – 4:02 # "I Want You Back" ( Darkchild remix) – 4:06 # "I Want You Back" (Stepchild remix) – 4:52 UK CD2 # "I Want You Back" – 4:02 # "I Want You Back" (Direktorz of the Mix R+B remix) – 3:55 # "I Want You Back" (Ordinary People club mix) – 4:40 UK 12-inch single :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 # "I Want You Back" – 4:02 # "I Want You Back" (Darkchild remix) – 4:06 Australian and Japanese CD single # "I Want You Back" # "I Want You Back" (Darkchild remix) # "I Want You Back" (Stepchild remix) # "I Want You Back" (Direktorz of the Mix R+B remix) # "I Want You Back" (Ordinary People club mix)


Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the UK CD1 liner notes. 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


Release history


Twice version

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. The song was used as the theme song to the 2018 live-action film adaptation for '' Sensei Kunshu''. A second version of the music video featuring the cast of the film dancing with Twice was released on June 26, 2018.


Charts


Certifications


References


External links


Overview of "I Want You Back", featuring picture sleeves from all over the world

List of cover versions of "I Want You Back"
at SecondHandSongs.com * {{Authority control The Jackson 5 songs 1969 singles 1970 singles 1969 songs 1998 singles 2018 singles Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients Graham Parker songs David Ruffin songs Motown singles Songs written by Berry Gordy Songs written by Deke Richards Songs written by Freddie Perren Tito Nieves songs Twice songs Victoria Justice songs Victorious Warner Music Group singles Warner Music Japan singles Breakup songs