The Jacksons (album)

Infobox Album | Name = The Jacksons
Type = Album
Artist = The Jacksons


Released = November 1976
Recorded = 1976
Genre = R&B/Soul/Disco
Length = N/A
Label = Epic / Philadelphia International
Producer = Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff
Reviews = *"Rolling Stone" (mixed) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thejackson5/albums/album/169152/review/5942108/the_jacksons link]
Last album = "Moving Violation"
(1975)
This album = "The Jacksons"
(1976)
Next album = "Goin' Places"
(1977) |

"The Jacksons" is a 1976 album released by The Jacksons for Philadelphia International/CBS Records. The album was the band's first for CBS, following their seven-year tenure on Motown as "The Jackson 5". Jackson 5 member Jermaine Jackson stayed with Motown when his brothers broke their contracts and defected to CBS; he was replaced by youngest Jackson brother Randy.

Philadelphia International heads Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff produced and executive produced the album, including their first top ten hit in 2 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 write 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 beginning with this album. This album also spawned the second R&B single "Show You The Way To Go". The album itself placed #36 and #6 on the pop and r&b album chart.

The album was the Jacksons' first gold album, despite selling more than 10 million albums while at Motown. (Motown's sales and financial records were never presented for auditing by the RIAA until 1976).

Track listing

#"Enjoy Yourself" (Gamble/Huff)
#"Think Happy" (Gamble/Huff)
#"Good Times" (Gamble/Huff)
#"Keep on Dancing" (Wansel)
#"Blues Away" (Jackson)
#"Show You the Way to Go" (Gamble/Huff)
#"Living Together" (Wansel)
#"Strength of One Man" (McFadden)
#"Dreamer" (Gamble/Huff)
#"Style of Life" (Jackson/Jackson)