We All Feel This One

I was eight years old when the Jackson 5 released their first album “Diana Ross Presents The Jackson Five”. The single, “I Want You Back” became their first number one hit. I first saw Michael Jackson when they were on American Bandstand when I was nine. I remember it like it was yesterday. Mom, Steve, David and I watched them perform the song “ABC”. We were enthralled with this little kid singing. He was my age or at least he looked it, he was one of us. Today I know he was actually 12 but even that, when you think about it is incredible. Mom went out that day and got the “ABC” album and it became the soundtrack of our home. It was played so often I think we wore the needle out. It was the only music we listened to for what seemed like ages. We only stopped listening to it when Mom brought home “The Third Album”.

This was amazing. It had this song that was so different than anything they’d sung before. It was so slow. When first hearing it David and I weren’t sure if it was the same group. The song became their biggest single. It was “I’ll Be There” and to this day it’s considered a great song by anyone worth there salt. By the way, this “Third Album” was released in 1970. Let’s review. Their first album was released in December of 1969 and less than one year later they had already released two more. There first four singles, “I Want You Back”, “The Love You Save”, “ABC” and “I’ll Be There” all went to number one on not only the soul charts but the pop charts too. I’m too lazy to look it up but I don’t even think “The Beatles” can say that.

The beauty of these guys, at least for those of us in the Detroit area, was that they were a Motown band. They were ours. To this day I think that when someone from the area hears any of the old Motown bands they feel a special kinship to it. This was our town and dammit, these were our boys. Listening to any of the Motown music from back then still brings many of us to a better time in our lives. We were kids without a care in the world and this was the soundtrack to that carefree time.

As I, and they, got older I no longer listened to them. I moved away from the “Bubble Gum Soul” they used to play and so did they. Michael Jackson became the biggest entertainer any of us have ever heard. I was never a big fan of his solo stuff. That’s not to say I didn’t appreciate it, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I would still stop and remember my youth whenever I heard any of the old songs and it always made me feel warm and safe.

Michael Jackson died the other day. This was big. Hell, bigger than big, this was huge for many, many reasons. First off because he was the self proclaimed “King Of Pop”. He wasn’t lying. I can’t imagine anyone in any corner of the world that doesn’t know who he is. I was watching all the news reports and would just marvel at the reaction of people everywhere. As Elvis belonged to the fifties and The Beatles belonged to the seventies, Michael belonged to everything after. He was the Elvis of today. He was the Beatles of today. Even with all the controversy surrounding him he was still the biggest star any of us has ever seen. I’m not going to go in to who was more popular of the three but I do believe this. If it weren’t for Elvis there would have been no Beatles. If there were no Beatles there would have been no Michael Jackson. All had their place and we all need to appreciate that.

I have been listening to the older hits for the last couple of days and it’s so bittersweet. I still feel the warmth and security of my youth but something has changed. I know I’ve talked about this so many times before but I think this is something that we can all relate to. That child inside has taken another hit and it feels a little different than the other ones we’ve all had to deal with. This seems more defining. I think it’s because it’s not just me that got older the other day. I think all of us did. This wasn’t a case of me, or someone I knew going through some private grief that slapped that child around. We all lost something here. This is the whole world that just aged a bit. In a way it’s a little more comfortable than if it was just me. It’s better that we grieve together; it helps to know that you’re not alone.