''Dancing Machine'' is the ninth

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

released by the

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

quintet

the Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...

, on September 5, 1974. The album's

title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may a ...

was a No. 2 pop hit and a No. 1 R&B hit in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The group released two additional singles from the album: the funky "Whatever You Got, I Want" and the group's last US Top 20 hit for Motown, " I Am Love".

Album information

Although the Jacksons were back on the charts, the brothers, most notably

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...

, still complained about their artistic direction. Nonetheless, the album became another

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

concept album for the group, and showcased lead singers Michael and

Jermaine Jackson Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and bassist. He is best known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of The Jackson ...

. This album was the first on which all the brothers sang in their natural voices on the same song, entitled "It All Begins and Ends with Love". The order is Tito, Jackie, Michael, Marlon and Jermaine, who closes the song. Around this time, the Jacksons were performing in Las Vegas with the rest of the family, leaving this album with low promotion. According to an interview with

Don Cornelius Donald Cortez Cornelius (September 27, 1936 – February 1, 2012) was an American television show host and producer widely known as the creator of the nationally syndicated dance and music show ''Soul Train'', which he hosted from 1971 until 1993 ...

on the R&B TV show ''

Soul Train ''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series w ...

'', Michael said that "If I Don't Love You This Way" and "What You Don't Know" were his favorite songs. The album was arranged by Arthur G. Wright, Jerry Marcellino, Mel Larson,

John Bahler John Bahler (born November 11, 1940; surname also spelled Bähler) is an American vocalist, arranger, conductor, composer and producer. He is the elder brother of singer Tom Bahler, and the husband of Janet Lennon of the Lennon Sisters. Early c ...

James Anthony Carmichael James Anthony Carmichael (born September 14, 1941) is an American Grammy-winning musician, arranger, and record producer. At first he started off in Los Angeles as an arranger and producer for Motown acts like The Temptations and the Jackson 5. ...

and

Sam Brown III Sam Brown III, usually known by his first and last name without the generational appellation, is an American songwriter, record producer, arranger and composer working in Los Angeles. He is noted for involvement in nine No.1 records, six No. 1 si ...

Songs

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...

'' said of the single "Whatever You Got, I Want" that "J5 put their rhythm into more blues-infused motion" and "they boogie down Soul Alley in style."

Track listing

Side one # " I Am Love" (Don Fenceton, Jerry Marcellino, Mel Larson,

Ronnie Rancifer Ronnie Rancifer (born 1952) is an American keyboardist, musician and songwriter, noted for being a keyboardist for The Jackson 5 from their early Gary, Indiana days until the end of their famed career at Motown. The label presented Rancifer and ...

) – 7:29 # "Whatever You Got, I Want" (Gene Marcellino, Jerry Marcellino, Mel Larson) – 2:58 # "She's a Rhythm Child" (Clarence Drayton,

Hal Davis Harold Edward Davis (February 8, 1933 – November 18, 1998) was an American songwriter and record producer. Davis was a producer and writer for Motown Records for nearly thirty years, and was a key figure in the latter part of the Mot ...

, Ruth Talmage) – 2:39 # "

Dancing Machine "Dancing Machine" is a song recorded by American R&B outfit the Jackson 5, and was the title track of their ninth studio album. The song was originally recorded for the group's 1973 album '' G.I.T.: Get It Together'' and was released as a remix ...

" (Donald Fletcher, Hal Davis, Weldon Dean Parks) – 2:43 Side two # "The Life of the Party" (Clarence Drayton, Hal Davis, Tamy Smith) – 2:35 # "What You Don't Know" (Gene Marcellino, Jerry Marcellino, Mel Larson) – 4:25 # "If I Don't Love You This Way" (

Leon Ware Leon Ware (February 16, 1940 – February 23, 2017) was an American songwriter, producer, composer, and singer. Besides a solo career as a performer, Ware was best known for producing hits for other artists including Michael Jackson, Quincy ...

Pam Sawyer Pamela Joan Sawyer (born 1938) is a British songwriter/lyricist, who started writing songs in the mid-1960s and whose credits as a co-writer at Motown included " Love Child", " If I Were Your Woman", "My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left ...

) – 3:28 # "It All Begins and Ends with Love" (Don Fenceton, Jerry Marcellino, Mel Larson) – 3:07 # "The Mirrors of My Mind" (Charlotte O'Hara, Donald Fletcher, Nita Garfield) – 3:08 A longer version of the title track had previously been included on the group's 1973 album '' G.I.T.: Get It Together''.

Re-release

In 2001, Motown Records remastered all Jackson 5 albums in a "Two Classic Albums/One CD" series (much like they did in the late 1980s). This album was paired with ''

Moving Violation A moving violation is any violation of the law committed by the driver of a vehicle while it is in motion. The term "motion" distinguishes it from other motor vehicle violations, such as paperwork violations (which include violations involving ...

''. The bonus tracks were the outtakes "Through Thick and Thin" and the Disc-o-Tech #3 Remix of "Forever Came Today".

Charts

Notes

External links

*
''Dancing Machine'' overview at www.jackson5abc.com

{{Authority control 1974 albums The Jackson 5 albums Motown albums Albums produced by Hal Davis Progressive soul albums