Janet Jackson (album)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Janet Jackson'' is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
, released on September 21, 1982 by
A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...
. ''Janet Jackson'' is described as a
dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...
and
contemporary R&B Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of pop, soul, funk, hip hop, and electronic music. The genre features a distinctive record production style, drum machine-backed rhy ...
record. Songwriters
Angela Winbush Angela Lisa Winbush (born January 18, 1955) is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who rose to fame first in the 1980s R&B duo René & Angela, also scoring hits as a solo artist. To date, Winbush has sold over ...
and
René Moore René Moore (born Ivan Rene Moore;Foster Sylvers Foster Emerson Sylvers (born February 25, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for being a member of the family act The Sylvers and his hit single "Misdemeanor". Biography Foster ...
, Jerry Weaver, and
Bobby Watson Robert Michael Watson Jr. (born August 23, 1953), known professionally as Bobby Watson, is an American saxophonist, composer, and educator. Music career Watson was born in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. He ...
. On release ''Janet Jackson'' charted on the ''Billboard'' 200 and in New Zealand. Three singles from the album had little impact on ''
Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online stream ...
'' charts, among them " Young Love", "
Come Give Your Love to Me "Come Give Your Love to Me" is the second single from Janet Jackson's self-titled debut album ''Janet Jackson'' (1982). The song was written by Glen Barbee and Charmaine Sylvers. It peaked at number fifty-eight on the U.S. pop chart, seventeen on ...
" and " Say You Do", though these singles achieved success on the R&B charts. Jackson performed "Young Love" and "Say You Do" on American TV shows ''
American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'', abbreviated ''AB'', is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the pr ...
'' and ''
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 ...
'' in 1982. The cover artwork of Jackson's body submerged in water was based on a photo of
Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...
. Worldwide, the album has sold 300,000 copies.


Production

Jackson was sixteen when she began recording the album. She was assisted by her father, working with a number of songwriters and producers. Songwriters
Angela Winbush Angela Lisa Winbush (born January 18, 1955) is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who rose to fame first in the 1980s R&B duo René & Angela, also scoring hits as a solo artist. To date, Winbush has sold over ...
and
René Moore René Moore (born Ivan Rene Moore;Foster Sylvers Foster Emerson Sylvers (born February 25, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for being a member of the family act The Sylvers and his hit single "Misdemeanor". Biography Foster ...
, Jerry Weaver, and
Bobby Watson Robert Michael Watson Jr. (born August 23, 1953), known professionally as Bobby Watson, is an American saxophonist, composer, and educator. Music career Watson was born in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. He ...
. The cover photo was shot by Harry Langdon in the swimming pool of the Jackson family's home. Jackson took the idea from a photograph of actress
Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...
submerged in a swimming pool early in her career, which she found "dramatic".


Release

The album was released on September 21, 1982, by
A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...
. The ''
Baltimore Afro-American The ''Baltimore Afro-American'', commonly known as ''The Afro'' or ''Afro News'', is a weekly African-American newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the flagship newspaper of the ''AFRO-American'' chain and the longest-running Africa ...
'' noted that the album had been released, commenting that Jackson does not have any members of the
Jackson family The Jackson family is an American family of musicians and entertainers from Gary, Indiana. Many of the children of Joseph Walter (or Joe) and Katherine Esther Jackson were successful musicians, notably the brothers that formed the Motown boy ...
helping out, that she is relying "solely on her own talent", and that she has "the poised voice of a dynamic individual." On the US ''Billboard'' 200, ''Janet Jackson'' had its peak at number 63 the week of January 22, 1983. In New Zealand, the album peaked at number 44 on the New Zealand Albums Chart, during its only-week chart on April 17, 1983. As of 2003, ''Janet Jackson'' sold 82,000 copies through
BMG Music Club Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) was a division of a German media company Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Sony Corporation of America on 1 October 2008. Although it was established in 1987, the music co ...
in the United States. And sold additional 62,000 copies according to Soundscan since 1991. But the majority of the sales occurred before Soundscan began tracking sales in the US in 1991. Worldwide, the album has sold 300,000 copies, considered a failure at the time.


Singles

Five singles were released from the album. " Young Love" was the first. It reached number 64 on the principal American singles chart, the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and number six on the American
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart. In New Zealand, "Young Love" reached number 16. The second single from ''Janet Jackson'' was "
Come Give Your Love to Me "Come Give Your Love to Me" is the second single from Janet Jackson's self-titled debut album ''Janet Jackson'' (1982). The song was written by Glen Barbee and Charmaine Sylvers. It peaked at number fifty-eight on the U.S. pop chart, seventeen on ...
" and peaked at number 58 on the Hot 100. The follow-up single, " Say You Do", only appeared on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and the
Hot Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
charts, peaking at numbers 15 and 11, respectively. The last two singles from the album, "Love and My Best Friend" and "Don't Mess Up A Good Thing" did not appear on any chart worldwide. In order to further promote ''Janet Jackson'', she performed "Young Love" and "Say You Do" on American TV shows ''
American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'', abbreviated ''AB'', is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the pr ...
'' and ''
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 ...
'' in 1982.


Reception

In a retrospective summary for
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 Music ...
,
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, oc ...
felt the album had "no distinctive musical personality", feeling that the choice of songs was poor, with "Young Love" as the only song which "stands out among the undistinguished, sub-disco thumpers and drippy ballads". Bil Carpenter from the same website called ''Janet Jackson'' a "debut album of youth-oriented pop". ''
The Rolling Stone Album Guide ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', previously known as ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1 ...
'' book stated that the album and its follow-up ''
Dream Street Dream Street were an American pop music, pop boy band that was formed in 1999 by Louis Baldonieri and Brian Lukow. The band disbanded in 2002 following a legal dispute between parents of the band members and the band's managers. History The ...
'' (1984) sound like bland dance-music ready-mades.


Track listing

* "Say You Do" (12" single remix) is on the CD album. The original version (timed at 5:20) appears on the LP and cassette releases of the album.


Personnel

*
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
– lead vocals *
Bobby Watson Robert Michael Watson Jr. (born August 23, 1953), known professionally as Bobby Watson, is an American saxophonist, composer, and educator. Music career Watson was born in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. He ...
, James Jamerson, Jr.,
Leon Sylvers III Leon Frank Sylvers III (born March 7, 1953, Memphis, Tennessee) is an American singer, songwriter, disc-jockey, record producer and multi-instrumentalist. He was a member of the family group The Sylvers and became one of the most successful pr ...
, Ricky Smith –
bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
*
Foster Sylvers Foster Emerson Sylvers (born February 25, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for being a member of the family act The Sylvers and his hit single "Misdemeanor". Biography Foster ...
– synthesizer, bass, drums, producer, rhythm arrangements *
Marlo Henderson Marlo Henderson was an American guitarist and saxophonist, who played in mainly blues and R&B genres. As a session musician he played on albums such as ''Off the Wall'' by Michael Jackson, '' Them Changes'' by Buddy Miles, '' Face to Face'' by Eve ...
, Greg Moore,
Tony Maiden Tony Maiden (died 17 February 2004 in Torrevieja, Alicante, Spain) was an English actor, who is best known for playing “Albert Clifton” in all episodes in the first series of the British television series ''The Adventures of Black Beauty' ...
, Fred West, Michael McGloiry,
Fred Jenkins, Pepper Read – guitars * Paulinho Da Costa,
Edmund Sylvers Edmund Theodore Sylvers (January 25, 1957 — March 11, 2004) was an American singer–songwriter, actor and musician. Sylvers was best known as the lead singer of the American family disco/ soul music vocal group The Sylvers, which had popular s ...
, Melvin Webb – percussion * André Fischer, John JR Robinson – drums * Wardell Potts, Jr. – drums, rhythm arrangements *
René Moore René Moore (born Ivan Rene Moore;Moog bass The Moog Taurus is a foot-operated analog synthesizer designed and manufactured by Moog Music, originally conceived as a part of the Constellation series of synthesizers. The initial Taurus I was manufactured from 1975 to 1981; a less popular re ...
*
Angela Winbush Angela Lisa Winbush (born January 18, 1955) is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who rose to fame first in the 1980s R&B duo René & Angela, also scoring hits as a solo artist. To date, Winbush has sold over ...
– keyboards, background vocals, producer, rhythm arrangements *
Phillip Ingram Phillip Ingram (born 1958) is an American musician. He is perhaps best known as one of the founding members of the Motown Group "Switch" and is the younger brother of James Ingram. Biography Ingram was raised in Akron, Ohio. He came from a mus ...
– keyboards, string machine, background vocals * Joey Gallo – keyboards, synthesizer * Eddie Fluellen – string machine *
Jerry Hey Jerry Hey (born 1950) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, horn arranger, string arranger, orchestrator and session musician who has played on hundreds of commercial recordings, including Michael Jackson's ''Thriller'', '' Rock with You'' ...
– horn arrangements *
Humberto Gatica Humberto Gatica is a Chilean-born American recording engineer, mixing engineer and record producer, best known for his work with Celine Dion, Chicago, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban and Michael Bublé. Gatica's ...
– mixing * Stuart Furusho – engineer, mixing assistant * Kirk Ferraioli – assistant engineer * Gene Dozier – keyboards, horn arrangements, string arrangements *
Jeff Lorber Jeffrey H. Lorber (born November 4, 1952) is an American keyboardist, composer, and record producer. After six previous nominations, Lorber won his first Grammy Award on January 28, 2018 for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for ''Prototype'' ...
, Barry Sarna, Ian Underwood – synthesizers * Attala Zane Giles – background vocals * Monica Joy Rhodes, Wendell C. Wellman – handclaps * Dana Meyers – background vocals, vocal arrangement *
Howard Hewett Howard Hewett Jr. (born October 1, 1955) is an American singer–songwriter. Hewett rose to fame as the lead vocalist of the group Shalamar. In 1985, he left the group to pursue his solo career, but he later returned to the group in 2001. He sig ...
– background vocals * Chuck Beeson – art direction * Bob Brown – engineer *
Jerry Knight Jerry Ernest Knight (April 17, 1952 — December 29, 1996) was an American R&B vocalist and bassist who reached prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s, during which he was part of several groups and had a brief solo career. Career A Los ...
– background, vocals * Harry Langdon – photography * Nyya Lark – assistant engineer * Peggy McCreary – mixing assistant * Taavi Mote – engineer * Ambrose Price – handclapping * Lynn Robb – design * John Stronach – engineer * Steve Thume – engineer * Wally Traugott – mastering * John VanNest – engineer, mixing assistant * Trevor Veitch – contractor * Gerald Vinci – concertmaster * Jerry Weaver – producer, rhythm arrangements, synthesizer *
Benjamin Wright Benjamin Wright (October 10, 1770 – August 24, 1842) was an American civil engineer who was chief engineer of the Erie Canal and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. In 1969, the American Society of Civil Engineers declared him the "Father of America ...
– string arrangements


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


References


External links


''Janet Jackson'' Image Page at janetjackson.com
{{Authority control 1982 debut albums A&M Records albums Janet Jackson albums Albums produced by Angela Winbush Albums recorded at Wally Heider Studios Albums recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders