''Skywriter'' is the seventh studio album by

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 ...

, released by Motown on March 29, 1973.

Background

Lead singer

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 ...

's vocals were now showing the signs of his maturing tenor voice, while

Jermaine Jermaine ( ) is a masculine given name of Latin language, Latin origin, derived from the French given name , which is in turn derived from the Latin given name , meaning "brother". The masculine given name Jermaine was popularized in the 1970s b ...

's voice had become deeper in tone. Notably, one of ''Skywriter's'' songs, "Touch" (originally recorded by the

Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...

in 1971), features Michael and Jermaine singing about satisfying a woman in bed. Due to the fact that Michael was only 14 years old at the time, "Touch" was one of the most controversial singles Michael had sung on until his solo career took off again in the late 1970s. The group was also growing frustrated with the direction they were going in and complained to Motown's staff producers and writers about the kind of music they were doing. The brothers were openly discouraged by the style of music they had been receiving from Motown's writers. Also, by this point, all five brothers were writing their own material, but Motown prevented them from recording their own compositions. The frustration was showcased most openly by the album cover, where all five brothers solemnly look at the camera around an early 1900s era airplane. It was the band's least successful album to date because of only one Top 20 single. It was arranged by

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. ...

, Jerry Marcellino, Mel Larson,

Freddie Perren Frederick James Perren (May 15, 1943 – December 16, 2004) was an American songwriter, record producer, arranger, and orchestra conductor. He co-wrote and co-produced songs including "Boogie Fever" by the Sylvers, "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gay ...

Gene Page Eugene Edgar Page Jr. (September 13, 1939 – August 24, 1998) was an American conductor, composer, arranger and record producer, most active from the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s. His sound can be heard in the arrangements he did for Jeffer ...

Fonce Mizell The Mizell Brothers were an American record producing team in the 1970s, consisting of Larry Mizell (born February 17, 1944) and Alphonso "Fonce" Mizell (January 15, 1943 – July 5, 2011). They worked together on a string of jazz or R&B albums. ...

and the Corporation. "The Boogie Man"/ Don't Let Your Baby Catch You was prepared for release as a single, but was cancelled.Album liner notes, Brian Chin (Billboard writer), 2001, page 6

Track listing

Side one #" Skywriter" (Mel Larson, Jerry Marcellino) – 3:08 #"Hallelujah Day" (

, Christine Yarian) – 2:46 #"The Boogie Man" (

Deke Richards Deke Richards (born Dennis Lussier;"Jackson 5 producer Deke Richards dies aged 68"

) – 2:56 #"

Touch In physiology, the somatosensory system is the network of neural structures in the brain and body that produce the perception of touch ( haptic perception), as well as temperature ( thermoception), body position (proprioception), and pain. It ...

" (originally performed by

the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successf ...

) (

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 ...

, Frank Wilson) – 3:00 #"Corner of the Sky" (from the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

musical ''

Pippin Pippin or Pepin may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Pippin (comics), ''Pippin'' (comics), a children's comic produced from 1966 to 1986 * Pippin (musical), ''Pippin'' (musical), a Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz loosely based on the life ...

'') (recorded 1972) (

Stephen Schwartz Stephen Lawrence Schwartz (born March 6, 1948) is an American musical theatre lyricist and composer. In a career spanning over five decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as ''Godspell'' (1971), ''Pippin'' (1972), and ''Wicked'' (20 ...

) – 3:33 Side two #"I Can't Quit Your Love" (originally performed by

the Four Tops ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

) (Leonard Caston,

Kathy Wakefield Kathleen Wakefield (also Kathy Wakefield) is an American songwriter, singer and fiction author known for co-writing The Supremes' hit single " Nathan Jones" that was released by Motown and used as a soundtrack for the film ''Rain Man'' and for c ...

) – 3:12 #"Uppermost" (

Clifton Davis Clifton Duncan Davis (born October 4, 1945) is an American actor, singer, songwriter, minister, and author. Davis wrote The Jackson 5's No. 2 hit " Never Can Say Goodbye" in 1971. He appeared on Broadway in the musicals '' Two Gentlemen of Vero ...

) – 2:26 #"World of Sunshine" (Mel Larson, Jerry Marcellino) – 2:45 #"Ooh, I'd Love to Be with You" (Fonce Mizell, Larry Mizell) – 2:49 #"You Made Me What I Am" ( The Corporation) – 2:50

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 up with '' Get It Together''. The bonus tracks were the outtakes " Pride and Joy", "Love's Gone Bad" and "Love Is the Thing You Need". Each of these tracks also appear on the compilation album ''

Joyful Jukebox Music ''Joyful Jukebox Music'' is a compilation album by American music group the Jackson 5, released by the Motown label on October 26, 1976, after the band had left the label. This is the third compilation released by the group, after ''Greatest Hit ...

Boogie Boogie is a repetitive, swung note or shuffle rhythm,Burrows, Terry (1995). ''Play Country Guitar'', p.42. Dorling Kindersley Limited, London. . "groove" or pattern used in blues which was originally played on the piano in boogie-woogie mus ...

''.

Charts

Notes

External links

''Skywriter'' Overview at www.jackson5abc.com
{{Authority control 1973 albums The Jackson 5 albums Motown albums Albums arranged by Gene Page Albums produced by Hal Davis Albums produced by the Mizell Brothers Albums produced by the Corporation (record production team)