The Original Soul of Michael Jackson

The Original Soul of Michael Jackson is a remix album by American singer Michael Jackson. It features songs recorded and published early in his solo career during the 1970s and remixed in 1987, before its release that year by Motown.

The Original Soul of Michael Jackson
Remix album by
ReleasedOctober 1987 (1987-10)
RecordedSeptember 1969 – March 1975; 1984-87 (overdubbing, remixing)
Length39:11
LabelMotown
ProducerHal Davis
Michael Jackson chronology
Bad
(1987)
The Original Soul of Michael Jackson
(1987)
Dangerous
(1991)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Christgau's Record GuideB+[1]

Release

While the album claims that it "contains music never before released", the only new song available was a re-dubbed cover of Edwin Starr's 1970 hit "Twenty-Five Miles", sung by the Jackson Five and solely credited to Michael. The original recording of the song was included on the 2009 set Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection. Some songs were newly edited on the album, with a newly dubbed version of "Dancing Machine". "Ain't No Sunshine" were also slightly different in the vocals and a modern drum machine were added to "Twenty-Five Miles". "Melodie" was planned for a single in an effort to promote the record in the US, but was scrapped for a promo-only single "Twenty-Five Miles"/"Up On The Housetop".[2]

Critical reception

Reviewing in Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s (1990), Robert Christgau wrote, "Once you get past the slipshod cynicism of Motown's catalogue exploitation, you have to admit that this mostly remixed, sometimes synthed-up mishmash has its charms and even uses—that in fact it's superior to the 'real' 1975 best-of the label long ago deleted. I love the previously unreleased 'Twenty-Five Miles' and the preteen-sings-the-blues 'Doggin' Around,' could live without the two J5 nonhits, and will no doubt pull this down when I want to remember 'Dancing Machine' and 'Rockin' Robin.'"[1]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)AlbumLength
1."Twenty-Five Miles"Johnny Bristol, Harvey Fuqua, Edwin StarrThe Original Soul of Michael Jackson3:27
2."Dancing Machine"Hal Davis, Don Fletcher, Dean ParksG.I.T.: Get It Together and Dancing Machine3:50
3."It's Too Late to Change the Time"Pam Sawyer, Leon WareG.I.T.: Get It Together3:49
4."Melodie"Mel Larson, Jerry Marcellino, Deke RichardsFarewell My Summer Love3:18
5."Ain't No Sunshine"Bill WithersGot to Be There3:05
6."Got to Be There"Elliot WillenskyGot to Be There3:22
7."Doggin' Around"Jackie WilsonMusic & Me2:19
8."Rockin' Robin"Leon ReneGot to Be There2:30
9."If I Don't Love You This Way"Pam Sawyer, Leon WareDancing Machine3:24
10."You've Got a Friend"Carole KingGot to Be There4:36
11."Forever Came Today"Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Edward Holland Jr.Moving Violation5:54

References

  1. Christgau, Robert (1990). "CG Books '80s: J". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  2. Halstead, Craig; Chris Cadman (2003). Michael Jackson: The Solo Years. Authors OnLine. ISBN 0-7552-0091-8
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.