Skywriter

This article is about the Jackson 5 record. For the meaning of someone who flies an aircraft to form letters of smoke in the sky, see skywriting.
Skywriter
Studio album by The Jackson 5
Released March 29, 1973 (1973-03-29)
Recorded 1972–1973
Length 29:25
Label Motown
M761L
Producer Hal Davis & the Corporation
The Jackson 5 chronology
Lookin' Through the Windows
(1972)		 Skywriter
(1973)		 The Jackson 5 in Japan
(1973)
Singles from Skywriter
  1. "Corner of the Sky"
    Released: October 2, 1972[1]
  2. "Hallelujah Day"
    Released: February 26, 1973[2]
  3. "Skywriter"
    Released: August 24, 1973[3] (UK only)
  4. "The Boogie Man"
    Released: April 26, 1974[4] (UK only)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[5]
Rolling Stone(mixed)[6]

Skywriter is the eighth studio album by the Jackson 5, released on March 29, 1973. Lead singer Michael's vocals were now showing the signs of his maturing tenor voice, while Jermaine's voice had become much deeper in tone. Notably, one of Skywriter's songs, "Touch" (originally recorded by the Supremes in 1971), features Michael and Jermaine singing about satisfying a woman in bed. As such, "Touch" was one of the most controversial singles Michael sung on until his solo career took off again in the 1980s.

Michael, at this point, was frustrated with the direction he and his brothers 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 they were receiving from Motown 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 looked at the camera around an early-1900s-era airplane. This is one of the least successful albums the Jackson brothers ever created mainly because of only one top twenty single, and lack of promotion because the boys were on a worldwide tour at this time. The album sold 2.8 million copies worldwide.[7] It was arranged by James Anthony Carmichael, Jerry Marcellino, Mel Larson, Freddie Perren, Gene Page, Fonce Mizell and The Corporation.

Track listing

Side One

  1. "Skywriter" (Mel Larson, Jerry Marcellino) – 3:08
  2. "Hallelujah Day" (Freddie Perren, Christine Yarian) – 2:46
  3. "The Boogie Man" (Deke Richards) – 2:56
  4. "Touch" (originally performed by the Supremes) (Pam Sawyer, Frank Wilson) – 3:00
  5. "Corner of the Sky" (from the Broadway musical Pippin) (Stephen Schwartz) – 3:33

Side Two

  1. "I Can't Quit Your Love" (originally performed by the Four Tops) (Leonard Caston, Kathy Wakefield) – 3:12
  2. "Uppermost" (Clifton Davis) – 2:26
  3. "World of Sunshine" (Mel Larson, Jerry Marcellino) – 2:45
  4. "Ooh, I'd Love to Be with You" (Fonce Mizell, Larry Mizell) – 2:49
  5. "You Made Me What I Am" (the Corporation) – 2:50

Re-release

In 2001, Motown Records remastered all J5 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/Boogie.

Notes

  1. ↑ Soulsation! (1995), liner notes
  2. ↑ Soulsation! (1995), liner notes
  3. ↑ 45cat.com
  4. ↑ 45cat.com
  5. ↑ Allmusic review
  6. ↑ Rolling Stone review
  7. ↑ Chery, Carl: XXL: Michael Jackson Special Collecters Edition, page 100. American Press.
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