Got to Be There

Background

The album was arranged by The Corporation, Eddy Manson, James Anthony Carmichael, Gene Page, and Dave Blumberg. Berry Gordy served as Got to Be Theres executive producer, while Jim Britt was credited for photography. The album included remakes of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine", Carole King's "You've Got a Friend" and The Supremes' "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone". The album's songs have a tempo ranging from 74 beats per minute on "Ain't No Sunshine", to 170 on "Rockin' Robin."

Promotion

The title track and "Rockin' Robin," a Bobby Day cover, were released as Got to Be Theres first two singles and became back-to-back hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number four and number two, respectively. Third single "I Wanna Be Where You Are" peaked at number 16 on the same chart on June 24, 1972. In the United Kingdom, Jackson's version of Withers's "Ain't No Sunshine" was issued as the album's third single. It reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart.

Critical reception

Rolling Stone (12/7/1972, p. 68) - "...slick, artful and every bit as good as the regular Jackson 5 product...a sweetly touching voice...innocence and utter professionalism...fascinating and finally irresistible..." In a retrospective review, Rob Theakston from AllMusic rated the album two and a half out of five stars. He found that "as a cohesive album, Got to Be There is wildly erratic, and his covers of "You've Got a Friend" and "Ain't No Sunshine" show Jackson's versatility as a singer." Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+ rating. She found that "highlights include a jaunty cover of "Rockin' Robin," the wistful title track, and the soaring '"I Wanna Be Where You Are"."

Commercial performance

Got to Be There peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard 200 and number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart when it was released. On August 2, 2013, over forty years after its original release, it was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over 500,000 copies. In 2009, The album was later remastered and reissued as part of the 3-disc compilation Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection. Got to Be There sold over 750,000 copies within the first 3 weeks of release, and 1 million copies in the US by the end of 1972. Got to Be There sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide.

Track listing

Tracks 1, 2, 3, 7, 10 recorded November 1971. Tracks 4, 9 recorded December 1971. Track 5 recorded June – July 1971. Track 6 recorded October 1971. Track 8 recorded July – September 1971.

Charts

Certifications

References

References

1. (2018). "Michael Jackson All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track". [[Cassell (publisher).
2. Bernadette McNulty. (26 June 2009). "Michael Jackson's music: the solo albums".
3. Chery, Carl: ''XXL: Michael Jackson Special Collectors Edition'', page 100. American Press.
4. ''The Complete Michael Jackson'', International Music Publications Ltd, 1997, {{ISBN. 1859094473
5. "Michael Jackson: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
6. {{allMusic. album. mw0000202994. Rob Theakston
7. Greenblatt, Leah. (July 3, 2009). "Michael Jackson's Albums".
8. . (2009-12-12). ["Reviews of new box sets for the music fans on your list"](https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/reviews-of-new-box-sets-for-the-music-fans-on-your-list/). *The Associated Press*.
9. (27 Feb 1972). "Jackson 5 Lead Singer is "Best in 1971" - Natchez News Leader". Natchez News Leader.
10. (1972). "MICHAEL JACKSON: 12 MILLION IN 1972".
11. Abreu, Ruy Miguel. "Michael Jackson: a estrela sem cor". [[Impresa]].