Just in time to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Jackson 5, Motown has ventured into their vaults to come up with fresh J5 music.

“That’s How Love Is,” on sale today exclusively through iTunes, is the first single from ‘I Want You Back! Unreleased Masters.’ The album is a collection 12 previously unavailable tracks recorded between 1969 and 1974 by the Michael Jackson-led band of brothers. The album, along with the re-issued Jackson 5 ‘Ultimate Christmas Album,’ will hit stores on Nov. 10 and can be pre-ordered at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and Borders.

The songs were unearthed from Motown’s vaults to celebrate the anniversary of the group. In addition to the first single (which can be heard free at jackson5.com), other songs include a Stevie Wonder collaboration called “Buttercup;” a studio medley of “I Want You Back/ABC/The Love You Save;” an alternate version of “Never Can Say Goodbye” and an extended version of “Dancing Machine.”

Michael Davis, general manager of Motown Universal Music Enterprises, says the spotlight is on young Michael’s remarkable voice, which was sometimes overlooked once he became a superstar. Davis says,

I can’t think of anyone who at that age had such a command and feeling of voice.”

Producer/songwriter Deke Richards, a member of The Corporation which was responsible for most of the early Jackson 5 hits, agrees. Says Richards,

When I first saw them, it was like I was looking at a 30-year-old person inside a 9-year-old body. I hadn’t seen the moves on him since James Brown and Jackie Wilson.”

According to Richards, there is still a lot of music to be heard. He says the Jackson 5 were so prolific that there is plenty more unreleased material. This is because the band’s sound evolved rapidly as the boys grew older, so the songs became dated before they could be released. Richards and original engineer Russ Terrana helped research and mix the new album.

Davis says label executives were surprised when they found so much unheard music.

“When the Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975, there was like a five-album equivalent of unissued stuff released.”

He says that because of that, it was believed that everything worthwhile had been out before.

Of Jackson’s death, Richards says,

It makes it sadder when you think that the world could have enjoyed a lot more Michael Jackson. We are going to miss him, but hopefully, we can fill in the blanks, and people can enjoy some great music he made.”

Source: mjfanclub.net

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