G.I.T.: Get It Together

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G.I.T.: Get It Together

Studio album by The Jackson 5
Released	September 1973
Recorded	1973
Genre	Bubblegum pop/soul/disco
Length	-
Label	Motown M78V1
Producer(s)	Hal Davis and Norman Whitfield
All Music Guide (2/5) link
The Jackson 5 chronology
The Jackson 5 in Japan (1973)	G.I.T.: Get It Together (1973)	Dancing Machine (1974)

G.I.T.: Get It Together was a 1973 album released by The Jackson 5 for the Motown label.

During the group's last years with Motown, the label struggled to come up with material for the group. As a result, the Jackson 5 fell into a period from 1973 to 1974 where they scored no Top 10 singles. By this point, most of the Jackson 5's members, and their manager Joseph Jackson, were vocally complaining about the group's direction, with Michael Jackson becoming the most vocal. The only member not to complain about Motown's handling of the act was Jermaine Jackson, who would marry Motown head Berry Gordy's daughter Hazel three months after the release of this album.

G.I.T.: Get It Together was the first album to feature Michael Jackson's noticeable growth spurt. Now 15-years-old, his voice began to deepen, taking on a more soulful sound. With Michael's voice having changed, the overall sound of the group changed as well. The little boys were now becoming adults, and those high notes that only Michael could hit were retired.

The album was a breakaway from the group's bubblegum soul sound as they came up with a more funk-oriented album similar to The Temptations' Norman Whitfield-produced albums. Whitfield in fact provides covers of two of his Temptations songs here, "You Need Love Like I Do (Don't You)", and "Hum Along and Dance". The Jackson 5's cover of the latter song, an eight-minute album-closer, is today regarded as the most notable version of the song. Get It Together was also one of the earliest disco albums, released at a time before the genre was mainstream.

The album's title track was a #28 pop hit for the group, while the album-closing "Dancing Machine" became a #2 pop hit, restoring the Jackson 5 back to their former success.

On "Hum Along and Dance" and several of the other album tracks, all five Jackson brothers had a chance to share lead vocals, including Marlon and Tito. Michael was now a full-fledged tenor, and no longer the child star that had become a pop star during the early-1970s. Get it Together was the first album not to feature production or songwriting from any of the members of The Corporation™. Motown head Berry Gordy, a member of the Corporation™, was busy expanding his Motown empire into movie ventures, mostly starring Diana Ross.

[edit] Track listing

"Get It Together" (Davis/Fletcher/Gordy/Larson/Marcellino)
"Don't Say Goodbye Again" (Sawyer/Ware)
"Reflections" (originally by Diana Ross & the Supremes) (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
"Hum Along and Dance" (originally by The Temptations and Rare Earth) (Strong/Whitfield)
"Mama I Gotta Brand New Thing (Don't Say No)" (Whitfield)
"It's Too Late to Change the Time" (Sawyer/Ware)
"You Need Love Like I Do (Don't You)" (originally by The Temptations) (Strong/Whitfield)
"Dancing Machine" (Davis/Fletcher/Parks)