Skywriter

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This article refers to the Jackson 5 record. For the meaning of someone who flies an aircraft to form letters of smoke in the sky, see skywriting.

Professional reviews
Skywriter

Studio album by The Jackson 5
Released	March 1973
Recorded	1972 - 1973
Genre	Bubblegum pop/soul
Length	29:25
Label	Motown M761L
Producer(s)	Hal Davis & The Corporation™
All Music Guide (2/5) link
The Jackson 5 chronology
Lookin' Through the Windows (1972)	Skywriter (1973)	The Jackson 5 in Japan (1973)

Skywriter could be described as a turning-point record for The Jackson 5. Released in the beginning of 1973, lead singer Michael's vocals were now showing the signs of his maturing tenor voice, while Jermaine's voice had gotten much deeper in tone. Notably, one of Skywriter's songs, "Touch" (originally recorded by the Diana Ross-less Supremes in 1971), features Michael and Jermaine singing about satisfying a woman in the 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 of 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. This would be the last album that followed the bubblegum pop sound and from now on the group would follow a more souful disco sound.

[edit] Track listing

"Skywriter" (Larson/Marcellino) – 3:08
"Hallelujah Day" (Perren/Yarian) – 2:46
"The Boogie Man" (Richards) – 2:56
"Touch" (originally by The Supremes) (Sawyer/Wilson) – 3:00
"Corner of the Sky" (song written for the Broadway musical Pippin) (Schwartz) – 3:33
"I Can't Quit Your Love" (originally by The Four Tops) (Caston/Wakefield) – 3:12
"Uppermost" (Davis) – 2:26
"World of Sunshine" (Larson/Marcellino) – 2:45
"Ooh, I'd Love to Be With You" (Mizell/Mizell) – 2:49
"You Made Me What I Am" (Corporation) – 2:50