Dancing Machine (album)


Dancing Machine is the ninth studio album released by Motown quintet the Jackson 5 in 1974. The album's title track was a No. 2 pop hit and a No. 1 R&B hit in the United States, and the album sold over 2.6 million copies worldwide briefly returning the group to their former prominence. The group released two additional singles from the album: the funky "Whatever You Got, I Want" and the group's last Top 20 hit for Motown "I Am Love".

Album information

Although the Jacksons were back on the charts, the brothers, most notably Michael, still complained about their artistic direction. Nonetheless, the album became another disco concept album for the group, and showcased lead singers Michael and Jermaine Jackson. This album also marks the first time that all the brothers sang in their natural voices on the same song, which was entitled "It All Begins and Ends with Love." The order is Tito, Jackie, Michael, Marlon and Jermaine, who closes the song out. Around this time, the Jacksons were performing in Las Vegas with the rest of the family leaving this album with low promotion. According to an interview with Don Cornelius on R&B TV show Soul Train, Michael said that his favourite songs were "If I Don't Love You This Way" and "What You Don't Know".
The album was arranged by Arthur G. Wright, Jerry Marcellino, Mel Larson, John Bahler, James Anthony Carmichael and Sam Brown III.

Track listing

Side one
  1. "I Am Love" – 7:29
  2. "Whatever You Got, I Want" – 2:58
  3. "She's a Rhythm Child" – 2:39
  4. "Dancing Machine" – 2:43
Side two
  1. "The Life of the Party" – 2:35
  2. "What You Don't Know" – 4:25
  3. "If I Don't Love You This Way" – 3:28
  4. "It All Begins and Ends with Love" – 3:07
  5. "The Mirrors of My Mind" – 3:08

    Re-release

In 2001, Motown Records remastered all Jackson 5 albums in a "Two Classic Albums/One CD" series. This album was paired up with Moving Violation. The bonus tracks were the outtakes "Through Thick and Thin" and the Disc-o-Tech #3 Remix of "Forever Came Today".

Charts