This article is about the album. You may have been looking for the song.
Got to Be There is the debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson, released by Motown on January 24, 1972, four weeks after the Jackson 5's Greatest Hits (1971). It includes the song of the same name, which was released on October 7, 1971, as Jackson's debut solo single.
On August 2, 2013, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over 500,000 copies. The album was later remastered and reissued in 2009 as part of the 3-disc compilation Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection.
Background[]
Motown released Jackson's solo album around the same time that another famous brother from a famous family was doing the same: Donny Osmond, who was hit with songs like "Sweet & Innocent" and "Puppy Love". "Got to Be There" (at #8) and Osmond's "Hey Girl/I Knew You When" (at #9) were back-to-back on the Hot 100 on 15 January 1972. Jackson's and Osmond's debut efforts almost paralleled each other, as Jackson scored a hit with the title track and "Rockin' Robin", which like Osmond's "Puppy Love", was a remake of an old '50s rock song.
The album also included covers 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".
Artwork[]
The album cover was shot by Jim Britt in 1971.
Track list[]
| Standard edition | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Ain't No Sunshine" | 4:11 |
| 2. | "I Wanna Be Where You Are" | 3:00 |
| 3. | "Girl Don't Take Your Love from Me" | 3:47 |
| 4. | "In Our Small Way" | 3:38 |
| 5. | "Got to Be There" | 3:23 |
| 6. | "Rockin' Robin" | 2:31 |
| 7. | "Wings of My Love" | 3:21 |
| 8. | "Maria (You Were the Only One)" | 3:41 |
| 9. | "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" | 2:51 |
| 10. | "You've Got a Friend" | 4:53 |
| Total length: | 35:45 | |
Singles[]
October 7, 1971
February 17, 1972
May 2, 1972
July 3, 1972
Trivia[]
- Notable outtakes from the album sessions include "I've Gotta Be Me" and "I Can't Get You Off My Mind." However, as Michael and the Jackson 5 have been known to record more than 200 songs during their tenure at Motown, there may be more we don't know about hiding in the vault.
- Some tracks on the album have been sped up during the mixing process. "I Wanna Be Where You Are" and "Got To Be There" are the most notable, as their multitrack are at a lower pitch than the album versions.