Collection Features Karaoke Bonus Versions Of “I Want You Back,” “The Love You Save,” “I’ll Be There” and “Mama’s Pearl”

The Jackson 5 were fun to listen to and they were also a family. It is no surprise, then, that singing along with them to “ABC” or “I Want You Back” has brought other families together for decades and continues to do so today. Universal Music Family’s J Is For Jackson 5 (Motown/UMe), released March 30, 2010, collects a dozen of the group’s most mom-, dad- and kid-friendly greatest hits and fan favorites on one album – and adds karaoke versions of “I Want You Back,” “The Love You Save,” “I’ll Be There” and “Mama’s Pearl.”

Mobile Music Studio Remixing App Features Five Jackson 5 Favorites: 
ABC, Dancing Machine, I Want You Back, Mama's Pearl and The Love You Save

Austin, TX – SXSW Music Conference– March 19, 2010 – Easy as 1-2-3 – Starting today, Jackson 5 fans can remix five multi-platinum Jackson 5 songs and win over $6,000 in prizes. Universal Music Enterprises and EMI Publishing teamed up with ZOOZ Mobile, Inc., developers of the first mobile music studio, to launch ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch users. ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix – the second in a series of custom branded ZOOZbeat music apps – features five Jackson 5 signature songs that helped sell more than 250 million albums worldwide in 40 years: “Dancing Machine,” “ABC,” “I Want You Back,” “Mama's Pearl” and “The Love You Save.” ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix transforms the Apple iPhone or iPod Touch into a mobile music studio, enabling anyone – with or without music training – to remix and re-create their own tracks with beats and samples from pop sensation Jackson 5  featuring Michael Jackson and brothers Jermaine, Jackie, Tito and Marlon. 

Susan Whitall / Detroit News Music Writer

David Van De Pitte, the arranger who helped Marvin Gaye take jazz, soul and the rumblings of the counter-culture and turn it into the genius of "What's Going On," died on Aug. 9 of cancer. The arranger, composer and music director, a longtime Metro Detroiter, was 68.

He is survived by Carolyn Barnett-Goldstein, his partner of 26 years, two daughters by a previous marriage, a brother and a sister.

The work of an arranger isn't always understood by the general public; they often take a creative but unfinished idea and translate it into musical language, spelling out what each musician is supposed to play.

While early Motown music was simpler, by the time Van De Pitte arrived arrangements were complex and that unseen structure of the Motown sound was part of its appeal.

When an arranger tweaks and advances the music, it's considered co-writing, and Van De Pitte did that on "What's Going On." He was nominated for a Grammy for best arranger for the album in 1971.

Click here to read full article at Detroit News.
Image courtesy of ©2008 Eric van den Brulle.

Motown 50 Podcasts: Celebrate Motown’s 50th anniversary with this vibrant series featuring rare and intimate conversations with Motown legends, producers, songwriters and singers - including Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5, the Commodores and more.  Also hear from hip-hop pioneer Q-Tip, actor/singer/producer Nick Cannon, film director Lawrence Kasdan, songwriter Diane Warren, author Frank Rich and many more. Listen to fantastic stories of America's greatest record label, including exclusive insights on some of the greatest songs ever, from "My Girl" to "Love Hangover" to “Brick House”!

Subscribe to the series right here. Episodes updated regularly.

The fans have spoken--and “My Girl” by The Temptations is their all-time favorite Motown recording.  The results of the online voting held in June and July can be heard on the two-CD set Motown 50 Fanthology (Motown/UM^e), to be released September 1, 2009, which continues the celebration of Motown’s 50^th anniversary.

Read more here.