Got to Be There



Got to Be There is the debut studio album by Michael Jackson, released by Motown on January 24, 1972. It includes the song of the same name, which was released on October 7, 1971, as Jackson's debut solo single. It sold nearly 900,000 copies in the United States and over 3.2 million copies worldwide. The album was later remastered and reissued in 2009 as part of the 3-disc compilation Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection.

Album information
The title track and "Rockin' Robin" were released as singles and were commercially successful. Those two hits were back-to-back on the Hot 100 at #5 and #6, respectively, on April 8, 1972. Jackson's "I Wanna Be Where You Are" reached number 27 on the American chart on June 24, 1972. The album 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". The album's songs have a tempo ranging from 74 beats per minute on "Ain't No Sunshine", to 170 on "Rockin' Robin".

The album was arranged by The Corporation, Eddy Manson, James Anthony Carmichael, Gene Page, and Dave Blumberg. Berry Gordy was the executive producer and Jim Britt was credited for photography.

Reception
The album peaked at number 14 on the US pop albums chart and number three on the US R&B album chart when it was released. It was certified Gold by the RIAA and eventually sold 900,000 copies in the United States alone.

Rolling Stone (12/7/72, p. 68) - "..slick, artful and every bit as good as the regular Jackson 5 product...a sweetly touching voice...innocence and utter professionalism...fascinating and finally irresistible.."