THE JACKSONS RETURN TO MALAYSIA
IF you were a child of the 1970s, then you would remember the two musical families that were prominent then: The Jacksons and The Osmonds.
We enjoyed watching the five afro-haired boys belting out hit after hit, while with the Osmonds, it was Donny and Marie who stole the limelight with their television variety show.
Of the two, the former has enjoyed more No.1 hits, thanks partly to wonder boy Michael Jackson. No one comes close to matching his gift as an all-round entertainer.
MJ may be no more but come March 26, we can have a slice of him via his brothers when The Jacksons perform at the Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix Gala 2015, Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
The Jackson brothers — Jermaine, 60, Jackie, 63, Tito, 61, and Marlon, 58, were last in town in December 2012.
Despite losing their frontman, the brothers are still able to command colossal attention as their combined total sale places them just below the Beatles and Elvis Presley in the all-time bestseller rankings.
“It feels good that something we started in the early 1960s in Gary, Indiana, should still be going,” said Tito in an interview with the Guardian last September.
You can lose that eye-of-the-tiger feeling, but we haven’t. We always took care of ourselves. We didn’t live like your average entertainers, partying and drinking and drugging. That pays off at this time in your life. But we’re not old men — we’re still able to give great performances.”
Following King of Pop Michael’s shocking death in 2009, the four oldest brothers embarked on their Unity Tour in 2012-2013. The upcoming KL gig is an extension of that tour.
The Unity Tour sees the brothers covering MJ’s parts in the group’s repertoire as well as some of his solo hits. Prior to that, the five brothers went on the road together during the 1984 Victory Tour.
“The Unity Tour has been a great experience. It’s been fun being on stage and we look forward to playing the music from the Jackson 5, The Jacksons and Michael’s catalogue. The songs are healing and we play the music because we miss our brother so much,” Jermaine said in a recent e-mail interview with Star2.
This year is extra special as it marks the 50th anniversary since the name The Jackson 5 was established in 1965.
Starting young
In the Jacksons’ portal, they mention that their father Joe began coaching Jermaine, Tito and Jackie in his spare time and they are soon joined by Marlon and Michael, who takes over the lead vocals from Jermaine.
The five brothers then entered and won the Roosevelt High School talent show in Gary, Indiana. Two months later, they clinched the annual talent search in Gilroy Stadium and enjoyed a mention in the local press.
Daddy Joe then booked them into a local nightclub, earning a paltry US$8 a night for five sets, six days a week. They proved popular with the customers who threw money onto the stage in appreciation, amounting to well above their nightly fee.
On Aug 11, 1968, Diana Ross introduced her new protégés, The Jackson 5, with the kind of pomp and splendour usually reserved for major Hollywood movie debuts.
Apparently, according to J. Randy Taraborrelli, who wrote Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story, 300 of Ross’ and Berry Gordy’s (the founder of Motown Records) personal friends and business associates crammed into the chic private club in Beverly Hills, California, called Daisy. They stood and cheered as Michael and his brothers performed Smokey Robinson’s Who’s Loving You.
The boys wore identical lime green vest suits with gold shirts and matching green boots. Every move had been carefully choreographed for them and rehearsed in the professional Motown tradition. They were a hit, history was written and the Jackson 5 franchise was born.
Some of their hits songs include I Want You Back, ABC, Never Can Say Goodbye, Rockin’ Robin, Sugar Daddy, I’ll Be There, Maybe Tomorrow and The Love You Save. While The Jackson 5 albums and hits need no introductions, the group has also attracted a strong following among crate-diggers and funk-minded music fans that prefer the later albums like Destiny, Triumph and Victory.
Jermaine pointed out: “Those (later) albums have a lot great songs and it’s very exciting to perform them on stage. There is nothing like a great groove ... something that will get the people standing and moving. It’s fun to play those songs and they will never die. Michael sang a lot of the leads on them and they could be considered his classics.”
The Jacksons are inductees into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, have five No. 1 albums, 18 No. 1 hits, 17 top 10 albums and 17 top 40 singles.
There are many projects in the pipeline for The Jacksons and they plan to return to the recording studios to churn out new music. However, there are no plans to put out any DVDs or live albums.
This part of the world has often been a part of the Jacksons’ touring schedule, with the group enjoying sell-out concerts.
“Asia has always been part of our touring since day one and we always enjoy coming over. We love the acceptance we get and they make us feel good. You guys are very loyal and we always enjoy coming back. And we will continue to come back!” Jermaine said.
Besides the popular numbers, for the Malaysian concert, fans can expect to hear the very topical Man Of War from the group’s 1977 Goin’ Places album. It’s a sobering song that hasn’t lost its resonance through the years.
“Man Of War is a great song with a valuable message. For us, it’s important to perform this song because it introduces peace which is very much needed around the world.
“Michael’s hits such as Rock With You, Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough and Wanna Be Startin’ Something are also a big part of the show’s setlist.
“Fans can expect a high-energy show which will feature some new songs. It will be very upbeat, very exciting but we will still do our tribute to Michael. We’re going to have a lot of fun on stage and it’s going to be a big party,” Jermaine promised.
Reviews of their recent concerts suggest that even without the physical presence of their far more famous brother, The Jacksons remain a potent live act — and after 50 years in the business, certainly a well-rehearsed one.
■ The Jacksons will perform at the Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on March 26 at 9pm. Gala dinner tickets are priced at RM2,500 (VIP1) & RM2,000 (VIP2). Fans of The Jacksons will be able to join the gala guests to watch the concert, as there will also be tickets for sale to the public. Concert tickets priced between RM290 and RM690 can be purchased via ticketing agent TicketPro. Gala guests will continue with the After Party right after the Jacksons concert where they will be entertained by Dov Amiel while enjoying their supper. For more information on the Malaysia Grand Prix Gala 2015 please contact: Live At Work Sdn Bhd at 03-6205 3091, 017-250 9773, fax: 03- 6206 4676 or e-mail:
guestrelations@liveatwork.com.my
http://www.thestar.com.my/Lifestyle...sons-concert-in-Malaysia-will-be-a-big-party/
Did anyone on this forum went to any of the shows, and if so were they worth seeing?
