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Jackson 5 Audition

Date confirmed in “Goldmine” magazine (April 9, 2010) (archived) (“The Jackson 5 auditioned for Berry Gordy on July 23, 1968”)

Michael Jackson (From his 1988 book, Moonwalk)

We were all up on time the next morning; Dad saw to that. But, in truth, we were just as excited as he was and hopped out of bed when he called us. The audition was unusual for us because we hadn't played in many places where they expected us to be professional. We knew it was going to be difficult to judge whether we were doing well. We were used to audience response whether we were competing or just performing at a club, but Dad had told us the longer we stayed, the more they wanted to hear.

We climbed into the VW, after cereal and milk at the coffee shop. I noticed they offered grits on the menu, so I knew there were a lot of Southern people who stayed there. We had never been to the South then and wanted to visit Mom's part of the country someday. We wanted to have a sense of our roots and those of other black people, especially after what had happened to Dr. King.

Jermaine was the first to spot the studio, which was known as Hitsville, U.S.A. It looked kind of run-down, which was not what I'd expected. We wondered who we might see, who might be there making a record that day. Dad had coached us to let him do all the talking. Our job was to perform like we'd never performed before. And that was asking a lot, because we always put everything into each performance, but we knew what he meant. There were a lot of people waiting inside, but Dad said the password and a man in a shirt and tie came out to meet us. He knew each of our names, which astounded us. He asked us to leave our coats there and follow him. The other people just stared through us like we were ghosts. I wondered who they were and what their stories were. Had they travelled far? Had they been here day after day hoping to get in without an appointment?

When we entered the studio, one of the Motown guys was adjusting a movie camera. There was an area set up with instruments and microphones. Dad disappeared into one of the sound booths to talk to someone. I tried to pretend that I was at the Fox Theatre, on the rising stage, and this was just business as usual. I decided, looking around, that if I ever built my own studio, I'd get a mike like the one they had at the Apollo, which rose out of the floor. I nearly fell on my face once running down those basement steps while trying to find out where it went when it slowly disappeared beneath the stage floor.

The last song we sang was "Who's Lovin' You." When it ended, no one applauded or said a word. I couldn't stand not knowing, so I blurted, "How was that?" Jermaine shushed me. The older guys who were backing us up were laughing about something. I looked at them out of the corner of my eye. "Jackson Jive, huh?" one of them called out with a big grin on his face. I was confused, I think my brothers were too.

The man who had led us back said, "Thanks for coming up." We looked at Dad's face for some indication, but he didn't seem pleased or disappointed. It was still daylight out when we left. We took I-94 back to Gary, subdued, knowing there was homework to do for class tomorrow, wondering if that was all there was to that.

Claudette Robinson (Smokey Robinson’s wife), “Goldmine” magazine (April 9, 2010) (archived)

“They had finished their first audition, and, of course, it was the talk of the entire studio about these kids, who were absolutely fantastic, Michael being the most talented of all of them,” recalls Claudette.

The Jackson exceeded all the accolades that had been relayed to her. Claudette was especially taken with young Michael, who, even at the tender age of 9, was a star in the making.

“First of all, to see a young man with that much soul and the ability to sing a song as though he had experienced that part of life … because usually you’re coming from a point of reference when you’re singing, not always, but to get the true feelings from that song … for him to be able to sing like that with that much feeling, it was phenomenal,” says Claudette, who was part of The Miracles between 1956 and 1964.

Reel tape label (archived), from Chris Cadman’s “Michael Jackson the Maestro”

A reel tape came to light in 2012 with a list of songs on that were said to have been used at the Jackson 5’ s Motown audition. These were:

It’s Your Thing (written in red ink)

Steal Away

Ain’t Too Proud To Beg’

Unidentified Song

I Wish It Would Rain

Tobacco Road

Steal Away (Reprise)

I Got A Feeling

Chris Cadman, author, “Michael Jackson the Maestro”

The Jackson 5 was booked to appear on the David Frost show when father Joe got the call that Motown wanted to audition his boys.

23rd July, 1968. Berry Gordy asked Johnny Bristol to film The Jackson 5’ s audition. He had never been interested in child performers, but a little fellow by the name of Michael Jackson would prove an exception to that rule. Famous footage as often appeared publicly over the years for, ‘I Got The Feelin’, ‘Tobacco Road’ and ‘Who’s Lovin’ You’. But the Jackson 5 we’re said to have done other numbers including the Temptations, ‘My Girl’, ‘Ain’t To Proud To Beg ‘and ‘I Wish It Would Rain’.

Shirley Cartman, who had been helping the family record songs and using her knowledge and contacts of the music scene, suggested they should try ‘You Don’t Know Like I Know.’ But there’s no evidence they performed it at the audition.

Three days later, Motown offered the Jackson 5 a contract, but then had to retract it because of their contractual obligations with promoter Richard Arons.