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Rappin' With the Jackson Five
Date Assessed by the fact that Michael mentions that they had “just did a show in Miami” and they “saw the Temps” the same night. January 2, 1971 was the date that both the J5 and Temps performed in Miami. The interview also took place after January 31, 1971 (They talk about their Gary, Indiana concert)
Transcript
Jermaine: I’m Jermaine Jackson. I was just sittin’ here rappin’ with my brothers here, you know as The Jackson 5.
Marlon: Right on.
Michael: Yeah, and Jack, what do you dig about showbiz huh?
Jackie: Well, show business is my thing ya know and I always wanna be in show business . I guess you do too, Mike
Michael: Yeah.
Tito: Amen.
Jackie: I love it very much.
Tito: Right on brother I can dig that, amen.
Michael: And, Tito, about your sp-well what are your favorite sports, what do you like?
Tito: Well I love baseball, I love soccer, I love archery, I’m just crazy about football with women
Michael: What do you like Jermaine?
Jermaine: Well, I like a lot of everything really. I like a lot of poetry too. That’s my bag – a couple of songs.
Michael: What do you like Marlon?
Marlon: Well, I like golf and soccer, baseball, basketball, football, that’s about it.
Jackie: Since we been telling everything, what do you like Mike?
Marlon: Yeah, what do you like?
Michael: Well I like soccer…
Jackie: Soccer?!
Michael: baseball, well and volleyball.
Tito: Volleyball .
Jackie: What about swimming man? I thought you were a good swimmer…
Michael: Yeah, that’s my favorite thing, I love swimming.
Jackie: Yeah, I like swimming
Michael: Do you? Do you like swimming? How about you 'Maine?
Jermaine: It’s okay with me.
Tito: Well man, the way you ride your minibike, I don’t think you are gonna live too long to record another record.
Michael: (laughs uncontrollably)
Tito: And Marlon – you, well, if you keep riding like you are, one day you gonna fly right over a mountain.
Jackie: Tito, how about them cars you put together, how long did it take you to put that GT Mustang together?
Tito: It took me about…
Marlon: (whisper) three years.
Tito: Three days, close to three days. Yeah, it was really hard too.
Jackie: He’s got about 5 or 6 of them, right? How many you put together?
Jermaine: He gotta whole heap of them.
Marlon: No, he put 5 cars, about 6 motorcycles.
Jackie: And a spaceship.
Marlon: Yes, yes, and a spaceship.
Jackie: And that was bad man
Marlon: Yeah, and a TWA Jet.
Michael: Hey Tito, do you like photography and stuff? I saw a few of your pictures you done, you like it?
Tito: Yeah, that’s my bag. One day I caught you asleep, and one day, your hair was braided, and I took some flicks of you.
Michael: For real?
Tito: When you was asleep.
Michael: Show me that picture when you get home.
Tito: Got ’em there.
Marlon: Show us all.
Jermaine: What do you like best when we’re on the road Marlon?
Marlon: I like to eat. One of my favorites! And I like to sleep.
Jermaine: Just eat and sleep?
Michael: And play.
Marlon: Yeah.
Jermaine: You're lazy, how about you Mike?
Michael: Well, I like uh, staying in hotels and uh…
Jermaine: Oh really?
Michael:; When we get off stage I like to order a lot of pops and have fun and watch TV then go to bed.
Jermaine: What do you mostly order?
Michael: Um, hamburgers, bacon, sandwiches, barbeque. Just some soul food.
Tito: Well, Michael. Now we’re rappin’ about things we’re having fun with. But you did something that we had fun, but you didn’t have fun. How about when Miss [...] made you stand in that corner in school a whole hour. How did you feel about that?
Michael: Ehhh, I don’t know…
Jermaine: Yeah, for singing in class.
Michael: See, well I can’t help that I have to sing to stay in tune.
Marlon: To stay in tune…
Michael: Okay, Marlon what about you, Marlon, what about you?
Tito: Yeah Marlon.
Marlon: What do you mean “what” about me?
Michael: You sleepy!
Marlon: Yeah, I’m sleepy, man!
Tito: Yeah, and you Marlon…
Michael: Remember you was throwing spitballs?
Marlon: Ain’t nothing but a thang, it’s all nothing but a thang.
Tito: Fellas, you know, when we’re in rehearsal there are certain things that we want to do make our show better. Like, when we have rehearsal what is the main idea do you think we should do to put in a better show?
Jermaine: It’s a good show, but I think we need a little more punch, a little more funk in there. Yeah, playin’ a song and then ending it. You know, we need some long songs.
Tito: Well, we getting our groove together, right on Jackie?
Jackie: Right Tito.
Marlon: Say Jackie, who’s your favorite groups?
Jackie: I would say The Supremes and The Temps.
Jermaine: Go ahead Marlon.
Jackie: Marlon what are your favorite groups, man?
Marlon: I like The Temps, Supremes, and uh, the Chi-Lites, something like that yeah.
Michael: Yeah, they are really tough .
Tito: Yeah Michael, how about you?
Michael: Well, um I like the Temps too, and I like the Supremes, and I like the Four Tops, I like Miss Ross, Diana Ross…
Jackie: You got a lot of them.
Michael: Yeah, I got plenty of them.
Tito: Alright, let’s take a nap, keep on rappin’ Mike, let’s sleep fellas.
Michael: Marlon - and um Martha and the Vandellas, that’s about all.
Jackie: Yeah, she’s strong. I like that.
Jermaine: How about Gladys Knight?
Michael: Oh yeah, ooooo. Yeah I like Gladys.
Tito: Yeah, she’s together.
Jermaine: And the Originals, I like the Spinners too.
Michael: You know, we just did a show in Miami right? And we saw the Temps: Me and – Marlon and I. It was a good show.
Jackie: How was the show?
Michael: It was great.
Marlon: It was great, the best show I’ve ever seen.
Jackie: Yeah I couldn’t make it. I was playin’ basketball at the time. You were too Jermaine.
Jermaine: Yeah.
Jackie: Jermaine and I.
Tito: I was stayin’ at the Playboy Club. I was diggin’ on the bunnies.
Michael: And about the actress, Tito who is your favorite actress?
Tito: I’ll say, I don’t have too many favorite female actress.
Michael: Well, how about actors?
Tito: Well, I’ll say John Wayne.
Michael: Who is your favorite actor Marlon?
Marlon: I’ll say uh, James Clover.
Michael: Yeah I like him too.
Jackie: My man James Cagney.
Michael: I like James Bond.
Tito: How about brother Sidney?
Jermaine: I like James Cagney and Sidney Poitier
Michael: Yeah, yeah Sidney.
Marlon: Right on brother. Jermaine what do you like about girls?
Jermaine: I like girls that are quiet, with nice pretty brown eyes…
Tito: Right on brother.
Jermaine: Not too loud. Sorta shy, but – not shy, but you know not.
Michael: Yeah you like ’em shy .
Jermaine: You know, sweet and…
Jackie: Yeah, that’s how Hazel is.
Jermaine: And smart and bright.
Tito: I agree 100% brother.
Jackie: 100%
Tito: How about you Michael?
Michael: Well, I like their legs big and I like ’em with pretty big eyes. And uhmmm let’s see what else I like about gals.
Marlon: (laughs)
Tito: How about their personality Mike?
Michael: Yeah I like their personality, yeah that’s one thing I like about ‘em. What do you like Jackie?
Jackie: Well, I like girls mostly on the slim side.
Jermaine: Short? Short girls? 4’11!
Jackie: I like girls mostly on the slim side, you know and I agree with you Jermaine about personality and looks.
Tito: Right, right, I like a girl that’s not too loud, and not too quiet. Nice shape, let’s see.
Jackie: And give me all their lovin’.
Tito: Right.
Jermaine: Marlon, out of all our albums, what is your favorite song on the album?
Marlon: I’ll pick ‘I’ll Be there”.
Jermaine: “I’ll Be There”?
Marlon: Yeah, it's just one of my favorites and it’s…
Jermaine: Yeah, it’s a change.
Marlon: It’s a great song too.
Jermaine: How about you Tito?
Tito: Well, I like “I Want You Back”. I’m crazy about that.
Jermaine: Yeah that was the first [sound?].
Tito: Yeah, that was our very first.
Jermaine: Mike?
Tito: Put us up top.
Michael: Well, I like “Can I See You In The Morning” and “I’ll Be There”. I like “I’ll Be There” ‘cause it’s a slow song and it's out first time doing slow songs. I like slow songs.
Jackie: Well don’t forget about “The Love You Save”, man! That was, that was jumpin’.
Tito: Oh yeah, that was jumpin’. That was really hot.
Michael: Jumpin’ like hot beans on a Sunday mornin’.
Tito: Right on.
Jackie: Right on.
Jermaine: Well, the ones I like ABC, you know.
Jackie: Yeah, ABC.
Jermaine: There’s others…
Tito: Everyday when Jackie takes us to school and we get out of the car what’s the first thing you look for? That chick! Tell the people about the lady at school. No, don’t say “what girl” you know you I’m talking about.
Jermaine: Well, I can’t say it right here.
Tito: Nah, go ahead tell ’em. Hazel won’t get ya.
Michael: Tell ’em, man!
Jermaine: Noooo! Well, usually she’s not there bro.
Tito: Well tell ’em what you like about her. We saw you a couple of times. We been peepin’ on ya’ll, right Mike?
Michael: Riiight, right on, right.
Jermaine: I thought my stuff was taken care of.
Tito: No, you’re not that slick brother. Cannot slick the slicker.
Marlon: Jackie, what are your love and hates?
Jackie: My love and hates? Well, like I said before I love women, I love my basketball and I hate the cold weather. I love Gary, Indiana but I still hate the cold weather.
Tito: Right on brother.
Marlon: Hey, wasn’t it freezing when in Gary when we went back?
Jackie: Yeah, ‘bout 6 below zero, man.
Michael: And that’s cooold.
Tito: But you know, it was really fun. We went back home, and everything was great. They named the street after us. That was really together.
Michael: How did you like the…
Jackie: We got the keys to the city and all kinda awards from our friends.
Michael: How did you like the helicopter ride?
Marlon: The helicopter ride into the…
Jackie: Oh, I was kinda scared.
Jermaine: I was scared too.
Michael: Who are some of your favorite friends at our school Tito?
Tito: I don’t have too many favorite friends. I mostly stick close to my brothers. We take care of business.
Jermaine: Right.
Marlon: Tito, what do you like about flying?
Tito: What do I like about flying?
Marlon: Yeah.
Tito: I don’t like nothing about flying.
Marlon: Me either.
Tito: You give me some wings I rather fly myself.
Marlon: Michael, do you like to fly in the rain?
Michael: Uh uh, no, no, no, no.
Jermaine: Why?
Michael: ‘Maine!
Jackie: Say what about the time Michael was crying on the flight to what was it? New York?
Marlon: I don’t blame you man, it was bumpy all the way.
Tito: Air pockets for days.
Michael: Jermaine wanted to cry, but he trying to ‘Mike, Mike, Mike you know, you wanted to cry”.
Jackie: Well about the time when Jermaine was sittin’ on the, on the…
Michael: OOOOOOH!
Marlon: OOOOOOH!
Michael: You mean playing in the air pockets when Jermaine was… On the “eeeep”.
Jackie: We ran out folks.
Jermaine: Nah, nah, nah, nah.
Tito: Yeah, that was our first time flying that was about 3 years ago.
Jermaine: That’s fantasyland.
Jackie: That’s when we were about to do our first show at the Apollo Theater.
Jermaine: Right.
Tito: Since we’re talking about New York and the Apollo Theater, Michael what did you like best about the shows?
Michael: Well, I like the audience in New York, very happy and they get together with you. And I like the people very much. I like New York also.
Marlon: Let me tell you something that I didn’t like about.
Jermaine: New York?
Marlon: When we had to do 5 shows a day!
Tito: Yeah, that was a trip.
Michael: It’s not fun to me.
Tito: Every Sunday or Saturday, five shows a day.
Jackie: Well, everybody has to do that, in order to make it. Have to do 5 shows.
Tito: Jackie, I was watching you, you know. Every time we’d do a show, 5 shows a day there was one chick that came to see every show. I saw you cuttin’ your eyes out there. Is that what you like about New York?
Jackie: She was really together Tito, I missed her so much.
Tito: I remember when I was in Gary. I dug on a chick, at Gary Roosevelt High School when we were doing our first talent show. And I messed up playing my guitar from staring at this chick, and I was nervous on the other half. And Michael… He was so nervous, he dropped the microphone.
Michael: I remember that.
Tito: But anyway, we took it away though.
Jermaine: Yeah, I remember that.
Jackie: Tito, Tito, remember the first time we started, you know, Michael used to play the bongos.
Tito: Yeah, I remember the good ol’ days.
Michael: And I used to blow that harp.
Jackie: And you had a lead guitar and Jermaine didn’t know what a bass guitar was and he had another lead guitar.
Michael: And I play a little of that violin on stage.
Jermaine: But I’m in heaven now.
Tito: Hey Jackie, remember when we cut the record, “The Jerk” and “The Boardwalk” … “Doin’ The Jerk”. Old days, so nice to remember.
Marlon: Jackie tell me, do you like driving.
Jackie: Well I guess everybody likes driving now.
Jermaine: ‘Drivin’ machine” a little bit man.
Marlon: Driving machine?
Tito: I want my Porsche man, and you, get your what did you want?
Jackie: 240Z Datsun.
Tito: Well, you get your 240Z and I get my Porsche and I’ll take you on any day Jackie.
Marlon: Well, I’ll tell you fellas what I want when I get about 17, 18 a Saab.
Jackie: Maybe on a highway, but not a straightaway I don’t think.
Tito: Well I believe I can take you on a straightaway after I fix it up.
Jackie: Nah, maybe on the curves you would but not on the straightway.
Michael: When you get older Tito, are you gonna stick with the group or what are you gonna do?
Tito: Imma stick with my group as long as my group be here, you better believe it.
Michael: Are you gonna be an actor, and be with the group still?
Tito: Well, my plans are: going to engineering school. I like to invest my money in studios.
Michael: Well I was planning on being an actor and sing something like Sammy Davis style.
Jackie: Yeah, that’s good Mike. That’s good thinking.
Michael: What about you ‘Maine?
Jermaine: It’s taken care of.
Tito: Oh you don’t want to tell your secrets?
Michael: Okay, what about you Jermaine?
Jermaine: It’s taken care of.
Jackie: Yeah, what about you Jermaine?
Jermaine: Songs and things.
Michael: Oh you gonna be a writer?
Jackie: Michael that tune you made, You and Jermaine together…
Tito: Wait a minute, I bet you a million there’s tune ya’ll writing I bet you I’ll self twice as much as you do.
Jackie: I don’t think so.
Jermaine: Nah, nah, nah, nah.
Michael: Not my tunes.
Jackie: ‘Cause whenever you put Jermaine and Jackie together.
Tito: How about Tito, and Michael and Marlon. That’s together writing, right Michael?
Jackie: Hey, Tito the other day, you know, I looked at Mike drawer you know, and I looked at his folder the songs he was writin’ man, and it was so fun that I just laughed at the lyrics.
Michael: What were the lyrics, tell me the lyrics.
Jermaine: What was it about? Peanut butter and crackers?
Jackie: Well I give him 100% you know, ‘cause he’s really trying though. That’s good he’s trying.
Michael: What, what were the lyrics?
Jackie: Well I don’t wanna have everybody laugh.
Tito: What you talking ‘bout “Jack and Jill”?
Jermaine: Oh boy. I need some water.
Magazine article based on this interview (Image 001)
(Jermaine looked at his watch and said that they were 20 minutes late for their recording session! They gulped down the last of their french fries, and rushed back to the music studio for an afternoon of groovin' together on another new outtasight album for their lucky fans!)