Riding high on the wild success of the Jackson 5, Motown ringleader Berry Gordy assembled every single notable production team member and songwriter in his arsenal to contribute to the solo debut of the J5's boy wonder, Michael.
By the time Got to Be There was released, much had changed in the Jackson dynamic, none the least Michael's voice.
But this album launched three chart singles: a cover of the bubblegum classic "Rockin' Robin," Leon Ware's "I Wanna Be Where You Are," and the title track.
As a cohesive album, Got to Be There is wildly erratic, and his covers of "You've Got a Friend" and "Ain't No Sunshine" show Jackson's versatility as a singer.
It was a world away from the politically charged sound of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and the introspection that would later grace some of the best works of Stevie Wonder.
But Got to Be There kept Gordy as king of the sound of young America -- at least for a few months longer.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ain't No SunshineBill Withers | Michael Jackson | Play | 04:13 | 9 MB | 25 MB |
| 2 | I Wanna Be Where You AreArthur Ross, Leon Ware | Michael Jackson | Play | 03:02 | 6 MB | 19 MB |
| 3 | Girl Don't Take Your Love From MeWillie Hutch | Michael Jackson | Play | 03:51 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 4 | In Our Small WayBeatrice Verdi, Christine Yarian | Michael Jackson | Play | 03:41 | 8 MB | 22 MB |
| 5 | Got to Be ThereElliot Willensky | Michael Jackson | Play | 03:24 | 7 MB | 20 MB |
| 6 | Rockin' RobinJimmie Thomas | Michael Jackson | Play | 02:34 | 5 MB | 16 MB |
| 7 | Wings of My LoveBerry Gordy, Jr., Daniel Lussier, Alphonso Mizell, Christine Yarian Perren, Freddie Perren | Michael Jackson | Play | 03:25 | 7 MB | 20 MB |
| 8 | Maria (You Were the Only One)Lawrence Brown, Linda Glover, George Gordy, Allen Story | Michael Jackson | Play | 03:43 | 8 MB | 23 MB |
| 9 | Love Is Here and Now You're GoneLamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Eddie Holland | Michael Jackson | Play | 02:54 | 6 MB | 18 MB |
| 10 | You've Got a FriendCarole King | Michael Jackson | Play | 04:53 | 11 MB | 32 MB |
| 35 mins | 82 MB | |||||
| 35 mins | 223 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lawrence Brown | Composer |
| 2 | Lawrence Brown | Composer |
| 3 | Lawrence Brown | Composer |
| 4 | Lamont Dozier | Composer |
| 5 | Linda Glover | Composer |
| 6 | Berry Gordy, Jr. | Composer |
| 7 | George Gordy | Composer |
| 8 | Brian Holland | Composer |
| 9 | Eddie Holland | Composer |
| 10 | Willie Hutch | Composer |
| 11 | Michael Jackson | Primary Artist |
| 12 | Carole King | Composer |
| 13 | Daniel Lussier | Composer |
| 14 | Alphonso Mizell | Composer |
| 15 | Christine Yarian Perren | Composer |
| 16 | Freddie Perren | Composer |
| 17 | Arthur Ross | Composer |
| 18 | Allen Story | Composer |
| 19 | Jimmie Thomas | Composer |
| 20 | Beatrice Verdi | Composer |
| 21 | Leon Ware | Composer |
| 22 | Elliot Willensky | Composer |
| 23 | Bill Withers | Composer |
| 24 | Christine Yarian | Composer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |