Third Album

This article is about the Jackson 5 album. For other albums titled Third, see Third (disambiguation). For The Shocking Blue album, see Third Album (Shocking Blue album).

Third Album
Studio album by The Jackson 5
Released	September 8, 1970
Recorded	April – July 1970
Genre	Bubblegum pop, soul, rock and roll
Length	37:23
Label	Motown MS 718
Producer	The Corporation & Hal Davis
The Jackson 5 chronology
ABC (May 8, 1970)ABC Third Album (September 8, 1970) Jackson 5 Christmas Album (1970)Jackson 5 Christmas Album1970
Singles from Third Album
"I'll Be There" Released: August 28, 1970 "Mama's Pearl" Released: January 7, 1971

Third Album is the third studio album released by The Jackson 5 on Motown Records, and the group's second LP released in 1970. Third Album featured the group's fourth consecutive number-one single on the US pop charts, "I'll Be There", the Top 5 single, "Mama's Pearl", and album tracks such as the semi-autobiographical "Goin' Back to Indiana", and "Darling Dear". The album peaked at #4 on the Billboard album charts and #1 on the R&B album charts and also #1 on Cashbox. This is considered one of their best efforts and is their most successful album to date. It sold over 6 million copies worldwide. The album is known in some countries as I'll Be There (アイル・ビー・ゼア).

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic

Allmusic's Lindsay Planer rated Third Album four out of five stars. She stated that the album contains "the unmistakable Motown sound, expanding just enough to incorporate other significant influences as well." She also stated that a few of the tracks "are [...] worthwhile spins."

Track listing

Side One

1. "I'll Be There" (Berry Gordy, Jr., Bob West, Hal Davis, Willie Hutch) – 3:59
   • Lead vocals: Michael Jackson and Jermaine Jackson
   • Background vocals: The Jackson 5
2. "Ready or Not (Here I Come)" (Thom Bell, William Hart; originally performed by The Delfonics) – 2:34
   • Lead vocals: Michael Jackson
3. "Oh How Happy" (Charles Hatcher; originally performed by The Shades of Blue) – 2:16
   • Lead vocals: Jermaine Jackson
   • Secondary vocals: Michael Jackson
4. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (Paul Simon; originally performed by Simon & Garfunkel) – 5:52
   • Lead vocals: Jermaine Jackson
5. "Can I See You in the Morning?" (Deke Richards) – 3:09
   • Lead vocals: Michael Jackson

Side Two

1. "Goin' Back to Indiana" (The Corporation) – 3:32
   • Lead vocals: Michael Jackson
   • Spoken vocals by: The Jackson 5
2. "How Funky Is Your Chicken?" (Lester Lee Carr, Richard Hutch & Willie Hutch) – 2:41
   • Lead vocals: Michael Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Jackie Jackson
3. "Mama's Pearl" (The Corporation) – 3:09
   • Lead vocals: Michael Jackson
   • Secondary vocals: Jermaine Jackson, Jackie Jackson
4. "Reach In" (Beatrice Verdi) – 3:28
   • Lead vocals: Jermaine Jackson, Michael Jackson
5. "The Love I Saw In You Was Just a Mirage" (Smokey Robinson, Marv Tarplin; originally performed by The Miracles) – 4:22
   • Lead and spoken vocals: Michael Jackson
6. "Darling Dear" (George Gordy, Robert Gordy, Allen Story) – 2:40
   • Lead vocals: Michael Jackson

Recording sessions

The songs on the album were recorded from April to September 1970. Other tracks from the Third Album recording sessions are:

• "Ask the Lonely"
• "Everybody Is a Star"
• "Never Can Say Goodbye"
• "One Day I'll Mary You"
• "After the Storm"
• "Petals"
• "Jamie"
• "Just a Little Misunderstanding"

Re-release

In 2001, Motown Records remastered all J5 albums in a "Two Classic Albums/One CD" series (much like they did in the late 1980s). This album was paired up with Maybe Tomorrow. The bonus tracks were "Sugar Daddy", the only new track on their 1971 greatest hits set, and "I'm So Happy", the B-side of that single.

See also

• List of number-one R&B albums of 1970 (U.S.)

External links

• (French) Third Album overview at www.jackson5abc.com