Michael Jackson - The Definitive Collection (Black Vinyl)

Black Vinyl With Printed Insert

Motown's single-LP edition of The Definitive Collection puts fourteen of Michael Jackson's Motown recordings on one black record and divides them by who is singing. Side A, labeled the J5 Side, carries seven Jackson 5 singles from "I Want You Back" to "Who's Lovin' You." Side B, the Solo Side, carries seven of his own, from "I Wanna Be Where You Are" to "Farewell My Summer Love."

The package includes an essay by the author David Ritz, notes on each track and photographs of Jackson from the Motown Archives, and Motown states that the recordings are newly remastered for this edition. The printed insert opens on the line "Michael Jackson was a phenomenon from the start."

The Jackson 5 signed with Motown in March 1969 and became the first group to debut with four consecutive No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100: "I Want You Back," "ABC," "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There." All four are on the J5 side.

Motown launched Jackson's solo career in October 1971 with "Got to Be There," and "Rockin' Robin" and "I Wanna Be Where You Are" followed from the same debut album. "Ben," from 1972, was his first solo single to reach No. 1. "One Day in Your Life" first appeared on Forever, Michael in 1975 and topped the UK singles chart in the summer of 1981, and "Farewell My Summer Love" comes from sessions recorded in 1973 that Motown released in 1984.

The Definitive Collection first came out on Universal Motown on August 25, 2009, as a nineteen-track compilation, and reached No. 39 on the Billboard 200.

Tracklist

Side A - J5 Side

1. I Want You Back
2. Never Can Say Goodbye
3. I'll Be There
4. ABC
5. Dancing Machine
6. The Love You Save
7. Who's Lovin' You

Side B - Solo Side

8. I Wanna Be Where You Are
9. Ben
10. Rockin' Robin
11. Got to Be There
12. One Day in Your Life
13. We're Almost There
14. Farewell My Summer Love

Complete the Collection

Seven Michael Jackson titles at Evergreen Vinyl, this one included: The Best of Michael Jackson, Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, Number Ones.