The Jackson 5 and Johnny - Big Boy (Original)

Written by Gordon Keith, released as the Jackson 5’s first ever single by Steel-Town Records in January 1968 (USA only).

Demo recorded circa November 1967. Initially hand-sold by Michael and his brothers, at the many gigs they played. Picked up for national distribution by Atco, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records, who pressed 10,000 copies. Sold well locally, but failed to register on any of Billboard’s charts.

Re-issued as a limited edition CD single in the States, on the Inverted record label, in June 1995.

An ex-engineer, who engineered on all the sessions, has confirmed the Jackson 5 recorded eight songs for Steel-Town, only six of which have been released, including:

• Big Boy.
• You’ve Changed.
• We Don’t Have To Be Over 21 (To Fall In Love).
• Jam Session (the version on the B-side of Big Boy).

Two of the six released songs are unconfirmed, but are probably:

• Some Girls Want Me For Their Lover (aka Michael The Lover).
• I Found A Love.

The two unreleased Steel-Town recordings are confirmed as:

• Take My Heart.
• Jackson Man.

All the other ‘lost Steel-Town recordings’, it’s speculated, were actually taped by Shirley Cartman, possibly in her own living room.
According to Cartman, only one copy of the tape ever existed. Many years after the recordings were made (by which time she had moved to Atlanta), a friend recommended she have the recordings transferred to professional archival tape, to preserve them for historical purposes.

This she did, using a local Atlanta company – then, just a year or so later, the first of many compilations of ‘lost’ recordings surfaced, released by S.D.E.G., a small Atlanta record label.

When she learned of the commercial release of her recordings, Cartman was understandably angry – more so, because some songs she had written especially for the Jackson 5 (including Lonely Heart), were redited to Gordon Keith (founder and owner of Steel-Town).


Big Boy - lyrics

Fairy tales, fairy tales
I don't enjoy,
Fairy tales and wishful dreams
Are broken toys

'Cause I'm a big boy now (Big boy)
That's looking for (Big boy)
Someone to love, oh yeah
Someone, someone to share my dreams, oh yeah

Mother goose, oh mother goose
Oh, won't you join
All I need is an ol' lovely girl
Holding my arm

'Cause I'm a big boy now (Big boy)
That's looking for (Big boy)
Someone to love, oh yeah
Someone, someone to share my dreams, oh yeah

Skating boards
And kiddie cars
Have had their day
Dating at the picture show with you
Is here to stay

'Cause I'm a big boy (Big boy)
That's looking for (Big boy)
Someone to love, oh yeah
Someone, someone to share my dreams, oh yeah
Come on, baby
Come on, baby, ooh