Moving Violation is the tenth studio album by the Jackson 5 and their final studio album on Motown Records, released on May 15, 1975. Aiming at the developing disco market,[6] the group's funk-based version of Diana Ross & the Supremes' 1968 single "Forever Came Today" was a club hit,[7] while the single's B-side, the R&B ballad "All I Do Is Think of You", became a popular and frequently covered song in its own right.[1]

Moving Violation
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 15, 1975
Recorded1974–1975
StudioMotown Recording Studios, Hollywood, California
GenreSoul, disco, funk[1]
Length35:45
LabelMotown
MS-M6-829S1
ProducerMichael Lovesmith, Hal Davis, Brian Holland, Mel Larsen, Jerry Marcellino
The Jackson 5 chronology
Dancing Machine
(1974)
Moving Violation
(1975)
Anthology
(1976)
Singles from Moving Violation
  1. "Forever Came Today"
    Released: June 10, 1975[2]
  2. "All I Do Is Think of You"
    Released: October 1975[3]
  3. "Body Language (Do the Love Dance)"
    Released: January 24, 1976
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Rolling Stone[5]

The album was arranged by Michael Lovesmith, Arthur G. Wright, Dave Blumberg and James Anthony Carmichael, with Lovesmith and John Bahler being responsible for the vocal arrangements. John Kosh was the album cover's designer with photography credited to Jim Britt.

Departure from Motown edit

After the release of Moving Violation, the brothers left Motown due to the label refusing to let them write their own music and the group earning little album royalties.[8] The only brother to stay with the label was Jermaine, due to the fact that he felt Motown was more capable of promoting Black Music than Sony Records/Epic Records. He was married to Motown CEO Berry Gordy's daughter Hazel at the time.[9] Jermaine would eventually reunite with his brothers for the Motown 25 television special in 1983, and their 1984 album Victory.

The Jackson 5 left Motown after their contract ended in 1976, but the group had to change their name, since the Jackson 5 moniker was owned by Motown. The brothers later signed with Philadelphia International Records and Epic Records with youngest Jackson brother Randy under their new name, the Jacksons.

Track listing edit

Side One

  1. "Forever Came Today" (originally performed by the Supremes) (Holland-Dozier-Holland) – 6:23
  2. "Moving Violation" (Liz Shaw, Harold Beatty) – 3:37
  3. "(You Were Made) Especially for Me" (Michael Lovesmith, Brian Holland) – 3:28
  4. "Honey Love" (Michael Lovesmith, Edward Holland, Brian Holland) – 4:40

Side Two

  1. "Body Language (Do the Love Dance)" (Hal Davis, Donald Fletcher) – 4:07
  2. "All I Do Is Think of You" (Michael Lovesmith, Brian Holland) – 3:17
  3. "Breezy" (Mel Larson, Jerry Marcellino) – 3:38
  4. "Call of the Wild" (Mel Larson, Jerry Marcellino) – 2:33
  5. "Time Explosion" (Mel Larson, Jerry Marcellino) – 4:13

Charts edit

Chart (1975) Peak
position
US Billboard Top LPs & Tape[10] 36

References edit

Citations edit

  1. ^ a b Easlea 2016, p. 170.
  2. ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. June 21, 1975. p. 72.
  3. ^ "Single Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box: 21. October 25, 1975.
  4. ^ Allmusic review
  5. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780743201698.
  6. ^ Jason Ankeny. "The Jackson 5 Moving Violation". allmusic.com.
  7. ^ Jones 2005, p. 16.
  8. ^ Knopper 2016, p. 57.
  9. ^ Trow, George W. S.; Kincaid, Jamaica (July 6, 1975). "Leaving Motown". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
  10. ^ "The Jackson 5 US Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2017.

Sources edit