Rarities #28: Michael Jackson with the Jackson Five - Soulsation! (1995)

This is another one of those items that I have been searching for a long time, and I'm glad I managed to find it 12 years after its release, in the good old Real Groovy of course.

Soulsation! is a 4-disc box set released to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Jackson Five scoring their first number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970. The song in question is I Want You Back, which was released in 1969 but hit the top spot on 23 January 1970.

In fact, their first four singles went to number 1, a feat that has never been repeated since. These four tracks are included in this collection, as well as their other hits spanning from 1969 to 1975. The fourth disc is a collection of previously unreleased Jackson Five songs and solo cuts by Michael, Jermaine and Jackie.

The Jacksons are apparently planning for a reunion tour this year, although it is very, very unlikely that will materialise. But if it somehow miraculously does, it will be interesting to see if they can still groove and bring the same magic as they did almost 40 years ago.

One thing is for sure. The music remains timeless and it still captures the youthful exuberance of the brothers when they were kids. I simply can't quite imagine a world without the Jackson Five, because that would mean that Michael would never have gone on as a solo artist, which of course, is an unimaginable thought for me.

I'm glad I finally laid my hands on this. It's long out of print and it travelled a few thousand kilometres to get to my cupboard. And I'm going to keep it well.