In a bid to cash in on the post-
Motown
successes of
Jackie
,
Tito
Jermaine
Marlon
and
Michael
-- known by the late '70s simply as
the Jacksons
-- the ten-song odds and ends collection
Boogie
actually turned out to be a rarity due to its brief shelf-life. The contents consist primarily of previously unissued tracks, although there are also remixes of the early
Jackson Five
smashes
"ABC,"
"Never Can Say Goodbye"
"Dancing Machine"
that while at once compelling are ultimately non-essential to all but the most fanatical enthusiast. The remainder of material encompasses their six-year (1969-'75) run on
, chronologically commencing with
"Oh, I've Been Blessed,"
a
Bobby Taylor
-penned side hailing from the very first sessions the quintet cut for
in 1968. Scholarly
listeners should note that in addition to
' inspired run-through, both
Taylor
himself, as well as
the Four Tops
released their own respective readings. Other 'borrowed' tunes include the
Holland-Dozier-Holland
composition
"Love's Gone Bad."
(While
Chris Clark
's version of the same showed up on a 1966 single that almost made it (number 41) into the Top 40
R&B
survey, lovers of
proto-punks
the Nomads
will remember their update.) Another highlight is the engaging overhaul of
Stevie Wonder
's
"I Was Made to Love Her"
with
Michael Jackson
displaying signs of his remarkably precocious talents. ~ Lindsay Planer