The evergreen king of pop music, Michael Joseph Jackson was once a first-timer in the studio too. Stepping in for his debut session, it was definitely an exciting discovery for the eight year old newbie with no experience of the studio vibes, and professional usage of mics and sound system which soon became his daily companion. Despite being there for the first time, the eight-year-old Michael Jackson Billie Jean singer, alongside his brothers were able to make magic happen on July 13 1967 when they entered the One-derful Records in Chicago for their first recording session as The Jackson 5. Despite being the first song recorded by the legendary Indiana pop band, it’d interest you that the 1967 version didn’t make it to public hearing, as the song was re-recorded and released under the record label, Steeltown Records in 1968. It is therefore a celebration of history that the hidden masterpiece is now being digitally released for the first time in over 5 decades!
As revealed by Anotherblock, a Swedish company that currently has the right to the record in recent news, a limited edition of this record titled “Big Boy (one-derful version)” will be out on the release date, Dec 7 and will be available as a digital vinyl. Talk about kickstarting our December! For MJ and The Jackson 5 fans worldwide, this is huge news, as global listeners are on high alert in anticipation of this historic record. The record will be let loose to the world by the Jacksons in collaboration with “Anotherblock” and Recordpool. No doubt, the new version of the record is sure to pull in huge streaming records, as it has already started to rake in love without being released yet, with all Michael’s fans are ready to listen to their pop king’s voice as an eight year old boy.
Michael D. Traore, co-founder and current CEO of the Swedish company “Anotherblock” expressed his excitement in his comment, discussing how long it took to finally decide to release the pieces of music history to the world and why they decided to let the songs out to the world in digital Vinyl. “As a passionate Michael Jackson fan myself, I was immediately excited to introduce this important piece of music history to the world and expand the narrative of the early days of Jackson 5, we had numerous long discussions about the recording, its meaning, history and the optimal way to tell the story. In total it took us about six months to put everything together, for certain songs, and this one in particular, it is obvious that they deserve a special home where they are not lost in the mass of hundreds of thousands of songs released on the same day, our digital vinyl is a product for the digital age and give us the opportunity to give them a unique story. In addition to telling the story on our platform, we have written a detailed editorial for this publication, which will be available along with the recording. It offers an in-depth look at the early days of The Jackson 5, complete with original photos.”
Packages for the Open and Limited Editions of “Big Boy”
The record release is divided into two different editions – the limited edition and the Open edition.The open edition goes on sale for $25, and contains The “Big Boy (One-derful Version),” which is accessible through anotherblock’s player, a digital vinyl B-side with “Michael the Lover” and “My Girl” and their stems. It also includes images of master tapes and agreements as well as the downloadable song stems. On the other hand, the limited edition goes for a hundred dollars ($100), and includes the whole open edition package, with redesigned artwork and nine additional songs, from the 1967 Steeltown sessions: “Big Boy (Steeltown Version),” “We Don’t Have to be Over 21 (To Fall in Love),” “You’ve Changed,” “Tracks of My Tears,” “Lonely Heart,” “Saturday Night at the Movies,” “Stormy Monday,” and “Under the Boardwalk.”
Success Records of “Big Boy” on its First Release
“Big Boy” is the first single of the five brothers of the Jackson family also known as the Jackson 5, the single which is now put in digital version was first recorded in 1967 but only released in 1968 after a re-recording was done under Steeltown Records. Upon release, the song gained radio acceptance in Chicago and soon became a local hit. Later in the year, they continued to gain acceptance, and Steeltown Records was able to sell thousands of copies. This made the Jackson brothers and family happy, and it served as a boost for them to do more. They continued to make more songs, moving on with their second single with Steeltown Records, “We Don’t Have to Be Over 21 (To Fall in Love).” However, the success of the debut single “Big Boy” never ended there, as it continued to be performed by MJ and his four other brothers even after 25 years in 2009. Again, considering the recent news, the original version of the “Big Boy” single doesn’t seem to be going down even in 2023, as the first-ever recorded version from 1967 has made it out as a digital record in streaming version, and is sure to get a lot of attention worldwide.
Revenue Allocation
According to Katherine Jackson, Michael’s mother, some of the gains will be going to a non-governmental organization a local Foundation, in her words she said, “This was their first step in music with ‘Big Boy’, empowered by the voice of the youngest and the best to ever do it. I can’t believe his voice, along with his brothers’, would echo for decades. Through Anotherblock’s endeavor, the Jackson family’s initial recordings of our musical heritage find a new rhythm for the digital age. It is a testament that the Jacksons’ legacy, just like our music, remains timeless. And the best part of it is that some proceeds will go to a local foundation to help the families of Gary, Indiana.”