Janet Jackson (album)

Janet Jackson is the debut studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson, released on September 21, 1982 by A&M Records. Janet Jackson is described as a dance and contemporary R&B record.[2][3] Songwriters Angela Winbush and René Moore contributed to much of the album's lyrics. Moore and Winbush share production credits with Foster Sylvers, Jerry Weaver, and Bobby Watson. On release Janet Jackson charted on the Billboard 200 and in New Zealand. Three singles from the album had little impact on Billboard Hot 100 charts, among them "Young Love", "Come Give Your Love to Me" and "Say You Do", though these singles achieved success on the R&B charts. Jackson performed "Young Love" and "Say You Do" on American TV shows American Bandstand and Soul Train in 1982. The cover artwork of Jackson's body submerged in water was based on a Harry Langdon photo of Elizabeth Taylor. Worldwide, the album has sold 400,000 copies.

Janet Jackson
Studio album by
Janet Jackson
ReleasedSeptember 21, 1982 (1982-09-21)
RecordedMay–August 1982
StudioAllen Zentz Recording, Los Angeles; Conway Studios, Hollywood; Media West, Los Angeles; Davlen Sound, North Hollywood; Wally Heider, Los Angeles; Larrabee Sound, Los Angeles; Spindletop; Studio Masters; mixed at Sunset Sound and Studio 55, Los Angeles[1]
Genre
Length37:22 (vinyl)
38:50 (CD)
Label
Producer
Janet Jackson chronology
Janet Jackson
(1982)		 Dream Street
(1984)
Singles from Janet Jackson
  1. "Young Love"
    Released: July 7, 1982
  2. "Come Give Your Love to Me"
    Released: January 10, 1983
  3. "Say You Do"
    Released: April 29, 1983
  4. "Love and My Best Friend"
    Released: May 16, 1983
  5. "Don't Mess Up This Good Thing"
    Released: July 18, 1983

Production

Jackson was sixteen when she began recording the album. She was assisted by her father, working with a number of songwriters and producers.[4] Songwriters Angela Winbush and René Moore contributed to much of the album's lyrics. Moore and Winbush share production credits with Foster Sylvers, Jerry Weaver, and Bobby Watson.

The cover photo was shot by Harry Langdon in the swimming pool of the Jackson family's home. Jackson took the idea from a Helmut Newton photograph of actress Elizabeth Taylor submerged in a swimming pool, which she found "dramatic".[5][6]

Release

The album was released on September 21, 1982, by A&M Records. The Baltimore Afro-American noted that the album had been released, commenting that Jackson does not have any members of the Jackson family helping out, that she is relying "solely on her own talent", and that she has "the poised voice of a dynamic individual."[3]

On the US Billboard 200, Janet Jackson had its peak at number 63.[7] In New Zealand, the album peaked at number 44 on the New Zealand Albums Chart, during its only-week chart on April 17, 1983.[8] As of 2003, Janet Jackson sold 82,000 copies through BMG Music Club in the United States.[9] And sold additional 62,000 copies according to Soundscan since 1991.[10] But the majority of the sales occurred before Soundscan began tracking sales in the US in 1991. Worldwide, the album has sold 400,000 copies, considered a failure at the time.[5]

Singles

Five singles were released from the album. "Young Love" was the first. It reached number 64 on the principal American singles chart, the Billboard Hot 100, and number six on the American Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[7] In New Zealand, "Young Love" reached number 16.[11] The second single from Janet Jackson was "Come Give Your Love to Me" and peaked at number 58 on the Hot 100. The follow-up single, "Say You Do", only appeared on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and the Hot Dance Club Songs charts, peaking at numbers 15 and 11, respectively.[7] The last singles from the album, "Love and My Best Friend" and "Don't Mess Up A Good Thing" did not appear on any chart worldwide.[7] In order to further promote Janet Jackson, she performed "Young Love" and "Say You Do" on American TV shows American Bandstand and Soul Train in 1982.[12][13]

Legacy

In a retrospective summary for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine felt the album had "no distinctive musical personality", feeling that the choice of songs was poor, with "Young Love" as the only song which "stands out among the undistinguished, sub-disco thumpers and drippy ballads".[14] Bil Carpenter from the same website called Janet Jackson a "debut album of youth-oriented pop".[15] The Rolling Stone Album Guide book stated that the album and its follow-up Dream Street (1984) sound like bland dance-music ready-mades.[2]

Track listing
Side one
All tracks written by René Moore and Angela Winbush, and produced by Bobby Watson, Moore and Winbush.
No.TitleLength
1."Say You Do"6:49
2."You'll Never Find (A Love Like Mine)"4:09
3."Young Love"4:56
4."Love and My Best Friend"4:47
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Don't Mess Up This Good Thing"
  • Wardell Potts, Jr.
  • Barry Sarna
  • Dana Meyers
3:53
2."Forever Yours"
4:57
3."The Magic Is Working"
  • Dorie Pride
  • Gene Dozier
  • F. Sylvers
  • J. Weaver
4:09
4."Come Give Your Love to Me"
  • Glen Barbee
  • Charmaine Sylvers
  • F. Sylvers
  • J. Weaver
5:03
Total length:37:15

Personnel
  • Janet Jackson – vocals
  • Bobby Watson, James Jamerson, Jr., Leon F. Sylvers III, Ricky Smith – bass guitar
  • Foster Sylvers – synthesizer, bass, drums, producer, rhythm arrangements
  • Marlo Henderson, Greg Moore, Tony Maiden, Fred West, Michael McGloiry, Fred Jenkins, Pepper Read – guitars
  • Paulinho Da Costa, Edmund Sylvers, Melvin Webb – percussion
  • André Fischer, John JR Robinson – drums
  • Wardell Potts, Jr. – drums, rhythm arrangements
  • René Moore – keyboards, background vocals, handclapping, producer, rhythm arrangements, Moog bass
  • Angela Winbush – keyboards, background vocals, producer, rhythm arrangements
  • Phillip Ingram – keyboards, string machine, background vocals
  • Joey Gallo – keyboards, synthesizer
  • Eddie Fluellen – string machine
  • Jerry Hey – horn arrangements
  • Humberto Gatica – mixing
  • Stuart Furusho – engineer, mixing assistant
  • Kirk Ferraioli – assistant engineer
  • Gene Dozier – keyboards, horn arrangements, string arrangements
  • Jeff Lorber, Barry Sarna, Ian Underwood – synthesizers
  • Attala Zane Giles – background vocals
  • Monica Joy Rhodes, Wendell C. Wellman – handclaps
  • Dana Meyers – background vocals, vocal arrangement
  • Howard Hewett – background vocals
  • Chuck Beeson – art direction
  • Bob Brown – engineer
  • Jerry Knight – background, vocals
  • Harry Langdon – photography
  • Nyya Lark – assistant engineer
  • Peggy McCreary – mixing assistant
  • Taavi Mote – engineer
  • Ambrose Price – handclapping
  • Lynn Robb – design
  • John Stronach – engineer
  • Steve Thume – engineer
  • Wally Traugott – mastering
  • John VanNest – engineer, mixing assistant
  • Trevor Veitch – contractor
  • Gerald Vinci – concertmaster
  • Jerry Weaver – producer, rhythm arrangements, synthesizer
  • Benjamin Wright – string arrangements

[1]

Charts
Chart (1982) Peak
position
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[16] 44
UK Albums (OCC)[17] 138
South African Albums (RISA)[18][19] 98
US Billboard 200[20] 63

References
  1. https://www.discogs.com/Janet-Jackson-Janet-Jackson/release/1066902
  2. Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 411. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. rolling stone janet jackson album guide.
  3. "Janet Jackson". Baltimore Afro-American. October 12, 1982. p. 13. Retrieved July 21, 2010.
  4. Cornwell, Jane (2002), Janet Jackson, Carlton Books, pp. 2, 10, 24, ISBN 1-84222-464-6
  5. Jackson, Janet (2011), True You: A Journey to Finding and Loving Yourself, Simon & Schuster, pp. 92, ISBN 978-1-4165-8724-8
  6. Helmut Newton (2004). Portrait. Prestel. ISBN 9783829601313.
  7. "allmusic Janet Jackson > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  8. "Janet Jackson - Janet Jackson". Official New Zealand Music Chart. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  9. "Shania, Backstreet, Britney, Eminem and Janet top all time sellers". Mi2N.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2009. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  10. "Answers to readers' questions about Annie Lennox, Janet Jackson and Kelis". billboard.com. Retrieved November 6, 2006.
  11. "Janet Jackson - Young Love". Official New Zealand Singles Chart. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  12. "Janet Jackson / Laura Branigan - American Bandstand". American Bandstand. Season 26. Episode 5. October 30, 1982. 90:00 minutes in. ABC.
  13. "Michael McDonald / Janet Jackson - Soul Train". Soul Train. Season 12. Episode 10. December 18, 1982. 45:00 minutes in. Syndication.
  14. Thomas Erlewine, Stephen. "Janet Jackson - Janet Jackson". AllMusic. All Media Network. Archived from the original on March 12, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2010.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  15. Carpenter, Bil. "Janet Jackson – Janet Jackson". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  16. "Charts.nz – Janet Jackson – Janet Jackson". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  17. "Janet Jackson | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  18. "SA Top 20 - 5 Maart 2016" (in Afrikaans). RISA. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  19. "Most Successful Female Recording Artists in South Africa". RISA.
  20. "Janet Jackson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
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