For the b-side of ‘ABC’, it was this song, rather than something off their debut album ‘Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5’, that was chosen. It’s a choice that’s mildly interesting at first – only 2/12 songs from Diana appeared on any side of a single, so it was still ripe for mining – but most of its tracks tried to play up Michael’s precocious maturity, and few truly emphasised the greatest aspect of the early Jackson 5, their youthful vitality. Therefore, as with ‘ABC’, the answer for a flip-side lay in something new.
Ironically, unlike most of the songs on that album, ‘The Young Folks’ actually was sung by Ross, the original having been released by the Supremes the previous year. Their version is somewhat wistful and reserved, as if they are observing the “young folks” from a distance rather than joining in. In the Jackson 5’s hands, it would serve as one of their first “message songs”, a trope the group would return to for years (ie. ‘Can You Feel It’) before Michael would take it to even greater heights himself with socially-conscious hits such as ‘We Are the World’, ‘Heal the World’, and the epic ‘Earth Song’.
This song, however, feels completely removed from both the Supremes’ original and the Jacksons’ later social material. ‘The Young Folks’ quite literally marches to the beat of its own drum, pushed forward by a militant rhythm which underpins the whole song. Low strings and sparse fuzz guitar line the beat from the start, making for a surprisingly intimidating intro. Finally, the musical wall briefly subsides, making just enough room for Michael to enter: “You better make a way for the young folks.” I can just imagine the faces of the first-time listeners, who listened to ‘ABC’ and expected more of the same with a song named ‘The Young Folks’. “What is this?”
Once the song starts proper, Michael is given a chance to elaborate. Though he threatens a “deal, accept it if you will”, the demands go no further than vague proclamations of the moment being “our turn to build”. Coming at the dawn of the golden era of the Civil Rights Movement, the song itself is caught between the sunny sentiment of ‘brighter tomorrows’ and the darker implications of a flat-out revolution. Michael’s lead, while always bright and optimistic, is comparatively tempered; these lyrics are not mere dreams, they are demands. The rest of the Jackson brothers, as opposed to sharing lead, form a choir of unison in the background. Unusually, the vast majority of their background vocals are sung, chanted almost, without harmony, as if to symbolise the grim determination of The Youth. Much like the Temptations’ ‘Message From A Black Man‘, which employed this trick to even greater effect, it gives power to its supporters and fires warning shots to everyone else: it is “us vs them” personified.
Admittedly, the song itself is not nearly as strong as the earlier Jackson 5 songs to make it to 7″ vinyl, although ‘I Want You Back‘, ‘ABC‘, and ‘Who’s Lovin’ You‘ are hard acts for anyone to follow. The tune is hardly as catchy as the J5’s best and the song itself doesn’t go far after the first 30 seconds, leaving it for Michael to do much of the heavy lifting during the second half. However, some subtle production touches, such as fervent strings and spirited piano, make their presence known slowly during the song, at once adding a veneer of cool and even more unspoken tension.
‘The Young Folks’ leaves me feeling they are absolutely convinced that they are the change and that change is imminent, even if I’m not quite moved enough to join them. The lyrics, while delivered with far more feeling than the Supremes’ original, still pull up a little short: the details of what they would do their power, much less how they would obtain it, risk feeling too vague even for deliberate universalism and occasionally ring hollow. However, the broad scope of the lyrics means it has not dated like many of its contemporaries (the use of the word “jive” in the third line aside), and the recent mass-scale Black Lives Matter protests show that its lyrics of “marching with signs” to protest “turning out the lights in our lives” carry an unfortunate relevance fifty years on.
Although ‘The Young Folks’ ends up a cut below their very best, it is still a fine record, and the Jackson 5 deserve credit for delivering a statement bold enough to challenge their audience without completely alienating them. However, I’ll leave it for you to decide whether its unintended pertinence will continue.
6/10
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