'I'll Be There'

After three upbeat songs, this Berry Gordy–co-written ballad was the Jackson 5′s first serious track, and it turned out to be its most successful. Michael and Jermaine share the lead vocals, but it’s Michael who has the memorable lines, opening with, “You and I must make a pact” — he sounds almost too young to know what the word pact might mean — and the ad-libbed ender, “Just look over your shoulders, honey,” a reference to the Four Tops’ “Reach Out, I’ll Be There.”
'Ben'

This song about a rat, from the 1972 film of the same name, was originally offered to Donny Osmond. That tells you all you need to know about the quality of the composition. The vocal is another story. In classic style, Jackson, 14 at the time of its release, invests just enough to make you believe that he and Ben have “both found what we were looking for,” but his restraint is just as powerful. Every note is clean and understated, giving “Ben” a dignity far above its station.

























