Our Famous First this month, being that it's Black History Month, features The Jackson 5ive.
"It All Started With....." offers a fictional account of how the Jackson brothers (Michael, Marlon, Jackie, Jermaine, Tito) landed their first record deal. Paul Frees is not only the announcer, but voices several supporting characters.
As previously noted, the Jacksons didn't voice their animated counterparts, Rankin-Bass would correct that mistake the next year with The Osmonds.
Rating: B.
9 comments:
Slight correction: Jackie was the 5th (and oldest) Jackson brother on the cartoon. Their younger brother Randy was never depicted on the show.
I'll fix that.
It's been a long time since I'd seen this cartoon - and it also explains why I had such a fondness for J5's music! Still enjoy their early work and some of MJ's later projects, though their Motown work was so much different.
It seems this episode also clings to the myth of Diana Ross discovering the group, although from what I'd read that was disproved. Harmless I suppose since the kids watching wouldn't know one way or the other.
The end credits show "the voices of The Jackson 5" so they must have done their own voices.
Paul Frees was an awesome VA wasn't he? That man must have regularly exceeded the limit of the 3 character voice rule in TV animation! Not to mention his voice work for RB's Christmas specials.
Actually, Magicdog, other actors did the speaking voices for the J5. The real voices were only heard in the pre-recorded music playing during the show.
Frees is a legend. Period.
Magicdog said...
It seems this episode also clings to the myth of Diana Ross discovering the group, although from what I'd read that was disproved. Harmless I suppose since the kids watching wouldn't know one way or the other.
I'm sure it was pretty typical in those pre-internet days not to get much verfication outside of teen/fan publications, speculations and rumors. The notion of being discovered by a star by itself was probably seen as fun wish fulfillment by a public thinking they could make it big by chance.
Then hobbyfan wrote...
Actually, Magicdog, other actors did the speaking voices for the J5. The real voices were only heard in the pre-recorded music playing during the show.
That was standard. I suppose the falsehood of such a credit probably made a good excuse to throw off any suspicion from a public who might've wrote nasty letters to the network in the end. Although according to Wikipedia, Diana Ross did contribute her voice to this episode anyway, go figure!
Probably the only cartoon work Miss Ross ever did.
Oh I bet.
Another thing of note is the animation in this show (and I guess also for The Osmonds) was farmed out to a studio in London called Halas & Batchelor (founded by John Halas and Joy Batchelor during the late 1930's). The "HB" logo you might see in the end credits was their studio logo during most of the 70's and can be see at the opening of this classic short.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxVKl2riwtY
The involvement of Halas & Batchelor has been acknowledged in previous commentaries on the J5 and the Osmonds.
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