User:Realist2/Big Boy (The Jackson 5 song)

The song "Big Boy" was the first single ever released by The Jackson 5, in January 1968, through Steeltown Records. The group produced and played instruments on many of their Steeltown compositions, including "Big Boy". The song was neither a critical or commercial success, but the Jackson family were delighted with the outcome nonetheless.

The Jackson 5 would release a second single with Steeltown Records before moving to Motown Records. The groups recordings at Steeltown Records were thought to be lost, but they were rediscovered more than 25 years later in a pantry. They were remastered and reissued in 1995, with "Big Boy" as the promotion lead single.

First record deal and lead single
The Jackson 5 began their career performing at, and winning, talent contests. During a performance at Beckman Junior High the group were brought to the attention of Gordon Keith—the owner of Steeltown Records, a company based in the groups hometown, Gary, Indiana. He signed the children to a limited record deal. The group would record with their instruments and a backing group on the weekends. Michael Jackson sang lead vocals on the majority of tracks and the group produced much of the material themselves, including the track "Big Boy", which took a few hours to record and was written by Ed Silver. The group were paid three cents for each record sold, which was split equally amongst the five members. The group released their first single "Big Boy" backed with the B-side "You've Changed", performing the single at strip clubs.

Reception and Jackson family
Journalist, J. Randy Taraborrelli said of the two Steeltown singles, "Both were mediocre numbers that don't really hint at Michael Jackson's potential as a vocalist, but the boys were thrilled with them just the same. After all, these were their first records". The Jackson family gathered around a radio to hear the song broadcast for the first time. Michael Jackson said of the period, "[the family] all laughed and hugged one another. We felt we had arrived". "Big Boy" did not appear on any Billboard charts of the period but sold in excess of 10,000 copies.

Leaving Steeltown
The Jackson 5 would release a second and final single through Steeltown Records—"We Don't Have To Be Over 21 (to Fall in Love)". The two singles were to be supported by an eleven track studio album but it was never released.

On July 26, 1968, the group signed a new contract with Motown Records. However, as the groups Steeltown contract had not yet expired, the new contract could not be fully executed until March 11, 1969. Motown Records tried to get the group out of their Steeltown contract, ultimately with a financial settlement.

Rediscovery
The master tapes to "Big Boy" were believed to be lost; however, in 1994 family friend Ben Brown found the tapes in his parents' kitchen pantry. Brown reissued the record in 1995—a week before Michael Jackson's HIStory album was issued, a double disk record celebrating his old and new music—on the Inverted Records label. Ben Brown remastered the song, selling it by mail order, along with an instrumental version, in a limited edition package consisting of a compact disc and cassette tape—the package could be purchased at a cost of approximately $30. The reissue of "Big Boy" was promoted with a music video.