Steeltown Recordings

Released: Singles in 1968, Compliations in 1989

Recorded: 1967 through 1968

Length: Varies

The various album editions containing these Steeltown recordings are sparsly distributed to music streaming services. Some music streaming services includes one edition, while another music streaming service includes a different edition of the album. And Amazon Music doesn't have any of The Jackson 5 Steeltown recordings. I have provided the best options available for the music streaming service of your choice.

Use the arrows to chronologically navigate solo or group studio albums in relation to the currently selected album, or select to view all studio albums sorted by solo or group releases. For a list of live albums, soundtracks, compilations and posthumous releases, go to the Non-Studio Albums section.

Explore my Michael Jackson Collection of Cassettes, CDs, Vinyl Records, and more.

Album Details

Song Listing (Alphabetized)

Note: Song selections and specific song versions vary depending on the album edition. Please see Album Edition section on this page for list of songs and song versions on each edition of this album.

Album Singles

Album Summary

This album contains the first recordings ever made by The Jackson 5. Recorded in 1967, several of these tracks were actually released by Steeltown Records as singles. One of which, Big Boy, became a local hit in the Chicago, Illinois and Gary, Indiana area. All recordings have been left in their original and un-enhanced state for historical purposes.

The two first tracks on the 1996 reissue are credited as Ripples & Waves Plus Michael but the Michael listed is not Michael Jackson of The Jackson 5.

Michael The Lover is also sometimes listed as Some Girls Want Me For Their Lover and Some Girls Want Me For A Lover.

Album Editions

Original

Beginning Years 1967 - 1968

Released 1989

Music

Edition Notes: Available on LP, cassette and CD. Also titled Early Years 1967 - 1968 on some releases; those releases also feature a different album cover. Reissued in 1991 and 2009 with identical track listing.

Reissue

The Magic Collection

Released 1993

Music

Edition Notes: Available on CD. Reissued numerous times with same track listing but different cover art.

Reissue

Historic Early Recordings

Released 1995

Music

Edition Notes: Available on CD.

Reissue

Pre-History: The Lost Steeltown Recordings

Released 1996

Music

Edition Notes: Available on cassette and CD. The first two tracks on this album is in no relation to Michael Jackson nor The Jackson 5. This also happens to be the only edition of the album to contain those two non-Jackson tracks.

Reissue

We Are The Jackson Five

Released 1996

Music

Edition Notes: Available on CD. Reissued in 1998 as Jam Session, then again in 1999 as We Are The Jackson 5, again in 2008 as Boys & Girls: The Original Sessions, each reissue with a different album cover.

Reissue

The Great Jackson 5

Released 1999

Music

Edition Notes: Available on CD. 

Reissue

The First Recordings

Released 2009

Music

Edition Notes: Available on CD. All songs except for Big Boy, We Don't Have To Be Over 21, Jam Session (Part One), Michael The Lover, and You've Changed contain overdubs that were done during the mid-80's. The 5 songs without overdubs do not have them because they were originally released on vinyl by Steeltown Records. Big Boy, We Don't Have To Be Over 21, Jam Session (Part One), Michael The Lover, and You've Changed all have noise-reduction and are possibly needle-drops from clean vinyl pressings. 

Digital

Original Steeltown Recordings

Released 2009

Music

Edition Notes: This edition has the same track listing as the 1996 reissue, but without the two non-Jackson tracks at the beginning of the album. Available on Apple Music.

Digital

The Steeltown 45's EP

Released January 19, 2010

Music

Edition Notes: Available on Apple Music.

Digital

Steeltown: Jackson 5 - The Original Sessions

Released 2011

Music

Edition Notes: Available on YouTube Music and Spotify.

Related Videos

The Jackson 5 Motown Auditions

The Motown audition clips while The Jackson 5 had been working with Steeltown Records.

Michael Jackson's Childhood Home — Documentary

The small Gary, Indiana home of the Jackson family where they had lived from the 1950s through 1969. It is a tourist destination today.