Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Tuesday 12-inch Flashback: ‘Let’s Get Serious’

Here is Jermaine Jackson’s biggest hit as a solo artist. Produced and co-written by Stevie Wonder, “Let’s Get Serious” was No. 1 on the R&B chart for six weeks in 1980. It also went Top 10 in the U.K.

And it still jams.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think that Jermaine is very underrated as an artist. I mean, the man had some jams!

"Castles of Sand"
"Don't Take It Personal"
"Daddy's Home"

Too bad most of his albums are out of print.

bklyn6 said...

"S-E-R-I-O-U-S...." Sing it Stevie!

"Don't Take It Personal"

Yes!!! I actually had to hunt around for this. I couldn't believe that there wasn't a GH compilation that didn't include it! I have this and "Let Me Tickle Your Fancy" on my mp3 player.

And what was that song with Pia Zadora?

Undercover Black Man said...

Going all the way back... I always liked his early showcase cut, "I Found That Girl." (Flip side of "The Love You Save.")

bklyn6 said...

I Found That Girl." (Flip side of "The Love You Save.")

Nice. I gotta see if this is included on "Soulsation" that J-5 box set.

Oops! "Don't Take it Personal" (he wrote it for Hazel, right?) is nice, but it was "Come to Me, One Way or Another" that I absolutely love and had a hard time finding on any of Jermaine's compilations.

Anonymous said...

It's on The Jacksons Story CD compilation. Along with my personal J5 fave - Heartbreak Hotel.

Jermaine was just OK as an artist. A better producer. If you recall he produced Switch and many Debarge cuts.

Some cool YouTube vids of amateur bassists trying to duplicate Jermaine's bass playing on that tune, much of which is not Jermaine at all but Stevie's left hand on the keyboard.

Kellybelle said...

this was the song. Shiny Jermaine...singing.

Lola Gets said...

Ah, that it does, UBM, that is does.

L

Anonymous said...

OK, so I know the Jermaine love fest is all in swing, but I think that Stevie should have just kept this song for himself. I mean, this is twenty-something Jermaine. I don't think he could get serious vocally at this point if you gave him an instruction manual. And you can tell that Stevie coached him...all that growling...poor baby.