Aren’t You Rather Young To Be Singing About Anguish And Doubt?: “Never Can Say Goodbye” by The Jackson 5

Clifton Davis wrote the song with Jean Terrell’s Supremes in mind but Gordy reckoned this was one for the Jacksons. Faster than you remember, “Goodbye” canters along like a junior What’s Going On? (and possibly even an unwitting forebear of Barry White, if you recall Isaac Hayes' version) and was probably perceived as a way out of the cul-de-sac in which the group had lately found itself. Although I’m not sure Motown ever really found a way out for them – despite their proto-disco comeback in 1974, of which more later - Michael’s lead vocal remains remarkable, filling all available spaces in the music with its own intrinsic and desperate energy, and when he touches on the issues of “There’s that anguish, there’s that doubt” one has to remember that he was only twelve when he sang about them, and then shudder.

Date Record Made Number Two: 8 May 1971

Number Of Weeks At Number Two: 3

Record At Number One: “Joy To The World” by Three Dog Night

UK Chart Position: 33

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