CAFFE` LATTE` 
TOP 1500 CHOICE TRACKS

#273 I'LL BE THERE Jackson 5 
"I'll Be There" was a major hit for The Jackson 5 in 1970. The ballad began as a song penned by Bob West. He submitted it to Hal Davis who worked at Motown. The song was re-written by the latter and Willie Hutch. Gordy contributed some lyrics before "I'll Be There" was presented to the Jackson siblings to record. 
Davis produced the session and West arranged. Lead vocals were handled by both Michael and Jermaine Jackson. Despite his young age, the former sings with authority as if experienced well beyond his years. 
The track was included on the Jackson 5's 2nd LP release that year, 'Third Album'. Its selection for release as a single was a brave move from the label. The Jackson 5 had enjoyed 3 consecutive #1s in America. That impressive trio consisted of upbeat songs. "I'll Be There" was a slow ballad. The gamble paid off; the single became the group's longest running #1- reigning atop the Hot 100 for 5 weeks. In the UK, the disc peaked at #4.

This is a list made up of the songs I enjoy the most, ranked in order of preference: the higher we go, the more I cherish them. Some were released as singles, others as album tracks. Some are obscure; others were worldwide hits or have universal appeal. They aren't always the most famous or popular, but simply a personal choice. I have excluded songs from the last few years in order to get a better idea of a song's lasting impression. I hope you find some new tracks to love, or re-discover some past favourites.
2 new instalments are added each day (every 12 hours) with 1 of the remaining 300 songs as well as moving down from #1201 to 1500, with 5 of those songs added daily.