Destiny (The Jacksons album)

Overview

The band had left their longtime label Motown in 1975 with the exception of brother Jermaine Jackson who had stayed with Motown after he married Berry Gordy's daughter, Hazel Gordy. After a couple of years of being with Philly International, the Jacksons set their sights on one of CBS Records' most popular labels, Epic. After having their previous albums spearheaded by legendary producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, Epic allowed the Jackson brothers to write and produce their own material fully for the first time in their career, something that Motown did not permit. Composing much of the album in their home-made recording studio in their gated Hayvenhurst mansion, the group finished recording the album within two months.

Like many of the acts that had left Motown, the Jacksons had to accept the possibility that they would no longer enjoy the same level of success they had while they were associated with the label—something Motown itself reiterated upon hearing that longtime front man Michael Jackson had moved on to a full-fledged solo career following Destiny's release. The album's lead single, "Blame It on the Boogie", was written by Mick Jackson, a Germany-based British writer/performer who had his own version of the song in the UK charts at the same time as the Jacksons (September/October 1978). It was the Jacksons' version, however, that was the more successful and is consequently the best-known rendition of the song. The Mick Jackson track, recorded in late 1977, was showcased in 1978 at Midem where according to Mick Jackson: "The Jacksons' manager [Peter Kerstin] heard the track being played...and took a tape recording of it...back to the States [where] The Jacksons quickly recorded a version so it would be out before mine."

Release and reaction

Released on December 17, 1978, Destiny re-established them as a top-selling group. The single, "Blame It on the Boogie", was released in October 1978 (UK #8) as the advance single from the album. Although "Blame It on the Boogie" returned the Jacksons to the Hot 100 it was not the single to affect a major comeback for the Jacksons peaking at #54; However, "Blame It on the Boogie" did reach #3 R&B and would be coupled with "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" on an extended club play single which would reach #20 on the dance charts in 1979. The album's success was largely based on the second single released from the album, "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", which became a Top 10 single in the spring of 1979. The album eventually peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Pop Albums chart and number three on the Billboard Black Albums chart and went on to Platinum status-cementing it as the first RIAA-certified platinum seller by the Jacksons as most of their Motown recordings were uncertifiable despite their huge success on the charts, and over two million copies worldwide. The accompanying tour was a huge success running on many legs and also toured overseas.

Album cover

The album's artwork, painted by Gary Meyer, has Jackie, Tito, Michael, Randy and Marlon on top of the word "DESTINY" (the album's title) carved in stone during a thunderstorm containing a whirlwind and stormy waters splashing against the "DESTINY" sign. A peacock is shown on the back cover fanning his tail and has a message provided by Michael and Jackie for Peacock Productions: "Through the ages, the peacock has been honored and praised for its attractive, illustrious beauty. Of all the bird family, the peacock is the only bird that integrates all colors into one, and displays this radiance of fire only when in love. We, like the peacock, try to integrate all races into one through the love of music."

Re-release

In honor of its 30th anniversary, Destiny, including two bonus tracks of rare 12-inch disco mixes previously unavailable on CD, was released on January 27, 2009, on Epic/Legacy, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. Both unreleased tracks were mixed by John Luongo.

Personnel