Janet Jackson is the debut studio album by American singer Janet Jackson, released in September 1982 by A&M Records. Janet Jackson is described as a dance and contemporary R&B record. Songwriters Angela Winbush and René Moore contributed to much of the album's lyrics. Moore and Winbush share production credits with Foster Sylvers, Jerry Weaver, and Bobby Watson. Upon release, Janet Jackson charted on the US Billboard 200 and in New Zealand. Two of the singles; "Young Love" and "Come Give Your Love to Me"; reached and had limited success on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, but achieved success on the R&B charts along with "Say You Do". Jackson performed "Young Love" and "Say You Do" on American TV shows American Bandstand and Soul Train in 1982. The cover artwork of Jackson's body submerged in water was based on a photo of Elizabeth Taylor. The album sold 300,000 copies.

Production Jackson was sixteen when she began recording the album. She was assisted by her father, working with a number of songwriters and producers. Songwriters Angela Winbush and René Moore contributed to much of the album's lyrics. Moore and Winbush share production credits with Foster Sylvers, Jerry Weaver, and Bobby Watson.

The cover photo was shot by Harry Langdon in the swimming pool of the Jackson family's home. Jackson took the idea from a photograph of actress Elizabeth Taylor submerged in a swimming pool early in her career, which she found "dramatic".

Release The album was released in September 1982 by A&M Records. The Baltimore Afro-American noted that the album had been released, commenting that Jackson does not have any members of the Jackson family helping out, that she is relying "solely on her own talent", and that she has "the poised voice of a dynamic individual."

On the US Billboard 200, Janet Jackson reached its peak at number 63 the week of January 22, 1983. In New Zealand, the album peaked at number 44 on the New Zealand Albums Chart, during its only-week chart on April 17, 1983. As of 2003, Janet Jackson sold 82,000 copies through BMG Music Club in the United States, plus an additional 62,000 copies according to Soundscan since 1991. But the majority of the sales occurred before Soundscan began tracking sales in the US in 1991. Worldwide, the album has sold 300,000 copies, considered a failure at the time.

Singles Five singles were released from the album. "Young Love" was the first. It reached number 64 on the principal American singles chart, the Billboard Hot 100, and number six on the American Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In New Zealand, "Young Love" reached number 16. The second single from Janet Jackson was "Come Give Your Love to Me" and peaked at number 58 on the Hot 100. The follow-up single, "Say You Do", only appeared on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and the Hot Dance Club Songs charts, peaking at numbers 15 and 11, respectively. The last two singles from the album, "Love and My Best Friend" and "Don't Mess Up This Good Thing" did not appear on any chart worldwide. In order to further promote Janet Jackson, she performed "Young Love" and "Say You Do" on American TV shows American Bandstand and Soul Train in 1982.

Reception In a retrospective summary for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine felt the album had "no distinctive musical personality", feeling that the choice of songs was poor, with "Young Love" as the only song which "stands out among the undistinguished, sub-disco thumpers and drippy ballads". Bil Carpenter from the same website called Janet Jackson a "debut album of youth-oriented pop". The Rolling Stone Album Guide book stated that the album and its follow-up Dream Street (1984) sound like bland dance-music ready-mades.

Track listing

The original version of "Say You Do" (timed at 5:20) appears on the original LP and cassette releases of the album. The 12" single remix of "Say You Do" replaced the original on the CD version of the album and later releases.

Personnel

Janet Jackson – lead vocals Bobby Watson, James Jamerson, Jr., Leon Sylvers III, Ricky Smith – bass guitar Foster Sylvers – synthesizer, bass, drums, producer, rhythm arrangements Marlo Henderson, Greg Moore, Tony Maiden, Michael McGloiry,Fred Jenkins, Pepper Read – guitars Paulinho Da Costa, Edmund Sylvers, Melvin Webb – percussion André Fischer, John JR Robinson – drums Wardell Potts, Jr. – drums, rhythm arrangements René Moore – keyboards, background vocals, handclapping, producer, rhythm arrangements, Moog bass Angela Winbush – keyboards, background vocals, producer, rhythm arrangements Phillip Ingram – keyboards, string machine, background vocals Joey Gallo – keyboards, synthesizer Eddie Fluellen – string machine Jerry Hey – horn arrangements Humberto Gatica – mixing Stuart Furusho – engineer, mixing assistant Kirk Ferraioli – assistant engineer Gene Dozier – keyboards, horn arrangements, string arrangements Jeff Lorber, Barry Sarna, Ian Underwood – synthesizers Attala Zane Giles – background vocals Monica Joy Rhodes, Wendell C. Wellman – handclaps Dana Meyers – background vocals, vocal arrangement Howard Hewett – background vocals Chuck Beeson – art direction Bob Brown – engineer Jerry Knight – background, vocals Harry Langdon – photography Nyya Lark – assistant engineer Peggy McCreary – mixing assistant Taavi Mote – engineer Ambrose Price – handclapping Lynn Robb – design John Stronach – engineer Steve Thume – engineer Wally Traugott – mastering John VanNest – engineer, mixing assistant Trevor Veitch – contractor Gerald Vinci – concertmaster Jerry Weaver – producer, rhythm arrangements, synthesizer Benjamin Wright – string arrangements

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1982–1983)Peakposition South African Albums (RISA) 98 US Cash Box Top 200 Albums 79 US Cash Box Black Contemporary Top 75 6

Year-end charts Chart (1983) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 10

References

External links Janet Jackson Image Page at janetjackson.com