Maybe Tomorrow (1971) was
the Jackson 5's fourth long-player in less than two years, actually their fifth if you count the excellent holiday offering
The Christmas Album (1970).
Tito,
Jermaine,
Marlon,
Randy, and
Michael continue their prolific run, building off the same combination of swooning slow jams and funky rockers that had catapulted their previous outings into the Top Five R&B and Pop Album surveys. No doubt influenced by the recent success of "I'll Be There," the tunes extracted as singles were the heartfelt and
Michael-led ballads "Never Can Say Goodbye," as well as the title track "Maybe Tomorrow." Although the youngest member of
the Jackson 5, he consistently turned in precociously age-defying performances. Once again, Motown's self-inclusive team of
Bobby Taylor, instrumentalists
Deke Richards (guitar),
Freddie Perren (keyboard),
Fonce Mizell (keyboards), and the label's co-founder
Berry Gordy -- known collectively as
the Corporation -- supplied a majority of the grooves. However, it was increasingly the tunes brought in from elsewhere that were gaining the most attention. Actor/composer/performer
Clifton Davis supplied "Never Can Say Goodbye," while
Hal Davis' midtempo arrangement of
the Crests' 1958 hit "16 Candles" is a perfect vehicle for
Jermaine. He would return to his R&B ancestry for a significant solo side, a cover of
Shep & the Limelites' "Daddy's Home." Standouts from
the Corporation's contributions are the fun, though admittedly lightweight "My Little Baby," the harder driving "It's Great to Be Here" and the upbeat funk vibe "I Will Find a Way" that concludes the platter.