Don't Blame It On The Sunshine

The Jacksons : Blame It On The Boogie

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On December 17, 1978 The Jacksons released Destiny, an album that sold four million copies worldwide. This is the first time the brothers had full artistic control. Among the first songs they recorded was "Blame It on the Boogie", a song by English singer-songwriter Mick Jackson ( no relation)  that peaked at US#54. 

"I got such a rush," Mick Jackson tells disco-disco.com upon hearing the Jacksons version of his song "I was thrilled because their version was INCREDIBLE! Our version had 100% of our heart and soul in it but the Jackson's version had the magic extra 2% that made it incredible. We actually wrote it with Stevie Wonder in mind - now that would have been an INCREDIBLE version and to this day I think that would have been an amazing version."

"It was an uptempo, finger-poppin'-time type song that was a good vehicle for the band approach we wanted to cultivate," said Michael Jackson. " I had fun slurring the chorus:  'Blame It on the Boogie' could be sung in one breath without putting my lips together."

  In the U.K.both versions were released at the same time. The music press closely watched "the battle of the boogie".The Jacksons' version was more successful, peaking at UK#8 .The Mick Jackson version—hailed by NME as "far superior"—peaked at Number 15 on the chart.

The second Jackson single, "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", would be a bigger hit from Destiny, peaking at US#7.