Jackson 5 - Dancing Machine

"Dancing Machine" was first released on the Get It Together album (1973). The transition from the preceding track is long and has several parts.

All of the versions are the same basic mix. The changes I've noticed are just in these spots:

• where the song starts: the 2nd to last horn crescendo, a split-second earlier, 4 seconds earlier, or at the first "dancin'" chorus vocal
• where the song ends: after the coda, right before the coda, or 6 seconds before the coda
• where the fade begins
• whether 8 bars of "ooo bop do you bop"s have been removed near the end
• whether the first second of audio is overlapped by another song fading out

So here are the main versions to be aware of:

• The 1973 Get It Together album version begins with the 2nd-to-last horn crescendo, which is the one that comes before the jukebox coin-drop sound effect. Some compilations put the start point 4 seconds further back so that you hear more of the echoey tambourine. The song ends with a fadeout which segues into a brief, somewhat unpleasant synth & sound-effect coda.

• The 1974 single version begins 24 seconds later than the LP, at the first acapella "dancin'" chorus vocal. It cuts out an 8-bar section of "ooo bop do you bop"s near the end; both cuts are right before the 4th beat of a bar, between 2 horn stabs. This version also has a 10-second fade which begins aggressively and finishes about 6 seconds before the coda would begin, right before there'd be a pair of horn stabs. I think this version is also sped up by 1.06%, if the rips I have are accurate.

• The 1974 Dancing Machine album version has the same start point and edit as the single version, but includes the original fade and coda.

• The 1976 Anthology version has the same start point and edit as the single version, but starts fading slightly later, and the fade ends at the instant right before the coda would begin. Also, at the very beginning there is a faint echo of Michael singing "baby" in the background, over the first "Dancin'". You can hear what I'm talking about (along with a handclap) in this video (click) (apparently a vinyl rip, although it's unclear what LP it's from).

Many CD compilations use the Dancing Machine album version, but faded early to remove the coda. It's not faded early enough to match the 45. You could make the 45 version by doing a 1% speedup and at about 2:29 trimming everything from the horn stabs onward; and begin a fade (aggressive at first) 10 seconds before the end.

Pat's database does not mention the intro difference of the Anthology version. I've got this version on at least one CD reissue of the Dancing Machine album (in the 4 Original Albums box), so it may be on other releases. To be fair, I don't know for sure what's on the original LPs; I'm relying on CDs.

Edited by mjb50

Happy to help.

I'm perplexed by that extra stuff fading out at the start of the Anthology version, though. I confirmed that it's definitely on the 1986 Anthology CD.

It seems there's no preceding track that extra music belongs to. On the Anthology LP (which I don't have), the song is at the beginning of a side. And on all formats, the preceding song completely fades out and has no matching handclaps or vocals. The preceding track on Get It Together and the Dancing Machine albums completely fades out as well.

Someone with a better collection than me will have to investigate further.