Let's Get Serious (Jermaine Jackson album)

Let's Get Serious is the sixth studio album by Jermaine Jackson, released in 1980. It reached #6 on the Billboard album chart and logged five weeks at No. 1 on the Top R&B chart. It achieved sales of 900,000 copies in the United States.

Let's Get Serious
Studio album by Jermaine Jackson
Released	March 17, 1980 (1980-03-17)
Recorded	1979
Studio	Motown Recording Studios (Hollywood, California); Crystal Sound and Whitney Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California); Kendun Recorders (Burbank, California).
Genre	Funk soul R&B
Length	42:32
Label	Motown
Producer	Stevie Wonder Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine Jackson chronology
Frontiers (1978) Let's Get Serious (1980) Jermaine (1980)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Smash Hits	7½/10[2]

The title track was 1980's biggest soul hit of the year and a top ten pop hit as well. This is the most successful album of Jackson's career.

Background

After splitting with his brothers, The Jacksons, Jackson recorded three solo albums that fared poorly. Needing a success, he enlisted the aid of family friend and labelmate Stevie Wonder, who wrote and produced three songs, including the title track and first single, "Let's Get Serious". Jackson would oversee the other tracks on the album. This formula worked, as Jackson finally scored a hit with both the album and single.

It was one of the featured titles in a major Motown 20th Anniversary television, radio and print campaign. This gave the album prominent advertising benefits throughout the entire year.

Track listing

Side A

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Let's Get Serious"	Lee Garrett, Stevie Wonder	8:05
2.	"Where Are You Now"	Renee Hardaway, Stevie Wonder	3:49
3.	"You Got to Hurry Girl"	Jermaine Jackson, Maureen Bailey, Paul M. Jackson, Jr.	4:15
4.	"We Can Put It Back Together"	Hazel G. Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Maureen Bailey	5:08

Side B

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Burnin' Hot"	Jermaine Jackson, Jim Foelber, Phyllis Molinary	7:50
2.	"You're Supposed to Keep Your Love for Me"	Stevie Wonder	5:34
3.	"Feelin' Free"	Hazel G. Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Maureen Bailey	7:59

Personnel

• Jermaine Jackson – lead vocals, backing vocals, finger snaps (1, 2, 6), keyboards (3, 4, 5, 7), bass guitar (3, 4, 5, 7), Fender bass (3, 4, 5, 7), percussion (3, 4, 5, 7); horn, rhythm and string arrangements (3, 4, 5, 7)
• Stevie Wonder – Fender Rhodes (1, 2, 6), acoustic piano (1, 2, 6), synthesizers (1, 2, 7), celesta (1, 2, 6), guitar (1, 2, 6), drums (1, 2, 6), finger snaps (1, 2, 6), arrangements (1, 2, 6), backing vocals (1, 2, 6)
• Isaiah Sanders – clavinet (1, 2, 6)
• Kevin Bassinson – keyboards (3, 4, 5, 7)
• Greg Phillinganes – keyboards (3, 4, 5, 7)
• Joe Sample – keyboards (3, 4, 5, 7)
• Gary S. Scott – synth bass (3, 4, 5, 7)
• Ben Bridges – guitar (1, 2, 6)
• Rick Zunigar – guitar (1, 2, 6)
• Paul Jackson, Jr. – guitar (3, 4, 5, 7), percussion (3, 4, 5, 7), rhythm arrangements (3)
• Tim May – guitar (3, 4, 5, 7)
• Nathan Watts – bass guitar (1, 2, 6), handclaps (1, 2, 6)
• Scott Edwards – bass guitar (3, 4, 5, 7)
• Eddie Watkins, Jr. – bass guitar (3, 4, 5, 7)
• Dennis Davis – drums (1, 2, 6)
• Ollie E. Brown – drums (3, 4, 5, 7)
• Ed Greene – drums (3, 4, 5, 7)
• Earl DeRouen – congas (1, 2, 6), handclaps (1, 2, 6)
• Keith Harris – handclaps (1, 2, 6)
• Dick Rudolph – handclaps (1, 2, 6)
• Abdoulaye Soumare – handclaps (1, 2, 6)
• Reggie Wiggins – handclaps (1, 2, 6)
• Gary Coleman – percussion (3, 4, 5, 7)
• Gene Estes – percussion (3, 4, 5, 7)
• Emil Richards – percussion (3, 4, 5, 7)
• Larry Gittens – trumpet (1, 2, 6)
• Don Peake – horn arrangements (3, 4, 5, 7), string arrangements (3, 4, 5, 7), rhythm arrangements (4, 5, 7)
• Alexandra Brown – backing vocals (1, 2, 6)
• Marva Holcolm – backing vocals (1, 2, 6)
• Angela Winbush – backing vocals (1, 2, 6)
• T.K. Carter – backing vocals (3, 4, 5)
• Carolyn Cook – backing vocals (3, 4, 5)
• Suzee Ikeda – backing vocals (3, 4, 5)
• Hazel G. Jackson – backing vocals (3, 5)
• Tina Madison – backing vocals (3, 4)
• Danny Smith – backing vocals (3, 4, 5)

Production

• Producers – Stevie Wonder (Tracks 1, 2 & 6); Jermaine Jackson (Tracks 3, 4, 5 & 7).
• Executive Producers – Berry Gordy, Jr. and Hazel G. Jackson
• Engineers – Jane Clark, Bob Harlan, Cal Harris, Frank Kramer, Steve Miller, John Mills, Gary Olazabal, Ginny Pallante, Bob Robitaille, Abdoulaye Soumare and Russ Terrana.
• Album Coordinator – Suzee Ikeda
• Art Direction – John Cabalka
• Design – Ginny Livingston
• Photography – Claude Mougin

Trivia

The track "You're Supposed to Keep Your Love for Me" was originally recorded in 1975, possibly for the aborted Do Unto Others album, and featured Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Jackie Jackson on background vocals. But when Jermaine's brothers left for Epic Records, this original version was shelved. Four years later, Stevie dug it out and remixed/overdubbed the track for Let's Get Serious and removed Michael and Jackie's vocals.

Charts

Chart (1980)	Peak position[3]
US Top LPs & Tape	6
US Top Soul LPs	1

Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions[4]
		US	US R&B	US Dance
1980	"Let's Get Serious"	9	1	2
	"You're Supposed to Keep Your Love for Me"	34	32	—

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[5]	Gold	500,000^^
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

External links

• Jermaine Jackson-Lets Get Serious at Discogs

References

1. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r10052/review
2. Hillier, Bev. "Jermaine Jackson: Let's Get Serious". Smash Hits (May 15–28, 1980): 31.
3. "Jermaine Jackson US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
4. "Jermaine Jackson US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
5. "American album certifications – Jermaine Jackson – Let's Get Serious". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.