Rockin' Robin (1958) (1972)

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By: Bobby Day (born, ironically, Robert James Byrd on July 1, 1928 in Ft. Worth, Texas, died of cancer July 27, 1990.)

Day’s songwriting efforts include "Over & Over", which was later a #1 hit for the Dave Clark Five in 1965, and "Little Bitty Pretty One", which was a hit for Day, Thurston Harris, Clyde McPhatter, and the Jackson 5.

Day's first solo hit, "Little Bitty Pretty One", competed with Harris' version, which was much more successful. However, Day was approached by songwriter and Class Records owner Leon René with a song: "Rockin' Robin".

Again, Thurston Harris saw an opportunity to compete with Day, when he found out Day's next single was to be "Over and Over" (with "Rockin' Robin" as the B-side). Harris recorded his own version of "Over and Over"!

Knowing that Harris had a bigger label promoting him, the decision was made to flip the A- and B-sides so that they would not compete. But the contest wasn't even close: Harris' single fell off the charts after a week, while Day's reached the #2 spot after 11 weeks.

Day's backing band on "Rockin' Robin" was his group the Satellites. The piccolo solo was played by veteran woodwind musician Plas Johnson, who also played the lead tenor saxophone on "The Pink Panther Theme" (Henry Mancini).

"Rockin' Robin" was featured in the 1984 film Stand by Me.

Chart position: #2 (US), #1 (US R&B), released in 1958.

It was kept from #1 by "It's All In The Game" (Tommy Edwards).

Written by: Leon René (born Feb 6, 1902 in Covington, Louisiana, died May 30, 1982 in Los Angeles, CA), credited to "Jimmy Thomas".

The song was inspired by a mockingbird whose singing pestered René.  René's wife, Jenny "Jimmy" Thomas, receives the songwriting credit.

René also wrote "When It's Sleepy Time Down South" and "When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano", both of which were popular songs, and were featured in many Looney Tunes cartoons in the 1940s and 1950s.



Also by: Michael Jackson, at the age of 14. It was his second single as a solo artist (and, like Day's version, also reached #2, US, 1972).

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Ben (1972)

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• Michael Jackson - Ben (MP3)

By: Michael Jackson (born August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, died June 25, 2009 of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles, California.)

Called the King of Pop, Jackson is recognized by Guinness World Records as the most successful entertainer of all time. His contribution to music, dance and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades.

The eighth child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene alongside his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in the mid-1960s, and began his solo career in 1971.

"Ben" was featured in the 1972 movie of the same name. It was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song, and Jackson sang it at the ceremony in 1973.

According to the book Jacksons Number Ones, "Ben" was intended for Donny Osmond, but co-writer Don Black suggested Jackson instead.

Despite being about a rat, the lyrics make no reference to rodents. The song is about someone named Ben who is not regarded as a friend by anyone, but is thought to be and comforted by the singer.

"Ben" was one of Michael Jackson's favorite songs.

It was his first #1 hit as a solo artist. Motown began recording him as a solo artist when the Jackson 5 stopped selling well. Jackson was 14 at the time, and became the youngest artist to top the US charts both as a solo artist and as a member of a group (the Jackson 5).

Chart position: #1 (US, 1 week), #7 (UK).

It charted again in 2009 (after Jackson's death) in the UK at #46.

It was preceded at #1 in 1972 by "Baby, Don't Get Hooked on Me" (Mac Davis) and succeeded by "My Ding-a-Ling" (Chuck Berry).

The Top Ten Songs: October 14, 1972 (US Billboard Hot 100).

1. "Ben" (Michael Jackson)
2. "Use Me" (Bill Withers)
3. "Everybody Plays the Fool" (Main Ingredient)
4. "Burning Love" (Elvis Presley)
5. "Go All the Way" (Raspberries)
6. "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me" (Mac Davis)
7. "My Ding-a-Ling" (Chuck Berry)
8. "Nights in White Satin" (Moody Blues)
9. "Back Stabbers" (O'Jays)
10. "Popcorn" (Hot Butter)
    

Written by: Don Black and Walter Scharf.

Black and Scharf wrote this for the 1972 movie of the same name.

Black wrote many movie themes, including "Diamonds Are Forever" (for the James Bond movie) and "Born Free".

At his 2007 induction in the Songwriters Hall Of Fame, Black explained: "When it came to writing about a rat, I said, 'You can't write about a rat.' I mean, I'm not going to use words like 'cheese.' I thought the best thing to do is write about friendship."

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• Michael Jackson - Ben (MP3)

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Man in the Mirror (1987)

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• Michael Jackson - Man in the Mirror (MP3)

By: Michael Jackson (born August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, died June 25, 2009 of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles, California.)

Called the King of Pop, Jackson is recognized by Guinness World Records as the most successful entertainer of all time. His contribution to music, dance and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades.

The eighth child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene alongside his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in the mid-1960s, and began his solo career in 1971.

According to Rolling Stone magazine, "Man in the Mirror" was described as "a straightforward homily of personal commitment", which can be seen in the lyrics:

I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change.

According to J. Randy Taraborrelli's biography, Michael Jackson - The Magic, the Madness, the Whole Story, all of the profits from "Man in the Mirror" went to charity.

Chart position: #1 (US), #21 (UK). It charted at #2 in 2009 (after Jackson's death).

"Man in the Mirror" was Michael's tenth #1 solo hit. It was also his eighth #1 hit of the 1980s, which set a record for the entire decade.

It was preceded at #1 in the US by "Never Gonna Give You Up" (Rick Astley) and succeeded by "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" (Billy Ocean). 

"Man in the Mirror" was the fourth consecutive number-one single for Jackson's Bad in the United States. The single debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #48 on February 6, 1988, and reached #1 by its eighth week on the chart, on March 26, 1988, where it remained for two weeks.

It originally charted at #21 in the UK in 1988. However, following Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, "Man in the Mirror" re-entered the UK Singles Chart at number 11, and the following week the song peaked at #2, held off by Cascada.

At that same time, the UK Singles chart contained over 12 Michael Jackson songs in the Top 40. This song had been at top 100 for 15 consecutive weeks in this chart.

Written by: Siedah Garrett (born June 24, 1960, Los Angeles, California) and Glen Ballard (born May 1, 1953 in Natchez, Mississippi).

In an interview with SongTalk magazine, Glen Ballard said, "I sat down and started playing a figure on the keyboard and Siedah opened up her notebook . . . I started singing a verse idea melodically. I heard her singing something about a 'man in the mirror,' and I said, 'That's great. I love that.' So the first time I heard the title it was actually in the song."

Siedah Garrett also contributed to the backing vocals, along with the Winans and the Andrae Crouch Choir.

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• Michael Jackson - Man in the Mirror (MP3)

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