Miss Jackson if your nasty

The title of this posting may lead you down a small cul-de-sac dear reader, for we are talking here not about the most famous and musically successful of the Jackson sisters, Janet, nor even the most infamous, Latoya, but of their big sister. For while her name may not ring the bells of celebrity as many of her younger siblings, whether sister or brother, there is reason for looking at the brief recording career of the eldest of all Jacksons, Rebbie. And that reason is the funkily fantastic 1984 hit “Centipede”.

Virtually a one-hit-wonder (despite some noteworthy efforts on the accompanying album of the same name, plus some latter day efforts throughout the late 80s and 90s), Rebbie Jackson’s “Centipede” is simply a brilliant slice of synth-led 1980s R’n’B pop, of which her brother was of course such a legendary exponent of at the same time. And this is perhaps no surprise given that the tune itself was composed and produced by Michael, who let us not forget was at the very heights of his powers at this time. It even features him on backing vocals, making this tune even more of a musical collector’s item, and further cause for curiousity.

But while the production may be tremendously tight (and apparently an experiment in sound that led Michael directly to the composition of “Liberian Girl” on “Bad”), to identify this merely as an interesting MJ side project would be extremely cruel to the performer herself. Because this track is actually all about Rebbie Jackson, and on it she demonstrates a vocal prowess that could, and perhaps should, have led to greater things.

The reasons why it didn’t propel Rebbie Jackson to greater fame are not easily identifiable, but in a way are irrelevant. Sometimes you just strike a chord commercially and sometimes you don’t. Maybe she just came too late to dine the Jackson table, being the very last of the siblings to attempt a musical career. But that it didn’t lead to the chart heights that the Jacksons earlier, and then particularly Janet and Michael hit as solo stars, does not detract from the fact that “Centipede” is a well worthy addition to the overall canon of Jackson music, a canon that merits close inspection and utmost respect as a whole as well as individually.

As a song “Centipede” is a winning blend of electrofunk and pop hooks, a sultry vocal performance from Jackson demonstrating her great range. The drums pop and crackle while the keyboard melodies and rhythm parts sparkle with freshness and shimmer with the sheer electronic delight of early 1980s technology. You can feel echoes of Prince’s Minneapolis sound throughout as well, perhaps unsurprising then that the album featured also a version of “I Feel For You”, taken to massive heights at the time of course by Chaka Khan. There are even references in the horns and electronic harp of Stevie Wonder’s early 1980s work, while the bass line is pure throbbing deliciousness, a reverberation within that echoes the eroticism of the tune.

And these themes, wrapped around jazz-funk rhythms, are repeated all the way through the album. The title track is a highpoint, but there are other inclusions worth looking at also, from the Prince cover to the easy groove of “Come Alive” and “Ready for Love”, the sexual proclamations of “Play Me (I’m a Jukebox)” and the mid-tempo soul of “Open Up My Love”. And so, while the limelight may have flashed across Rebbie Jackson only briefly, when it did so it stopped long enough to provide a focus for a truly worthy talent. And anyone who can make a song about a hundred-legged crawly sound sexily funky surely deserves some kind of plaudit.