I'll Be There (The Jackson 5 Song)

I'll Be There (The Jackson 5 Song)

"I'll Be There" is a soul song written by Berry Gordy, Bob West, Hal Davis, and Willie Hutch, which resulted in two U.S. #1 hit singles: the original 1970 recording by American vocal quintet The Jackson 5 and a 1992 live version by American R&B singers Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz.

The Jackson 5 interpretation was recorded for Motown Records, and released as the first single from their Third Album in 1969. Produced by the songwriters, "I'll Be There" was The Jackson 5's fourth #1 hit in a row ("I Want You Back", "ABC", and "The Love You Save"), making them the first black male group to achieve four consecutive #1 pop hits. "I'll Be There" is also notable as the most successful single released by Motown during its "Detroit era" (1959–1972).

The Mariah Carey/Trey Lorenz cover was recorded during Carey's appearance on MTV Unplugged in 1992, and released as the first single from her EP MTV Unplugged in the second quarter of 1992. Co-produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, "I'll Be There" became Carey's sixth #1 single in the U.S., and her biggest hit elsewhere at the time.