CONTROL (1986)
Released in October of 1986,
"Control" was the album's theme song and set the tone for its nine tracks. It
became her fourth Top 5 Billboard pop hit and was Number 1 on the R&B and Dance
charts in the fall of that year. The single was Janet's mission statement --
defining her as an artist and serving as an autobiographic narrative of her
rapidly changing life. "I had a lot to say, a lot on my mind and I wanted to
share it with other people," she says. "It wasn't easy leaving the care of my
father, but there was no going back."
Janet had to do a lot of protesting to get this project recorded and that same
passion spills over into the song's lyrics. Before the groundwork was laid,
executive producer Jimmy Jam and Janet's father Joseph shared a few choice
words: "His advice to us was don't have his daughter sounding like Prince. He
said, I know you guys are from Minneapolis; and Prince is from Minneapolis.
Don't have my daughter sounding like Prince. We assured him that she wouldn't.
She would have her own sound."
And that she did. Very early on Janet was closely involved in the creative
process of Control, which was noteworthy because on previous albums she
mainly sung material that was simply handed to her, but didn't personally relate
to her life. Jam & Lewis, however, took a more proactive approach with Janet and
the recording process. They all sat down and conversed about her life. Janet,
unaware that the duo was concocting a game plan from their intimate chats, was
shown the blueprint for a tune they had worked on: the album's title track.
After which, it dawned on her that Control would not be like past
projects. "Suddenly she got immersed into the writing process because she knew
that her opinions and her voice was going to really be heard on this record,"
says Jam. "And that got her excited about it."
"I was looking for direction. Or rather looking for a new direction," she says.
"I had been directed by others -- but no one who understood me as I was
beginning to understand myself. I wanted... a way to express a mess of pent-up
feelings. What I'm saying, I suppose, is that I wanted to be taken seriously."
In the tune, there's references to her brief, misguided marriage with James
DeBarge, the struggle to break free from the demands of her domineering father
and the promise that came with striking it out on one's own.
Sonically, the track itself was laid over a computerized Minneapolis Funk beat,
that took cues from hip hop-tinged funk and urban R&B with a vocal style to
match. The song was aggressive, defiant and punchy with Janet shouting out
commands to her Flyte Tyme army. "She's a very rhythmic singer," says Jam, "her
voice became a part of the funkiness of the track. To me, that's what made
[Control] work. We could create these aggressive tracks and Janet would come in
and just hit it."
Control was an important touchstone for a generation of music listeners.
She was hailed as a role model by young women and the anthem, their call to
arms. Critically, the song's lyrics were even spotlighted in academic texts as
an example of great songwriting along with Paul Simon's "I Am A Rock."
Its video was also autobiographical. The dramatic prologue of the short film, in
which she stands up to her father and joins the Jam/Lewis gang, is a moving
piece of art imitating life, and a metaphor for Janet's movement from the
Jackson family to her newly adopted clan of flamboyant funksters. The
performance portion is frenetic, with Janet jamming on stage with her Flyte Tyme
brethren, commanding an audience, hopping on a keyboard and pounding out her own
groove.
This song and video showcases the relationship between she, Jam and Lewis -- a
partnership that would continue to blossom and stand until this day.
As a result -- with the "Control" single -- people finally took Janet's music
seriously and were blown away by her initimitable talents. She owned 1986. Every
conceivable facet of the young entertainer had broken through and by the end of
the year she closed out on top. At the dawn of '87, continued to glow with her
next single, the ballad, "Let's Wait Awhile".
| If you have a release of Control which is not listed below, or with a different cover, or from a different country/territory, please let us know by visiting our Discography Submissions page or by sending the information (format, country, catalogue number, tracklisting, front cover scan/image, and any additional info) to webmaster@cravingjanet.com. Please make sure your cover scan or image is at least 400 pixels x 400 pixels for quality purposes. In return, you will be credited on the site. |
COMPACT DISCS
(CD's)
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Japan
- 5'' CD-single (0043) 1996 A&M Records, Inc. (Pony Canyon, Inc.); Cat# D15Y3199
Tracklisting: Janet's first CD single! Slimline jewel case, picture sleeve & OBI strip. |
VINYL SINGLES
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Australia
- 7'' vinyl single (0842) 1986 A&M Records, Inc. (Festival Records); Cat# K-143 From the collection of Walter Bodenstaff
Tracklisting: Generic A&M/Festival sleeve. |
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Australia - 12'' vinyl maxi-single (0317) 1986 A&M Records, Inc.; Cat# X13274
Tracklisting: Picture sleeve. |
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Canada
- 7'' vinyl single (1090) 1986 A&M Records, Inc.; Cat# AM-2877
Tracklisting: Generic A&M Records sleeve. |
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Japan
- 7'' vinyl single (0840) Promo 1986 A&M Records, Inc.; Cat# 7Y3026 From the collection of Walter Bodenstaff
Tracklisting: Picture sleeve. |
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Mexico
- 7'' vinyl single (0843) Promo 1986 A&M Records, Inc. (PolyGram); Cat# S/N 664 From the collection of Walter Bodenstaff
Tracklisting: Generic plastic PolyGram promotional sleeve. |
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South Africa
- 7'' vinyl single (0844) 1986 A&M Records, Inc.; Cat# AMRS 1520 From the collection of Walter Bodenstaff
Tracklisting: Picture sleeve. |
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UK - 12'' vinyl maxi-single (1114) Promo 1986 A&M Records, Inc.; Cat# AMY 359
Tracklisting: White die-cut sleeve & info sticker. |
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UK - 7'' vinyl single - LIMITED EDITION (0969) 1986 A&M Records, Inc.; Cat# AMS 359
Tracklisting (Vinyl):
Tracklisting (Bonus Cassette):
Picture sleeve & info sticker. Packaged with a limited edition bonus
cassette which has a separate catalogue number, AMC 359 (see item 0065).
Note that the vinyl itself carries the standard AM 359 catalogue number,
but the entire package is given a different catalogue number, as denoted on the
info sticker.
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UK - 7'' vinyl single (0123) 1986 A&M Records, Inc.; Cat# AM 359
Tracklisting: Picture sleeve. |
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UK - 12'' vinyl maxi-single (0297) 1986 A&M Records, Inc.; Cat# AMX 359
Tracklisting: Picture sleeve. |
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UK - 12'' vinyl maxi-single (0970) 1986 A&M Records, Inc.; Cat# AMY 359
Tracklisting: Picture sleeve. |
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US
- 7'' vinyl single (0841) Promo 1986 A&M Records, Inc.; Cat# AM-2877 From the collection of Walter Bodenstaff
Tracklisting: |
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US
- 7'' vinyl single (1129) Promo 1986 A&M Records, Inc.; Cat# AM-2900
Tracklisting: |
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US - 7'' vinyl single (0044) 1986 A&M Records, Inc.; Cat# AM-2877 From the collection of Jacob Steinberg
Tracklisting: Picture sleeve. |
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US - 12'' vinyl maxi-single (0971) 1986 A&M Records, Inc.; Cat# SP-12209
Tracklisting: Picture sleeve. |
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West Germany
- 7'' vinyl single (0124) 1986 A&M Records, Inc.; Cat# 390 138-7
Tracklisting: Picture sleeve. |
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West Germany - 12'' vinyl maxi-single (0976) 1986 A&M Records, Inc.; Cat# 392 138-1
Tracklisting: Picture sleeve. |
SHEET MUSIC
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US
- Sheet music (0889) 1986 Flyte Time Tunes / Warner Bros. Publications, Inc. For piano, vocal and guitar |
