The Jacksons - Victory (Expanded Version) (2021) [Hi-Res]

Last month, Legacy Recordings brought remastered and expanded versions of The Jacksons’ first three studio albums to digital platforms. Next Friday, March 26, sees a physical 2-LP reissue of 1981’s The Jacksons Live!, and today, Legacy announced that the group’s final three studio albums – Triumph (1980), Victory (1984), and 2300 Jackson Street (1989) – will receive the remastered and expanded treatment on April 30. A generous 39 bonus tracks are spread across the three digital releases.

1984’s Victory saw big brother Jermaine come back into the fold, having last sung on record with his brothers on The Jackson 5’s final Motown album, Moving Violation, in 1975. (He joined the group live on the famous Motown 25 television special in 1983, setting the stage for this full-fledged return.) Despite the family reunion, Victory was largely patched together from solo songs worked on by each member. Michael contributed “Be Not Always,” co-written with Marlon; the Mick Jagger duet “State of Shock” co-written with Randy Hansen; and “The Hurt,” a Michael/Randy/David Paich/Steve Porcaro co-write. Randy Jackson sang lead on “The Hurt” while Michael joined Jackie and Jermaine on lead vocals for two of Jackie’s songs, “Torture” and “Wait.” Tito and Marlon took the spotlight, respectively, on “We Can Change the World” and “Body.” Unsurprisingly, Victory was just that: a 2x Platinum smash in the U.S., it reached No. 3 R&B/No. 4 Pop. It charted internationally in nearly 20 countries, reaching the top ten in almost all of them. “State of Shock” peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100, with “Torture” making the top 20 and “Body” faring somewhat less well at No. 47. For its first-ever expansion, Victory gains 11 bonus tracks: three additional mixes of “State of Shock;” three of “Torture;” four of “Body;” and one of “Wait.”

The Victory Tour from July-December 1984 (the only Jacksons tour to feature all six brothers, despite Jackie being injured and off the road for much of it) became the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, with much of the setlist drawn from Off the Wall and Thriller. Following the grueling tour, Michael and Marlon both left the group.