Gordon Keith

Who is Gordon Keith?

Gordon Keith was the first person to sign a recording contract with Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 and actually record, produce, and release their records. Most notable of the four Jackson Five tracks he produced for his Steeltown Records label of Gary, Indiana, is Big Boy. It sold regionally in the Chicago-Gary area in early 1968. It was recorded in Chicago in November 1967 which, as the home of the vibrant Chicago Soul sound of the time, had many fine session musicians, songwriters, and production studios. Keith signed the Jacksons to a management and recording contract in November 1967 at a time when, oddly, not one of the very numerous labels in the region would take them on.

The quality and potential heard in the Big Boy recording were such that Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records sought out Gordon Keith to make a deal with him to distribute it on ATCO, and ATCO distributions of this Steeltown recording are still in existence, as are the preceding version on Steeltown alone. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum owns a copy of one of the Steeltown Recordings produced by Mr. Keith, We Don’t Have To Be Over 21 and this 45 was on display there in 2010.

Gordon Keith was a vocalist himself and he and four partners formed Steeltown Records to record themselves and to sign and record local talent in and around Gary, Indiana. The quality of the music and dance scene in East Chicago and Gary was very high. Vivian Carter, founder of VeeJay Records, and The Spaniels, a prominent doowop group, are examples of Gary's musical culture. Keith states that each partner discovered, signed, and took the responsibility and any profit for any group each of them signed, using Steeltown as an umbrella to promote name recognition. Keith points out that he himself went solo as a vocalist because he wearied of the lack of discipline and commitment of so many of the young vocalists he sang doowop with. Therefore he was looking not only for talent, but talent with a disciplined, professional attitude and commitment.