Draft:Mick Jackson (musician)

Michael George Jackson, known professionally as Mick Jackson and who also writes under the pseudonym Mick Contenz, is an English singer, songwriter, producer, and studio owner best known as the original artist and one of the original writers of the international hit Blame It on the Boogie. His diverse career spans soul, R&B, pop, jazz, and disco, with success as a performer and behind the scenes as a composer and producer for numerous international artists and projects.

Early life

Mick Jackson was born into a large and musically inclined family. His father, Tom Jackson, was a Physical Training Officer and national boxing champion who also trained the British Army Boxing Team. In addition to his military accomplishments, Tom played the piano and frequently sang classics from the American Songbook. The family’s favorite song, Pennies from Heaven, was a regular sing along at family gatherings.

Jackson's mother, Ellen, was also passionate about singing. With Ellen being one of 17 siblings and Tom one of 11, music was central to the extended family, providing a ready audience for Jackson and his siblings—Peter, David, and Judith—who all began performing at a young age.

Career

Early Band Work

Jackson began his musical journey performing in various ensembles ranging from quartets to full jazz orchestras. In the late 1960s, he formed the soul/R&B band Jacko with his brothers Peter and David. The band played extensively across German, British, American, and Canadian military clubs throughout Europe, gaining valuable stage experience with a wide-ranging repertoire during an era when live music dominated nightlife.

From 1975 to 1980, Jacko supported Jackson during his solo performances, joined by drummer Elmar Krohn, keyboardist Hans Kampschroer, and bassist Tommy Meyer.

Solo Career and Studio Work

Jackson's first solo single, You Turn Me On (1975), was recorded in Munich during the peak of the Euro-Disco era. Despite a controversial decision by his producer to credit him as "Nick Jackson"apparently  to avoid confusion with Mick Jagger, he released three solo albums under his real name: Weekend, Step Inside My Rainbow, and Square Deal.

Mick Jackson's original version of Blame it on the Boogie (1978) reached No. 15 on the UK Singles Chart. His follow-up single Weekend (1978) peaked at No. 38.

Other notable releases are Married Men (from the film “The World is full of Married Men”) in 1979 and Rock The World (No Other Girl) in 1984.

In 1986, Jackson realized his dream of owning a recording studio by partnering with publisher Walter Holzbaur (Wintrup Music) to establish Standby Recording Studio. The facility quickly became a hub for commercial music, including radio and television jingles, film scores, and albums. Jackson served in multiple roles, including songwriter, producer, and studio manager.

Songwriting and production

Jackson's songwriting credits include:

• "Blame It on the Boogie" – Co-written with his brother David Jackson and drummer Elmar Krohn. Initially demoed in Germany, the song was eventually picked up and recorded by The Jacksons and became a global hit. It has since been featured in talent shows such as X Factor and The Voice, and is included in MJ the Musical, one of Broadway’s highest-grossing productions.
• "Weekend" Co-written with Jacko Bass player Tommy Meyer. Mick's second hit single.The most notable cover was the American band Wet Willie.
• "Please Don’t Say Goodnight" – Recorded by British R&B group Five Star for their 1986 album Silk & Steel, which achieved quadruple platinum status in the UK.
• "Kinder dieser Welt" (Children of the World) – Austria's entry for the 1985 Eurovision Song Contest.
• "Ziwui Ziwui" –Co-written with Manni Struck. A Top 10 hit in Germany and Austria by the band voXXclub in 2014.
• Lyrics and collaborations with Victory,Sinner, Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung,(notably Bank Robbery), and others.

Additional credits include work with artists such as The Jacksons, Luis Miguel, Big Fun, Eric Burdon, Joy Fleming, Barry Manilow, Udo Jürgens, Mireille Mathieu, Lisa Stansfield, David Ford, David Knopfler, Johnny Wakelin, Gala, Tab Two, Dan Rowe, Victoria Miles, and No Mercy.

Notable projects

In 1998, Jackson was commissioned by BMG executive Thomas Stein to compose and produce This Song Is for You, a tribute to outgoing Bertelsmann CEO Dr. Mark Wössner. The project was a multinational collaboration featuring BMG artists from around the world, performed at the company’s headquarters in Germany.

Jackson has a long standing working relationship with Matthias Ulmer, co-writing and as guest vocalist on Ulmer's 'Anyone's Daughter' project.

"Blame It on the Boogie": The Story

The origins of Blame It on the Boogie trace back to a jam session in a German pub, where Jackson and collaborators developed the song around a drum groove. A pivotal meeting with British engineer Mal Luker and Global Music’s Peter Kirsten led to an introduction to Grammy-winning producer Sylvester Levay. Despite initial hesitation, Levay was persuaded when Jackson demonstrated the now-iconic hook (I just can't control my feet) at a grand piano, sealing the song’s fate as a future hit.

Over the years, Blame It on the Boogie has been covered by numerous artists, including:

• The Jacksons (1978)
• Luis Miguel (Será que no me amas, 1990) – A Spanish-language version produced for Miguel’s album 20 Años.
• Big Fun (1989) – Produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, reaching No. 4 on the UK charts.
• Tony Succar – Jackson’s personal favorite version, featured on Succar’s Unity album.
• Clock (1998) – A UK Top 20 dance version.
• Norman Cook – Sampled in Blame It on the Bassline (1989).

Mick Jackson recorded. his original version first and the Jacksons' management team picked up the song at Midem, the music industry trade fair in Cannes, where it was offered to them by Mick Jackson's publisher without Jackson's knowledge. Due to a delay at the pressing plant which was producing Mick Jackson's single, in the UK the two versions were released within weeks of each other.

The press at the time enjoyed the similarity in the names and release coincidence, calling the situation 'The Battle of the Boogie' as the two records jockeyed for chart positions. Radio stations got on the battle bandwagon. BBC Radio One only played the Jacksons' version, Capital Radio only played Mick's single. The music press was equally split. Melody Maker did not review Mick Jackson's version, but praised the Jacksons and wrongly referred to their single as a "self-penned song" (16 September 1978), whereas NME hailed Mick Jackson as the winner of the battle, calling his version "far superior" (7 October 1978).

Mick Jackson's original peaked at No. 15 and the Jacksons peaked at No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart. Mick Jackson's subsequent 1979 release, "Weekend" was released in the same week as the Jacksons' second single "Destiny". The songs entered the charts on the same day, peaking at numbers 38 and 39 on the UK Singles Chart respectively, and both 'Michael Jacksons' appearing on the same edition of Top of the Pops. "Weekend" spent eight weeks on the chart; thus equalling his earlier single's tenure.

In 2010, filmmaker Patrick Nation made a Channel 4 documentary about Jackson, entitled The Other Michael Jackson: Battle of the Boogie. The documentary was co-written and presented by Mick's son Sam Peter Jackson, and it led to Mick Jackson's 1978 album, Weekend, (which featured the original version of "Blame It on the Boogie") being re-released (for download on iTunes) for the first time in thirty years by Demon Music. To promote the documentary, Jackson gave a rare television interview to BBC Breakfast.

Later work and personal life

Jackson has continued producing and writing music from his home studio. In 2025, one of his songs, Good Loving (from the Square Deal Album), was featured in The Space You Need, a film by his son, filmmaker Sam Peter Jackson

Alongside music Jackson has bred sports horses,in particular Eventers,and has managed to combine his two passions to produce Dressage music for International equine events.

Jackson dedicates much of his recent work to the memory of his brother and musical partner David Jackson, who passed away in November 2024.

He currently lives with his wife and their six pugs.

Name	Mick Jackson
Birth name	Michael George Jackson
Birth date	1947-11-02
Origin	England
Genre	Soul, R&B, pop, jazz, disco
Occupation	Singer, songwriter, producer, studio owner
Years active	1970s > present
Associated acts	Jacko, The Jacksons