Which group first released "I'll Be There" in 1970 before Carey's cover?

The Jackson 5 first released “I’ll Be There” in 1970, before Mariah Carey’s cover. Motown issued the song as the first single from the group’s Third Album, with Michael Jackson singing lead alongside his brothers.

Written by Berry Gordy, Bob West, Willie Hutch and Hal Davis, the song showed a more tender side of the group than their earlier upbeat hits. It followed “I Want You Back,” “ABC” and “The Love You Save,” giving the Jackson 5 four consecutive number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

Carey’s 1992 version was therefore a cover of the Jackson 5 recording, not an original Carey composition. Her interpretation preserved the song’s soul-ballad core while recasting it as a duet with Trey Lorenz. The original remains one of the Jackson 5’s signature recordings and their biggest-selling successes.