Going Back to My Roots

"Going Back to My Roots" is a 1977 song by Lamont Dozier. Cover versions by Odyssey, FPI Project, and Linda Clifford have entered the UK Singles Chart, with the FPI Project's version charting in other European markets as well.

Originally an album track discussing genealogy, the song was written for the African-American market and touches on the matters of self-identity, family, and soul fulfillment. It has appeared on assorted compilation albums.

Background

The song was written and first recorded by Lamont Dozier for his 1977 LP Peddlin' Music on the Side. It was produced by Stewart Levine and features additional production from Hugh Masekela and Rik Pekkonen.^[1]

Cover versions

Richie Havens

An early cover version was recorded by Richie Havens in 1980. Unusually for folk musician Havens, it incorporated disco influences;^[2] this version was later sampled in FPI Project's version of the song^[3] and in "Destiny and Tenacity" on The Kleptones' 2010 album Uptime / Downtime.^[4]

Odyssey

The New York City disco group Odyssey released a cover version of this song in 1981. It charted at #4 on the UK Singles Chart, spending six weeks in the top ten and another six on the chart.^[5] It also graced the Billboard R&B Singles at #68.^[6]

This version of the song appears on the Ashes to Ashes: Series 2 Original Soundtrack^[7] and in a 2015 advert for Victorian Plumbing.^[8] It was also danced to by Patsy Kensit and Anton du Beke on the third series of Strictly Come Dancing.^[9]

FPI Project

Another cover version was released by FPI Project, a trio consisting of Marco Fratty, Corrado Presti, and Roberto Intrallazz who, according to John Bush, of AllMusic introduced Italo house to the world in the early 1990s.^[10] Two versions of the song were released; one featuring the vocals of Sharon D. Clarke, the other of Paolo Dini. Both versions sample Richie Havens' version of the song, as well as T99's "Too Nice to Be Real", Honesty 69's "Rich in Paradise", and the Yeah! Woo! drumbeat.^[3]

They took the tune first to #9 on the UK Singles Chart in 1989 whilst backed with "Rich In Paradise", and in 1999 to #96 in its own right.^[5] It also charted at #5 on the German Singles Chart, #5 on the Austrian Singles Chart and #10 on the Swiss Singles Chart.^[11]

The song appears on the compilation album Deep Heat 5 – Feed the Fever.^[3]

Other covers

The song charted for a single week at #85 in 2002 when covered by Linda Clifford^[5] and was featured on Wendy Matthews' 1992 album Lily.^[12]

Teaspoon & the Waves – led by veteran alto player Teaspoon Ndelu – released one super rare LP in 1980, covering a mix of disco and funk sounds then popular on South African dancefloors. ‘Oh yeh Soweto’ is a cheeky version of the original ‘Going back to my roots’ by Lamont Dozier – changing the lyrics and toughening up the beat. It was re-released in 2010 on Sofrito Records.^[13]

References