Goin' Back
Encyclopedia
"Goin' Back" is a song written by Gerry Goffin
and Carole King
in 1966. It describes the loss of innocence that comes with adulthood along with an attempt, on the part of the singer, to recapture that youthful innocence. The song has been recorded by many different artists, including Dusty Springfield
, Goldie Zelkowitz
, The Byrds
, Elkie Brooks
, Deacon Blue
, Nils Lofgren
, Freddie Mercury
(on a Larry Lurex
single), The Move
, The New Seekers
, The Pretenders
, Diana Ross
, Richard Thompson, Phil Collins
and Bon Jovi
as well as by Carole King herself.
(of Goldie & The Gingerbreads
) was the first artist to record the song, her version was withdrawn following disagreements with Goffin and King over the song's lyrics. Carole King then decided to record "Goin' Back" herself but ultimately she offered it to Dusty Springfield
instead. Dusty went on to have an international hit
with the song and consequently, it is her version that is considered the most well known.
Dusty's version of "Goin' Back" was recorded on June 15, 1966 at Philips Studios, Stanhope Place, London, with musical accompaniment by Peter Knight
and production
by Johnny Franz
. It was released as a single
on July 1, 1966, reaching #10 in the UK Singles Chart
but was not released as a single in America.
Although "Goin' Back" was not included on any of Dusty Springfield's studio albums during the 1960s, it can be found on a number of her compilations
, including Greatest Hits, Goin' Back: The Very Best of Dusty Springfield, Songbooks, Complete A and B-sides: 1963 - 1970, Live at the BBC and the UK version of Golden Hits.
but failed to chart in the United Kingdom. The song was also included on The Byrds' 1968 album, The Notorious Byrd Brothers
. The band's decision to record "Goin' Back" led to tensions within the group, principally due to rhythm guitar
ist David Crosby
's lack of enthusiasm towards the song. Crosby considered "Goin' Back" to be lightweight fluff, typical of the Brill Building
style of songwriting. He was therefore dismayed to find that his own song "Triad
" was in direct competition with "Goin' Back" for a place on The Notorious Byrd Brothers album. Ultimately, Crosby was fired from the band and "Goin' Back" was included on the album and released as a single.
It has been erroneously claimed by some critics that the version of "Goin' Back" found on the single is a completely different take
to the one that appeared on The Notorious Byrd Brothers album. However, an examination of The Byrds' recording session logs reveals that, in fact, the single version is the same take as the version found on the album. However, the single version does feature a slightly different mono
mix
, which may have been the cause of this confusion. As of 20, the mono single mix of "Goin' Back" has not been issued on CD
and, apart from the original single, has only appeared on the 1982 compilation album The Original Singles: 1967–1969, Volume 2
and the 2002 compilation LP
The Columbia Singles '65-'67.
In addition to its appearance on The Notorious Byrd Brothers album, The Byrds' recording of "Goin' Back" can also be found on several Byrds' compilations, including The Byrds' Greatest Hits Volume II
, History of The Byrds
, The Original Singles: 1967–1969, Volume 2
, The Byrds, The Very Best of The Byrds
, There Is a Season
and the UK version of The Best of The Byrds: Greatest Hits, Volume II
. Additionally, an early, alternate version of "Goin' Back" was included as a bonus track on the 1997 Columbia/Legacy
reissue of The Notorious Byrd Brothers.
recorded the song as the title track of his cover version
album Going Back. The song was released as the second single to be taken from the album. It would also be the final single of his career.
released her own recording of "Goin' Back" on her 1970 album Writer
, and later re-recorded the song for her Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King album in 1980. The New Seekers
covered
the song on their 1973 album Now, and Nils Lofgren
included it on his debut solo album, Nils Lofgren
, in 1975. "Goin' Back" has also been recorded by Elkie Brooks
on her 1982 album Pearls II
and by Diana Ross
on her Love & Life: The Very Best of Diana Ross
album in 2001.
Additionally, "Goin' Back" was recorded by Larry Lurex
in 1973, featuring vocals by Freddie Mercury
. The song was also recorded by Johnny Logan
in 1990. In 2011, Irish footballer Paul McGrath
covered "Goin' Back" as part of an album of cover versions, with a percentage of the album's proceeds going to the Acquired Brain Injury Foundation and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Ireland.
Gerry Goffin
Gerry Goffin is an American lyricist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 with former songwriting partner and first wife, Carole King. he has co-written six Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers.-Career:Goffin enlisted with the Marine Corps Reserve after graduating from...
and Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
in 1966. It describes the loss of innocence that comes with adulthood along with an attempt, on the part of the singer, to recapture that youthful innocence. The song has been recorded by many different artists, including Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
, Goldie Zelkowitz
Genya Ravan
Genya Ravan, aka Goldie Zelkowitz is an American rock singer and producer. She is the former lead singer of The Escorts, Goldie & the Gingerbreads, and Ten Wheel Drive....
, The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
, Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks is an English singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. Elkie has been nominated twice for Brit Awards' top female singer. She is known for her powerful husky voice...
, Deacon Blue
Deacon Blue
Deacon Blue are a Scottish pop band formed in Glasgow during 1985. Their name was taken from the title of the Steely Dan song "Deacon Blues". The band consists of vocalist Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, keyboard player James Prime and drummer Dougie Vipond....
, Nils Lofgren
Nils Lofgren
Nils Hilmer Lofgren is an American rock music recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
, Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
(on a Larry Lurex
Larry Lurex
Larry Lurex was the artist name used for a musical project by Trident Studios’ house engineer Robin Geoffrey Cable, in 1972.The name is a pun on the stage name of glam rock star Gary Glitter and the metallic yarn Lurex....
single), The Move
The Move
The Move, from Birmingham, England, were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s. They scored nine Top 20 UK singles in five years, but were among the most popular British bands not to find any success in the United States....
, The New Seekers
The New Seekers
The New Seekers are a British-based pop group, formed in 1969 by Keith Potger after the break-up of his group, The Seekers. The idea was that the New Seekers would appeal to the same market as the original Seekers, but their music had rock as well as folk influences...
, The Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
, Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
, Richard Thompson, Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
and Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
as well as by Carole King herself.
Dusty Springfield's version
Although GoldieGenya Ravan
Genya Ravan, aka Goldie Zelkowitz is an American rock singer and producer. She is the former lead singer of The Escorts, Goldie & the Gingerbreads, and Ten Wheel Drive....
(of Goldie & The Gingerbreads
Goldie & the Gingerbreads
Goldie & the Gingerbreads was an all-female American rock band from 1962 to 1967 consisting of 3 musicians and a singer. They were the first all-female rock band signed to a major record label....
) was the first artist to record the song, her version was withdrawn following disagreements with Goffin and King over the song's lyrics. Carole King then decided to record "Goin' Back" herself but ultimately she offered it to Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
instead. Dusty went on to have an international hit
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
with the song and consequently, it is her version that is considered the most well known.
Dusty's version of "Goin' Back" was recorded on June 15, 1966 at Philips Studios, Stanhope Place, London, with musical accompaniment by Peter Knight
Peter Knight (composer)
Peter Knight was an English musical arranger, conductor and composer.-Career:Knight was born in Exmouth, Devon, England. He worked with Independent Television light entertainment stars from 'Spot The Tune' with Jackie Rae and Marion Ryan to the comedy series 'Home to Roost' ...
and production
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Johnny Franz
Johnny Franz
Johnny Franz was a UK record producer and A&R man at the Philips label. Although his name is not recognized by many Americans, Franz was one of Britain's most successful producers in the 1950s and 1960s...
. It was released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on July 1, 1966, reaching #10 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
but was not released as a single in America.
Although "Goin' Back" was not included on any of Dusty Springfield's studio albums during the 1960s, it can be found on a number of her compilations
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, including Greatest Hits, Goin' Back: The Very Best of Dusty Springfield, Songbooks, Complete A and B-sides: 1963 - 1970, Live at the BBC and the UK version of Golden Hits.
The Byrds' version
The Byrds' recording of "Goin' Back" was released as a single on October 20, 1967 and reached #89 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
but failed to chart in the United Kingdom. The song was also included on The Byrds' 1968 album, The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Notorious Byrd Brothers is the fifth album by the American rock band The Byrds and was released in January 1968 on Columbia Records . Musically, the album represents the pinnacle of The Byrds' psychedelic experimentation, with the band blending together elements of folk rock, psychedelic rock,...
. The band's decision to record "Goin' Back" led to tensions within the group, principally due to rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
ist David Crosby
David Crosby
David Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
's lack of enthusiasm towards the song. Crosby considered "Goin' Back" to be lightweight fluff, typical of the Brill Building
Brill Building
The Brill Building is an office building located at 1619 Broadway on 49th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, just north of Times Square and further uptown from the historic musical Tin Pan Alley neighborhood...
style of songwriting. He was therefore dismayed to find that his own song "Triad
Triad (David Crosby song)
"Triad" is a song written by David Crosby in 1967 about a ménage à trois, a subject perfectly in keeping with the "free love" hippie philosophies of the day. The song was written while Crosby was a member of the rock band The Byrds, who were at that time recording their fifth studio album, The...
" was in direct competition with "Goin' Back" for a place on The Notorious Byrd Brothers album. Ultimately, Crosby was fired from the band and "Goin' Back" was included on the album and released as a single.
It has been erroneously claimed by some critics that the version of "Goin' Back" found on the single is a completely different take
Take
A take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production.-Film:In cinematography, a take refers to each filmed "version" of a particular shot or "setup"...
to the one that appeared on The Notorious Byrd Brothers album. However, an examination of The Byrds' recording session logs reveals that, in fact, the single version is the same take as the version found on the album. However, the single version does feature a slightly different mono
Monaural
Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction is single-channel. Typically there is only one microphone, one loudspeaker, or channels are fed from a common signal path...
mix
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, which may have been the cause of this confusion. As of 20, the mono single mix of "Goin' Back" has not been issued on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
and, apart from the original single, has only appeared on the 1982 compilation album The Original Singles: 1967–1969, Volume 2
The Original Singles: 1967–1969, Volume 2
The Original Singles: 1965-1967, Volume 2 is a compilation album by American rock 'n' roll band The Byrds. Originally released in 1982, it offered, for the first time, all of the mono single versions of the Byrds' singles released between 1967 and early 1969...
and the 2002 compilation LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
The Columbia Singles '65-'67.
In addition to its appearance on The Notorious Byrd Brothers album, The Byrds' recording of "Goin' Back" can also be found on several Byrds' compilations, including The Byrds' Greatest Hits Volume II
The Byrds' Greatest Hits Volume II
The Byrds' Greatest Hits Volume II is the second greatest hits album by the American rock band The Byrds. It was released in the United Kingdom on October 29, 1971 by CBS Records as a follow-up to the band's first compilation album, The Byrds' Greatest Hits...
, History of The Byrds
History of The Byrds
History of The Byrds is a budget priced, double album compilation by the American rock band The Byrds and was released on May 18, 1973 by CBS Records . The compilation was released exclusively in Europe and the UK, peaking at #47 on the UK Albums Chart, but it was also available in the United...
, The Original Singles: 1967–1969, Volume 2
The Original Singles: 1967–1969, Volume 2
The Original Singles: 1965-1967, Volume 2 is a compilation album by American rock 'n' roll band The Byrds. Originally released in 1982, it offered, for the first time, all of the mono single versions of the Byrds' singles released between 1967 and early 1969...
, The Byrds, The Very Best of The Byrds
The Very Best of The Byrds
The Very Best of The Byrds is a compilation album by the American rock band The Byrds, released by Columbia Records in 1997. Initially the compilation was only released in Europe but as of 2006, the album has seen some release in the U.S...
, There Is a Season
There Is a Season
There Is a Season is a four-CD box set by the American rock band The Byrds that was released on September 26, 2006 by Columbia/Legacy. It comprises 99 tracks and includes material from every one of the band's twelve studio albums, presented in roughly chronological order...
and the UK version of The Best of The Byrds: Greatest Hits, Volume II
The Best of The Byrds: Greatest Hits, Volume II
The Best of The Byrds: Greatest Hits, Volume II is the third greatest hits album by the American rock band The Byrds, but only the second to be released in the United States, since the earlier The Byrds' Greatest Hits Volume II had only been issued in the UK. The album was released in the U.S...
. Additionally, an early, alternate version of "Goin' Back" was included as a bonus track on the 1997 Columbia/Legacy
Legacy Recordings
Legacy Recordings is Sony Music Entertainment's catalog division. It was founded in 1990 by CBS Records under the leadership of Jerry Shulman, Richard Bauer, Gary Pacheco and Amy Herot to handle reissues of recordings from the vast catalogues of Columbia Records, Epic Records and associated...
reissue of The Notorious Byrd Brothers.
Phil Collins version
In 2010 Phil CollinsPhil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
recorded the song as the title track of his cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
album Going Back. The song was released as the second single to be taken from the album. It would also be the final single of his career.
Chart Performance
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|
Other cover versions
Carole KingCarole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
released her own recording of "Goin' Back" on her 1970 album Writer
Writer (album)
Writer is the first solo album by Carole King and was released in 1970. Carole King had already started her career as a songwriter and been a part of The City. The top song was "Child of Mine", then "Up on the Roof" which was a number 4 hit for the Drifters in 1962 and later covered by James Taylor...
, and later re-recorded the song for her Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King album in 1980. The New Seekers
The New Seekers
The New Seekers are a British-based pop group, formed in 1969 by Keith Potger after the break-up of his group, The Seekers. The idea was that the New Seekers would appeal to the same market as the original Seekers, but their music had rock as well as folk influences...
covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
the song on their 1973 album Now, and Nils Lofgren
Nils Lofgren
Nils Hilmer Lofgren is an American rock music recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
included it on his debut solo album, Nils Lofgren
Nils Lofgren (album)
Nils Lofgren is a 1975 album by Nils Lofgren, also known as the "Fat Man Album". It was his first solo album, following the breakup of his group, Grin....
, in 1975. "Goin' Back" has also been recorded by Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks is an English singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. Elkie has been nominated twice for Brit Awards' top female singer. She is known for her powerful husky voice...
on her 1982 album Pearls II
Pearls II
- Background :The sequel to the hugely popular Pearls album, A&M decided to play it safe by keeping Gus Dudgeon at the helm. Another set of songs, old and new, helped to maintain Brooks' popularity. The album remained in the charts for a respectable 25 weeks, where it joined its predecessor which...
and by Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
on her Love & Life: The Very Best of Diana Ross
Love & Life: The Very Best of Diana Ross
"Love & Life: The Very Best of Diana Ross" is a compilation album by American soul singer Diana Ross released in 2001.The double disc, 41-track album details Ross' career as a solo artist and with The Supremes...
album in 2001.
Additionally, "Goin' Back" was recorded by Larry Lurex
Larry Lurex
Larry Lurex was the artist name used for a musical project by Trident Studios’ house engineer Robin Geoffrey Cable, in 1972.The name is a pun on the stage name of glam rock star Gary Glitter and the metallic yarn Lurex....
in 1973, featuring vocals by Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
. The song was also recorded by Johnny Logan
Johnny Logan (singer)
Johnny Logan , is an Australian-born Irish singer and composer. He is regarded as "Mister Eurovision", having participated in the Eurovision Song Contest many times since the 1970s, and, since 1992, has been the most successful artist in Eurovision history.Logan has won the international contest on...
in 1990. In 2011, Irish footballer Paul McGrath
Paul McGrath (footballer)
Paul McGrath is a retired Irish footballer, who played as a defender. McGrath is widely recognised as one of the greatest players to have ever come out of Ireland....
covered "Goin' Back" as part of an album of cover versions, with a percentage of the album's proceeds going to the Acquired Brain Injury Foundation and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Ireland.