Wikipedia

Goin' Back

"Goin' Back" (also recorded and released as "Going Back") is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King in 1966.[1] 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.[2][3]

"Goin' Back"
D the D
Single by Dusty Springfield
B-side"I'm Gonna Leave You"
ReleasedJuly 1, 1966
RecordedJune 15, 1966
StudioPhilips Studio, Stanhope Place, London
GenrePop
LabelPhilips
Songwriter(s)Gerry Goffin, Carole King
Producer(s)Johnny Franz
Dusty Springfield singles chronology
"You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"
(1966) 		"Goin' Back"
(1966) 		"All I See Is You"
(1966)

The song, as recorded that year by Dusty Springfield, was a top ten hit on the UK Singles Chart.[4] It was recorded and released as a single the following year by the Byrds; it was included on their album The Notorious Byrd Brothers and subsequently on many Byrds compilation albums as well.[5][2] A critically lauded interpretation was recorded by Nils Lofgren at the start of his solo career in 1975 and has been a mainstay of his concert performances since.[6][7] The song has also been recorded by many other artists, including Marianne Faithfull, the New Seekers, the Pretenders, Diana Ross, Richard Thompson, and Phil Collins, as well as by Carole King herself.[8]

Dusty Springfield's version

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Although Goldie (of Goldie & the Gingerbreads) was the first artist to record the song, her version was withdrawn following disagreements with Goffin and King over the song's lyrics.[9][10] Carole King then decided to record "Goin' Back" herself, but ultimately she offered it to Dusty Springfield instead.[9] Springfield went on to have an international hit with the song and it is considered one of the best known versions.[9]

Springfield'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.[11] It was released as a single on July 1, 1966, reaching number 10 in the UK Singles Chart, but was not released as a single in the U.S.[9][4][12]

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.[13]

Chart history (Dusty Springfield)

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Chart (1966) Peak
position
Australia (Billboard Hits of the World) [14] 9
New Zealand (Listener)[15] 15
Singapore Singles Chart[16] 6
UK Singles Chart[17] 10

The Byrds' version

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"Goin' Back"
 
1967 Dutch picture sleeve
Single by the Byrds
from the album The Notorious Byrd Brothers
B-side"Change Is Now"
ReleasedOctober 20, 1967
RecordedOctober 9, 11 and 16, 1967
StudioColumbia, Hollywood
GenreBaroque pop, country rock
Length3:26
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Gerry Goffin, Carole King
Producer(s)Gary Usher
The Byrds singles chronology
"Lady Friend"
(1967) 		"Goin' Back"
(1967) 		"You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"
(1968)
Audio sample
"Goin' Back"

The Byrds' recording of "Goin' Back" was released as a single on October 20, 1967 and reached number 89 on the Billboard Hot 100, but failed to chart in the United Kingdom.[18][19] The song was also included on the Byrds' 1968 album, The Notorious Byrd Brothers. The track has a subtle country feel to it; a sound the Byrds would later explore more prominently on their Sweetheart of the Rodeo album.[2]

The band's decision to record "Goin' Back" led to tensions within the group, principally due to rhythm guitarist David Crosby's lack of enthusiasm towards the song.[20] Crosby considered "Goin' Back" to be lightweight fluff, typical of the Brill Building style of songwriting.[20] 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.[5] Ultimately, Crosby was fired from the band and "Goin' Back" was included on the album and released as a single.[21]

Cash Box said of the single that it is "soft, slow blues ballad material with combined folk and electronic frosting" with "sweet harmony into the vocal end and serves up the usual grade-A guitar sound."[22]

It has been erroneously claimed by some critics that the version of "Goin' Back" found on the Byrds' single release is a completely different take to the one that appeared on The Notorious Byrd Brothers album.[3] However, an examination of the Byrds' recording session logs by Johnny Rogan reveals that, in fact, the single version is the same take as the version found on the album.[23][24] The single version does feature a slightly different mono mix, which may have been the cause of this confusion.

In addition to the original release, the mono single mix of "Goin' Back" has appeared on the 1982 compilation album The Original Singles: 1967–1969, Volume 2,[3] the 2002 compilation LP The Columbia Singles '65-'67,[25] and the 2012 Japanese CD Original Singles A's & B's 1965–1971.

In addition to its appearance on The Notorious Byrd Brothers album, the Byrds' recording of "Goin' Back" can 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.[2] 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.[5]

Nils Lofgren's version

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A recording of "Goin' Back" was the closing track on Nils Lofgren's 1975 debut solo album Nils Lofgren.[26] While the album did not produce any hit singles, selections from it did receive substantial airplay on progressive rock and album-oriented rock radio formats.[7] Lofgren's arrangement was diverged significantly from that of The Byrds,[27] the one American audiences were most familiar with. In particular, the tempo and overall attitude was more freewheeling and upbeat.[28] A review for The Sacramento Bee said that "Carole King's 'Goin' Back' never sounded better".[6] Although Lofgren was known primarily as a guitarist, he was also quite capable on keyboard-based instruments; as The Rough Guide to Rock wrote, Lofgren "showed his versatility with some fine piano work on a version of Carole King's 'Goin' Back.'" [29]

Lofgren continued to play piano during concert performances of "Goin' Back".[30] Reviewers often noted that the song was a highlight of Lofgren's shows.[30][27] One concert review characterized it as "a gentle, but stirring and determined song about recapturing better times and renewing direction."[7] Performances sometimes included Lofgren working in a bit of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" during the piano part that started the song.[28] Lofgren's "official bootleg" live album Back It Up!! was put out in 1975.[26] The album was only made available to radio stations and some in the music press,[31] but "Goin' Back" was included on it, with Lofgren saying during the opening, "I'd like to thank Carole King for this next tune." AllMusic would term this version "stunning".[27] Influential rock radio station WMMS in Cleveland, Ohio began playing this live "Goin' Back" frequently, and from there other progressive and album rock stations around the United States started playing it as well.[32] A different performance of the song was included on the regularly released 1977 live album Night After Night, where a reviewer commented on Lofgren's "lively piano licks" during it.[31]

As a retrospective review, the New Rolling Stone Record Guide (1983), which gave Nils Lofgren a five-star rating, writes that "the highlight of the album was probably the album-closing 'Goin' Back.' Lofgren's rendition may be the best the song ever received because his persona was so perfectly summed up in the song's wistful celebration of joyous innocence."[26] In a 2010 volume, author Remy Miller makes a similar observation, saying that Lofgren's exuberance and high-pitched voice convey an image of youth but additionally positing that the introspective nature of the song is materially different from the other tracks on the album and is an example of using other artists' material to help give a collection a greater sense of balance.[28]

Over the years it has become known as one of Lofgren's best interpretations of others' material.[7] A recap of Lofgren's career in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram called his "Goin' Back" a "tremendous" rendition that helped launch his solo career.[33] On the other hand, a Boston Globe review of a Lofgren concert in 1982 viewed a performance of that song in that show as a possible metacommentary on Lofgren's career itself, given that Lofgren's career which had seemed so promising in 1975 had not quite worked out.[7] In any case, over the years the song has been included on a number of Lofgren compilation albums.[34] Continuing into the 2000s, press material and advertisements for Lofgren concert appearances listed "Goin' Back" as one of the three or four songs to identify him by.[35][36]

Other versions

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Carole King 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.[37][38]

The New Seekers recorded and released a folk rock version of "Goin' Back" as part of their 1973 album Now. The track featured band member Peter Doyle as the lead vocalist on this, his last album with the group.

"Goin' Back" was recorded by Freddie Mercury in 1973 and released under the pseudonym of Larry Lurex on the B-side of a single that also featured fellow Queen bandmates Brian May and Roger Taylor on guitar and drums respectively.[39][40]

"Goin' Back" was also 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.[41][42]

In 1983, Renée Geyer and Glenn Shorrock released a live version as a single from Geyer's live album, Renée Live. The song peaked at number 65 on the Australian Kent Music Report.[43]

In 1986, the Icicle Works released a version on their EP Seven Horses Deep, under the title "Going Back".

The Pretenders recorded a version for the soundtrack of the 1997 film Fever Pitch.

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.[44]

"Goin' Back" has also been recorded by Eydie Gormé (album: It Was a Good Time, 1971), Johnny Logan (album: Straight From the Heart, 1985), Marianne Faithfull (album: Horses and High Heels, 2011), and by Phil Collins in 2010 (Going Back, where it served as the title track).

References

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  1. ^ "Carole King Songs". Carole King Official Website. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
  2. ^ a b c d "Goin' Back by The Byrds review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
  3. ^ a b c "The Notorious Byrd Brothers". ByrdWatcher: A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  4. ^ a b Brown, Tony. (2000). The Complete Book of the British Charts. Omnibus Press. p. 838. ISBN 0-7119-7670-8.
  5. ^ a b c Rogan, Johnny. (1997). The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1997 CD liner notes).
  6. ^ a b Sculatti, Gene (March 15, 1975). "Nils Lofgren's Work Displays Considerable Talent Plus Brevity". The Sacramento Bee. p. A9 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b c d e Sullivan, Jim (January 11, 1982). "Nils Lofgren falls short of his own standard". The Boston Globe. p. 37 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Goin' Back cover versions". Allmusic. Archived from the original on September 7, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  9. ^ a b c d "Lyn Paul – 1966". The Lyn Paul Website. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  10. ^ "Goldie & The Gingerbreads Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  11. ^ "Dusty Springfield: The 1960s Recording Sessions". www.wonderboymi.com. Archived from the original on 2010-04-05. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  12. ^ "Dusty Springfield Discography 1963–2005". Dusty Springfield: Woman Of Repute. Archived from the original on 2008-07-19. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  13. ^ "Goin' Back by Dusty Springfield album appearances". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  14. ^ Billboard Magazine, October 1966. 1 October 1966. Retrieved 2018-06-21.
  15. ^ "Flavour of New Zealand, 21 October 1966". Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  16. ^ Billboard Magazine, November, 1966. 5 November 1966. Retrieved 2018-06-21.
  17. ^ "Dusty Springfield: Artist Chart History". Official Charts. Retrieved 2018-06-21.
  18. ^ Whitburn, Joel. (2008). Top Pop Singles 1955–2006. Record Research Inc. p. 130. ISBN 978-0-89820-172-7.
  19. ^ Brown, Tony. (2000). The Complete Book of the British Charts. Omnibus Press. p. 130. ISBN 0-7119-7670-8.
  20. ^ a b Rogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. p. 229. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
  21. ^ Menck, Ric. (2007). The Notorious Byrd Brothers. 33 1/3 series. Continuum Books. pp. 91–92. ISBN 978-0-8264-1717-6.
  22. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. November 4, 1967. p. 22. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  23. ^ Rogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. p. 623. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
  24. ^ Hjort, Christopher. (2008). So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973). Jawbone Press. p. 148. ISBN 978-1-906002-15-2.
  25. ^ "The Columbia Singles '65-'67". Sundazed Records. Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  26. ^ a b c King, Wayne (1983). Marsh, Dave; Swenson, John (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Record Guide. New York: Random House/Rolling Stone Press. p. 302. ISBN 0-394-72107-1.
  27. ^ a b c Horowitz, Hal. "Back It Up [Authorized Bootleg]: Review". Allmusic. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  28. ^ a b c Miller, Remy (2010). "Artist Intentions: A Case for Quality Covers". In Plasketes, George (ed.). Play it Again: Cover Songs in Popular Music. Ashgate Publishing. p. 235. ISBN 978-0-7546-6809-1.
  29. ^ Neylan-Francis, Patrick (2003). "Nils Lofgren". In Buckley, Peter (ed.). The Rough Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). London: Rough Guides Ltd. pp. 606–607. ISBN 1-85828-457-0.
  30. ^ a b Morse, Steve (March 31, 1976). "Nils Lofgren's high-powered rock". The Boston Globe. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ a b Carson, Chris (November 5, 1977). "Lofgren's 'Night' is an ace". The Press and Sun-Bulletin. Binghamton, New York. p. 3-B – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ Gorman, John; Feran, Tom (2007). The Buzzard: Inside the Glory Days of WMMS and Cleveland Rock Radio: A Memoir. Cleveland: Gray & Company. pp. 37–38. ISBN 978-1-598510-51-5.
  33. ^ Ferman, Dave (May 31, 1991). "Dry spell for Nils Lofgren's solo career ends with 'Silver Lining'". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 10 (Star Time) – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ "Goin' Back: Nils Lofgren". AllMusic. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  35. ^ "Talented guitarist performs, Aug. 12". The Town Journal. Bergen County, New Jersey. August 12, 2004. p. 40 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ^ "Nils Lofgren". Evening Standard. London. September 8, 2006. p. A50 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^ "Writer review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  38. ^ "Pearls/Time Gone By review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  39. ^ Jones, Lesley-Ann (2011). Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury. New York City: Touchstone. pp. 100–101. ISBN 978-1-4516-6395-2.
  40. ^ "Freddie Mercury or Larry Lurex". Freddie Mercury: Music? Not Only... Archived from the original on 2009-08-04. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  41. ^ "Pearls II review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  42. ^ "Love & Life: The Very Best of Diana Ross review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  43. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  44. ^ "Ex-Manchester United and Aston Villa star Paul McGrath begins music career". Metro. 8 September 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
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