Charlene "I Want To Go Back There Again"

[mysterysinger]

Charlene


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_v79wtvu1g

[copley]

The worst version ever.

[144man]

The worst version ever.

No, there was a version by a British male group - I can't remember who - that was worse.

[mysterysinger]

I like to hear songs done differently and quite like Charlene's version. She has a lovely clear voice and very controlled delivery. Top notch producers, arrangers and mixers on her "Used To Be" album.

[144man]

No, there was a version by a British male group - I can't remember who - that was worse.

The group I was trying to remember was Bill Kenwright & the Runaways.

Bill Kenwright played Florrie Lindley's son, Gordon Clegg, in "Coronation Street", and is a West End theatre and film producer.

Although his version of "IWTGBTA" is awful, his solo recording, "Tiggy", is worth a listen because of its Motown influences and the tune's similarity to "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing".

[mysterysinger]

Well now I've met Bill Kenwright at a charity football match at Hyde United [[and I got his autograph lol - well I was a young boy). He is most noted for being the Chairman of Everton Football Club.

[144man]

^^^ That's quite a coincidence, mysterysinger, that you have met the person who covered the song in the thread that you started in a different field [pun intended].

[mysterysinger]

Gets spookier - also at the same game was Julie Goodyear [[Bet Lynch) who recorded a song called "These Boots Are Made For Walkin' " which was also recorded on Motown by the group who will not be mentioned on this forum lol.

[copley]

The group I was trying to remember was Bill Kenwright & the Runaways.

Bill Kenwright played Florrie Lindley's son, Gordon Clegg, in "Coronation Street", and is a West End theatre and film producer.

Although his version of "IWTGBTA" is awful, his solo recording, "Tiggy", is worth a listen because of its Motown influences and the tune's similarity to "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing".

I must take a listen to these, thanks. BTW he played Maggie Clegg's son who was actually Betty Turpin's illegitimate son :)

PS. I have now heard both songs, oh my poor ears - lol!

[144man]

Copley, you can make your poor ears feel even worse by listening to the version of "IWTGBTA" by another British male group, the New Formula on YouTube.

[copley]

Yikes!!!!! Now this one I love. It was so nearly a UK hit.


https://youtu.be/9rKxAWAkZ54

[144man]

Yes, that's a very good version.

I think I just about give the edge to Chris Clark over Thelma Houston for whose I like the best.

[copley]

It's hard to call, I love CC but I also love Truly.

[144man]

I would have liked Diana Ross's version better, but I'm not keen on the lines she speaks rather than sings.

[BigAl]

If Chris's account [[below) is true, I wonder why she was not co-credited.

Chris Clark [[from Mojomagazine February 2009): "Berry and I wrote this together in Detroit, in the studio, in our houses, all over the place. I probably wrote 87 verses and he chose the ones that made the most sense. I was inspired just by that sense of nostalgia that we all feel at times, that melancholy and warmth that goes with it. We wrote it on the piano. He'd play and I'd come up with vocal pieces and once we had the melody and the lyrics we went into the studio. We all had a quick run through and then we recorded it live. It took eight or nine takes. The musicians were sparking off each other, and I worked off what they were doing. It was thrilling, but Berry was in charge, he told everyone when to come in, what to play. Berry knew what he wanted to hear and he was going to get it out of me. He was like a father-very hard sometimes, but when you please him you think you can leap tall buildings. Today, I'm really proud of the song and I was at the time too."

[mysterysinger]

Initially I don't think Chris was co-credited with writing the song but nowadays you do see her name as a writing credit. For example in DFTMC - "I Want To Go Back There Again [[Chris Clark-Berry Gordy) published Jobete 01-Feb-67".

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

This is one of the most intriguing songs I've ever run across. Not a big hit for Chris, and yet it's one of those things that seemed to take on a life of its own in the years afterward right up til today. I also was, and continue to be surprised by the number and sheer different artists who've recorded it at Motown and outside of Motown.

This really is an example of a song that isn't limited to chart action. It's a friggin' awesome, huge masterpiece of songwriting and it's wonderful that so many seemed to realize how good it was despite the fact that it probably isn't super well known to the general public.

[TomatoTom123]

I'm most familiar with Chris' original version which as WaitingWatching says, is friggin awesome.

I should really check out the other versions. :D

[mysterysinger]

Well Chris Clark's version with The Vancouvers is just great [[Motown Unreleased 1967) and don't forget the versions by Syreeta and Shanice.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

Yikes!!!!! Now this one I love. It was so nearly a UK hit.


https://youtu.be/9rKxAWAkZ54

Now I like this one! It's actually incredibly Motown Sounding in its arrangement. Really captures that Detroit sound, even more than Motown's L.A. recordings.

[lakedistrictlad1]

I love Truly Smith's version. I always felt this song was good, but not hit material. However her version really squeezes the best out of it. Really authentic production.

There's a good article here about Truly if anyone is interested

http://www.readysteadygirls.eu/truly-smith/4531650067

[copley]

Truly has an excellent voice and should have been a big star but it just didn't happen for her. Here is her version of another great Motown song.


https://youtu.be/qosZNqqTaBA

[144man]

Well Chris Clark's version with The Vancouvers is just great [[Motown Unreleased 1967) and don't forget the versions by Syreeta and Shanice.

I must have listened to every version on YouTube now. Syreeta's version [as Rita Wright] is fine, but Shanice's is a bit overstated for me.

The version by B.J. Arnau is also quite nice, but as it's on Mojo I find it surprising that it was produced by Jonathan King of all people.

[mysterysinger]

It was via Jonathan King that I first heard "It's The Same Old Song" through his Weathermen venture. Thing is, it was a top 20 hit whereas the Four Tops version had only reached 34. Us Brits eh!