Cover Culture : Derrick Morgan / Billy Grammer – I Want To Go Home

COVER VERSION VS ORIGINAL SONG

Since the early 1960s and even prior, numerous iconic Jamaican hits were derived from popular foreign songs. The original pop and soul tracks were frequently embraced by audiences on the island, leading reggae artists to create their own renditions. Some of these artists gained fame by covering chart-topping songs, turning these adaptations into timeless classics.

For instance, American artist Bill Withers recorded the Grammy-winning song Ain’t No Sunshine, which Horace Andy later adapted, while Dennis Brown’s rendition of Black Magic Woman originally came from Fleetwood Mac. These two examples represent just a small fraction of the many covers that have emerged over the past sixty-five years.

Since the advent of these adaptations, both Jamaican and international reggae musicians have persistently reimagined pop and soul hits, continuing this tradition into the present. You’re welcome to listen to both the original and the cover versions to determine which one resonates with you the most.

DERRICK MORGAN

In 1968, producer Joe Gibbs released Derrick Morgan’s rocksteady take on Billy Grammer’s I Wanna Go Home under the Amalgamated Records label. Derrick Morgan, who rose to fame with his notable 1962 hit, Forward March, offers a rocksteady interpretation of this mournful tune. Many lyrics of the original song are omitted in Morgan’s version, which diminishes the song’s authenticity. Listening to him singing ‘I Wanna Go Home’ repeatedly, makes that boredom is setting in. On a positive note, the backing track provided by Lynn Taitt & The Jets stands out. Taitt’s distinctive guitar work is the highlight here, making this 7″ single worth a listen after all.

BILLY GRAMMER

I Wanna Go Home, also known as Detroit City, was penned by Mel Tillis and Danny Dill. Country artist Billy Grammer was the first to record and popularize the song, which was released through the Decca label in December 1962. The tune is a working man’s complaint as it describes the alienation felt by many rural southerners in the mid North of America. Grammer’s version climbed to No. 18 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in early 1963. That summer, Bobby Bare released a successful re-titled remake, Detroit City, which soared to No. 6 on the Billboard country chart, remaining there for 18 weeks and reaching No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.