Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Full Force – I Wonder If I Take You Home
“I Wonder If I Take You Home” is a song recorded by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam with Full Force in 1984.
Record Producer Kenny Beck discovered the song in a “discard bin” at Personal Records[where?] while looking for songs to include on his debut album with the label. He was so impressed that he created a compilation break-dancing album, CBS/SuzyQ, just to include the song. He released the album in Europe on CBS Records, and it immediately gained popularity as a dance hit with club DJs there.
Soon American DJs began playing the song in the United States on Columbia Records. After the song received heavy play from these DJs, “I Wonder If I Take You Home” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart for one week in June 1985.[3]
On other US charts, it peaked at No. 6 on the R&B chart and reached No. 34 on the Hot 100.[4] In 1991, the single was certified gold in the US by the RIAA.[5] Overseas, it charted at No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart and number 41 in the Netherlands.
Critical reception
“I Wonder If I Take You Home” was voted the eighth best single of 1985 in The Village Voice‘s annual Pazz & Jop critics poll.[8] Robert Christgau, the poll’s creator, ranked it twelfth on his own list of the year’s best singles.[9]
John Leland of Spin called it a “lightweight but catchy teenage hip-pop click. The “should-I-or-shouldn’t-I” question has rarely been presented with such a keen appreciation of the merits of saying yes.”
Legacy
Its chorus has been interpolated in the Black Eyed Peas‘s 2005 hit song “Don’t Phunk with My Heart“, Fabolous‘s song with Lil’ Mo titled “Take You Home”, in the Angie Martinez single “Take You Home” featuring Kelis, and rapper Big Moe‘s song “I Wonder”.
The song was sampled by Kylie Minogue in her song “Secret (Take You Home)“, by Pitbull in his song “I Wonder”, featuring Oobie, by R&B singer Paula Campbell in her single “Take You Home”, which garnered much airplay on urban radio-stations around the Baltimore–DC area, and in the Junior M.A.F.I.A. featuring Aaliyah single, “I Need You Tonight”.
In 2010, singer Adrienne Bailon and rapper Ghostface Killah covered the song as “Take You Home”.[11][12] In 2012, rapper Meek Mill used the chorus and a remixed beat for his song “Take You Home”, featuring Wale and Big Sean, off his Dreamchasers 2 mixtape. In 2018, American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist Meshell Ndegeocello released a cover version of the song, featured on her album Ventriloquism.
