Exclusive: John Legend and the Roots Go Acoustic

John Legend and the Roots have kindly given Rolling Stone this exclusive acoustic performance of Eugene McDaniel's soulful anti-war track "Compared to What," which appears in electric form on their new covers album, Wake Up!, which hits stores today. The track was recorded in the Roots' NYC rehearsal studio. "John Legend is modern R&B's classiest male singer, bringing old-fashioned suavity to hip-hop soul; the Roots are the world's most versatile (and maybe best) band," Jody Rosen writes in his Rolling Stone review of Wake Up! , which earns four stars. "Together, they have made a brilliantly conceived and executed album, reviving music from the Nixon-era heyday of politically engaged R&B."

Earlier: John Legend Talks Lending Songs for Education Reform

Video: The Roots and John Legend on their soul LP 'Wake Up!'

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Song Stories

“Tonight's the Night”

The Shirelles | 1960

The lead cut and title track from this girl group's debut album, "Tonight's the Night" was written by 19-year-old bandmember Shirley Owens, who sings lead, and producer Luther Dixon. The band from Passaic, New Jersey met in high school, first calling themselves the Pequellos. The song's frank thoughts about sexual and emotional surrender was racy for the time, but that didn't stop the Chiffons from cutting a similar version immediately after the original came out. "We were the first female group to write some of our own material," band member Beverly Lee recalls. "We did have some say-so in our writing."

More Song Stories entries »

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