Home (The Wiz song)

"Home" is a song from the 1975 Broadway musical, The Wiz. It was written by Charlie Smalls and was performed by Stephanie Mills in the stage production and by Diana Ross in the 1978 film adaptation and released on the soundtrack album in 1978.

1989 recording

Stephanie Mills re-recorded the song for her 1989 album of the same name with background vocals by Take 6. The single release scored her another number one on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart. The single was the last of five number ones for Mills on the R&B Singles chart.

Track listing

• US 7" Vinyl single
• A1: "Home" – 4:34
• B1: "Love Hasn't Been Easy on Me" – 4:44

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Personnel

• Arranged by Donald Lawrence, Donald Robinson, Nick Martinelli, and Stephanie Mills
• Background arrangement – Mervyn Warren
• Strings and horns arrangement – The Brothers Kerber
• Backing vocals – Take 6
• Bass – Douglas Grigsby
• Drums, percussion, emulator, synthesizer – Jim Salamone
• Electric piano, synthesizer – Curtis Dowd
• Assistant engineer – John Sullivan, Sal Viarelli
• Guitar – Randy Bowland
• Keyboards – Donald Robinson
• Producer – Nick Martinelli
• Recorded by Bruce Weeden
• Written by Charlie Smalls

Cover versions

• In 1978, Andrea McArdle sang the song for Christmas at Walt Disney World.
• Whitney Houston made her world debut on The Merv Griffin Show on April 29, 1983, performing the song. She covered it several times in concert during her US Tour 1985, ' 1994 HBO TV special, and her My Love Is Your Love Tour in 1999. Her 1983 performance on The Merv Griffin Show was included in the CD/DVD release ' and as a bonus on the DVD, ' and the 25th anniversary deluxe edition of her debut album.
• In 1984, Mireille Mathieu recorded a French cover, "Chez Moi" because she planned to adapt the musical into French and perform it in Paris; the project was abandoned but this song appears on the double CD "Cinema" (Sony 2019).
• In 2007, Melinda Doolittle performed the song on season 6 of American Idol and released a studio version.
• In 2012, a version by Barbra Streisand recorded in 1985 for The Broadway Album but not initially released was finally included on Release Me.
• In 2023, a version by Brandi Carlile played over the credits in season 3, episode 11 of Ted Lasso.