"Welcome Back" is a well known record that was the theme
song of the 1970s American television sitcom
Welcome Back, Kotter. Written and recorded by former
Lovin' Spoonful frontman John Sebastian, it reached number-one
on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week in the spring of
1976 after only five weeks on the chart (the show had become an
instant ratings success upon its premiere the previous Fall).
The song also topped the Hot Adult Contemporary Singles Chart
and #93 on Hot Country Songs.
TV producer Alan Sachs wanted a Lovin' Spoonful-like theme
song for a new ABC sitcom entitled
Kotter. Sach's agent, Dave Bendet, also represented
Sebastian and arranged for a meeting between the two. The
producers liked the song so much that they changed the name of
the sitcom to
Welcome Back, Kotter. Co-produced by Steve Barri and
Sebastian, the song eventually sold over one million
copies.
The song was sampled by rapper Ma$e for his song, also
titled "Welcome Back". Also by hip hop group Onyx in their song
"Slam harder".