John Legend And The Roots Preach Positivity In Their “Wake Up Everybody” Vid

Robbie Daw | August 19, 2010 9:40 am

Earlier this week we posted exclusive photos from the Brooklyn set of John Legend and the Roots’ “Wake Up Everybody” video, and now the actual clip is here. Step back in time with John, the Late Night house band and guests Melanie Fiona and Common in the Gil Green-directed vid after the jump.

“Wake Up Everybody,” a Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes cover, is the lead single off John Legend and the Roots’ collaborative Wake Up! album, which is due out September 21.

In May, Legend spoke to MTV about the LP:

“I’m very excited about it. It’s gonna be a very interesting, very cool album. And like I said, I’m a big fan of the Roots. I’m excited to be able to put out an album with the Roots. This is a group I’ve been following since I was a kid at UPenn. I would go to open mics and watch them host the open mics, wishing I could be onstage with them, and now I’m in the studio with them making this album, and it’s pretty exciting.”

The message of “Wake Up Everybody” certainly still applies to today’s world. Do you think John, Melanie and the Roots captured the Philly soul feel of the original 1975 version?