"Baby, I Love You" is a song originally recorded by the Ronettes in 1963 and released on their debut album Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes (1964). The song was written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector, and produced by Spector.
| "Baby, I Love You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by the Ronettes | ||||
| from the album Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes | ||||
| B-side | "Miss Joan And Mr. Sam" | |||
| Released | November 1963 | |||
| Studio | Gold Star, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:50 | |||
| Label | Philles | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Phil Spector | |||
| The Ronettes singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Baby I Love You" on YouTube | ||||
Released in November 1963, the single reached number 24 on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cashbox Top 100 charts, and peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart.[1] Billboard ranked the song as number 56 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.[2]
Original recording
editAfter their lack of success under contract to Colpix Records between 1961 and 1963, the Ronettes ended their Colpix contract and signed with Phil Spector's Philles Records in early 1963. During their first few months with Phil Spector, the Ronettes achieved mainstream success with the release of "Be My Baby" in August 1963, which climbed to number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number one on the Cashbox Hot 100. It was the success of "Be My Baby" which had Spector eager to do a follow-up for the Ronettes in the fall of 1963.
However, a problem arose when the Ronettes were booked to appear on Dick Clark's "Caravan of Stars" tour across the country.[3] Phil Spector decided to keep lead singer Ronnie Bennett in California to record "Baby, I Love You" while the other two Ronettes, Estelle Bennett and Nedra Talley, went out on the tour with Dick Clark. Ronnie's cousin, Elaine, took her place on the tour while Ronnie recorded the song at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles.[3] Since the other Ronettes were unavailable for recording, Spector used Sonny Bono, Darlene Love, and Cher to complete the backing vocals.[4] The song also featured Leon Russell on piano. "Baby, I Love You" peaked at number 11 in the UK during January 1964, at a time when the Ronettes were touring the UK as the support act to the Rolling Stones.
Billboard described the song as a "swinging, glandular side that should soar," stating it has the "big Philadelphia sound."[5] Cash Box described it as a "big-sounding mashed potatoes stomp’er that the gals and their instrumental support deliver in ultra-commercial manner," also calling it a "sensational new entry."[6] The song was featured on the album Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes, which was released at the end of 1964.
Personnel
edit- Lead vocals by Ronnie Bennett
- Background vocals by Cher, Sonny Bono, and the Blossoms (Darlene Love, Fanita James, and Gracia Nitzsche)
- Instrumentation by the Wrecking Crew
Chart history
edit| Chart (1964) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[7] | 24 |
| US Cashbox Top 50 in R&B Loacations[8] | 6 |
| U.S. Cashbox Hot 100[9] | 24 |
| UK Singles Chart (Official Charts Company)[10] | 11 |
Andy Kim version
edit| "Baby, I Love You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Andy Kim | ||||
| from the album Baby I Love You | ||||
| B-side | "Gee Girl" | |||
| Released | May 1969 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 2:56 | |||
| Label | Steed | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Jeff Barry | |||
| Andy Kim singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Andy Kim recorded the song for Jeff Barry's record label Steed Records on his album Baby I Love You (1969). Kim's version became a US Top Ten hit, reaching number nine in 1969 and earned a gold record.[11]
Chart history
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1969) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia KMR | 15 |
| Canada RPM Top Singles[12] | 1 |
| Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[13] | 24 |
| New Zealand (Listener)[14] | 16 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[15] | 9 |
| US Billboard Adult Contemporary[16] | 31 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[17] | 6 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1969) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Canada RPM Top Singles[18] | 11 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[19] | 28 |
| US Cash Box[20] | 44 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[21] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Ramones version
edit| "Baby, I Love You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 UK 7" single | ||||
| Single by Ramones | ||||
| from the album End of the Century | ||||
| B-side | "High Risk Insurance" | |||
| Released | January 1980 | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Length | 3:47 | |||
| Label | Sire | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Phil Spector | |||
| Ramones singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Phil Spector produced the Ramones' cover version of the song which appeared on their album, End of the Century (1980). The single reached number eight in the UK Singles Chart in 1980, their biggest UK top-ten hit.[22]
Background and reception
editIn an incident at Spector's house, the producer held the Ramones hostage at gunpoint and made them listen to him play "Baby, I Love You" until 4:30 in the morning. Spector insisted that the Ramones recorded a cover of the song and got Joey Ramone to sing it with some session musicians, as none of the other members of the Ramones would play on it. Joey has said that "it didn't sound anything like the Ramones" and he hated the song.[23] Mickey Leigh (Joey's brother) has said "it made me almost embarrassed", "with its gooey string section arrangement that sounded right out of Redbone's "Come and Get Your Love"".[24]
Kurt Loder for the Rolling Stone described it as a "sludged-out rehash of the Ronettes antiquity" that was "a bad idea to begin with, and one that’s further burdened by the cheesiest string arrangement this side of the Longines Symphonette".[25] Reviewing End of the Century retrospectively for Pitchfork, Evan Minsker wrote that "even with a full understanding of End of the Century’s context, “Baby, I Love You” is jarring" and "is a museum piece—a pound-for-pound attempt to relive Spector’s golden years".[26]
Charts
edit| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[27] | 25 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[28] | 5 |
| Italy (Musica e dischi)[29] | 15 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[22] | 8 |
Dave Edmunds version
editThe version by Welsh guitarist Dave Edmunds reached number 8 in the UK singles chart in March 1973.[30]
References
edit- ^ Spector, Ronnie (2004). Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness, or My Life As a Fabulous Ronette. New York City: New American Library. p. 330. ISBN 0-451-41153-6.
- ^ "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks". Billboard. July 10, 2017. Archived from the original on January 26, 2018. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
- ^ a b Spector, Ronnie (2004). Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness, or My Life As a Fabulous Ronette. New York: New American Library. p. 72. ISBN 0-451-41153-6.
- ^ Spector, Ronnie (2004). Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness, or My Life As a Fabulous Ronette. New York: New American Library. ISBN 0-451-41153-6.
- ^ "Singles Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. December 14, 1963. p. 22. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. December 7, 1963. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
- ^ "Hot 100 - Billboard", Billboard, retrieved February 4, 2018
- ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart - Billboard", Billboard, retrieved February 10, 2018
- ^ "Cashbox Magazine Hot 100 - week ending February 1, 1964". Cashbox. Archived from the original on August 28, 2011.
- ^ UK Official Singles Chart, UK Official Charts Company, January 15, 1964, retrieved August 22, 2018
- ^ "Andy Kim - Baby, I Love You - RIAA Gold Certification". RIAA. October 14, 1969. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ^ "RPM Weekly Top Singles". Library and Archives Canada. RPM Weekly (archived). August 9, 1969. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
- ^ "RPM Weekly Adult Contemporary August 16, 1969 (Volume 11, No. 26)". Library and Archives Canada. RPM Weekly (archived). 17 July 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
- ^ [ Flavour of New Zealand, 29 August 1969]
- ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, August 16, 1969". Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Archived from the original on 2012-10-20.
- ^ "Billboard Year-End Hot 100 chart". Musicoutfitters.com. Billboard. 1969. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
- ^ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 27, 1969". Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
- ^ "American single certifications – Andy Kim – Baby, I Love You". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ a b "Ramones: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
- ^ Webb, Robert (2013-07-15). 100 Greatest Cover Versions: The Ultimate Playlist. McNidder and Grace Limited. pp. 214–215. ISBN 978-0-85716-057-7.
- ^ Leigh, Mickey (2011-01-11). I Slept with Joey Ramone: A Family Memoir. Simon and Schuster. p. 201. ISBN 978-1-4516-3986-5.
- ^ Loder, Kurt (1980-03-20). "End of the Century". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
- ^ Minsker, Evan (October 23, 2016). "Ramones: End of the Century". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
- ^ "Ramones – Baby, I Love You" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Baby I Love You". Irish Singles Chart.
- ^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Ramones".
- ^ https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/dave-edmunds-baby-i-love-you/