"Baby I'm Yours" is a song written by Van McCoy which was a hit in 1965 for

Barbara Lewis Barbara Ann Lewis (born February 9, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter whose smooth style influenced rhythm and blues. Career Lewis was born in Salem, Michigan, United States. She was writing and recording by her teens with record ...

, the original recording artist. The song was featured in the 1995 film '' The Bridges of Madison County'' and was included on the soundtrack album. It was also featured in the TV movies ''

The Midnight Hour ''The Midnight Hour'' is a 1985 American made-for-television comedy horror film directed by Jack Bender and starring Shari Belafonte-Harper, LeVar Burton, Peter DeLuise, and Dedee Pfeiffer. Its plot focuses on a small New England town that ...

'' (1985) and ''

An American Crime ''An American Crime'' is a 2007 American crime horror drama film directed by Tommy O'Haver and starring Elliot Page and Catherine Keener. The film is based on the true story of the torture and murder of Sylvia Likens by Indianapolis single moth ...

'' (2007), as well as being briefly featured in '' Baby Driver''.

Composition and original recording

Barbara Lewis first recorded "Baby I'm Yours" in a January 8, 1965 Atlantic Recording Studios (NYC) session directed by

Bert Berns Bertrand Russell Berns (November 8, 1929 – December 30, 1967), also known as Bert Russell and (occasionally) Russell Byrd, was an American songwriter and record producer of the 1960s. His songwriting credits include " Twist and Shout", " Piec ...

with the producer credit assigned to Lewis's manager Ollie McLaughlin. The session for the track featured Teacho Wiltshire conducting his orchestra, whose personnel included Clark Terry and Dud Bascomb (trumpets), Jimmy Cleveland and Tony Studd (trombones), Frank Haywood Henry (baritone sax), Charlie Brown (tenor sax), Paul Griffin (piano), Bill Suyker (guitar), Jimmy Lewis (bass), Gary Chester (drums), and Artie Butler (percussion/ handclaps); the harmony background vocals on the track were provided by the song's composer, Van McCoy, singing with Kendra Spotswood Barbara Lewis has stated that Van McCoy wrote "Baby I'm Yours" specifically for her. When she first heard the

demo Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to: Music and film *Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release * ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes * ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...

for "Baby I'm Yours" Lewis disliked the song—she has suggested that she actually was daunted by the high quality of the vocal, by McCoy himself, on the demo—and at the original session "I didn't really put 100% into my vocal performance" hoping that Atlantic would shelve the track as sub-par. "Ollie cLaughlintold me 'Barbara, we're gonna have to go back to Detroit and dub you in. We gotta do your vocals over. You're just not giving like you should on the song.' We did several takes n Detroitand he was wondering 'How am I going to get this girl to give? She's so hard-headed.' He said 'You know, Barbara, Karen can sing that song better than you.' That was his little daughter. And it pissed me off. I did one more take, and that was the take that they selected." It has also been reported that Lewis dubbed her vocal in a Chicago studio.

Commercial performance

Released in April 1965, Lewis' "Baby I'm Yours" enjoyed staggered regional success exemplified by the single reaching #1 in Detroit as early as June 1965 and peaking at #4 in Chicago that August: the national peak of the single was #11 achieved on the Hot 100 in '' Billboard'' dated August 21, 1965. "Baby I'm Yours" afforded Lewis a #5

R&B chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

hit.

Charts

The Paramounts/ Peter and Gordon versions

A version by

Peter and Gordon Peter and Gordon were a British pop duo, composed of Peter Asher (b. 1944) and Gordon Waller (1945–2009), who achieved international fame in 1964 with their first single, the million-selling single " A World Without Love". The duo had sever ...

was released in 1965 by Columbia: the track would be included on the duo's 1966 ''Lady Godiva'' album.

Development

The first UK recording of "Baby I'm Yours" was made by

the Paramounts The Paramounts were an English beat group based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. They had one hit single with their cover version of " Poison Ivy", which reached No. 35 on the UK Singles Chart in 1964, but are primarily known as the forerunner to Proc ...

at Abbey Road Studios in the summer of 1965, but the track went unreleased until their 1998 compilation release ''The Paramounts at Abbey Road 1963 to 1970''. A higher-profile act also on the Columbia Kroster,

, had the UK hit version of the song, released October 15, 1965, which reached #19 in the UK. The Peter and Gordon version was recorded in an Abbey Road session produced by

Norman Newell Norman Newell (25 January 1919 – 1 December 2004) was an English record producer, who was mainly active in the 1950s and 1960s. He was also the co-writer of many notable songs. As an A&R manager for EMI, he worked with musicians such as Shi ...

and featuring

Big Jim Sullivan James George Tomkins (14 February 1941 – 2 October 2012), known professionally as Big Jim Sullivan, was an English musician whose career started in 1958. He was best known as a session guitarist. In the 1960s and 1970s, he was one of t ...

on guitar.

Peter Asher Peter Asher, (born 22 June 1944) is an English guitarist, singer, manager and record producer. He came to prominence in the 1960s as a member of the pop music vocal duo Peter and Gordon before going on to a successful career as a manager and r ...

—who was partnered with

Gordon Waller Gordon Trueman Riviere Waller (4 June 1945 – 17 July 2009) was a Scottish guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known as Gordon of the 1960s pop music duo Peter and Gordon, whose biggest hit was the no. 1 million-selling single " A World W ...

as Peter and Gordon—would recall: "We did 'Baby I'm Yours' because I loved the original Barbara Lewis record."

Commercial performance

"Baby I'm Yours" is unique among Peter and Gordon singles as their sole collaboration with arranger

Tony Osborne Anthony Wayne Osborne (July 13, 1926 – August 27, 2010) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Tough" Tony Borne. Professional wrestling career Osborne was an amateur wrestler in both high school and in the Unit ...

, who took over from the duo's original regular collaborator Geoff Love (subsequent to "Baby I'm Yours" Peter and Gordon regularly collaborated with arranger/conductor Bob Leaper). Also in deference to the US success of the Barbara Lewis version, Capitol Records (Peter and Gordon's US label of release) did not issue the duo's "Baby I'm Yours" single; the Peter and Gordon US single release concurrent with their UK "Baby I'm Yours" single release was "Don't Pity Me", a composition by the duo which peaked at #83. "Baby I'm Yours" was the first Peter and Gordon UK single not be released concurrently in the US.

Charts

Jody Miller version

Jody Miller Myrna Joy "Jody" Miller (November 29, 1941 – October 6, 2022) was an American country music singer. "Home of the Brave" and "Queen of the House" are her well-known albums. She is a recipient of the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal ...

recorded "Baby I'm Yours" with producer

Billy Sherrill Billy Norris Sherrill (November 5, 1936 – August 4, 2015) was an American record producer, songwriter, and arranger best known for his association with country artists, notably Tammy Wynette and George Jones. Sherrill and business partner Gl ...

¹ in a June 16, 1971 session at the Columbia studio in Nashville for inclusion on the album ''He's So Fine'', entitled for Miller's current Top Ten C&W remake of the Chiffons' 1963 #1 hit.

Development

Miller's recording of "Baby I'm Yours" featured

the Jordanaires The Jordanaires were an American vocal quartet that formed as a gospel group in 1948. Over the years, they recorded both sacred and secular music for recording companies such as Capitol Records, RCA Victor, Columbia Records, Decca Records, Vocal ...

chorale. Impressed by the 1968 Tammy Wynette hit " Stand by Your Man", Miller had contacted that track's producer Billy Sherrill in the hopes of reviving her own flagging recording career. After ''Look at Mine''—Miller's first album in Sherrill's charge—generated two Top Twenty C&W hits in 1970, Sherrill opted for a new musical direction for Miller, who recalls: "He said I didn't phrase my words like a country singer, so we took some old, sexy pop songs and put in a little boppy steel guitar." Issued September 1, 1971 as the second single off ''He's So Fine'', "Baby I'm Yours" reached #5 C&W and #21 Adult Contemporary and afforded Miller her fifth and final Hot 100 showing with a Hot 100 peak of #91.

Charts

Cass Elliot version

Cass Elliot's remake of "Baby I'm Yours" was released in February 1972 at the same time as its parent album '' Cass Elliot''.

Development

Elliot's version was produced by Lewis Merenstein and arranged/conducted by Benny Golson. The album was Elliot's debut for RCA Victor who insisted on "Baby I'm Yours" release as the lead single over Elliott and Merenstein's choice: "That Song", a new song by Bill Dean, which would be given single release in April 1972. Neither "Baby I'm Yours" or "That Song" afforded Elliot an appearance on a ''Billboard'' chart. Elliot's "Baby I'm Yours" charted on the Canadian

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

hitlist, peaking at #18.

Track list

;CD single #"Baby I'm Yours" #"Cherries Jubilee"

Charts

Linda Lewis version

In May 1976, a disco remake of "Baby I'm Yours" was released by Linda Lewis, who in 1967 had chosen Lewis as her professional surname in honor of

, the original singer of "Baby I'm Yours".

Development

Recorded subsequent to Lewis' 1975 album '' Not a Little Girl Anymore'', and not included on her next album release '' Woman Overboard'' (1977), "Baby I'm Yours" was included as a bonus track on the 2001 CD release of ''Not a Little Girl Anymore''. The song reached #33 in United Kingdom charts.

Track list

;CD single #"Baby I'm Yours" #"The Other Side"

Charts

Debby Boone version

Debby Boone Deborah Anne Boone (born September 22, 1956) is an American singer, author, and actress. She is best known for her 1977 hit, " You Light Up My Life", which spent ten weeks at No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and led to her winning the ...

recorded "Baby I'm Yours" in the summer of 1977 with the track included on Boone's album '' You Light Up My Life''

Development

The song was issued as a single in March 1978 with "God Knows", a track from Boone's ''

Midstream The oil and gas industry is usually divided into three major components: upstream, midstream and downstream. The midstream sector involves the transportation (by pipeline, rail, barge, oil tanker or truck), storage, and wholesale marketing of crud ...

'' album, as its flip side. Peter Noone, the co-writer of "God Knows", has alleged " God Knows'was originally intended to be the A-side. But the record company chickened out and went with hecover of 'Baby I'm Yours' instead." Boone's "Baby I'm Yours" peaked at #22 C&W while on the Hot 100 the track peaked at #74 and on the

Easy Listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...

it reached #14, both in a tandem ranking with "God Knows".

Track list

;CD single #"Baby I'm Yours" #"God Knows"

Charts

Tanya Tucker version

Tanya Tucker recorded "Baby I'm Yours" for her sole Arista album release ''

Changes Changes may refer to: Books * ''Changes'', the 12th novel in Jim Butcher's ''The Dresden Files'' Series * ''Changes'', a novel by Danielle Steel * ''Changes'', a trilogy of novels on which the BBC TV series was based, written by Peter Dickinson ...

'', from which the song was issued as the third single in July 1983, peaking at C&W #22.

Track list

;CD single 1 #"Baby I'm Yours" #"I Don't Want You to Go" ;CD single 2 #"Baby I'm Yours" #"Baby I'm Yours" (Radio edit) #"Baby I'm Yours" (Remix) #"I Don't Want You to Go"

Charts

Cher version

Background

Cher remade "Baby I'm Yours" for the soundtrack of her 1990 film vehicle '' Mermaids''. Cher's version was arranged to replicate Barbara Lewis' hit, and was produced by

, who as a member of Peter and Gordon had had the UK hit of "Baby I'm Yours". The song was not featured in the film but was selected as the lead single from the soundtrack for release in the UK and Europe after the US single release "

The Shoop Shoop Song "It's in His Kiss" is a song written and composed by Rudy Clark. It was first released as a single in 1963 by Merry Clayton that did not chart. The song was made a hit a year later when recorded by Betty Everett, who hit No. 1 on the ''Cashbo ...

"—which as remade by Cher had played under the film's closing credits—fell short of the Billboard Top Thirty. "Baby I'm Yours" failed as a single; its only apparent charting was in the UK at #89 and its estimated global sales tally is 100,000 units. "The Shoop Shoop Song" was released in the spring of 1991 with "Baby I'm Yours" as the B-side, and spent five weeks at #1 in the UK and achieved Top Ten status in several European countries as well as Australia and New Zealand. (Coincidentally the precedent charting single to the Linda Lewis 1976 UK hit remake of "Baby I'm Yours" had been the first major UK hit version of "The Shoop Shoop Song", entitled "It's in His Kiss".)

Track listing

*European 7" and cassette single #"Baby I'm Yours" – 3:16 #" Hard Enough Getting Over You" – 3:46 *European 12" and CD single #"Baby I'm Yours" – 3:16 #"Hard Enough Getting Over You" – 3:46 #" Just Like Jesse James" – 4:06

Charts

Other versions

* B-side of

Arctic Monkeys Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. The group consists of Alex Turner (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Jamie Cook (guitar, keyboards), Nick O'Malley (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Matt Helders (drums, ...

' 2006 UK hit " Leave Before the Lights Come On" (#4); that version featured the 747s with shared vocals by Arctic Monkeys' lead singer Alex Turner and the 747s' lead singer Oisin Leech. *The song's composer Van McCoy produced a recording of the song by Chris Bartley, which was a non-charting 1968 single release. * Cilla Black (album '' Cilla Sings a Rainbow''/ 1966) *

Petula Clark Petula Sally Olwen Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932) is an English singer, actress, and composer. She has one of the longest serving careers of a British singer, spanning more than seven decades. Clark's professional career began during the ...

(album ''Now''/ ¹ 1972) *

Donny Gerrard Donald Bradford Gerrard (March 19, 1946 – February 3, 2022), known professionally as Donny Gerrard was a Canadian singer. He was a member of the band Skylark in the early 1970s, and in later years performed and recorded as a baritone backup si ...

(album ''The Romantic''/ 1999) *

Susan Jacks Susan Jacks ( Pesklevits; 19 August 1948 – 25 April 2022) was a Canadian singer-songwriter and record producer. Career Susan Pesklevits was born on 19 August 1948 to a family of eight children in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Her family moved t ...

(album ''Forever''/ 1982) * Jack Jones (album ''For The "In" Crowd''/ 1966) *

The Jones Girls The Jones Girls were an American R&B vocal trio of sisters from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Consisting of Brenda, Shirley and Valorie Jones, the Jones Girls first signed and recorded for GM Records in 1970. The trio were best known for th ...

(album ''On Target''/ 1983) * June Lodge (album ''Someone Loves You Honey''/ 1980) * KC and the Sunshine Band (album '' The Painter''/ 1981) *Diane Marino featuring

Houston Person Houston Person (born November 10, 1934) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. Although he has performed in the hard bop and swing genres, he is most experienced in and best known for his work in soul jazz. He received the ...

(album ''Just Groovin/ 2008) *

Maureen McGovern Maureen Therese McGovern (born July 27, 1949) is an American singer and Broadway actress, well known for her renditions of the songs " The Morning After" from the 1972 film '' The Poseidon Adventure''; " We May Never Love Like This Again" from '' ...

(album '' Baby I'm Yours''/ 1992) * Nilsson (in medley with " Just One Look", a duet with

Lynda Laurence Lynda Laurence (also spelled Lawrence, born Lynda Tucker; February 20, 1949) is an American singer. The youngest daughter of Louise and Ira Tucker, a gospel songwriter, producer, and singer, Laurence's siblings are Sundray Tucker and Ira Tuc ...

, on the album '' ...That's the Way It Is''/ 1976) *

Phoebe Snow Phoebe Snow (born Phoebe Ann Laub; July 17, 1950 – April 26, 2011) was an American roots music singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for her hit 1974 and 1975 songs " San Francisco Bay Blues", " Poetry Man", "Harpo's Blues", and her credited ...

and Avenue Blue (featuring

Jeff Golub Jeff Golub (April 15, 1955 – January 1, 2015) was an American jazz guitarist who had a solo career and who led the band Avenue Blue. He worked as a sideman for a number of rock and pop musicians. He was arguably best known for his work with Rod ...

) (album ''Naked City''/ 1996) *Dianne Steinberg (album ''Universal Child''/ 1977) *

Bobby Vee Robert Thomas Velline (April 30, 1943 – October 24, 2016), known professionally as Bobby Vee, was an American singer who was a teen idol in the early 1960s and also appeared in films. According to ''Billboard'' magazine, he had thirty-ei ...

(in medley with " Make It Easy on Yourself", on the album ''30 Big Hits of the '60's, Vol. 2''/ 1966) *

Bobby Vinton Stanley Robert "Bobby" Vinton (born April 16, 1935) is a American former singer and occasional actor, who also hosted his own self-titled TV show in the late 1970s. As a teen idol, he became known as "The Polish Prince", as his music paid trib ...

(album '' My Elusive Dreams''/ ² 1970) * Kim Weston (album ''It Should Have Been Me''/ 1998) *

Rita Wilson Rita Wilson (born Margarita Ibrahimoff; October 26, 1956) is an American actress, singer, and producer. Her film appearances include ''Volunteers'' (1985), '' Sleepless in Seattle'' (1993), '' Now and Then'' (1995), ''That Thing You Do!'' (1996) ...

(album '' Every Mother Counts 2012''/ 2012) *A French-language rendering of "Baby I'm Yours" entitled "Je T'appartiens" was a 1965 single release by Pierre Lalonde and was included on Lalonde's 1966 album release ''Louise''. (This is an exceptional use of the title "Je T'appartiens" which is generally understood to refer to the French-language original of " Let It Be Me".) * In the 1999 film '' The Other Sister'', "Baby I'm Yours" is performed at an engagement party by a cappella group Double Dare featuring Mary Lou Metzger. * In the episode of the NBC-TV series ''

American Dreams ''American Dreams'' is an American drama television series that ran on NBC for three seasons & 61 episodes, from September 29, 2002, to March 30, 2005. The show tells the story of the Pryor family of Philadelphia during the mid-1960s, with many ...

'' entitled "And Promises to Keep", Barbara Lewis—portrayed by Vanessa Soul—is seen rehearsing "Baby I'm Yours" for an '' American Bandstand'' performance. * In the 2009 film ''

Last Chance Harvey ''Last Chance Harvey'' is a 2008 American romantic drama film written and directed by Joel Hopkins. The screenplay focuses on two lonely people who tentatively forge a relationship during two days. Dustin Hoffman plays the title character, Harvey ...

'', "Baby I'm Yours" is apparently performed live at a wedding reception, although the track was in fact recorded by a session group credited as Loser's Lounge, none of whose members appear in the film; the track was produced and arranged by

Joe McGinty Joe McGinty is an American composer, keyboardist and arranger who was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey. McGinty is most widely known for his five years as the keyboardist for The Psychedelic Furs (after a brief stint with Robert Hazard in Philade ...

, heard on piano, while the vocalist is Connie Petruk. * In the 13th episode of the 3rd season of the CBC original series '' Schitt's Creek'', Moira ( Catherine O'Hara) sings this song with her choir to her daughter Alexis (

Annie Murphy Anne Frances Murphy (born December 19, 1986) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her starring role as Alexis Rose in the CBC sitcom ''Schitt's Creek'' (2015–2020). For her performance in the series, she garnered critical acclaim and ...

) on Alexis' graduation day.

References

External links

Official Cher site
* {{authority control 1965 singles 1971 singles 1976 singles 1978 singles 1983 singles 1990 singles Arctic Monkeys songs Debby Boone songs Cher songs Petula Clark songs Cass Elliot songs Barbara Lewis songs Jody Miller songs Peter and Gordon songs Tanya Tucker songs Bobby Vee songs Songs written by Van McCoy Atlantic Records singles Columbia Records singles Arista Records singles MCA Records singles 1965 songs Song recordings produced by Bert Berns Song recordings produced by Michael Lloyd Song recordings produced by Mike Curb Song recordings produced by Lewis Merenstein