"Saved" is a

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

and R&B–flavored song written by

Leiber and Stoller Leiber and Stoller were an American songwriting and record production duo, consisting of lyricist Jerome Leiber (; April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933). As well as many R&B and pop hits, they wr ...

and first recorded by American singer

LaVern Baker Delores LaVern Baker (born Delores Evans; November 11, 1929 – March 10, 1997) was an American rhythm and blues singer who had several hit records on the pop charts in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were " Tweedle Dee" ...

who released it in March 1961 through

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

in the US, and

London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...

in the UK. The "tongue-in-cheek" song is written from the perspective of someone who has lived a fast, loose life but is now exclaiming that they are " saved". The song is a

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of exposin ...

of African-American religious conversion ecstasy. On April 10, 1961, the recording first hit the US ''Billboard'' charts. It rose to number 17 on the R&B chart, and reached number 37 on the pop chart.

Personnel

The musicians on the Baker recording include Gary Chester (drums), Dick Vance and Taft Jordan (trumpets), Rudy Powell (alto sax), Al Sears (tenor sax), Bert Keyes (piano), Lilton Mitchell (organ),

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (December 26, 1939 – January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter who is best known for pioneering recording practices in the 1960s, followed by his trials and conviction for murder in the 2000s. S ...

(guitar), Abie Baker (bass), and Sticks Evans (

bass drum The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter usually greater than its depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. The head ...

). The arrangement was by Howard Biggs.LaVern Baker, ‘’Soul in Fire: The Best of LaVerne Baker’’, CD, Atlantic Recording Corporation, 1991, liner notes

References

{{LaVern Baker 1960 singles Gospel songs Elvis Presley songs Songs written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller 1960 songs LaVern Baker songs