My Babe

"My Babe"
Single by Little Walter
B-side	"Thunder Bird"
Released	February 1955
Format	7-inch 45 rpm, 10-inch 78 rpm
Recorded	January 25, 1955
Genre	R&B, Chicago blues
Length	2:44
Label	Checker (no. 811)
Writer(s)	Willie Dixon
Producer(s)	Leonard Chess, Phil Chess
Little Walter singles chronology
"Last Night" (1954) "My Babe" (1955) "Roller Coaster" (1955)

"My Babe" is a blues song and a blues standard written by Willie Dixon for Little Walter.^[1] Released in 1955 on Checker Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records, the song was the only Dixon composition ever to become a number one R&B single and it was one of the biggest hits of either of their careers.^[1]

Background

The song was based on the traditional gospel song "This Train (Is Bound For Glory)", recorded by Sister Rosetta Tharpe as "This Train", a 1939 hit. Dixon reworked the arrangement and lyrics from the sacred (the procession of saints into Heaven) into the secular (a story about a woman that won't stand for her man to cheat): "My baby, she don't stand no cheating, my babe, she don't stand none of that midnight creeping."^[2]

Recording

Although no documentation exists, the song was probably recorded at Universal Recorders in Chicago, the site of the majority of Chess and Checker sessions until Chess opened their own studio in 1956 or 1957. Backing Little Walter's vocals and harmonica were Robert Lockwood, Jr. and Leonard Caston on guitars, Willie Dixon on double-bass, and Fred Below on drums.^[3] Guitarist Luther Tucker, then a member of Walter's band, was absent from the recording session that day. "My Babe" was re-issued in 1961 with an overdubbed female vocal backing chorus and briefly crossed over to the pop charts.^[1]

Releases and charts

Ray Charles had famously, and controversially, pioneered the gospel-song-to-secular-song approach with his reworking of the gospel hymn "It Must Be Jesus" into "I Got a Woman," which hit the Billboard R&B charts on January 22, 1955, later climbing to the number one position for one week. Within days of the appearance of Charles's song on the national charts, Little Walter entered the studio to record "My Babe" on January 25, 1955. "My Babe" was released while "I've Got A Woman" was still on the charts and eclipsed Charles's record by spending 19 weeks on the Billboard R&B charts beginning on March 12, 1955, including five weeks at the top position, making it one of the biggest R&B hits of 1955.^[4] The "B" side of "My Babe" was the harmonica instrumental "Thunderbird," following the pattern established by the release of Little Walter's number one hit single from 1952, "Juke," of featuring a vocal performance one side and a harmonica instrumental on the flip side.

Recognition and influence

In 2008, "My Babe" was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in the "Classic of Blues Recording – Singles or Album Tracks" category.^[5]

The success of song led to dozens of renditions by many diverse artists:^[6]

Gene Ammons The Animals Chuck Berry on Chuck Berry in 1975 Sonny Burgess and the Pacers on their self-titled album Donald Byrd on Up with Donald Byrd The Coasters on their 1962 album, Coast Along with the Coasters[7] The Everly Brothers on their 1965 Beat & Soul album Grant Green Coleman Hawkins Dale Hawkins as a single on Checker Records Ramsey Lewis Lonnie Smith released an instrumental version on his debut 1967 album Finger Lickin' Good[8] Little Walter, Bo Diddley, and Muddy Waters on Super Blues Long John Baldry on Long John's Blues, 1965 George Thorogood and the Destroyers

Mississippi Fred McDowell Ronnie Milsap on Just for a Thrill Ricky Nelson on his 1958 album Ricky Nelson Peter & Gordon on In Touch With... Elvis Presley released a live cover on the album From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis Lou Rawls on Portrait of the Blues with Buddy Guy (guitar) and Houston Person (sax) Cliff Richard on his 1959 live album Cliff and again on his 1967 studio album Don't Stop Me Now Steve Miller Band Ike & Tina Turner Conway Twitty Shocking Blue Jason Isbell North Mississippi Allstars Grateful Dead Troye Sivan[9]

References

1. Dirks, Scott; & Komara, Edward M. [ed.] (2006). Encyclopedia of the Blues. Routledge. p. 982. ISBN 0-415-92699-8
2. Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 4 - The Tribal Drum: The rise of rhythm and blues. [Part 2]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. Digital.library.unt.edu.
3. Obrecht, Jas. (2000). Rollin' and Tumblin': The Postwar Blues Guitarists. Backbeat Books p. 179. ISBN 0-87930-613-0
4. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 357.
5. "Classic of Blues Recording — Singles or Album Tracks". Blues Foundation Hall of Fame — 2008 Inductees. 2008. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
6. "My Babe – Search Results". AllMusic. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
7. Steve Leggett. "Coast Along with the Coasters - The Coasters | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
8. "Lonnie Smith - Finger Lickin' Good at Discogs". Discogs.com. 2016-01-23. Retrieved 2016-07-25.