"I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" is a 1967 song by

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

first released on ''

John Wesley Harding ''John Wesley Harding'' is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on December 27, 1967, by Columbia Records. Produced by Bob Johnston, the album marked Dylan's return to semi-acoustic instrumentation and folk ...

''. It features

Pete Drake Roddis Franklin "Pete" Drake (October 8, 1932 – July 29, 1988), was a Nashville-based American record producer and pedal steel guitar player. One of the most sought-after backup musicians of the 1960s, Drake played on such hits as Lynn Anderson' ...

pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a Console steel guitar, console-type of steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings to enable playing more varied and complex music than any previous steel guitar design. Like all s ...

, and two other Nashville musicians,

Charlie McCoy Charles Ray McCoy (born March 28, 1941) is a Grammy-winning American session musician, harmonica player, and multi-instrumentalist. In 2009, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Based in Nashville, McCoy's playing is heard on r ...

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

and

Kenneth Buttrey Aaron Kenneth Buttrey (April 1, 1945 – September 12, 2004) was an American drummer and arranger. According to CMT, he was "one of the most influential session musicians in Nashville history". Buttrey was born in Nashville, Tennessee, became a ...

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, both of whom had appeared on Dylan's previous album, ''

Blonde on Blonde ''Blonde on Blonde'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released as a double album on June 20, 1966, by Columbia Records. Recording sessions began in New York in October 1965 with numerous backing musicians, ...

''. Dylan first performed the song in concert at the

Isle of Wight Festival The Isle of Wight Festival is a British music festival which takes place annually in Newport on the Isle of Wight, England. It was originally a counterculture event held from 1968 to 1970. The 1970 event was by far the largest of these early ...

with the Band on August 31, 1969. Since then, he has included it in more than 400 live performances. "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" has been covered by many artists, including Robert Palmer with

UB40 UB40 are an English reggae and pop band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the ...

in 1990.

Robert Palmer and UB40 version

In 1990, Robert Palmer and

released a cover version of the song. It was released as a single in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe. It appears on Robert Palmer's albums '' Don't Explain'' and on the 1995

best of A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

''The Very Best of''. The song was successful, particularly in Australia, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland, reaching the top 10 in these countries, and it also secured a number-six placing in both the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was most successful in New Zealand, where it reached number one for a week in February 1991.

Track listings

* 7-inch single # "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" – 3:26 # "Deep End" – 4:33 * CD single # "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" – 3:26 # "Deep End" – 4:33 * CD maxi # "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" – 3:30 # "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" (extended version) – 7:25 # "Deep End" – 4:33 * 12-inch single # "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" (extended version) – 7:25 # "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" – 3:30 # "Deep End" – 4:33

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

External links

Lyrics at Official Bob Dylan site
{{Authority control 1967 songs 1990 singles Songs written by Bob Dylan Bob Dylan songs Burl Ives songs Judy Rodman songs Number-one singles in New Zealand Robert Palmer (singer) songs UB40 songs Song recordings produced by Bob Johnston EMI Records singles MTM Records singles