"Saved" is a

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

and R&B-flavored song written by Leiber and Stoller and first recorded by

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and ...

r LaVern Baker in 1960. The tongue-in-cheek song is written from the perspective of someone who had lived a fast, loose life but is then " saved" and is now standing on a corner preaching to the passers-by. On May 1, 1960, the recording reached No. 39 on the US Billboard charts.

Personnel

The musicians on the Baker recording include Gary Chester drums,

Dick Vance Dick Vance (November 28, 1915 - July 31, 1985) was an American jazz trumpeter and arranger. Biography Richard Thomas Vance was born in Mayfield, Kentucky, and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, where he learned violin before concentrating on trumpet. He ...

and

Taft Jordan Taft Jordan (February 15, 1915 – December 1, 1981) was an American jazz trumpeter. Life and career He was born in Florence, South Carolina, United States. Jordan played early in his career with the Washboard Rhythm Kings, before becoming a m ...

trumpets,

Rudy Powell Rudy Powell (later Musheed Karweem) (October 28, 1907 – October 30, 1976) was an American jazz reed player. Born in New York City, United States, Powell learned piano and violin while young and then clarinet and saxophone. In the late 1920s, he ...

alto sax,

Al Sears Albert Omega Sears (February 21, 1910 – March 23, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and bandleader, sometimes credited as Big Al Sears. Sears was born in Macomb, Illinois, United States. His first major gig came in 1928 when he r ...

tenor sax,

Bert Keyes Ebert Adolphus Mahon (September 11, 1930 – July 21, 1987), known professionally as Bert Keyes, was an American pianist, songwriter, singer, and arranger. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York, Keyes first came to prominence as accompanist t ...

piano, Lilton Mitchell organ,

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...

guitar,

Abie Baker Abie "Available" Baker Leslie Robert Baker; 28 September 1913, in South Bend, Indiana – 14 February 1993, in Harlem) was an American session musician, arranger, and bandleader who played double bass on jazz, R&B, and pop recordings in New York ...

bass, and

Sticks Evans Samuel "Sticks" Evans (5 February 1923 – 11 April 1994) was an American drummer, percussionist, music teacher, arranger and musical director. He was credited variously as Sammy "Stick" Evans, Samie Evans, Sammy Evans, Sammie Evans, Stick E ...

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 much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. Th ...

. The arrangement was by

Howard Biggs Howard Maceo Biggs (October 13, 1916 – November 24, 1999)
Accessed 20 August 2015 was an American pianist, songwriter a ...

Cover versions

* Billy Fury & the Gamblers, 1965 *

Judy Henske Judith Anne "Judy" Henske (December 20, 1936 – April 27, 2022) was an American singer and songwriter, dubbed "the Queen of the Beatniks" by producer Jack Nitzsche. Initially performing in folk clubs in the early 1960s, her performances and ...

, 1966 *

Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...

, 1967 * The Chicago Loop, 1967 *

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

(as part of a medley with "Where Could I Go but to the Lord" and "Up Above My Head"), 1968 *

Lulu Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, ...

, 1970 * The Band, 1973 *

Brenda Lee Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Performing rockabilly, pop and country music, she had 47 US chart hits during the 1960s and is ranked fourth in that decade, surpassed onl ...

, 1976 *

Elkie Brooks Elkie Brooks (born Elaine Bookbinder; 25 February 1946) is an English rock, blues and jazz singer. She was a vocalist with the bands Dada and Vinegar Joe, and later became a solo artist. She gained her biggest success in the late 1970s and 198 ...

, 1977 *

Andrew Strong Andrew Strong (born 14 November 1973) is an Irish singer and the son of Irish musician and singing coach Robert (Rob) Strong. He grew up in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, (where his father lived while performing with showbands), and Naa ...

, 1992 * '' Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller'', 1995,

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

winner in 1996 * Shirley Johnson, 2002

References

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