"Baby It's You" is a song written by

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...

(music), Luther Dixon (credited as Barney Williams), and

Mack David Mack David (July 5, 1912 – December 30, 1993) was an American lyricist and songwriter, best known for his work in film and television, with a career spanning the period between the early 1940s and the early 1970s. David was credited with writing ...

(lyrics). It was recorded by

the Shirelles The Shirelles were an American girl group formed in Passaic, New Jersey, in 1957. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens (later Shirley Alston Reeves), Doris Coley (later Doris Kenner-Jackson), Addie "Micki" Harris (later Addie Harris McF ...

and

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

and was a hit for both. The highest-charting version of "Baby It's You" was by the band Smith, who took the track to No.5 on the US charts in 1969.

The Shirelles' original version

The song was produced by Luther Dixon. When released as a single in 1961 in the US, it became a Top 10 smash on the Pop and R&B Charts. It reached No.3 on the R&B chart, peaked at No.8 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, and was No. 18 in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. It later appeared on the album '' Baby It's You'', named to capitalize on the success of the single. The vocal arrangements on this version proved influential in subsequent ones, including that by the Beatles. One notable feature of the song is its minor-to-major key chord changes on the verses.

The Beatles version

The British rock band

performed "Baby It's You" as part of their stage act from 1961 until 1963, and recorded it on February 11, 1963, for their first album, '' Please Please Me'', along with " Boys", another song by the Shirelles. The American label

Vee-Jay Records Vee-Jay Records is an American record label founded in the 1950s, located in Chicago and specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. The label was founded in Gary, Indiana, in 1953 by Vivian Carter and James C. Bracken, a ...

included it on '' Introducing... The Beatles'' and ''Songs, Pictures and Stories of the Fabulous Beatles''. Capitol included it on '' The Early Beatles''. The Beatles' version differs from the Shirelles' in that it repeats the second verse instead of the first. A live version was released on '' Live at the BBC'' in 1994. Here, Lennon does not repeat part of the second verse after the solo (as he did on the studio recording), but repeats part of the first verse, which is the way the Shirelles sang the song. The song was issued as a CD single and a

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...

E.P. in 1995 in both the UK and the US, the Beatles' first in nearly a decade. Both versions have four tracks, as was the norm on CD singles at that point. The three additional tracks, while from BBC recordings, did not appear on ''Live at the BBC''. "I'll Follow the Sun" and "Boys" were later included on '' On Air – Live at the BBC Volume 2'', but this recording of "Devil in Her Heart" remains unique to this release. The single reached No.7 in the UK and No.67 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. 1995 release track listing #"Baby It's You" (Bacharach/David/Williams) – 2:45 #" I'll Follow the Sun" (Lennon–McCartney) – 1:51 #"

Devil in Her Heart "Devil in His Heart" is a song written by Richard B. Drapkin, who recorded under the name Ricky Dee. Recordings The song was originally recorded as "Devil in His Heart" in Detroit by the Donays for Correc-tone Records. It was later picked up b ...

" (Drapkin) – 2:23 #" Boys" (Dixon/Farrell) – 2:29

Music video

A live music video was released in 1994 to promote the single. It consisted of a combination of the Beatles dancing and still photographs, and was later included on a DVD or Blu-ray with the 2015 release '' 1+''.

Personnel

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

– vocals, rhythm guitar *

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

– bass guitar, backing vocals *

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...

– lead guitar, backing vocals *

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...

– drums *

George Martin Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the "fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the Beatle ...

–

celesta The celesta () or celeste (), also called a bell-piano, is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. It looks similar to an upright piano (four- or five-octave), albeit with smaller keys and a much smaller cabinet, or a large wooden music ...

, producer * Norman Smith – engineer

Charts

Smith version

Smith's version appeared on their debut album, '' A Group Called Smith''. The single was released on Dunhill Records (4206) in 1969. It was their first and most successful release. This version, arranged by

Del Shannon Charles Weedon Westover (December 30, 1934 – February 8, 1990), better known by his stage name Del Shannon, was an American musician, singer and songwriter, best known for his 1961 number-one ''Billboard'' hit " Runaway", which was covered la ...

who "discovered" the group, alters the traditional vocal arrangement as performed by the Shirelles and the Beatles in favor of a more belted, soulful vocal. The single hit No.5 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and was ranked No.28 in Billboard's year-end chart of 1969. The Smith version was used in

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to ...

's ''

Death Proof ''Death Proof'' is a 2007 American slasher film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Kurt Russell as a Stunt performer, stuntman who murders young women with modified cars he says are "death-proof". Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito ...

''. Smith's version is referenced in season 10, episode 6 of

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane (producer), David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting List of Friends episodes, ten seasons. With an ensemble cast ...

, "The One with Ross's Grant", wherein the band is not referred to by name but as a "popular

British Invasion The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when Rock music, rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of Culture of the United Kingdom, British culture became popular in the United States with sign ...

Band".

Charts

Sylvie Vartan version (in French)

In 1962, the song was adapted into French by Guy Bertret and Roger Desbois as ''Baby c'est vous'' and performed by French pop singer

Sylvie Vartan Sylvie Vartan (; born Sylvie Georges Vartanian on 15 August 1944) is a Bulgarians in France, Bulgarian-French singer and actress. She is known as one of the most productive and tough-sounding yé-yé artists. Her performances often featured ela ...

and was released as a single in July 1962 as the second single off of her debut album '' Sylvie''. Vartan's version received a "Tip" position in the French Belgian charts in 1962.

Charts

References

{{authority control 1961 songs 1961 singles 1969 singles 1995 singles Songs with lyrics by Mack David Songs with music by Burt Bacharach The Shirelles songs The Beatles songs Dave Berry (musician) songs Song recordings produced by George Martin Scepter Records singles Apple Records singles Songs written by Luther Dixon