"Baby Won't You Please Come Home" is a

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

song written by Charles Warfield and Clarence Williams in 1919. The song's authorship is disputed; Warfield claims that he was the sole composer of the song. The song has been covered by many musicians and has become a

jazz standard Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive List ...

. The first hit version was

Bessie Smith Bessie Smith (April 15, 1892 – September 26, 1937) was an African-American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Empress of the Blues" and formerly Queen of the Blues, she was t ...

's 1923 recording, which stayed on the charts for four weeks peaking at No. 6.

Renditions

(1923) * Clarence Williams' Blue Five (1927) * George Thomas with

McKinney's Cotton Pickers McKinney's Cotton Pickers were an American jazz band, founded in Detroit, Michigan, United States in 1926, and led by Bill McKinney (drummer), Bill McKinney, who expanded his Synco Septet to ten players. Cuba Austin took over for McKinney on drum ...

(1930) * Clarence Williams and His Orchestra (1930) * Clarence Williams and His Jazz Kings (1931) * The Mills Brothers (1932) *

Django Reinhardt Jean Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953), known by his Romani people, Romani nickname Django ( or ), was a Belgium, Belgian-born Romani jazz guitarist and composer in France. He was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe ...

(1937) *

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, and bandleader. He worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, an ...

(1938) *

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

(1939) *

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

Orchestra (1944) *

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

with Eddie Heywood, recorded August 9, 1945. * Benny Goodman and His Orchestra (1945) * Jo Stafford with the Nat King Cole Trio (1946) *

Sidney Bechet Sidney Joseph Bechet ( ; May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important Solo (music), soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Ar ...

& His Feetwarmers (1949) * Ray Charles (1952) * Jack Teagarden (1954) *

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

- included in his album '' Where Are You?'' (1957) *

Louis Prima Louis Leo Prima (; December 7, 1910 – August 24, 1978) was an American trumpeter, singer, entertainer, and bandleader. While rooted in New Orleans jazz, swing music, and jump blues, Prima touched on various genres throughout his career: he ...

with Keely Smith (1957) *

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...

(1959) * Ricky Nelson (1960) - '' More Songs by Ricky'' *

Della Reese Della Reese (born Delloreese Patricia Early; July 6, 1931 – November 19, 2017) was an American singer, actress, television personality, author and ordained minister. As a singer, she recorded blues, gospel, jazz and pop. Several of her singl ...

(1960) * Brook Benton recorded it for his 1960 album '' Songs I Love to Sing'' * Ella Fitzgerald on her 1961 Verve release '' Ella in Hollywood'' * Ann-Margret (1961) *

Sam Cooke Samuel Cooke (; January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distin ...

(1962) *

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (, March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "List of nicknames of jazz musicians, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

(1962) - '' Sarah + 2'', '' Sarah Sings Soulfully'' (1965) *

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (; born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, one of the most popular black female recording artists of the 1950s. Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performed and recorded in a ...

- ''Drinking Again'' (1962) * Al Hirt (1962) on his album, '' Horn A-Plenty'' *

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

- '' Seven Steps to Heaven'' (1963) *

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...

on his albums '' Dream with Dean'' (1964) and '' The Dean Martin TV Show'' (1966) * Carol Channing on her album ''Carol Channing Entertains'' (1965) * Gloria Lynne (1965) *

Julie London Julie London (born Julie Peck; September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. A torch song, torch singer noted for her contralto voice, London recorded over thirty album ...

- '' Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast'' (1967) * James Booker - ''Junco Partner'' (1976) * James Booker - ''Gonzo James Booker Live 1976'' (1967) * Coco Briaval (France 1999 album ''Minor Swing'') *

David Sanborn David William Sanborn (July 30, 1945 – May 12, 2024) was an American alto saxophonist. He worked in many musical genres; his solo recordings typically blended jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He began playing the saxophone at the age o ...

- ''Only Everything'' (2010) * Elisabeth Bougerol (2011) with The Hot Sardines Band * Kathy Hampson's Free Elastic Band * Leon Redbone

Film appearances

*1945 '' That's the Spirit'' - performed by Johnny Coy and Peggy Ryan. *1986 '' Act of Vengeance'' *2008 '' Igor'' - performed by

. *2018 '' Rendezvous in Chicago'' - performed by Eva Taylor

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baby Won't You Please Come Home Songs written by Clarence Williams (musician) 1919 songs 1910s jazz standards Blues songs Bessie Smith songs

Renditions

Film appearances

See also

References