I'll Be Your Baby Tonight

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"I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"
Song by Bob Dylan
from the album John Wesley Harding
ReleasedDecember 27, 1967 (1967-12-27)
RecordedNovember 29, 1967
GenreCountry[1]
Length2:34
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Bob Dylan
Producer(s)Bob Johnston

"I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" is a 1967 song by Bob Dylan[1] first released on John Wesley Harding. It features Pete Drake on pedal steel guitar, and two other Nashville musicians, Charlie McCoy on bass guitar and Kenneth Buttrey on drums, both of whom had appeared on Dylan's previous album, Blonde on Blonde.[2]

Dylan first performed the song in concert at the Isle of Wight Festival with the Band on August 31, 1969. Since then, he has included it in more than 400 live performances.[2] "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" has been covered by many artists, including Robert Palmer with UB40 in 1990.

Robert Palmer and UB40 version

"I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"
Single by Robert Palmer and UB40
from the album Don't Explain
B-side"Deep End"
ReleasedOctober 22, 1990 (1990-10-22)[3]
GenreReggae
Length3:26
LabelEMI
Songwriter(s)Bob Dylan
Producer(s)Robert Palmer
UB40 singles chronology
"Wear You to the Ball"
(1990)
"I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"
(1990)
"Impossible Love"
(1991)
Robert Palmer singles chronology
"Life in Detail"
(1990)
"I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"
(1990)
"You're Amazing"
(1990)

In 1990, English singer and songwriter Robert Palmer and English reggae band UB40 released a cover version of the song. It was released as a single by EMI in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe. It appears on Robert Palmer's albums Don't Explain and on the 1995 best of The Very Best of. The song reached the top 10 in Australia, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland, and it also secured a number-six placing in both the United Kingdom and Ireland. In New Zealand, it reached number one for a week in February 1991.

Critical reception

David Giles of Music Week described the Robert Palmer and UB40 cover version as having "a dainty reggae beat", but deemed this "uninspiring pop... never really goes anywhere" and that success would depend on the music video.[4]

Track listings

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

Charts

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 10 - Tennessee Firebird: American country music before and after Elvis. [Part 2]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.
  2. ^ a b Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (October 27, 2015). Bob Dylan: All the Songs – the Story Behind Every Track (First ed.). New York, New York: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers. p. 299. ISBN 9781579129859.
  3. ^ "New Singles". Music Week. October 20, 1990. p. 37.
  4. ^ Giles, David (27 October 1990). "Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 25. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  5. ^ "Robert Palmer and UB40 – I'll Be Your Baby Tonight". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  6. ^ "Robert Palmer and UB40 – I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  7. ^ "Robert Palmer and UB40 – I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  8. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1455." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  9. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 47. November 24, 1990. p. V. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  10. ^ "Robert Palmer and UB40 – I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  11. ^ "Robert Palmer and UB40 – I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  12. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I'll Be Your Baby Tonight". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  13. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 50, 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  14. ^ "Robert Palmer and UB40 – I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  15. ^ "Robert Palmer and UB40 – I'll Be Your Baby Tonight". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  16. ^ "Robert Palmer and UB40 – I'll Be Your Baby Tonight". Singles Top 100. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  17. ^ "Robert Palmer and UB40 – I'll Be Your Baby Tonight". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  18. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  19. ^ "Robert Palmer Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  20. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1990" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  21. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  22. ^ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1991" (in German). Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  23. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 1991" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 51–52. December 21, 1991. p. 21. Retrieved January 17, 2020 – via World Radio History.
  24. ^ "EHR Year-End Top 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 51–52. December 21, 1991. p. 20. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  25. ^ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1991" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  26. ^ "End of Year Charts 1991". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  27. ^ "Swiss Year-End Charts 1991" (in German). Retrieved March 18, 2019.

External links