“Baby It’s You” (The Shirelles/The Beatles/Smith)

Today’s classic song of the day was a hit for three different artists: the Shirelles, the Beatles, and Smith. It was written by legendary songwriter Burt Bacharach, with lyrics by Mack David (brother of longtime Bacharach collaborator Hal David) and an assist by Luther Dixon.

Whether Dixon actually contributed anything to the song is a matter of debate. At the time, Mr. Dixon was producer and occasional songwriter for the Shirelles, so he had some songwriting cred. (Dixon is credited with co-writing “16 Candles” for the Crests, “I Don’t Want to Cry” for Chuck Jackson, “With This Ring” for the Platters, “Boys” and “Mama Said” for the Shirelles, “Love Land” for Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, and more.) Back then, however, it was common for a producer to claim songwriting credit in order to grab a share of the royalties, so it’s possible Dixon did this on “Baby It’s You” without actually writing any of the song. Given that Bacharach, at least at that point in time, tended to collaborate only with lyricists, it’s certainly possible that Dixon was only involved in name only.

In any case, Burt and Mack gave “Baby It’s You” to the Shirelles, who were the hottest girl group going at the time. Released in November of 1961, their version (with those distinctive “sha la las”) was a smash hit, peaking at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on Billboard’s R&B chart.

Across the pond, a little group called the Beatles picked up on “Baby It’s You” and included it in their live act early on. They also recorded it for their first UK album, 1963’s Please Please Me. (In the U.S., Vee-Jay Records included it on the Introducing… The Beatles album.) The lads didn’t release it as a single at the time, however, although they did release a live version three decades later. That version went to #7 on the UK charts and #67 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1995.

In 1969, a group called Smith recorded a totally revamped version of “Baby It’s You.” Produced by Del Shannon, this version is notable for its powerhouse vocals by lead singer Gayle McCormick. This is the version many of us remember because it really rocked hard. Smith’s single of “Baby It’s You,” released in June of 1969, deservedly peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100—the best chart performance of all three versions.

And here’s your daily bonus video of the day, Gayle McCormick and Smith performing “Baby It’s You” live on the October 19, 1969, episode of The Ed Sullivan Show. It is one hell of a performance; Ms. McCormick has some serious pipes. (BTW, Gayle McCormick had a later solo hit with in 1971 with “It’s a Cryin’ Shame,” a previous classic song of the day; it’s worth checking out.)