Baby Won't You Please Come Home

"Baby Won't You Please Come Home"
Song
Published	1919
Genre	Blues
Songwriter(s)	Charles Warfield, Clarence Williams

"Baby Won't You Please Come Home" is a blues 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. ^[1]

The song has been covered by many musicians and has become a jazz standard. The first hit version was Bessie Smith's 1923 recording, which stayed on the charts for four weeks peaking at No. 6. ^[2]

Renditions

• Bessie Smith (1923)
• Clarence Williams' Blue Five (1927)
• George Thomas with McKinney's Cotton Pickers (1930)
• Clarence Williams and His Orchestra (1930)
• Clarence Williams and His Jazz Kings (1931)
• The Mills Brothers (1932)
• Django Reinhardt (1937)
• Lionel Hampton (1938)
• Louis Armstrong (1939)
• Count Basie Orchestra (1944)
• Bing Crosby with Eddie Heywood, recorded August 9, 1945. ^[3]
• Benny Goodman and His Orchestra (1945)
• Jo Stafford with the Nat King Cole Trio (1946)
• Sidney Bechet & His Feetwarmers (1949)
• Ray Charles (1952)
• Jack Teagarden (1954)
• Frank Sinatra - included in his album Where Are You? (1957)
• Louis Prima with Keely Smith (1957)
• Billie Holiday (1959)
• Ricky Nelson (1960) - More Songs by Ricky ^[4]
• Della Reese (1960)
• Brook Benton recorded it for his 1960 album Songs I Love to Sing ^[5]
• Ella Fitzgerald on her 1961 Verve release Ella in Hollywood
• Ann-Margret (1961)
• Sam Cooke (1962)
• Sarah Vaughan (1962) - Sarah + 2 , ^[6] Sarah Sings Soulfully (1965) ^[7]
• Dinah Washington - Drinking Again (1962) ^[8]
• Al Hirt (1962) on his album, Horn A-Plenty ^[9]
• Miles Davis - Seven Steps to Heaven (1963)
• Dean Martin 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 - Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast (1967)
• James Booker - Junco Partner (1976)
• James Booker - Gonzo James Booker Live 1976 (1967) ^[10]
• Coco Briaval (France 1999 album Minor Swing)
• David Sanborn - 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 Louis Prima.
• 2018 Rendezvous in Chicago - performed by Eva Taylor

See also

• List of pre-1920 jazz standards

References

1. David A. Jasen, Gene Jones: Spreadin' Rhythm Around: Black Popular Songwriters, 1880–1930. Routledge, 2005. ISBN   0-415-97704-5
2. "Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Baby Won't You Please Come Home)". Jazzstandards.com. Retrieved 2016-07-26.
3. "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
4. "More Songs by Ricky : Rick Nelson". AllMusic . Retrieved October 26, 2023.
5. "Songs I Love to Sing : Brook Benton". AllMusic . Retrieved August 21, 2024.
6. "Sarah + 2 : Sarah Vaughan". AllMusic. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
7. "Sarah Sings Soulfully : Sarah Vaughan". AllMusic. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
8. "Dinah Washington - Drinking Again". AllMusic.
9. Scott Yanow. "Horn A-Plenty - Al Hirt | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 2016-07-26.
10. "Gonzo James Booker Live 1976 - James Booker | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-12-03.