"I Got You Babe" | ||||
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Single by Sonny & Cher | ||||
from the album Look at Us | ||||
B-side | "It's Gonna Rain" | |||
Released | July 9, 1965 | |||
Recorded | June 7, 1965 | |||
Studio | Gold Star, Hollywood | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:11 | |||
Label | Atco | |||
Songwriter(s) | Sonny Bono | |||
Producer(s) | Sonny Bono | |||
Sonny & Cher singles chronology | ||||
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"I Got You Babe" is a song performed by American pop and entertainment duo Sonny & Cher and written by Sonny Bono. It was the first single taken from their debut studio album, Look at Us (1965). In August 1965, the single spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States [3] where it sold more than one million copies and was certified Gold. It also reached number one in the United Kingdom and Canada.
In 1968, R&B "The Matriarch of Blues" Etta James released a cover version, which peaked at number 69 on the Billboard single's charts for that year.
In 1985, a cover version of "I Got You Babe" by British reggae-pop band UB40 featuring American singer Chrissie Hynde peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart and reached number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 1993, Cher re-recorded the song as a duet with American animated characters Beavis and Butt-Head; this peaked at number 35 in the UK and became a top 10 hit in the Netherlands.
Sonny Bono, a songwriter and record producer for Phil Spector, wrote the lyrics and composed the music of the song for himself and his then-wife, Cher, late at night in their basement. When Cher was woken up to sing the lyrics, she hated the song, not thinking it would be a hit, and immediately went back to bed. [4] [5] "I Got You Babe" became the duo's biggest single, their signature song, and a defining recording of the early hippie countercultural movement.[ citation needed ] Billboard said of the song "using the successful combination of folk and rock, this one has the performance and production of a smash." [6] Record World called it "a meandering, funky piece of rock that will hit the top." [7]
AllMusic critic William Ruhlmann praised the song:
Recalling Dylan's bitter 1964 song "It Ain't Me Babe" (soon to be a folk-rock hit for the Turtles), Bono wrote his own opposite sentiment: "I Got You Babe." Where Dylan was lyrically complex, Bono was simple: His lyrics began with the ominous youth-versus-grownups theme of "they" who set up barriers to romance, but soon gave way to a dialogue of teenage romantic platitudes. Where Dylan was musically simple, however, Bono, without fully rebuilding Spector's Wall of Sound, was more structurally ambitious, following the song's standard verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-verse-chorus form with an ascending coda that built to a climax, then started building again before the fadeout, all in only a little over three minutes. Set to waltz time, the tune retained a light feel despite the sometimes busy instrumentation, led by a prominent ocarina [in fact an oboe – see below], and the alternating vocals of the two singers. If neither were interesting singers, their plodding, matter-of-fact performances gave the song a common-man appeal. [8]
The recording session for the song was held on June 7, 1965, at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood and lasted between 2 and 5 PM. [9] Harold Battiste provided the instrumental arrangement, and session musicians The Wrecking Crew performed the instrumental track. [10] [11] Richard Niles quotes Battiste as saying the prominent instrumental figure in the song is actually played on an oboe rather than an ocarina. [12]
In the United States, the song had sold more than 1 million copies in 1965, being certified Gold by the RIAA. As of November 2011, Billboard reported the digital sales of "I Got You Babe" to be 372,000 in the US. [13]
In 2011, the song was named as one of the greatest duets of all time by both Billboard and Rolling Stone magazines. [14] [15] It was also listed at #444 on Rolling Stone 's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004. But in a 2011 poll Rolling Stone readers ranked "I Got You Babe" the eighth-worst song of the 1960s. [16] In early 2017 the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. [17]
Sonny and Cher last performed the song together during an impromptu reunion on NBC's Late Night with David Letterman on November 13, 1987. [18] [19] [20] Cher performed the song with R.E.M. on February 14, 2002, at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. [21] It was her first performance of the song without Sonny, following his death in a skiing accident in 1998. [22] [23] During Cher's 2014 Dressed to Kill Tour and 2017–2020 Las Vegas residency Classic Cher using left behind vocals and a projection of videos of Sonny, Cher performed the song live with the projection of Sonny. The song is performed the same way during Cher's 2018–2020 Here We Go Again Tour.
Cher sang a parody version of the song called I Got You Bae with James Corden on The Late Late Show with James Corden in 2016. The parody explained finding love in the modern 2016 era of online dating, swiping, social media, Netflix and chill, and internet pornography. [24] [25] [26]
"I Got You Babe" has been frequently featured in film and television, including Sonny and Cher's own The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour . The song made a bit of a comeback when it was used repeatedly as Phil Connors's wake-up music in the 1993 movie Groundhog Day . On re-release, the single re-charted in the UK, reaching number 66. Other films have used the song, including Good Times which stars Sonny & Cher, Buster, The Muppets episode Pig Out, Look Who's Talking Too, Just Visiting, Me Without You, Riding in Cars with Boys, Jack and Jill and The Munsters . The TV show Monsters at Work adapted the song as "I Scare You Babe" for the end credits of the episode "Setting the Table" with altered lyrics to fit the series' world and characters. It was also used in an episode of Family Ties, when Steven starts singing the song and Alex joins in.
The personnel, excluding Sonny & Cher, as seen in the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) contracts for the session include: [9]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
New Zealand (RMNZ) [52] digital | Gold | 15,000‡ |
United Kingdom 1965 release | — | 500,000 [53] |
United Kingdom (BPI) [54] sales since 2004 | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [55] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
Digital | ||
United States | — | 372,000 [56] |
Summaries | ||
Worldwide | — | 3,000,000 [53] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
"I Got You Babe" | ||||
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Single by UB40 and Chrissie Hynde | ||||
from the album Baggariddim | ||||
B-side | "Theme from Labour of Love" | |||
Released | 15 July 1985 [57] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:09 | |||
Label | DEP International | |||
Songwriter(s) | Sonny Bono | |||
Producer(s) | Pablo Falconer | |||
UB40 singles chronology | ||||
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Chrissie Hynde singles chronology | ||||
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Twenty years later, in July 1985, British band UB40 with American singer Chrissie Hynde released a cover version of "I Got You Babe" for the group's sixth studio album, Baggariddim (1985). This version charted at number one on the UK Singles Chart and reached number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song also appeared on the Pretenders' 1987 compilation album The Singles .
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
New Zealand (RMNZ) [82] | Gold | 10,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI) [83] | Gold | 500,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
"I Got You Babe" | ||||
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Single by Cher with Beavis and Butt-Head | ||||
from the album The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience | ||||
Released | December 1993 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:00 | |||
Label | Geffen | |||
Songwriter(s) | Sonny Bono | |||
Cher singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"I Got You Babe" on YouTube | ||||
Audio sample | ||||
"I Got You Babe" |
In 1993,Cher re-recorded "I Got You Babe" with the American animated characters Beavis and Butt-Head. The song was the first single from The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience ,a compilation comedy album released in 1993 by Geffen Records,which is one of the fastest-selling comedy albums;it has officially sold 1,610,000 units and was certified 2×Platinum by the RIAA in the United States. [84] [85] The single reached the top 40 in the UK,Belgium and Sweden,as well as the top 10 in the Netherlands.
A reviewer from AllMusic felt "I Got You Babe" is the "most interesting" track on The Beavis and Butt-head Experience album. [86] Larry Flick from Billboard stated that Cher "delivers one of her strongest vocals to date." [87] Troy J. Augusto from Cashbox viewed it as a "fun moment" from the album. [88] Rob Fiend from the Gavin Report called it "a lovely duet",adding that "one can hardly keep the tears from flowing." [89] In his weekly UK chart commentary,James Masterton wrote,that "MTVs doyens of bad taste,Beavis and Butt-Head charge onto vinyl in their own inimitable fashion on a remake of the 1960s classic." [90] Sarah Kestle from Melody Maker declared it as "precious". [91] Pan-European magazine Music &Media described it as "a smashing rendition". [92] Martin Aston from Music Week gave it four out of five,writing that it "is undoubtedly the worst version of her and Sonny's classic Sixties cut,but the funniest too. Potential media exposure for this irreverent novelty item seems unlimited." [93] A reviewer from Rolling Stone said that "Cher proves she's a good sport (or something) by letting B&B help her sing". [94] Mark Sutherland from Smash Hits declared it as a "hilarious" duet. [95] Rob Sheffield from Spin found that "Cher herself shows up to chat about Sonny" and "croon a truly mind-boggling" "I Got You Babe". [96]
A funny and psychedelic music video was produced for the song,which received heavy MTV airplay. It featured Cher and Beavis and Butt-Head in a virtual animated world. In the video,the animated pair refer to her former husband Bono as a dork and a wuss,to which a live-action Cher agrees. It was placed at number 5 on the "50 Greatest Funny Moments in Music" list made by VH1 channel in 2004. On April 29,2022,Cher's official YouTube channel uploaded the music video in remastered HD. [97]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Cher is an American singer,actress and television personality. Often called the "Goddess of Pop",she is renowned for her distinctive contralto voice,multifaceted career and continuous reinvention of her image and sound. Her adaptability has fueled multiple comebacks,solidifying her as a cultural icon over a career spanning more than six decades. Cher gained fame in 1965 as part the folk rock husband-wife duo Sonny &Cher while also achieving solo success with top-ten singles including "All I Really Want to Do" and "Bang Bang ". In the 1970s,she topped the US Billboard Hot 100 with "Gypsys,Tramps &Thieves","Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady",becoming the female solo artist with the most number-one singles in US history at the time.
Sonny &Cher were an American pop and entertainment duo in the 1960s and 1970s,made up of spouses Sonny Bono and Cher. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector.
Christine Ellen Hynde is an American-British musician. She is a founding member of the rock band The Pretenders and is the band's lead vocalist,guitarist,and primary songwriter;she and drummer Martin Chambers are the band's two remaining original members. Hynde is the only continuous member of the Pretenders,having appeared on every studio album released by the band.
The Singles is The Pretenders' 1987 compilation album and features all the band's UK single hits to that date,as well as including "I Got You Babe" which Chrissie Hynde had performed with UB40 in 1985. The album reached #69 in the US album chart and #6 in the UK.
The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience is a compilation album released in 1993 by Geffen Records and related to the animated television series Beavis and Butt-Head. The name is a reference to Jimi Hendrix's original band,the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It is one of the best selling comedy albums and has sold 1,610,000 units as of May 2014. It was certified double platinum by the RIAA in the United States.
All I Really Want to Do is the debut solo studio album by American singer-actress Cher and was released on August 16,1965,by Imperial Records. The album was produced for Cher by her then husband and singing partner,Sonny Bono,with contributions from arranger Harold Battiste. The album is by-and-large a collection of cover versions but does contain three songs written by Bono. In 1992,All I Really Want to Do and Cher's follow-up solo album,The Sonny Side of Chér,were reissued on one CD by EMI Records. Later,in 1995,EMI released a collection titled The Originals,which included All I Really Want to Do,The Sonny Side of Chér,and Cher's third solo album,Chér. The album was again reissued on one CD with The Sonny Side of Chér by BGO Records in 2005 in the UK only. The original twelve track All I Really Want to Do album has never been issued on Compact Disc on its own. Upon its release,the album was well received by critics and garnered positive reviews.
"All I Really Want to Do" is a song written by Bob Dylan and featured on his Tom Wilson-produced 1964 album,Another Side of Bob Dylan. It is arguably one of the most popular songs that Dylan wrote in the period immediately after he abandoned topical songwriting. Within a year of its release on Another Side of Bob Dylan,it had also become one of Dylan's most familiar songs to pop and rock audiences,due to hit cover versions by Cher and the Byrds.
"I'll Stand by You" is a song recorded by English-American rock band the Pretenders from their sixth studio album,Last of the Independents (1994). The song was written by Chrissie Hynde and the songwriting team of Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg,and produced by Ian Stanley. The song is a ballad in which the singer pledges love and faithful assistance to a loved one in times of personal darkness.
"Breakfast in Bed" is a soul–R&B song written by Muscle Shoals songwriters Eddie Hinton and Donnie Fritts for Dusty Springfield. It takes a knowing spin on the line "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me",the title of a song that had previously been a number one hit for her in the UK. After being released on her 1969 album Dusty in Memphis,it was recorded and popularized the same year by Baby Washington. Harry J produced three reggae versions in 1972,by Lorna Bennett,Scotty,and Bongo Herman.
"Love Can Build a Bridge" is a song written by Naomi Judd,Paul Overstreet,and John Barlow Jarvis,and recorded by American country music duo the Judds. It was released in 1990 as the second single and title track from their album of the same name. It was a top-five country hit in mid-1991. The song has inspired several cover versions,including one by Cher,Chrissie Hynde,Neneh Cherry,and Eric Clapton that topped the UK Singles Chart in 1995.
"Brass in Pocket",also known as "Brass in Pocket (I'm Special)",is a song by English–American rock band the Pretenders,released in 1979 as the third single from their self-titled debut album. It was written by Chrissie Hynde and James Honeyman-Scott,and produced by Chris Thomas. Originating as a guitar lick written by Honeyman-Scott,the song's lyrics were explained by Hynde to be about the cockiness that one needs to effectively perform. The song's title derives from a phrase she overheard after a show.
The Best of UB40 –Volume One is a compilation album by the British reggae band UB40. It was released in 1987 and includes a selection of the band's hits from 1980 to 1986.
Baggariddim is the sixth album by UB40,released in 1985. Most of the tracks are reworkings of previous UB40 recordings that originally appeared on Labour of Love and Geffery Morgan,here showcasing guest singers and "toasters" on vocals. Guest artists included Chrissie Hynde,the leader of The Pretenders,and Douglas Gilbert,lead trombonist with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO). In the UK,Germany,the Netherlands and Belgium,this album was released in a gatefold sleeve containing an additional 3-track 12" EP. The album features two hits,"I Got You Babe"—a duet with Hynde that reached number one in the UK,Ireland and Australia—and the UK number-three follow-up "Don't Break My Heart",which was the 'B-side' of "I Got You Babe" with vocals added. The album was not released in the US or Canada,where instead an EP entitled Little Baggariddim was released.
"Back on the Chain Gang" is a song written by American-British musician Chrissie Hynde,originally recorded by her band the Pretenders and released as a single by Sire Records in September 1982. The song was included on The King of Comedy soundtrack album in March 1983 and was later included on the Pretenders' third album,Learning to Crawl,in January 1984.
The discography of American pop rock duo Sonny &Cher consists of five studio albums,eight compilation albums,one soundtrack album,two live albums and twenty-three singles. Sonny and Cher had released three albums and one single which achieved Gold status in the United States:Look At Us,Sonny &Cher Live,All I Ever Need Is You and I Got You babe. In the decade they spent together,Sonny and Cher sold over 40 million records worldwide.
"Don't Get Me Wrong" is a song by British-American rock band the Pretenders. It was the first single released from the band's fourth studio album,Get Close (1986). It was also included on the band's compilation album,The Singles (1987). Frontwoman Chrissie Hynde said she was inspired to write the song for her friend John McEnroe.
"Baby Don't Go" is a song written by Sonny Bono and recorded by Sonny &Cher. It was first released on Reprise Records in 1964 and was a minor regional hit. Subsequently,following the duo's big success with "I Got You Babe" in the summer of 1965,"Baby Don't Go" was re-released by Reprise later that year and became another huge hit for Sonny &Cher,reaching the top ten in the U.S. and doing well in the UK and elsewhere,going as far as reaching number one in Canada.
American entertainer Cher has released 80 official singles,28 promotional singles and appeared in 36 other songs. On the Billboard Hot 100,she has achieved:4 number 1 singles,12 Top 10 singles,22 Top 40 singles and a total of 34 charted singles as a solo artist. Combined with the entries she had as part of Sonny &Cher:5 number 1 singles,17 Top 10 singles,32 Top 40 hits and a total of 52 singles which charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
Love Songs is a compilation album by British reggae band UB40. It was released in 2009 and includes all the love songs from by the band. The album includes 17 solo tracks as well as the 2 tracks that the band performed with Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders and the Robert Palmer track "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight."
UB40 is the eighth album by British reggae band UB40,released on the DEP International label in 11 July 1988. This album contained the hit single "Breakfast in Bed" with Chrissie Hynde,which reached No. 6 in the UK charts.
It's a hammy little earworm, a simplistic example of pop-music showmanship at work.
'I got You Babe' was a major success for this duo on both sides of the Atlantic, selling half a million in Britain (on the Atlantic label), and over a million in the U.S.A., totalling three milion globally.
...UB40 teamed up with Chrissie Hynde for a reggae cover of Sonny and Cher's 1965 smash "I Got You Babe"...