I'll Come Running Back to You

Album: Two Sides Of Sam Cooke (1956)
Charted: 18
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Cooke was fired by Specialty Records' owner Art Rupe when producer Bumps Blackwell presented Rupe with the tape of Cooke singing a secular song, "You Send Me." Blackwell was fired as well, and Rupe told him that he could keep the tape. Shortly thereafter, Blackwell and Cooke signed with Keen Records, which promptly released the single.
  • As "You Send Me" was rocketing towards the #1 spot on the Hot 100 (eventually selling almost 2 million copies), Rupe had a change of heart and scoured the vault for any similar recordings by Cooke. The closest he could get was this -- which hit #1 on the R&B and disk jockey charts after it was released. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Brad Wind - Miami, FL, for above 2

Comments: 2

  • C.g. Dee from Big D, Texas, UsaI found out about Sam's career in Gospel in the 1990s, meaning I found a CD with his name all over it. Yes, in the American Black Church, moving from Gospel to Pop/R and B/Blues, etc could get one in serious trouble. The CD showcased Sam's earliest secular recordings, as well. This tune is a sleeper, covered by a few people, most famously, perhaps, by Eddie Hinton, the most tragic blue eyed soul man of all time. I heard his version during this Corona nastiness(Letters from Mississippi), and went on a Three, Four week Sam Cooke run. Still on it. Thanks, Eddie and Sam, always. Oh, those tears of joy...
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 5, 1958, Sam Cooke was a guest on the NBC-TV Sunday night musical variety program, 'The Steve Allen Show'...
    At the time Mr. Cooke had four records on Billboard's Top 100 chart, "You Send Me" {at #9}, "I'll Come Running Back to You" {at #37}, "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" {at #44}, and "Desire Me" {at #48}...
    Between 1957 and 1966 Mr. Cooke had forty-three records on the Top 100; five made the Top 10 with one reaching #1*, "You Send Me", for 3 weeks in 1957...
    Sadly, Samuel Cooke passed away at the young age of 33 on December 11th, 1964...
    May he R.I.P.
    * He just missed having a second #1 record when "Chain Gang" peaked at #2 {for 2 weeks} in 1960; the two records that kept it out of the top spot were "My Heart Has A Mind of Its Own" by Connie Francis and "Mr. Custer" by Larry Verne.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The Kingdom

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The KingdomSongwriter Interviews

The Bush frontman on where he finds inspiration for lyrics, if his "machine head" is a guitar tuner, and the stories behind songs from the album The Kingdom.

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")Songwriter Interviews

Phil was a songwriter, producer and voice behind many Philadelphia soul classics. When disco hit, he got an interesting project: The Village People.

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The Remasters

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The RemastersSong Writing

Brian has unearthed outtakes by Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello and hundreds of other artists for reissues. Here's how he does it.

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.

British Invasion

British InvasionFact or Fiction

Go beyond The Beatles to see what you know about the British Invasion.

Chris Rea

Chris ReaSongwriter Interviews

It took him seven years to recover from his American hit "Fool (If You Think It's Over)," but Chris Rea became one of the top singer-songwriters in his native UK.