Baby, I Love You by The Ronettes

Album: Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica (1964)

Charted: 11 24

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This was the follow-up to The Ronettes hugely successful debut single "Be My Baby." Like "Be My Baby," this was written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, and produced by Phil Spector using his famous "Wall Of Sound" technique. Unfortunately, the song was released not long after the assassination of US president John F. Kennedy, which put a damper on sales of upbeat singles. The Ronettes were never able to match the success of "Be My Baby," although they were influential enough to gain induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Cher sang backup on The Ronettes version, and later recorded it on her own in a much slower, more dramatic style. Her version was produced by Phil Spector, and was released as the B-side of "A Woman's Story," which was Spector's first production for Warner-Spector Records, his collaboration with Warner Brothers.
Twice, covers of this song peaked at #8 in the UK chart, bettering The Ronettes' version. The first came in 1973 when the Welsh singer/guitarist Dave Edmunds recorded it as a homage to Phil Spector. Then in 1980, the American rock group the Ramones had their only UK Top 20 hit when their cover, which was produced by Spector, also reached #8. Edmunds' version was the first single released on the Rockfield label, available through RCA.
Jeff Barry's protégé Andy Kim took this song to #9 in the US with this 1969 version. Kim, who co-wrote the massive Archies hit "Sugar, Sugar" with Barry, grew up in Montreal and had never heard the song when he stumbled across it in Barry's office and started playing it. "I see this sheet music and the chords," Kim said in a Songfacts interview. "I pick up the guitar and I'm playing this song, and I'm singing this song that I had never heard of. Jeff walks in, and he says, 'Hey man, I heard you through the door. I love what you're playing, but that's not how the song goes.'"

"We went in the studio and the idea was for us to make this record together, because it really sounded great in the office," he continued. "To work with Jeff that way was the magic of it all. We went to A&R Studios - Studio A or 1, whatever they called it at the time. A huge room. Sat in the middle of this huge recording space with a microphone next to the guitar. Jeff went into the booth, and was kind of the metronome. He just clapped and hummed along the way - what he needed from me was to get one guitar down from beginning to end. I was able to do that five more times on separate tracks, and it would bounce back and forth. And if you do that, there are overtones and there is a sound without drums or anything. So that's how the song was built - one instrument at a time. Drums were played by hand, percussion. Then Chuck Rainey came in to put bass on the song, and everything just glued together."

Kim's version was #1 for two weeks in his native Canada and earned him a Juno Award as his country's Top Male Vocalist.

Comments: 17

Barry from Sauquoit, NyFrom the 'For What It's Worth' department, "Baby, I Love You" was the second of his four charted records that had 'Baby' in it's title, the other three were "Shoot'Em Up, Baby" {#31 in 1968}, "Be My Baby" {#17 in 1970}, and "Fire, Baby I'm On Fire" {#28 in 1974}...
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 6, 1964, the Rolling Stones began their first United Kingdom tour as the headlining act when they appeared at the Granada Theatre in the Harrow-on-the-Hill section of London, England...
The Stones' opening act was the American trio, The Ronettes, and at the time their "Baby, I Love You" was at #32 on Billboard's Top 100 chart and at #40 on the Official United Kingdom's Top Forty chart...
Three weeks later it would peak at #24 {for 1 week} on the Top 100 and it spent nine weeks on the chart...
And in United Kingdom it just missed making the Top 10 when it peaked at #11 {for 1 week} on February 23th, 1964...
Between 1963 and 1969 the New York City trio had eight Top 100 records; one made the Top 10, "Be My Baby", it peaked at #2* for 3 weeks on October 6th, 1963...
Original member Estelle Bennett passed away at the age of 67 on February 11th, 2009...
May she R.I.P.
* The three weeks that "Be My Baby" was at #2, the #1 record for those three weeks was "Sugar Shack" by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs.
Moanin' Lisa from Chillicothe Mo.This is still a great favorite of mine from '63. Great example of Phil Spector's Wall-of-Sound production technique. It was the era when monaural sound ruled and stereo was slowly growing. This Ronettes' hit sounded truly amazing in '63 on the car radios of the time. I love hearing their songs on various oldies radio stations now. Besides this hit, I still hear Do I Love You, Walking In The Rain, and Be My Baby on those oldies stations. Concerning the Ronettes, I believe Veronica is living in CT. and still doing limited performing, sister Estelle has passed away, and cousin Nedra has retired. I think they'll always be rock-n-roll royalty.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn May 18th 1969, Andy Kim's covered version of "Baby, I Love You" entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #95; nine weeks later it would peak at #9 {for 2 weeks} and it stayed on the chart for 16 weeks.,.
And in his native Canada on August 3rd, 1969 it reached #1 {for 2 weeks} on the RPM Singles chart...
Between 1968 and 1974 he had twelve Top 100 records; with two making the Top 10, his other Top 10 record, "Rock Me Gently", peaked at #1 {for 1 week} on September 22nd, 1974...
You can take your choice, some sites claim he was born in 1946 while other sites say 1952, they all agree with December 5th as the month and day.
Aiken Nutz from Tahlequah OkI got a Ronettes' CD of their hits & most tracks are in stereo, especially "Baby I Love You." In stereo, it is astounding. Still, the original mono version "booms" especially with the volume way up!! The intro is so awesome because it starts out with a blast and rocks you until the end. A great example of Spector's Wall of Sound. Even so, I loved the Ronettes' voices and their hot looks.
Babbling Babette from Tulsa OkThe intro to "Baby I Love You" is so sonic! The Wall of Sound production just smacks you hard in the face & takes off from there. I still prefer the original over all the other versions. In '63 I lived one year with my Granny in Kansas City and this song got into the Top Ten on some of the AM rock & roll radio stations there. I still remember that much. Now, my grandkids are learning about the great Sixties rock & roll songs. This is one of their favs too. I love to check out Ronnie Spector's website & facebook page. What a rock icon!!! What songs The Ronettes made with Phil! Rock & roll history.
Randy from Fayettevile, ArWhat a fantastic rock & roll gem! I think the original version is by far the best because the vocals of the Ronettes, the songwriting of Greenwich-Barry-Spector was top quality, and Spector's "Wall of Sound" production was jaw-dropping awesome. I bought the original 45 single back in 1963 and my cousin stole it. Haa! It was a favorite of mine! But it wasn't until 2012 that I bought "The Best of The Ronettes" that I got to hear it again, but on CD. Even in mono, it is truly awesome. With the volume up high, the intro is a sonic blast as the "Wall of Sound" production begins that huge booming, echoing sound. Spector put the echo-effect to perfect use here. Even at the #24 position on Billboard charts, it's undoubtedly a true classic rock & roll hit. It's one of the reasons I loved growing up in the Sixties!
Bubblesk from Memphis, TnOooo weee, I love "Baby I Love You." Back in '63 I recall buying this single & then buying the LP "Introducing The Ronettes---with Veronica" in '64. In '63 it was fantastic, courtesy of The Wall of Sound. The song begins with a gigantic downbeat! And it sounds like every musical instrument in the world is playing in mono. My cousin "Lucy in the Sky" still owns a 45 rpm single of this hit & it's in relatively good condition. But I bought the recent release of The Ronettes Biggest Hits on Legacy/Philles Records. I was remastered, but I dont thinkk it was digitally remastered. I read somewhere many years ago that back in '63 some rock critics believed that Phil Spector "over produced" this record by putting too many instruments in his "Wall of Sound" production thereby causing it to sound too muffled. They claimed it could've been produced with a crisper more defined sound with fewer instruments and background singers. I think they have a valid point there. I guess they could've done without so many background singers------like Cher. hahaha It was released relatively recent to President Kennedy's assasnation and the subdued mood in the rock music world reflected in it's poor rating by the music charts. Still, it's ranking of #24 by Billboard is still the ranking of a hit. Thank goodness it wasn't ranked in the lower end of the Hot 100. I think it's influence meant a lot more to rock & roll fans than that ranking. Rock on, Ronettes!
Elmer from Westville, OkIn 1963 I bought BABY I LOVE YOU by the Ronettes (45 rpm single) and their LP titled Featuring the Fabulous Ronettes in 1964. Although Billboard mag ranked BABY I LOVE YOU at peak of #24, I recall that it received huge airplay in my area (eastern OK. and western ARK) and the radio stations ranked it in the Top Ten in their areas. At the time (early Sixties), Billboard mag wasn't the huge success in the recording industry that it is now. The teens or record buyers in my area at that time referred more to the charts of area rock radio stations. I recall that Cashbox and Song Hits magazines' charts both rank this single higher than did Billboard. I read somewhere that the producer Phil Spector was influenced by how records sounded over vehicle radios of the time (few stereos in the early Sixties). The intro sounds like explosions of sound (courtesy of the Wall of Sound production). Other singles released at the time paled in comparison. It still sounds awesome on CD even in mono. Now, there are stereo versions that still convey this awesome song by the Ronettes!
Francis from Motown, MiIt's funny how Cher's participation as a part-time backup singer in Spector's talent-laden crew is trumped up in virtually every entry about songs by groups he produced. Face it, Cher is a hack who got more mileage than was warranted, by displaying her navel and insulting her ex. Her singing was nasal, at best.

The Ronettes' catalog is full of gems, powered in equal parts by Ronnie, Estelle and Nedra's ebullient singing, and the wrecking crew's playing.
Jerro from New Alexandria, PaI'm familiar with two versions: that of the Ronettes and that of Andy Kim. I enjoy both of these versions, but I think the Ronettes' version kicks ass! It's a huge shame that the Ronettes' original version was not as successful as the covers that followed it. In many cases (and this included), no covers beat originals!
Teresa from Mechelen, BelgiumPhil Spector, Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry : what a wonderful songwriting team. Ellie Greenwich died on August 2009 at the age of 68. Thank you Ellie and may you rest in peace.
Ret from Bristol, United KingdomThe Spector / Ronettes version is it: the handclaps on the intro, the almost post-orgasmic vocal, the romance intoxicating in the wall of sound, pianos a cloud of sound in heaven never quite reproduced. I never got the Ramones - "2-3-4-" and 8 bars of Rockaway Beach was about as exciting as it got. They should have completely avoided this gem
Linc from Beaumont, TxRonnie had a brief relationship with John Lennon she called it off to marry Phil Spector and rumoredly expressed concerns about him being overly protective of her...hummm
Teresa from Mechelen, BelgiumA very good song of Phil Spector/Ellie Greenwich/
Jeff Barry, produced by Phil Spector. He also produced the version of The Ramones, completely different but also very good. PHIL SPECTOR I LOVE YOU OU OU!!!!!
David from Flushing, MiFor a fantastic version of this song check out the guitar heavy version by Dave Edmunds on his album Subtle as a Flying Mallet. It is the lead song on the album and it is plain to see that he loves the song and pays homage top the Spector production.
Mark from London, EnglandThis was also a big hit for The Ramones in the UK in the 1980s.

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