Comments: 23

• George Hunt from GfvWho sang the intro (Sha La La La La La) to the Shirelles 'Baby it's you?' Could it be the satin smooth voice of Steve Lawrence?
• Steve Blodgett from VermontUm.. I really like the piercing organ - Shirley Owens, lead singer, portrays person distressed, obsessed. Organ reflects this
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1964 {April 17th} Dave Berry performed "Baby It's You"* on the British TV's Friday evening musical variety program, 'Ready Steady Go!'...
  A little under three weeks later on May 7th, 1964 "Baby It's You" would peaked at #24 {for 1 week} on the United Kingdom's Official Top 50 Singles chart...
  Between 1963 and 1966 the Woodhouse, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England native had eight records on the UK Singles chart, three made the Top 10, the three were his biggest hits when each peaked at #5, "The Crying Game" for two weeks in August of 1964, "Little Things" for one week in April of 1965, and "Mama" for two weeks in August of 1966...
  In addition, he had one Top 20 record, "Tossin' and Turnin'", it reached #19 in 1963...
  Dave Berry, born David Holgate Grundy, celebrated his 79th birthday two months ago on February 6th, 2020...
  * As noted above, The Shirelles' original version of "Baby It's You" peaked at #8 {for 1 week} in January of 1962 on the U.S. Billboard's Top 100 chart...
  And in March of 1995 the Beatles' live covered version peaked at #7 {for 1 week} on the UK Weekly (OCC) Singles chart...
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyGayle McCormick, the lead singer of the group Smith who had her own hit with "It's A Cryin' Shame," died on March 1st, 2016 in St. Louis of cancer, she was 67.
  
  Gayle started out in the mid-'60s singing in St. Louis with Steve Cummings & The Klassmen, where they had some local hits before traveling to California in 1969 and taking over for a defunct band called Smith. Signed to ABC-Dunhill Records, the group exploded out of the box with their version of the Shirelles classic, "Baby It's You" (#5 at 1969). Subsequent efforts, "Take A Look Around (#43 at 1970) and "What Am I Gonna Do" (#73 at 1970)-- were less-successful and the group disbanded in 1971. Still impressed with Gayle though, Dunhill signed Gayle as a solo singer. "Gonna Be Alright Now" (#84 at 1971) was no more successful than her group efforts but "It's A Cryin' Shame" (#44 at 1971) was much bigger in many markets. It was followed by a cover of "You Really Got A Hold On Me" (#98 at 1972) that disappointed Dunhill enough to drop her. Subsequent efforts on Decca and Fantasy failed to chart, but she did manage to reach the Easy Listening charts again in 1975 with "Coming In Out Of The Rain" on the tiny Shady Brook label. By then she had married and moved to Hawaii, though eventually she re-located to St Louis...
  May she R.I.P.
• Moanin' Lisa from Chillicothe Mo."Baby It's You" is a great hit & I think the Shirelles' version is still the best. The arrangement is extremely dramatic. The only negative aspect to it is that organ break. Too shrill. The Beatles' version is good, but the original is still the killer-hit for me. The year 1962 had some great hits from many music genres (ballads, R&B, broadway, rock & roll, garage rock, instrumentals, surf music, girl-groups, & those wild dance-craze hits). Loved growing up in the pre-Beatles years. Keep on rockin'
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 15th 1962, the Shirelles performed "Baby It's You" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
  At the time the song was a #15 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and thirteen days later on January 28th, 1962 it peaked at #8 {for 1 week} and spent 14 weeks on the Top 100...
  It reached #3 on Billboard's R&B Singles chart...
  Between 1958 and 1967 the NJ quartet had twenty-six Top 100 records; six made the Top 10 with two reaching #1; "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" for two weeks in 1961 and "Soldier Boy" for three weeks in 1962...
  Shirley Alston Reeves, the group's namesake, will celebrate her 74th birthday in four months on June 10th 2015.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn October 19th 1969, Smith performed "Baby It's You" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
  At the time the song was at #8 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and 7 days later on October 26th, 1969 it would peaked at #5 {for 3 weeks}...
  {See next post below}.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn August 23rd 1969, Smith performed "Baby It's You" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
  One week later on August 31st, 1969 it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #94; and on October 26th, 1969 it peaked at #5 {for 3 weeks} and spent 15 weeks on the Top 100...
  The Los Angeles-based quintet had two other Top 100 records; "Take A Look Around" {#43 in 1970} and "What Am I Gonna Do" {#73 in 1970}...
  Lead singer Gayle McCormick had three Top 100 records as a solo artist, her biggest hit was "It's A Cryin' Shame", which reached #44 in 1971...
  Note for Elvis fans: The day "Baby It's You" peaked at #5, Elvis' 18th and last #1 record on the Top 100, "Suspicious Minds", reached the top spot for one week.
• Bubblesk from Memphis, TnYeah "Baby It's You" is still a favorite 1962 hit I love. And I prefer The Shirelles' version over all others, especially that terrible Smiths' version. Ugh! I remember seeing the Shirelles perform this on Dick Clark's show in black & white TV. And my crazy cousin Lemonade Lucy kept trying to dance the Mashed Potato to this song. It's a slow song & ya cannot dance the Mashed Potato to a slow song. Lucy always had "bats in her belfry." Anyway, this version by the Shirelles is the best because it reeks SOUL and emotion. That is what the other versions lack. Now, that organ "break" is simple too grating on the ears! The producer Luther Dixon should've done something about that before releasing it----or just leaving it out. Great Shirelles hit. Dig it.
• Elmer from Westville, Ok"Baby It's You" by the Shirelles reached #8 on the Billboard pop charts in 1962. I bought the single in 1962 & played it until it wore out. I love this version and the others as well. Back in 1962, it was a popular song to slow dance to. The Shirelles also had a #1 hit in 1962 called "Soldier Boy."
• Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScI personally like the Beatles and Shirelles versions the best.
• Wayne from Salem, VaWrong -Darrell,Eugene - Smith's version was not (sadly) superior to The Beatles'. The woman singing lead sounds very restrained. She didn't put enough feel into it. The Beatles' version is the best. Smith,a one hit wonder group. Like they even compare to "The Beatles".
• Wayne from Salem, VaThe Beatles' version is the best. The Shirelles did a fine job. But The Beatles did a better job. John Lennon singing lead on another early 60's black girl group's song. Again they do this as though it were their own. Is from their first album "Please Please Me".
• Ronny from Dallas, TxWhich version of the song you like and that organ in the original sounding bad - golly, surely that's only a function of when you born. Most music is like that, huh? All the versions sound very good to me. Maybe the emotion transmitted in all the versions is about the same. Those Hammond organs sound real good to those of us that grew up with them - they transmit a nice emotion too once you get know them.
• Darrell from EugeneDon in San Antone, you're totally right. The organ solo does sound like a *damn* dentist's drill, but I think that it also sounds like a cylinder hone going into a very badly abused car engine. Smith's version is far superior to the Shirelles' version and (sadly) the Beatles' version.
• Tom from Dozier, AlI don't remember the 1962 version of this song. The 1969 version by Smith is my favorite. Whichever version makes the best impression on you personally--there's really no right or wrong to this.
• Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScLove the Beatles version.
• Linus from Hamilton, On, CanadaBeatles version appeared on "Please Please Me"
• Linus from Hamilton, On, CanadaThe Beatles cover is excellent.
• Steve E. from Des Moines, IaThe Smith rendition was far superior to any others.... a fine mix of bluesy female vocals!
• Don from San Antonio, TxThe organ solo sounds like a damn dentist's drill. I threw the track as a .WAV file onto my audio editor and took that part out, now it's 100% pure bliss.
• Chrissy from Billings, MtThis is the name of a movie with Rosanna Arquette and Vincent Spano.
• Bill from Plano, TxBeatles also recorded this in the early years

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