Songfacts®:

• Oh baby. TLC made a big impact with this smooth R&B number, which finds them setting clear expectations for their man. They expect full commitment (no part-time lovin') and lots of good conversation.
  
  It was released as their second single, following the much more energetic and libidinous "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg," where it's the lovin' they need, not the conversation. That song did well on pop radio (in edited form) and on hip-hop stations, but "Baby-Baby-Baby" was a crossover, getting them on more adult-leaning formats and saturating pop. The Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip album went on to sell over 4 million copies, and they proved even more versatile on their next album, CrazySexyCool, with the hits "Creep" and "Waterfalls."
• "Baby-Baby-Baby" was written and produced by the team of L.A. Reid, Babyface and Daryl Simmons. The song spent six weeks at #2 in America without ever reaching the top spot, but that was their own fault: The song that held it back all six weeks was "End Of The Road" by Boyz II Men, which they also wrote and produced. These guys were red hot - they also had hits with Bobby Brown ("Humpin' Around") and Toni Braxton ("Give U My Heart") around this time. "End Of The Road" was used on the soundtrack to the movie Boomerang, which they worked on. TLC appeared on the soundtrack as well, singing on the track "Reversal of a Dog."
• "Baby" songs were big around this time. Amy Grant had a #1 hit a year earlier with "Baby Baby," and when "Baby-Baby-Baby" was on the charts, "Baby Got Back" was still hanging around.
• Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes didn't get a lead in this song because there was no place to insert a rap on the ballad. T-Boz did the lead vocal with Chilli taking the pre-chorus ("Long as you know that I could have any man I want to...").
• The music video was shot at Bowie State University in Maryland, although in some shots T-Boz is wearing a sweatshirt for Grambling State, another HBCU. The ladies of TLC were college age at the time, so they fit right in with the coeds.
  
  The video was directed by the Atlanta-based Keith Ward, who also did "No Nose Job" for Digital Underground and "Mr. Wendal" for Arrested Development.