Baby Won't You Please Come Home Explained

Baby Won't You Please Come Home
Published:	1919
Genre:	Blues

"Baby Won't You Please Come Home" is a blues song written by Charles Warfield and Clarence Williams in 1919. The song's authorship is disputed; Warfield claims that he was the sole composer of the song.^[1]

The song has been covered by many musicians and has become a jazz standard. The first hit version was Bessie Smith's 1923 recording, which stayed on the charts for four weeks peaking at No. 6.^[2]

Renditions

• Bessie Smith (1923)
• Clarence Williams' Blue Five (1927)
• George Thomas with McKinney's Cotton Pickers (1930)
• Clarence Williams and His Orchestra (1930)
• Clarence Williams and His Jazz Kings (1931)
• The Mills Brothers (1932)
• Django Reinhardt (1937)
• Lionel Hampton (1938)
• Louis Armstrong (1939)
• Count Basie Orchestra (1944)
• Bing Crosby with Eddie Heywood, recorded August 9, 1945.^[3]
• Benny Goodman and His Orchestra (1945)
• Jo Stafford with the Nat King Cole Trio (1946)
• Sidney Bechet & His Feetwarmers (1949)
• Ray Charles (1952)
• Jack Teagarden (1954)
• Frank Sinatra - included in his album Where Are You? (1957)
• Louis Prima with Keely Smith (1957)
• Billie Holiday (1959)
• Ricky Nelson (1960) - More Songs by Ricky^[4]
• Della Reese (1960)
• Ella Fitzgerald on her 1961 Verve release Ella in Hollywood
• Ann-Margret (1961)
• Sam Cooke (1962)
• Sarah Vaughan (1962)
• Dinah Washington - Drinking Again (1962) ^[5]
• Al Hirt (1962) on his album, Horn A-Plenty^[6]
• Miles Davis - Seven Steps to Heaven (1963)
• Dean Martin on his albums Dream with Dean (1964) and The Dean Martin TV Show (1966)
• Carol Channing on her album Carol Channing Entertains (1965)
• Gloria Lynne (1965)
• Julie London - Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast (1967)
• James Booker - Junco Partner (1976)
• James Booker - Gonzo James Booker Live 1976 (1967) ^[7]
• Coco Briaval (France 1999 album Minor Swing)
• David Sanborn - Only Everything (2010)
• Elisabeth Bougerol (2011) with The Hot Sardines Band
• Kathy Hampson's Free Elastic Band
• Leon Redbone

Film appearances

• 1945 That's the Spirit - performed by Johnny Coy and Peggy Ryan.
• 1986 Act of Vengeance
• 2008 Igor - performed by Louis Prima.
• 2018 Rendezvous in Chicago - performed by Eva Taylor

See also

• List of pre-1920 jazz standards

Notes and References

1. David A. Jasen, Gene Jones: Spreadin' Rhythm Around: Black Popular Songwriters, 1880 - 1930. Routledge, 2005.
2. Web site: Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Baby Won't You Please Come Home) . Jazzstandards.com . 2016-07-26.
3. Web site: A Bing Crosby Discography. BING magazine. International Club Crosby. July 27, 2017.
4. Web site: More Songs by Ricky : Rick Nelson. AllMusic. October 26, 2023.
5. Web site: Dinah Washington - Drinking Again. AllMusic.
6. Web site: Scott Yanow . Horn A-Plenty - Al Hirt | Songs, Reviews, Credits . . 2016-07-26.
7. Web site: Gonzo James Booker Live 1976 - James Booker Songs, Reviews, Credits. AllMusic. en-us. 2019-12-03.