Bring It On Home to Me explained

Bring It On Home to Me
Cover:Bring it On Home Cooke.png
Type:single
Artist:Sam Cooke
Album:The Best of Sam Cooke
A-Side:Having a Party
Released:May 8, 1962
Recorded:April 26, 1962
Studio:RCA (Hollywood, California)
Genre:
Length:2:37
Label:RCA Victor
Producer:Hugo & Luigi
Prev Title:Twistin' in the Kitchen with Dinah
Prev Year:1962
Next Title:Somebody Have Mercy
Next Year:1962

"Bring It On Home to Me" is a song by American soul singer Sam Cooke, released on May 8, 1962, by RCA Victor. Produced by Hugo & Luigi, and arranged and conducted by René Hall, the song was the B-side to "Having a Party". The song peaked at number two on Billboard Hot R&B Sides chart, and also charted at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.The song has become a pop standard, covered by numerous artists of different genres. It is one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

Background

"Bring It On Home to Me", like its A-side, "Having a Party", was written while Cooke was on tour for Henry Wynn. The song was initially offered to fellow singer Dee Clark, who turned it down. While in Atlanta, Cooke called co-producer Luigi Creatore and pitched both numbers; Creatore liked the songs, and booked a recording session in Los Angeles, scheduled for two weeks later. The session's mood "matched the title" of the song, according to biographer Peter Guralnick, as many friends had been invited. "It was a very happy session," recalled engineer Al Schmitt. "Everybody was just having a ball. We were getting people out there [on the floor], and some of the outtakes were hilarious, there was so much ad lib that went on." René Hall assembled an eighteen-piece backing group, "composed of six violins, two violas, two cellos, and a sax, plus a seven-piece rhythm section that included two percussionists, two bassists, two guitars, and a piano."

The song is a significant reworking of the 1959 single "I Want to Go Home" by Charles Brown and Amos Milburn,[2] [3] and it retains the gospel flavor and call-and-response format; the song differs significantly in that its refrain ("Bring it to me, bring your sweet lovin', bring it on home to me") is overtly secular. The song was the first serious nod to his gospel roots ("[He] felt that he needed more weight, that that light shit wouldn't sustain him," said J.W. Alexander). The song was aiming for a sound similar to Cooke's former group, the Soul Stirrers. The original, unreleased first take includes vocals from Lou Rawls, J.W. Alexander, Fred Smith (former assistant A&R rep at Keen Records), and "probably" the Sims Twins. A second, final take leaves Lou Rawls as the only echoing voice.[4]

Personnel

"Bring It On Home to Me" was recorded on April 26, 1962, at RCA Studio 1 in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California. The engineer present was Al Schmitt, and the session was conducted and arranged by René Hall. The musicians also recorded "Having a Party" the same day. Credits adapted from the liner notes to the 2003 compilation .[5]

Later versions

Bring It On Home to Me
Cover:Bring It On Home to Me cover.png
Type:single
Artist:the Animals
Album:Animal Tracks (American album)
B-Side:For Miss Caulker
Released:9 April 1965[6]
Recorded:20 March 1965
Genre:Rhythm and Blues
Length:2:43
Label:Columbia
Producer:Mickie Most
Prev Title:Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Prev Year:1965
Next Title:We Gotta Get out of This Place
Next Year:1965
Bring It On Home to Me
Type:single
Artist:Mickey Gilley
Album:Gilley's Smokin'
B-Side:How's My Ex Treating You
Released:June 1976
Recorded:May 1976
Genre:Country rock
Length:2:23
Label:Playboy 6075
Producer:Eddie Kilroy
Prev Title:Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time
Prev Year:1976
Next Title:Lawdy Miss Clawdy
Next Year:1976

The most significant later versions of the song include recordings by:

Charts and certifications

Original version

Chart (1962)Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 13
US Hot R&B Sides (Billboard)2

The Animals version

Year Chart Position
1965 32
1965 7
1965 Canada[15] 7
1965 19
1965 3
1965 1

Eddie Floyd version

Year Chart Position
1968 4
1968 17
1968 Canada[16] 24

Lou Rawls version

Year Chart Position
1970 45
1970 96

Year-end charts

In popular culture

Notes and References

  1. Don't Know Much About History Edition. Hit Parade Music History and Music Trivia. Slate. Molanphy. Chris. March 23, 2021. February 4, 2024.
  2. Book: Guralnick, Peter. Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke. 14 December 2008. Little, Brown. 9780316055154. Google Books.
  3. Web site: Anatomy of a Classic: Bring It On Home To Me - The Adios Lounge. www.adioslounge.com.
  4. Book: Guralnick. Peter. Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke. 2014. Little, Brown. 9780316210973. 404–406. en.
  5. Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964 . 2003 . . liner notes . . . 92642.
  6. Web site: Chrome Oxide - Music Collectors pages - Animals - 05/12/2018. www.chromeoxide.com.
  7. CashBox Record Reviews . May 8, 1965 . 12 . 2022-01-12 . Cash Box.
  8. Single Pick of the Week. Record World. May 8, 1965. 1. 2023-07-21.
  9. Book: Somach, Denny . A Walk Down Abbey Road . 44 . 2020 . Crossroad Press .
  10. Book: Thompson, Dave . Reggae & Caribbean Music . 74 . 2002 . Hal Leonard . 9780879306557.
  11. Book: Whitburn, Joel . The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 136. 9780823074990.
  12. Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 1959-2004
  13. Book: Collins, Ace . 2015 . 35 . All About the Dixie Chicks . St. Martin's Publishing . 9781250097583.
  14. Web site: Sam Cooke – Awards . AllMusic. February 28, 2014.
  15. Web site: RPM Top 100 Singles - June 28, 1965.
  16. Web site: RPM Top 100 Singles - December 2, 1968.
  17. Hot Country Songs – Year-End 1976. Billboard. August 4, 2021.
  18. Web site: Shepard. Jack. Tracklist for Guardians of the Galaxy's Awesome Mixtape Vol. 2 revealed. The Independent. August 27, 2017. April 19, 2017.