Why Baby Why
| "Why Baby Why" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by George Jones | ||||
| from the album Grand Ole Opry's New Star | ||||
| B-side | "Seasons of My Heart" | |||
| Released | September 17, 1955 | |||
| Recorded | August 27, 1955 Gold Star Studios, Houston, TX | |||
| Genre | Country, rockabilly | |||
| Length | 2:47 (original 1955 version) 2:16 (Unbridged Version) | |||
| Label | Starday Starday 202 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Darrell Edwards George Jones | |||
| Producer(s) | Pappy Daily | |||
| George Jones singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| "Why Baby Why" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Charley Pride | ||||
| from the album Charley Pride Live | ||||
| B-side | "It's So Good to Be Together" | |||
| Released | 1982 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:11 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Darrell Edwards George Jones | |||
| Producer(s) | Norro Wilson | |||
| Charley Pride singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Why Baby Why" is a country music song co-written and originally recorded by George Jones. Released in late 1955 on Starday Records[1] and produced by Starday co-founder and Jones' manager Pappy Daily,[2] it peaked at 4 on the Billboard country charts that year.[1] It was Jones' first chart single, following several unsuccessful singles released during the prior year on Starday.[3]
Recording and composition
Jones's first chart hit, "Why Baby Why", has gone on to become a country standard, having been covered by many artists. The recording session for "Why Baby Why" took place in
Lord, I can't live without you and you know it's true
But there's no livin' with you so what'll I do
I'm goin' honky tonkin', get as tight as I can
And maybe by then you'll 'preciate a good man
Tell me why baby, why baby, why baby why
You make me cry baby, cry baby, cry baby cry
Credits and personnel
For the 1955 Original recording.
- George Jones – vocals, acoustic
- Herb Remington – steel
- Lew Brisby – bass
- Tony Sepolio – fiddle
- Doc Lewis – piano
Reception
The single's early airplay occurred in Jones' home state of Texas, with Houston's country music station
Cover versions
Since the release of Jones' rendition, "Why Baby Why" has been covered by several other artists, many of whom have also charted with it. Jones himself re-recorded it a couple of times as a duet; first with Gene Pitney for their It's Country Time Again! album released in 1966, and with Ricky Skaggs for the 1994 album The Bradley Barn Sessions which featured re-recordings of Jones' songs as duets with various artists. Two different versions of the song have reached Number One on the country charts, making it one of the only country songs to hold that distinction. Artists who have had country chart hits with renditions of this song include the following:
- Red Sovine and Webb Pierce, #1 in 1956[8]
- Hank Locklin, #9 later in 1956[9]
- Shirley Collie, #23 in 1961[9]
- Charley Pride, #1 in 1983[9]
- Take It to the Limit.
- The Good Brothers, #20 in 1991 in Canada[10]
- Palomino Road, #46 in 1992[11]
- Patty Loveless cut the song in 2008.
- Peter Grudzien "Early".
- Actors Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain covered the song for the 2022 miniseries George & Tammy.
References
- ^ Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
- ^ ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ISBN 0-312-26487-9.
- ISBN 978-0-292-71919-4.
- ^ ISBN 1-57441-140-3.
- ISBN 978-0312956981.
- ^ ISBN 0-679-43869-6.
- ^ "Red Sovine biography". Red Sovine website. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
- ^ ISBN 9780823082919.
- ^ RPM Country Tracks - Volume 53, No. 10, February 09 1991
- ^ "Palomino Road biography". Oldies.com. Retrieved 2008-08-10.