Baby I'm-a Want You (song)

"Baby I'm-a Want You" is a popular song by the American soft rock band Bread. The single was released in October 1971 (see 1971 in music). It became the title track for the album of the same name, released in January 1972.

"Baby I'm-a Want You"
Single by Bread
from the album Baby I'm-a Want You
B-side	"Truckin'"
Released	23 October 1971
Genre	Soft rock[1][2]
Length	2:25
Label	Elektra
Songwriter(s)	David Gates
Producer(s)	David Gates
Bread singles chronology
"Mother Freedom" (1971) "Baby I'm-a Want You" (1971) "Everything I Own" (1972)

It was one of Bread's highest-charting singles in both the U.S. and UK. In the U.S., it reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in November 1971, the third of Bread's four top-five hits ("Make It with You", No. 1 in 1970; "If", No. 4 earlier in 1971; and "Everything I Own", from the same album, No. 5 in 1972). "Baby I'm-a Want You" reached the top of the easy listening chart and rose to No. 14 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1972.

It was certified as a gold record by the RIAA. As with virtually all of the band's well-known recordings, the song was both written and produced by the band's lead vocalist, David Gates.

Chart history

Weekly charts Chart (1971–72) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report) 8 Canada RPM Top Singles 5 UK Singles Chart 14 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[3] 3 U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary 1 U.S. Cash Box Top 100 3

Year-end charts Chart (1971) Rank U.S. (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)[4] 37 Chart (1972) Rank Australia [5] 57

Notable cover versions

• The Lettermen covered it on their 1972 album Spin Away.
• Engelbert Humperdinck covered it on his 1972 album In Time.
• Wayne Newton covered it on his 1972 album Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast.
• Aaron Neville released a cover as a single in 1972.[6]
• Isaac Hayes and David Porter covered the song in 1972 as the B-side of their single "Ain't That Loving You (for More Reasons Than One)".[7]
• The Moments recorded a soul version for their 1973 album My Thing.
• Shirley Bassey covered it on her 1973 album Never Never Never.
• John Holt covered it on his 1973 compilation album 1000 Volts of Holt.
• Stephanie Winslow covered it on her 1981 album Dakota.
• Conway Twitty covered it on his 1985 album Chasin Rainbows.
• Jennifer Love Hewitt included a version on her 1995 album Let's Go Bang.

See also

• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1971 (U.S.)

References

1. Eder, Bruce. "Baby I'm-A Want You - Bread : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-01-10.
2. "VH1's 40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs". Stereogum. SpinMedia. May 31, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
3. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
4. Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
6. https://www.discogs.com/Aaron-Neville-Baby-Im-A-Want-You-/master/1147932
7. "Isaac Hayes & David Porter – Ain't That Loving You (For More Reasons Than One) / Baby I'm-A Want You". Discogs. Retrieved 24 September 2017.

• Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition (Billboard Publications)

External links

• Song info at discogs.com
• UK chart info at Official Charts Company
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics