♫ Baby Love ♫ (Redux)

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music

I’m taking you back more than half a century tonight, to 1964 when The Supremes recorded Baby Love and hit #1 on both the U.S. and UK charts.  The Motown songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote this, and according to Lamont Dozier …

“I would collaborate with Eddie on lyrics and with Brian on melodies. Then Brian and I would go into the studio and produce the actual record although Eddie should have been put down as one of the producers because he helped teach the artists the tune when the lyric was finished.”

This was the follow-up to Where Did Our Love Go, The Supremes breakout hit and first #1 in America. That song mentions the word “baby” 68 times, so its fitting that their next single had that word in the title.  Baby Love was released on September 17, 1964, while “Where Did Our Love Go” was still on the charts.

The Supremes became the first Motown act to have more than one American number-one single, and by the end of the decade, would have more number-one singles than any other Motown act (or American pop music group) with 12, a record they continue to hold.

Motown gave this song a big push in the UK, where The Supremes were sent to tour starting on October 7, 1964. On October 15, they performed the song on the popular program Top Of The Pops, and near the end of the tour made an appearance with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. On November 25, the song hit #1 on the UK chart, making The Supremes the first Motown group and the first girl group to reach #1 in that territory. It was their only UK #1, as the rest of their career was focused on America. Then second Motown act to hit #1 in the UK was The Four Tops with Reach Out I’ll Be There in 1966.

Baby Love
The Supremes

Baby love, my baby love
I need you, oh how I need you!
But all you do is treat me bad
Break my heart and leave me sad
Tell me, what did I do wrong?
To make you stay away so long

‘Cause baby love, my baby love
Been missing ya, miss kissing ya
Instead of breaking up
Let’s do some kissing and making up
Don’t throw our love away
In my arms why don’t you stay?
Need ya, need ya, baby love, baby love

Baby love, my baby love
Why must we separate, my love?
All of my whole life through
I never loved no one but you
Why you do me like you do?
I get this need

Need to hold you, once again, my love
Feel your warm embrace, my love
Don’t throw our love away
Please don’t do me this way
Not happy like I used to be
Loneliness has got the best of me

My love, my baby love
I need you, oh how I need you!
Why you do me like you do?
After I’ve been true to you
So deep in love with you

Baby, baby, ’til it’s hurtin’ me
‘Til it’s hurtin’ me, baby love
Don’t throw our love away
Don’t throw our love away

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Lamont Dozier / Brian Holland / Eddie Holland

17 thoughts on “♫ Baby Love ♫ (Redux)”

  2. Oh, such a classic. So funny, with the band we are working on a song with the same title but from Mother’s Finest… a completely different song. When I heard they want to work on Baby Love, I thought it was the Supremes’ song.

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    • I’m glad you enjoyed it! Yes, while I often find fault with technology, I must admit that having the ability to hear any and all of our old favourites with just the click of a mouse is one of my favourite things! Have a great weekend, Michael — try not to hug that pillow too hard! 😉

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