Be My Baby (1963)

"Be My Baby" is a song written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector and recorded by the American girl group the Ronettes. It was released in August 1963 as the Ronettes' debut on Philles Records and became their biggest hit, reaching number 2 in the U.S. and Canada, and number 4 in the UK.

Spector produced the song in his Wall of Sound style at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood with the group of session musicians later known as the Wrecking Crew. It marked the first time that he recorded with a full orchestra. Ronnie Spector (then Veronica Bennett) is the only Ronette that appears on the track. In 1964, it appeared on their album Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes.

A significant influence on music production, "Be My Baby" is sometimes ranked among the all-time greatest songs in popular music. It influenced many artists, most notably the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, who wrote the answer song "Don't Worry Baby" (1964). Many others have replicated or recreated Hal Blaine's central drum phrase, considered to be one of the most recognizable in pop music.

The song has been played on radio and television over 3 million times and has returned to the U.S. top 40 via cover versions by Andy Kim and Jody Miller. In 2006, the Library of Congress inducted the Ronettes' recording into the National Recording Registry.

Background and lyrics

"Be My Baby" was written by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, and Ellie Greenwich at Spector's office in Los Angeles. Unlike other pop songs, the lyrics describe a woman vying for the attention of a man whom she infantilizes, a dynamic that is usually reversed. Music journalist Marc Spitz interpreted this "bold" subject matter as essentially "as much about power and control as it is about romance."

Early in 1963, Spector auditioned a vocal trio — composed of sisters Veronica (also known as "Ronnie") and Estelle Bennett with their cousin Nedra Talley — who were performing under the names "Ronnie and the Relatives" and "the Ronettes". Impressed by Ronnie's lead on an impromptu performance of the 1956 hit "Why Do Fools Fall in Love", Spector offered an original song for the group to record, "Why Don't They Let Us Fall in Love". They recorded the song at Gold Star Studios, but Spector withheld its release, as he had felt that the group needed more time to refine their stage act.

Spector, then struggling with marital issues, had developed a romantic fixation on Ronnie at this time. Darlene Love stated that "Be My Baby" was a means for Spector to declare his love to Ronnie before he married her in 1968. It was his last record that had "Phil + Annette", referring to his then-wife Annette Merar, inscribed onto the run-out groove.

Composition

"Be My Baby" has been described as a classic pop and R&B song. It is written in the key of E major and its instrumental palette includes piano, guitars, brass, shakers, castanets, bass, handclaps, strings, and drums. The recording opens with two bars of a drum beat with prominent reverb; the snare drum, striking on the fourth beat of each bar until the chorus, is augmented by woodblock, tambourine, and handclaps. The third bar introduces the full rhythm section, with shakers and a repeated octave E figure on every eighth note contributing to the driving rhythm, in addition to a contrapuntal three-note riff played by the bass and piano section.