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"When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" is a classic hit song, a soul ballad, written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter. It was first released in 1967 by Sam & Dave on Stax Records.[1][2]
Original Sam & Dave version
Personnel
- Vocals by Sam Moore and Dave Prater
- Instrumentation by Booker T. & the M.G.'s and Mar-Keys Horns
- Mastering Engineer – Rick O'Neil
In popular culture
- The song is featured in 2012 film Stand Up Guys, in a scene where Al Pacino asks a girl to dance with him.
- The song is featured in 1995 film Dead Presidents.
- The song is also featured in Edgar Wright's 2017 film, Baby Driver, in the scene where Bats forces Baby and the heist crew to go eat at Bo's Diner, where Baby's love interest Debora is working.
Charts
| Chart (1967) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[3] | 42 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[4] | 2 |
Johnny Gill version
In 1983, American contemporary R&B singer Johnny Gill covered "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" and included it on his first eponymous album. The song was issued as the second and final single from the album; and it peaked at #57 on the Billboard R&B chart.[7]
Charts
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US R&B Singles (Billboard)[7] | 57 |
Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham version
In 1991, Australian singers Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham recorded and released "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" as the second single from Barnes' fifth studio album, Soul Deep. Released in October 1991, the song peaked at number three in Australia and number six in New Zealand, where it is certified Gold for sales of over 50,000.
Track listing
CD single (D11048)
- "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby" – 4:56
- "All I Got" (Jimmy Barnes) – 4:20
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1991–1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[8] | 3 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9] | 6 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1991) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[10] | 77 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[11] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[12] | Gold | 5,000* |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Other versions
The song was covered by:
- Charlie Rich who recorded it on October 16, 1966, but first time released on the 1988 compilation album I'll Shed No Tears - The Best of the Hi Recordings.[13]
- Otis Redding & Carla Thomas on their 1967 album King & Queen.
- Sonny James on his 1976 album Sonny James Sings When Something Is Wrong with My Baby.[14]
- Hall & Oates with David Ruffin and Eddie Kendrick of the Temptations at their Apollo Theatre concert in New York City 1985 (appearing on their 1985 album Live at the Apollo).
- Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville as a Top Five duet in from the 1990 Triple Platinum album Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind.
- Patti LaBelle and Travis Tritt on the 1994 various artists duets album Rhythm, Country and Blues.
- Frankie Miller has two live versions of the song recorded:
- On 6 May 1979 at the Internationale Maifestspiele Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden, Germany (on the live album Live at Rockpalast, recorded at WDR Studio, Cologne, Germany on 3.6.1976, in Wiesbaden, Germany in 6.5.1979, and Rockpalast Open Air Festival, Loreley, Germany on 28.8.1982, released in 2013).[15]
- On 21 March 1979 at the Paris Theatre, London (on the live album BBC Radio One Live in Concert, recorded at the Paris Theatre, London on 3.5.1977, the Golders Green Hippodrome, London on 16.3.1978, and at the Paris Theatre, London on 21.3.1979, released in 1994).[16]
- In 1985 it was covered live by Dutch band Herman Brood & His Wild Romance as "Something' Wrong" on their album Bühnensucht / Herman Brood Live.[17]
- Cissy Houston on her 1970 album Cissy Houston.
- In April 1993, Phish covered the song at three of their concerts. The band has not played it live since then.
- Guy Sebastian sung the song in a duet with Jimmy Barnes and original Stax band Booker T. & the MG's in Sydney, Australia during the Memphis Tour Concert (Friday, 7 March 2008).[18][citation needed]
- In 1985 a cover by American country music artist Joe Stampley from his album I'll Still Be Loving You peaked at number 67 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.[19][20]
- American folk-rock band Dawes (formed in 2009) has covered this song a multitude of times live, sung at some shows by Lenny Goldsmith, father of the band's drummer Griffin Goldsmith and vocalist/guitarist Taylor Goldsmith.
References
- ^ "Satellite & Stax singles (1959–1968)". staxrecords.free.fr. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
- ^ Hirshey, Gerri (1994). Nowhere to Run: The Story of Soul Music. New York: Da Capo Press. pp. 311–312. ISBN 0-306-80581-2.
- ^ "Sam Dave Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
- ^ "Sam Dave Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
- ^ "Johnny Gill - When Something Is Wrong With My Baby / Half Steppin' (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs. Zink Media. 1983. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
- ^ "Albums produced by Freddie Perren". Discogs. Zink Media. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ^ a b "Johnny Gill | Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
- ^ "Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham – When Something Is Wrong with My Baby". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
- ^ "Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham – When Something Is Wrong with My Baby". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1991 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Jimym Barnes & John Farnham – When Something Is Wrong with My Baby". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
- ^ Charlie Rich - I'll Shed No Tears - The Best of the Hi Recordings (1988) album releases & credits at Discogs
- ^ Sonny James - Sonny James Sings When Something Is Wrong with My Baby (1976) album releases & credits at Discogs
- ^ Frankie Miller - Live at Rockpalast (2013) album releases & credits at Discogs
- ^ Frankie Miller - BBC Radio One Live in Concert (rec. 1977-1979, rel. 1994) album releases & credits at Discogs
- ^ Herman Brood & His Wild Romance - Bühnensucht / Herman Brood Live (1985) album releases & credits at Discogs
- ^ Guy Sebastian & Jimmy Barnes - "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" (2008) video on YouTube
- ^ Joe Stampley - I'll Still Be Loving You (1985) album releases & credits at Discogs
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Hot Country Songs 1944–2012. Record Research, Inc. p. 318. ISBN 978-0-89820-203-8.
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