The Ronettes – Be My Baby

About The Song

In 1961, The Ronettes, a girl group hailing from New York City consisting of Veronica (Ronnie) Bennett, her sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley, signed with Colpix Records and released several singles, but none gained significant traction. However, in 1963, the trio captured the attention of producer Phil Spector and joined his Philles Records, where they embraced his renowned “Wall of Sound” production technique.

Initially, Spector had the group record a song called “Why Don’t They Let Us Fall in Love,” written by the prolific songwriting duo Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, who had already crafted hits for various girl groups in the early 1960s. Despite Spector being credited as a songwriter, he ultimately chose another Barry and Greenwich composition, “Be My Baby,” as The Ronettes’ debut single.

Accompanied by talented musicians, including guitarists Tommy Tedesco and Bill Pitman, pianist Don Randi, bassist Ray Pohlman, drummers Hal Blaine and Frank Capp, keyboardist Al de Lory, and a string section, the recording of “Be My Baby” took place at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood, California, on July 5, 1963. The backing vocals were provided by the then-new couple Sonny and Cher, along with Darlene Love.

Sung by Veronica (Ronnie Spector), whose powerful voice infused each lyric with emotion, “Be My Baby” narrates the story of an immediate love connection and a girl yearning for the attention of a specific guy.

In her 1995 memoir aptly titled Be My Baby, Spector revealed that she rehearsed the song meticulously for weeks, investing days to perfect her vocals, including the distinctive “oh-oh-ohs” and “whoas,” before the recording session.

Upon its release later that year, “Be My Baby” became an instant sensation for The Ronettes. The group embarked on a tour with Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars, and even the legendary host exclaimed, “This is going to be the record of the century” on his TV music show American Bandstand.

“Be My Baby” was featured on The Ronettes’ inaugural and only album together, Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes featuring Veronica, released in 1964. The album also included their hit “Baby, I Love You.”

Despite The Ronettes disbanding in 1967, “Be My Baby” stands as their most significant achievement. The song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart upon its release and remains their only Top 10 hit. In 1999, the track was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, marking 35 years since its debut. Furthermore, in 2006, “Be My Baby” was added to the United States National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress.

Video

Lyric

The night we met I knew I needed you so
And if I had the chance I’d never let you go
So won’t you say you love me
I’ll make you so proud of me
We’ll make ’em turn their heads every place we go

So won’t you, please
(Be my, be my baby) Be my little baby
(My one and only baby) Say you’ll be my darlin’
(Be my, be my baby) Be my baby now
Wha-oh-oh-oh

I’ll make you happy, baby, just wait and see
For every kiss you give me, I’ll give you three
Oh, since the day I saw you
I have been waiting for you
You know I will adore you ’til eternity

So won’t you, please
(Be my, be my baby) Be my little baby
(My one and only baby) Say you’ll be my darlin’
(Be my, be my baby) Be my baby now
Wha-oh-oh-oh-oh

So come on and please
(Be my, be my baby) Be my little baby
(My one and only baby) Say you’ll be my darlin’
(Be my, be my baby) Be my baby now
Wha-oh-oh-oh

(Be my, be my baby) Be my little baby
(My one and only baby) Oh
(Be my, be my baby) Oh
Wha-oh-oh-oh-oh

(Be my, be my baby) Oh
(My one and only baby) Oh
(Be my, be my baby) Be my baby now
Wha-oh-oh-oh

Guitar chord

[C]The night we met I knew I [Dm]needed you [G]so
[C]And if I had the chance I’d [Dm]never let you [G]go
[E]So won’t you say you love me
[A]I’ll make you so proud of me
[Dm]We’ll make ’em turn their heads
[G]Every place we go

So won’t you please[C]
(Be my be my baby) Be my little [Am]baby
(My one and only baby) Say you’ll be my darl[F]ing
(Be my be my baby) Be my baby n[G]ow
(My one and only baby) Ooh, ohh, ohh, oh

[C]I’ll make you happy baby, [Dm]just wait and s[G]ee
[C]For every kiss you give me [Dm]I’ll give you t[G]hree
[E]Oh, since the day I saw you
[A]I have been waiting for you
[Dm]You know I will adore you
[G]Till eternity

So won’t you please[C]
(Be my be my baby) Be my little [Am]baby
(My one and only baby) Say you’ll be my darl[F]ing
(Be my be my baby) Be my baby n[G]ow
(My one and only baby) Ooh, ohh, ohh, oh

So come on and plea[C]se
(Be my be my baby) Be my little [Am]baby
(My one and only baby) Say you’ll be my darl[F]ing
(Be my be my baby) Be my baby n[G]ow
(My one and only baby) Ooh, ohh, ohh, oh

(Be[C] my be my baby) Be my little b[Am]aby
[F]

(My one and only baby) Ooh-oh-oh-oh, ooh-oh-oh-oh

(Be my be my baby) Oh-oh-o[G]h, oohh…
(My one and only baby) Oh, oh, oh, oh, oooohh…