Barbara Lewis: Baby I'm Yours

[smark21]

I’ve just recently discovered the video below. I’ve never heard of Barbara Lewis before, but what a good song and singer. Did she have much of a career? The song was covered the other night by the alt rock band The Killers at their show in Vancouver.

[Jerry Oz]

That's a classic song, Smark. I bought an Atlantic Records collection 20 years ago [[!) and when I heard it, I remember listening to it as a boy in the '60s. In my personal opinion, it's one of those songs that actually sounds better each time you hear it.

[robb_k]

"Baby I'm Yours" was a mega hit on the Pop stations as well as the R&B/Soul stations. It was written by Van McCoy [[one reason why). Barbara was from Michigan, outside The Detroit Area [[Ann Arbor, I believe). She had other hits. Her biggest hit was her first [["Hello Stranger") great Popcorn and Beach! She also had a minor hit with "Some Day We're Gonna love Again", which was covered by The Searchers [[British Invasion group, and "Make Me Your Baby" and "Make Me Belong To You" [[both also written by Van McCoy). She was produced by Detroit producer, Ollie McLaughlin, who first released her on his Karen label in early 1963. He got her a deal with Atlantic Records [[the label of her hits listed above). She also had a great album with Stax/Volt, released on their Enterprise label in the late '60s. It was also produced by McLaughlin, and all recorded in Detroit. Most of her Atlantic cuts were recorded in Chicago. She recorded about 20 songs for Atlantic, and 14 for Enterprise. I don't remember her making the radio after 1968. Her recordings are still hot with the Beach crowd in the Carolinas and Virginia, and the Popcorn Crowd in Belgium/Western Europe, and also in Japan. She was very big from 1963-67. Not a "One Hit Wonder".

[Kamasu_Jr]

I’ve just recently discovered the video below. I’ve never heard of Barbara Lewis before, but what a good song and singer. Did she have much of a career? The song was covered the other night by the alt rock band The Killers at their show in Vancouver.

Smark, if you're interested, I'd recommend getting her Complete Atlantic Singles disc. The disc on Enterprise is good too.

[motony]

my brother Randy knows Barbara pretty well as he taught 2 of her grandkids in school and Barbara graciously performed for a school benefit...she played keyboards & sang & I swear if you turned your head & just listened you would still have thought it was 1965...I mean this was about 10 years ago BUT she sounded JUST like she does above.I'll have to ask Randy if he's heard from her lately as she does[[or did) live close by.

[roger]

It looks like you have some great music to listen to Smark ..

This is Barbara's "Big Money"/"In Demand tune in Britain ..



Also "The Stars" off her Enterprise L.P. has received a lot of U.K. interest over the years, not to mention her big U.S. hits "Baby I'm Yours", "Hello Stranger" and [[my favourite of the lot) .. "Make Me Your Baby".

Incidentally, when talking of "British Invasion" groups, in addition to the version of "Someday We're Gonna Love Again" by THE SEARCHERS that Robb_K mentioned [[#11 in Britain in 1965) there was also a version of "Baby I'm Yours" by PETER AND GORDON that got to #19 in Britain.

Also a remake of "Hello Stranger" became a big international hit in 1977 for YVONNE ELLIMAN, and a further remake of the song by CARRIE LUCAS with THE WHISPERS was a sizable R&B hit in 1985.

Roger

[smark21]

Thanks for the info on Barbara Lewis everyone!

[woodward]

Thanks for the info on Barbara Lewis everyone!

FYI. I have the Atlantic 60 - Celebrating 60 Years of Atlantic R&B CD entitled Barbara Lewis - The Platinum Collection. A total of 20 songs by her. The booklet that accompanies the CD indicates that she was born in Salem, Michigan.

[MIKEW-UK]

[stephanie]

She still sounds good. That song above sounds like a Northern Soul beat.