"My Baby Just Cares for Me"
Song
Published1930 by Donaldson, Douglas & Gumble
Songwriter(s)Gus Kahn
Composer(s)Walter Donaldson

"My Baby Just Cares for Me" is a jazz standard written by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by Gus Kahn. Written for the film version of the musical comedy Whoopee! (1930), the song became a signature tune for Eddie Cantor who sang it in the movie.[1][2] A stylized version of the song by American singer and songwriter Nina Simone,[2] recorded in 1957, was a top 10 hit in the United Kingdom after it was used in a 1987 perfume commercial and resulted in a renaissance for Simone.[3]

Recordings

Nina Simone recording

"My Baby Just Cares for Me"
Cover of Nina Simone's 1987 single release
Single by Nina Simone
from the album Little Girl Blue
B-side"He Needs Me"
Released1962 (1962)
Recorded1957 (1957)
GenreJazz
Length3:20
LabelBethlehem
Songwriter(s)Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn

Simone recorded the song in late 1957 for her debut album, Little Girl Blue, released in February 1959. The track remained relatively obscure until 1987, when it was used in a UK television commercial for Chanel No. 5 perfume. To follow up this exposure, the track was released as a single by Charly Records,[7] entering the UK Singles Chart on October 31, 1987 (1987-10-31) and becoming, after a peak at number 5,[8] one of Simone's biggest hits some 18 years after her previous chart entry. This single also made the top 10 in several European single charts and peaked at number one in the Dutch Top 40.[9]

The Simone version of the song was featured on the soundtrack for the 1992 film Peter's Friends, the 1994 film Shallow Grave,[10] and the 1996 film Stealing Beauty.

Music video

In 1987 a claymation music video was produced for "My Baby Just Cares for Me" by Aardman Animations[11] and directed by Peter Lord. The video prominently features live action footage showing details of a piano, brushes on a snare drum, and a double bass as they play the song. The two focal characters are represented by a singing cat in a club and the cat who is in love with her.

Charts

Chart (1987–1988) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[12] 36
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[13] 8
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[14] 2
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[15] 16
France (SNEP)[16] 9
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14] 2
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] 5
UK Singles (OCC)[8] 5
West Germany (Official German Charts)[14] 11

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[18] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[19]
Physical release 		Silver 250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Jasen, David A. (2003). Tin Pan Alley: An Encyclopedia of the Golden Age of American Song. Routledge. p. 111. ISBN 0415938775.
  2. ^ a b Friedwald, Will (2010). A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers. Pantheon. p. 414. ISBN 9780375421495.
  3. ^ Taleveski, Nick (2006). Rock Obituaries - Knocking On Heaven's Door. Omnibus Press. p. 594. ISBN 9781846090912.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 211. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
  5. ^ "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  6. ^ "allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  7. ^ Nina Simone catalogue at Charly Records Archived 2009-01-09 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ a b "The Official Charts Company - Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me (1987)". Official Charts. Retrieved November 12, 2009.
  9. ^ a b "De Nederlandse Top 40 - week 52, 1987" (in Dutch). Retrieved November 12, 2009.
  10. ^ "Shallow Grave". AllMusic.
  11. ^ "Episode 8: Music Videos Archived 2013-10-19 at archive.today", aardman.com. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  12. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 275. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  13. ^ "Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me - austriancharts.at" (in German). Retrieved November 12, 2009.
  14. ^ a b c "NINA SIMONE - MY BABY JUST CARES FOR ME" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  15. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Nina Simone". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 234. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  16. ^ "lescharts.com - Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me" (in French). Retrieved November 12, 2009.
  17. ^ "Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me - hitparade.ch" (in German). Retrieved November 12, 2009.
  18. ^ "Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me (2013 Remastered Version)". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  19. ^ "British single certifications – Nina Simone – My Baby Just Cares For Me". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 6, 2021.

External links

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