"Baby Come Back" is a song by the British-American rock band Player. It was released in late 1977 as the lead single from their 1977 self-titled debut album, and was the breakthrough single for the band, gaining them mainstream success, hitting #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for the three consecutive weeks of January 14, 21 and 28, 1978 and #10 on the R&B charts in 1978.[5] Their biggest hit single, the song was written and performed by Peter Beckett and J.C. Crowley, the founders of Player.
| "Baby Come Back" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.png) Side A of the US single | ||||
| Single by Player | ||||
| from the album Player | ||||
| B-side | "Love Is Where You Find It" | |||
| Released | October 13, 1977 | |||
| Recorded | 1977 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
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| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| Player singles chronology | ||||
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| Alternative image | ||||
.png) Side A of the UK single | ||||
As reported on the American Top 40 replay broadcast of November 5, 1977, "Baby Come Back" was written after two of the band members had broken up with their girlfriends.
Personnel
edit- Peter Beckett – lead vocals and backing vocals, electric guitar
- J.C. Crowley – acoustic piano, electric piano and backing vocals
- Ronn Moss – bass and backing vocals
- John Friesen – drums, maracas and congas
- additional personnel
- Wayne Cook – synthesizers, clavinet and electric piano
Cover versions
editIn 2018, Australian band Ocean Alley included it as part of the Like a Version segment on the Australian radio station Triple J. The cover reached No. 16 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2018[citation needed] and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[6]
The song was also covered by Andy Gibb with the Beegees.
The song was also covered by Lisa Stansfield
Uses in other media
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In 2008, the song was used in a commercial for a cleaning product called the Swiffer WetJet.[7]
In 2011, it was the source of a parody by Chicago artist Magic 1 entitled "Cutty Come Back", which alludes to the Chicago Bears' woes without quarterback Jay Cutler.[8][9]
The song is also used in the Michael Bay blockbuster Transformers, when the Autobot Bumblebee communicates with its new owner Sam Witwicky through songs on the radio. In this case, after an incident with the girl he is attracted to, Mikaela, gets out of the car and Sam tries to persuade her to "come back". The lyrics of the song are expected to accomplish this desire, as laid out by the filmmakers, though it is unlikely given the context that she would actually come back anyway.
Actress/singer Vanessa Hudgens sampled the song for her 2006 debut single "Come Back to Me", from her debut album V.
In The Simpsons episode "Homer Alone", when Homer calls the "Department of Missing Babies" after losing Maggie, the hold music is a newly recorded version of the song, by Peter Beckett and J.C. Crowley.
This song was sung by Hank Hill and Elroy "Lucky" Kleinschmidt in the Point After Lounge in the "Church Hopping" episode of King of the Hill.
The song was sung by Steve Smith (Scott Grimes) in the American Dad! episode "The Unbrave One".
In a May 2014 episode of General Hospital, precocious Spencer Cassadine attempted to woo back Emma Scorpio-Drake by hiring Player to perform the song at the Nurses Ball. Spencer's great-grandmother Lesley Webber was supposedly a groupie of the band in the 1970s.
In 2016, Peter Beckett performed a parody "Brady Come Back" on The Herd with Colin Cowherd about the return of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady from suspension.
In 2018, rapper Yung Gravy sampled the song in his single "Cheryl".
In 2022, this song is played in the movie Black Adam.
In 2024, rapper and singer the Kid Laroi sampled "Baby Come Back" for the song "Baby I'm Back", which appears on the deluxe version of his debut album The First Time.[10]
Chart performance
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
All-time chartsedit
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Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[26] | Gold | 75,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[27] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ "200 Greatest Soft Rock Songs".
- ^ Molanphy, Chris (July 31, 2021). "What a Fool Believes Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
- ^ Smith, Troy L. (14 December 2021). "Every No. 1 song of the 1970s ranked from worst to best". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ Billboard Staff (October 19, 2023). "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
Late-'70s pop-rockers Player followed the "She's Gone" playbook to a T with their own blue-eyed breakup ballad "Baby Come Back
- ^ Billboard Hot 100, Week of January 28, 1978 – Billboard.com. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2020 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ^ Baby Come Back: Swiffer WetJet - Baby Come Back
- ^ Bowman, Eric (December 9, 2011). "Jay Cutler Injury Song: Listen to Epic Slow Jam "Cutty Come Back"". bleacherreport.com. Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
- ^ "'Cutty come back': Parody bemoans Cutler's absence". Chicago Tribune. 2011-12-08.
- ^ "New Music Friday: The Kid LAROI, Ava Max and more". Movin 92.5. August 9, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ^ Steffen Hung. "Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-02. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5533a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1978-01-14. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
- ^ "Player – Baby Come Back" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Player" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
- ^ "Player – Baby Come Back". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
- ^ "Springbok SA Top 20". Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ "Player: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
- ^ "Player Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
- ^ "Player Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
- ^ "Player Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
- ^ "Kent Music Report No 236 – 1 January 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1978". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 8 January 2022 – via Imgur.com.
- ^ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
- ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1978/Top 100 Songs of 1978". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – Player – Baby Come Back". Music Canada. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ^ "American single certifications – Player – Baby Come Back". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
Bibliography
edit- Joel Whitburn's Presents Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004, 2004, Record Research Inc., ISBN 978-0898201604