Baby , Please Do n't Go - wikipedia Baby , Please Do n't Go Jump to : navigation , search `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' Single by Joe Williams ' Washboard Blues Singers B - side `` Wild Cow Blues '' Released 1935 ( 1935 ) Format 10 - inch 78 rpm Recorded Chicago , October 31 , 1935 Genre Blues Length 3 : 22 Label Bluebird Songwriter ( s ) Traditional ( J. Williams credited on record ) Producer ( s ) Lester Melrose `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' is a blues song which has been called `` one of the most played , arranged , and rearranged pieces in blues history '' by music historian Gerard Herzhaft ( fr ) . Delta blues musician Big Joe Williams popularized the song with several versions beginning in 1935 . After World War II , Chicago blues and rhythm and blues artists adapted the song to newer music styles . In 1952 , a doo - wop version by the Orioles reached the top ten on the race records chart . In 1953 , Muddy Waters recorded the song as an electric Chicago - ensemble blues piece , which influenced many subsequent renditions . By the early 1950s , the song became a blues standard . In the 1960s , `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' became a popular rock song after the Northern Irish group Them recorded it in 1964 . Several music writers have identified Jimmy Page , a studio guitarist at the time , as participating in the recording , although his exact contributions are unclear . Subsequently , Them 's uptempo rock arrangement also made it a rock standard . `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' has been inducted into both the Blues and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame . Contents ( hide ) 1 Background 2 Original song 3 Later blues and R&B recordings 4 Van Morrison and Them rendition 5 AC / DC version 6 Recordings by other artists 7 Recognition and legacy 8 Notes Background ( edit ) `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' is likely an adaptation of `` Long John '' , an old folk theme which dates back to the time of slavery in the United States . Blues researcher Paul Garon notes that the melody is based on `` Alabamy Bound '' , composed by Tin Pan Alley writer Ray Henderson , with lyrics by Buddy DeSylva and Bud Green in 1925 . The song , a vaudeville show tune , inspired several other songs between 1925 and 1935 , such as `` Elder Greene Blues '' , `` Alabama Bound '' , and `` Do n't You Leave Me Here '' . These variants were recorded by Charlie Patton , Lead Belly , Monette Moore , Henry Thomas , and Tampa Red . Author Linda Dahl suggests a connection to a song with the same title by Mary Williams Johnson in the late 1920s and early 1930s . However , Johnson , who was married to jazz - influenced blues guitarist Lonnie Johnson , never recorded it and her song is not discussed as influencing later performers . Blues researcher Jim O'Neal notes that Williams `` sometimes said that the song was written by his wife , singer Bessie Mae Smith ( aka Blue Belle and St. Louis Bessie ) ( not the same as the popular Bessie Smith of the 1920s and 1930s ) '' . Original song ( edit ) Big Joe Williams used the imprisonment theme for his October 31 , 1935 , recording of `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' . He recorded it during his first session for Lester Melrose and Bluebird Records in Chicago . It is an ensemble piece with Williams on vocal and guitar accompanied by Dad Tracy on one - string fiddle and Chasey `` Kokomo '' Collins on washboard , who are listed as `` Joe Williams ' Washboard Blues Singers '' on the single . Musical notation for the song indicates a moderate - tempo fifteen - bar blues in or common time in the key of B flat . As with many Delta blues songs of the era , it remains on the tonic chord ( I ) throughout without the progression to the subdominant ( IV ) or dominant ( V ) chords . The lyrics express a prisoner 's anxiety about his lover leaving before he returns home : Now baby please do n't go , now baby please do n't go Baby please do n't go back to New Orleans , and get your cold ice cream I believe there 's a man done gone , I believe there 's a man done gone I believe there 's a man done gone to the county farm , with a long chain on The song became a hit and established Williams ' recording career . On December 12 , 1941 , he recorded a second version titled `` Please Do n't Go '' in Chicago for Bluebird , with a more modern arrangement and lyrics . Blues historian Gerard Herzhaft calls it `` the most exciting version '' , which Williams recorded using his trademark nine - string guitar . Accompanying him are Sonny Boy Williamson I on harmonica and Alfred Elkins on imitation bass ( possibly a washtub bass ) . Since both songs appeared before recording industry publications began tracking such releases , it is unknown which version was more popular . In 1947 , he recorded it for Columbia Records with Williamson and Ransom Knowling on bass and Judge Riley on drums . This version did not reach the Billboard Race Records chart , but represents a move toward a more urban blues treatment of the song . Later blues and R&B recordings ( edit ) Big Joe Williams various recordings inspired other blues musicians to record their interpretations of the song and it became a blues standard . Early examples include Papa Charlie McCoy as `` Tampa Kid '' ( 1936 ) , Leonard `` Baby Doo '' Caston ( 1939 ) , Lightnin ' Hopkins ( 1947 ) , John Lee Hooker ( 1949 ) and Big Bill Broonzy ( 1952 ) . By the early 1950s , the song was reworked in contemporary musical styles , with an early rhythm and blues / jump blues version by Billy Wright ( 1951 ) , a harmonized doo - wop version by the Orioles ( a number eight R&B hit in 1952 ) , and a Afro - Cuban - influenced rendition by Rose Mitchell ( 1954 ) . In 1953 , Muddy Waters recast the song as a Chicago - blues ensemble piece with Little Walter and Jimmy Rogers . Chess Records originally issued the single with the title `` Turn the Lamp Down Low '' , although the song is also referred to as `` Turn Your Lamp Down Low '' , `` Turn Your Light Down Low '' , or `` Baby Please Do n't Go '' . He regularly performed the song , several of which were recorded . Live versions appear on Muddy Waters at Newport 1960 and on Live at the Checkerboard Lounge , Chicago 1981 with members of the Rolling Stones . AllMusic critic Bill Janovitz cites the influence of Waters ' adaptation : The most likely link between the Williams recordings and all the rock covers that came in the 1960s and 1970s would be the Muddy Waters 1953 Chess side , which retains the same swinging phrasing as the Williams takes , but the session musicians beef it up with a steady driving rhythm section , electrified instruments and Little Walter Jacobs wailing on blues harp . Van Morrison and Them rendition ( edit ) `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' Single by Them B - side `` Gloria '' Released November 6 , 1964 ( 1964 - 11 - 06 ) ( UK ) 1965 ( US ) Format 7 - inch 45 rpm Recorded October 1964 Genre Blues rock Length 2 : 40 Label Decca ( UK ) Parrot ( US ) Songwriter ( s ) Traditional ( Williams credited ) Producer ( s ) Bert Berns `` Baby Please Do n't Go '' was one of the earliest songs recorded by Them , fronted by a 19 - year - old Van Morrison . Their rendition of the song was derived from a John Lee Hooker version recorded in 1949 as `` Do n't Go Baby '' using the pseudonym `` Texas Slim '' ( King 4334 ) , which later appeared on a 1959 album , Highway of Blues , that Van Morrison heard and felt was `` something really unique and different '' with `` more soul '' than he 'd previously heard . Them recorded `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' for Decca Records in October 1964 . Besides Morrison , there is conflicting information about who participated in the session . In addition to the group 's original members ( guitarist Billy Harrison , bassist Alan Henderson , drummer Ronnie Millings , and keyboard player Eric Wrixon ) , others have been suggested : Pat McAuley on keyboards , Bobby Graham on a second drum kit , Jimmy Page on second guitar , and Peter Bardens on keyboards . As Page biographer George Case notes , `` There is a dispute over whether it is Page 's piercing blues line that defines the song , if he only played a run Harrison had already devised , or if Page only backed up Harrison himself '' . Morrison has acknowledged Page 's participation in the early sessions : `` He played rhythm guitar on one thing and doubled a bass riff on the other '' and Morrison biographer Johnny Rogan notes that Page `` doubled the distinctive riff already worked out by Billy Harrison '' . Music critic Greil Marcus comments that during the song 's quieter middle passage `` the guitarist , session player Jimmy Page or not , seems to be feeling his way into another song , flipping half - riffs , high , random , distracted metal shavings '' . Them 's blues - rock arrangement is `` now regarded justly as definitive '' , with `` much of its appeal emanat ( ing ) from the tingling lead guitar section '' , according to music writer Adam Clayson . `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' was released as Them 's second single on November 6 , 1964 . With the B - side , `` Gloria '' , it became their first hit , reaching number ten on the UK Singles Chart in February 1965 . The single was released in the U.S. in 1965 , but only `` Gloria '' became a hit the following year . The song was not included on Them 's original British or American albums ( The Angry Young Them and Them Again ) , however , it has appeared on several compilation albums , such as The Story of Them Featuring Van Morrison and The Best of Van Morrison . When it was reissued in 1991 as a single in the UK ( London LON 292 ) , it reached number 65 in the chart . Van Morrison also accompanied John Lee Hooker during a 1992 performance , where Hooker sings and plays `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' on guitar while sitting on a dock , with harmonica backing by Morrison ; it was released on the 2004 Come See About Me Hooker DVD . AC / DC version ( edit ) Angus Young and Bon Scott at the Ulster Hall in August 1979 `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' was a feature of AC / DC 's live shows since their beginning . Although they have expressed their interest and inspiration in early blues songs , music writer Mick Wall identifies Them 's adaptation of the song as the likely source . In November 1974 , Angus Young , Malcolm Young , and Bon Scott recorded it for their 1975 Australian debut album , High Voltage . Tony Currenti is sometimes identified as the drummer for the song , although he suggests that it had been already recorded by Peter Clack . Wall notes that producer George Young played bass for most of the album , although Rob Bailey claims that many of the album 's tracks were recorded with him . High Voltage and a single with `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' were released simultaneously in Australia in February 1975 . AllMusic critic Eduardo Rivadavia called the song `` positively explosive '' . Albert Productions issued it as the single 's B - side . However , the A-side was largely ignored and `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' began receiving airplay . The single entered the chart at the end of March 1975 and peaked at number 10 in April . Also on 23 March 1975 , one month after drummer Phil Rudd and bassist Mark Evans joined AC / DC , the group performed the song for the first time ( this performance would also be repeated on 6 April and 27 April which is why there is often conflicting dates for this performance ) on the Australian music program Countdown . For their appearance , `` Angus wore his trade mark schoolboy uniform while Scott took the stage wearing a wig of blonde braids , a dress , make - up , and earrings '' , according to author Heather Miller . Joe Bonomo describes Scott as `` a demented Pippi Longstocking '' , and Perkins notes his `` tattoos and a disturbingly short skirt . '' Evans describes the reaction : As soon as his vocals are about to begin he comes out from behind the drums dressed as a schoolgirl . And it was like a bomb went off in the joint ; it was pandemonium , everybody broke out in laughter . ( Scott ) had a wonderful sense of humor . Scott mugs for the camera and , during the guitar solo / vocal improvization section , he lights a cigarette as he duels with Angus with a green mallet . Rudd laughs throughout the performance . Although `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' was a popular part of AC / DC 's performances ( often as the closing number ) , the song was not released internationally until their 1984 compilation EP ' 74 Jailbreak . The video from the Countdown show is included on the Family Jewels DVD compilation in 2005 . Recordings by other artists ( edit ) Aerosmith recorded `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' for their blues cover album , Honkin ' on Bobo , which was released on March 30 , 2004 . The album was produced by Jack Douglas , who had worked on the group 's earlier albums , and reflects a return to their hard rock roots . Billboard magazine describes the song as `` the kind of straight - ahead , hard - driving track that always typified the band 's ( 1970s ) records '' . Edna Gundersen of USA Today called their version a `` terrific revival . '' It was the first single to be released from the album and reached number seven on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart . A music video , directed by Mark Haefeli , was produced to promote the single . Subsequently , the song has become a staple of the band 's concert repertoire . Other recorded renditions include those by Mose Allison ( Transfiguration of Hiram Brown , 1960 ) , Paul Revere & the Raiders ( Just Like Us ! , 1966 ) , the Amboy Dukes ( reached number 106 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles record chart in 1968 ) , Beacon Street Union ( The Clown Died in Marvin Gardens , 1968 ) , Gary Glitter ( Glitter , 1972 ) , Budgie ( Never Turn Your Back on a Friend , 1973 ) and Renée Geyer ( Swing , 2013 ) . Recognition and legacy ( edit ) Big Joe Williams ' `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame list of `` 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll '' . In 1992 , it was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in the `` Classics of Blues Recordings '' category . The Foundation noted that , in addition to various blues recordings , `` the song was revived in revved - up fashion by rock bands in the ' 60s such as Them , the Amboy Dukes , and Ten Years After '' . Notes ( edit ) Footnotes Jump up ^ An earlier `` I 'm Alabama Bound '' , with its own recording history , was published by Robert Hoffman in 1909 . Jump up ^ The sheet music includes a 1944 copyright date , indicating a later version of the song ( Williams ' 1935 recording is in the key of B) . Jump up ^ Music historian Larry Birbaum suggested that the Orioles ' 1951 version inspired James Brown 's first hit `` Please , Please , Please '' ( 1956 ) . Jump up ^ Muddy Waters ' original Chess single lists the songwriters as `` Strutt , Alexander '' , although reissues credit `` McKinley Morganfield '' ( his legal name ) . The song is registered as `` Turn the Lamps ( sic ) Down Low '' with Joseph Lee Williams as the songwriter . ISWC T - 070.278. 618 - 2 . Jump up ^ Beginning about 1 : 22 in Them 's recording , bassy - sounding riffs appear . Jump up ^ The Albert Productions AC / DC single misidentified the songwriter as Big Bill Broonzy . Citations ^ Jump up to : Herzhaft 1992 , p. 437 . ^ Jump up to : Garon 2004 , p. 39 . ^ Jump up to : O'Neal , Jim ( 1992 ) . `` 1992 Hall of Fame Inductees : `` Baby Please Do n't Go '' -- Big Joe Williams ( Bluebird 1935 ) `` . The Blues Foundation . Retrieved April 26 , 2015 . Jump up ^ Dahl 1984 , p. 110 . ^ Jump up to : Birnbaum 2012 , p. 302 . ^ Jump up to : Hal Leonard 1995 , pp. 17 -- 19 . Jump up ^ Hal Leonard 1995 , p. 17 . Jump up ^ Gioia 2008 , p. 130 . Jump up ^ Herzhaft 1992 , p. 381 . Jump up ^ Demetre 1994 , p. 23 . Jump up ^ Demetre 1994 , p. 29 . Jump up ^ Whitburn 1988 , pp. 444 -- 445 . Jump up ^ Escott 2002 , p. 54 . Jump up ^ Garon , p. 40 . Jump up ^ Palmer 1989 , p. 28 . Jump up ^ Garon 2004 , p. 40 . Jump up ^ Gordon 2002 , p. 266 . ^ Jump up to : Bonomo 2010 , eBook . ^ Jump up to : Murray 2002 , pp. 212 , 302 . ^ Jump up to : Thompson 2008 , p. 303 . Jump up ^ Strong 2002 , eBook . Jump up ^ Case 2007 , p. 35 . ^ Jump up to : Rogan 2006 , pp. 101 , 111 . Jump up ^ Marcus 2010 , eBook . Jump up ^ Them ( 1964 ) . Baby , Please Do n't Go ( Song recording ) . London : Decca Records . Event occurs at 1 : 22 . F. 12018 . Jump up ^ Clayson 2006 , p. 61 . ^ Jump up to : `` Them -- Singles '' . Official Charts . Retrieved April 26 , 2015 . Jump up ^ `` Them -- Awards '' . AllMusic . Retrieved April 26 , 2015 . Jump up ^ `` Van Morrison / Them : Baby Please Do n't Go -- Appears On '' . AllMusic . Retrieved April 26 , 2015 . Jump up ^ `` John Lee Hooker : Come and See About Me -- Overview '' . AllMusic . Retrieved April 26 , 2015 . Jump up ^ Walker 2011 , p. 135 . ^ Jump up to : Perkins 2011 , eBook . ^ Jump up to : Wall 2013 , eBook . Jump up ^ Fink 2014 , p. 83 . ^ Jump up to : Walker 2011 , p. 139 . Jump up ^ Rivadavia , Eduardo . `` AC / DC : High Voltage ( Australia ) -- Album Review '' . AllMusic . Retrieved April 26 , 2015 . Jump up ^ Walker 2011 , p. 145 . Jump up ^ Walker 2011 , p. 148 . Jump up ^ `` Specials : Countdown '' . AC / DC - Bootlegs . Retrieved April 25 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : Miller 2009 , eBook . ^ Jump up to : Erlewine , Stephen Thomas . `` Aerosmith : Honkin ' on Bobo -- Album Review '' . AllMusic . Retrieved April 26 , 2015 . Jump up ^ Billboard 2004 , pp. 13 , 15 . Jump up ^ Gundersen , Edna ( March 29 , 2004 ) . `` Clapton , Aerosmith dabble in the blues '' . USA Today . Gannett Company . Retrieved July 1 , 2015 . Jump up ^ `` Aerosmith : Honkin ' on Bobo -- Awards '' . AllMusic . Retrieved April 26 , 2015 . Jump up ^ `` Aerosmith : ' Baby Please Do n't Go ' Video Posted Online '' . Blabbermouth.net . May 20 , 2004 . Retrieved July 1 , 2015 . Jump up ^ Hauk , Hunter ( August 6 , 2010 ) . `` Concert review : Aerosmith at Superpages.com Center '' . The Dallas Morning News . A.H. Belo . Retrieved July 1 , 2015 . Jump up ^ Stingley , Mick ( October 14 , 2010 ) . `` Aerosmith / The J. Geils Band -- Concert Review '' . The Hollywood Reporter . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved July 1 , 2015 . Jump up ^ Greenwald , Matthew . `` Mose Allison : Baby Please Do n't Go , Composed by Big Joe Williams '' . AllMusic . Retrieved March 15 , 2016 . Jump up ^ Ruhlmann , William . `` Paul Revere & the Raiders -- Just Like Us ! album review '' . AllMusic . Retrieved December 18 , 2015 . Jump up ^ Billboard ( March 23 , 1968 ) . `` Bubbling Under the Hot 100 '' . Billboard . Nielsen Business Media . 80 ( 9 ) : 54 . ISSN 0006 - 2510 . Jump up ^ Prato , Greg . `` Budgie : Never Turn Your Back on a Friend -- Album review '' . AllMusic . Retrieved December 18 , 2015 . Jump up ^ `` 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll '' . Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . 1995 . Archived from the original on April 22 , 2007 . Retrieved April 26 , 2015 . References Billboard ( April 3 , 2004 ) . `` ' Honk ' if You Love Old Aerosmith '' . Billboard . Nielsen Business Media . 116 ( 14 ) . ISSN 0006 - 2510 . Birnbaum , Larry ( 2012 ) . Before Elvis : The Prehistory of Rock ' n ' Roll . Scarecrow Press . ISBN 978 - 0 - 8108 - 8629 - 2 . Bonomo , Joe ( 2010 ) . AC / DC 's Highway To Hell . Bloomsbury Publishing USA . ISBN 978 - 1441141583 . Case , George ( 2007 ) . Jimmy Page : Magus , Musician , Man -- An Unauthorized Biography . Hal Leonard . ISBN 978 - 1 - 4234 - 0407 - 1 . Clayson , Adam ( 2006 ) . Led Zeppelin : The Origin of the Species . Chrome Dreams . ISBN 1 - 84240 - 345 - 1 . Dahl , Linda ( 1984 ) . Stormy Weather . Proscenium Publishers . Demetre , Jacques ( 1994 ) . The Prewar Blues Story 1926 -- 1943 ( CD compilation booklet ) . Various artists . Best of Blues . OCLC 874878605 . Best of Blues 20 . Escott , Colin ( 2002 ) . B.B. King : The Vintage Years ( Box set booklet ) . B.B. King . Ace Records , Ltd . OCLC 52004950 . Ace ABOXCD 8 . Fink , Jesse ( 2014 ) . The Youngs : The Brothers Who Built AC / DC . St. Martin 's Press . ISBN 978 - 1466865204 . Garon , Paul ( 2004 ) . `` Baby Please Do n't Go / Do n't You Leave Me Here '' . In Komara , Edward . Encyclopedia of the Blues . New York City : Routledge . ISBN 978 - 1135958329 . Gioia , Ted ( 2008 ) . Delta Blues ( Norton Paperback 2009 ed . ) . New York City : W.W. Norton . ISBN 978 - 0 - 393 - 33750 - 1 . Gordon , Robert ( 2002 ) . Ca n't Be Satisfied : The Life and Times of Muddy Waters. Little , Brown . ISBN 0 - 316 - 32849 - 9 . Hal Leonard ( 1995 ) . `` Baby Please Do n't Go '' . The Blues . Milwaukee , Wisconsin : Hal Leonard . ISBN 0 - 79355 - 259 - 1 . Herzhaft , Gerard ( 1992 ) . `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' . Encyclopedia of the Blues . Fayetteville , Arkansas : University of Arkansas Press . ISBN 1 - 55728 - 252 - 8 . Marcus , Greil ( 2010 ) . When That Rough God Goes Riding : Listening to Van Morrison . PublicAffairs . ISBN 978 - 1 - 58648 - 821 - 5 . Miller , Heather ( 2009 ) . AC / DC : Hard Rock Band . Enslow Publishers . ISBN 978 - 0766030312 . Murray , Charles Shaar ( 2002 ) . Boogie Man : The Adventures of John Lee Hooker in the American Twentieth Century . Macmillan . ISBN 978 - 0 - 312 - 27006 - 3 . Palmer , Robert ( 1989 ) . Muddy Waters : Chess Box ( Box set booklet ) . Muddy Waters . Universal City , California : Chess Records / MCA Records . OCLC 154264537 . CHD3 - 80002 . Perkins , Jeff ( 2011 ) . AC / DC -- Uncensored on the Record . Coda Books . ISBN 978 - 1908538543 . Rogan , Johnny ( 2006 ) . Van Morrison : No Surrender . Random House . ISBN 978 - 0 - 09 - 943183 - 1 . Strong , Martin C. ( 2002 ) . The Great Rock Discography . Canongate Publishing . ISBN 978 - 1 - 84195 - 312 - 0 . Thompson , Gordon ( 2008 ) . Please Please Me : Sixties British Pop , Inside Out . Oxford University Press . ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 533318 - 3 . Walker , Clinton ( 2011 ) . Highway to Hell : The Life and Death of AC / DC Legend Bon Scott . Verse Chorus Press . ISBN 978 - 1891241864 . Wall , Mick ( 2013 ) . AC / DC : Hell Ai n't a Bad Place to Be . Macmillan . ISBN 978 - 1250038753 . Whitburn , Joel ( 1988 ) . Top R&B Singles 1942 -- 1988 . Menomonee Falls , Wisconsin : Record Research . ISBN 0 - 89820 - 068 - 7 . Muddy Waters Studio albums 1964 Folk Singer 1967 Super Blues 1968 Electric Mud 1969 After the Rain Fathers and Sons 1972 The London Muddy Waters Sessions 1977 Hard Again 1978 I 'm Ready 1981 King Bee Live albums 1960 At Newport 1960 1969 Fathers and Sons 1979 Muddy `` Mississippi '' Waters -- Live 2012 Live at the Checkerboard Lounge , Chicago 1981 Compilations 1958 The Best of Muddy Waters 1967 The Real Folk Blues 1969 Sail On 2000 Rollin ' Stone : The Golden Anniversary Collection The Anthology ( 1947 -- 1972 ) Noted singles 1950 `` Rollin ' and Tumblin ' '' `` Rollin ' Stone '' `` Walkin ' Blues '' 1951 `` Long Distance Call '' 1953 `` Baby Please Do n't Go '' 1954 `` Hoochie Coochie Man '' `` I Just Want to Make Love to You '' `` I 'm Ready '' 1955 `` Mannish Boy '' 1956 `` Trouble No More '' `` Forty Days and Forty Nights '' `` Rock Me '' `` Got My Mojo Working '' 1962 `` You Shook Me '' Related articles Discography Chicago blues Delta blues Willie Dixon Little Walter Jimmy Rogers Otis Spann Chess Records Them Van Morrison Billy Harrison Eric Wrixon Alan Henderson Raymond Sweetman Ronnie Millings Pat McAuley Jackie McAuley Peter Bardens Regular UK albums The Angry Young Them ( 1964 ) Them Again ( 1965 ) Singles ( Decca , Parrott ) `` Do n't Start Crying Now '' ( 1964 ) `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' / `` Gloria '' ( 1964 ) `` Here Comes the Night '' ( 1965 ) `` One More Time '' ( 1965 ) `` It 's All Over Now , Baby Blue '' `` Call My Name '' `` I Can Only Give You Everything '' `` Richard Cory '' ( 1966 ) Compilations The Story of Them Featuring Van Morrison Aerosmith Steven Tyler Joe Perry Tom Hamilton Joey Kramer Brad Whitford Ray Tabano Jimmy Crespo Rick Dufay Studio albums Aerosmith Get Your Wings Toys in the Attic Rocks Draw the Line Night in the Ruts Rock in a Hard Place Done with Mirrors Permanent Vacation Pump Get a Grip Nine Lives Just Push Play Honkin ' on Bobo Music from Another Dimension ! Live albums Live ! Bootleg Classics Live I and II A Little South of Sanity Rockin ' the Joint Extended plays Vacation Club Made in America Singles `` Mama Kin '' `` Dream On '' `` Same Old Song and Dance '' `` Train Kept A-Rollin ' '' `` S.O.S. ( Too Bad ) '' `` Sweet Emotion '' `` Toys in the Attic '' `` Walk This Way '' `` You See Me Crying '' `` Last Child '' `` Home Tonight '' `` Back in the Saddle '' `` Draw the Line '' `` Kings and Queens '' `` Get It Up '' `` Come Together '' `` Chip Away the Stone '' `` Remember ( Walking in the Sand ) '' `` Lightning Strikes '' `` Bitch 's Brew '' `` Let the Music Do the Talking '' `` Shela '' `` My Fist Your Face '' `` Darkness '' `` Dude ( Looks Like a Lady ) '' `` Hangman Jury '' ( promo ) `` Angel '' `` Rag Doll '' `` Love in an Elevator '' `` F.I.N.E. * '' ( promo ) `` Janie 's Got a Gun '' `` What It Takes '' `` The Other Side '' `` Monkey on My Back '' `` Love Me Two Times '' `` Helter Skelter '' `` Livin ' on the Edge '' `` Eat the Rich '' `` Fever '' ( promo ) `` Cryin ' '' `` Amazing '' `` Shut Up and Dance '' ( UK ) `` Deuces Are Wild '' ( promo ) `` Crazy '' `` Blind Man '' `` Walk on Water '' `` Nine Lives '' `` Falling in Love ( Is Hard on the Knees ) '' `` Hole in My Soul '' `` Pink '' `` Taste of India '' `` I Do n't Want to Miss a Thing '' `` What Kind of Love Are You On '' `` Angel 's Eye '' `` Jaded '' `` Fly Away from Here '' `` Sunshine '' `` Just Push Play '' `` Girls of Summer '' `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' `` Devil 's Got a New Disguise '' `` Legendary Child '' `` Lover Alot '' `` What Could Have Been Love '' `` Ca n't Stop Lovin ' You '' Compilations Greatest Hits Gems Pandora 's Box Big Ones Pandora 's Toys Box of Fire Young Lust : The Aerosmith Anthology Classic Aerosmith : The Universal Masters Collection O , Yeah ! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits Devil 's Got a New Disguise : The Very Best of Aerosmith Tough Love : Best of the Ballads Videos and DVDs Aerosmith Video Scrapbook Permanent Vacation 3x5 Live Texxas Jam ' 78 Things That Go Pump in the Night The Making of Pump Big Ones You Can Look At You Gotta Move Rock for the Rising Sun Concert tours Rocks Tour Live Bootleg ! Tour Back in the Saddle Tour Done with Mirrors Tour Permanent Vacation Tour Pump Tour Get a Grip Tour Nine Lives Tour Roar of the Dragon Tour Just Push Play Tour Girls of Summer Tour Rocksimus Maximus Tour Honkin ' on Bobo Tour Rockin ' the Joint Tour Route of All Evil Tour Aerosmith World Tour 2007 Aerosmith / ZZ Top Tour Cocked , Locked , Ready to Rock Tour Back On the Road Tour Global Warming Tour Let Rock Rule Tour Blue Army Tour Rock ' N ' Roll Rumble Tour Aero - Vederci Baby ! Tour Related articles Album discography Singles discography Videography Songs Band members Concert tours Awards Toxic Twins The Strangeurs / Chain Reaction Whitford / St. Holmes The Joe Perry Project Walk This Way : The Autobiography of Aerosmith Wherehouse Aero Force One Blue Army Rock ' n ' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith Quest for Fame Revolution X Guitar Hero : Aerosmith songs Toxic Twin Towers Ball Book Portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Baby,_Please_Don%27t_Go&oldid=833661642 '' Categories : Year of song unknown Blues songs 1949 singles John Lee Hooker songs 1953 singles Muddy Waters songs 1964 singles Them ( band ) songs 2004 singles AC / DC songs Aerosmith songs Deram Records singles Decca Records singles Parrot Records singles Songwriter unknown Bluebird Records singles Hidden categories : Good articles Articles with hAudio microformats Interlanguage link template link number Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Deutsch Español Français Italiano Polski Português Edit links This page was last edited on 1 April 2018 , at 20 : 53 . 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baby please don't go because i love you so
`` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' Single by Joe Williams ' Washboard Blues Singers B - side `` Wild Cow Blues '' Released 1935 ( 1935 ) Format 10 - inch 78 rpm Recorded Chicago , October 31 , 1935 Genre Blues Length 3 : 22 Label Bluebird Songwriter ( s ) Traditional ( J. Williams credited on record ) Producer ( s ) Lester Melrose `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' Single by Joe Williams ' Washboard Blues Singers B - side `` Wild Cow Blues '' Released 1935 ( 1935 ) Format 10 - inch 78 rpm Recorded Chicago , October 31 , 1935 Genre Blues Length 3 : 22 Label Bluebird Songwriter ( s ) Traditional ( J. Williams credited on record ) Producer ( s ) Lester Melrose `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' is a blues song which has been called `` one of the most played , arranged , and rearranged pieces in blues history '' by music historian Gerard Herzhaft ( fr ) . Delta blues musician Big Joe Williams popularized the song with several versions beginning in 1935 . After World War II , Chicago blues and rhythm and blues artists adapted the song to newer music styles . In 1952 , a doo - wop version by the Orioles reached the top ten on the race records chart . In 1953 , Muddy Waters recorded the song as an electric Chicago - ensemble blues piece , which influenced many subsequent renditions . By the early 1950s , the song became a blues standard . In the 1960s , `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' became a popular rock song after the Northern Irish group Them recorded it in 1964 . Several music writers have identified Jimmy Page , a studio guitarist at the time , as participating in the recording , although his exact contributions are unclear . Subsequently , Them 's uptempo rock arrangement also made it a rock standard . `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' has been inducted into both the Blues and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame . `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' is likely an adaptation of `` Long John '' , an old folk theme which dates back to the time of slavery in the United States . Blues researcher Paul Garon notes that the melody is based on `` Alabamy Bound '' , composed by Tin Pan Alley writer Ray Henderson , with lyrics by Buddy DeSylva and Bud Green in 1925 . The song , a vaudeville show tune , inspired several other songs between 1925 and 1935 , such as `` Elder Greene Blues '' , `` Alabama Bound '' , and `` Do n't You Leave Me Here '' . These variants were recorded by Charlie Patton , Lead Belly , Monette Moore , Henry Thomas , and Tampa Red . Author Linda Dahl suggests a connection to a song with the same title by Mary Williams Johnson in the late 1920s and early 1930s . However , Johnson , who was married to jazz - influenced blues guitarist Lonnie Johnson , never recorded it and her song is not discussed as influencing later performers . Blues researcher Jim O'Neal notes that Williams `` sometimes said that the song was written by his wife , singer Bessie Mae Smith ( aka Blue Belle and St. Louis Bessie ) ( not the same as the popular Bessie Smith of the 1920s and 1930s ) '' . Big Joe Williams used the imprisonment theme for his October 31 , 1935 , recording of `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' . He recorded it during his first session for Lester Melrose and Bluebird Records in Chicago . It is an ensemble piece with Williams on vocal and guitar accompanied by Dad Tracy on one - string fiddle and Chasey `` Kokomo '' Collins on washboard , who are listed as `` Joe Williams ' Washboard Blues Singers '' on the single . Musical notation for the song indicates a moderate - tempo fifteen - bar blues in or common time in the key of B flat . As with many Delta blues songs of the era , it remains on the tonic chord ( I ) throughout without the progression to the subdominant ( IV ) or dominant ( V ) chords . The lyrics express a prisoner 's anxiety about his lover leaving before he returns home : Now baby please do n't go , now baby please do n't go Baby please do n't go back to New Orleans , and get your cold ice cream I believe there 's a man done gone , I believe there 's a man done gone I believe there 's a man done gone to the county farm , with a long chain on The song became a hit and established Williams ' recording career . On December 12 , 1941 , he recorded a second version titled `` Please Do n't Go '' in Chicago for Bluebird , with a more modern arrangement and lyrics . Blues historian Gerard Herzhaft calls it `` the most exciting version '' , which Williams recorded using his trademark nine - string guitar . Accompanying him are Sonny Boy Williamson I on harmonica and Alfred Elkins on imitation bass ( possibly a washtub bass ) . Since both songs appeared before recording industry publications began tracking such releases , it is unknown which version was more popular . In 1947 , he recorded it for Columbia Records with Williamson and Ransom Knowling on bass and Judge Riley on drums . This version did not reach the Billboard Race Records chart , but represents a move toward a more urban blues treatment of the song . Big Joe Williams various recordings inspired other blues musicians to record their interpretations of the song and it became a blues standard . Early examples include Papa Charlie McCoy as `` Tampa Kid '' ( 1936 ) , Leonard `` Baby Doo '' Caston ( 1939 ) , Lightnin ' Hopkins ( 1947 ) , John Lee Hooker ( 1949 ) and Big Bill Broonzy ( 1952 ) . By the early 1950s , the song was reworked in contemporary musical styles , with an early rhythm and blues / jump blues version by Billy Wright ( 1951 ) , a harmonized doo - wop version by the Orioles ( a number eight R&B hit in 1952 ) , and a Afro - Cuban - influenced rendition by Rose Mitchell ( 1954 ) . In 1953 , Muddy Waters recast the song as a Chicago - blues ensemble piece with Little Walter and Jimmy Rogers . Chess Records originally issued the single with the title `` Turn the Lamp Down Low '' , although the song is also referred to as `` Turn Your Lamp Down Low '' , `` Turn Your Light Down Low '' , or `` Baby Please Do n't Go '' . He regularly performed the song , several of which were recorded . Live versions appear on Muddy Waters at Newport 1960 and on Live at the Checkerboard Lounge , Chicago 1981 with members of the Rolling Stones . AllMusic critic Bill Janovitz cites the influence of Waters ' adaptation : The most likely link between the Williams recordings and all the rock covers that came in the 1960s and 1970s would be the Muddy Waters 1953 Chess side , which retains the same swinging phrasing as the Williams takes , but the session musicians beef it up with a steady driving rhythm section , electrified instruments and Little Walter Jacobs wailing on blues harp . `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' Single by Them B - side `` Gloria '' Released November 6 , 1964 ( 1964 - 11 - 06 ) ( UK ) 1965 ( US ) Format 7 - inch 45 rpm Recorded October 1964 Genre Blues rock Length 2 : 40 Label Decca ( UK ) Parrot ( US ) Songwriter ( s ) Traditional ( Williams credited ) Producer ( s ) Bert Berns `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' Single by Them B - side `` Gloria '' Released November 6 , 1964 ( 1964 - 11 - 06 ) ( UK ) 1965 ( US ) November 6 , 1964 ( 1964 - 11 - 06 ) ( UK ) 1965 ( US ) November 6 , 1964 ( 1964 - 11 - 06 ) ( UK ) 1965 ( US ) Format 7 - inch 45 rpm Recorded October 1964 Genre Blues rock Length 2 : 40 Label Decca ( UK ) Parrot ( US ) Decca ( UK ) Parrot ( US ) Decca ( UK ) Parrot ( US ) Songwriter ( s ) Traditional ( Williams credited ) Producer ( s ) Bert Berns `` Baby Please Do n't Go '' was one of the earliest songs recorded by Them , fronted by a 19 - year - old Van Morrison . Their rendition of the song was derived from a John Lee Hooker version recorded in 1949 as `` Do n't Go Baby '' using the pseudonym `` Texas Slim '' ( King 4334 ) , which later appeared on a 1959 album , Highway of Blues , that Van Morrison heard and felt was `` something really unique and different '' with `` more soul '' than he 'd previously heard . Them recorded `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' for Decca Records in October 1964 . Besides Morrison , there is conflicting information about who participated in the session . In addition to the group 's original members ( guitarist Billy Harrison , bassist Alan Henderson , drummer Ronnie Millings , and keyboard player Eric Wrixon ) , others have been suggested : Pat McAuley on keyboards , Bobby Graham on a second drum kit , Jimmy Page on second guitar , and Peter Bardens on keyboards . As Page biographer George Case notes , `` There is a dispute over whether it is Page 's piercing blues line that defines the song , if he only played a run Harrison had already devised , or if Page only backed up Harrison himself '' . Morrison has acknowledged Page 's participation in the early sessions : `` He played rhythm guitar on one thing and doubled a bass riff on the other '' and Morrison biographer Johnny Rogan notes that Page `` doubled the distinctive riff already worked out by Billy Harrison '' . Music critic Greil Marcus comments that during the song 's quieter middle passage `` the guitarist , session player Jimmy Page or not , seems to be feeling his way into another song , flipping half - riffs , high , random , distracted metal shavings '' . Them 's blues - rock arrangement is `` now regarded justly as definitive '' , with `` much of its appeal emanat ( ing ) from the tingling lead guitar section '' , according to music writer Adam Clayson . `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' was released as Them 's second single on November 6 , 1964 . With the B - side , `` Gloria '' , it became their first hit , reaching number ten on the UK Singles Chart in February 1965 . The single was released in the U.S. in 1965 , but only `` Gloria '' became a hit the following year . The song was not included on Them 's original British or American albums ( The Angry Young Them and Them Again ) , however , it has appeared on several compilation albums , such as The Story of Them Featuring Van Morrison and The Best of Van Morrison . When it was reissued in 1991 as a single in the UK ( London LON 292 ) , it reached number 65 in the chart . Van Morrison also accompanied John Lee Hooker during a 1992 performance , where Hooker sings and plays `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' on guitar while sitting on a dock , with harmonica backing by Morrison ; it was released on the 2004 Come See About Me Hooker DVD . `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' was a feature of AC / DC 's live shows since their beginning . Although they have expressed their interest and inspiration in early blues songs , music writer Mick Wall identifies Them 's adaptation of the song as the likely source . In November 1974 , Angus Young , Malcolm Young , and Bon Scott recorded it for their 1975 Australian debut album , High Voltage . Tony Currenti is sometimes identified as the drummer for the song , although he suggests that it had been already recorded by Peter Clack . Wall notes that producer George Young played bass for most of the album , although Rob Bailey claims that many of the album 's tracks were recorded with him . High Voltage and a single with `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' were released simultaneously in Australia in February 1975 . AllMusic critic Eduardo Rivadavia called the song `` positively explosive '' . Albert Productions issued it as the single 's B - side . However , the A-side was largely ignored and `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' began receiving airplay . The single entered the chart at the end of March 1975 and peaked at number 10 in April . Also on 23 March 1975 , one month after drummer Phil Rudd and bassist Mark Evans joined AC / DC , the group performed the song for the first time ( this performance would also be repeated on 6 April and 27 April which is why there is often conflicting dates for this performance ) on the Australian music program Countdown . For their appearance , `` Angus wore his trade mark schoolboy uniform while Scott took the stage wearing a wig of blonde braids , a dress , make - up , and earrings '' , according to author Heather Miller . Joe Bonomo describes Scott as `` a demented Pippi Longstocking '' , and Perkins notes his `` tattoos and a disturbingly short skirt . '' Evans describes the reaction : As soon as his vocals are about to begin he comes out from behind the drums dressed as a schoolgirl . And it was like a bomb went off in the joint ; it was pandemonium , everybody broke out in laughter . ( Scott ) had a wonderful sense of humor . Scott mugs for the camera and , during the guitar solo / vocal improvization section , he lights a cigarette as he duels with Angus with a green mallet . Rudd laughs throughout the performance . Although `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' was a popular part of AC / DC 's performances ( often as the closing number ) , the song was not released internationally until their 1984 compilation EP ' 74 Jailbreak . The video from the Countdown show is included on the Family Jewels DVD compilation in 2005 . Aerosmith recorded `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' for their blues cover album , Honkin ' on Bobo , which was released on March 30 , 2004 . The album was produced by Jack Douglas , who had worked on the group 's earlier albums , and reflects a return to their hard rock roots . Billboard magazine describes the song as `` the kind of straight - ahead , hard - driving track that always typified the band 's ( 1970s ) records '' . Edna Gundersen of USA Today called their version a `` terrific revival . '' It was the first single to be released from the album and reached number seven on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart . A music video , directed by Mark Haefeli , was produced to promote the single . Subsequently , the song has become a staple of the band 's concert repertoire . Other recorded renditions include those by Mose Allison ( Transfiguration of Hiram Brown , 1960 ) , Paul Revere & the Raiders ( Just Like Us ! , 1966 ) , the Amboy Dukes ( reached number 106 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles record chart in 1968 ) , Beacon Street Union ( The Clown Died in Marvin Gardens , 1968 ) , Gary Glitter ( Glitter , 1972 ) , Budgie ( Never Turn Your Back on a Friend , 1973 ) and Renée Geyer ( Swing , 2013 ) . Big Joe Williams ' `` Baby , Please Do n't Go '' is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame list of `` 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll '' . In 1992 , it was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in the `` Classics of Blues Recordings '' category . The Foundation noted that , in addition to various blues recordings , `` the song was revived in revved - up fashion by rock bands in the ' 60s such as Them , the Amboy Dukes , and Ten Years After '' .