As a teenager, Bass was attracted by more secular music. Throughout high school she began singing contemporary R&B songs at local contests and fairs. In 1961, Bass found steady work on the local Leon Claxton Show, playing piano and singing in the chorus. She also began playing piano on blues vocalist Little Milton's records. With the support of Bob Lyons, the manager of St. Louis station KATZ, Bass recorded several songs released through Bobbin Records. She saw no notable success outside her home town, however.
Two years later, she moved to Chicago after a dispute with Little Milton. She auditioned for Chess Records, who immediately signed her as a recording artist. Her first works with the label were several duets with blues singer Bobby McClure, also a newcomer to the label. Released early in 1965, "Don't Mess Up a Good Thing" found immediate success, reaching the top five at R&B radio and peaking at #33 at pop. They followed their early success with "You'll Miss Me (When I'm Gone)" that summer, a song that had mild success, reaching the top 30 at R&B, but barely charting at pop.
After a brief tour, Bass returned to the studio. The result was an original composition with an aggressive bass and drum work by Maurice White, of the future Earth, Wind, & Fire. The song, "Rescue Me," shot up the charts in the fall and winter of 1965. After a month-long run at the top of the R&B charts, the song reached #4 at the pop charts.
She followed with "Recovery," which did moderately well, peaking at #13 at R&B and #37 at pop in early 1966. The same year brought two more R&B hits, "I Can't Rest" (backed with "I Surrender)" and "You'll Never Know." Her only album with Chess Records, The New Look, sold reasonably well, but Bass decided to leave the label after only two years, in 1967.
In 1970 Bass recorded two albums with the Art Ensemble of Chicago, The Art Ensemble of Chicago with Fontella Bass and Les Stances A Sophie. The latter was the soundtrack from the French movie of the same title. Bass' vocals, backed by the powerful, pulsating push of the band has allowed the Theme De YoYo to remain an underground cult classic ever since.
The next few years found Bass at a number of different labels, but saw no notable successes. After her second album, Free, flopped in 1972, Bass retired from music. She returned occasionally, being featured as a background vocalist on several recordings, including those of her husband, Lester Bowie, a jazz trumpeter and member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago. In the 1990s she hosted a short-lived Chicago radio talk show, and has released several gospel records on independent labels.
Like many outstanding artists of her time, Bass experienced a revival of interest. Her still-powerful tones can be heard on the 2002 Cinematic Orchestra album, 'Everyday'.
She has been inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame. She is the older sister of R&B singer David Peaston, who was a former Showtime at the Apollo champion.
Fontella Bass, 72, died of heart-attack complications in her home town of St. Louis, Missouri, 26 December 2012. She is survived by four children.
Discography
Albums
* The New Look (1966, Chess) US: #93
* Les Stances A Sophie , with the Art Ensemble of Chicago (1970, Nessa Records)
* The Art Ensemble of Chicago with Fontella Bass, (Prestige Records, 1970)
* Free (1972, Paula)
* From The Root To The Source (1980)
* No Ways Tired (1995, Nonesuch)
* Now That I Found a Good Thing (1996, Jewel)
* Travelin (2001, Justin Time)
Singles
* "Don't Mess Up a Good Thing" (1965, Chess) R&B: #5 US: #33 with Bobby McClure
* "You'll Miss Me (When I'm Gone)" (1965) R&B: #27 US: #91 with Bobby McClure
* "Rescue Me" (1965) R&B: #1 US: #4 UK: #11
* "Recovery" (1966) R&B: #13 US: #37 UK: #32
* "Safe and Sound" (1966) US: #100 (b-side of "Recovery")
* "I Can't Rest" (1966) R&B: #31
* "I Surrender" (1966) R&B: #33 US: #78 (b-side of "I Can't Rest")
* "You'll Never Know" (1966) R&B: #34
Oh No Not My Baby
Fontella Bass Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't believe a single word was true.
I told them all I had faith in you.
I kept right on sayin':
Oh, no, not my baby.
Oh, no, not my sweet baby.
You're not like all those other girls
Who play with man's hearts like they were toys.
My mama told me, "Son,when rumors spread
That there is truth somewhere
And you should use your head."
But I sure didn't listen to what she said;
Don't you know I kept right on sayin':
Oh, no, not my baby.
Oh, no, not my sweet baby.
You're not like all those other girls
Who lead you on and tell you lies, no, not my baby.
Tell me, baby,
I don't believe what they're sayin', no.
Oh, no, not my baby.
Oh no, not my sweet baby.
Oh, no, not my baby.
Oh no, not my sweet baby.
Not my baby, not my baby
Not my baby, not my baby, not my baby
Not my, not my sweet, sweet baby.
Not my baby, not my baby
Not my baby, not my baby, not my baby
Not my, not my sweet, sweet baby.
Not my baby, not my baby,
Not my baby, not my sweet, sweet baby.
Oh, no, not my baby.
Oh no, not my sweet baby.
Oh, no, not my baby.
Fontella Bass' song "Oh No Not My Baby" is about a woman who refuses to believe that her lover has moved on and found someone new. She dismisses the rumors and stands by her man, convinced that he is not the type to play with a woman's heart. Despite the warnings from her friends and mother, she remains loyal and devoted to him. In the end, she pleads with him to confirm that the rumors are untrue, hoping to maintain their love.
The lyrics portray a woman who is stubborn and steadfast in her belief that her man is different from other men. She upholds the idea of love as a pure, unbreakable bond, and refuses to see the harsh realities of relationships. The chorus "Oh no, not my baby, oh no, not my sweet baby" emphasizes her unwillingness to accept the possibility of betrayal.
Furthermore, the line "you're not like all those other girls who play with man's heart like they were toys" further emphasizes the gendered expectation of women to remain loyal to their partner. The song portrays men as fragile and vulnerable, with women being solely responsible for breaking their hearts.
Overall, "Oh No Not My Baby" is a song about the complexities of love and the lengths we will go to in order to hold onto it.
Line by Line Meaning
When my friends told me you had someone new,
I didn't want to believe it was true when my friends informed me you had somebody new.
I didn't believe a single word was true.
I couldn't accept the idea that you had moved on based on their words alone.
I told them all I had faith in you.
I reassured my friends that I had complete trust in you.
I kept right on sayin':
I persistently reiterated my faith in you, refusing to consider the possibility of you being with someone else.
Oh, no, not my baby.
I couldn't bear the thought of losing you to someone else.
You're not like all those other girls
You stand out from the other women who treat relationships like nothing more than a game.
My mama told me, "Son,when rumors spread
My mother tried to give me sound advice on how to respond to rumors.
That there is truth somewhere
The truth can be uncovered if you search hard enough.
And you should use your head."
I should use critical thinking to evaluate rumors and decide if they hold any validity.
But I sure didn't listen to what she said;
Despite my mother's advice, I failed to listen to and apply her counsel.
Don't you know I kept right on sayin':
I ignored the cautionary advice of others and continued to insist that you could not have moved on to someone else.
Who lead you on and tell you lies, no, not my baby.
You are not the kind of person who would lead someone on or lie to them, unlike other untrustworthy women.
Tell me, baby,
I want to hear from you directly and confirm whether there is any truth to these rumors.
I don't believe what they're sayin', no.
I am skeptical of what others are saying about us because I have faith in you.
Not my baby, not my baby
I am confident that you would not do anything to hurt me or betray my trust.
Not my, not my sweet, sweet baby.
You are too special and precious to me to be anything other than true and faithful.
Oh, no, not my baby.
I refuse to accept the possibility of losing you to anyone else.
Oh no, not my sweet baby.
You are too kind, gentle, and loving to ever cause me pain or heartache.
Oh, no, not my baby.
Nothing and no one will ever come between us, and I will always protect and cherish you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAROLE KING, GERRY GOFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind