James John (Jimmy) Witherspoon, also known by the nickname “Spoon”, was a versatile "blues shouter" who achieved commercial success and critical acclaim in the genres of blues, jazz, and rhythm and blues. His 1947 recording “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” was a hit in 1949 and became his signature song.
His date of birth is usually given as August 8, 1923, but some sources give the birth year as 1920, and more than one source gives the birth date as August 18, 1921, attributing the information to his son. Since he may have run away from home to Los Angeles, California, as early as 1935, the earlier dates seem more plausible. In a 1996 interview, he gave his age as seventy-four, which also corresponds with the 1921 date.
Jimmy Witherspoon was born in Gurdon (Clark County) Arkansas to Leonard Witherspoon, a Missouri Pacific Railroad brakeman, and Eva Tatum Witherspoon, a church pianist. The family was devoutly religious. His parents were members of the choir at their Baptist church.
He didn't pursue music professionally until after his stint in the Merchant Marines in World War II. On his return to the Unites States in 1944, he replaced Walter Brown in Jay McShann's band, and performed with Big Joe Turner and T-Bone Walker.
Witherpoon's first hit record was "Ain't Nobody's Business", which he followed in 1949 with a reworking of the Leroy Carr song "In the Evening When the Sun Goes Down". His hit "Ain't Nobody's Business" was one of the biggest records of the era, and stayed on the Billboard charts for 34 weeks. Spoon made at least 200 recordings, and was one of the few true giants of the post-war blues boom.
Witherspoon recorded for a variety of labels through the 1950s, including cornerstone sides with Swingtime, Federal, Chess, RCA, and even a Dixieland session with The Wilbur de Paris New Orleans Jazz Band for Atlantic in 1956. His long career included performances on jazz stages around the world, from Carnegie Hall to the Newport Jazz Festival, touring Japan with Count Basie, and European tours with Buck Clayton's All Stars. Witherspoon managed to span the worlds of blues, R&B, and jazz with his deep baritone voice and unique style.
Witherspoon died September 18, 1997 in Los Angeles, California.
Spoon first attracted attention singing with Teddy Weatherford's band in Calcutta, India, which made regular radio broadcasts over the U. S. Armed Forces Radio Service during World War II. Witherspoon made his first records with Jay McShann's band in 1945. In 1949, recording under his own name with the McShann band, he had his first hit, "Ain't Nobody's Business,"[2] a song which came to be regarded as his signature tune. In 1950 he had hits with two more songs closely identified with him: "No Rollin' Blues", "Big Fine Girl", as well as "Failing By Degrees" and "New Orleans Woman" recorded with the Gene Gilbeaux Orchestra which included Herman Washington and Don Hill on the Modern Records label. These were recorded from a live performance on May 10, 1949 at a "Just Jazz" concert Pasadena, CA sponsored by Gene Norman. Another classic Witherspoon composition is "Times Gettin' Tougher Than Tough".
Witherspoon's style of blues - that of the "blues shouter" - became unfashionable in the mid-1950s, but he returned to popularity with his 1959 album, Jimmy Witherspoon at the Monterey Jazz Festival, which featured Roy Eldridge, Woody Herman, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Earl Hines and Mel Lewis, among others. He later recorded with Gerry Mulligan, Leroy Vinnegar, Richard "Groove" Holmes and T-Bone Walker.
Tours and successes
In 1961 he toured Europe with Buck Clayton and returned to the UK on many occasions, featuring on a mid-sixties live UK recording Spoon Sings and Swings (1966) with tenor sax player Dick Morrissey's quartet. In 1970, he appeared on Brother Jack McDuff's London Blue Note recording To Seek a New Home together with British jazz musicians, including Dick Morrissey, again, and Terry Smith. In the 1970s he also recorded the album Guilty! (later released on CD as Black & White Blues) with Eric Burdon and featuring Ike White & the San Quentin Prison Band. He then toured with a band of his own featuring Robben Ford and Russ Ferrante. A recording from this period, Spoonful, featured 'Spoon accompanied by Robben Ford, Joe Sample, Cornell Dupree, Thad Jones and Bernard Purdie. He continued performing and recording into the 1990s.
Other performers with whom Witherspoon recorded include Jimmy Rowles, Earl "Fatha" Hines, Vernon Alley, Mel Lewis, Teddy Edwards, Gerald Wiggins, John Clayton, Paul Humphrey, Pepper Adams, Kenny Burrell, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Jimmy Smith, Long John Baldry, Junior Mance, Ellington bassist Jimmy Woode, Kenny Clarke, Gerry Mulligan, Jim Mullen, Count Basie, Van Morrison, Dutch Swing College Band, Gene Gilbeaux and others.
Acting
In the 1995 film Georgia, Witherspoon portrayed a traveling, gun-collecting blues singer, Trucker, who has a relationship with the troubled character Sadie, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh.
BABY BABY
Jimmy Witherspoon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love me, love me, do
Love me, love me true
The way that I love you
Baby, baby, baby
You're my kind of guy
And I'd want to die
You smile and I'm happy
You frown and I'm blue
For me there's no sunshine
Unless the sun shines for you
Baby, baby, baby
Take me, take me, please
Put my heart at ease
Love me as I love you
The song “Baby Baby” by Jimmy Witherspoon expresses the singer’s strong affection towards his beloved woman. He declares that he is “taken with the notion to love you with the sweetest of devotion” and that his “tender love will flow from the bluest sky to the deepest ocean”. He emphasizes his commitment and devotion by stating that he will be there for her no matter what weather or situation arises: “In any kind of weather, I'm here for you always and forever”. The lyrics highlight the woman as the center of his universe, as the stars are shining for her and the birds above are singing her a chorus. He ends the song declaring that he cannot get over her and will be with her always and forever.
Overall, the song conveys the theme of true love and commitment. The singer’s words evoke a feeling of deep love and devotion, and express the importance of his lover in his life. The use of natural imagery and metaphor in the lyrics enhance the emotional power of the song, making it a moving tribute to the woman he loves.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, baby
Addressing the person they love
I'm taken with the notion
I have been captivated by the idea of loving you
To love you with the sweetest of devotion.
I want to love you with the purest form of dedication.
My tender love will flow from
I promise to love you sincerely
The bluest sky to the deepest ocean.
My love for you will span far and wide
Stop for a minute
I want to pause and appreciate this moment
Baby, I'm so glad you're mine, yeah
Expressing gratitude for having the person they love
The stars are shining for you
The world is beautiful because you exist
And just like me I'm sure that they adore you.
Everything around us loves you as much as I do
Go walking through the forest
Let's go on an adventure together
The birds above a' singing you a chorus.
Nature is celebrating your existence
No muscle man could sever
Nobody can break my love for you
My love for you is true and it will never
My feelings for you are genuine and will never
Always and forever
My love for you is constant
When I think about you it makes me smile.
You bring happiness into my life
Lyrics © SOROKA MUSIC LTD., Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID JOLICOEUR, VINCENT MASON, KELVIN MERCER, MALCOLM ROBERT ANDREW MCLAREN, TREVOR HORN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind