Live 04 Nov 1976 version
[Bruce Springsteen:]
[Spoken intro:] We got a special, a special... somebody really special with us tonight, somebody who, who I love and wanted to marry ever since I heard her first record, and I still do. And... I'm gonna her bring out to sing some songs with us. Miss Ronnie Spector.
[Ronnie Spector:]
Alright!
Whoa oh, whoa oh oh oh
Have I ever told you
How good it feels to hold you
It isn't easy to explain
Oh baby!
And though I'm really trying
I think I may start crying
My heart can't wait another day
Oh when you kiss me I've just got to say
(Baby, I love you) come on, baby
(Baby, I love you) ooh-ee baby
(Baby, I love you only you) baby, I love only you
Whoa oh, whoa oh oh oh
I can't live without you
I love everything about you
I can't help it if I feel this way
Oh listen to this!
Oh I'm so glad I found you
I want my arms around you
I love to hear you call my name
Tell me that you feel the same
(Baby, I love you) come on, baby
(Baby, I love you) ooh-ee baby
(Baby, I love only you) ah baby, I love only you
Whoa oh, whoa oh oh
Oh yeah
Ooh, come on, come on
Yeah, everybody
Alright
Come on, baby
(Baby, I love you) oh oh, baby
(Baby, I love you) ooh-ee baby
(Baby, I love you) oh oh
(Baby, I love you) oh oh-oh
(Baby, I love you) oh-oh oh-oh
(Baby, I love you) ah baby, I love only you
Oh-oh oh
Oh-oh oh-oh
BABY, I LOVE YOU is a 1963 song by The Ronettes. See the original The Ronettes version for more details.
The above lyrics are for the live 04 Nov 1976 performance of BABY, I LOVE YOU at Palladium in New York City, NY, during what is known as The Lawsuit Tour. The song featured a guest appearance by Ronnie Spector. She sang vocals and was backed by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band.
Despite the marvelous reception received by both Born To Run and the tour which followed, the relationship between Bruce Springsteen and his now former manager and producer Mike Appel was deteriorating. In July 1976 the storm broke; Mike Appel wrote to Springsteen saying that he would not allow Jon Landau (Springsteen's friend and co-producer of Born To Run) to produce the next album, citing a particular paragraph from their original agreement. Springsteen replied on 27 Jul 1976 by firing manager Mike Appel and suing him and his management company Laurel Canyon Ltd. in Federal Court in Manhattan, claiming fraud, breach of trust, and undue influence. Appel counter-sued on 29 Jul 1976 in New York State Supreme Court, asking the court to prohibit Springsteen and Jon Landau from working together in studio. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band were slated to enter the studio that year for the recording of a new album, except that on 15 Sep 1976 the judge in the lawsuits case ruled that Springsteen was enjoined from any further recording with Columbia Records until Appel's suit was resolved. This would drag for about a year. Meanwhile, Springsteen continued gigging, and in the process broke his self-imposed rule of not playing the larger arenas. This was basically because he was not able to put a record out, and it was the only way his fans would be able to hear him at all. The tour became known as "The Lawsuit Tour" (62 know dates, August 1976 to March 1977).
BABY, I LOVE YOU is known to have been performed at least twice during what is known as The Lawsuit Tour (62 know dates, August 1976 to March 1977). Some of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song may have been played on some more dates during the Lawsuit Tour. Both time, the song featured Ronnie Spector on vocals.
BABY, I LOVE YOU was performed off-tour on 12 May 1977 and 13 May 1977 (early and late shows) at Monmouth Arts Center in Red Bank, NJ, with The Asbury Park All-Star Revue. The song featured Ronnie Spector on vocals.
List of available versions of BABY, I LOVE YOU on this website:
BABY, I LOVE YOU [Live 04 Nov 1976 version]
