"Since I Met You Baby"

 

The Original R&B Masterpiece (1956)

Written and recorded by pianist Ivory Joe Hunter, "Since I Met You Baby" stands out as a triumph of smooth, bluesy elegance. Recorded for Atlantic Records in 1956, the 12-bar blues track bypassed the era's tide of raucous rock & roll in favor of polished sophistication—featuring a lush orchestral arrangement by Ray Ellis, a wordless vocal choir, and saxophone harmonies by Jesse Powell.

The track was a massive success:

• Chart Success: Spent three weeks at #1 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1957 and hit #12 on the Hot 100.

• Major Milestone: Hunter was awarded a gold record live on The Ed Sullivan Show to celebrate its success.

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The Country Revival (1969)

Country music superstar Sonny James gave the standard a second life in 1969. Adding overdubbed crowd noise to give the studio recording a live feel, James scored a #1 hit on the Hot Country Singles chart. This marked his 13th country #1 overall and served as a key link in his legendary streak of 16 consecutive #1 singles.

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A Multigenre Legacy

Beyond Hunter and James, "Since I Met You Baby" became a beloved standard spanning pop, rock, Tejano, and blues:

• 1950s–1960s: Covered by Mindy Carson (1957 pop hit), Sam Cooke (1961), and The Spencer Davis Group (1966).

• 1970s: Country-Tejano star Freddy Fender scored a major hit with a Spanish-language rendition, "Desde Que Conozco" (later featured in the 1996 film Lone Star).

• Other Notable Artists: Recorded across generations by B.B. King, Neil Young, Dean Martin, Jerry Lee Lewis, Wanda Jackson, Solomon Burke, and Gary Moore.