When Something Is Wrong with My Baby

"When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" is a soul ballad written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter. It was first released in 1967 by Sam & Dave on their album Double Dynamite released on Stax Records.^[1][2]

"When Something Is Wrong with My Baby"
Italian release picture sleeve
Single by Sam & Dave
from the album Double Dynamite
B-side	"Small Portion of Your Love"
Released	1967
Recorded	1967
Genre	Soul
Length	3:17
Label	Stax Atlantic (S-210)
Songwriters	Isaac Hayes David Porter
Producers	Isaac Hayes David Porter Booker T. & the MG's
Sam & Dave singles chronology
"You Got Me Hummin'" (1966) "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" (1967) "Soothe Me" (1967)

Contents

• 1Original Sam & Dave version
  • 1.1Personnel
  • 1.2In popular culture
  • 1.3Charts
• 2Johnny Gill version
  • 2.1Charts
• 3Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham version
  • 3.1Track listing
  • 3.2Charts
    • 3.2.1Weekly charts
    • 3.2.2Year-end charts
  • 3.3Certifications
• 4Other versions
• 5References
• 6External links

Original Sam & Dave version

Personnel

• Vocals by Sam Moore and Dave Prater
• Instrumentation by Booker T. & the M.G.'s and Mar-Keys Horns
• Mastering Engineer – Rick O'Neil

In popular culture

• The song is featured in 2012 film Stand Up Guys, in a scene where Val (Al Pacino) asks a girl to dance with him.
• The song is featured in 1995 film Dead Presidents.
• The song is also featured in Edgar Wright's 2017 film, Baby Driver, in the scene where Bats Jefferson (Jamie Foxx) forces Baby (Ansel Elgort) and the heist crew to go eat at Bo's Diner, where Baby's love interest Debora (Lily James) is working.

Charts

Chart (1967)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100[3]	42
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[4]	2

Johnny Gill version

"When Something Is Wrong with My Baby"
Single by Johnny Gill
from the album Johnny Gill
B-side	"Half Steppin'"[5]
Released	1983 (1983)
Genre	R&B
Length	3:58
Label	Cotillion
Songwriters	Isaac Hayes David Porter
Producer	Freddie Perren[6]
Johnny Gill singles chronology
"Super Love" (1983) "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" (1983) "Perfect Combination / Heartbreak Look" (1984)

In 1983, American contemporary R&B singer Johnny Gill covered "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" and included it on his first eponymous album. The song was issued as the second and final single from the album; and it peaked at #57 on the BillboardR&B chart.^[7]

Charts

Chart (1983)	Peakposition
US R&B Singles (Billboard)[7]	57

Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham version

"When Something Is Wrong with My Baby"
Single by Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham
from the album Soul Deep
B-side	"All I Got"
Released	October 28, 1991 (1991-10-28)[8]
Studio	Freight Train (Australia)
Length	4:56
Label	Mushroom
Songwriters	Isaac Hayes David Porter
Producer	Don Gehman
Jimmy Barnes singles chronology
"I Gotcha!" (1991) "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" (1991) "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (1992)
John Farnham singles chronology
"In Days to Come"(1991) "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby"(1991) "Please Don't Ask Me"(1991)

In 1991, Australian singers Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham recorded and released "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" as the second single from Barnes' fifth studio album, Soul Deep. Released in October 1991, the song peaked at number three in Australia and number six in New Zealand.

Track listing

CD single

1. "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" – 4:56
2. "All I Got" (Jimmy Barnes) – 4:20

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1991–1992)	Peakposition
Australia (ARIA)[9]	3
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[10]	6

Year-end charts

Chart (1991)	Position
Australia (ARIA)[11]	77

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[12]	Platinum	70,000^^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[13]	Gold	5,000^*
^* Sales figures based on certification alone.^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Other versions

The song was covered by:

• Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville as a duet in from the 1990 triple platinum album Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind, which reached the top five on the Adult Contemporary chart.
• In 1985 a cover by American country music artist Joe Stampley from his album I'll Still Be Loving You peaked at number 67 on the BillboardHot Country Singles chart.^[14][15]

References

1. "Satellite & Stax singles (1959–1968)". staxrecords.free.fr. Retrieved May 28, 2008.
2. Hirshey, Gerri (1994). Nowhere to Run: The Story of Soul Music. New York: Da Capo Press. pp. 311–312. ISBN 0-306-80581-2.
3. "Sam Dave Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
4. "Sam Dave Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
5. "Johnny Gill - When Something Is Wrong With My Baby / Half Steppin' (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs. Zink Media. 1983. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
6. "Albums produced by Freddie Perren". Discogs. Zink Media. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
7. "Johnny Gill | Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
8. "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 28/10/91: Singles". The ARIA Report. No. 92. October 27, 1991. p. 20.
9. "Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham – When Something Is Wrong with My Baby". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
10. "Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham – When Something Is Wrong with My Baby". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
11. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
12. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1991 Singles"(PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
13. "New Zealand single certifications – Jimmy Barnes & John Farnham – When Something Is Wrong with My Baby". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
14. Joe Stampley - I'll Still Be Loving You (1985) album releases & credits at Discogs
15. Whitburn, Joel (2013). Hot Country Songs 1944–2012. Record Research, Inc. p. 318. ISBN 978-0-89820-203-8.

External links

• Sam & Dave - "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby" (1967) song review by Stewart Mason at AllMusic