Harlan Howard – She Called Me Baby

“She Called Me Baby “, song written by Harlan Howard, and first recorded by Harlan Howard for the Capitol label, May 3, 1961, Bradley Film and Recording Studio, 804 16th Ave. South, Nashville, TN, the same Three more songs were recorded: “Wishin ‘she was here”, “Put me back together again” and “Life goes on (I wonder why)”. With the production of Ken Nelson, the song was released in January 1962, and became a hit in Texas.

The song was included in Harlan’s debut album, Harlan Howard Sings Harlan Howard (Capitol 1961). The album was released in early 1962.

About the song:

Jan Howard, who later married Harlan Howard, recorded the first female version of the song: “He Called Me Baby” in a session on April 30, 1962, at the Columbia Recording Studio (Nashville); the song appeared in the song by Jan Howard Sweet and Sentimental Album released that October.

Patsy Cline also recorded the song as, “He Called Me Baby” in a February 1963 session at the Columbia Recording Studio (Nashville). Cline had begun recording tracks for an album titled Faded Love on February 4, 1963; “He Called Me Baby” was one of the four tracks cut on February 7, 1963, in what would turn out to be Cline’s last recording session. After Cline’s death on March 5, 1963, Decca Records decided not to release the Faded Love album instead, including Cline’s final tracks in two album releases of 1964, the second of which: the release of November 2, 1964, This is how anguish begins, he presented “He Called Me Baby” “Which song had been given a unique release that September 19 to reach number 23 on the C&W charts in December 1964, becoming Cline’s last C&W Top 40 hit until 1980.

The most successful version was the one that Charlie Rich recorded on February 4, 1965, at RCA Victor Studio, 800 17th Ave. South, Nashville, TN. But the song was not released until September 1974, getting to number # 1 of the charts of US Top Country Songs, on December 7, 1974, and remaining a total of 15 weeks in the charts.

Some versions:
Jan Howard & The Jordanaires 1962 (Capitol)
Skeeter Davis 1963 (RCA)
Patsy Cline 1964 (Decca)
Ernest Tubb 1965 (Decca)
Carl Smith 1965 (Columbia)
Waylon Jennings 1967 (RCA)
Melba Montgomery 1969 (Capitol)
Dick Curless 1972 (Capitol)
Charlie Rich 1974 (RCA)
And some more ……

Harlan Howard – She Called Me Baby Lyrics

She called me baby, baby all night long
Used to hold and kiss me till the dawn
And one day I awoke and she was gone
There’s no more baby, baby all night long.

She called me baby, baby all night long
Kissed my tears away when things went wrong
What I’d give if she’d just come back home
And call me baby, baby all night long

— Instrumental —

She called me baby, baby all night long
Lift me up so high and made me strong
Now each night in dreams just like a song
I still hear baby, baby all night long…