Bring It On Home to Me
1962 single by Sam Cooke
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"Bring It On Home to Me" is a song by the American soul singer Sam Cooke, released on May 8, 1962, by RCA Victor. Produced by Hugo & Luigi, and arranged and conducted by René Hall, the song was the B-side to "Having a Party". The song peaked at number two on Billboard's Hot R&B Sides chart, and also charted at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has become a pop standard, covered by numerous artists of different genres. It is one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
| "Bring It On Home to Me" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by Sam Cooke | ||||
| from the album The Best of Sam Cooke | ||||
| A-side | "Having a Party" | |||
| Released | May 8, 1962 | |||
| Recorded | April 26, 1962 | |||
| Studio | RCA (Hollywood, California) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:37 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriter | Sam Cooke | |||
| Producer | Hugo & Luigi | |||
| Sam Cooke singles chronology | ||||
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Background
"Bring It On Home to Me", like its A-side, "Having a Party", was written while Cooke was on tour for Henry Wynn. The song was initially offered to fellow singer Dee Clark, who turned it down.[3] While in Atlanta, Cooke called co-producer Luigi Creatore and pitched both numbers; Creatore liked the songs, and booked a recording session in Los Angeles, scheduled for two weeks later.[4] The session's mood "matched the title" of the song, according to biographer Peter Guralnick, as many friends had been invited. "It was a very happy session," recalled engineer Al Schmitt. "Everybody was just having a ball. We were getting people out there [on the floor], and some of the outtakes were hilarious, there was so much ad lib that went on."[4] René Hall assembled an eighteen-piece backing group, "composed of six violins, two violas, two cellos, and a sax, plus a seven-piece rhythm section that included two percussionists, two bassists, two guitars, and a piano."
The song is a significant reworking of the 1959 single "I Want to Go Home" by Charles Brown and Amos Milburn,[5][6] and it retains the gospel flavor and call-and-response format; the song differs significantly in that its refrain ("Bring it to me, bring your sweet lovin', bring it on home to me") is overtly secular.[4] The song was the first serious nod to his gospel roots ("[He] felt that he needed more weight, that that light shit wouldn't sustain him," said J.W. Alexander).[3] The song was aiming for a sound similar to Cooke's former group, the Soul Stirrers.[4] The original, unreleased first take includes vocals from Lou Rawls, J.W. Alexander, Fred Smith (former assistant A&R rep at Keen Records), and "probably" the Sims Twins. A second, final take leaves Lou Rawls as the only echoing voice.[4]
Personnel
"Bring It On Home to Me" was recorded on April 26, 1962, at RCA Studio 1 in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California.[3] The engineer present was Al Schmitt, and the session was conducted and arranged by René Hall. The musicians also recorded "Having a Party" the same day. Credits adapted from the liner notes to the 2003 compilation Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964.[3]
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Later versions
| "Bring It On Home to Me" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by the Animals | ||||
| from the album Animal Tracks (American album) | ||||
| B-side | "For Miss Caulker" | |||
| Released | 9 April 1965[7] | |||
| Recorded | 20 March 1965 | |||
| Genre | Rhythm and Blues | |||
| Length | 2:43 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter | Sam Cooke | |||
| Producer | Mickie Most | |||
| The Animals singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| "Bring It On Home to Me" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Mickey Gilley | ||||
| from the album Gilley's Smokin' | ||||
| B-side | "How's My Ex Treating You" | |||
| Released | June 1976 | |||
| Recorded | May 1976 | |||
| Genre | Country rock | |||
| Length | 2:23 | |||
| Label | Playboy 6075 | |||
| Songwriter | Sam Cooke | |||
| Producer | Eddie Kilroy | |||
| Mickey Gilley singles chronology | ||||
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The most significant later versions of the song include recordings by:
- The Animals in 1965 as a single, recorded in tribute to the then-recently killed Cooke. It was their last single to include original organist Alan Price. Their version reached number 7 in the UK and number 32 on the US Hot 100. Cash Box said it is performed in "an effective funky, emotion-packed style."[8] Record World said that "British clan gives tough treatment to the terrific Sam Cooke song. They pound out that beat with increasing intensity."[9]
- Mickey Gilley hit number 1 on the country chart in 1976 with his recording taken from his 1976 album Gilley's Smokin'.[10] He also reached number 101 on the Billboard Pop chart.[11]
- The Chicks (originally known as the Dixie Chicks) stripped the song down to vocals, finger snaps and plucked bass fiddle in 1990 on the album Thank Heavens for Dale Evans. Their version, less than two minutes long, revealed their blues-style harmonies.[12]
- Aaradhna covered the song on her 2008 album Sweet Soul Music. The recording was certified Gold by Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ) in 2023.[13]
Charts and certifications
Original version
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[15] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
The Animals version
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Pop Singles Chart | 32 |
| 1965 | UK Singles Chart | 7 |
| 1965 | Canada[16] | 7 |
| 1965 | Finland | 19 |
| 1965 | Netherlands | 3 |
| 1965 | Sweden | 1 |
Eddie Floyd version
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Black Singles Chart | 4 |
| 1968 | Pop Singles Chart | 17 |
| 1968 | Canada[17] | 24 |
Lou Rawls version
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Black Singles Chart | 45 |
| 1970 | Pop Singles Chart | 96 |
Mickey Gilley version
| Chart (1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[18] | 1 |
| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 (Billboard)[19] | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1976) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[20] | 31 |
In popular culture
- The song was featured in the second to last scene of 1987 movie Adventures in Babysitting.
- Green Day lifted the song's melody for the verses of their song "Brutal Love".
- The song appears in the opening scene of the 2017 film Gerald's Game
- The song was featured in the 2017 film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.[21]
- The song is featured in Episode 5 of the 2016 American science fiction thriller miniseries 11.22.63.
- The song is featured in a 2018 Walmart Christmas commercial about a teddy bear that wanders the store's aisles at night until he is brought home to a little girl for Christmas.
- The TV show Ozark featured the song in episode 1 of season 4, during the pool scene with Ruth, Jonah and Wyatt at the Lazy-O. The song also appeared in season 4 episode 14, "A Hard Way to Go".
- The song is used briefly in Season 1 Episode 5 of the American sports comedy Ted Lasso.
- Michael Bublé performed the song during Canada's opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.